English Literature Paper 1 Notes

English Literature Paper 1 Exam Prep

Overview

  • Exam Date: Monday, May 12th, 2025.
  • Paper Structure: 1 hour 45 minutes, two questions.
    • Question 1: Shakespeare play extract.
    • Question 2: 19th-century novel extract.
  • Suggested Time Allocation: 52.5 minutes per question.

Exam Procedure

1. Read the Question First
  • Understand the question before reading the extract to focus your analysis.
  • Questions are character or theme-based.
2. Read and Annotate the Extract
  • Actively annotate the extract with a pen in hand.
  • Circle/underline anything related to the character or theme.
  • Label what the writer wants you (or the character) to feel.
Vocabulary Specificity
  • Avoid vague language; use precise vocabulary.
  • Example: Instead of "angry," specify "furious" or "irritated."
Writer's Methods
  • Identify techniques such as similes, metaphors, and specific verb choices.
  • Consider how the text would have been received at the time (context).
3. Plan Your Essay
  • Identify two major ideas the extract conveys.
  • Connect these ideas into a developing argument.
    • Example: Macbeth is aggressive because he is terrified.
  • Choose two related ideas from the rest of the text.
    • Find moments where Macbeth is brave (contrast) or scared (similarity).
  • End Result: Four bullet points (two from the extract, two from the rest of the text).
  • Time Allocation: 5-10 minutes for reading, annotating, and planning.
4. Write Your Essay
Thesis Statement
  • First sentence should explain your four bullet points clearly and directly.
  • Avoid unnecessary filler or rambling.
5. Body Paragraphs
  • Allocate approximately 10 minutes per bullet point.
Passing the Exam: Four Key Elements
  1. Writer's Intention: Clearly state what the writer wants the audience to think or feel.
  2. Quotations: Use multiple quotations to support your points.
  3. Methods: Explain the writer's techniques (similes, metaphors, verbs).
  4. Context: Explain how the contemporary audience would have viewed the text.
Aiming for Top Marks: Four Key Elements

  1. Vocabulary: Use precise, sophisticated vocabulary for specific ideas.

  2. Quotations: Select the most precise quotations.

  3. Methods: Analyze varied and interesting techniques beyond simple labeling.

    • Discuss characterization.
    • Examine the structure and its effects.

  4. Context: Connect the context directly to the analysis of quotations.

    • Example: "When Macbeth says he is blanched with fear, this would make sense to a contemporary audience who had a faith and terror themselves in the supernatural."