GCSE English Language and Literature Revision Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms, exam structures, drama techniques, literary concepts, and knowledge organiser details from the GCSE English Language and Literature revision guide.

Unit 4 Written Exam

A 1 hour and 30 minute exam worth 30% of the Single Award and 20% of the Double Award, split into Section A (extract and essay on motivations) and Section B (creative writing).

Unit 4 Section A

The first part of the Unit 4 exam comprising short questions on a text extract followed by a choice of two essay questions focusing on character or author motivations.

Unit 4 Section B

A creative writing task in Unit 4 requiring a single story or description of around 350 to 500 words marked on quality, vocabulary, sentence types, and SPaG.

Allegory

A narrative technique where characters and events symbolize broader historical or moral meaning, such as Orwell's 'Animal Farm' (1945) acting as an allegory for Russian events between 1917 and 1943.

Stage Directions

Instructions provided by a playwright (usually in italics or brackets) that explain set design, character actions, props, sound effects, or line delivery.

Dialogue

A dramatic speech form where two or more characters converse, illustrating their interactions and relationships.

Monologue

A long speech given by a single character on stage while other characters listen.

Soliloquy

A dramatic speech delivered by a character alone on stage, revealing their inner thoughts directly to the audience without other characters hearing.

Aside

A short comment spoken by a character directly to the audience that is unheard by other characters on stage.

Stagecraft

A playwright's skill at writing for the stage using elements like silences, sound effects, and physical actions to impact the audience.

Unit 5: Continuity and Change

An assessment unit worth 20% of the Double Award consisting of a Shakespeare essay (Task A) and a paired poetry discussion (Task B).

Task A (Unit 5)

A Shakespeare essay task requiring up to 3 hours of research/planning and 3 hours to write a 1000 to 1500-word essay focused on continuity and change.

Task B (Unit 5)

A 5 to 8 minute recorded paired discussion comparing a board-provided 1600-1900 poem with up to two other poems across set themes like identity or conflict.

Tragedy

A drama genre focused on serious topics like love, death, and war, detailing the sad or terrible downfall of a main character.

Comedy

A dramatic genre intended to make the audience laugh through exaggerated characters and silly events while often delivering a moral message.

History

A drama genre based on real people and events from English history, focusing on kings, their personalities, and their reigns.

Blank Verse

Unrhymed iambic pentameter used for grander speech in Shakespearean plays, typically consisting of 10 syllables per line with alternating unstressed and stressed beats.

Unit 6: Connections

A 1 hour 30 minute exam worth 25% of the Double Award testing non-fiction analysis, text comparison, and non-fiction creative writing across five themes.

Unit 6 Section B

A creative non-fiction writing task asking candidates to write 300-400 words (such as an article, review, or speech) adapted for audience and purpose.

Dramatic Irony

A technique where the audience knows information unknown to characters, such as Arthur Birling in 'An Inspector Calls' declaring in 1912 that there isn't a chance of war.

Morality Play

A theatrical form, exemplified by 'An Inspector Calls', in which characters' sins are exposed to convey moral lessons about social responsibility.

Iambic Pentameter

A line of verse consisting of five metrical feet, where each foot contains one unstressed syllable followed by one stressed syllable.