GCSE Literature Exam

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GCSE Literature Exam

• 1 HOUR 45 MINUTES

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Section A and Section B

• Answer 1 question from Section A (On the novel
  you have studied either Of Mice And Men or Lord
  of The Flies or To Kill A Mockingbird)
• Answer 1 question from Section B (On the pre and
  post 1914 poetry you have studied either Duffy
  and Armitage or Heaney and Clarke
• Find your questions by using the contents page at
  the front of the exam paper
• Ask for help if you cannot find your questions

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Section A The Novel

• Spend 45 minutes on this section
• You will have 2 questions to choose from
• Only answer 1 question
• Make sure that you stick to the 45 minutes!
• Whichever question you choose, you will need to
  tackle the question in the following
  way.............

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HOW TO TACKLE THE QUESTON

• Firstly, key word the question, underlining the
  key words to focus on answering the question
• Then, make a quick brainstorm/spider diagram to
  think of different points to make to answer the
  question
• Next, plan your answer. Spend 10-12 minutes
  planning
• Plan to write a paragragh each on the following
• Characters
• Events / Incidents
• Language techniques
• Themes / Writers intentions
• Setting
• You also need an introduction and conclusion
• Make sure all your points answer the question

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Writing About Characters

• Make sure that all the points you make are
  focused on anwering the question
• Support your points with evidence quotes or
  details
• What the character says
• What the character does
• What others say about the character
  
  
• How others react to the character
• How the character is described
• Explain the characters relationship with other
  characters
• Make links with other characters in the novel
  explain how they are similar or different
  

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Writing About Events/Incidents

• Describe events by referring to details
• Make sure that you describe a number of events
• Explain what the events reveal about themes and
  character
• Link events, explaining what the similarities or
  differences reveal about characters and themes

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Writing About Language

• Write about the language techniques used by the
  writer to
• describe character
• describe setting
• communicate dramatic tension
• communicate dialogue
• communicate atmosphere
• communicate themes/writers intentions
• You dont have to write about them all it
  depends on the question
• Write about different language techniques 3

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Writing About Language

• Always support your points with quotations
• Explain your quotes
• how your quote supports your point
• which language techniques are used
• the effect of a particular word in your quote
• how the reader is influenced
• how this helps the writer to communicate
  his/her view point
• what the quote tells you about
  characters/themes
• if appropriate, how this quote links to other
  language techniques or images
• how the quote answers the question

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Themes

• Themes are the big ideas and issues that are
  presented and explored in the novel. For example,
  they could include justice or power or
  loneliness, depending on the novel you have
  studied
• You need to explain what the novel is saying
  about the theme which is relevant to the question
• The themes are presented through the characters,
  events, setting and language
• Try to explain what the writers viewpoint is on
  the theme
• Try to explain what the writer is saying about
  human nature and society through the characters
  and events
• Give your own views on the theme

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The Setting

• Try to explain how where and when the novel was
  set adds to your understanding of the themes and
  the writers intentions
• Make sure that you keep your comments focused on
  answering the question
• You may have a chance to write about how places
  are described by the writer to make points about
  character and themes
• If you have an opportunity, write about how where
  the events take place adds to meaning and to
  atmoshere
• Remember to support your points with evidence
  (details and quotes)

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KEY POINTS

• Find your questions and choose 1 to answer
• Plan
• Keep focused on the question
• Keep to the 45 minutes
• Use lots of details and quotes
• Refer to and link the different events and
  characters
• In your conclusion,refer back to the question and
  give your personal opinion. If you can, give your
  opinion about what the writer is saying about
  human nature

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Section B The Poetry

• You will have 3 questions to choose from
• Only answer one question
• You have one hour to answer
• Which ever question you choose, you will need to
  tackle the question in the following way.........

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How To Tackle The Question

• After you have chosen your question, underline
  the key words to help you to focus on the
  question
• Choose which poems to write about, if they are
  not all named in the question
• Remember, you need to compare 2 pre 1914 and 2
  post 1914 poems
• Next, pair up the poems to compare 2 in the
  first half of your answer and 2 in the second
  half
• In their pairs, make a quick brainstorm/spider
  diagram to give you lots of ideas and points to
  make about how they are similar and different
• Then, plan before writing your answer.....

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Planning

• You need to plan to compare the 2 pairs of poems
• Some of you will be used to using grid plans
• Which ever type of plan you use, make sure that
  you plan to compare the poems in terms of
• ideas and feelings
• language
• layout and presentation
• structure
• Make sure that every point you make is focused on
  the question
• Make 2 plans one for each pair of poems
• Remember, you dont need to write about ideas and
  feelings, language, layout, presentation and
  structure for every poem there isnt enough
  time
• Make sure that in your whole answer you compare
  ideas and feelings, language, layout and
  structure at some point when writing about the
  four poems
• You need an introduction and conclusion
• Spend up to 15 minutes planning

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Ideas And Feelings

• You need to compare
• what the poems are about
• the feelings in the poems
• the writers viewpoints on the ideas and
  feelings in the poems
• Try to use embedded quotations when describing
  the ideas and feelings in the poems
• Avoid spending too much time on this

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Language

• You need to compare the language techniques used
  in the poems
• Make sure that you write about a range of
  different language techniques used
• Always support your points with quotations
• Always explain your quotations......

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Explaining Language Quotations

• Always support your points with quotations
• Explain your quotes
• how your quote supports your point
• which language techniques are used
• the effect of a particular word in your quote
• how the reader is influenced
• how this helps the writer to communicate
  his/her view point
• what the quote tells you about
  characters/themes
• if appropriate, how this quote links to other
  language techniques and images
• how the quote answers the question

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Layout and Presentation

• Layout means the way that the words are set out
  on the page (the number and length of verses
  where the gaps are the shape of the poem etc.)
• Presentation means the writers choice of font,
  etc.
• Avoid just describing the layout
• Explain and compare how the writers use the
  layout and presentation to communicate the ideas
  and feelings to the reader
• Refer to details to support your points

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Structure

• This means the change/development of ideas and
  feelings during the poem
• Explain where the ideas /feelings change (if they
  do)
• Explain how these changes are communicated to the
  reader
• Explain any links between the opening and the
  ending
• Explain and compare how the structure helps the
  writers to communicate ideas and feelings to the
  reader

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Comparing Poems

• Remember to compare 2 poems in the first half of
  your answer, and compare the other 2 poems in the
  second half of your answer
• Try to make links between the poems in every
  paragragh
• You need to use connectives/sign posts to link
  your points
• SIMILARITIES DIFFERENCES
• In the same way In contrast
• Similarly However
• Like Conversely
• Equally Although
• As with On the other
  hand

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Key Points

• Find your questions then choose which question to
  answer
• Key word the question
• Choose which poems to write about (if necessary)
• Pair up the poems to compare and brainstorm
• Plan
• Stick to the 1 hour limit
• Make points on ideas and feelings, language,
  layout and structure
• Use lots of quotes
• Explain language in detail
• Make links between poems in every paragragh
• In your conclusion, refer back to the question.
  Give your personal opinion. Try to comment on
  what the four poems tell you about human nature
  or explain which poem you like the most and why