1. Literacy accuracy in the essay

2. General advice
Your work should sound very academic and formal – like a text book.
Use the Find button in Word/Powerpoint to find any of the errors listed in this Powerpoint
Make sure you are clear in each paragraph which film you are writing about
Write the BC character sections in order of what happens. For example in the Claire section, write about the car BEFORE you write about what happens to her in the library

3. Conventions
There are conventions of soap operas, conventions of the news etc, so you cannot say: There are many conventions in Mean Girls such as high school and cliques.
INSTEAD say:
There are many conventions of teen movies in Mean Girls such as high school and cliques.

4. Capital letters For names (Bender, Claire, Mr Vernon)
For titles (Mean Girls, The Breakfast Club)
Do not use capitals in the middle of sentences
eg There are lots of conventions of teen movies such as high school. (NOT There are lots of conventions such as High School)

5. Titles of films
The titles of the films should always be in italics or underlined but should not have speech marks
Eg The Breakfast Club or The Breakfast Club
The first time that you write about the films, you should state the director and date
Eg Mean Girls (Waters, 2004)
ALSO – remember the capital letters in the titles

6. Numbers
Numbers should always be written as words
Write four, not 4

7. Weak words
Avoid weak words such as
Get
Got
Thing
Nice
bit

8. Contractions Do not use contractions in academic essays eg
write do not rather than don’t
write it is rather than it’s
write they are rather than they’re

9. Sentence structure
Many students struggle with punctuation of sentences.
Look at this sentence:
There is a lot of graffiti around the school this shows the students do not care about school.
Because the second statement is a new subject (this shows) you must put a full stop first
There is a lot of graffiti around the school. This shows the students do not care about school.
Check your work carefully for sentences which are too long

10. Sentence structure 2
Sentences cannot begin with Which (except when it is a question). eg
Which shows that the students don’t care about the school.
You should not write and or but more than once in a sentence.

11. Slang/ informal language
Avoid all slang/colloquial language in formal assignments eg
Dad/mum
Mates
Gets with
Ripping into
posh

12. Use terminology Long shot
Close up
Medium shot
Diegetic sound
Montage
Image
Tilt
pan
NOTE: DO NOT define the terminology – eg don’t explain what a long shot is, or what a montage is

13. Apostrophe accuracy Use apostrophes to show possession
Bender’s locker/ Brian’s car/ the students’ detention
DO NOT use apostrophes for plurals
There are lots of images (NOT There are lots of image’s)
DO NOT use apostrophes for decades: This song was popular in the 1980s

14. Their/Their/They’re They’re = they are (they’re going on holiday)
Their = belonging to them (he is their friend/ it is their school)
There = a place (over there) OR to show the existence of something (there are lots of shots in the montage)

15. It’s/its
It’s = it is
Its = belonging to it (The cat licked its fur)

16. To/two/too To – for verbs (They want to go outside)
To – as a preposition (They go to detention)
Two – number (there are two people in the car)
Too – too much or too many

17. Gives off
This gives off a sense of confusion. This is a weak expression. Instead try
Suggests
Conveys
Implies
Signifies
Symbolises
Shows
Indicates
connotes
Remember: This shows/ This suggests/ This implies etc must always be a NEW sentence