4U Exam Review Outline
Sight Passage: Poetry
1. understand the TP-CASTT handout
2. understand the formal poetry explication process (refer to your handout
used for your poetry seminar (4 page document) NOTE: remember that the
formal explication is written like an essay, in paragraph form. It has been a
while since you’ve done this, so make sure you understand the handout…if
you are confused, please see me after school, or ask questions during
review week)
3. understand literary devices (refer to handout)
Essay Passage: Compare-Contrast
1. Review the structure of the compare-contrast essay
2. Review the possible themes (refer to your exam themes chart)
3. Review all your content questions and package handouts: you will need to
be able to give examples for the novel/play to support your essay’s
arguments/thesis statement.
Most Important:
1. Get at least 8 hours of sleep
2. Eat breakfast
Remember to Bring:
1. Blue ink pens (bring a bunch…you do not want to run out). You will not be
allowed to write in any other colour or in pencil.
2. Bring white-out…we will not be able to provide it for you.
3. Bring your own dictionary…we are not allowed to spell words for you (and
spelling counts). It will also help if you do not understand the words on the
test or in the story; we will not define words for you.
During the Exam:
1. Make sure you create an outline for the essay before you begin to write the
essay…if you do not have clear arguments and topic sentences, you will do
very poorly on your essay.
2. Write your thesis statement on a separate sheet of paper, and keep it in
front of you at all times, as you write your essay…do not write anything that
does not directly prove you thesis statement.
3. Before you read the short story, read the questions and make
notes/highlight on the story itself (annotate the short story as you go). Do
not stop reading mid-story to answer questions, as this may cause you to
miss the main point of the story.