This book is a superb all-in-one guide to success GCSE English Language and English Literature - GCSE English 2003
Warm-up Questions
Section Two — Writing Literature Essays
It may seem like warm-up questions have very little to do with the kinds of questions you'll have answer in the exam, but you're wrong. They test you on essential knowledge that you will need order to get a decent mark, so make sure you don't go on until you can answer all of them.
Warm-up Questions
1) Which two subjects are literature questions most likely to be on? Pick two:
a) the writer's life story
b) the writer's message
c) the writer's style
d) the characters.
2) Say whether each of these is good advice or bad advice:
a) Always do the first question on the exam paper.
b) Always do a question on a book you haven't read.
c) Always do a question which gives you lots of ideas on what to write about.
d) Always do a question on a book you know really well, even if you don't understand what the question's asking for.
3) Describe one good way of writing an essay plan.
4) Should your introduction be:
a) Short, giving a basic idea of what you're going to say in your essay? b) Long and detailed so you don't have to write as much in the essay?
5) How many ideas should you cover in each paragraph of your essay?
6) What should you say in your conclusion?
7) Go back to pages 13 and 14 and draw a flow chart of the five steps for tackling a literature question. Then memorise it. Then draw it from memory.
8) Copy out the following description and underline everything in it which tells you what Jason is like:
Jason groaned and rolled over on the grey and greasy sheets. He reached out a thick, hairy hand and grabbed the alarm clock. He battered it against the floorboards five times before he realised that it wasn't the alarm clock ringing but the phone. He picked it up and barked, "What the hell do you want?" then slammed the receiver down and collapsed back onto his pillow. He sighed deeply. The phone began to ring again. Without looking, Jason reached down for the cord and wrenched it out of the wall.
9) Write a paragraph explaining what Jason is like, using evidence from above.
10) Write down at least three things that could motivate a character.
11) Write down a definition for each of these words:
a) motivate
b) manipulate
c) revenge
12) What's a third person narrator? Which characters' thoughts and feelings can they describe?
13) What's a first person narrator? Which characters' thoughts and feelings can they describe?
14) Should you believe everything a first person narrator says?