In a nutshell, the most excellent and lamentable tragedy in literature happened when a message did not get to Romeo, exiled to Mantua, warning him that Juliet was faking her death. Failing to deliver the letter out of Verona, Friar John explained that no messenger in the city, “[w]here the infectious pestilence did reign,” would deliver because they were “[s]o fearful […] of [the] infection”.
An English student can readily pick up from this point with more evidence and explanations to formulate a complete analytical essay. On the other hand, another student might argue that “infectious pestilence” could be a metaphor for the battles between the Capulets and the Montagues, and would go in a different direction. The beauty of English Studies lies in the fact that students are free to interpret in many ways as long as they are fully supported with valid evidence and explanations.
NTK recognises that this beauty is also what makes getting a high mark in English difficult because there is no one single model answer to memorise. Students must draw from an arsenal of reading, analytical and writing skills to get good grades in exams. Practice is the only way to sharpen these skills.
Whether you are sitting your exams this May or in later years, there is never too much practice. NTK offers at least 7-9 sets of Exams in IBDP, I/GCSE, GCE AL and AP in English (Language / Literature) and any other major subjects this Easter to help students master their skills for their exams.