Welcome to the English

Department‟s GSCE

English Literature

Revision Evening

The Exams

Unit 1 Understanding Prose

Tuesday 20th

May am

Unit 2 Poetry

Thursday 22nd

May pm

Unit 1 Understanding Prose Tuesday 20th May am

Length:1hr 45 mins

Worth: 80 marks – 50% of qualification for English Literature

What is being covered:

Section A: Jekyll and Hyde

Four Part Question

Section B: Of Mice and Men

Choice of two essay style questions

Unit 2 Poetry

Thursday 22nd May pm

Length:1hr 45 mins

Worth: 45 marks – 25% of qualification for English Literature

What is being covered:

Section A: Unseen Poetry

Essay response to an unseen poem

Section B: Response to poems from „Clashes and Collisions‟ anthology

Two questions:

• One on a single poem

• One comparing two poems.

PROSE

EXAM

Section B

Of Mice and Men

In what ways is X (Character) significant in the novel?

(or)

Explore the significance of X (theme) in the novel.

Use evidence from the whole novel and an appreciation of the novel‟s context to support your

answer.

Total for Question 1 = 40 marks

45 mins

Section A

JEKYLL AND HYDE

1hr

10 minutes to read, annotate and plan section choice for the second bit.

(a)What do you discover about X(H)

8 Marks 10 mins

Outline the key events leading up to X (F)

10 marks 12 mins

(b)Explain how language is used to….

(10 marks) 12 min

(c) Explore the significance of X (H)

10 Marks 10 min

What do you learn about X(F)

8marks 10 min

(d) Explore/Describe X in one other part of the novel

12 Marks 15 mins

Total for Section B = 40 marks 60 mins

Unit 1: Understanding Prose

Section A – Jekyll and Hyde

In this section you are assessed for your reading and

understanding of the novel „Jekyll and Hyde‟ and specifically

the writer‟s use of language to create impressions of…

• Characters

• Themes

• Relationships

• Important events

Here is an example of an exam style question – HIGHER PAPER

Here is an example of a paper -FOUNDATION PAPER.

Now your turn:

With the extract from the novel on your desks we would like

you to:

• Read the extract as a table/group

• Identify the different language devices Stevenson is using

within the extract to create an impression of Utterson in the

extract. (Question A for Higher, Question C for Foundation)

• Consider the use of: dialogue, description, imagery, how the

extract is structured

• REMEMBER TO FOCUS ON THE IMPACT OF THE

INDIVIDUAL WORDS.

Unit 1: Understanding Prose

Section B –Of Mice and Men

In this section of the exam you are asked to write a longer 45

minute „essay style‟ answer from a choice of two questions. The

focus in this exam is showing you can understand the themes,

character and relationships in the novel but there is also a heavy

weighting on using evidence from the throughout the whole

novel.

In addition, in this exam students are required to show a good

understanding of the context of the text:

• What was happening in society at the time the novel was

written?

• How is that reflected in the novel?

Here is an example of a section B question

13) In what ways is Lennie significant in the novel?

You must consider the context of the novel.

Use evidence to support your answer.

(Total for Question 13 = 40 marks)

One of the most significant aspects of Steinbeck‟s use of Lennie is the way he

becomes central to his presentation of friendship in the text. Through Lennie,

Steinbeck presents the rare nature of close relationships in that era, a time

when many men led isolated and lonely lives as nomads constantly on the

quest for work. Steinbeck shows Lennie as someone who contradicts this way

of life, in particular through the way the line “But not us…because I got you to

look after me, and you got me to look after you” is repeated on numerous

occasions throughout the novel. By doing this, Steinbeck uses Lennie to help

reinforce the power that closeness and support plays in making life worth living,

aspects which Steinbeck hoped to spark debate about in his work.

Now your turn…

With the example questions on your desk and the copies of the texts

you are studying, we would like you to:

• Decide whether you wish to do the character or theme question.

• Make a list of the 5/6 points you would include to answer that

question ensuring it covers a range of moments/people across the

book.

• Locate the parts of the novel you would want to use and think

carefully why.

• Select a number of quotes that you would like to use to „back up‟ your

ideas and be prepared to explain their impact.

• Consider any RELEVANT information you know about the context of

the novel you would want to mention in relation to the question and

sections you have picked.

POETRY

EXAM

Section A

Unseen Poem 45 minutes

‘Explore how X presents Y’.

(20 marks)

Use evidence from the poem to support your answer.

Total for Question 1 = 20 marks

45 mins

Section B

Clashes and Collisions 1hr

(a)Explore how X presents Y in „????‟.

30 mins (15 marks)

THEN

(b i)Compare how the writer of X and Y explore „?????‟.

30 min (15 marks)

Or

(b ii)Compare how the writer of X and one poem of your choice from „Clashes

and collisions‟ explore „?????‟.

30 min (15 marks)

Total for Section B = 30 marks 60 mins

Unit 2 Poetry

Section A – Unseen poetry

In this section of the exam you are tested on your skills of

analysis based on an unseen poem. You are being asked to

write about:

• What you think the poem is about

• how the poet uses language to get their ideas across

• How the poet might structure their ideas in the poem

• What overall message the poem has to you the reader.

How to do it You could…use ‘ISLAM’

I Brief Intro (What does it reveal about the key topic/What is it about?) S Structure (and how it reflects / reinforces the key topic or meaning) L Language use for effect (linked to the key topic/meaning) A Attitude (consider the context and culture) M Meaning (What does it leave us thinking and feeling?) Ultimately, Language and Attitude blur together. This is the bit where you simply tell me all about the topic you’ve been asked to discuss and how it fits the poem. I want lots of quotes and clever close analysis of tone, style, effect and impact. Message is your opportunity to conclude and tell me what it leaves you thinking and feeling. (Linked to the topic )

Here is an example of an exam style question:

Introduction to Poetry

I ask them to take a poem

and hold it up to the light

like a color slide

or press an ear against its hive.

I say drop a mouse into a poem

and watch him probe his way out,

or walk inside the poem's room

and feel the walls for a light switch.

I want them to waterski

across the surface of a poem

waving at the author's name on the shore.

But all they want to do

is tie the poem to a chair with rope

and torture a confession out of it.

They begin beating it with a hose

to find out what it really means

Billy Collins

(1) Explore how Billy Collins

presents his attitude

towards the teaching of

poetry.

Use evidence from the

poem to support your

answer.

Now your turn…

(1) Explore how Lawrence Ferlinghetti presents his attitude towards divisions in

„‟Two scavengers in a truck, two beautiful people in a Mercedes”?

With the unseen poem on your tables, we would like you to annotate the poem

using the following reminders to help you

• What you think the poem is about

• How the poet might structure their ideas in the poem

• How the poet uses language and techniques to get their

ideas across

• What overall message the poem has for you as a reader.

Remember the examiner is looking for specific and short examples of language

analysis.

CONSIDER THE IMPACT OF WORDS

Unit 2 Poetry

Section B – Clashes and Collisions

In this section of the exam you are asked to respond to two questions based on

the poems you have been studying in the „Clashes and Collisions‟ cluster of the

anthology.

The first question asks you to just write about one poem and you will need to

make sure that you are using lots of SPECIFIC one word quotes to discuss the

theme you are given.

Please do not use enormous quotes. It is a waste of time and means you are not

being specific enough

ESSENTIAL: Focus on the impact of words. You have to think about the

connotations and implications of words to really prove you can analyse language.

The mark scheme for 3A is all about discussing language and structure, so don‟t

leave quotes floating about un-discussed and analysed.

How to do it You could…use ‘ISLAM’

I Brief Intro (What does it reveal about the key topic/What is it about?) S Structure (and how it reflects / reinforces the key topic or meaning) L Language use for effect (linked to the key topic/meaning) A Attitude (consider the context and culture) M Meaning (What does it leave us thinking and feeling?) Ultimately, Language and Attitude blur together. This is the bit where you simply tell me all about the topic you’ve been asked to discuss and how it fits the poem. I want lots of quotes and clever close analysis of tone, style, effect and impact. Message is your opportunity to conclude and tell me what it leaves you thinking and feeling. (Linked to the topic )

Explore how the writer presents her ideas about death in ‘Conscientious objector’.

Introduction

In ‘Conscientious objector’, Millay discusses her opposition to killing and how ‘death’ is the enemy of all people. She asks the reader to reflect on our attitudes to war and killing and hopes we eventually share her opinion that helping death is wrong in any situation.

Structure Structurally, Millay is extremely clever in the way she uses organisation and repetition to reinforce her attitudes to death. In terms of repetition in particular, the poem is littered with continuous use of the phrases “I shall not” and “I will not”. In doing this, Millay actively reinforces her opposition to death by repeating “not” on numerous occasions. “Shall” and “Will” are also quite forceful words showing her reluctance to be supportive of death in any way.

One of the cleverest features of the poem is the way the initial line is separated from the main body of the poem. By isolating the phrase “I shall die, but that is all I shall do for Death”, Millay not only outlines her overall idea almost in the style of a mission statement to open the poem, she also reflects how her view is isolated and different to the majority of society. The idea that she wont kill and dying is “all I shall do for death” set her aside from society during WW2 because most people supported the war effort whereas her viewpoint puts her at odds with it and the men that lead nations to war.

Unit 2 Poetry

Section B – Clashes and Collisions The second question asks you to compare two poems. There is no need for the same level of language analysis seen in question 1 or the unseen part. ESSENTIAL: Focus on COMPARISONS. Here your marks are purely given for your ability to make comparisons and draw similarities and contrasts between the poems. The mark scheme for 3B is all about how you compare.

Now your turn:

You have the choice of two questions in

this part. One where both poems are

named and one where you choose the

second poem.

CHOOSE A QUESTION AND MAKE A

LIST OF 5 POSSIBLE POINTS OF

COMPARISON.

Final English Department top tips for revision: PROSE • Make sure you know the novels extremely well – re-read if you do not! • Make sure you know what happens in each section of the novel to make it easier to

find exact references in the exam, especially for the section where you choose your own bit.

• Remember the phrase ‘Steinbeck/Stevenson uses/creates/presents…. • Remember to quote exact references from the novel to support your ideas. • For Of Mice and Men, remember to consider the impact or link to the context of

the text.

POETRY • Make sure you know the poems extremely well – you will not have annotations! • Remember to always consider the use of structure and most importantly

LANGUAGE in your responses to the unseen and first half of Clashes and Collisions. • You absolutely must COMPARE for question 2.

Revision classes on every lunchtime and Friday mornings in the English Department. Easter Revision classes are on also – please pick up a letter at the end.