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How to answer a 30 mark question on english literature?

Can anyone help me how many paragraphs are needed in Romeo and Juliet 30 marks plus 4 for SPAG, Christmas Carol 30 marks, Inspector Calls 30 marks and Power and Conflict 30 marks. I dont know if i got the marks right but i believe these are it. Can anyone help me on how to structure my answer how many paragraphs do i need? what needs to be in those paragraphs? Answers will be greatly appreciated :smile:

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About 3 paragraphs well developed
Hi mate, I got a grade 9last year and now English for A level, so I can give some advice.

Firstly, there is no set amount of paragraphs you have to write. It is just how much you can write in the time allowed. However, for the extract based questions, you need remember to have half you answer based on the extract, the other half based on the whole text. Also, find what the mark schemes say and create them into a sort of checklist. For AQA, to get high grades you need to analyse "language,structure and form" so part of my checklist was to do this. Your exam board also has some example answers with commentary, which can really help with regards to how your essays need to look. Lastly, there is a YouTuber called MrBruff who is literally a god send: he has student exemplars, detailed poetry analyse etc which are a must to watch.
Reply 3
Original post by Oluwaflagame
Hi mate, I got a grade 9last year and now English for A level, so I can give some advice.

Firstly, there is no set amount of paragraphs you have to write. It is just how much you can write in the time allowed. However, for the extract based questions, you need remember to have half you answer based on the extract, the other half based on the whole text. Also, find what the mark schemes say and create them into a sort of checklist. For AQA, to get high grades you need to analyse "language,structure and form" so part of my checklist was to do this. Your exam board also has some example answers with commentary, which can really help with regards to how your essays need to look. Lastly, there is a YouTuber called MrBruff who is literally a god send: he has student exemplars, detailed poetry analyse etc which are a must to watch.


So would you recommend 3-4 paragraphs. If i did 4 for example i would do 2 paragraphs on the extract given and 2 on the play as a whole.
(edited 5 years ago)
Reply 4
What we got taught to do was do a thesis statement (three words followed by a semi colon and a brief statement about them (no quotes) then 3 paragraphs using the three words from the thesis statement, then a conclusion.
Original post by KB0321
So would you recommend 3-4 paragraphs. If i did 4 for example i would do 2 paragraphs on the extract given and 2 on the play as a whole.
- have a short introduction
- start each paragraph with a point then embed quotations as evidence to support (PQA structure + remember to indent)
- break all quotations down to word level, keep them short and concise
- try to include a contextual link somewhere

I'd say write at least 3-4 paragraphs for each, but just make sure you get something down for each section because you'll get more marks for attempting every part of the paper rather than spending ages on one section.

I found a really good youtube english teacher called Stacy Reay who literally saved me for An Inspector Calls, she also has quite a few videos on Romeo and Juliet and A Christmas Carol so I would recommend checking her out :smile:
What we got taught was:

Do 1 paragraph just explaining AO1 (Ideas), another on AO2 (Language, form and structure) and another one on AO3 (Context) and mix both the extract analysis and the whole text analysis into AO1 and AO2. Not sure if this is best case, I'm sitting my exams this year and really struggling on Lit.
how do you do a thesis statement???? ASAP PLS !!!!!!!
Original post by gcseismad
how do you do a thesis statement???? ASAP PLS !!!!!!!

See what all your ideas amount to. I do Macbeth, and my mock question was how is Macbeth potrayed as violent within the extract and throughout the play. I spend 10 mins planning and allow myself to draw up a thesis statement. I looked at the extract and picked out a quote that stood out - for me it was one describing how Macbeth 'smoked with brandished steel'. I quickly analysed this, how 'smoked' emphasises the efficiency of the killing and then dug deeper by linking it to another part of the text, where the motif of smoke is used by Lady Macbeth in the 'dunnest smoke of hell' line when referring to the thick night covering her thoughts. Here I could develop an argument - that Macbeth isn't inherently fuelled by bloodlust for his violence, but instead by the witches prophecy - I did this by analysing the Lady Macbeth quote and creating the idea that the spirits Lady Macbeth called upon could be the witches, so the witches aid Lady Macbeth to fulfill the prophecy.

So, I had an idea. Two choices now; either use this idea as my main argument, or as a counter-argument. I searched the extract again, and saw that Macbeth was described as 'executing' the soldiers. Briefly analysed this line; how execution connotes to a sense of obligation rather than a word such as murder that connotes a greater feeling of bloodlust, thirst and passion. Here I also integrated a contextual link to Jacobean executioners; somewhat of a stretch, but I was able to develop it somewhat as I study the Elizabethans in History anyway. This idea was fundamentally the same as the one prior; that Macbeth isn't inherently violent, but instead obligated to fulfill the prophecy. Having two clear ideas, I decided that this should be the basis of my argument.

Therefore I can easily form my thesis but what these two thought processes have in common, and what they don't have explicitly common is what I can afford to develop in my essay. So my thesis looked something like this;

Shakespeare does not portray Macbeth as inherently violent, but as a character fuelled by the witches' prophecy. He lacks bloodlust, but is 'full of ambition' which, encouraged by the witches prophecy, leads to his violent killing of the king and his tyrannous rule of Scotland, brought to an end by Macduff, as the witches prophecy foresaw.

I'd say that this almost too excessive, but you get the picture. Analyse a part of the extract to find an argument. Analyse another part and see where that leads you - if it's roughly the same idea, make that the basis of your thesis. If it's different, try and work that in as a counter-argument or to offer a different interpretation (even better if you could still link that different interpretation to your main idea somewhat, maybe suggesting the ambiguity is deliberate to reflect the ambiguos motives of the character in question). Once a majority of your points all revolve around one central idea, make that your thesis.

When writing your thesis, don't include things such as subject terminology yet - that can come in later in your paragraph starters. Outline how your thesis links to the entirity of the play to get the AO1 in there straight away, and summarise the relative plot points to support it. Then expand on it throughout your essay.

Usually it's wise to finish with a conclusion but I often run out of time to do this and tbh, your conclusion is basically just your thesis but at the end, where it is also more appropriate to use more subject terminology eg. Shakespeare presents Macbeth as not an inherently violent character but as a character whose ambition is fuelled by the witches, the trochaic tetrameter emphasises the idea that they deceive Macbeth into a childike false sense of security.

Obviously, that is a point I would have developed earlier.

Hope this was hopefuly :smile:
if you are wanting some practice questions there’s a company atm raising money for an expedition to help charities in s america, who are sending out english lit/lang papers gcse and they are being marked by real gcse aqa english markers, and with that are given back detailed feedback on how to improve, i did it this time last year and it got me from grade 6 to full marks in the real exam for paper 2 lit :smile:) i can send you my paper by email if u wanted :smile: thought this may be a help for revision
(edited 4 years ago)
Original post by azby1098
if you are wanting some practice questions there’s a company atm raising money for an expedition to help charities in s america, who are sending out english lit/lang papers gcse and they are being marked by real gcse aqa english markers, and with that are given back detailed feedback on how to improve, i did it this time last year and it got me from grade 6 to full marks in the real exam for paper 2 lit :smile:) i can send you my paper by email if u wanted :smile: thought this may be a help for revision

Would you mind email me your paper?
Original post by weirdo001
Would you mind email me your paper?


pm me :smile:
Original post by azby1098
if you are wanting some practice questions there’s a company atm raising money for an expedition to help charities in s america, who are sending out english lit/lang papers gcse and they are being marked by real gcse aqa english markers, and with that are given back detailed feedback on how to improve, i did it this time last year and it got me from grade 6 to full marks in the real exam for paper 2 lit :smile:) i can send you my paper by email if u wanted :smile: thought this may be a help for revision

Hi! What's the name of this company?
Original post by areallygoodname
Hi! What's the name of this company?


practice plus, they don’t have a website, but their email is [email protected] :smile:)
some youtube channels for revision:
MrEverythingEnglish goes over what to include on questions
Mr Salles targets grades 7-9 mostly in terms of analysis (and is extremely good for this (i put him on 1.25x speed though!)) but i think goes over some full marks questions for various texts too:smile:
Original post by azby1098
practice plus, they don’t have a website, but their email is [email protected] :smile:)

Thanks!:smile:
Original post by weirdo001
Would you mind email me


Original post by azby1098
if you are wanting some practice questions there’s a company atm raising money for an expedition to help charities in s america, who are sending out english lit/lang papers gcse and they are being marked by real gcse aqa english markers, and with that are given back detailed feedback on how to improve, i did it this time last year and it got me from grade 6 to full marks in the real exam for paper 2 lit :smile:) i can send you my paper by email if u wanted :smile: thought this may be a help for revision

that would be great thank you!
Original post by azby1098
if you are wanting some practice questions there’s a company atm raising money for an expedition to help charities in s america, who are sending out english lit/lang papers gcse and they are being marked by real gcse aqa english markers, and with that are given back detailed feedback on how to improve, i did it this time last year and it got me from grade 6 to full marks in the real exam for paper 2 lit :smile:) i can send you my paper by email if u wanted :smile: thought this may be a help for revision

Would you mind emailing me please
Also interested ^
Original post by Safratab
Would you mind emailing me please


Original post by LondonGrl_03
Also interested ^



please email [email protected] :smile:

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