Language Paper 2 - English

How long the reading and annotating time should be.

15 minutes.

What should be done in the first 15 minutes of the exam

• Read the questions to find out what you’re looking for, highlight any key words.

• Skim read the sources to get a rough idea of any ideas.

• Read the sources closely which can include introductory information; it may include information about the genre, form, target audience and purpose.

• Highlight any different features that will help you answer the questions. 

• Annotate the sources with brief notes that relate to the questions.

Tropes of 19th century writing

• Polysyllabic vocabulary

• Formal tone

• Verbose (Wordy and sophisticated)

• Vocab of Latin origin

• Superlatives (Can be used for modesty and flattery)

Cultural differences of the 19th century compared to today.

• Different customs.

• Different social values (Women, social class, age, education, religion).

Tips before the exam when it comes to reading 19th century texts

• Read a wide range of texts

• Make the language familiar to you

• Take your time to understand the texts. This can also be done in the exam itself before moving on.

• Consider the audience and context in which the writer lived.