5 Tips To Help Your Child Ace Their English Exam

We are sharing a wonderful essay by a student who received a grade of over 90% for his English assessment. We are so proud of his results.

The question asked was, 'Positive relationships can help us navigate life positively' Referring back to your novel, to what extent do you agree with this statement?' The novel in this case was Boy, by Roald Dahl, a wonderful memoir/autobiographical work by the beloved Australian author, Roald Dahl.

Check out the essay below:

Positive relationships can help us navigate life positively, as proven by Roald Dahl in his autobiography, where he shares true stories from his childhood and how positive relationships can keep him happy and safe. He introduces some important figures who gave him happiness in his childhood.

Dahl’s relationship with his mother was a key factor in a positive childhood. His mother is described as “a rock, a fortress.” This metaphor demonstrates how protective she was in defending Dahl against uncomfortable figures and situations. A moment that shows his mother’s comfort was after Dahl’s nose surgery to sew his nose back on due to a car crash. Dahl’s mother gave Dahl “a beautiful golden sovereign with the head of King George V,” and also said to Dahl, “You did very well. I’m proud of you.” This shows that Dahl’s mother, in this quote, was comforting Dahl and rewarding him for his bravery in the surgery. Even though women were expected to stay at home and run the household, Dahl's mother was there to comfort Dahl if needed.

Dahl’s relationship with a figure outside of family, Doctor Dunbar, was another important area in his positive life. During Dahl’s surgery, Dunbar realised he was dealing with a noseless Dahl in his hands. Even though this was a serious emergency where people are likely to freak out, Dunbar stayed calm and comforted Dahl in this quote: “That’s a good boy. We’re nearly there now…just close your eyes and go to sleep…” which helped Dahl stay calm as well. The use of ellipses in the quote brings drama to the reader, who will wonder what will happen next. Another quote that showed Dunbar’s care for Dahl was when Dunbar was speaking to Dahl’s mother about how “He can’t go around without a nose for the rest of his life!”. This quote mixes humour with care and shows that Dunbar was trying to keep Dahl’s spirits up while in a serious moment. Dunbar’s kindness and calmness were able to calm Dahl down, which contributed to the surgery’s success. In a period when hospitals were expected to be cold and unkind, Dunbar was a kind figure who showed that even though he was a doctor, he was also caring for patients through comfort and could revive them from pain and fear.

In “Boy”, Dahl’s relationships with his mother and Dunbar were helpful in navigating life in a positive way. His mother gave Dahl emotional safety, while the doctor's kindness cured him from all pain and fear. These relationships should therefore be used as inspirations to deal with life’s ups and downs, which is key to having a positive life.

Written by Isaac S.

Let's analyse why this mini essay did so well:

1. It clearly addresses the question in its thesis statement.

2. It focuses on using a Point-Evidence-Explanation-Link (PEEL) structure that extrapolates the evidence with ease.

3. It uses appropriate language for its preferred audience.

4. It was well prepared, and the student worked hard on making sure his essay was long enough to answer the question well, but short enough to take into consideration the time limit in which he had to complete the assessment. Condensing a longer form essay to fit the time limit, whilst maintaining the quality of the work, is half the battle.

5. The student was confident in his abilities because of his preparation and practice he did before his big assessment.

We hope you enjoyed this essay. Watch this space for more blog posts on writing and how to ace English.

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This blog post was written by Irveen Kaur.

About Irveen Kaur

Irveen Kaur is a writer, creative writing educator, and MRes candidate, passionate about exploring themes of identity, belonging, and resilience in her fiction. She has authored stories that challenge perceptions and amplify underrepresented voices, blending literary craft with thoughtful commentary. When she’s not writing or teaching, Irveen enjoys immersing herself in the worlds of Guillermo del Toro and the Gilmore Girls.