Contents:
How will my work be assessed?
English Language
English Literature
How Am I Going To Revise?
Preparing for the Paper 1 Media and Non-fiction
Examination
Using quotations effectively
Revising the Short Stories for Language
Revising the Short Stories for Literature
Preparing for the Poetry

Section A Task 1 will be subdivided into Question 1 and Question 2 (response to unseen reading non-fiction: 10%; response to unseen reading media: 10%). You must answer both questions.
Section B requires you to do one writing task that is linked to, but not based on the reading in Section A (inform/explain/describe: 10%).
Section A requires you to complete one task based on your reading and understanding of two of the first 6 stories from the
‘Opening Worlds’ Anthology ~ the A5 sized book. (It may be a passage-based task: 10%).
Section B requires you to complete two continuous writing tasks (analyse/review/comment: 10%; argue/persuade/advise: 10%).
 Original Writing ~ 10%
 Shakespeare ~ 5%
 Poetry ~ 5%
*THIS HAS ALREADY BEEN COMPLETED

You will be expected to complete the following:
• Extended individual contribution
• Group discussion and interaction
• Drama-focused activity
*THIS HAS ALREADY BEEN COMPLETED
ENGLISH LITERATURE
English Literature will be assessed in the following ways:
Unit 1: DRAMA POST-1914 (45 mins Exam open book: 20%)
You must answer one question
On each text, three questions will be set, including:
 Extract-based tasks (a question of this type will always be set);
 Tasks involving comment, criticism and analysis (at least one question of this type will always be set);
 Imaginative/‘re-creative’ tasks; for example, in which the candidate writes ‘in role’ as one of the characters (questions of this type will not necessarily appear on each text in every exam session).

Unit 2: POETRY AND PROSE POST-1914 (1hr 30 mins Exam: 50%. Timetabled consecutively with Unit 1 ~ those retaking can do so in a 2¼ hr session)
You must answer two questions: one from Section A and one from Section B (ignore the questions in section C).
Section A: Poetry published after 1914 (‘Opening Lines’ OCR Poetry Anthology)
Section B: Prose published after 1914 (all of the stories in the ‘Opening Worlds’ Anthology)
Section C: Literary Non-fiction published after 1914
On each text, three questions will be set, including:
 Extract-based tasks (questions of this type will always be set on poetry);
 Tasks involving comment, criticism and analysis, including comparison where appropriate (at least one question of this type will always be set on each text).
All tasks set on poetry will require comparison between texts. Tasks set on prose and literary non-fiction will invite reference to relevant contextual features.
*Unit 4: PRE-1914 TEXTS (Coursework: 30%)
Item 1 ~ Shakespeare ~ 10%
Item 2 ~ Comparative Poetry~ 10%
Item 3 ~ Pre-1914 ~ 10%
*THIS HAS ALREADY BEEN COMPLETED

How Am I Going To Revise?
General:
 Revise in small chunks – no more than 30 minutes at a time. Take a ten-minute break and then come back to it and test yourself. After an hour, change subjects.
 Think about revising with a friend.
English: Can be divided into three areas – reading, writing and poetry.
Reading:
 Try to read a tabloid and a broadsheet newspaper regularly. Make sure you know the difference.
 Find some examples of magazine adverts which you think are effective: explain them to someone else, explaining how the advert works.
 Revise key terms such as: onomatopoeia, pun, metaphor, simile, hyperbole (the exaggerated use of language for effect), alliteration, emotive language …
 Make sure you can write about the effects of the language used.
Writing: (Both English papers will have writing on them, so this is very important.)
 Revise the rules of paragraphing. Remember that you cannot gain a C grade without them!
 Make sure you can use apostrophes properly.
 Be prepared to use P.E.E. Your use of Point Evidence Explanation is crucial to gain the ‘C’ grade.
 Remember to assess the audience and purpose of every piece you are asked to write. Whom is the piece for? What is it designed to do? How will this affect your language use?
 Follow the timeline: BRAINSTORM IDEAS...PLAN (organise the ideas into an introduction, the main body and the conclusion)...WRITE...
CHECK
 Practise writing for between 35 and 40 minutes – this is how long you will get in the exams. Make sure your writing is neat and leave a few minutes to check and correct.
 Poetry “Opening Lines” Section H:
Literature:
Can be divided into two areas – poetry “Opening Lines” and the short stories “Opening Worlds”.

Poetry:
 Re-read the poems.
 Make a list of the similarities and differences between the poems. Fill in grids to help you chart the main themes across the poems.
 Make sure you know, understand and can use poetic terms and explain the effects of the language (e.g. “the writer uses the image of the butterflies as a metaphor for the relationship between the father and his son. They may drift apart at times, but
inevitably come together again”).
 You MUST be able to compare at least two poems …
The Short Stories:
 Re-read the stories.
 Find themes which run across the stories. Draw a mind-map, or fill in the tables, to show these themes.
 Write descriptions of the key characters – use quotes to support your ideas and learn them. You will be given clean copies of the texts in the exam hall as you are not allowed to take your annotated copies into the hall.
Before the exam:
 Know what skills you need to achieve your target grade. Talk to your teacher about your main areas for development.
 Make sure you have your revision guide ~ it will help to guide you through the Papers.
 If you don’t know, ask …
READ THIS REVISION SHEET BEFORE THE FIRST ENGLISH EXAM (THE ONE WITH THE MEDIA TEXT AND THE WRITING
TO INFORM, EXPLAIN, ADVISE). KEEP THE SHEET TO USE BEFORE THE OTHER ENGLISH EXAM.
Section A
What to look for as you annotate the Media text
N.B. YOU MUST ANNOTATE THE TEXT. YOU MAY THINK YOU WILL SAVE TIME BY NOT DOING SO, BUT YOU WON'T.

Look at the use of pronouns in a text - do 1st, 2nd or 3 rd -person pronouns dominate, or is there a particular mixture?

Look at the use of adjectives in a text - what overall picture do they create?

Do the same with the choice of nouns;

And the same with the choice of verbs;

Look at the layout of media texts;

Look at the length of sentences;

Look at the mixture of simple, compound (and/but/or) and complex (other conjunctions) sentences in a text;


Look at the imagery - what overall picture does it create?

Does the text appeal to the senses (sight, hearing, touch, smell, taste)? If so, which ones?

What range of vocabulary is used? Why?

Try to imagine a voice reading the text aloud. What sort of voice is it?

Whom does the text seem to be written for?

Look at the structure of the text
– it can help to write one or two words next to each paragraph to show what they are about;

Look at how the paragraphs in the text are linked together;

Look at the beginning and ending of the text. Not all texts have a dramatic opening and a climactic ending. Some end 'not with a bang but a whimper', as T.S. Eliot said.

Is there any recurring imagery in the text?

Does the writer use vocabulary which sounds as if it comes from a particular type of text or a particular field? For example, some sports reports use military imagery.
Hints for letters - formal and informal
The degree of formality and the language used must match the person it's written to.
The degree of formality and the language used must match the reason for writing the letter.
Letters of complaint and letters to persuade (in particular) should be POLITE at all times. If you offend someone they will never do what you want them to. Aggressive threats, in particular, are worse than useless and will get you very low marks.
Brochure and leaflet
These are mostly to advise, inform or persuade. The purpose and audience will determine how you write.
You need a clear layout. Text and text boxes must not be crowded and difficult to read. Avoid 'fancy' fonts.

You should use bullet points and lists

You could also use tables and diagrams

Text should be integrated with images - the images must be connected to the text and have carefully written captions

All of this is to make the reader take immediate notice of what the leaflet is trying to say.

Speech
This needs to be organised with an introduction and the sections of the speech in a logical sequence.

It's common to build up to a strong conclusion.

You should use rhetorical techniques such as: o groups of three or four ideas o repetition o use of pronouns, e.g. 'you' to address listeners, 'we' to include them o antithesis and strong juxtaposition

All of this is to make the listeners feel part of what you're saying
Feature articles in magazines and newspapers
You need a clear, structured organisation with introduction and conclusion.

There needs to be a headline and sub-headings.

The purpose of writing determines the style.

The audience also determines the style.

It is common to use a wide vocabulary but also to use some more ‘informal' features like the pronoun 'you' and contracted verbs, to make the reader feel involved in the article.

You should use examples (from experts or accounts from people involved in the issue under consideration). You can make these up.

You should choose nouns, adjectives and verbs to create emotional effects and involve your reader in the issues the article is about.

You should use features like antithesis, anticlimax, repetition, metaphor, etc.

You can use humour.

All of this is trying to involve the reader In what you're writing about
In the exam you will be asked to read a text and write about the layout, presentation and the language used – you will do well if you pick out the effects – you will do even better if you comment on the effect on the reader – how is the text working?
You will be asked to look at facts and opinions. You should remember that:
• Facts can be proven = they must be true. Facts are both powerful and strong – these can be used to inform, convince or persuade people of a certain situation.
• Opinion is someone’s personal belief – they think or feel it.

• Watch out for opinions that seem like facts – i.e. “It is a fact that…” – this is a way of tricking you the reader into believing an opinion.
• Opinions can be convincing – they might be used in a text to persuade you of a point of view.
You will also be asked to focus on presentational devices:
As a useful revision tip, in the exam hall, on the paper, at the top of the page you should write the letters: PALL –
PURPOSE
AUDIENCE
LANGUAGE
LAYOUT
These are the headings that can help you make notes on your text.
1 Purpose:
• To inform
• To entertain
• To explain
• To persuade
• To convince
• To instruct
Ask yourself: what is the text trying to do? Think how is it doing this?
2 Audience – this is who the text is aimed at:
• Young
• Old
• Mixed audience
• Adults
• Children / teens?
Think about the layout and the language[;, this will help you to work out the intended audience in the text.

3 Language – the words and sentences and the style that has been chosen:
• Formal
• Informal
• Chatty
• Complex / serious
• Alliterative / descriptive
ALWAYS comment on the language that has been used – this is the hardest part but will get you higher grades because it is a challenge.
Read the text thinking about the choice of words – look out for: similes / metaphors /alliteration / catchphrases.
Think about the tone of the words chosen; are they positive or negative?
Look for adjectives – descriptive words. Are they over the top? Are they vivid – do they make things come to life?
Or is the language mostly factual and informative?
AIM to pick out language details when you are reading through the text – highlight words and phrases that stand out.
4 Layout – this is the presentation: there is so much to comment on, but remember – always explain the effect on a reader.
• Alliteration – makes the text catchy – quick to read – grabs attention.
• Bullet points – good way to organise a text.
• Captions can help readers understand a picture.
• Colour – there are lots of connections and links – colours reinforce messages: blue= crisp/cold/clean; red= passionate/dangerous/sexy
• Columns – a way of organising text – and helping the text to be clear to the reader.
• Fonts – classic / formal / old-fashioned / modern etc. Fonts are chosen to impact on different audiences and to grab attention.
• Graphs/ diagrams – help make difficult information easy to grasp.
• Headings – important as a way to organise the text .
• Images – Similes (like/as) – or metaphors – direct comparisons: these work to create images in words – so you can see the thing being described.
• Italics – emphasise information.
• Logos – symbol of a company – represents things.
• Maps – helpful in giving people info – finding or showing a place.
• Paragraphs – organising text – comment if they are small – short / easier to read – or longer and more detailed: this makes a difference to a text and to the reader - connects with AUDIENCE.
• Pictures/ images bring the text to life and grab attention – they can also break up the text, which is useful.

• Underlining emphasises points made.
• Always comment on the first impression the text has – what do you notice when you look at the text on the page?
Examiner’s Advice
Take two differently coloured highlighting pens into the exam and use one colour to highlight one of the bullet points and the other to highlight the second bullet point in relation to each media article. This will help you to identify the areas you need to paraphrase in order to respond to each bullet point.
REMEMBER:
Question one asks that you USE YOUR OWN POINTS. DO NOT QUOTE FROM THE TEXT.
Question two asks that you USE QUOTES FROM THE TEXT TO SUPPORT THE POINTS YOU MAKE FOLLOWED BY A SUPPORTING
COMMENT.
DO NOT GO THROUGH THE TEXTS IN CHRONOLOGICAL (FROM START TO FINISH) ORDER.
Section B will ask you to complete a writing task.
ONE task will be set.
You will be asked to produce a piece of continuous writing to inform, explain, describe, on a topic broadly linked to the reading material provided. You will be encouraged to develop your own ideas. You may refer to the reading materials in Section A, if you wish; however, you
do not have to!
The points on the following page are useful when producing structured responses to the writing task as well as the essays in response to the short stories and the poetry (if you are taking the Language and the Literature papers)

Writing an Essay – Linking Words and Statements
Introduction:
First
Primarily
Chiefly
Importantly
The writer/author introduces …
We are introduced to …
Main Body:
The reason for this is …
From this, we can note that …
Secondly. Thirdly etc.
Moving on …
The reader can see from this that …
The author writes … because …
Another …
Also …
Therefore …
Significantly …
We can see from this that …
The writer then moves on to …
Next …
Obviously, this shows that …
This shows that …
Following this …
Then …
This then means that …
Penultimately (last but one)
Later …
It can be noted/said that …

Conclusion:
In summary
In conclusion
It is important to conclude with …
Weighing up the evidence, we can see that …
Finally …
Lastly …
The message conveyed is therefore …
Summarising, we can see that …
Inform
Telling things the way they are
When you might use it
What style of writing to use
How you might structure it
 Leaflets
 Reports
 Eye-witness accounts
 Prospectuses
 Use vocabulary specific to the topic
 Use casual connectives: because, therefore etc.
 Use the present tense
 Keep it formal
 Use the third person
Use a mix of the active and passive  voice
 Use simple and compound sentences
 Use clear topic sentences
 Different fonts
 Bullet points
 Headings and subheadings
Tables / Text boxes 
 Diagrams
 Paragraphs likely to be organised by topic
Example task: Your school is holding a summer fair; write to parents informing
Explain
Explain how something works and what’s involved



Summaries
Reports
Encyclopaedia entry
Describe
Making something come to life for the reader
 Narratives (e.g. stories)
 Autobiographies
 Use connectives to indicate sequence, cause and effect and comparison
 Use vocabulary specific to the topic
 Remain impersonal
 Use mostly nouns and verbs
 Use the third person
 Use the appropriate tense
 Usually use the active voice
 Use plenty of adjectives
 Use adverbs to create effect
 Vary sentence lengths
 Choose appropriate person and tense
 Use figurative language
(similes, metaphors, personification etc) to help you describe
 Diagrams and illustrations
 Paragraphs open with a general
 statement followed by evidence
Sequential / logical order
Example task: you have been asked to write an entry for a computer guide for old people who have never used a computer before…
The computer is an extremely useful tool: it can be used to word process letters, keep
 Likely to appeal to the reader’s senses – so use your own to plan your writing.
Example task: write about the atmosphere at a football stadium for someone who has never been to a match.
On a match day the town changes completely. First, it is full of lost

them of the events…
Dear Parents
Because of the great success of last year’s event, the school is again holding a summer fair track of finances and email friends and relatives.
One of the pieces of software used the most is the word processor. This allows the user to type, edit and adapt work for many purposes. The most popular software is
Microsoft Word. To open this, click on the start button…
Inform
Features
Third person is used and you tend not to be personal, eg “Fireman think that…” rather than “Fireman Sam thinks that…”
Present tense mainly used
Passive voice often used
Sentence length should not get in the way of making things clear
Subheadings can be used to make things clearer
Questions can be used to involve the reader
Personal experience may be used
Paragraphs show connections between pieces of information and show cause and effect
Technical language may need to be explained strangers. Secondly, the atmosphere becomes electric and finally, all talk is drowned by the noise when the stadium erupts after a goal.
It all begins with the walk to the match. The car park is full of vehicles with scarves, badges and statements like, “I <3 the Baggies”
Everywhere is a rainbow of colour.
The smell of hot dogs drifts over the roads that all seem to lead to the ground. The yell of
“Programmes” echoes around while small boys hold excitedly onto their dads’ hands, fingers chilled in the biting, frosty air.

Explain
Features
Third person is used
Active voice commoner than passive
A range of reasons and detail is used, especially answering the questions why and how
Connectives which show addition and contrast are common
Paragraph openings show sequence of events or cause and effect
Describe
Make sure that the reader can “see” the settings – the places where the story is set
Remember – you aren’t making a film, where things can be seen instantly on the screen
Using the five senses – sight, sound, touch, taste, smell – is a good way of developing descriptive writing
Make sure that you create the right atmosphere in the way you describe your settings. You need to choose the right words to make it feel cheerful, ghostly, dismal etc.
1.
Write a letter to a magazine in which you inform teachers about what life is really like for people of your age.
2.
Given a choice, who would you most like to be? Explain the reasons for your choice.
3.
Choose a time when you have been very happy or very unhappy. Explain why you felt that way.
4.
You are asked to recommend a holiday place to a friend. Describe the place closely and explain why you would recommend it.
5.
Write a letter to a friend who moved away from your area three months ago. Inform him or her of the things that have been happening over the last three months.
6.
Explain what you think is needed to build a good relationship between parents and teenage children and explain why you think this.
7.
Describe a place you would like to be in right now.

8.
Write a letter to the governors of your school informing them of the changes you would like to be made in your school and the reasons for these changes.
9.
Explain what your dreams and ambitions for the future are. Explain, also, how you could achieve them.
10.
Describe a nightmare world. Many young people have concerns about the world in which they live.
11.
Write informatively about one or more of your concerns and explain the reasons for them.
12.
Describe the person or people you would most like to go on holiday with you and explain why you would like to share a holiday with them.
Every day a lot of things happen all over the world. But time is short and there isn’t enough space to cover all the details in newspapers or TV magazines. Like reporters, like everybody else, you must try to save time and keep reports as short as possible. To cut a long story short:
“to sum up”
Summing-up is a technique that follows strict rules:
1.
The original text is cut to about one third – 250/300 words
2.
Only the main ideas are mentioned; that means that no examples or repetitions are allowed.
3.
Specific statements are combined to form general statements.
4.
Direct or reported speech are changed into statements, with the exception of very important quotations.
Follow these hints:
1.
Read the text quickly in order to find the main ideas. (skimming)
2.
If necessary look at special passages of the text in order to make clear that you’ve got all the main ideas. (scanning)
3.
Take a pencil and underline the most important words. (marking)
4.
Write down key-words, i.e. words that sum up the meaning of the text, but which needn’t necessarily occur in the text. (making
notes)
5.
Sum up the key-words in simple sentences. (summing up in concise form)
6.
Combine the simple sentences by using conjunctions like “as, though, because, since” etc or participle constructions or infinitive.
(summing up in complex form)
7.
Compare the original text with your text to find out that you’ve got the essential information. (check)

You will need to use quotations when referring to the articles in Paper1, the short stories in Paper 2 and the stories and poems in the literature
Paper. How should you go about it?
Read the following section for ideas:
Using Quotations Effectively
What is a quotation?
Quoting simply means repeating what someone else has said or written. When a character says something in a play or novel s/he is speaking, but when you repeat what the character says in your writing or in oral work you are quoting the character.
When you do this you must use quotation marks (also known as speech marks or inverted commas) to show that it is not your work.
Why use quotations?
Quotes and examples work like evidence in a court case – they convince the examiner that what you’re saying is true. They are used to support your own ideas; they should not take the place of your ideas or be used to tell the story. Quotes are a useful way of exploring how theme, character and language are used in a play or novel or a particular part of it.
SIQ (short integrated quotation)
Basically, you don't always quote half the text at the examiner (this will look as if you don't know it very well), but you only quote a word or two at a time. (You might have to use slightly longer quotations sometimes.) These words form part of your own sentences.
Here's an example about a Thomas Hardy poem:
The opening line of 'The Voice,' in which the repeated words 'call to me, call to me' almost literally echo down the years, seems to show a strange merging of past and present experience which is lacking at the start of 'We sat at the Window', in which the plain past tenses ‘sat’ and 'came down’ indicate a simple narrative of past events. The first two lines of “Beeny Cliff” are not so clearly defined In time - we are simply presented with the 'opal and the sapphire of that wandering western sea,' although the rather jaunty rhythm seems, at least, to create a more up-beat image than the constant silken strings of rain in 'We Sat at the Window' and the ghostly voice of Hardy’s late wife Emma In 'The Voice’.

If the quotation comes at the end of your sentence, you should introduce it with a colon:
Hardy’s last line, bleak in its simplicity of both Imagery and rhythm, sums up all that he is left with: “
And the woman calling.”
You must use the quotations so that they make sense in your own sentence. If you really need to change a word you show that you've done so by using square brackets:
Di ckens’s first violent image is that of the convict on the marshes with his threat to 'cut [P ip’s] throat (Original -'cut yer throat).
Some evidence doesn't need quotation. For instance, the 'convict on the marshes' in the last example is evidence, but you don't need a quotation to show it.
NEVER write "And I quote' or anything like it. The quotation either forms part of your own sentence or is introduced by a colon. NOTHING else is needed.
REMEMBER: use evidence for every point you make and try to make as many connected points, as you can In order to build up your argument.
Long quotations are usually unnecessary and are only there to fill up space.
For the Language examination you will be asked to compare two of the first six short stories from the Anthology ‘Opening Worlds’. How well do you know them? Try answering the following questions to test your knowledge:
Read through each quotation and decide which story it is from:
1. “Creaking, jerking, jostling, gasping, the train filled the station.”
2. “Be a good Wife! Be a good Wife!”
3. “ ‘Only two kinds of daughters,’ she shouted in Chinese. ‘Those who are obedient and those who follow their own mind! Only one kind of daughter can live in this house! Obedient daughter!’ ”
4.“They have the strange sensation that there is a big empty space under that umbrella, a vacuum that nothing on earth can fill.”
5. “She was seventeen centimetres taller than he.”
6. “I soon found out why Old Chong had retired from teaching piano. He was deaf.”

7. “What luck! You sure have good luck, Nak. One more day and you’d have been out two hundred baht.”
8. “She threw the lion onto the seat.”
9. “ ‘This is going to be a modern wedding.’ ”
10. “What I say is: let the hawk perch and let the eagle perch.”
11. “A cobra spread its hood, hissing.”
12. “My mother believed you could be anything you wanted to be in America.”
13. “Heavy sticks were planted closely across the path at the two places it entered and left the school premises.”
14. “She seemed dried up and scrawny with a face like an unvarnished ping-pong bat.”
15. “At her own home Neo was waited on hand and foot. Outside the home nasty remarks were passed. People bitterly disliked conceit and pride.”
You may it find it helpful to complete the following chart to help you cross-reference themes across the stories:
Comparing the short stories: Themes
Add quotations to the correct theme box for each story. An example has been done for you.
Story/ Theme ‘Dead Men’s
Path’
‘Snapshots of a
Wedding’
‘The Train from
Rhodesia’
‘The Gold
Legged Frog’
‘Two Kinds’
Culture Clash
‘The Tall
Woman and Her
Short Husband’
Education ‘A high standard of teaching was insisted on’
Authority

New Ways v Old
Ways
Religion and
Beliefs
Poverty
Ceremony/
Traditions/
Customs
Community and
Family Life
Conflicts and
Divisions
Luck and Fortunes
“Our dead relatives depart by it. But most important, it is the path of children coming into this world”

You may find it helpful to complete a summary of each of the stories to remind you of the main points. You should aim to include the following:
Title of story:
Author of story:
Country of origin:
Characters involved?
Plot:
What are they like?
What happens in the story?
Cultures and Traditions:
Themes:
Language / Techniques:
Structure:
What do you learn about this culture / society?
(Any flashbacks?)
Useful quotations:
Another useful way to revise is by looking at past questions. What have other candidates been asked to do in the past? You could use the following tasks to form part of your revision programme:
1. Remind yourself of the following extract from ‘Dead Men’s Path’ by Chinua Achebe, then answer the question that follows:
Three days later the village priest of Ani called on the headmaster. He was an old man and walked with a slight stoop. He carried a stout walking-stick which he usually tapped on the floor, by way of emphasis, each time he made a new point in his argument.
“I have heard,” he said after the usual exchange of cordialities, “that our ancestral

footpath has recently been closed…”
“Yes,” replied Mr Obi. “We cannot allow people to make a highway of our school compound.”
“Look here, my son,” said the priest bringing down his walking - stick, “this path was here before you were born and before your father was born. The whole life of the village depends on it. Our dead relatives depart by it and our ancestors visit us by it. But most important, it is the path of children coming in to be born…”
Mr Obi listened with a satisfied smile on his face.
“The whole purpose of our school,” he said finally, “is to eradicate just such beliefs as that. Dead men do not require footpaths. The whole idea is just fantastic. Our duty is to teach your children to laugh at such ideas.”
Think about ‘Dead Men’s Path’ and ONE OTHER story from the ones you have studied, where someone experiences a clash of cultures.
How do the writers’ descriptions of these different cultures, in which these two stories are set, emphasise this clash?
Support your answer by referring to and quoting from the stories.
Remember to put quotation marks round any words and phrases you use from the stories.
2. Choose TWO stories that describe the ceremonies and traditions of other cultures. For each story write about:
 What the ceremonies and traditions are and how they are described
 How the writer describes the characters’ reactions to these ceremonies
Support your answer by referring to and quoting from the stories.
Remember to put quotation marks round any words and phrases you use from the stories.
3. Remind yourself of the following extract from ‘Snapshots of a Wedding’ by Bessie
Head, then answer the question that follows:
“This is going to be a modern wedding.” He meant that a lot of the traditional courtesies had been left out of the planning for the wedding day; no one had been awake all night

preparing diphiri or the traditional wedding breakfast of pounded meat and samp; the bridegroom said he had no church and did not care about such things; the bride was six months pregnant and showing it, so there was just going to be a quick marriage ceremony at the police camp.
“Oh, we all have our own ways,” said one of the bride’s relatives joked back. “If the times are changing, we keep up with them.” And she weaved away ululating joyously.
Think about ‘Snapshots of a Wedding’ and ONE OTHER STORY from the ones you have studied, where the central character is trying to move away from their old
traditions and cultures and into a more modern society.
Write about:
 How the characters behave towards their cultures and traditions
 Why they are trying to change
Support your answer by referring to and quoting from the stories.
Remember to put quotation marks round any words and phrases you use from the stories.
4. Choose TWO STORIES that show divisions or conflicts within communities. For each story write about:
 What these actual divisions / conflicts are
 How the divisions / conflicts occur
 How the writer describes the effects on the people involved.
Support your answer by referring to and quoting from the stories.
Remember to put quotation marks round any words and phrases you use from the stories

Finally, here is a list of important things to remember when writing your essay on the short stories for Language:
• Use quotations to support your points
• Put quotation marks / inverted commas around quotes
• Capital letters for character names
• Inverted commas around names of stories / titles e.g. ‘Dead Men’s Path’
• Have a short introduction
• Have a conclusion to sum up your ideas
• PLAN using a spider diagram before writing
• DON’T re-tell the story; I already know it!
• Comment on themes, symbolism, style
• Use PEE: Point – Evidence – Exploration / Explanation
• Stick to what the question is asking, don’t waffle
• Use paragraphs!
• Don’t copy the question out
• No sub headings
• Leave a couple of minutes at the end to check for errors in expression, spelling etc.
• Formal expressions
Revising the Short Stories for Literature
The style of the examination questions:
The Language paper asks you to focus on the first six stories. For the Literature paper, however, you will be able to refer to any of the twelve.
The style of the question may be as follows:
• The question will require you to refer to two of the twelve stories you have studied.
• All questions will focus on the social, historical and literary contexts of the stories (how does society shape our ideas and opinions at any one time or in any one place?)
• You will have a choice of three questions and should spend 45 minutes on your answer (instead of 40 minutes in Language)
• Questions may use an extract from one of the stories as a starting point

What the examiner is looking for:
The examiner will be looking for a number of qualities with your work:
• Your response must be relevant. It must answer the question that has been set rather than the one you’d prepared for in advance!
• You must provide a personal response to the stories, expressing your views of the stories in relation to the question.
• You must support your points with evidence from the text. You must remember to use Point Evidence Explanation if you are to gain the grades you are capable of.
• You must try to evaluate the ways in which the stories have been written. How does the writer’s use of tone, setting, characterisation, plot, imagery and structure affect our understanding of the story?
• You must consider your expression. 5% of your mark in literature will depend on the quality of your spelling, punctuation and sentence structure.
Planning your answer:
• Underline the keywords in the question: ‘Explore the ways in which the writers of two of the stories in the collection make you feel sympathy for a parent. Remember to support your answer with detail from each story.’
• Look at what the key words are expecting you to do: ways (what the writer does with language and structure to affect our understanding), parent (the character as a parent), sympathy (pity, understanding, respect, admiration, empathy), detail (refer directly to the texts with the use of quotations)
• Use 10 minutes to produce a plan. You could mind map some ideas first and then number them in the order in which you are going to address then in your essay. This will cut out the need for waffle and hesitation in your work.
• Use 30 minutes to produce your answer, remembering to use P E E to support your ideas throughout. This answer would require an introductory paragraph that named your chosen parents and their situations. You should suggest why we feel sympathy for them without going into too much detail at this point. Your main body would look in detail at the ways in which the writers have encouraged us to feel sympathy for their characters. Each paragraph should start with an explicit point

that relates directly to the question ~ ‘Srinawk encourages the reader to sympathise with Nak by highlighting his physical exhaustion and concern for his ‘little’ son at the beginning of the story’
• Your conclusion should refer back to both characters but you should use this opportunity to state which character you feel most sympathy for. You should try to end on a new point that adds to your essay rather than merely repeating it.
• You should allow 5 minutes to check your technical accuracy so that you don’t lose precious marks.
Revision task ~ complete the essay outlined below; looking at the idea of the reader feeling sympathy for the parent figures in these stories.
• ‘Explore the ways in which the writers of two of the stories in the collection make you feel sympathy for a parent.
Remember to support your answer with detail from each story.’
You may find the following table useful in cross-referencing the themes of the stories.
Comparing the short stories: Themes
Add quotations to the correct theme box for each story. An example has been done for you.
Story /
Theme
‘The Pieces of
Silver’
The Red Ball’ ‘The Young
Couple’
‘Games at
Twilight’
‘The Winter Oak’
Culture
Education
The cruelty of officials
‘Leela’s Friend’

Feeling left out
Religion and Beliefs
Poverty
(and class divisions)
Growing up/
Childhood
Family relationships/ parent and child
Conflicts and
Divisions
Suffering and hardship
“As soon as we did have a li’l money save we have to go and get a …’ (lines
172-173)

Preparing for the Poetry
In the exam, you will be asked to compare two or more poems. You should be able to comment on aspects of content, structure and style.
What message are the poets trying to convey and how effective are they in doing so? Is the imagery exciting? powerful? Which words do you find most interesting? Which poems share themes and ideas? Which poems contrast in showing different attitudes to the same subject (e.g. parenting)?
The activities that follow are designed to build your knowledge of the poems whilst drawing you in to the importance of the poets’ choices of words and images.
Try to complete a planning grid to help you to organise your ideas in preparation for an examination type question:
Poem:
Image Technique Effect Created



o o

o
o


o o o
Hints for the different writing purposes tested here. Remember you choose ONE of these.
Argue
Words to use:
First, secondly, thirdly
The most important aspect...
We should also consider...
The evidence dearly shows that...
It is therefore evident that...
Whilst opponents of this idea suggest that... it is clear that...
Connectives to show addition (see main revision sheet)
Features.
formal language specific examples of situations opinions from people involved and from experts (real or made up) addresses opposing points of view - uses balanced sentences carefully worded conclusion

Persuade
Words to use.
Do they really want to...?
Do we really think that …?
I am sure that …
You will all agree that...
The best way to deal with this must be to ...
It is very worrying to think that...
My own experience Is that...
Features emotive language - can try to shock reader into agreeing strong nouns, verbs, adverbs and adjectives chosen to create emotive impact first, second and third person used – readers involved using ' we’, addressed using 'you' rhetorical devices such as groups of three (especially in speeches, of course) varied sentence lengths, including some short ones for impact
Advise
Words to use:
Try to ...
Think about ...
Be sure to . . .
Do/Don't. . .
If (something happens), then try...
I can understand that you feel...
You could try to ... /One solution might be to ... I think you ought to . . .
Possibilities include ...
Features often formal language, although this varies according to audience the audience is directly involved and addressed empathy is used - tries to build the reader's confidence

the audience can be given options as to what to do uses questions and answers modal verbs and imperatives (see section 7) addresses the reader directly in the second person can use bullet points and lists has a clear conclusion

This revision booklet comes from a range of online resources (Sandfields School) and work from staff at The Harvey and DGSB.