Learning English has become a necessity these days, be it in written or verbal form. As the world’s most spoken language, it holds a respectable niche; from everyday conversations to schools and colleges to the professional world. It has gradually become a symbol of class and stature in the upper echelons of society. Therefore, it has compelled almost everyone far and wide to have basic knowledge of English. This, in turn, also helps overcome the communication barrier between different ethnicities of the world, so that people can socialize more easily. 

The fundamental training in this language starts in a child’s early school days. It comes in the form of English alphabets, rhymes, and greetings. These mannerisms and idiosyncrasies slowly seep into us as schools often make it a compulsion to converse in English. But not every child has the same capacity to comprehend. Everyone learns at their speed. They start lagging behind and quickly lose interest in the subject.

And as they proceed to the higher classes, it becomes a mission to be in pace with the others. Not having a good command of the language further snowballs into embarrassment and avoidance.

To put an end to this escalation, let us go through some prominent tips and tricks that will aid the students to score well in their English exams as well as reignite their fascination with it.

Paper Pattern:

The paper pattern that is generally followed by the schools affiliated with the CBSE board is given below – 

Section A (Reading)

This section consists of two unread passages of 8 marks each. The student has to read through these comprehensions thoroughly to answer the questions that follow the passages. Also, 4 multiple choice questions of 1 mark each are given at the end of this section. The goal is to choose the correct answer out of the four options listed.

Section B (Writing and Grammar)

It includes writing in various formats such as articles, letters, notices, diary entries, and short stories each of 10 marks. It further consists of exercises such as paragraph completion and arranging jumbled sentences into a meaningful order of 6 and 4 marks respectively.

Section C (Literature)

This section is made up of lesson extracts taken from the standard schoolbook, followed by questions to be answered. It also contains five short and two long questions, each of 2 and 8 marks respectively.

The above pattern looks quite easy to attempt on the surface, but it is easier said than done. Other than the lack of preparation on the student’s behalf, overconfidence plays a major role in low scoring in English. Sometimes, children are not able to pay enough time and attention to it because of their inclination towards other more important subjects, like science and maths. Certain techniques applied will help ensure a better score and an excellent overall percentage.

Prepare all the sections

All the sections must be given equal attention by the student to have a high score. If one wants an idea of what to expect in an English exam, one must look through the CBSE Sample Papers for Class 9 English Language Literature Mock Paper 1 to be better prepared.

Systematic Approach

Students should have an idea of how to solve the paper. A systematic approach needs to be put in place to decide which section is to be attempted first. In doing so, students can avoid wasting their time pondering over a single question endlessly and move on to the ones to which they know the solution.

Read questions before the passage

This saves time and effort in searching for answers in the passage again and again during the time rush in the exam. Also, underline the ones that contain answers to avoid going through the passage.

Enhance your vocabulary

One never knows what an examiner might throw your way in the pretext of the exam. Therefore, it is better to familiarize yourself with new words every day. This can be done by inculcating a reading habit, which includes reading English newspapers, novels, storybooks, comics, etc. An expanded vocabulary helps you understand the passage quickly and lets you attempt other sections on time as well.

Set a time limit

Another way a student can discipline himself/herself is by constantly setting a time limit in which to attempt the whole section. This will mentally prepare the student to complete the paper efficiently.

Practice a lot

This might not be as obvious to everyone as English is sometimes taken for granted as a subject, or given less weightage over its other counterparts. Practising regularly will increase your writing speed and hence, lessen your attempt time.

Revise all the formats

All the writing formats such as articles, notices, diary entries must be looked over time and again. This is because a wrong format will bring a reduction in marks. Also, keep the described word limit in mind as your writings should not exceed that.

Read all the chapters properly

Go through every lesson in your literature textbook in a correct manner so that you can answer the questions that follow the lesson extracts.

Some additional presentation tips for the English exam that will make your answer sheet stand out from the rest of the class are: 

•  Use a black pen to write the keywords and headings.
•  Maintain proper spacing between the words.
• Underline important points and sub-points.

Conclusion: 

When taken seriously, English becomes one of the highest-scoring subjects for a student. Being fluent in this language can open up a world of possibilities for children who excel in it, including job opportunities such as :

•        Lecturer
•        Anchor
•        Magazine or newspaper editor
•        Writer
•        PR
•        Copywriter
•        Social service
•        Librarian

But it is ultimately up to us to make the best use of all the resources available to us to shape a better future.