SUBJECT REVISION TIPS

ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND ENGLISH LITERATURE

GCSE English / English Language Unit 1 Examination: Reading and Writing non-fiction texts (40%) 2hrs 15mins Section A: Reading three non-fiction texts and answering questions about how they communicate their messages and analysing the effects of language, structure and presentational features. Spend 1 hour and 15 minutes on this section. Look at the allocation of marks and judge how much to write and how long you should spend on it according to the marks awarded. Section B: Two writing tasks. One shorter writing task which you should spend 25 minutes on. It will ask you to write to inform, explain or describe or a mixture of two. The longer writing task is worth more marks so spend 35 minutes on it. It will ask you to write to argue or persuade. For both writing tasks you must match the style of your writing to the form, audience and purpose of the tasks. Write in carefully structured and coherent paragraphs and use a range of punctuation for effect. Choose sophisticated vocabulary and always write in formal Standard English.

GCSE English Literature Unit 1 Examination: Exploring Modern Texts (40%) 1hour 30mins Section A: Modern Prose or Drama. You will complete one essay. Answer from a choice of two questions about the play you have studied. (45 minutes) Section B: Text from another culture. You will complete one question about the novel you have studied. The question will be in two parts and you must answer both parts. The first part will ask you to analyse a specific passage from the text. The second part will ask you to link the passage to the rest of the novel. (45 minutes) Unit 2 Examination: Poetry Across Time (35%) 1hour 15mins Section A: You will answer one question (from a choice of two) about the cluster of poetry you have studied. The question will ask you to compare a named poem with another poem from the cluster. (45 minutes) Section B: You will answer one question about an unseen poem. (30 minutes)

For both responses you will need to analyse the poets use of form, structure and language for effect.

What can you do to prepare for your exams?

Ensure that all class work is finished and that exercise

books are organised and useful for revision.

Read through any revision guides handed out by your

teacher. Check out relevant study guides from the library.

Make a careful note of revision strategies and exercises

suggested by your teacher.

Ask teachers for any extra materials, such as practice

papers, to complete for revision.

Read your literature texts again, section by section, and

revise notes about main ideas, themes, events and characters. Read class notes and know key quotations to help support points about characters and themes. Revise how to analyse quotations in details. Look again at essays and try to improve them using targets. Plan and write timed essays.

Read the literature poems again and look over annotations

and class notes. Look at any essays you have completed and make improvements to them. Plan and write timed essays using targets.

Read a range of non-fiction texts such as newspaper

articles, extracts from biographies and adverts. Annotate how the writer communicates their message. Analyse their use of language and presentation features for effect.

 For the writing sections, use example questions and

practice writing responses in timed conditions. Focus on crafting your responses in carefully structured paragraphs using a range of sentence structures, sophisticated vocabulary and punctuation for effect.

Use BBC Bitesize GCSE revision website to practice using

punctuation effectively.

Use the targets your teacher has given you to make

improvements to you work. Actively think about what you should do to achieve the targets set.

Use the technology in your pocket to improve your GCSE

grades and download the podcasts from gcsepod.

PLANNING YOUR REVISION

What are you actually going to do when revising The quality of your learning depends on the quality of your notes Revision must be active There must be direction and goals and testing of goals Identify what does and doesnt need to be done Make your own notes Spend extra time on the hard bits but mix up hard/easy and interesting/less interesting topics: - urgent tasks (e.g. missed work) - difficult tasks - huge tasks Set achievable goals Know your papers and lengths of sections and number of questions and do past papers Try: - Colours - Highlighters - File cards - Posters - Post-it notes - diagrams - headings - lists - pictures - underlining Test yourself regularly or get someone else to test you Find ways that suit you to remember things Reduce your notes

 Dont revise more than two subjects a day Make revision interesting!