Revising for English

Language

1

GCSE English Language:

Exam Dates

• Tuesday 6th June (am) – English Language Paper 1

(Explorations in Creative Reading and Writing)

• Monday 12th June (am) – English Language Paper 2

(Writers’ Viewpoints and Perspectives)

General Revision Tips

• Create a revision timetable

• Plan in times for breaks

• Don’t try to do too much all at once – little and often is

best

• Reduce notes and tips in books into shorter note form

• Create a mindmap or set of index cards with timings, key

skills and top tips for every question

Paper 1 Question 1

• Pick up a novel and choose a paragraph in the first

chapter

• List 4 things that you learn from that paragraph

• Do this over and over with different texts

PARENTS: you can help by

ensuring that there are novels

available at home for students

to read. Encourage them to visit

the school library!

Paper 1 Question 2

• Create flashcards of language terminology

• On one side, write the name of the device

• On the other, write an example and/or definition

PARENTS: you can help by

testing students on these terms.

How many can they remember

without looking at the back of

the card?

Paper 1 Question 3

• Read the opening page of a novel

• Identify:

a) What the writer focuses your attention on at the beginning

b) How this focus changes

c) Any structural features that are interesting – e.g. the end

links back to the beginning, a focus is repeated, there is a

journey

PARENTS: you can help by reading

the same text and discussing the

structure: think about what the writer

is focusing your attention on and why

Paper 1 Question 4

• Use the English Department Revision site (password:

English) to complete a practice question

• Spend 15 minutes reading the text

• Spend 20 minutes writing your answer

PARENTS: you can help by

reading the same text and

discussing the statement. Do

you agree with what has been

said about the text?

Paper 1 Question 5

• Find an interesting image online (try ‘Ten Best

Photographs of the Day’ on the Guardian website)

• Print the picture and circle 5 different things to focus on

(e.g. in this picture: the buildings, the bridge, the snow on

the ground, the man in the foreground, the frozen cars)

• Write a description of the scene, giving each paragraph a

different focus

PARENTS: you can help by reading

their response and sharing with them

the words and phrases you like best.

Paper 2 Question 1

• Pick an interesting newspaper article (don’t forget you

can access them online)

• Write your own True or False question – 4 true and 4

false statements

• Set it out like the real exam so they have to shade the

‘True’ boxes

PARENTS: you can help by

answering their questions and

letting them mark you out of 4!

Paper 2 Question 2

• Practise retrieving information from a pre-1900 text

• Use dickensletters.com

• Choose a letter written by Charles Dickens

• Rewrite it in modern English to show your understanding

PARENTS: you can help by

browsing this website too and

reading the letters together

Paper 2 Question 3

• Pick up a newspaper article

• Annotate all the language devices in the article

• You could use your Paper 1 Question 2 flashcards to

help

PARENTS: you can help by

printing or tearing out an

interesting news article every

week

Paper 2 Question 4

• Practise identifying a writer’s thoughts, feelings and

attitudes in a text

• Read an autobiography and keep a log of all the

thoughts, feelings and attitudes the writer shows

• You could focus specifically on one key event in their life

PARENTS: you can help by

reading the same autobiography

and discussing the writer’s

thoughts and emotions

Paper 2 Question 5

• Choose a topic that interests you

• It could be the topic you spoke about in class for your

speaking and listening

• Write an article for a broadsheet newspaper where you

explain and argue your views on the topic

• Remember to use a headline, strapline and a voice

appropriate for an adult audience

PARENTS: you can help by

planning ideas together before

they start writing

English exam tips in a nutshell

Read the texts thoroughly

Read every word on the exam

paper

Don’t slip up on SPAG

Perfect your timing: answer

all the questions