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9093 English AS

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9093 English AS
Any tips on how to write a commentary?
Like the layout and perhaps a list of features and effects to look for?
Can anyone provide me with sample commentaries if you have done in school? (preferably with marks)

Also tips on paper 1 and paper 2 as well to get an A
Thanks in advance :)
 
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9093 English AS
Any tips on how to write a commentary?
Like the layout and perhaps a list of features and effects to look for?
Can anyone provide me with sample commentaries if you have done in school? (preferably with marks)

Also tips on paper 1 and paper 2 as well to get an A
Thanks in advance :)
i'll provide u with commentaries later. First tell me that r u using any book? because its imp to have a perfect guidance.
One thing u should always remember in commentary is that NEVER JUST POINT OUT WHAT THE WRITER HAS USED, ALSO TELL 'TO WHAT EFFECT'? that is the first way to gain marks . Another is to never leave out the beginning and the ending for comment. The reason is we can easily and effectively comment on these two.
The features of language, u'll find in the books comprehensively!
 
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i'll provide u with commentaries later. First tell me that r u using any book? because its imp to have a perfect guidance.
One thing u should always remember in commentary is that NEVER JUST POINT OUT WHAT THE WRITER HAS USED, ALSO TELL 'TO WHAT EFFECT'? that is the first way to gain marks . Another is to never leave out the beginning and the ending for comment. The reason is we can easily and effectively comment on these two.
The features of language, u'll find in the books comprehensively!
Thanks a lot! I'm using the CIE endorsed English language book by Mike Gould and Marilyn Rankin.
I have the idea of using the Point-Evidence-Effect pattern but sometimes I'm not sure on how to elaborate on the effect or to know which ones are important in the commentary...
Also I'm unsure on how to start the commentary (introduction) where I currently just give an overview about the passage and also how to summarize and write an effective conclusion.
So I guess looking at a few sample commentaries could help? :)
 
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Thanks a lot! I'm using the CIE endorsed English language book by Mike Gould and Marilyn Rankin.
I have the idea of using the Point-Evidence-Effect pattern but sometimes I'm not sure on how to elaborate on the effect or to know which ones are important in the commentary...
Also I'm unsure on how to start the commentary (introduction) where I currently just give an overview about the passage and also how to summarize and write an effective conclusion.
So I guess looking at a few sample commentaries could help? :)
Hey Neha,
did you check the standards booklets that are available?
 
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9093 English AS
Any tips on how to write a commentary?
Like the layout and perhaps a list of features and effects to look for?
Can anyone provide me with sample commentaries if you have done in school? (preferably with marks)

Also tips on paper 1 and paper 2 as well to get an A
Thanks in advance :)

Thanks a lot! I'm using the CIE endorsed English language book by Mike Gould and Marilyn Rankin.
I have the idea of using the Point-Evidence-Effect pattern but sometimes I'm not sure on how to elaborate on the effect or to know which ones are important in the commentary...
Also I'm unsure on how to start the commentary (introduction) where I currently just give an overview about the passage and also how to summarize and write an effective conclusion.
So I guess looking at a few sample commentaries could help? :)

The Mike Gould book is good ... it covers almost everything you need to know.
Introduction as you are currently doing contains a brief overview plus the purpose of the passage, how it is achieved and the (dominant) tone.
You can prove the tone with an example in the intro itself or further in your commentary. Just make sure to justify all the claims you make.
Conclusion: you can just outline the language, diction, structure, style or whatever was the most effective factor of the passage as you would have previously talked about in your commentary.


Other tips I'd suggest are:

Keep your commentary clear. Use active voice, simple language and clear structure. We can't let the examiner infer anything, we must clearly state whatever needs to be understood.

And yes, stick to the point-quote-analysis structure coz that will give ur commentary some sort of flow.

While choosing your words, see to that they create the effect that you're asked to comment on and whether you can analyse it in the context/angle you are looking at the passage with. (You will have given this in your intro.)

Also, make sure to pick your choices spread out through the passage. If you take all your points within a particular section of the passage, your quality is bound to go down and you might fall down a band.

Do NOT comment on the content. Comment on the language as used in the context of the particular passage. Remember contextual analysis, not content.

As for samples, I will see if I got any good one and send it to you in convo, In sha Allah.
You can read this for more tips on both papers: https://www.edmodo.com/file/view-office-online?wopi_action=edit&id=e0794f6ddf7aeb38b6980b2e1c6cfb43

CAN ANYBODY GIVE ME TIPS ON HOW TO COMPLETE THE PAPER WITHIN TIME? MY TIME-MANAGEMENT SKILLS SUCK. I AM HARDLY ABLE TO FINISH 1.5 OF THE TASKS IN BOTH PAPERS AND I HAVE MY BOARDS IN AROUND 40 DAYS!!
 
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The Mike Gould book is good ... it covers almost everything you need to know.
Introduction as you are currently doing contains a brief overview plus the purpose of the passage, how it is achieved and the (dominant) tone.
You can prove the tone with an example in the intro itself or further in your commentary. Just make sure to justify all the claims you make.
Conclusion: you can just outline the language, diction, structure, style or whatever was the most effective factor of the passage as you would have previously talked about in your commentary.


Other tips I'd suggest are:

Keep your commentary clear. Use active voice, simple language and clear structure. We can't let the examiner infer anything, we must clearly state whatever needs to be understood.

And yes, stick to the point-quote-analysis structure coz that will give ur commentary some sort of flow.

While choosing your words, see to that they create the effect that you're asked to comment on and whether you can analyse it in the context/angle you are looking at the passage with. (You will have given this in your intro.)

Also, make sure to pick your choices spread out through the passage. If you take all your points within a particular section of the passage, your quality is bound to go down and you might fall down a band.

Do NOT comment on the content. Comment on the language as used in the context of the particular passage. Remember contextual analysis, not content.

As for samples, I will see if I got any good one and send it to you in convo, In sha Allah.
You can read this for more tips on both papers: https://www.edmodo.com/file/view-office-online?wopi_action=edit&id=e0794f6ddf7aeb38b6980b2e1c6cfb43

CAN ANYBODY GIVE ME TIPS ON HOW TO COMPLETE THE PAPER WITHIN TIME? MY TIME-MANAGEMENT SKILLS SUCK. I AM HARDLY ABLE TO FINISH 1.5 OF THE TASKS IN BOTH PAPERS AND I HAVE MY BOARDS IN AROUND 40 DAYS!!
Thankyou soo much!! :D This is really helpful!
 
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Can someone help me with gram mer tenses any website or video thst involves advanced language. I have mike gould but it doesnt have basic stuff specifically.
 
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No problem at all ... Just rectifications of my various mistakes. :)
Any idea for the time factor?
Time I'd say if you spend time planning in P1 then don't... analysing the passage itself is a sort of plan (at least for me it works :p)
P2 even I run out of time so what I'd say is currently you spend 15 mins planning right? Instead try to cut it down to 5 mins
The plan should be solely the key points that you are jotting down so you don't forget so don't try and think of the whole story and then write a plan and then start...
Start writing what you know already and then add on to the plan as you go along (for times when you have eureka moments in the middle of a paragraph)
 
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Time I'd say if you spend time planning in P1 then don't... analysing the passage itself is a sort of plan (at least for me it works :p)
P2 even I run out of time so what I'd say is currently you spend 15 mins planning right? Instead try to cut it down to 5 mins
The plan should be solely the key points that you are jotting down so you don't forget so don't try and think of the whole story and then write a plan and then start...
Start writing what you know already and then add on to the plan as you go along (for times when you have eureka moments in the middle of a paragraph)

I don't spend much time planning in P1 ... reading one passage twice and annotating itself takes 20-25 mins for me! xP ... Don't judge me, I can't help being a slow reader :p
And as for story/descriptions, again i don't plan much or anything ... just get a plot and start ... but even then it takes time to finish writing.
By the time i reach the writing for an audience part, there will only be 45m left :p so i just pick a question and ramble on and finish half the word limit and time's up!

My teacher and a senior have advised me to just keep practicing the planning for commentaries and audience writing, even if i don't have time to write the complete scripts .... apparently that helped increase the speed ... so that's on my list now.
 
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