English Revision Tips
English Language paper
This is the hardest exam to revise for as it is more skills based. However, you can revise and
improve your chances!
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The BBC Bitesize website has a section called Reading Non-Fiction and a section
called Writing to argue, persuade and advise. These sections are very helpful and
cover all the main points you need to work on
Use your CGP revision guide on Reading Non-Fiction and Media .This can be
purchased from Amazon if you didn’t order one from the school. (GCSE AQA English
Understanding Non-Fiction Texts [Paperback] 978-1841467603)
Make revision posters on language devices and presentational devices
Create a glossary of key non-fiction and media terms (for example: informal, bias,
rhetorical questions, caption, sub-headings etc.)
Pick a text (e.g. newspaper article, leaflet, press advertisement): use one highlighter
pen to pick out key language devices, and another colour to pick out presentational
devices
ALWAYS consider PURPOSE and AUDIENCE for everything you read- why is he/she
writing this piece, who and what is it for, how does the writer achieve this?
Check you remember how to write in a persuasive manner
Revise the key phrases and features of writing to PERSUADE, ARGUE, ADVISE by
making flash cards on A4 coloured paper
e.g. 5 persuasive devices on one side of the card with an example on the other side:
- rhetorical questions - Why are we allowing this?
- dare to disagree - Everyone knows that…
- emotive language - This horrific torture…
- presenting opinion as fact - There is only one way to …
‐ using collective pronouns (‘we’ ‘us’) and second person (‘you’ ‘your’) - Surely, we
cannot let ….your conscience must tell you…
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Revise how to structure an argument (BBC Bitesize will help with this)
Revise the layout of a formal letter
English Literature – Texts paper
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Re-read your texts at least once (do this in little 20 minutes chunks)
Make a map of the key events from the plot
Collect together all your old English books and check the quality of your notes
Collate notes under headings (e.g characters, setting, language, structure, themes
etc)
English Revision Tips
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Keep re-writing your notes in order to aid your long term memory (transfer
the notes into different forms)
Ask someone to test your knowledge of where things are in the book. Give them a
list of main events and then ask them to randomly ask you to find the right area in
the texts. This will help you do this faster in the exam, when you are trying to find
quotations
English Literature – Poetry paper
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Write key points on post-it notes and arrange a few around the house (especially for
those poems you struggle with)
Focus on pairing up all of the poems in your particular cluster. The more ideas you
have about which poems go well together, the easier it will be to select the right
question in the exam
Try drawing a visual representation for each poem, adding key quotations to the
middle of the picture and putting your best ideas around the outside. These can then
be easily displayed at home
Practise planning answers under time pressure – past papers can be found on the
AQA site
English Language past papers can be found here:
http://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/english/gcse/english-language-4705/past-papers-andmark-schemes
(Always choose Unit 1)
English Literature past papers can be found here:
http://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/english/gcse/english-literature-9710/past-papers-andmark-schemes
(Choose Unit 1 for the texts exam and Unit 2 for the poetry exam)