E U N O I A J U N I O R C O L L E G E

LITERATURE IN ENGLISH ANNOTATION OF TEXTS A V I S U A L G U I D E

T H E B O O K O F C A M B R I D G E

Set texts may be taken into the examination room. They may bear underlining or highlighting. 

Any kind of folding or flagging of pages in text (e.g. use of post-its, tape flags or paper clips) is not permitted. The above text, sans bolding and underlining, appears on the cover page of every A-Level Literature in English question paper.

E L A B O R A T I O N O N S E T T E X T S

No photocopied texts are allowed. Only original texts may be brought into the examination venue.

No restrictions on editions. Seek tutors’ advice if purchasing editions other than those used by the college — see page 5.

No restrictions on extra copies. You are advised to bring a single well-annotated copy of your five texts.

Ensure that you bring the exam copy into the venue and not your study copy.

C H E C K I N G O F S E T T E X T S

Invigilators at the A-level Examination will check your texts before the paper commences. For internal examinations, invigilators may check your texts in the first fifteen minutes.

Unauthorised texts will be confiscated and returned to you at the end of the examination. Please do a thorough check before the start of the paper and alert the invigilators if you detect any issues with your text. At this stage, removal of items (e.g. post-its) and markings may be allowed.

You can choose to continue using unauthorised texts. However, an irregularity report will be filed by the chief examiner and sent to Cambridge. We do not recommend this option.

R E C O M M E N D E D E D I T I O N S O F S E T T E X T S

Measure for Measure William Shakespeare

Heinemann, Penguin, New Cambridge Shakespeare

Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus Mary Shelley Penguin, Oxford World Classics

Woman in Mind Alan Ayckbourn

Samuel French, Faber and Faber (Out of Print)

Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf Edward Albee

New American Library / Signet Classics, Vintage

Ariel Sylvia Plath Faber and Faber, Harper Perennial

WHAT YOU SHOULD DO

H I G H L I G H T I N G Y O U R S E T T E X T S

Highlight your text using a colour code based on concerns or characters. For example, use blue to denote inflexible justice and orange to represent mercy. This is entirely up to you.

Highlighting in multiple colours is allowed. One line may be relevant to two or more concerns for instance.

Avoid the margins, headers and edges (e.g. Act 2 Scene 1) as this may be interpreted as flagging.

U N D E R L I N I N G Y O U R S E T T E X T S

Underline in pen, pencil or highlighter. Double or triple lines are acceptable.

Underline key words and punctuation for close analysis or reading. You may underline text that is already highlighted.

U S I N G S T R A I G H T L I N E S

Draw horizontal or vertical lines next to a body of text in pen, pencil or highlighter. Keep your lines straight and use a ruler if necessary.

Avoid the margins, headers and edges as this may be interpreted as flagging.

A S A M P L E C O L O U R C O D E F O R J C 1 S E T T E X T S

Measure for Measure

LAW AND JUSTICE

MORALITY AND VIRTUE

CHASTITY, SEXUALITY, VICE

DISGUISE AND PRETENCE

MORTALITY, LIFE, DEATH

NOTE: I HAVE TYPICALLY ORGANISED THE CONCERNS FOR MEASURE FOR MEASURE IN DIALECTICAL / OPPOSING PAIRS. FOR EASY DIFFERENTIATION, I HAVE SEPARATED THE PAIRS AND HIGHLIGHTED THEM IN DIFFERENT COLOURS (E.G. JUSTICE VS MERCY).

Woman in Mind + Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

ILLUSION AND FANTASY

TRUTH AND REALITY

LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION

SOCIAL ROLES AND FAMILY

MENTAL INSTABILITY

NOTE: AS MOST STUDENTS ARE LIKELY TO COMPARE THE TWO PLAYS IN PAPER 3, I HAVE CHOSEN TO COLOUR CODE THE TWO TEXTS SIMILARLY. YOU WILL FIND THAT THEIR CONCERNS ARE RATHER SIMILAR, EVEN IF WAVW IS MORE MORBID IN TONE.

Students often ask how to colour code their text. We recommend you decide on concerns and characters you want to highlight and select the colours most intuitive to you. The above is a guide to get you started and is not meant to be exhaustive.

WHAT YOU MUST NOT DO

A N N O T A T I N G Y O U R S E T T E X T S

Do not write any text or illegal markings such as dots and arrows (see next page) whether in pen, pencil or marker.

Do not apply correction fluid or tape to your book. Purchase a new exam copy if you have written in your existing text.

Do not highlight or underline page headers or page numbers as this may be interpreted as flagging.

Do not draw lines or highlight near the margins or edges of the page as these may be interpreted as flagging.

ngelo - Isabella / Int.

conflict

Juliett

✓

( )

-

Mr

ngelo - Isabella / Int.

conflict

Juliett

✓

( )

-

Mr

ngelo - Isabella / Int.

conflict

Juliett

✓

( )

-

Mr

ngelo - Isabella / Int.

conflict

Juliett

✓

( )

-

Mr

ngelo - Isabella / Int.

conflict

Juliett

✓

( )

-

Mr

A N N O T A T I N G Y O U R S E T T E X T S

No brackets are allowed Underline or highlight your text

No frame lines are allowed Draw a vertical line at the side

No boxes or circles are allowed Underline or highlight your text

No jagged or squiggly lines are allowed Draw straight horizontal lines instead

No tape-flags No bookmarks

No legends(No writing in your text)

U S I N G Y O U R S E T T E X T S

No post-it notes (No stickers)

No folding of pages

No paper clips

No highlighting of page edges (Obvious flagging)

U S I N G Y O U R S E T T E X T S

Avoid accidental smudges and stains

SO NOW WHAT?

F R E Q U E N T L Y D I S P E N S E D A D V I C E

You may prefer to fully annotate or colour code your texts when you have a more confident grasp of content — typically in JC2 Semester 2. If so, we suggest you highlight key parts of the text in YELLOW and underline key words in pencil for now. Highlight and underline over these markings in future.

Annotating your text is itself a revision strategy, best placed at the start (discover what you need to know) or end (consolidate what you have learned) of your revision cycle.

You may borrow useable exam copies from the library if you forget to bring it on the day of the examination.