When it comes to mistakes, there are lots of things you should never say in an exam:
I’m bored!
I hate Shakespeare!
English is stupid!
(…and yes, I’ve seen all of those and worse)
There are three common mistakes that always come up. I’ve even seen top level students make these mistakes before and they can really shoot you in the foot!
So…let’s check ‘em out and make sure you’re not making these rookie errors!
Mistake No.1 “I’m Confused!”
Firstly, NEVER say this! Why? Because many students say they feel confused, not because the writer has purposely made it confusing, but because they don’t understand it. This is a key mistake!
If you don’t understand something in an exam…either ask the invigilator (if it’s a question you can ask about)…or crack on. FAKE IT TILL YOU MAKE IT! Don’t go telling the examiner you don’t understand the text and you’re confused. It’s not going to do you ANY favours!
In class…absolutely! In an exam…no way…it’s show time!
If you are really struggling to understand something in an exam, take your time and re-read it over again. See if you can work out the meaning from the other words surrounding it. If you’re really struggling, try to see if there’s one section you do understand and focus on that.
But…what if the writer made it confusing on purpose?
Absolutely! Writer’s do this all the time! They change the rhythm, they alternate the sentence lengths and use caesura and enjambment. They leave the protagonist unnamed and they throw you in the deep end with a WHOLE LOAD of action at the start of the story!
Examples
Here’s what you’re going to say!
Instead of:
“The writer has done this to make me confused.”
You’re going to say something like:
“The writer has deliberately done this to create uncertainty in the mind of the reader as we continue to read on to search for answers.”
Why should I do this?
WHY? Because you want to point out to the examiner that you understand the writer is using deliberate effects to spark certain emotions in the reader. You don’t want to mislead an examiner into thinking you’re just actually confused and don’t understand.
What to say instead of ‘Confused’
– Uncertain
– Unsure
– Tense
– Troubled
– Unsure
– Perplexed
– Puzzled
– On edge
– Perturbed
Mistake No. 2 “This makes me want to read on!”
OH. MY. DAYS! If I had a pound for every time a student wrote this…well, I probably wouldn’t be teaching anymore!
This is by far the most OVER USED phrase in English exams and examiners HATE IT!
Think about it. If you want to get the grades other people won’t get, you have to write something that other people won’t write. I guarantee you LOTS of people are writing this!
Here’s the problem: it doesn’t really say anything.
It’s a nice generic comment we can use to fill up space on our page but it doesn’t really have any IMPACT!
But…what if it does make me want to read on?
Erm…yes…that’s what every book aims to do!
I’m not going to start writing a book and think…hmmm…I think I’ll use this simile right now because it will make my readers stop reading, put the book down and never open it again!
What should I do instead?
A good option is to look at WHY you “want to read on”. Is there something you want to know? Is there a character you’re intrigued about and want to learn more about?
WRITE THAT!
Examples
Here are some great sentence starters to help you get going:
This makes me feel puzzled and interested to discover…
It makes me feel uncertain, tense and on edge and eager to find out if…
The text makes me feel determined to uncover whether…
This sparks feelings of intrigue and wonder and leaves me longing to learn more about…
Mistakes No.3 “The writer presented…in lots of different, really interesting ways”
Once again…it says a lot without really saying ANYTHING at all!
Most importantly, in your English exams, you want to avoid generic comments AT ALL COSTS!
Make sure you’re actually saying something and making a clear point. Don’t just waffle to take up space on the page.
It can be tempting to use this type of statement in your point. Instead, always try and be really clear exactly how the character of theme has been presented. Remember to follow it with a quote. Check out my post on how to choose the perfect quote here!
And that’s a wrap! I hope you found that interesting! Have you made any of these mistakes before? Try to stop yourself next time you catch yourself doing it! Still struggling? Check out my free eBook “Essay Templates” here!