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ACING ZIMSEC LITERATURE IN ENGLISH PAPER 1: COMMENT AND APPRECIATION

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    ACING PAPER 1: COMMENT AND APPRECIATION

    When faced with the task of tackling an unseen passage, particularly in the exam, some candidates get gripped by terror and end up panicking and doing the unthinkable. Yet there is no need to allow your fears to rule you to the extent of ruining your academic success.

    First Things First

    Assuming you have made a decision on which question(s) to tackle, what then should be the first thing to do? Undoubtedly, careful close reading. You want to establish what the writer is communicating to the readers (you in particular) at the same time taking note of the means which have been employed to convey those thoughts. Remember, the subject and the means are not far from each other; they work together to create impressions on the reader. So, as you read along, you should identify interesting points about both and annotate the text accordingly. 

    Plan

    Having identified the main points in relation to the question, you should then work on arranging them so that there is a clear sequence in your work. This is very important because the syllabus clearly states that candidates should communicate clearly their understanding. This entails laying out the essay in a logical and sequential manner. The other reason why candidates should arrange their points logically is to avoid repetition. Repetition weakens the structure of an essay and you should avoid it. An essay should move forward not forward and backwards in a confused fashion.

    Structure your Arguments Properly 

    Some candidates raise good points but fail to build a strong argument upon them. Remember, there is a difference between a point and an argument.  A point is just a single statement about a reader's observation. There is need for you to shape your argument in such a way that it is convincing. This means that you have to come up with effective topic sentences that are anchored on the demands of the question. You might want to explain further what you mean if you feel that your reader might not be able to grasp the drift of your argument from the topic sentence or if your topic sentence is scanty. You must provide textual evidence from the text to support your observations. A chain of sentences lacking evidence does not make an argument. Remember, do not leave quotations hanging. Make sure that you show their relevance to your argument by linking them to your points.

    Quote Effectively

    Quotations add nothing if they are not connected to the points raised. Care must be taken to ensure that the textual evidence is used to amplify and augment the argument. This entails quoting with exactness.  Excess content muffles the argument and blurs meaning. The best way is to embed the quotations and make them part of your sentences. The only thing that can show that they are quotations is the use of quotation marks. Littering the essay with too long quotations diminishes your argument. Instead of your readers to follow your arguments, they end up focusing more on the quotations since they are the ones having prominence in your work.


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    Anonymous said…
    Thank you so much bhudi.
    8 October 2024 at 21:48
    Cosmopolitan said…
    You're welcome dade.
    9 October 2024 at 17:23
    Post a Comment

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