How Gujarati Medium Students Can Score High in English Subject

For many Gujarati-medium students, English feels like the most difficult subject in the GSEB board exam. You may understand the lesson in class, but when you sit down to write answers, you suddenly forget words, grammar rules and sentence structures.

Some students even decide before the exam that they cannot score well in English.

Please do not make that mistake.

I have seen many Gujarati-medium students improve their English marks with regular practice. They did not become fluent English speakers overnight. They simply understood the paper pattern, prepared the scoring sections properly and practised writing every day.

English can actually become a highly scoring subject when you play smart. You do not need to use difficult words. You need correct grammar, clear answers and proper presentation.

First, Stop Being Afraid of English

The fear of English usually comes from three problems:

• You translate every sentence from Gujarati into English.

• You are worried about making grammar mistakes.

• You think good English means using difficult vocabulary.

But the board examiner is not expecting you to write like a professional author. The examiner wants answers that are relevant, understandable and grammatically correct.

A simple correct sentence is always better than a long confusing sentence.

For example:

Difficult and confusing:
The character was having a very courageous personality because of which he performed a wonderful act.

Simple and clear:
The character was brave. He helped others without thinking about his own safety.

The second answer is easier to understand and less likely to contain mistakes.

Understand Where the Marks Come From

Before studying harder, you must understand which sections can give you the highest marks. Do not prepare every topic with the same level of attention. Give more time to grammar, textbook-based questions and comprehension.

ખાસ ધ્યાનમાં રાખવાની બાબતો

ઇંગ્લિશના પેપરમાં સૌથી વધારે ગ્રામર (Grammar) પર ભાર મૂકવામાં આવે છે. જેમાં Functions, Direct-Indirect Speech, Summary, Textbook આધારિત Short Notes અને True-False ખૂબ જ મહત્વના છે. સમાનાર્થી શબ્દો (Similar words) પણ તૈયાર કરવા. સૌથી સહેલા માર્ક્સ કવર કરવા માટે Poem અને Paragraph માંથી સવાલ-જવાબ લખવાના 10 માર્ક્સ હોય છે, જે સ્કોર વધારવા માટે તમારો સૌથી મોટો પ્લસ પોઈન્ટ છે. આ ઉપરાંત Functions ના 9 માર્ક્સ હોય છે અને બીજા નાના નાના પ્રશ્નો (2-3 માર્ક્સના) જેમ કે Correct Errors, Synthesis વગેરે પૂછાય છે. પણ સૌથી મોટો મુદ્દો એ છે કે હાઈ સ્કોર માટે તમારું ગ્રામર મજબૂત હોવું જ જોઈએ.

Make Grammar Your Daily Habit

Grammar cannot be completed properly in one or two days. It improves when you solve a few questions every day.

You do not need to sit with grammar for three hours. Even 25 to 30 minutes of focused practice can make a big difference.

Follow a simple daily routine:

• Solve five questions on Functions.

• Practise five Direct-Indirect Speech sentences.

• Correct three incorrect sentences.

• Solve two Synthesis questions.

• Revise one old grammar rule.

• Check your answers and write down your mistakes.

Keep a separate notebook called “My English Mistakes.” Whenever you make a mistake, write the correct answer in this notebook.

For example:

Wrong: He go to school every day.
Correct: He goes to school every day.

When you revise this notebook before the exam, you will notice that many of your mistakes are repeated mistakes. Once you correct these common errors, your marks will improve quickly.

Learn Function Keywords

Functions can give you valuable marks, but many students get confused because they do not identify the purpose of the sentence.

Prepare a small keyword chart.

For example:

• Advice: should, ought to

• Suggestion: let us, shall we

• Request: please, could you

• Ability: can, could

• Possibility: may, might

• Necessity: must, have to

• Prohibition: must not, cannot

• Habit in the past: used to

Do not only memorise the name of the function. Write two or three examples for each one.

Read the examples aloud. This will help you remember the sentence pattern naturally.

Solve Previous Years’ Papers

Previous board papers are one of the best study materials available to you. They show you what type of questions are repeated and how the paper is organised.

While solving a paper:

1. Sit at a table without using your textbook.

2. Set a timer.

3. Attempt the easy questions first.

4. Mark the questions where you feel confused.

5. Check your answers after completing the paper.

Do not feel disappointed when you make mistakes in the first paper. The purpose of practice is to find your weak areas before the final exam.

Try to solve at least five previous years’ papers. After every paper, check:

• Which grammar topic caused the most mistakes?

• Did you leave any answer incomplete?

• Did you spend too much time on one section?

• Were your answers too long or too short?

• Did you forget to write question numbers?

This habit will improve both your knowledge and your speed.

Prepare Textbook Answers in Simple Language

Textbook-based short notes, paragraph questions, poem questions and True-False questions are scoring areas.

Read every lesson carefully and prepare:

• The main idea of the chapter

• Important characters

• Important events

• The message of the lesson

• Short notes

• True-False statements

• Similar words

• Important question-answer pairs

Do not blindly memorise very long answers. Understand the meaning first. Then divide the answer into three or four small points.

For a short note, you can use this structure:

• Introduction of the person or topic

• Two or three important details

• A final sentence about the importance or message

This structure makes your answer look organised and complete.

Take Poem and Paragraph Questions Seriously

Some students ignore poem and paragraph-based questions because they think these sections will be easy in the exam. That is risky.

These questions can help you collect easy marks, but only when your reading is accurate.

Practise reading the given passage slowly. Underline names, actions, dates and important words. Most answers are already present in the passage or poem.

Do not copy an entire paragraph when the question asks for one sentence. Write only the relevant answer.

For poem preparation, understand:

• Who is speaking?

• What is happening?

• What is the main feeling?

• What message does the poem give?

• Which words have similar meanings?

Understanding the poem is more useful than memorising every line.

Improve Comprehension Without Learning Difficult Words

To improve comprehension, read one short English passage every day. You can use your textbook, newspaper articles for students or simple stories.

After reading, ask yourself:

• Who is the passage about?

• What happened?

• Why did it happen?

• What is the main message?

• Which five words are new for me?

Write the meanings of new words in Gujarati or simple English.

Do not try to learn 50 words in one day. Learn five useful words and use each word in a sentence.

Presentation Also Gives a Good Impression

Even a correct answer can become difficult to check when the handwriting and layout are unclear.

During the board exam:

• Write the correct question number.

• Leave a line between two answers.

• Underline important words.

• Avoid too much cutting and overwriting.

• Write answers in proper order.

• Keep the final 10 minutes for checking.

• Attempt every question you know.

Never leave a grammar question blank without trying. Sometimes your first understanding may be correct.

A Practical Study Plan

You can follow this one-hour English routine:

• 20 minutes: Grammar practice

• 15 minutes: Textbook questions

• 10 minutes: Poem or paragraph reading

• 10 minutes: Vocabulary and similar words

• 5 minutes: Revision of mistakes

Consistency is more important than studying for many hours on one day. One focused hour daily is better than six hours of rushed study before the exam.

You do not need perfect spoken English to score high in the GSEB English paper. You need strong grammar, regular writing practice and a clear understanding of the textbook. Start with the scoring topics. Strengthen Functions, Direct-Indirect Speech, Synthesis, Correct Errors and other grammar areas. Practise comprehension and textbook questions regularly. Solve old papers and learn from every mistake.

Practise a little every day, write simple and correct answers, and enter the exam hall with confidence. With strong grammar and comprehension skills, a high score in English is completely possible for a Gujarati-medium student.