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GCSE AQA English Literature Unit 1 Higher - May 22nd

Hi, I'm studying Purple Hibiscus and The Crucible, and to say I'm worried would be an understatement.
Has anyone got any good English Literature tips?! I really really really want/need an A. I'll be so upset if I don't.
How would I structure my answers etc.
Thanks in advance
Reply 1
Original post by ktommo
Hi, I'm studying Purple Hibiscus and The Crucible, and to say I'm worried would be an understatement.
Has anyone got any good English Literature tips?! I really really really want/need an A. I'll be so upset if I don't.
How would I structure my answers etc.
Thanks in advance


I'm doing Of Mice and Men and The Crucible. The Crucible will be the first question, and in this the question will either be based on a character or a theme. If it is a character you should pick out the main events of their character and evaluate them. For a theme, you should just pick out different events or relationships and evaluate them too.

In the Of Mice and Men question (or purple hibiscus in your case) , there is equal weighting on Part a and b, so don't spend too much time on one or the other. In a you should refer to the passage and try to find as any language ans structural devices as you can in about 5 m, and then just write them out in detail. Then in b, you always have to write bout the relationship of the character (or setting etc) with rest of the novel, and the way this sais about society.

Good luck in your exam :smile:
Reply 2
Hi, I'm studying Purple Hibiscus and The Crucible too. For the purple H section, spend about 15 minutes on question a, and use 6 quotes. Short quotes. You want to get them in as short as one worded quotes, spread out everywhere. Also, spend about 30 minutes on question b. treat this as a real essay, with a short intro and ending. You have limited time, therefore you must aim to get as many points down as possible. DONT WAFFLE ON. get down as many detailed points as possible. and remember how everthing in Purpole Hibscus SYMBOLISES something.

Remember themes, characters, language, structure. You'll be fine for the exam tomorrow (even through I'm stressing out to the max) I'm aiming for that A too.

OH and make sure when you read the Purple Hibscus extract, you ACTIVELY READ it. As in, make sure your highlighting key points as you go through the passage. You want to aim to only read it once as your time is short.

Thats about it really, just do a few past exam questions for both books.. oh and can you please give me some of your notes? :smile:

GOOD LUCK ON YOUR EXAM. hope this helped x:smile::smile:
Reply 3
hi im studying of mice and men and tomorrow i have my exam too but mine is on of mice and men and poetry but the thing is i am really rubish at annotating poems and that is the one thing you have to do also the answer of the poem i can never understand what the poem is about can anyone help me please i would very much appreciate it :smile:
Reply 4
Hi, I'm studying Purple Hibiscus and The Crucible too. For the purple H section, spend about 15 minutes on question a, and use 6 quotes. Short quotes. You want to get them in as short as one worded quotes, spread out everywhere. Also, spend about 30 minutes on question b. treat this as a real essay, with a short intro and ending. You have limited time, therefore you must aim to get as many points down as possible. DONT WAFFLE ON. get down as many detailed points as possible. and remember how everthing in Purpole Hibscus SYMBOLISES something.

Remember themes, characters, language, structure. You'll be fine for the exam tomorrow (even through I'm stressing out to the max) I'm aiming for that A too.

OH and make sure when you read the Purple Hibscus extract, you ACTIVELY READ it. As in, make sure your highlighting key points as you go through the passage. You want to aim to only read it once as your time is short.

Thats about it really, just do a few past exam questions for both books.. oh and can you please give me some of your notes? :smile:

GOOD LUCK ON YOUR EXAM. hope this helped x:smile::smile:
Reply 5
Which poems do you need help on? Are you doing Moon On the Tides anthology?
Reply 6
i dont know what poems we are getting in the exam we dont get told and i havent a clue about any poems i am absoloutley freeking out :frown:
Reply 7
You get poems for your exam?! Which board?
Reply 8
eurgh so not looking forward to poetry!!! Ahhhhhhhh, but at least we have a couple of days!
Thanks so much for your help, I hope you get your A too! :smile:
Reply 9
Original post by Sukura
You get poems for your exam?! Which board?


aqa is our exam board
Reply 10
Original post by ktommo
eurgh so not looking forward to poetry!!! Ahhhhhhhh, but at least we have a couple of days!
Thanks so much for your help, I hope you get your A too! :smile:


ano yeah i am not looking forward to it either but hopefully it will be easyer than it sounds but my exam is two hours long and i am one of them people i cant keep quiet for that long haha but no i am terrified for my exam tomorrow :smile:
Reply 11
best thing for everyone to do is type into google how to do whatever it is you are struggleing to do and it will give you loads of searches i know have 3 pages of notes which have really helped me it is worth a go if u are really scared about the exams but i am sure youse will all do fine.
Reply 12
For section A i am doing the Crucible. Is that a question about AO1 and AO2. And is section B To Kill a MOckingBird is forst question AO1 and AO2 and part b To Kill a MOckingBird AO4 (context)
Does anybody know what percentage part b of the section B is worth?
Reply 14
part a and b on section b are worth 30 marks and is 50%. They are not specifically mentioned as to each mark so you can get 13 in one and 17 in the other and get full marks :smile:
Reply 15
Original post by Sukura
You get poems for your exam?! Which board?


For aqa you can either do an exam on poems and controlled assessment on shakespeare+lit heritage (we did silas marner) or an exam on the two texts and controlled assessment on poems.

I'm doing purple hibiscus and crucible too. Everyone seems to think that the crucible question will be on elizabeth as she hasnt come up yet. I also heard someone say they thought PH part b could be on education (eg kids education, Ifeoma and Papa's education, football playing kids' lack of education, even Kambili's cultural education (eg mmuo))although there is loads PH could be on.
Good luck to everyone!:smile:
(edited 11 years ago)
Hi I'm doing An Inspector Calls and Of Mice and Men, would anyone be nice enough to look over my essay please -

http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2008228

Aside from that, I am resitting this exam.

First off I got an A, I am resitting for the A*. My advice is just don't panic, it is the worst thing to do, when you are in the exam hall just forget that you are there and put on your thinking head. You'll be fine, don't look up from your paper x
Reply 17
To Kill A Mockingbird Historical Context:

http://library.thinkquest.org/12111/SG/SG5.html
Original post by exams....
part a and b on section b are worth 30 marks and is 50%. They are not specifically mentioned as to each mark so you can get 13 in one and 17 in the other and get full marks :smile:


thanks :smile:
Original post by WorriedAboutSchool
Hi I'm doing An Inspector Calls and Of Mice and Men, would anyone be nice enough to look over my essay please -

http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2008228

Aside from that, I am resitting this exam.

First off I got an A, I am resitting for the A*. My advice is just don't panic, it is the worst thing to do, when you are in the exam hall just forget that you are there and put on your thinking head. You'll be fine, don't look up from your paper x


I'm worried about not finding quotes in the exam or taking to long what should I do help please !?

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