Contents

1 Planning your exam 20 Figurative language

time 21 Creation of
2 Introducing Paper 1 character
3 Introducing Paper 2 22 Creation of
4 Reading texts – atmosphere
fiction 23 Narrative voice
5 Reading texts – 24 Rhetorical devices 1
non-fiction 25 Rhetorical devices 2
6 Assessment 26 Fact, opinion and
Objective 1 expert evidence
7 Assessment 27 Identifying sentence
Objective 2 types
8 Assessment 28 Commenting on
Objective 3 sentence types
9 Assessment 29 Structure: non-fiction
Objective 4 30 Structure: fiction
10 Reading the 31 Synthesising
questions 32 Comparing
11 Annotating the texts 33 Selecting evidence
12 Explicit information for synthesis
13 Implicit information 34 Synthesising
14 Inference evidence
15 Interpreting 35 Language and
information structure
16 Using evidence 36 Planning to compare
17 Point-Evidence- 37 Comparing ideas
Explain and perspectives
18 Word classes 38 Comparison structure
19 Connotations 39 Evaluating a text

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 40 Evaluating a text: 64 Synonyms
fiction 65 Emotive language
41 Evaluating a text: 66 Language for different
non-fiction effects 1
42 Evaluate questions: 67 Language for different
fiction effects 2
43 Evaluate questions: 68 Language for different
non-fiction effects 3
44 Introduction to 69 Using the senses
Section B 70 Narrative voice
45 Imaginative writing 71 Sentence variety 1
46 Transactional writing 72 Sentence variety 2
47 Writing for a purpose 1 73 Ending a sentence
48 Writing for a purpose 2 74 Punctuation 1
49 Writing for a purpose 3 75 Punctuation 2
50 Writing for an audience 76 Punctuation 3
51 Articles and reviews 77 Spelling errors 1
52 Letters and reports 78 Spelling errors 2
53 Information guides 79 Spelling errors 3
54 Prose 80 Proofreading
55 Ideas and planning
56 Structure
57 Beginnings and endings
58 Planning: inform,
explain, review
59 Planning: argue and
persuade
60 Openings
61 Conclusions
62 Paragraphs
63 Linking ideas

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 Using your dividers
Make the most of your Revision Cards by using these
dividers included in the pack. This is how they work:

1 Start with all the cards in the front section.

Read the front of each revision card and have a

2 go at answering the question.

3 Turn over to check your answer.

4 Now revise the back of the card.

If you feel confident with that topic, move the

5 card back one section.

ct answe
re
r
r
Co

Had
All the cards a look Nearly
ther
start here. e Nail
ed it You’ve nailed
!
The cards in these cards.
this section You could still
show you give them a
topics quick look right
you still before the exam
need to for a reminder.
revise.

You’ve had a look at these You’ve answered the questions

cards, but make sure you revise on these cards correctly at
them again at least once. least twice so you’re nearly there!

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1 2 SECTION A: READING 1
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Planning your exam time
The English Language GCSE has two papers:
• Paper 1 – Fiction and Imaginative Writing (40%)
• Paper 2 – Non-fiction and Transactional Writing (60%).

Paper 1: Paper 1:
Section A – Reading Section B – Writing
(15%, 24 marks) (25%, 40 marks)

Paper 2: Paper 2:
Section A – Reading Section B – Writing
(35%, 56 marks) (25%, 40 marks)

Edexcel GCSE English Language

How many marks are awarded to

Reading and how many to Writing across
the two papers?
Turn over for the answer.

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 And the answer is …

80 marks for Reading and 80 marks for Writing

Paper 1 – 1 hour and 45 minutes

Paper 2 – 2 hours and 5 minutes

Reading and Writing

Reading and Writing are worth the same amount
of marks across the whole of your GCSE.
When you are revising, you must be sure to
spend as much time practising your writing skills
as you do your reading skills.
In both papers you read a text first and then
write a piece of your own on a similar topic.
Try practising this when you revise.
For example, you might read a newspaper
article about a sport. You could then write a
review or an article of your own about your
favourite sport.

Exam focus ✓
• The Writing tasks in each exam are both worth
40 marks. You should spend the same amount of
time on them.
• The Reading sections have different marks so be
careful to leave yourself enough time.

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1 SECTION A: READING 2
P
r Introducing Paper 1
Paper 1 is 1 hour 45 minutes long and has
two sections:
• Section A – Reading Fiction – 24 marks
• Section B – Imaginative Writing – 40 marks

Managing your time

Make sure you leave yourself enough time for
each question. You could spend:
10 minutes reading the text and questions
50 minutes answering 4 questions in Section A
5 minutes planning Section B
35 minutes on your imaginative writing
5 minutes to check your imaginative writing.

Section A has 4 questions:

Question 1
Question 4 = 1 mark
= 15 marks
Question 2
= 2 marks
Question 3
= 6 marks
If you allow 10 minutes to read the text and
the questions, you have 50 minutes to answer
4 questions. How long should you spend on
each question?
Turn over for the answer.

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 And the answer is …

There are a number of ways the time can be split.

Try allowing about 2 minutes per mark:
Question 1 – 2 minutes Question 2 – 4 minutes
Question 3 – 12 minutes Question 4 – 30 minutes

Spend the last 2 minutes checking your work.

Managing your time in Paper 1

Allow yourself 10 minutes to read the text and
all of the questions.
Don’t spend too long on Questions 1 and 2 –
remember Questions 3 and 4 are worth 6 marks
and 15 marks!
Question 3 is worth 6 marks – but you do not
need to find every language and structure
point. Aim to only spend 12 minutes on this
question and to use one side of paper.
Question 4 is the largest question and you will
need to look at the whole text for this question.
Save the most time for this to get as many
marks as you can.

Exam focus ✓
Don’t spend too long on Section A! Once you reach
the 1 hour mark, move onto the Writing section as it
is worth 40 marks – you can always come back to the
Reading questions if you have time at the end.

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2 SECTION A: READING 3
P
r Introducing Paper 2
Paper 2 is 2 hours and 5 minutes long and has
two sections:
• Section A – Reading Non-Fiction – 56 marks
• Section B – Transactional Writing – 40 marks

Planning your time

Make sure you don’t run out of time – plan!
Paper 2 Section A
2 hours 5 minutes Section B
Check 5 mins
Text 1 – Q1–3 25 mins
Write -
Q8 or Q9
40 mins
Text 2 – Q4–6 25 mins
Plan 5 mins
Texts 1 and 2 – Q7(a)–7(b) 25 mins

Section A has 7 questions:

Text 1: Question 1 – 2 marks, Question 2 –
2 marks, Question 3 – 15 marks
Text 2: Question 4 – 1 mark, Question 5 –
1 mark, Question 6 – 15 marks
Texts 1 Question 7 (a) – 6 marks,
and 2: Question 7 (b) – 14 marks
Which questions should you spend the most
time on?
Turn over for the answer.

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 And the answer is …

There is no single correct answer, but you need to

spend the most time on Questions 3, 6 and 7 (b)
as they have the most marks available.

If you find you have extra time, make it

count! Check your work or start on the
next question.

Using your time effectively

Make the most of your time – when reading
texts, underline key words as you go so you can
find them quickly later.
Don’t spend too long on the first questions –
the later ones are worth more marks.
Questions 7 (a) and 7 (b) require you to look
at both texts – look at these questions quickly
before reading the texts so you can look out for
points of comparison.

Exam focus ✓
Don’t spend too long on Section A – after 1 hour and
15 minutes move on to Section B so that you have a
chance to gain those 40 marks. You can always come
back to Section A if you have time at the end.
You can practise your timings by using past papers
during your revision.

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1 SECTION A: READING 4
P
r Reading texts – fiction
This section will have an extract from one work of
prose fiction written in the 19th century. Prose
fiction is usually a story created by the writer to
have an impact on the reader.
Effective reading
Think about how and why the writer has created
characters, atmospheres or feelings, underlining key
points as you read.

C19th
Extract from The Half-Brothers by
Elizabeth Gaskell Suggests
To save myself from shedding tears, extreme fear
I shouted – terrible wild shouts for
bare life they were. I turned sick Emphasises
as I paused to listen; no answering harsh setting
sound came but the unfeeling and lack of
echoes. Only the noiseless, pitiless hope
snow kept falling thicker, thicker –
faster, faster! I was growing numb Suggests
and sleepy. I tried to move about, sheer drop
but I dared not go far, for fear of the and how it is
precipices which, I knew, abounded dangerous
in certain places on the Fells. to move

The extract in the exam will have an introduction

at the top, line references along the side and a
glossary at the bottom. How will each of these
help you?
Turn over for the answer.

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 And the answer is …

• The introduction tells you about the characters,

setting or the action. It may help you understand
what has happened before the extract starts.
• The line references help you locate the text
you need for Questions 1, 2 and 3. Read the
questions and mark off the lines carefully on the
extract.
• The glossary explains tricky words. There will be
an asterisk (*) against the word in the extract.

Prepare by reading widely. Make sure you are

familiar with a variety of 19th century literary
fiction,
genres such as crime, gothic horror, science
adventure stories, romance, satire, etc.

Watch out
Be careful with your line references and count them
carefully to match the question. You will not get
marks for mentioning points or quotations which
are outside the lines in the extract referred to.

Exam focus ✓
• Don’t worry if you do not recognise all the words in
the text. The glossary will help. If there are words
you still don’t know, carry on reading – you may be
able to use the words around them to help you to
understand the whole extract.
• Make sure you read the whole text – this is important
for Question 4.

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2 SECTION A: READING 5
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Reading texts – non-fiction
This section will use extracts from two non-fiction
texts – one from the 20th century and one from the
21st century.
The extracts in the exam will:
• have an introduction at the top
• have line references along the right-hand side
• have a glossary at the bottom
• be chosen from the following text types:
• articles, reviews, speeches, journals, reference
book extracts
• autobiographies, letters, obituaries and
travel writing.

Which of the text types below could appear in

Paper 1, Paper 2 or not at all?

19th century Newspaper

Review
prose fiction articles

20th century
Speech Poetry
fiction

19th century
Drama Obituary
non-fiction

Letter Email Autobiography

Turn over for the answer.

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 And the answer is …

Paper 1 Paper 2 Neither

19th century Speech Drama
prose fiction Obituary Poetry
Letter Email
Review 19th century
non-fiction
Newspaper article 20th century
Autobiography fiction

century
In Paper 2 you will read 20th century and 21st
y fiction.
non-fiction. In Paper 1 you will read 19th centur

Watch out
You will need to write about both texts in
Question 7. Think about different ways the two
text types are conveying the same idea and how
this can be an interesting comparison.

Exam focus ✓
• The introduction at the top of each text will usually
tell you the text type. This will help you to think about
why and how the writer has made choices of language
and structure to influence and engage the reader.
• Think about who the intended readers might be and
how successful the writer has been in conveying their
ideas to these readers.
• Revise the features of each text type on cards 51–54.

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1 2 SECTION A: READING 6
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Assessment Objective 1
In the exam, you will be tested on different skills in
different questions. These are called Assessment
Objectives (AOs).
AO1 questions test your ability to identify
and explain. They ask you for key and precise
information from the text. This should be literal
information, not your interpretation of the text. You
should make accurate and precise statements to
show that you have identified the correct evidence.
You do not need to add any ‘extra’ information
about the writer’s use of language or structure.
When the question allows you to use your own
words, make sure you are precise and answer the
question.
Always make sure you read the AO1
questions carefully. They are likely to ask
you to find the similarities using basic
factual information, not views, ideas,
language or structure.

In Paper 1, AO1 is assessed in short

Questions 1 and 2.
In Paper 2, AO1 is assessed in short
Questions 1, 2, 4 and 5.
Which other question in Paper 2
assesses AO1?
Turn over for the answer.

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 And the answer is …

7 (a)

Examples of AO1 questions

1 In lines 1–6, identify the phrase that explains
why the narrator thought she could get
home before the snow started. (1 mark)
1 In lines 18–27, identify two reasons why the
‘appearance’ is terrifying for new cab drivers.
(2 marks)
The short questions are:
• only on one text
• focused on a short passage from the text
.
• answered with a word, phrase or a reason

Refer to both texts in your answer.

7 (a) The texts are about foreign travel.
What similarities are there between the writers’
experiences of travelling? Use evidence from
both texts to support your answer. (6 marks)

Question 7 (a) in Paper 2 is:

• focused on two texts
• about the whole texts
• answered in full sentences.

Exam focus ✓
For Question 7 (a), always make sure you talk about
both texts equally.

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1 2 SECTION A: READING 7
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Assessment Objective 2
Assessment Objective 2 (AO2) tests your ability
to explain how writers use language and structure
to achieve effects. In both Paper 1 and Paper 2,
AO2 is assessed in Question 3.

3 In lines 9–22, how does the writer use

language and structure to suggest the
narrator’s fear is increasing?
Support your views with reference to
the text.
(6 marks)
3 Analyse how the writer uses language and
structure to interest and engage readers.
Support your views with detailed
reference to the text. (15 marks)

These are examples of

the types of question that
will be used to test this
skill. The first question is a
question from Paper 1 and
the second from Paper 2.

What are the differences between the

AO2 questions in Paper 1 and Paper 2?

Turn over for the answer.

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 And the answer is …

Q3 from Paper 1 is: Q3 from Paper 2 is:

• worth 6 marks • worth 15 marks
• focused on a short • about the whole text.
passage from the text.

how
Question 3 from both papers is focused on
e the reader.
language and structure interest and engag

Answering AO2 questions

Remember to talk about both language and
structure for Question 3 on both papers. You
will not be able to gain high marks without including
both.
You should try to use the correct term (e.g. noun,
simile, opening, short sentence).
On Paper 1, be sure to take your examples from
within the lines given.
Use the whole text to answer.

Watch out
You don’t need to include every feature of language
and structure. Pick the most relevant features and
analyse them with clear reference to the text.

Exam focus ✓
Name the feature if possible (if you can’t remember the
right term, describe it briefly), but you must always
explain what effect is achieved and how.

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2 SECTION A: READING 8
P
r Assessment Objective 3
Assessment Objective 3 (AO3) tests your ability to:
• compare the views put forward in the two
non-fiction texts
• compare the techniques used by the two writers.

Refer to both texts in your answer.

7 (b) Compare how the writers of Text 1 and
Text 2 present their ideas and perspectives
about teenagers.
Support your answer with detailed reference
to the texts. (14 marks)

In Paper 2, AO3 Think about the writer’s

is assessed in viewpoint, the tone of their
Question 7 (b). writing and if they focus on a
particular topic in a different
way than the other writer.
Watch out
Question 7 (b) is at the end of Section A. Make
sure you leave enough time to answer this question.

Questions 7 (a) and 7 (b) both ask you to

discuss two non-fiction texts. What are the
differences between these two questions?

Turn over for the answer.

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 And the answer is …

Question 7 (a) from Question 7 (b) from

Paper 2: Paper 2 is:
• is worth 6 marks • worth 14 marks
• is focused on • focused on similarities
similarities and differences
• requires selecting • focused on comparing
and combining key writers’ ideas and
information (AO1). perspectives (AO3).

You can revise these question

types with Cards 31 and 32.

Answering AO3 questions

You will have already answered three questions
on each text. If Question 7 (b) is relevant to
information you have already used in another
question, you can reuse it in your comparison.
The texts are called Text 1 and Text 2 on the
exam paper – you can refer to them in the same
way to save time.
Think about techniques, ideas, structure and
tone – and organise your paragraphs carefully.
Select short relevant quotations from each text.

Exam focus ✓
Remember to look at the similarities and the
differences between the two texts for Question 7 (b).

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1 2 SECTION A: READING 9
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Assessment Objective 4
Assessment Objective 4 (AO4) tests your ability to
evaluate texts. This means understanding the ideas
and intentions expressed by the writer and forming a
judgement about how successful you think the text is.

4 In this extract, there is an attempt to build tension.

Evaluate how successfully this is achieved.
Support your views with detailed
reference to the text. (15 marks)

In Paper 1, AO4 is assessed in Question 4.

6 Bill Bryson attempts to entertain the reader through

his description of hotels and guest houses.
Evaluate how successfully this is achieved.
Support your views with detailed
reference to the text. (15 marks)

In Paper 2, AO4 is assessed in Question 6.

Look at the two questions above. They ask

you to look at a particular aspect of the
text. Which words in each question tell you
what aspect of the text to focus on?
Turn over for the answer.

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 And the answer is …

Question 4 is about ‘an attempt to build tension’.

Question 6 is about ‘an attempt to entertain
the reader through description of hotels and
guest houses’.

the writer
Always remember to refer to the success of
tion.
in your response – this is part of the evalua

Answering AO4 questions

Consider aspects of setting, issues, themes
and events from across the whole text.
You do not need to refer to any language
features but you do need to use relevant
quotations from the text to support your
answer. For example, you could say, ‘The writer
successfully creates tension when he describes
the “creeping horror” which shows that the
narrator is slowly becoming more frightened.’
You can give your own critical opinion but only
if you back it up with a strong explanation.
Remember these texts have been published and
are usually written by established writers.
Try to use evaluative language such as
‘the writer successfully…’ or ‘the writer
effectively…’ and explain why it works well.

Exam focus ✓
Make sure that you focus on how well the writer has
achieved an effect rather than just how.

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1 2 SECTION A: READING 10
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Reading the questions
Read each question on the exam paper very carefully.
• Focus on the key words in the question.
Underline them.
• Check if you are being asked to write about
particular lines in the extract. If so, draw a box
around them on the source text.
• Check the number of marks – know your timings.

Refer to both texts in your answer.

7 (b) Compare how the writers of Text 1
and Text 2 present their ideas and
perspectives about foreign travel.
Support your answer with detailed
reference to the texts. (14 marks)

Look at the question above.

1 How many texts should you write about?
2 Does it require you to consider the
whole text or a particular section?
3 What are the key words in the question?
4 Does this require a long or a short
answer?
Turn over for the answer.

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 And the answer is …

1 Both (two) texts

2 The whole of each text
3 ‘Compare’, ‘ideas and perspectives’,
‘foreign travel’
4 Long answer
exam.
See Cards 2 and 3 for more on timings in the

Key terms
Underline any key terms in the question. It will help
you keep your answer relevant.
Make sure you write
3 In lines 4–12, how about both language
does the writer and structure.
use language and
structure to show You must explain how
the narrator’s anger? the writer achieves
Support your views effects.
with reference to
the text. (6 marks) Pick out the key words
in the question that
tell you which aspect
Use quotations of the text to focus
to support your on. Make sure you use
explanations. them in your answer.

Exam focus ✓
Read all the questions before you start writing. This will
help you with your timings.

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