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English Lit As Level Help please :)

Hey guys, i was wondering if anyone could help me or offer some tips on how to revise for the OCR exam coming up. I'm doing the Great Gatsby and Wilfred Owen, both of which are closed texts.
Also if you guys have any tips for writing essays they would be greatly appreciated.


Thanks :smile:

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Reply 1
Avatar for Shehz94
Shehz94
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Ensure you have learnt key quotes as you are doing a closed text exam. :smile:
Reply 2
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High VOLTAGE
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Original post by Shehz94
Ensure you have learnt key quotes as you are doing a closed text exam. :smile:


thank you !:smile:
Reply 3
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popdrops
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Quotations and know the summaries of each chapter. Also make sure you know each character in detail/themes, etc.
Reply 4
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Original post by popdrops
Quotations and know the summaries of each chapter. Also make sure you know each character in detail/themes, etc.


ahh i need more time
but thaanks

also for the poems how should you plan those, my teacher says four points which don't all have to be on the verse language and form, is this a good way?
Reply 5
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High VOLTAGE
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:bump:
I did this last year, Gatsby and Robert Frost. Gatsby is short, so try and read it as much as you can - if you know everything that happens in detail this makes it much easier to relate events to any question.

Pay close attention to the AOs and make sure you hit everything. Are you doing The Art of Fiction for critical readings? I found that the quote from David Lodge about calling a spade a spade (or something) could be applied to almost anything. In general just work in as many quotes/critical readings/context asd possible. Even using terms like 'character' can get you marks for terminology.
Remember, Form, Structure and Language. You will lose out on many marks if you fail to effectively explain/mention those in relation to your texts.

Also, know many many thematic links between the poems.
(edited 12 years ago)
Reply 8
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Original post by hoopyfrood199
I did this last year, Gatsby and Robert Frost. Gatsby is short, so try and read it as much as you can - if you know everything that happens in detail this makes it much easier to relate events to any question.

Pay close attention to the AOs and make sure you hit everything. Are you doing The Art of Fiction for critical readings? I found that the quote from David Lodge about calling a spade a spade (or something) could be applied to almost anything. In general just work in as many quotes/critical readings/context asd possible. Even using terms like 'character' can get you marks for terminology.


thank you ! i have not heard of art of fiction but will definitely try to
thanks again
Reply 9
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Original post by Bektas
Remember, Form, Structure and Language. You will lose out on many marks if you fail to effectively explain/mention those in relation to your texts.

Also, know many many thematic links between the poems.


thank you, im gonna get going on structure tomorrow for sure
This for the Great Gatsby: http://getrevising.co.uk/account/resources/the_great_gatsby_context_ao4_the_jazz_age [Rate it 5* plz?]

Generally for Gatsby (I did Frost instead of Owen so...), Learn teh quotes, themes, characters etc.

Make sure you hit the AO's: Your essay must be expressive and clear, make sure to include close analysis, add a few alternative criticisms, bear in mind the context.
Reply 11
Avatar for nonet
nonet
Learn learn learn!!! My plan is (and the exams on Monday I think) learn a lot of quotes and perfect Ao2 analysis (as that is dominant in both exams), and then on the day of the exam just bang them out and let my general knowledge bring in the readings and concepts.

Then again, you may be different to me, find ao2 incredibly easy (I find it incredibly hard), and need to learn LOADS of feminist readings or whatever.

Spend 90% of your time learning the things you find hard, 10% of the time checking up on the things you can do implicitly.
I'm doing the same texts as you! Um, I'm going through my notes on my poems and basically typing up short key points, then I'm linking the major themes in the poems: for example:

soldiers not seen as people: ‘they keep no check on armies decimation’– Insensibility; ‘what passing bells for those who die as cattle’- Anthem for the Doomed Youth’ etc

Andd I have the York Notes book for Great Gatsby :biggrin:
Be concise, don't waffle-

just make your point -> show the techniques used and unpick language/techniques to explore what the writer is attempting to convey.

Don't forget alternative interpretations and wider reading too i think..

Go ask your teacher too maybe? that's the best place to go- it's what they're paid for after all :wink:
For Owen, I've basically made a big sheet divided into headings like pararhme, fullrhyme, metaphors, religious diction etc and then listed all the poems that use the features under those headings with quotes and explaining what they mean. And I made a summary sheet of all the poems where I'm gonna note the key features of each poem... So yeah. I'm more worried about Gatsby, about this alternative reading thing, I don't know how I'm going to get it in really.
Original post by HolyFuzazzle
For Owen, I've basically made a big sheet divided into headings like pararhme, fullrhyme, metaphors, religious diction etc and then listed all the poems that use the features under those headings with quotes and explaining what they mean. And I made a summary sheet of all the poems where I'm gonna note the key features of each poem... So yeah. I'm more worried about Gatsby, about this alternative reading thing, I don't know how I'm going to get it in really.



Umm, what's the alternative reading? We haven't been told about that!
Original post by mayangelsleadyouin
Umm, what's the alternative reading? We haven't been told about that!


A03, I think - basically it's where you have to provide different interpretations of particular things by different readers (critics) and stuff =O Maybe I explained it wrong but I'm sure you've heard of it =O
Original post by HolyFuzazzle
A03, I think - basically it's where you have to provide different interpretations of particular things by different readers (critics) and stuff =O Maybe I explained it wrong but I'm sure you've heard of it =O


Oh okay, so critical material and stuff? I'm so worried about this exam!
Original post by mayangelsleadyouin
Oh okay, so critical material and stuff? I'm so worried about this exam!


Yeah, you just have to provide different ideas of what something could mean. So am I T.T The worst part is I'm on here procrastinating -.- But don't worry, you'll be fine, and with luck I will be too DX
Original post by Josh_McBride
Be concise, don't waffle-

just make your point -> show the techniques used and unpick language/techniques to explore what the writer is attempting to convey.

Don't forget alternative interpretations and wider reading too i think..

Go ask your teacher too maybe? that's the best place to go- it's what they're paid for after all :wink:


YEp waffle is going and i am gonna get all these wider texts read now

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