Quick Fix Doctor

Bad spelling	First check with your teacher that your spelling really is bad enough for you to do something special about it. If you have other problems, there may be better things for you to work on. Remember, even if you spell 100 per cent correctly it is still possible for you to get a low grade, so your spelling may not be as important as you think.
	That bad, huh? If your spelling really is bad, it will take some time and effort for you to turn it into a strength. We find it takes students about 50 hours (including homework) to make major improvements, so a couple of hours' work won't help you very much.
	What to do Ask your school to arrange some help. Some do this, but some do not. (If you're dyslexic* you can have extra time in your exam.) Get a private tutor. Get a tutor that someone recommends, or look up a tuition agency in Yellow Pages. Check the tutor's qualifications and expect to pay around £18 - £20 per hour. Ask your friends and family to help. Make a list of the words you've spelled wrongly during the week and get your friends and family to quiz you. Write out the words you get wrong 20 times, making sure you check them afterwards! Even if you only get one wrong, write it out again another 20 times! If you get used to writing on a keyboard you'll end up finding it hard to write by hand. Since you won't have a keyboard in your exams (or spellcheck!) we advise you against writing your coursework on your computer. If you're not sure how to spell a word in your exam, decide on a spelling and stick to it. Don't write the word differently each time you use it in the hope you might spell it correctly once! Examiners look for consistency* in your work, so make sure your spelling is consistent*. List of 100+ common killers More spelling lists English Howlers
Bad grammar	Grammar usually isn't too hard to fix because it's grammar that makes us make sense. (And surely you know what makes sense!) The simplest way to fix problems with grammar is to read what you write. Make sure you READ IT ALL CAREFULLY, and DON'T JUST SKIM!! (Then you'll notice and correct the nonsense.)
	Pick up from the beginning. Many students make errors in grammar because they start their sentences in one way and finish them in another. Whenever you stop writing to think about what to write next, go back to the beginning of the sentence you are writing and read it. Read it from the beginning as many times as it takes until the words come. This will help your words to flow and your grammar to take care of itself. Remember, it's vital always to read from the beginning of the sentence you are writing. (If you try to pick up from where you left off, you'll almost certainly make mistakes.)
	Keep your sentences short. Another reason why students have problems with grammar is because they write huge great long sentences that ramble on aimlessly. No wonder they lose track of what they say! (Out of interest, look at the sentences on this page. How many long ones do you find? (We guarantee: not many!)) So make your sentences as short as possible. Then you're less likely to run into problems.
	What to do Read what you write. Read it all carefully, word for word. Always pick up from the beginning of the sentence you are writing and not from where you left off. Always use a full stop instead of a comma if you have the choice. This will keep your sentences short. Remember: "Love full stops. Hate commas!" Always use a full stop instead of "and" if you have the choice. This will keep your sentences short. (You'll often find that the conjunction* "and" is the cause of your long, rambling sentences.) Make your maxim "One sentence, one thing". For example, one sentence, one tense*; one sentence, one idea; one sentence, one statement; one sentence, one question; one sentence, one command; one sentence, one list. English Howlers
Bad punctuation	Punctuation is one of those areas of your work that is marked as being either correct or incorrect, so you have to be strict with yourself. But you only ever need to use full stops, commas, apostrophes, quotation marks, and question marks, so there is some good news. All the other punctuation marks you can do without, so we're not bothering with them here.
	Full Stops The full stop marks the longest pause in speech and, as such, marks the end of a sentence. Absolutely always use a full stop at the end of your sentences. OK, so it's only a little dot, but it's big trouble if you miss one out. Start each new sentence with a capital letter. (Again, big trouble if you miss one out!) Help with capital letters English Howlers Commas You must use a comma to separate items in a list, and you should use a comma to mark short pauses in speech. Many students use commas too often, or where full stops ought to be. So prefer a full stop to a comma if you have the choice. English Howlers Apostrophes Apostrophes must be used in two cases: 1) to show that something's missing (something is missing - geddit?); 2) to show belonging (for example, "my father's car"). Many students know very little about apostrophes and their writing really shows it. We see apostrophes where they shouldn't be, and no apostrophes where they should! The most common mistakes are "its" and "it's". Help with apostrophes English Howlers Quotation marks Quotation marks must be used in three cases: 1) to mark something that someone has said or is saying; 2) to mark any word or words imported from someone else's text; 3) to mark any improper usage. (This means using words in a way that the dictionary does not define.) Quotation marks must be placed both at the beginning and at the end of the word or words you are using. You can use either "..." or '...' but don't mix them up. Many students are forgetful with quotation marks. They often mark only one end of the quote, or do not mark the quote at all. Help with quotation marks English Howlers Question marks You must put a question mark (?) at the end of every question you write. Use it instead of a full stop. Many students fail to mark questions. Sometimes they do not even realise they have written a question until we point it out. You ask many more questions than you may at first realise. So watch the question marks carefully! English Howlers
Set texts, sample essays	Unfortunately, the range of GCSE set texts* is too wide for us to provide anything worthwhile for you here. But you can buy set-text notes at our Set-Text Notes Bookshop. Otherwise, ask at your local library. You might also try our recommended links for websites on Literature and authors. Set-Text Notes Bookshop Poetry Appreciation Recommended Links
I never know what to write!	You do know what to write - it's just that you won't let yourself!! You think English is about saying what you're "meant" to say, don't you? Stand at the back of the class and face the wall and write out this sentence 100 times: "English is about saying what's important and interesting to me. English is about saying what's important and interesting to me. English is about saying what's important and interesting to me." Tutorials Poetry Appreciation
Skip all this rubbish, just tell me the answers!	Answers to what, dummy!? There are no "correct" answers in English, only effective and ineffective* ways of communicating, and appropriate and inappropriate* responses to questions. Just make sure that you do what you are asked to do, do it in the best way you can, get your facts RIGHT, and give us some evidence to support your views. If you don't get your head around this one quick, you're sure to get a very low grade. Tutorials Right and Wrong

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