This book is a superb all-in-one guide to success GCSE English Language and English Literature - GCSE English 2003

Reading The Question
Section Nine — Media and Non-Fiction Questions

Writing about non-fiction and media is pretty much the same as writing about fiction, except you have to be able to spot bias and distinguish between fact and opinion.

4 Things To Get You Marks in Media Questions

These are all things that the examiner wants to give you marks for:

Don't panic — this section'll show you how to do all these things, and the examiner will have to give you more marks for doing them...

The main thing is to stay calm, and to try and focus. Above everything else you must write clearly.

Be Sure To Read the Question Before the Text

Look at the question before you start on the text — it'll tell you exactly what to look out for. Having an idea of what you're looking for will help to focus your reading.

Pick out the key words in each question. Underline them, so you can see at a glance what the main point of each one is.

Think About How Much the Question is Worth

1) The questions are worth different amounts of marks.

2) Spend a shorter time on the questions that are worth less.

3) Think about what the question is asking you to do.

If it wants 5 examples of something, then try and find them quickly.

If it only wants 2 examples, you'll have to go into more detail.

Don’t waste too much time on questions worth one or two marks

All the examiners want is for you to show you've understood the text. It's hard to do that just through the short-answer questions. You need to get going on the ones that are worth more marks.