When studying for English it can sometimes be very stressful for students. Most students think during an exam teachers can ask any question relating to the text or not. However this is incorrect.

Step 1: Understand the text

Quite often, students struggle to perform well in English due to their lack of understanding of the text at hand. What is paramount is a students ability to recall the major (and minor) storyboard of the text, the relationships characters have with each other & the fundamental message behind the story. This first step will allow students to have a solid foundation moving forward towards success in English.

Step 2: Understand the rubric

All students studying English at school is to know the rubric in a lot of depth. This means that students should be able to read the rubric and understand how it relates to their prescribed text. A good indication that a student understands the rubric is this ability to read and discuss what the concept means to them with another person. Another common method to ensure you understand the course and its requirements is to link examples and themes to rubric key points.

Step 3: Create notes on themes, characters & context

Creating notes on themes, characters and context covers all basis in English writing. Themes are the major ideas expressed in the text. For example, in the play Romeo & Juliet- the themes love, hate & lust are all showcased throughout the text. Characters are the people portrayed in the text. Using the same example, this could be Romeo & Juliet. Furthermore, and most importantly for senior levels of English is context. Context covers three fundamental layers.

These are:

1. The time the text was made

2. The time the text is positioned

3. The time the text is consumed

Make sure to follow the summarised steps to success when writing English notes:

Steps to success

1. Understand the text

2. Understand the rubric

3. Makes notes on themes, characters & context

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