IGCSE English First Language － Free Online Lesson and Q&A Session

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1. Hi!
   I have quite a big question that has been worrying me a lot for some time…
   For the 0500 exam, Q.1 is relatively straightforward and easy for most students (especially the comprehension task) however I have some questions regarding this question in particular. I would really appreciate if you guys could answer them.
   1. for Question 1 (b) (‘using own words’ question) most of my time is spent on it, whilst I’m improving my vocabulary, some of the words in the different texts I approach are confusing to me or I don’t know what they mean…is there any way you’ll could suggest how I could become better at easily figuring synonyms for this question?
   2. from part (c)-(e) I really don’t understand CAIE’s mark-scheme sometimes, I’ve really tried to understand what they are requiring me to select…however, sometimes, although I try my best – the points I select are not in the MS, does that mean that I wouldn’t be credited for those points if I were to write a point that is not in the MS?
   3. Lastly, the summary task… Some summaries are straightforward, like stating the advantages and/disadvantages of something, however others require some level of inference from the text…while I really try my best to infer I usually get about 7- 8 points that are in the MS… if I select lesser than 10 points that are in the MS could I still attain the highest grade in summary writing or it is required to select 10 or more?…

   Thank you so much, if I receive a reply and genuine advice from you guys I would be the most grateful…look forward for a wonderful feedback too :))

   Reply

   1. Hello Hanah,

      Thanks for joining the free English First Language lesson. Of course, we’ll be happy to answer your questions. Please kindly read them below.

      1. Look for context clues. Context clues are hints and extra information in a sentence or passage that help you understand the meaning of an unknown word. For example, if you encounter a word you don’t know, you can look at the words around it to see if they give you any clues about its definition.

      Another tip is to learn word roots, prefixes, and suffixes. By learning these, you can recognise the meanings and synonyms of words that share the same parts. For example, if you know that “bio” means “life,” you can figure out that “biology” means “the study of life” and that “biography” means “the writing of someone’s life.”

      2. For question 1, part (c) to (e), the ideas are presented in the text, and the answers must come from the specified paragraphs. Therefore, you will not be credited for answers not stated in the mark scheme. You will get marks if your answers are worded differently from the mark scheme, but they clearly convey the same meaning.

      Exam tip: most successful explanations reworked the relevant information only, using their own words as appropriate, to identify clearly differentiated points.

      3. For summary writing, you can select any relevant ideas from the text. The marks are not tied to the number of points. Marking is ‘holistic’, which means it considers the answer as a whole, not point by point.

      Some points are more important than others, so if you miss the most important points or show you misunderstood them, that may count against you. But as long as you make points that agree with what is stated in the text and explain them well, you will get marks.

      As for inference, it’s clear what you should understand from the text, and as long as you understand the main outline of the writer’s argument, you will get marks for it.

      We hope our explanation has cleared up your worries. Would appreciate if you could leave us a feedback on our Facebook or Trustpilot pages. Thank you so much.

      Reply

      1. Alright, thanks so much!

         Reply

         1. You’re welcome, Hanah.

            Don’t forget to share your experience with us on our Facebook and Trustpilot pages. We are looking forward to your testimonial.

            Thank you.

            Reply

      2. I sent my feedback on your Trustpilot page, make sure to check it out!

         Reply

         1. Hi Hanah!

            Thank you so much for taking time to leave a review in our Trustpilot page. We are very grateful for your kind words.

            Reply

            1. wlcm :))

2. Hi! I would like some tips for the summary question, how can I write an effective summary within a short period of time? I tend to struggle with coping up with the timings from both papers, any tips would be highly appreciated. Thank you!

   Reply

   1. Hello Hanah,

      Thank you for joining this month’s free English First Language lesson. Kindly read our summary writing tips below.

      1. Underline ideas that will help you answer the focus of the summary task.

      2. Only include ideas that directly answer the question. Avoid including redundant material or extra information from the text.

      3. Transfer the points into a plan whilst changing them into your own words.

      4. Organise relevant ideas from the text into a logical order. Decide which ones can be combined into one sentence.

      5. Don’t waste time and words by introducing or concluding your summary. Start by using the wording of part of the question.

      6. Make sure your summary is within the word limit. If it is too long, then it is not an effective summary.

      7. To improve your summary writing skills, practice summarising various types of texts. This will help you become more familiar with the process and develop your ability to quickly and effectively summarise content.

      We hope you find these tips helpful. For more summary writing tips, please read our post here: https://skolatis.com/how-to-write-a-summary/

      Reply

3. Hi, can I post a writer’s effect response question based on a past paper and would your’ll be able to kindly comment on it, and inform me if it’s worth it?

   Reply

   1. Hi Hanah!

      Thanks for asking.

      We suggest that you purchase our Mark Your Paper service so we can give you detailed comments and suggestions. We will show how you can improve your answer to score A*.

      Please check it out here: https://skolatis.com/mark-your-papers/

      We hope this helps. Thank you.

      Reply

      1. Hi Hanah!

         Do you need help in purchasing Mark Your Paper? Please feel free to ask us for help. We are happy to assist you.

         Reply

         1. Hi, yes please…

            Reply

            1. Sure, Hanah! Please follow the steps below.

               1. Purchase the Cambridge IGCSE English First Language Paper 1 marking here: https://skolatis.com/product/cambridge-igcse-english-first-language-paper-1-reading-marking/

               2. You will receive an email containing instructions on where to send your paper.

               3. Work on your past exam paper. Please email us your receipt number if you need help downloading past exam papers.

               4. Please send your answers in a Word document or Pages file.

               5. You will receive your marked paper within five working days.

               If you need further assistance, please feel free to write to us.

               Thanks, and we look forward to marking your paper.

4. Skolatis is a life saver!
   As a self studying Igcse student there are many times when I feel overwhelmed and anxious about my studies, times where I don’t know which is the correct I should direct myself to and where it would lead me towards in my future.
   Skolatis team has played an excellent role being a teacher to me, whenever I feel confused or stressed they are always there to help me with practical solutions, relevant exam information, quick answers to doubts and encouragement / motivation.
   Thank you.

   Reply

   1. Hi Hanah!

      Thank you so much for taking the time to write such a kind message. We really appreciate it and are here to support you whenever you need us. Keep up the hard work, and know we’re proud of you!

      We would be so grateful if you could also leave us a testimonial on our Trustpilot or Facebook pages (or both!). You can leave your reviews at:

      Trustpilot: https://www.trustpilot.com/review/www.skolatis.com
      Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/skolatis/reviews/

      Thanks for helping us out, and we hope to see you more here in Skolatis!

      Reply

      1. You are welcome!
         Thank you so much. I will do so!

         Reply

         1. Thanks, Hanah! We are looking forward to it.

            Your testimonial means a lot to our team. We will continue to work hard to assist even more candidates like you in the future.

            Wishing you all the best, and see you around!

            Reply

5. Hi, will there be only one free video and revision note for August?
   Thank You Skolatis team!

   Reply

   1. Hi Hanah!

      Thanks for checking out our free tutorials.

      The notes and video in the free tutorials are based on the winning topics from last month’s polls. Personification got the most votes previous poll, so this month’s notes and video are about personification.

      So if there’s a topic you’re particularly interested in, make sure to cast your vote for it!

      If you’re looking for more notes and videos, please sign up for our revision courses. Remember to use the discount coupon code for a 10% discount during checkout!

      Thank you again for your support, Hanah! We hope to see you in our revision courses soon.

      Reply