ms-kay\" post_id=\"2103433\" time=\"1680171002\" user_id=\"200760:Hi,
Hi! If you want to improve your grades, the most important thing to do is identify your weakness. Which components or sections of the English papers are consistently pulling your grades down? I personally give English & English Literature tuition (other subjects as well), and most commonly my students seem to be weaker in Summary writing, for Paper 2 or generally writing/essay writing for Paper 1. If you have specific weakness, work especially hard on those sections you consistently score low in, instead of spreading your energies and effort equally across all sections.
In brief, my advice is:
1) Identify your weakness
2) Practice and practice
3) Get help
I'd say intuitively, your school teacher should be the first person you should turn to for help - arrange for consultations, get their opinions on why you are doing poorly, and what you need to do to bring up your grades. Thereafter, ask them if they would be receptive to the idea of helping you mark/review your extra work & practice attempts, which will allow you to chart your improvement progress based on their feedback.
If your school teachers are of no help, you may have to consider tuition. If tuition is not financially viable, it will definitely still be possible on your own, just work harder.
Also, as another user stated, there is not much need to read current affairs/ news specifically. Especially if it is unenjoyable and dreadful to you. Personally I've always had a natural flair for English, which I attribute to my consumption of novels, storybooks, and being exposed to good English-speaking conversationalists within my household. Just read anything that interests you. Young adult novels, online lifestyle blogs, even food blogs. Any exposure to English and Language will help you, and if it is something you enjoy, you can consume way more material and continually expand your vocabulary, learn how to use words and phrases in context, and improve your grammar & add variety to your sentence structure.
If you put your heart to it, you can get an A1. Hard work and determination are critical, and you seem to have it in you.
To tell my success story, I was offered, and took up \"O\" Level Higher Chinese in Sec 3 (Never took HCL before, was in standard Chinese all my life). It was horrid and hard. I got E8 throughout, max C6, but I did a Paper 1&2 for HCL on my own every single week, and arranged weekly consultation with my HCL teacher who would review and comment on my work. I still got C6 throughout my all internal exams despite all these efforts. But I just toughed it out, kept working hard, and it paid off. Got an A2 for HCL at O Levels, did better than most of my peers who took HCL since P5. Got 10 As (distinctions) for O Levels too. It really goes to show that if you are determined enough, not much can stop you.
My O Levels was a few years back, my results got me into the top JC, and I am now a Uni Undergraduate-Student Tutor. I teach English and English Literature & many other subjects so I'm rather well positioned to give the above advice i guess!
Just believe in yourself, work hard, and the results will naturally follow. All the Best!
Kay (Uni Undergrad & Student Tutor)
Do you still give English tuiton for Sec 1? If you do, could you please PM me the details, thanks.
