GCSE English
Revision
Workbook
There are three main points to any essay:
1. Introduction – this should be one paragraph.
2. Main section – make each point that you have into a separate paragraph.
Back up each point with an example
3. Conclusion – this should be one paragraph and it’s a summary of what you’ve
written. Summarise your main arguments.
Remember
- Write in the most formal language that you can
- Unless the question requires your opinion, don’t use the word ‘I’… instead
say ‘Some might think…’ or ‘This seems to suggest…’
Remember to P.E.E. all over your work!
Point – make your point
Evidence – use a quote or example from the text that proves your idea
Explanation- tell the examiner how your quote proves what your point is
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 (speech marks) to show that it is not your work.
Why use quotations?
Imagine you are a lawyer and your essay is your way of convincing a jury (your teacher or
examiner) of your argument. A lawyer might be interesting and persuasive but without evidence a
jury is never going to be sure that what the lawyer is saying is true. Quotes and examples work like
evidence in a court case – they convince your audience that what you’re saying is true.
Quotations, then, 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.
You should usually provide some kind of context for the quote and comment on what is interesting
about it.
How to use quotations
Using a quote is like building a sandwich or burger.
The quote is the meat in
the middle of the
sandwich. It might be
yummy but it tastes
better between two bits
of bread!
The first bit of bread is like your
introduction for your quote. After
making a point, give some context
for the quote and explain how it
illustrates your argument
The second piece of bread is like your
comment on your quote. Why is it
interesting? What does it reveal about
character/language/plot etc?
The first question on the ‘Non-Media and fiction’ paper will always be a summary question. The
general format of the question will remain the same.
e.g. From this article, outline what Gregory Harness thought about his time in the circus and how it
changed him.
Use your own words as far as possible.
This means you need to do three things:
1. Outline what he thought about his time in the circus.
2. Outline how it changed him.
3. Write all of this in your own words.
The examiner doesn’t want you to write a lot for this first answer. He/she wants to see that you can
sum everything up in a couple of paragraphs.
To do this, you need to remember to keep COOL:
Concise – don’t write loads
Organised – organise your points
Own Words – write in your own words, don’t just copy out what it says
Linked points – link the ideas together with connectives
It’s a good idea to pick out the important information before you begin to write your answer.
Task
In no more than 250 words, summarise the war zone conditions and the mental state of Wilfred
Owen from the evidence revealed in the letter on the next page.
What information are you expected to pick out of the extract? Write the two features in the columns
below:
Letter from Wilfred Owen to his Mother – From ‘Wilfred Owen Collected Letters’
To Susan Owen
Tuesday, 16 January 1917
[2nd Manchester Regt, B.E.F.]
My own sweet Mother,
… I can see no excuse for deceiving you about these last 4 days. I have suffered seventh hell.
I have not been at the front.
I have been in front of it.
I held an advanced post, that is, a ‘dug-out’ in the middle of No Man’s Land.
We had a march of 3 miles over shelled road then nearly 3 along a flooded trench. After that
we came to where the trenches had been blown flat out and had to go over the top. It was of course
dark, too dark, and the ground was not mud, not sloppy mud, but an octopus of sucking clay, 3, 4
and 5 feet deep, relieved only by craters full of water. Men have been known to drown in them.
Many stuck in the mud and only got on by leaving their waders, equipment, and in some cases their
clothes.
High explosives were dropping all around us, and machine-guns spluttered every few
minutes. But it was so dark that even the German flares did not reveal us.
Three quarters dead, I mean each of us ¾ dead, we reached the wretches therein. I then had
to go forth and find another dug-out for a still more advanced post where I left 18 bombers. I was
responsible for other posts on the left but there was a junior officer in charge.
My dug-out held 25 men tight packed. Water filled it to a depth of 1 or 2 feet, leaving say 4
feet of air.
One entrance had been blown in and blocked.
So far, the other remained.
The Germans knew we were staying there and decided we shouldn’t.
Those fifty hours were the agony of my happy life.
Every ten minutes on Sunday afternoon seemed an hour.
I nearly broke down and let myself drown in the water that was now slowly raising over my
knees.
Towards 6 o’clock, when, I suppose, you would be going to church, the shelling grew less
intense and less accurate: so that I was mercifully helped to do my duty and crawl, wade and climb
and flounder over No Man’s Land to visit my other post. It took my half an hour to move about 150
yards.
I was chiefly annoyed by our own machine-guns from behind. The seeng-seeng-seeng of the
bullets reminded me of Mary’s canary. On the whole I can support the canary better.
In the Platoon on my left the sentries over the dug-out were blown to nothing. One of these
poor fellows was my first servant whom I rejected. If I had kept him he would have lived, for servants
don’t do Sentry Duty. I kept my own sentries half way down the stairs during the more terrific
bombardment. In spite of this one lad was blown down and, I am afraid, blinded.
This was my only casualty.
The officer of the left Platoon has come out completely prostrated and is in hospital.
I am now as well, I suppose, as ever.
I allow myself to tell you all these things because I am never going back to this awful post. It is
the worst the Manchesters have ever held; and we are going back for a rest.
I hear that the officer who relieved me left his 3 Lewis Guns behind when he came out. (He
only had 24 hours in). He will be court-martialled.
In the second question on the ‘Non fiction and media’ paper, you will need to discuss the way in
which a writer presents their ideas through their use structure and language.
Content and structuring
Title
1st paragraph
Presentation
Tone
Information
Final paragraph
Pictures
TASK
Read the following article and decide how language and structuring features have been used in
creating the article.
AREA 51- The truth is out here!
Area 51 doesn’t officially exist. But if it did, it would house UFOs, spy planes...
Simon Reeve asks, ‘”What’s going on?”
The little town of Rachel sits in the middle of a vast desert plain, surrounded by
jagged grey mountains, about 125 miles north-west of Las Vegas. It has a bar and a
shop, but the only sound comes from the wind pushing the dust down dirty, unmade
roads.
Yet Rachel is also special. Its
residents are the so-called
’Downwinders’, caught in the
radiation clouds from the first
atomic bomb tests at the
nearby Nevada test site. And
Rachel is the closest human
habitation to the world’s most
secret military base, known as
Area 51 where, rumour has it,
aliens and UFOs are being held.
If the truth is out there, as The
X-Files promised, chances are
it’s near Rachel.
Don Day runs the office of the
Area 51 Research Center, a
private group dedicated to unearthing exactly what goes on at the base. ’Do not try
to take photos where you shouldn’t, and don’t try to cross the boundary,’ he warns
me.
Little Green Men
In the room with us is a policeman from Waco, Texas, who wants to know whether he
is likely to see any little green men. I just want to know how close I can get to the base
without being shot.
Day gives me a map, and I set off across a lunar landscape, heading for a low range
of mountains in the distance. I have not seen a car or a living soul for more than two
hours, when I skid to a halt at a sign: ’WARNING. Restricted area. Use of deadly force
authorised. It is unlawful to enter this area without permission...’
I spot two cameras atop a hill on the left pointing at me. Minutes later, a sandcoloured Cherokee Jeep slowly rolls to the top of a hill about 300m away on my right.
Two men climb out and train huge binoculars on me. I watch them. They watch me.
The knowledge that I am doing nothing wrong is little comfort. I imagine newspaper
headlines reading ’Missing British journalist found dead in desert’, so I do the sensible
thing and turn my battered hire car round and head off back down the dirt road.
Within 30 seconds I hear the noise of an attack helicopter above me, a long-barrelled,
heavy calibre machine-gun on its nose. The message is clear.
The base doesn’t appear on any maps or charts but has astonishing security. Apart
from the helicopter, guards, cameras, microphones and solar-powered sensors
concealed among the cactus plants, there are sensors hidden along local dust tracks.
All these fuel the conspiracy theories.
Brains Fried
Back in Rachel, a drinker in the bar announces that UFOs and aliens are definitely
hidden at Area 51. And hundreds of other Americans think they have met aliens with
names as ludicrous as Fred, John or Zret. With the desert sun’s heat frying their brains,
no wonder Rachel residents believe the sensational Area 51 claims.
Laughing
But there is no hard evidence to support any of these alien theories. Area 51 actually
seems to be a base for testing and developing secret military planes, including the
Aurora, the most advanced spy-plane in the world.
Few secret bases attract quite so much attention. Yet the US military has still not been
forced even to admit the base exists. As I sit staring at the sky above the base, the only
vision I have is of security.
Language Techniques
Person
Definition
Repetition
Contrasts
Imagery
Strong adjectives
and adverbs
Anecdotes
Rhetorical questions
Emotive language
Humour
Alliteration
Statistics
Slang (colloquial
language)
Exaggeration
(hyperbole)
Sentence lengths
Why might it be used?
Example
INFORM
Typical words and phrases:
There are many kinds of …
The one I am most interested in
is …
The pleasure I find in …
The excitement lies in …
By far the most interesting aspect
…
If you want to … then you need
to …
In order to begin you need to …
Make sure that you …
Some people enjoy …
Other kinds of …
EXPLAIN
Typical words and phrases:
Because …
Another reason …
Although …
Nevertheless …
The most important …
Above all else …
The first thing to do is …
Later on I …
Ultimately contrary to popular
belief …
As a result …
Consequently …
Inevitably ...
Features:
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Features:
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

clear introduction
provide a context for
what you are going to
write
wide range of different
aspects of the topic
detail
technical language,
perhaps explained briefly
systematic and logical
organisation
use of personal experience
use of present tense
clear links between
paragraphs
unusual and interesting
detail specific to the
subject




range of reasons
range of appropriate
detail
specific examples of
different kinds to support
explanation
range of responses to ‘why’
range of responses to ‘how’
different points expanded
and linked
DESCRIBE
Typical words and phrases:
It is more difficult to pick
particular words and phrases
which might be useful here but
there are a range of features
characteristic of effective
descriptive writing which you
could draw on:
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
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wide range of
appropriate detail
use of adjectives and
adverbs
use of colour
use of senses: sight, touch
(e.g. texture), hearing,
taste, sound
words to show feelings
and atmosphere
use of metaphor and
simile, perhaps use of
personification
more descriptive
language than in any of
the other forms
perhaps personal
reactions
variation of sentence
length and type
rich, varied, perhaps
unusual vocabulary
Informing means telling people information – giving them the facts. The key to
answering informing questions is making absolutely certain you get the facts across
clearly.
People often enjoy reading about the hobbies and interests of others. Choose
something you are interested in and know a lot about. Write about this in a way
which will inform other people.
You need to answer the question as clearly as possible, using lots of detail.
Explaining means telling people what, how or why something happens or happened.
Choose an event from the past that has particular significance for you. Explain what
happened and your feelings about it.
 Remember to answer both parts of the question!
Explaining what happened is just telling a story.
- Remember to say what, how and why.
- Make it clear and interesting.
Describing something means saying what it is and what it’s like.
Keep your descriptions interesting. Try using images to bring your writing to life.
Purpose
Original Text =
broadsheet newspaper
New
Purpose
Sixteen British plane
spotters are still being held
in a Greek prison, after
being arrested at a military To entertain
To inform
air show in Crete yesterday. and describe
They were caught taking
photographs of military
planes and accused of …
Original Text = holiday
brochure
To
persuade
The luxurious Hotel
Cascade is elegantly
situated overlooking Jewel
Beach and enjoys the best
scenery on the island. The
hotel boasts …
To entertain
Original Text =
advertisement
To
persuade
If you don’t want your
whites to look grey, choose
new improved ‘Biogleam’
No more …
New Text =
autobiography
I remember it as being the
worst experience of my life.
Derek and I had just
finished taking a picture of
the Mig 2 and we were
making our way towards
the exit when we heard the
screech of brakes. We had
been surrounded by 12
Greek police cars …
New Text = romantic
fiction
Rex Trask swept her into his
strong masculine arms and,
looking into those
bewitching emerald green
eyes, said ‘I’ve always
wanted to bring you to my
dream island …’
New Text = instructions
To instruct
1. Make sure all items
are placed evenly in
the washing machine.
2. Measure two cups of
‘Biogleam’ into the
soap dispenser.
ANALYSE
Typical words and phrases:
The purpose of this piece is…
The audience that this piece is
directed at is…
The language shows…
The ideas are…
It seems…
This suggests…
Features:
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personal response
clear introduction
wide range of different
aspects of the topic
detailed look at the main
points / language
logical organisation
use of personal experience
use of present tense
clear links between
paragraphs
discussion of unusual and
interesting detail specific
to the subject
REVIEW
COMMENT
Typical words and phrases:
Typical words and phrases:
Features:
Features:
I believe…
The view here is…
My view is…
This is effective because…
This is not as effective as…
The ideas are…
It seems…
This suggests…
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
personal response
clear introduction
a focused piece
wide range of different
aspects of the topic
detailed look at the main
points / language
logical organisation
use of personal experience
use of present tense
clear links between
paragraphs
discussion of unusual and
interesting detail specific
to the subject
It would seem…
One point of view is…
This means…
This is effective because…
This is not as effective as…
The ideas are…
It seems…
This suggests






personal response
clear points with a
logical argument
detailed look at the issue
/ topic
use of personal
experience
use of present tense
clear links between
paragraphs
Big Brother is watching…
In shock proposals revealed today, the Department of Learning and Education is
considering installing CCTV cameras in all primary and secondary schools under
their control.
Photograph by subcircle
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8323834@N07/500970140/
In the wake of recent criticism concerning exam results and falling standards in education,
this scheme, expected to cost in the region of £20 million, would allow the Government to
pinpoint the causes of underachievement in the classroom. In a move reminiscent of
Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four, each school will have a linked network of cameras that will
be continuously monitored by security staff. The Government claim that monitoring and
tracking classroom activity across the country is a vital first step in raising standards.
Although it is not clear where the necessary funding would
come from, teachers’ unions have expressed an interest in the
new plans. This means that the cameras may be installed
and operational as early as next year. A spokesperson from
the National Teachers’ Union said the cameras would ‘prove
useful in tackling issues such as bullying where the victim is
often reluctant to come forward’.
The plans have received a mixed response from parents.
Some fear this move would violate their child’s right to
privacy and that taped evidence might be used against
them. Others have welcomed it as they feel ‘something needs
to be done… kids’ behaviour is out of control’.
CCTV poster in Brighton
The main Head Teachers’ Union (HTU) reacted positively, stating that this move would be
a welcome measure in classrooms and provide a ‘deterrent to poor behaviour and protect
both pupils and staff from the seemingly ever-growing threat of violent behaviour within
schools’. Security staff monitoring the cameras would react to events as they happened,
providing much needed support to teachers. Legal experts have said that, had it been
available, taped evidence would have brought a swift conclusion to the August court case
in which a Head Teacher was accused of assaulting a student; an allegation that was later
found to be false.
A consultation panel headed by the Minister for Education will meet later this week to
discuss the proposals before making a final decision about the future of the plans.
ARGUE
Typical words and phrases:
The most important aspect…
Sometimes …
On the other hand …
Firstly …
Secondly …
Thirdly …
However …
Nevertheless …
On balance …
Moreover …
Despite the view that …
Notwithstanding …
Research shows that …
The evidence clearly shows that …
Another factor to be considered is
…
Opponents declare … but …
Features:
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
formal language
balanced sentences
people’s opinions (real or
made up)
specific examples of
situations
range and variety of points
countering opposing points
of view
a neat conclusion
PERSUADE
Typical words and phrases:
Some people think ….
It would be useful to consider …
Do they really think that …
In my experience …
What would the consequences be
…
Common sense dictates that …
What would happen if …
All reasonable people think …
The best solution would be …
Do we really want to …
It is frightening to think that
We need to make sure that …
I have no doubt at all that …
Imagine what would happen if ….
I a sure you will agree that …
There an be only one conclusion …
Features:
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
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emotive language
apparent balance
mixture of first, second
and third person
some short sentences
identify with audience by
using ‘we’
perhaps some attempt to
shock reader into
agreement
varied choice of adverbs
and adjectives
some ‘literary’ devices such
as alliteration, groups of
three
ADVISE
Typical words and phrases:
You might be able to …
Think about …
Make sure that you ..
You should be careful to …
Don’t If you …. Then you could …
I understand that you feel …
Don’t worry if …
One solution might be to …
Another possibility would be to …
If you don’t then you could be
careful to …
In order to avoid …
I think you should
Be confident about …
If on the other hand, then …
Features:
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formal language
close relationship with
audience providing
reasons for a course of
action
empathy with the
audience’s problem
several suggestions about
what to do
use of modal verbs (e.g.
might, could should)
build the confidence of the
reader
address the reader directly
in the second person (you)
use imperatives (e.g. ‘you
should’, ‘make sure that
you’, ‘be careful to’)
raise questions and give
answers
perhaps sometimes use
bullet points for lists
lead to a clear conclusion
about action to be taken
Room 101 is a torture chamber in George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty Four which
contained the main character’s worst nightmare – in this case, rats. The BBC have
taken this concept and turned it into a TV show in which various celebrities talk
about the things they hate. Interestingly, the origin of Room 101 was at the BBC
anyway. Room 101 was the room of a senior BBC programme editor who often
rejected/edited Orwell’s work. Orwell took his literary revenge by making the
editor’s room to be an evil place.
Remember – anything/anyone sent to Room 101 can never escape, so careful
consideration is needed.
You are going to write a persuasive speech about why several items of your choice
should be banished to Room 101.
Next steps:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Think of three to five things that really annoy you and ought to be banished to
Room 101.
Devote some serious time to the planning stage, as you cannot change your mind
once the items have been put in.
No racial, sexual, prejudicial or insulting items can be considered for Room 101.
No students or teachers are allowed to be put into Room 101.
Have a quick discussion with your neighbour about what you are planning to
put into Room 101. Check your ideas are original and interesting – designating
homework to Room 101, for example, isn’t particularly interesting or thoughtprovoking.
Planning tips:


Concentrate on one item at a time and be thorough in terms of what you dislike
about it.
Make sure you use persuasive language, e.g. emotive language, rhetorical
questions, exclamations, forceful or memorable phrases, clusters of three, statistics
(made up, if necessary!), humour, alliteration, metaphor and simile.