The Do’s and Don’ts Tips for a successful English Exam

The Do’s :-) Budget your time. Consider the percentage value of the question and multiply by 1.5 for the time allotment. Consider completing the largest essays first. This way you avoid running out of time. Remember to budget time at the end to proofreading. This is you, after heeding this sage advice.

The Do’s :-) Plan your response. Consider the question carefully; What’s really being asked? This is you, after heeding this sage advice.

The Do’s :-) Restate the Question. This helps you get your bearings and gives you a good starting point. This is you, after heeding this sage advice.

The Do’s :-) Stay in formal writing style. Consider your voice and vocabulary; Elevate your lexicon :-) Remember your audience. Your writing is based on fact, through logical and academic reasoning. This is you, after heeding this sage advice.

The Do’s :-) Use complete sentences. Every sentence needs a noun and a verb. This is you, after heeding this sage advice.

The Do’s :-) Essays - Stick to the format; Introduction Paragraph: DATE Definition, Author/title, Thesis, Examples.; Body Paragraphs: TGST Topic sentence, General statement, Specific evidence**, Tie-back statement. Conclusion: Closing by return This is you, after heeding this sage advice.

The Do’s :-) Respond to each part of the question. Consider the marks that will be assigned for each component. Complete each component like a checklist. This is you, after heeding this sage advice.

The Do’s :-) Keep your thesis in focus. After each sentence or paragraph, ask yourself, “Did I answer what was being asked, or did I ramble with a dreaded plot summary?” This is you, after heeding this sage advice.

The Do’s :-) Always explain your reasoning. Be specific and clear. The person reading (and grading) your paper cannot read your mind. This is you, after heeding this sage advice.

The Do’s :-) Profread, (oops) Proofread & Proofread it again. Will it make sense to the reader? Grammar counts. This is you, after heeding this sage advice.

The don’ts :-( Don’t use slang! The guy wuz gonna go to school, but he kinda got sidetracked. Remember your audience; keep it formal. If you wouldn’t say it to your dear ol’ Nan, then don’t write it on your exam. Ms. Follett, grading the papers of those who’ve ignored the sage advice.

The don’ts :-( Don’t refer to everything as a ‘book.’ In the book Julius Caesar by Shakespeare... (Call it what it is; drama, novel, short story, etc.) Ms. Follett, grading papers of those who’ve ignored the sage advice.

The don’ts :-( In formal style, avoid the 1st person. “I think that Shakespeare did a great job in getting his theme across...” In my opinion, Brutus was a sympathetic character. (Statements should be based on facts, not opinion or judgement.) Ms. Follett, grading the papers of those who’ve ignored the sage advice.

The don’ts :-( The Cardinal Sins (grounds for a good throttling.) a lot / alot Theme is the main idea of the story. In this essay, I will talk about... Symbolism is the use of symbols. Title of a major literary work in quotation marks. Sentences beginning with ‘so’. Contractions; won’t, couldn’t, should’ve... Slang or txt spk. I mean, like, seriously? WTH?! Misuse of the exclamation mark!!! Ms. Follett, grading the papers of those who’ve ignored the sage advice.

English is a ‘Practice ‘Subject.