[d123]

(Original post by Harriet123)
My head of english recieved an email from the exam board about it... I'm not sure its been officially written (i.e. in public) but I'm certain that it's true. Also the specification does make it clear the genre of question 1 will change with each exam series. As the jan 10 paper was poetry, the june paper must be prose or drama.

But either way, it doesn't really make that much difference; we still need to know poetry for question 2.

Hope this helps

Ok thanks

[beautifulbubble]

(Original post by Harriet123)
Also the specification does make it clear the genre of question 1 will change with each exam series. As the jan 10 paper was poetry, the june paper must be prose or drama.

Is the June exam a different series to January then? or are they considered the same series because they are in the same year?

I've tried asking my English teacher about this but she said that it is impossible to speculate what the genre will be despite the fact that it is supposed to change.

[Harriet123]

(Original post by beautifulbubble)
Is the June exam a different series to January then? or are they considered the same series because they are in the same year?

I've tried asking my English teacher about this but she said that it is impossible to speculate what the genre will be despite the fact that it is supposed to change.

Yes, the January exam is considered to be a different series to the June exam. My English teacher wasn't sure either, so she e-mailed the board, and the response she recieved confirmed that question 1 will definitely be poetry or prose. I'm just taking her word for it, because there doesn't seem to be anything written about it on the AQA website. But i'm pretty sure she wouldn't have told us if she wasn't certain.

[beautifulbubble]

(Original post by Harriet123)
Yes, the January exam is considered to be a different series to the June exam. My English teacher wasn't sure either, so she e-mailed the board, and the response she recieved confirmed that question 1 will definitely be poetry or prose. I'm just taking her word for it, because there doesn't seem to be anything written about it on the AQA website. But i'm pretty sure she wouldn't have told us if she wasn't certain.

Ok thanks, its so confusing! haha

[eatcakee]

Fingers crossed its prose...
Does anyone have anything on 'The Importance of Being Earnest' by Oscar Wilde?
Or notes on any other good dramas to use - I've been reading and heard good stuff about 'A Streetcar Named Desire?' Thanks sooo much if you do! It's just both of my English teachers have been away due to illness, one for months and is not returning so yanno... I'm so bricking it!!

[A.J.A.]

Confused Now..

How much wider reading should we refer to in each question?

I was only told that we should use 5 for the 2nd question, 1 to match the form used in the first question, and 2 from each other genre. But reading this thread I'm thinking my teacher is wrong

[gigglesgalore]

(Original post by A.J.A.)
Confused Now..

How much wider reading should we refer to in each question?

I was only told that we should use 5 for the 2nd question, 1 to match the form used in the first question, and 2 from each other genre. But reading this thread I'm thinking my teacher is wrong

I don't think you'd have time to include 5 wider reading texts, for qu.2, it's more important to analyse the given extracts, and to weave in quality wider reading knowledge. Probably better to cover fewer w.r extracts, than to spread loads thinly.

[billet-doux]

(Original post by A.J.A.)
Confused Now..

How much wider reading should we refer to in each question?

I was only told that we should use 5 for the 2nd question, 1 to match the form used in the first question, and 2 from each other genre. But reading this thread I'm thinking my teacher is wrong

In Q1, only refer to wider reading texts of the same genre. So if it's prose, only refer to prose. Even if you make 3 links overall in the whole paper (1 from each genre), you can still get an A.

[d123]

(Original post by A.J.A.)
Confused Now..

How much wider reading should we refer to in each question?

I was only told that we should use 5 for the 2nd question, 1 to match the form used in the first question, and 2 from each other genre. But reading this thread I'm thinking my teacher is wrong

I don't think there's a specific amount - the advice from the exam board says 70% extracts and only 30% wider reading. So long as you use enough detail and refer to at least one text from each genre that's fine, it's quality not quantity. 5 would be a good number to use I think, as long as you use them well.

[A.J.A.]

(Original post by gigglesgalore)
I don't think you'd have time to include 5 wider reading texts, for qu.2, it's more important to analyse the given extracts, and to weave in quality wider reading knowledge. Probably better to cover fewer w.r extracts, than to spread loads thinly.

Cool, thanks!

Has anyone written a mock at A grade quality? if so could you perhaps post or PM it please? I simply want to see where you have included wider reading when analysing structure/form/language.

[Narna396]

(Original post by alecangeltess)
I am shortly typing up some quesiton plans (as generic as poss) so I will send them to anyone who wants them, and will appreciate feedback please! thanks.

that would be brilliant!

[Narna396]

(Original post by pricel18)
Does anyone have a copy of an example essay for the exam given by aqa? If you do it would be much appreciated thanks
I hope it's drama. There's a lot more to comment on!

I find the drama texts harder to comment on. What sort of route do you go down? Like with poetry you can look at all the devices but what else can you look at apart from the amount of speech of each character and stage directions? Would you say to focus on the language and imagery used? Sorry to bother you, I just saw that you were really enthusiastic about the drama and thought you might be able to help thanks

[alecangeltess]

(Original post by Narna396)
I find the drama texts harder to comment on. What sort of route do you go down? Like with poetry you can look at all the devices but what else can you look at apart from the amount of speech of each character and stage directions? Would you say to focus on the language and imagery used? Sorry to bother you, I just saw that you were really enthusiastic about the drama and thought you might be able to help thanks

Bear in mind how character-driven drama is!
Look at the audience involvement - do they know something the characters don't (dram irony). Are the audience recognised by the characters/actors?
Set - if there are stage directions how does imagery work there - metaphorical, literal or both?
etc

[A.J.A.]

How many poems is everyone revising? and are you focusing on certain themes?

I'm not sure if I've got enough :\

EDIT -

Would these poems come under Romantic Love, seeing as there more about getting someone in bed then love?

The Flea – John Donne
The Passionate Shepherd To His Love – Christopher Marlowe
To His Coy Mistress – Andrew Marvell

[beautifulbubble]

Sorry if this is a silly question but when making links with wider reading in the exam are we meant to only link thematically (this mainly applies to question 1) or to similar use of form/structure/language in love through the ages?

[d123]

(Original post by A.J.A.)
How many poems is everyone revising? and are you focusing on certain themes?

I'm not sure if I've got enough :\

EDIT -

Would these poems come under Romantic Love, seeing as there more about getting someone in bed then love?

The Flea – John Donne
The Passionate Shepherd To His Love – Christopher Marlowe
To His Coy Mistress – Andrew Marvell

They're more sexual love rather than romantic really, I think, especially the Marvell.

Also, I've got 13 poems, including Shakespeare sonnets, a couple of Barrett Browning, some Hardy, an Auden, a Donne and a Marvell, I think.

[billet-doux]

Does anyone know of any poems about family love/love between a brother and sister? I've got one by Owen Sheers but that's about it really.

[claudia92]

(Original post by billet-doux)
Does anyone know of any poems about family love/love between a brother and sister? I've got one by Owen Sheers but that's about it really.

I dont know if this helps, but if one of the themes is brother and sister love, then surely you could just link it to family love in general?

For that, you could have Human Affection by Stevie Smith which is about child/mother love. Just a suggestion

[A.J.A.]

Young love

Sonnet 18 – William Shakespeare (Renaissance)
First Love – Carol Anne Duffy (Post Modern)
A Romantic Letter (Don John) – Lord Byron
Loss and grief

From Twelve Songs – Auden (Modern)
Birthday Letters – Ted Hughes (Modern)
On My First Sonne – Ben Jonson (Renaissance)
A Sonata for Four Hands – Mary Jo Bang (Modern)

Marriage

The Franklin’s Tale – Chaucer (Middle English)
A Dedication to My Wife – T.S. Eliot (Modern)

Adultery/Forbidden love/ illicit love
A Romantic Letter (Don John) – Lord Byron (Romanticism)

Paternal love/Sibling/Familial love
On My First Sonne – Ben Jonson (Renaissance)
A Sonata for Four Hands – Mary Jo Bang (Modern)
She Walks In Beauty – Lord Byron (Romanticism)

Destructive nature of love

Red (Birthday Letters) – Ted Hughes

Romantic love

Sonnet 130 – William Shakespeare
Sonnet 18 – William Shakespeare
If Thou – Elizabeth Browning (Victorian)

Sexual Love

The Flea – John Donne
The Passionate Shepherd To His Love – Christopher Marlowe
To His Coy Mistress – Andrew Marvell

Love Unrequited
Love without Hope – Robert Graves

Okay this is my list for poetry so far, I'm kind of stuck now Any suggestions from your own collection you could add? or do you think this will be enough?

Oh and also I've seen people list 'The Importance of Being Earnest' under the marriage theme, can you explain why? I've read It but I didn't get much from it... Is it because Wilde makes the rules of marriage appear silly?

[unknownpleasures]

(Original post by A.J.A.)
...

Wow, I'd say that's more than enough.