Thorogood English

Category: IGCSE English

Practical guides, exam technique, and teaching advice for IGCSE English Language and Literature students. Written by a former Cambridge examiner with over a decade of teaching experience.

  • How to Write a Formal Letter for IGCSE English Language

    Formal letter writing is one of the most common directed writing tasks in IGCSE English Language — and one of the most penalised when students get the conventions wrong. The good news: the conventions are entirely learnable, and following them correctly earns marks before you’ve even written a sentence of content.

    The Layout

    A formal letter has a specific layout that signals immediately to the examiner that you know what you’re doing:

    • Your address (top right, or top left — conventions vary, but be consistent)
    • The date below your address
    • The recipient’s name and address (left-aligned, below the date)
    • Salutation: “Dear Mr Smith,” or “Dear Sir/Madam,” if you don’t know the name
    • Body paragraphs
    • Sign-off: “Yours sincerely,” if you used a name; “Yours faithfully,” if you used Sir/Madam
    • Your name (printed below the sign-off)

    The “sincerely/faithfully” rule trips up many students. Remember it this way: if you know their name, you’re being sincere. If you don’t know their name (Sir/Madam), you’re being faithful to the form.

    Tone and Register

    A formal letter is not the place for contractions (don’t → do not), slang, exclamation marks, or casual phrasing. The tone should be measured, polite, and direct — even if the letter is a complaint.

    This doesn’t mean stiff or robotic. The best formal letters have a clear, confident voice — they just channel it through formal structures. Read quality business correspondence or formal op-eds to develop a feel for this register.

    Structure: Purpose First

    Open your letter by stating its purpose clearly in the first paragraph. Don’t warm up with pleasantries — get to the point. “I am writing to express my concern regarding…” or “I am writing to apply for…” tells the reader immediately what this letter is about.

    Each subsequent paragraph should address one aspect of your purpose: background information, your specific points or requests, any relevant evidence, and what you’d like the recipient to do next.

    Close by summarising your main request or point, and thanking the recipient for their time. One sentence each is sufficient — don’t over-extend the ending.

    Common Mistakes to Avoid

    • Using “Yours sincerely” with “Dear Sir/Madam” — this loses marks
    • Forgetting the address and date entirely
    • Using an informal, conversational tone throughout
    • Making the letter too short — you need enough content to demonstrate range and vocabulary
    • Not reading the task carefully: if the task says write to a headteacher, the register should reflect that recipient specifically

    A Quick Template

    47 Thornbury Road
London
SE4 2PQ

22 July 2026

The Headteacher
Ashfield Secondary School
School Lane
London SE5 1AB

Dear Ms Harrison,

[Opening paragraph: state your purpose clearly]

[Second paragraph: develop your main point with detail/evidence]

[Third paragraph: additional point or elaboration]

[Closing paragraph: restate your request/purpose and thank them]

Yours sincerely,

[Your full name]

    Formal letter writing is covered in depth as part of the Thorogood English IGCSE English Language programme — along with reports, speeches, articles, and all other directed writing forms. Join the waiting list for January 2027.

  • What to Do in the Week Before Your IGCSE English Exam

    The week before an English exam is mishandled by most students. Some try to cram new knowledge — revising character analysis notes, trying to memorise quotations they haven’t learned yet. Others swing the other way and do almost nothing, assuming there’s nothing useful left to do.

    Both are mistakes. Here’s a better approach.

    Monday and Tuesday: Active Consolidation

    Use the first two days to consolidate what you already know — not to learn new material. Go through your existing notes, annotated texts, and any marked practice papers. Focus on the patterns in your feedback: what mistakes do you consistently make? What do you consistently do well?

    Write out your strongest quotations for Literature from memory. Don’t try to add new ones — the quotations you already know and can deploy fluently are worth more than ten new ones you’ll half-remember under pressure.

    Wednesday: One Timed Practice Paper

    Do one full practice paper under exam conditions: timed, no notes, no looking things up. This is not about the result — it’s about reminding your brain and body what exam conditions feel like, so that the real exam doesn’t feel unfamiliar.

    Mark it afterwards using the mark scheme. Note what you did well and what you’d do differently — but don’t dwell on errors. You’re building confidence, not cataloguing failures.

    Thursday: Light Review and Rest

    Thursday should be light. Look over your key quotations once more. Remind yourself of the exam structure — how many sections, how long for each, what each question type requires. Then stop. Do something enjoyable. Sleep well.

    Sleep in the week before an exam matters enormously. A well-rested brain retrieves information faster, constructs arguments more fluently, and maintains focus under pressure. An hour of extra sleep is worth more than an hour of late-night revision at this stage.

    Friday (The Night Before): Don’t Revise

    Seriously. If the exam is tomorrow morning, the night before is not the time for revision. Anything you try to learn tonight will not consolidate in time to help you. What will help: a good meal, a short walk, something that relaxes you, and an early night.

    Lay out everything you need the night before — pens, pencil, water, your exam entry confirmation. Remove that source of morning anxiety entirely.

    The Morning of the Exam

    • Eat breakfast. Your brain needs fuel. Even if you’re not hungry, eat something.
    • Arrive early. Rushing to an exam creates a cortisol spike that takes 20 minutes to clear. You don’t want to spend the first quarter of your exam recovering from a sprint.
    • Don’t compare notes with friends beforehand. Someone will say something that unsettles you. Keep your own counsel until after the paper.
    • Read every question twice before you write anything. The most common exam errors come from misreading the question. Slow down at the start and save time overall.

    Good luck — though luck has very little to do with it at this stage. You’ve done the work. Trust it.

    At Thorogood English, exam preparation strategy is built into the course from the start — not added as an afterthought in the final week. Join the waiting list for January 2027.

  • How to Choose the Right IGCSE English Exam Board

    If your child is studying at an international school or is being tutored independently, you may have some choice over which IGCSE English exam board they sit. The three most common options are Cambridge (CIE), Edexcel (Pearson), and — less commonly internationally — AQA. Each has slightly different emphases, structures, and marking styles.

    Here’s what you need to know.

    Cambridge IGCSE English (0500 / 0990)

    Cambridge IGCSE First Language English is the most widely sat English qualification internationally and the default choice at most British international schools worldwide.

    Key features:

    • Two papers: Paper 1 (reading comprehension and directed writing) and Paper 2 (directed writing and composition)
    • Option to include a coursework portfolio (Component 3) as an alternative to Paper 2 at some centres
    • Graded A*–G (though many schools report using the 9–1 scale internally)
    • Strong emphasis on directed writing tasks — writing a letter, report, or speech in response to stimulus material
    • Widely recognised by UK universities and international institutions

    Best for: Students at British international schools, expat families, students planning to apply to UK universities.

    Edexcel IGCSE English (4EA1)

    The Edexcel (Pearson) IGCSE is an alternative to Cambridge, used by some international schools and increasingly popular for UK independent schools that prefer the IGCSE route.

    Key features:

    • Uses the 9–1 grading scale, making it directly comparable to GCSE results
    • Two exam papers plus an optional spoken language endorsement
    • Paper 1 focuses on reading non-fiction texts; Paper 2 focuses on reading fiction and transactional writing
    • More similar in structure to the GCSE than the Cambridge IGCSE
    • Fully exam-based — no coursework component

    Best for: Students who may transition back to UK schools, or who want their results to sit easily alongside GCSE-graded subjects.

    Does It Matter Which Board Your Child Sits?

    For most students, the choice of exam board matters less than the quality of their preparation. UK universities accept all three qualifications, and the core skills being tested — reading comprehension, analytical writing, creative and transactional writing — are the same across all boards.

    Where the choice matters more:

    • If your child’s school dictates the board, the choice is made for you — focus on preparing for that specific paper format
    • If you’re registering independently, check which board your nearest exam centre accepts candidates for
    • If your child plans to sit English Literature alongside Language, check that the board offers both qualifications at the same centre

    At Thorogood English

    We prepare students for both Cambridge IGCSE and Edexcel IGCSE English. The teaching focuses on the transferable skills that underpin strong performance in both — and we adapt exam technique practice to whichever board your child is registered with.

    Join the waiting list for January 2027 — and mention which exam board your child is registered with when you get in touch.

  • Exam Technique vs Knowledge: What Actually Gets You Higher Grades in English

    A student who reads widely, knows their set texts thoroughly, and has strong analytical instincts can still underperform in English exams if their technique is poor. Equally, a student with moderate knowledge but excellent exam technique will often outperform expectations.

    This is a truth that surprises many students and parents — but it’s consistently borne out by what examiners reward. Here’s how to think about the relationship between knowledge and technique.

    What “Exam Technique” Actually Means

    Exam technique is not about tricks or shortcuts. It means understanding, at a granular level, what each question is testing and responding in a way that directly meets those criteria.

    In IGCSE English, technique includes: knowing when to analyse language vs when to retrieve information; understanding how to structure a response for maximum marks; knowing how much to write for each question based on the marks available; and recognising what “in your own words” means and why copying the text loses marks.

    None of these require sophisticated literary knowledge. They require understanding the exam.

    Where Knowledge Matters Most

    In English Literature, knowledge of the text is obviously important — you can’t write a convincing essay about Macbeth if you haven’t read it. Context (the historical, social, and biographical circumstances in which a text was written) also contributes marks, and understanding context requires genuine learning.

    In English Language, however, the source texts are provided in the exam. You can’t revise the content in advance. What you can revise is how to read and respond to any text — which is pure technique.

    The Most Common Knowledge Trap

    Students who know their set texts very well sometimes fall into the trap of writing everything they know about a text rather than answering the specific question. This is a technique failure, not a knowledge success. An examiner marking a timed essay is not rewarding breadth of knowledge — they are awarding marks for how precisely the response addresses the question set.

    The student who selects three well-chosen, deeply analysed quotations that directly address the question will always outscore the student who cites twelve quotations broadly relevant to the theme.

    How to Develop Both Together

    The most efficient preparation combines knowledge acquisition and technique development deliberately:

    • Read the set texts actively, annotating as you go, so that relevant quotations are already located and partially analysed before the exam
    • Study past papers and mark schemes together — not just to practise writing, but to understand the specific criteria being applied
    • Write practice responses under timed conditions, then mark them against the mark scheme yourself
    • Get feedback from someone who can tell you specifically what would improve each response

    Knowledge without technique produces students who know a lot and express it poorly. Technique without knowledge produces students who write well about very little. The combination of both, developed deliberately, is what produces consistently high grades.

    At Thorogood English, both are developed together across the programme. Join the waiting list for January 2027.

  • IGCSE English Language Comprehension: How to Answer Every Question Type

    Section A of IGCSE English Language (both Paper 1 and Paper 2) is a comprehension section: you read one or more passages and answer questions about them. But “comprehension” covers a range of very different skills, and the most common mistake students make is answering every question in the same way.

    Different question types require different approaches. Here’s how to handle each one.

    1. Retrieval and Identification Questions

    Example: “List four things the writer tells us about the school.” / “Identify two ways in which the factory affected the local community.”

    These questions test whether you can find and extract information. The skill is selection, not analysis. Do not explain or analyse — simply find the relevant information and write it clearly.

    Key tip: match the number of points to the marks available. If the question asks for four things and is worth 4 marks, give exactly four distinct points. Don’t pad; don’t repeat the same point in different words.

    2. Inference Questions

    Example: “What does the passage suggest about the writer’s feelings towards her childhood home?”

    Inference questions test your ability to read between the lines — to deduce something that isn’t stated directly. This is where weaker students lose marks by simply quoting the text rather than interpreting it.

    Key tip: the word “suggest” is your signal that inference is required. You need to say what the text implies, not just what it states. Back up your inference with evidence from the text, but don’t let the quote do all the work — explain what it tells you.

    3. Language Analysis Questions

    Example: “How does the writer use language to convey the tension in this paragraph?” / “Explain how the writer makes the description of the storm vivid.”

    These are the questions that separate grades. They ask you to analyse specific language choices — vocabulary, imagery, sentence structure — and explain their effect on the reader.

    Key tip: quote a specific word or phrase, name what type of language it is (if relevant), and then — most importantly — explain the effect. “The word ‘thundered’ is an example of personification” earns some credit. “The verb ‘thundered’ personifies the crowd, creating a sense of overwhelming, elemental force that the protagonist cannot resist” earns much more. Always move from the language choice to its effect.

    4. Summary Questions

    Example: “Using information from both passages, write a summary of the arguments for and against online shopping.”

    Summary questions test your ability to identify relevant information, organise it, and express it concisely in your own words. The key phrase is “in your own words” — direct copying from the passage is penalised.

    Key tip: read the question carefully to understand exactly what you need to summarise. Plan briefly — decide what points you’ll include — before writing. Write in continuous prose, not bullet points, unless the question specifically asks for a list. Stay close to the allocated word count.

    5. Vocabulary in Context

    Example: “Explain the meaning of the word ‘perfunctory’ as it is used in line 14.”

    These questions reward broad vocabulary and contextual reading. If you know the word, give its meaning clearly. If you don’t, use context: what does the surrounding sentence tell you about what this word must mean?

    Key tip: always address the context in your answer. “Perfunctory means done without care or effort” is a good answer. “Perfunctory, used here to describe the teacher’s response, means done without genuine interest or care — reflecting the teacher’s dismissive attitude towards the student” is a better one.

    The Golden Rule

    Read the question carefully before reading the passage. Know what you’re looking for before you start looking. This makes your reading purposeful and your answers more focused.

    At Thorogood English, comprehension technique is a core part of the IGCSE English Language programme. Join the waiting list for January 2027.

  • How to Get a Grade 9 in IGCSE English: What the Top Students Do Differently

    Grade 9 is awarded to the top roughly 3–5% of IGCSE English candidates. It is not a mark reserved for students of exceptional natural ability — it is a mark earned by students who understand exactly what the exam is testing and have trained specifically to meet that standard.

    Here is what those students consistently do differently.

    They Know the Mark Scheme Better Than the Syllabus

    Most students revise by reviewing content — going through their set texts, re-reading notes, practising comprehension questions. Grade 9 students do all of this, but they do something else first: they read the mark scheme.

    Cambridge publishes mark schemes for every past paper. These documents tell you exactly what a top-band response looks like — not in vague terms (“good analysis”) but in specific, gradeable criteria. A Grade 9 student has read enough mark schemes to internalise the language of assessment and write accordingly.

    They Write About Effect, Not Just Technique

    The single most common reason students plateau at Grade 6 or 7 is that they identify techniques without fully exploring their effect. Spotting a metaphor and naming it earns some credit. Explaining what that metaphor does — what feeling or idea it creates in the reader, and why the writer might have chosen it over a simpler alternative — is what earns top marks.

    Ask yourself after every analytical point: so what? What does this choice actually achieve? If you can answer that question precisely, you’re writing at Grade 8–9 level.

    Their Writing Has a Distinctive Voice

    In the writing sections of both papers, Grade 9 students produce work that feels authored — it has a point of view, a rhythm, a sense of someone genuinely present on the page. This is the hardest quality to teach and the most unmistakeable when you encounter it.

    It develops through two things: reading widely (so you have models for how good prose sounds) and writing regularly with feedback (so your instincts are refined rather than reinforced in error). There is no shortcut.

    They Are Accurate Without Effort

    Spelling, punctuation, and grammar are assessed in both papers, and the top marks require a high level of technical accuracy. This doesn’t mean perfection — examiners don’t expect it. But it does mean that errors should be rare, not frequent.

    Grade 9 students have usually reached a point where accuracy is automatic — it doesn’t require conscious effort, which means their cognitive attention is freed up for the quality of the ideas and expression. If you’re still thinking consciously about comma placement, accuracy is consuming bandwidth that could be used for analysis.

    They Practise Under Exam Conditions

    There is a significant difference between writing with unlimited time and writing under pressure. Grade 9 students have sat enough timed practice papers that the pressure of the exam itself is familiar — it doesn’t disrupt their performance.

    If you want a Grade 9, practice under real conditions: timed, without notes, with no internet access. Mark your own work against the mark scheme afterwards. Do this regularly from at least twelve months before the exam.

    They Get Specific Feedback

    Every Grade 9 student has had access to someone who can tell them, precisely and specifically, what they need to change. Not “this analysis needs more depth” — but “this paragraph would move from a Grade 7 to a Grade 9 if you explored why the writer might have chosen an active rather than passive construction here, and connected that choice to the power dynamics in the wider text.”

    That level of feedback requires a teacher or tutor who has examined at this level and knows the mark scheme intimately. It is the single greatest accelerating factor in IGCSE English improvement.

    At Thorogood English, Jacqueline is a former examiner. She knows exactly what Grade 9 looks like — and how to help students reach it. Join the waiting list for January 2027.

  • Reading for Pleasure and IGCSE English: Why It Matters More Than You Think

    Every English teacher says it, and most students roll their eyes when they hear it: read more. It sounds like generic advice. It sounds like something teachers say when they don’t have a better answer.

    It is, in fact, the single most evidence-backed intervention in English education. Students who read for pleasure regularly and consistently outperform those who don’t — not just in English, but across the curriculum. Here’s why it matters specifically for IGCSE, and how to make it a sustainable habit.

    What Reading for Pleasure Actually Does

    It Builds Vocabulary Effortlessly

    Vocabulary is tested directly in IGCSE English (vocabulary questions in comprehension tasks, language analysis questions in both papers) and indirectly everywhere else — in the quality of your own writing, in your ability to understand complex source texts, and in your capacity to select precise words over vague ones.

    Research consistently shows that reading is the most effective route to vocabulary growth. Not vocabulary lists, not apps — reading, because it teaches words in context, which is how the brain retains them.

    It Models Good Writing

    Students who read a lot absorb sentence structures, narrative techniques, and stylistic choices unconsciously. When they sit down to write, they have a far richer repertoire to draw from than students who rarely read. They know, instinctively, what a good opening sounds like — because they’ve read hundreds of them.

    It Develops Inference and Comprehension

    The higher-order comprehension skills tested in IGCSE — inference, deduction, understanding authorial intent — are not skills you can learn from a revision guide. They develop gradually through regular engagement with complex texts. Every book a student reads is training for the unseen comprehension task they’ll face in the exam.

    What to Read

    The simple answer: whatever the student will actually read. A reluctant reader who finishes a thriller or a fantasy novel has done more for their IGCSE English grade than a student who starts a literary classic and abandons it after two chapters.

    That said, variety helps. Fiction develops narrative understanding and empathy. Non-fiction (quality journalism, essays, memoir) develops the kind of reading stamina and analytical attention that comprehension tasks demand. Mixing both is ideal.

    Some accessible starting points for reluctant readers:

    • For engaging, plot-driven fiction: Philip Pullman, Malorie Blackman, Marcus Zusak, Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go
    • For non-fiction: Bill Bryson (accessible and funny), Mary Beard (classical history, very readable), longform journalism from The Guardian or The Times
    • For those who prefer short reads: The New Yorker‘s online archive has thousands of essays and articles — short enough to finish in one sitting, high enough quality to be genuinely beneficial

    Making It a Habit

    Habits form through consistency, not intensity. Twenty minutes of reading every day is worth more than two hours on a Sunday. Some practical suggestions:

    • Keep a book by the bed — reading before sleep is both effective and calming
    • Replace five minutes of scrolling with five minutes of reading. Build from there.
    • If your child resists reading, try audiobooks. The benefits of being read to are similar, and it’s far better than not engaging with books at all.
    • Talk about what you’re reading. Even brief conversations about plot, characters, or an interesting idea reinforce engagement.

    There is no shortcut that replicates the long-term benefit of reading. It is the best exam preparation — and it has value far beyond any qualification.

    At Thorogood English, we recommend reading lists to all students as part of our IGCSE and A-Level programmes. Classes launch January 2027 — join the waiting list.

  • IGCSE English Language Paper 2: What to Expect and How to Prepare

    Many IGCSE English Language students focus their preparation heavily on Paper 1 — the reading and writing paper that feels most familiar — and give less thought to Paper 2 until it’s almost too late. That’s a mistake, because Paper 2 tests a distinct set of skills and rewards a different kind of preparation.

    What Is Paper 2?

    The exact content of Paper 2 varies by exam board, but for Cambridge IGCSE First Language English (0500), Paper 2 focuses on directed writing and composition. Students are given stimulus material — typically two or three non-fiction texts on a related theme — and asked to complete two tasks:

    • Section 1: A directed writing task, in which you use information from the stimulus texts to write in a specific form (a letter, report, speech, article, or email). This tests your ability to read for information, select relevant material, and write persuasively or informatively in the required form.
    • Section 2: A composition task — usually a choice between a narrative/descriptive piece or a discursive/argumentative essay. This tests your ability to write at length with accuracy, style, and structure.

    The Directed Writing Task: Key Skills

    This is the task that trips up most students, because it requires doing several things simultaneously: reading the source texts carefully, selecting and synthesising relevant information, and then presenting that information in an appropriate form and register.

    Three things to do well:

    • Read the question before the texts. Know what information you’re looking for before you start reading. This makes your reading purposeful and your notes relevant.
    • Use the texts — don’t copy them. Examiners award marks for selecting and rephrasing information, not for transcribing large chunks verbatim. Put ideas into your own words.
    • Match the form. A letter to a headteacher should open with “Dear [name]” and close formally. A speech should address the audience directly. A report needs subheadings. Getting the format right is not a bonus — it’s part of the mark scheme.

    The Composition Task: Making the Right Choice

    Most students choose the narrative or descriptive option because it feels more creative and less structured. That is a reasonable choice — but only if your creative writing is genuinely strong.

    The discursive essay (arguing for or against a proposition) is actually more predictable and more teachable. If you have clear opinions and can structure an argument, this option often produces higher and more consistent marks — especially under time pressure.

    Practise both before the exam. Make your choice based on which you perform best in, not which feels more comfortable in theory.

    How to Prepare

    • Work through past Paper 2 directed writing tasks with real stimulus texts. Time yourself.
    • Practise writing in different forms: letters, reports, speeches, articles. Each has conventions that need to become second nature.
    • For the composition, practise planning quickly — a two-minute plan produces a noticeably better piece than no plan at all.
    • Read your work back after writing it. Accuracy in spelling, punctuation, and grammar carries significant marks in the composition section.

    At Thorogood English, both Paper 1 and Paper 2 techniques are covered as part of the full IGCSE English Language course. Join the waiting list for January 2027.

  • How to Write a Persuasive Speech for IGCSE English Language

    Section B of the IGCSE English Language paper asks you to write for a specific purpose and audience — and persuasive writing tasks are among the most common. A speech to a school assembly. An article for a magazine. A letter to a local council.

    Many students approach these tasks by simply stating their opinions. That earns a middling mark. Here’s how to write a persuasive piece that genuinely earns top marks.

    Understand the Three Pillars of Persuasion

    Aristotle identified three modes of persuasion over 2,000 years ago, and they still underpin every effective piece of persuasive writing:

    • Ethos — credibility and authority. Why should the reader trust you? Establish credentials, acknowledge complexity, use measured language.
    • Pathos — emotional appeal. Connect to the reader’s values, fears, hopes, or sense of fairness. A well-placed anecdote or vivid image does this better than any statistic.
    • Logos — logic and evidence. Use facts, examples, and reasoned argument to support your position.

    The most persuasive writing weaves all three together. A piece that relies only on emotion feels manipulative; one that relies only on logic feels cold. Balance them.

    Open with Impact

    Your opening line is doing a specific job: making the reader want to continue. Options that work well:

    • A striking statistic or fact: “Every thirty seconds, a young person in this country drops out of education. That is not a statistic. That is a name.”
    • A bold, direct claim: “We have spent twenty years getting this wrong, and it is time to admit it.”
    • A question that implicates the reader: “When did you last read something that genuinely changed your mind?”
    • A short, vivid anecdote that illustrates your argument

    Avoid opening with “I am going to argue that…” or “In this speech, I will discuss…” — these are throat-clearing, not writing.

    Use Rhetorical Devices Purposefully

    IGCSE examiners reward the deliberate use of language techniques. But use them because they serve the argument — not to tick boxes:

    • Tricolon (rule of three): creates rhythm and makes points feel conclusive. “It is unfair, it is unnecessary, and it must stop.”
    • Rhetorical question: engages the reader directly and implies the answer. Use sparingly — one or two, not five.
    • Anaphora (repetition at the start of sentences): builds emphasis and momentum. “We need more funding. We need more teachers. We need more time.”
    • Concession and rebuttal: acknowledge the strongest opposing argument, then dismantle it. This makes your case more credible, not weaker.
    • Direct address (“you”, “we”): pulls the reader in, creates shared stakes.

    Structure: Argument, Not List

    Weaker persuasive writing reads as a list of points: Point 1, Point 2, Point 3. Stronger persuasive writing builds an argument, where each paragraph moves the reader further along a logical journey.

    Think about the order deliberately. Start with your most relatable point (to bring the reader onside), move to your most logical point (to satisfy sceptics), and end with your most emotionally resonant point (so the reader finishes feeling moved, not just informed).

    Close with Purpose

    Your conclusion should do two things: signal that you are ending (without saying “in conclusion”), and leave the reader with your central message stated memorably.

    A call to action works well for speeches and letters. A return to your opening image or idea creates a satisfying circular structure. A final, short, punchy sentence lands with more impact than a long, winding one.

    Persuasive writing is one of the most directly teachable skills in IGCSE English — and one where good feedback makes a measurable difference. At Thorogood English, Section B writing technique is a core part of our IGCSE English Language programme. Join the waiting list for January 2027.

  • How to Approach an Unseen Poem in IGCSE English Literature

    Unseen poetry is the section that makes most IGCSE English Literature students nervous — and understandably so. Unlike the set texts, you can’t prepare the content in advance. What you can prepare is a method for approaching any poem, and that’s exactly what separates confident students from anxious ones.

    Step 1: Read the Poem Twice Before Writing Anything

    The first read is for understanding. Don’t panic if it doesn’t make immediate sense — many poems are deliberately ambiguous. Ask yourself: what is happening here? Who is speaking? What is the mood?

    The second read is for noticing. This time, pay attention to specific word choices, any repeating ideas, the structure of the poem (is it regular or irregular? why might that be?), and any moments that feel significant or surprising.

    Step 2: Annotate Before You Plan

    Spend three or four minutes annotating the poem before you write your response. Circle words with strong connotations. Note the tone — is it bitter, melancholy, celebratory, ironic? Mark any structural choices that seem deliberate: a short final stanza, a shift in tense, a volta (turn) midway through.

    Even a handful of good annotations gives you the raw material for a strong response. You don’t need to comment on everything — quality of analysis always beats quantity of observation.

    Step 3: Ask the Right Questions

    When you’re stuck on what to say about a poem, work through these questions:

    • What is the poet’s attitude to the subject? Are they sad, angry, nostalgic, celebratory?
    • What is the effect on the reader? Does the poem create tension, sadness, wonder, discomfort?
    • Why this word and not another? “Dark” and “shadowy” both describe low light — but they carry very different connotations.
    • Why is the poem structured this way? Regular stanzas suggest order or control; fragmented structure suggests chaos or instability.
    • What changes between the beginning and the end? A shift in tone, perspective, or subject often signals the poem’s central turn — and that turn is usually what the poem is really about.

    Step 4: Structure Your Response Clearly

    A strong unseen poetry response has a clear structure. Open with a brief overview of what the poem is about and what its central mood or theme seems to be. Then work through the poem analytically — not line by line (which produces a plodding summary) but by focusing on the most significant moments and what they contribute to the poem’s overall effect.

    Close by commenting on the poem as a whole: what has the poet achieved? What is the reader left with?

    What Examiners Are Looking For

    IGCSE examiners reward responses that engage with the poem’s language rather than its content. Saying “the poet writes about loss” earns few marks. Saying “the repeated use of the past tense throughout the poem creates a sense of irreversibility — what is gone cannot be recovered” earns many more, because it connects language choice to meaning and effect.

    Practise with unfamiliar poems regularly — not because specific poems will appear in the exam, but because the skill of reading and responding quickly is itself what needs developing.

    At Thorogood English, unseen poetry is a core part of our IGCSE English Literature programme. Join the waiting list for January 2027.