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Edexcel English GCSE - Literature 18th May

Discussion for the Edexcel English GCSE - Literature 18th May

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Reply 1
I really don't know what to expect. Have been taught it in the last two weeks so any advice?
I am trying to learn the Hound of the Baskervilles theme extracts. My teacher has recommended this to save time. What books were/are you studying?
(edited 8 years ago)
Reply 3
Original post by harryleavey
I am trying to learn the Hound of the Baskervilles theme extracts. My teacher has recommended this to save time. What books were/are you studying?

Of mice and men. And Romeo and Juliet
Reply 4
My teacher recommended us to do the second part (40 marks) first, then do the last of the 3 questions in part 1, then the first 2. Not sure why but apparently that ensures that we have enough time.

Im doing of mice and men and Jekyll/Hyde
Original post by Sam1698st
Of mice and men. And Romeo and Juliet


Im doing OMAM too.
In order of likeliness (Most likely to least) - based upon past years. Here are my predictions

Not Yet Appeared:


Significance of Minors (Whit, Carlson, Slim)

Significance of Loneliness

Significance of Deaths (?)

Significance of Innocence

Significance of Prejudice (Unlikely)




Previously Used (Chronological Order):

Treatment of Crooks or Concept of friendship (2011)

Curley's significance or Dream

Lennie’s Significance or Anger

Curley's Wife significance or Settings

George's Significance or Animals (?)

Candy's significance or Outsiders (2014)



I usually choose to do the character question because it is more focussed and isn't so general. I find that the themes often have too much to say.

When answering wither the theme or character remember to relate each to:


Other themes

Other characters (How this character/theme affects or is affected by characters)

Social, Cultural and Historical Context (SCH)

Context to the plot/novella



Timing:
The A, B and C Question:
A) 10 - 15 minutes (8 marks) (Extract Given)
B) 15 minutes (12 marks) (Extract Given)
C) 25-30 minutes (16 marks) (Choose own extract ~2 pages)
Total: 50 - 60 minutes


Last Question (Choice of question)
45 minutes
(From the whole novel - Not 1 particular extract)
Is anyone remembering the extracts for particular themes for the C) question? (In order to save time finding the pages in the exam).
I am not sure if this is really necessary because it is taking me a long time.

What are your thoughts?
Reply 7
Original post by harryleavey
Im doing OMAM too.
In order of likeliness (Most likely to least) - based upon past years. Here are my predictions

Not Yet Appeared:

Significance of Minors (Whit, Carlson, Slim)

Significance of Loneliness

Significance of Deaths (?)

Significance of Innocence

Significance of Prejudice (Unlikely)



Previously Used (Chronological Order):

Treatment of Crooks or Concept of friendship (2011)

Curley's significance or Dream

Lennie’s Significance or Anger

Curley's Wife significance or Settings

George's Significance or Animals (?)

Candy's significance or Outsiders (2014)


I usually choose to do the character question because it is more focussed and isn't so general. I find that the themes often have too much to say.

When answering wither the theme or character remember to relate each to:

Other themes

Other characters (How this character/theme affects or is affected by characters)

Social, Cultural and Historical Context (SCH)

Context to the plot/novella


Timing:
The A, B and C Question:
A) 10 - 15 minutes (8 marks) (Extract Given)
B) 15 minutes (12 marks) (Extract Given)
C) 25-30 minutes (16 marks) (Choose own extract ~2 pages)
Total: 50 - 60 minutes


Last Question (Choice of question)
45 minutes
(From the whole novel - Not 1 particular extract)

Cheers for the help
Original post by Sam1698st
Cheers for the help

That's fine.
Remember timing in this exam is quite important. At least we don't have to do 4 questions like last year though :redface:
I teach this paper - just planning a revision lesson for my class tomorrow which is all about Slim, so fingers crossed he comes up...!

Good luck to you all :smile:
Original post by rainbow drops
I teach this paper - just planning a revision lesson for my class tomorrow which is all about Slim, so fingers crossed he comes up...!

Good luck to you all :smile:

I would feel unlucky to get Slim. He is a bit of a minor and does not represent many themes - but instead opposes many prevalent themes within the novella.

Slim:
- Relationship of George and Slim
- Does not represent traditional 1930s migrant worker. However has similarities ('crushed stetson' - worker, willing to equal himself to others, he sits down opposite George)
- His character: respected, friendly
- Only character who appreciates Lennie and George travelling together
- He easily makes friends with George - This is somewhat of a rarity to migrant workers who were usually lonely.
- Does not feel jealousy or have a desire for dream (opposes traditional dreams of 1930s workers) - He is content with what he has got (He is also compared to a religious figure, I think 'godlike hands"(?), He is also slightly too good to be true. The reader does not learn too much about his character - element of mystery. Steinbeck may have been using him to represent a religious figure?)

I think the previous points would be the outline of my response. Is there anything anyone would add for Slim?

The issue with this year is that it is the last time Edexcel are using this syllabus so I think we are likely to get the unwanted or less obvious questions which have not yet been used. Either that or we will get a repeat question. What are your predictions?
(edited 8 years ago)
Original post by harryleavey
I would feel unlucky to get Slim. He is a bit of a minor and does not represent many themes - but instead opposes many prevalent themes within the novella.

Slim:
- Relationship of George and Slim
- Does not represent traditional 1930s migrant worker. However has similarities ('crushed stetson' - worker, willing to equal himself to others, he sits down opposite George)
- His character: respected, friendly
- Only character who appreciates Lennie and George travelling together
- He easily makes friends with George - This is somewhat of a rarity to migrant workers who were usually lonely.
- Does not feel jealousy or have a desire for dream (opposes traditional dreams of 1930s workers) - He is content with what he has got (He is also compared to a religious figure, I think 'godlike hands"(?), He is also slightly too good to be true. The reader does not learn too much about his character - element of mystery. Steinbeck may have been using him to represent a religious figure?)

I think the previous points would be the outline of my response. Is there anything anyone would add for Slim?

The issue with this year is that it is the last time Edexcel are using this syllabus so I think we are likely to get the unwanted or less obvious questions which have not yet been used. Either that or we will get a repeat question. What are your predictions?


The syllabus is being used for the current year 10s in 2016 as well.

Slim wouldn't be my number one preference by any means (I think the likes of Curley's wife are much easier to analyse) but there's no getting away from the fact that he's the only major(ish) character who hasn't come up on the exam before. Well, Carlson and Whit haven't either, but I'd be both amazed and horrified if they put an essay question based entirely on either of those characters on the paper.

Your list looks good! You could possibly take the God-like angle a bit further and talk about his immense authority on the ranch - remember that he's present for all the main events (i.e. Candy's dog being shot, Curley's hand being crushed, the discovery of Curley's wife's body, after Lennie's death) and plays a decisive role in several pivotal scenes. He makes the final decision about Candy's dog ("Candy looked helplessly at him, for Slim's opinions were law") and even Curley obeys him after his hand is crushed because Slim sways him into letting George and Lennie stay on the ranch.

Also, a lot of the other men are emasculated by the context of the time (the depression, economic struggles, prejudices, old age, insecurity, no control over their dreams/future etc) whereas Slim rises above all that and is the very embodiment of masculinity.

It could be any of them, though, really. Who knows!
Original post by rainbow drops
The syllabus is being used for the current year 10s in 2016 as well.

Slim wouldn't be my number one preference by any means (I think the likes of Curley's wife are much easier to analyse) but there's no getting away from the fact that he's the only major(ish) character who hasn't come up on the exam before. Well, Carlson and Whit haven't either, but I'd be both amazed and horrified if they put an essay question based entirely on either of those characters on the paper.

Your list looks good! You could possibly take the God-like angle a bit further and talk about his immense authority on the ranch - remember that he's present for all the main events (i.e. Candy's dog being shot, Curley's hand being crushed, the discovery of Curley's wife's body, after Lennie's death) and plays a decisive role in several pivotal scenes. He makes the final decision about Candy's dog ("Candy looked helplessly at him, for Slim's opinions were law") and even Curley obeys him after his hand is crushed because Slim sways him into letting George and Lennie stay on the ranch.

Also, a lot of the other men are emasculated by the context of the time (the depression, economic struggles, prejudices, old age, insecurity, no control over their dreams/future etc) whereas Slim rises above all that and is the very embodiment of masculinity.

It could be any of them, though, really. Who knows!


I didn't realise that it was still being used for the current year 10s - I remember by teacher saying something about this syllabus being changed. I heard that the current year 9s will not even have the book, and will have to remember quotes. I feel lucky 😅

Thanks for your help - I will definitely use that if Slim comes up.

I would say good luck in the exam but ... 😄
Guys i need serious help with OMAM and romeo and juliet we literally got told last minute we all had to sit the exam on monday and we done no revision what so ever in school. The teacher goes you can get a G grade and its fine but i want atleast C if its possible. Aaarrrrghhhh im so mad at themm, like why tell us last minute😡


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Original post by aneesha_brat
Guys i need serious help with OMAM and romeo and juliet we literally got told last minute we all had to sit the exam on monday and we done no revision what so ever in school. The teacher goes you can get a G grade and its fine but i want atleast C if its possible. Aaarrrrghhhh im so mad at themm, like why tell us last minute������


Posted from TSR Mobile


You should have received an exam timetable a few weeks ago?
Anyway, there isn't much you can do about your writing technique at this late stage. You could try some practice questions - but I don't think you will have enough time.
My teacher has recommended that we write down all of the characters and themes that could come up, and write your main essay points down for each. This will help with the knowledge side.
With regard to your actual writing, just remember PEE - With a relevant (to the question) point, then multiple, concise quotes and finally a perceptive explanation incorporating the original question as well as any language devices (Question B and C of the 1st question) and SCH for OMAM.

For Of Mice and Men, I usually try to write at least 4 strong 'body' paragraphs - with an introduction and conclusion - Try not to introduce by saying 'In my essay I will discuss... or using personal pronouns such as 'I'. Just restate the question and write the main theme of the essay and possibly an example of one of your following points.

I hope this helps - Good luck :smile:
Original post by harryleavey
You should have received an exam timetable a few weeks ago?
Anyway, there isn't much you can do about your writing technique at this late stage. You could try some practice questions - but I don't think you will have enough time.
My teacher has recommended that we write down all of the characters and themes that could come up, and write your main essay points down for each. This will help with the knowledge side.
With regard to your actual writing, just remember PEE - With a relevant (to the question) point, then multiple, concise quotes and finally a perceptive explanation incorporating the original question as well as any language devices (Question B and C of the 1st question) and SCH for OMAM.

For Of Mice and Men, I usually try to write at least 4 strong 'body' paragraphs - with an introduction and conclusion - Try not to introduce by saying 'In my essay I will discuss... or using personal pronouns such as 'I'. Just restate the question and write the main theme of the essay and possibly an example of one of your following points.

I hope this helps - Good luck :smile:









it did help thank you soo much,
yeah i did get it a few weeks ago but we were concentrating on english language and then we missed some english lesson because of revision classes/exams
and people are saying that introduction/conclusion gains 0 mark so shall i just keep it brief
i just dont know how to structure my paragraphs
also do you know the grade boundaries/where i can get model answers from- i tried searching but couldnt find it
Original post by aneesha_brat
it did help thank you soo much,
yeah i did get it a few weeks ago but we were concentrating on english language and then we missed some english lesson because of revision classes/exams
and people are saying that introduction/conclusion gains 0 mark so shall i just keep it brief
i just dont know how to structure my paragraphs
also do you know the grade boundaries/where i can get model answers from- i tried searching but couldnt find it



im not sure if im good enough to give anyone advice on english (im bad at it:frown:) but what others around me are saying is that although intro/ conclusion are worth 0 marks, English is about impressing the examiner so that their description of you improves in terms of the adjective (e.g. sound to sustained). Having a (brief) intro will help tell the examiner that you knew what you were talking about from the start of the essay.

Good luck to myself and to all.
What books are you all doing? I'm doing Of Mice And Men and Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. I hate DJ&MH because it's sooooo boring but OMAM is a really good book and easy to understand.

In terms of timings, this is what my teacher has told our class:

Section A: Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (or whatever book you're studying):

Question A - Spend 15 minutes on this, write 2-3 SPEED (Signpost, Point, Evidence, Explanation, Discussion) paragraphs. Do NOT need to identify language features. Write about the IDEAS and their effect on the reader.

Question B - Spend 15 minutes on this, write 3 SPEED paragraphs. DO write about language features as asked in the question.

Question C - Spend 30 minutes on this, write 4 SPEED paragraphs. DO write about language features but also IDEAS too.

Total time spent: 1hr out of 1hr45m

----------------------------------------------

Section B - Of Mice And Men (or whatever book you're studying) IN CONTEXT

Question
- Spend 40-45 minutes on this. Write 4 SPEED paragraphs. Do NOT need to identify language features. DO NOT NEED TO PICK A 1-2 PAGE EXTRACT, YOU CAN EXTRACT QUOTES FROM WHOLE BOOK. Make sure to LINK your points to the context.

Total time spent:
40-45m out of 1hr45m.

** IF YOU FINISH WITH 5 MINUTES OR SO TO SPARE, CHECK YOUR ANSWERS/PROOF READ YOUR WORK**

I hope this helps anyone who was struggling with timings and unsure of how much to write, for example.
(edited 8 years ago)
Original post by aneesha_brat
it did help thank you soo much,
yeah i did get it a few weeks ago but we were concentrating on english language and then we missed some english lesson because of revision classes/exams
and people are saying that introduction/conclusion gains 0 mark so shall i just keep it brief
i just dont know how to structure my paragraphs
also do you know the grade boundaries/where i can get model answers from- i tried searching but couldnt find it

Hi

You don't need an intro or conclusion, but any good essay will have one. Also, the introduction can usually help you structure your essay. It provides an outline to your content which will help both you write the rest of the essay, and will help the examiner understand where your essay is going.

But yes, keep it brief. Do not have evidence or any sort of explanation in your introduction or conclusion. I usually keep my intro and conclusions to a maximum of 3 sentences. Though it is usually 2 sentences.
Do not make a point in your intro that you do not discuss in your main content.
Do not make a new point in your conclusion.

I'm not sure what the grade boundaries are because the exam question structure is different from last year (there are only 3 for the first part rather than 4). I think it is now out of 83. Last year it was out of 89 and 64 was an A*.

There are model answers on the examiner reports. http://qualifications.pearson.com/en/support/support-topics/exams/past-papers.html

Though, be careful of the slight exam style change.
I recommend reading the examiner reports for a few tips to help increase your grade.


With regard to your paragraph structure, you must follow PEE to obtain the highest marks.

The OMAM question will always be a 'significance of...' question
Here is an example of one of my paragraphs in a previous response to the 'Significance of Crooks' Treatment':

Crooks' treatment within the novella is also important because it exaggerates the theme of loneliness, experienced by most migrant workers - especially black workers. It is understood from section 4, that a worker such as Crooks is used to being alone. For example when Lennie tries to 'make friends', Crooks appears to be defensive. This behaviour is understood by the unwelcoming language 'my room' and Crooks' 'scowl'. In explanation, the unfriendly reaction of Crooks' to the unusual treatment is believed to have been typical of a black, isolated worker in 1930s America. This reaction is also important in exaggerating the way that loneliness was stimulated by Crooks' skin colour within the context of the novel - As shown by Curley's introduction to George about Crooks being a '******' [TSR automatically blocks the 'N' word]. The reaction of Crooks is also significant by the fact that many migrant workers would have 'travelled alone', so would not be used to company (Unlike the unusual relationship of Lennie and George)

This is by no means a perfect answer. However it incorporates SCH, context to the novel, short, relevant quotes with an explanation.
If this paragraph was to be improved, I would possibly analyse the quote in further detail, and describe how it shows Crooks treatment was significant in more depth.

Just apply the PEE structure to at least 3-4 paragraphs which relate to the question and SCH (OMAM only) and you will do fine. Do not worry if you don't know what the question is asking. Think of synonyms to the question - if you do not quite understand the question and think about how the characters, relationships and other themes relate to the question.

To make it even easier, you may wish to structure each paragraph in the following way: (Take ______ to be the character/theme/relationship which is being questioned)

1. Intro (e.g Within the novella, Of Mice and Men, the significance of ____ can be explored by analysing...)
2. How the other characters respond to _______ + SCH and context
3. How the _______ is presented using a relationship + SCH and context
4. How _________ is presented by a theme (e.gdreams) + SCH and context
5. How the _______ is presented itself + SCH and context
6. Conclusion

An examiner report I read once stated how the examiner liked the way the response was related to other themes, characters and relationships within the novel.

This structure may not always apply to the question, but it may help if you have absolutely no idea or are almost clueless. It probably won't get you an A*, but should help at least pass.

Just remember what your teacher has said (or in your case should've said) and you will do great :smile:
(edited 8 years ago)
The A, B and C questions must be approached with consideration of the character/relationships own dialogue, the characters own actions and finally the characters description by others.
This approach can be summarised by: DAD (Dialogue, Action and Description). Centre your 3 main paragraphs around these points, whilst still using the PEE structure.
As my english teacher says: 'PEE with DAD'

Good luck
:smile:

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