how to revise for your gcse english...
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HOW TO REVISE FOR YOUR GCSEENGLISH LITERATURE EXAM
Your English Literature GCSE exam will be testing the skills and knowledge you have learnt across KS3 and KS4.
You will sit separate exams.
You cannot take any texts you have been studying into your exams.
The examiner will be assessing your ability to show your understanding of the plays, poems and novel you have
studied at KS4. As a result, you will need to:
• learn key quotations from each text
• have an understanding of contextual ideas which may have influenced each writer
• understand key themes and concepts
• understand how to analyse language
DID YOU KNOW
By the end of Year
10, you will have
approximately spent
550 hours of lesson
time in English?
GCSE Overview
DO NOT
waste valuable
lesson time by
not revising at
home
Common Beliefs about Revising for English
“You don’t need to
read the book. Just
watch the film
because it will be
exactly like it.”
“Just focus on one of
your English exams so
it is less information to
remember. I don’t need
two English GCSEs.”
“I won’t need English
when I leave school
so what’s the point in
passing it? I hate
reading and writing.”
“You can’t
revise for
English.”
“Learn one
poem and just
write about it.”
“Leave your revision
to the day before
and then stay up all
night so it is all fresh
in your mind.”
Do you think people who have these beliefs are likely to pass their English GCSE exams?
Why does passing my English GCSEs matter?
FACTColleges will look at
your English grades. If
you do not pass, you
will have to resit in
college.
FACTWhen applying for a
job, employers look at
GCSE grades. They will
expect to see this on
your CV.
FACTReading and writing are
skills for life. You need
them to function
socially and
professionally.
FACTIf you apply for
university in the future,
you must pass English.
FACTPassing English makes
you more employable.
FACTTo join the Armed
Forces, you need to
pass English.
FACTReading and writing is
required in every job.
FACTThe better you do in
your GCSEs, you
likelier you are to have
a job in the future you
enjoy.
Research
Memory is an important part of learning.
It is possible to improve your memory
but hard work is involved. Developing
memory techniques is vital especially
when you are revising for English and you have
so much to remember!
DID YOU KNOW
80% of what you learnt today you will
forget by tomorrow?
Just think, how much do you really remember
from your English lessons – all 550 of them!
In order to remember more, the more you
need to review work you have already
studied. For instance, if you are studying Romeo
and Juliet in class, revise another text at home.
WHY?
The more you improve your memory, the
more knowledge you will recall, the more
confident you will feel in your exams.
Quantity or
Quality – which
is more effective?
Research suggests that
students who revise
more frequently but
for a shorter
amount of time are
more likely to
remember what
they have learnt. For
instance, revising for 1
hour daily over 10 days
is more effective than
revising for 10 hours in
one day.
The Science of Revision:FACT:
Breakfast is the most
important meal of the day.
However, 27% of boys and
39% of girls skip it.
Research has found that
skipping this meal
significantly reduces
students’ attention.
What is the impact of this?
How many hours
have you wasted
being distracted?
FACT:
If you keep your phone on
you whilst revising, you will
become distracted.
What is the impact of this?
Research has found that
the mere sight of a
phone was enough to
reduce a person’s ability
to focus.
Could you make
small changes to your
daily life to help
improve your grades?
FACT:
Having enough sleep is
vitally important in order
to improve students’
attention.
What is the impact of this?
Research has found that
the less you sleep, the
more likely you are to
become distracted and
lose focus.
Could you go to bed
earlier to make sure
you are sleeping
enough?
How to Revise English Literature
Re-read the set
texts you are
studying.
Understand key
contextual ideas
which may have
influenced the writers
you are studying.
Complete cue cards
and Venn diagrams
on poems you
would compare.
Go on revision
websites and search
for the texts you are
studying. Familiarise
yourself with anything
you are unsure of.
Learn poetry
terms.
Learn key
quotations for
each text you are
studying.
Flash cards: learn how
to spell key terms and
the definitions of
them.
Practise
completing exam
style questions.
Watch Mr Bruff
videos on
YouTube.
Practise analysing
unseen poems.
Revise key themes
and characters in
each set text.
Complete the
packs your English
teacher sets you.
KEY DATES • September – November: Paper 2 skills: An Inspector Calls and poetry
• Monday 27th November: Paper 2 mock exam
• December – March: Paper 1 skills: A Christmas Carol and Romeo and Juliet
• Wednesday 24th January: 5.45-7pm A Night at the Theatre
• Wednesday 21st February 5.45-7.15pm: Walk and Talk Mock
• Week commencing 12th March: Paper 1 mock exam
• Week commencing 30th April: Full mock – papers 1 and 2
• Wednesday 9th May: Year 10 Parents’ Evening and reports issued
• Week commencing 21st May: Provisional dates for GCSE Literature
examinations
REVISION PACKS1 AIC Mr Bruff videos on YouTube-watch the videos and make notes on ‘The Capitalists’ (Gerald
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGgfD9OoO7E , Mr Birling
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6u2-v5aS-Q and Mrs Birling
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6oKBwkrUXo )
2 War Photographer-annotate the poem from memory and complete the matching tasks
Carry out context research for the poem/poet. Aim for 3 points.
3 AIC Context sheet 1912-complete the research task
4 Exposure-annotate the poem from memory and complete the matching tasks
Carry out context research for the poem/poet. Aim for 3 points.
5 AIC Morality sheet-plan out an essay response
Have you included reference to context?
6 Bayonet Charge-annotate the poem from memory and complete the matching tasks
Carry out context research for the poem/poet. Aim for 3 points.
7 AIC Mr Bruff videos on YouTube-watch the videos and make notes on ‘The Socialists’ (Shelia
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OmFUH7kBlU , The Inspector
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kzh9iH763I and Eric
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRi5H-JU5Dw )
8 Ozymandias-annotate the poem from memory and complete the matching tasks
Carry out context research for the poem/poet. Aim for 3 points.
9 AIC Love sheet-plan out an essay response
Have you included reference to context?
10 London-annotate the poem from memory and complete the matching tasks
Carry out context research for the poem/poet. Aim for 3 points.
HOMEWORK Practise analysing
unseen poems.
Date set: Date due: Task
Week commencing:
6th October
Week commencing:
30th October
An Inspector Calls revision
booklet
Week commencing:
6th November
Week commencing:
13th November
Unseen poetry practice -
disasters
• In the exam, there will be a choice of two questions for An
Inspector Calls.
• Students answer a question on either a character or a
theme in the play.
• Students need to create cue cards for the main characters
and the themes within the play.
How can you support your child with planning a response to an exam question on An Inspector Calls?
5 minutes planning
40 minutes writing
Use your revision guide and Mr Bruff videos to help you create your cue cards.
Mrs. Birling
Top 4 quotations:
Aim to have a quote from
each act and how Priestley
introduces the character at
the start through his use of
stage directions.
Analysis of key quotations:
Analyse your chosen quotations. Explain what they reveal about the
character and explain the language/dramatic techniques the writer has
used.
Priestley’s message:
What does the character
represent?
Why is he/she there?
What role does he/she play?
How does Priestley convey
this message effectively?
Significant moments:
What would be the most
significant moments in the
play to discuss in an essay
about this character?
Why?
Links to context:
Why was this character so important
given the context of the play?
How do issues surrounding this
character link to the context of 1912
& 1945?
Mrs. Birling
Top 4 quotations
1. “A rather cold
woman and her
husband’s social
superior.”
2. “A girl of that sort.”
Analysis of key quotations
1. First impression gained through the use of stage
directions. We are immediately made aware of her
“cold” nature and inability to show sympathy for others.
2. Mrs Birling’s language is quite abrupt and
dismissive. She clearly has preconceptions about
working class girls suggesting that they lack morals.
Priestley’s message:
She represents the
social snobbery and
hypocrisy of the upper
classes and shows no
remorse in her cruel
treatment of Eva Smith.
Significant moments:
Tries unsuccessfully to
intimidate and force the
Inspector to leave.
Saw it as her duty to
refuse to help Eva.
Like her husband,
refuses to admit she did
anything wrong.
Links to context:
Priestley uses Mrs Birling to
epitomise all that is wrong with
society at the time.
Through her character, he
highlights his concerns
surrounding the social inequalities
in Britain.
CHARACTERS
• Mr Birling
• Sheila
• Eric
• The Inspector
• Gerald
• Eva Smith
THEMES
• Responsibility
• Social class
• Youth and Age
• Role of women
• The need for change
Your child needs to make cue cards for the following characters and themes:
REVISING THE POETRY ANTHOLOGY
• English Literature Paper 2 Section B
• Compare one named poem from the anthology with a
poem of your choice.
• Students will have a copy of the named poem in the exam.
5 minutes planning
40 minutes writing
