Advice on A level English Literature

Hiya I was curious for anyone achieving a-a*s in their literature exams what techniques they used-

I am constantly taking in my teachers feedback and trying to rework my answers however I always seem to achieve a grade C.

If anyone had any specific advice that'd be great thank uu

Reply 1

nikiiiiiii

Original post by Angel.Belle

Hiya I was curious for anyone achieving a-a*s in their literature exams what techniques they used-
I am constantly taking in my teachers feedback and trying to rework my answers however I always seem to achieve a grade C.
If anyone had any specific advice that'd be great thank uu

What specifically do you want advice for?

Reply 2

Kingston Eve

Official Rep

Hey @Angel.Belle!

One technique I found incredibly useful for A-Level English Literature essays is the PEEL technique:

P (Point) - make your point/argument in relation to the question.
E (Evidence) - provide a quote or a piece of supporting textual evidence.
E (Explanation) - explain the relationship between your evidence and your initial point.
L (Link) - link back to the question.

I'd typically write five to six PEEL paragraphs per essay, although I knew students in my class who wrote longer and therefore less paragraphs with this technique as well. To improve your grade overall, it's also a good idea to look at the mark schemes for any past paper essay questions you might complete - they can typically be found on your exam board's website, and can give you a better idea of which points examiners are looking for.

Best of luck!
Eve (Kingston Rep).

Reply 3

Kingston Jenifer

Official Rep

Original post by Angel.Belle

Hiya I was curious for anyone achieving a-a*s in their literature exams what techniques they used-
I am constantly taking in my teachers feedback and trying to rework my answers however I always seem to achieve a grade C.
If anyone had any specific advice that'd be great thank uu

Hi there!

I did A-Level english literature. The syllabus may have changed, however, these are the tips that got me higher marks.

Embedding your quotes. For example, instead of saying "Othello is jealous, and this is shown when he says 'Jealousy is a green eyed monster'", say "Othello describes his jealousy as a 'green eyed monster'". The second sentence flows a lot better, making your essay more 'flowy'.

Linking your quotes back to the context of the time. For example, "Othello describes his jealousy as a 'green eyed monster'". What was mythology like when Shakespeare was writing this play? How does this show the gravity of his jealousy?

Using critics. For example, Roland Barthes' 'death of the author' is a literary essay that essentially says that there is no link between the author and the text, implying that it is impossible to understand an author's intentions, there can be no single correct interpretation of the meaning of a particular text (this is from what I remember - please double check this!). This gives you access to those higher marks, as you are going beyond a standard analysis and critically evaluating the text.

Use the PETACL. Point, Evidence, Technique, Analysis, Context/Critic, Link

I hope this helps!

Kind regards, Jenifer (Kingston rep)

Reply 4

Ambiguous Super

I think the other tips are really useful and I stand behind them as someone who got an A*

I feel that a common misconception is that you need to have loads of critics and their views in your essay. Try to include critics and their views ONLY IF it links to the points you are making. Good luck :smile:

Reply 5

Angel.Belle

Original post by Ambiguous Super

I think the other tips are really useful and I stand behind them as someone who got an A*
I feel that a common misconception is that you need to have loads of critics and their views in your essay. Try to include critics and their views ONLY IF it links to the points you are making. Good luck :smile:

Thank you!

Reply 6

Angel.Belle

Original post by nikiiiiiii

What specifically do you want advice for?

Honestly anything that helps improve my writing style