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AS AQA B English Literature

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Does anybody know what chapter came up in section A for Gatsby in the January exam?

The only chapters which haven't been asked are 2,6 & 7, but AQA hasn't published the January 2012 exam yet so would like to try narrow it down some more!

hey, it was:
a) Write about some of the ways Fitzgerald tells the story in Chapter 2.
b) How do you respond to the view that it is very difficult for readers to feel anything other than contempt for Tom Buchanan?

hope that helps :smile:

Reply 41

Solera1847

Original post by charlotteboulton28

hi thanks for this :smile:

my school spent a lot of time teaching us Gatsby and very little doing the other three texts (kite runner, hardy, rossetti) so we were kind of forced into doing Gatsby for section A.

do you have any advice about a good way to calm nerves or anything before going into exams? i always seem to have a mini panic attack and forget key information and technique going into the exam :frown:

for section A do you have any good way to correctly meet the assessment objectives without straying away from answering the question? :smile:

Sorry that I can't help with nerves - though maybe I could help with your second question. Do you mean Aa or Ab? You do seem very knowledgeable on the A0s (saw this in one of your earlier posts) However, when I spoke to a senior examiner they said that 'the context was in the question' for Ab and warned against 'bolt on context' that wasn't relevant to the question. In other words, if you focus on the key words in the question you will be addressing context. Hope that makes sense.
For Ab, I think you need to spend at least 50% of your response addressing how the quotation/statement might be supported. Counterarguments could be en route or afterwards. I have seen high grade essays that spend most of the time supporting the quotation/statement but there is always a sense of alternative readings and a tentative style (could,perhaps, possibly) Try and avoid spending too much time straying into very different reading as i have seen examiners write 'loss of focus'. I know you could argue that this is supplying an alternative reading but I think they are trying to avoid students saying 'no, I don't really agree' and writing a prepared response on something else.

Reply 42

charlotteboulton28

nobody's posted on here in a while! - how's revision going bearing in mind the exam's in a week and 2 days? :/

Reply 43

Adrianna123

Original post by charlotteboulton28

nobody's posted on here in a while! - how's revision going bearing in mind the exam's in a week and 2 days? :/

Revising alot but still don't feel prepared for the exam :frown:

Wbu?

Reply 44

Tizbransby

im attempting this exam again for the third time on 16th may.

for the life of me i cannot seem to get above a D when im an A grade student!

section b is my issue! does anyone have any helpful advice on how to tackle a section b question - they are so broad and covering all three texts in the time limit seems near to impossible! :frown:

Reply 45

Yumnaarrhhh

Original post by Tizbransby

For section b, spend 20 mins on each text..write like 3 mini essays on each of the text..and at the end of each paragraph write a linking sentence that will help you answer the second text.

Section b is what i'm dreading :cry:

Reply 46

Ra Ra Ra

Who the **** thought up Section B?

Think it's this guy:

(Can't find model answers - or any answers - to Section B, anywhere. I will fail this exam purely on the basis of Section B. **** AQA trolls.)

Reply 47

Adrianna123

Possible Section B topics:
- Contrast
- Conflict
- Women
- Symbolism
- Loss
- Voice
- Dialogue

Just make mindmaps on topics like that, it obviously might not be one of them but it's helpful to try and think about which texts you'd choose and what content you'd include
Example question: Write about the significance of contrast in the three texts you've studied.
Spend 20mins per text, write an introduction to have an overview of the significance in the three texts, try to connect the texts if you can but do not compare. Just simply say things like 'Similarly in...' or 'This can also be seen in...'
Structure it into three sections for each text and there's no need for a conclusion unless you're refocusing what you said previously.

For Section A, odd numbered question remember to include lots about voice and structure!

Hope that helps :smile:

Reply 48

charlotteboulton28

Original post by Adrianna123

Revising alot but still don't feel prepared for the exam :frown:

Wbu?

erm well i'm hoping it'll be 3rd time lucky :frown:

got my paper back today and it seems i lost all my marks in section A on Gatsby so focussing on this right now....

very nervous as this is obviously my only chance to improve.
really NOT looking forward to it...

oh well! :tongue:

just keep going i guess!

my social life has been put on standstill!!

Reply 49

VBQ

I have no clue how to answer Aa question! Please help anyone?

Reply 50

Adrianna123

Original post by charlotteboulton28

erm well i'm hoping it'll be 3rd time lucky :frown:

just keep going i guess!

my social life has been put on standstill!!

Awwww 3rd time :frown:

Don't worry, you'll be fineee hopefully!
Yeah just work hard and you'll get the grade you want :smile:

Reply 51

Adrianna123

Original post by VBQ

I have no clue how to answer Aa question! Please help anyone?

Well the focus for Aa (now known as the odd numbered question) is narrative methods and the main ones are voice (tone, first person/third person narrator etc.) and structure (where things are placed and why, beginnings and endings of the poem/chapter etc.) so make sure you write about them. Also include other narrative methods such as figurative language etc and always make sure you state the methods. Also, include an introduction which gives a brief contextualisation of the poem/chapter and there's no need for a conclusion as the main body of the essay deals with the methods unless you want to include an evaluation of the most effective methods. Have a look at the markscheme for the Jan2012 paper or June11 and it'll help you with what you need to include.
Hope this helps :smile:

Reply 52

Bonganp01

Anyone know how to revise for Section A part B? We've literally done no revision on how to write on the overall texts in general and I'm struggling to stick to the question. I'm doing Gatsby for part A :frown:

Reply 53

LionKingLover94

Im really bricking myself over this - I'm doing Tennyson for my Section A, then Pride and Prejudice, Rossetti and Samll Island for Section B. I'm fine with the poetry, but the novels, particularly Small Island, I'm really worried about. We've done next to nothing on Small Island, and so would have no idea what to talk about, what quotes to use or where to find them. Any help? :frown:

Reply 54

Bonganp01

Original post by Adrianna123

This is great! but how do you know this? Have these questions not come up yet for Section B? :smile:

Reply 55

Adrianna123

Original post by Bonganp01

This is great! but how do you know this? Have these questions not come up yet for Section B? :smile:

Although I'm not doing Gatsby, here are some tips for the even numbered q (section a part b):
- Write an introduction to say what your main arguments are, it gives a focus for the essay
- Don't avoid/change the question they've asked and spend at least half the essay responding to the q they put forward
- Use topic sentences, they're important
- Write a conclusion to evaluate your arguments and actually answer the question

Not much but hope it helps...

Also, those possible section B topics...our teachers predicted them...they may or may not come up but it's worth it to revise them anyway :smile:

Reply 56

charlotteboulton28

Original post by Bonganp01

one thing to definitely do is learn as much context as possible :smile:

look at the specification on the AQA website and it'll be fairly helpful - well at least i did.

remember that it's an ARGUEMENT. so both sides are needed equally :smile:

Reply 57

charlotteboulton28

hi guys!
i found this really helpful personally and it explains the marks needed for each exam to get each grade.

http://web.aqa.org.uk/UMS/index.php

put in the year, spec and type and then click multiple grades and it'll show you the full breakdown :smile:

hope this helps and calms nerves :smile:

Reply 58

charlotteboulton28

Original post by VBQ

I have no clue how to answer Aa question! Please help anyone?

remember the exam is based on 3 parts.

(roughly)
- /7 for the use of language analysis
- /7 for structure
- /7 for form

this question is only marked on AO2

:smile:

Reply 59

charlotteboulton28

Original post by Bonganp01

This is great! but how do you know this? Have these questions not come up yet for Section B? :smile:

my teachers seem to think that this summer the question for section B will either be on Form or on some sort of moral message or destination of the texts

these haven't come up yet and seem the most likely...

if a question on Form appears, try to answer using this - you are automatically addressing AO2.
:smile: