Revising for English Language 1
Revising for English
Language
1
GCSE English Language:
Exam Dates
• Tuesday 6th June (am) – English Language Paper 1
(Explorations in Creative Reading and Writing)
• Monday 12th June (am) – English Language Paper 2
(Writers’ Viewpoints and Perspectives)
General Revision Tips
• Create a revision timetable
• Plan in times for breaks
• Don’t try to do too much all at once – little and often is
best
• Reduce notes and tips in books into shorter note form
• Create a mindmap or set of index cards with timings, key
skills and top tips for every question
Paper 1 Question 1
• Pick up a novel and choose a paragraph in the first
chapter
• List 4 things that you learn from that paragraph
• Do this over and over with different texts
PARENTS: you can help by
ensuring that there are novels
available at home for students
to read. Encourage them to visit
the school library!
Paper 1 Question 2
• Create flashcards of language terminology
• On one side, write the name of the device
• On the other, write an example and/or definition
PARENTS: you can help by
testing students on these terms.
How many can they remember
without looking at the back of
the card?
Paper 1 Question 3
• Read the opening page of a novel
• Identify:
a) What the writer focuses your attention on at the beginning
b) How this focus changes
c) Any structural features that are interesting – e.g. the end
links back to the beginning, a focus is repeated, there is a
journey
PARENTS: you can help by reading
the same text and discussing the
structure: think about what the writer
is focusing your attention on and why
Paper 1 Question 4
• Use the English Department Revision site (password:
English) to complete a practice question
• Spend 15 minutes reading the text
• Spend 20 minutes writing your answer
PARENTS: you can help by
reading the same text and
discussing the statement. Do
you agree with what has been
said about the text?
Paper 1 Question 5
• Find an interesting image online (try ‘Ten Best
Photographs of the Day’ on the Guardian website)
• Print the picture and circle 5 different things to focus on
(e.g. in this picture: the buildings, the bridge, the snow on
the ground, the man in the foreground, the frozen cars)
• Write a description of the scene, giving each paragraph a
different focus
PARENTS: you can help by reading
their response and sharing with them
the words and phrases you like best.
Paper 2 Question 1
• Pick an interesting newspaper article (don’t forget you
can access them online)
• Write your own True or False question – 4 true and 4
false statements
• Set it out like the real exam so they have to shade the
‘True’ boxes
PARENTS: you can help by
answering their questions and
letting them mark you out of 4!
Paper 2 Question 2
• Practise retrieving information from a pre-1900 text
• Use dickensletters.com
• Choose a letter written by Charles Dickens
• Rewrite it in modern English to show your understanding
PARENTS: you can help by
browsing this website too and
reading the letters together
Paper 2 Question 3
• Pick up a newspaper article
• Annotate all the language devices in the article
• You could use your Paper 1 Question 2 flashcards to
help
PARENTS: you can help by
printing or tearing out an
interesting news article every
week
Paper 2 Question 4
• Practise identifying a writer’s thoughts, feelings and
attitudes in a text
• Read an autobiography and keep a log of all the
thoughts, feelings and attitudes the writer shows
• You could focus specifically on one key event in their life
PARENTS: you can help by
reading the same autobiography
and discussing the writer’s
thoughts and emotions
Paper 2 Question 5
• Choose a topic that interests you
• It could be the topic you spoke about in class for your
speaking and listening
• Write an article for a broadsheet newspaper where you
explain and argue your views on the topic
• Remember to use a headline, strapline and a voice
appropriate for an adult audience
PARENTS: you can help by
planning ideas together before
they start writing
English exam tips in a nutshell
Read the texts thoroughly
Read every word on the exam
paper
Don’t slip up on SPAG
Perfect your timing: answer
all the questions