YEAR 10 MOCK EXAMS 2016

GCSE ENGLISH LANGUAGE

GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE

REVISION & INFORMATION BOOKLET

AQA GCSE ENGLISH LANGUAGE 2015-16

GCSE ENGLISH LANGUAGE OVERVIEW

In Year 11, you will sit two exams in English Language.

For the Year 10 mock, you will only sit one exam in English Language.

This is a brand new qualification – you are the first pupils in the school to take this GCSE.

Everybody sits the same paper – there is no higher / foundation entry.

There is no coursework in this GCSE – your whole grade is based on your exam performance.

You will have no books with you in the exam to help you.

THE GCSE ENGLISH LANGUAGE Y10 MOCK EXAM

In Year 11, you will sit two exams in English Language. In this mock, you will only sit one exam. This

is called “Paper 1”.

You have not practised this English Language paper in class before, and therefore it will be

completely new to you. The exam tests your reading and writing skills only – skills that you have

been practising since you started school!

Paper 1 is split into 2 sections: Section A, Reading, and Section B, Writing.

Try to answer ALL of the questions for Section A. The questions increase in difficulty.

Answer only one of the questions for Section B.

The mock exam is 1 hour and 45 minutes long:

o Spend about 15 minutes reading through the questions and the fiction extract

o Spend about 45 minutes answering the questions in Section A – Reading

o Spend about 5 minutes planning your writing for Section B

o Spend about 35 writing your answer to Section B

o Spend about 5 minutes checking your writing for accuracy

QUESTION STRUCTURE

Section A – Reading

You will be asked to read a piece of fiction and answer questions about it. Answer all the questions.

You could be asked to:

List facts about the text

Decide whether statements about the text are true or false

Analyse the writer’s use of language

Analyse the writer’s use of structure

Decide to what extent you agree with a statement

Section B – Writing

You will be asked to write something. You will be given a choice of questions. Answer only one question.

You could be asked to:

Write part of a story

Write a description

Write in response to a picture

WHAT WE EXPECT YOU TO BE ABLE TO DO AT THIS STAGE OF THE GCSE:

1. You MUST try to answer all of the questions in Section A, using quotations to support your answers

when necessary

2. You MUST try to write at least 5 paragraphs in response to Section B

3. You SHOULD be able to pick out some examples of language features

4. You MIGHT be able to pick out some structural features

5. You SHOULD be able to agree and/or disagree with a statement, and give a reason why

REMEMBER TO…

Read the questions carefully

Use the line numbers to help you

Support your ideas with quotations

Check your writing for accuracy and paragraphs

WHAT ARE “LANGUAGE FEATURES”

For Section A of the exam, you will be asked to analyse the “writer’s use of language”.

This means that you need to explain why the writer chose to use different words, sentences or

techniques. You need to explain the effect of these choices on the reader.

You can also use these language features in your own writing in Section B.

SOME LANGUAGE FEATURES YOU MIGHT FIND USED IN A PIECE OF WRITING:

You can practise explaining the effects of features by completing the empty boxes.

LANGUAGE FEATURE

DEFINITION & EXAMPLE POSSIBLE EFFECT

What is the effect of the language features used?

Adjective A word that describes a noun: The grey, old building.

The writer’s use of adjectives makes the building seem depressing and neglected.

Verb A word that defines an action: He stumbled and tripped.

The writer’s use of verbs makes the man seem clumsy and awkward.

Adverb Often used to describe verbs: He stumbled and tripped frequently.

The writer’s use of the adverb suggests that the man is really struggling to walk.

Noun A person, place or thing: The gang finally arrived.

The writer’s use of the noun makes the people seem like a group of friends. It also sounds a little threatening.

Alliteration Groups of words that start with the same sound: The tall trees trembled…

Simile A comparison using “as” or “like”: …as white as snow.

Metaphor

A comparison where one things is described as actually being another: The teacher was a real dragon.

Senses

Use of smell, taste, touch, hearing or sight – but especially sounds and smells: The thick tarry smoke and rattle of chains filled the air…

WHAT ARE “STRUCTURAL FEATURES”

For Section A of the exam, you will be asked to analyse the “writer’s use of structure”.

This means that you need to explain why the writer chose to order and organise their writing in

certain ways.

You can also use these structural features in your own writing in Section B.

SOME STRUCTURAL FEATURES YOU MIGHT FIND USED IN A PIECE OF WRITING:

You can practise explaining the effects of features by completing the empty boxes.

STRUCTURAL FEATURE

DEFINITION or EXAMPLE POSSIBLE EFFECT

What is the effect of the language features used?

Short sentence / paragraphs

He dropped his gun. The writer’s use of a short sentence makes the event seem sudden, dramatic and more important.

Lists The wind blew, the rain fell, and temperature dropped…

Repeated ideas An image, phrase or idea is used more than once in a piece of writing.

Zoom in

The writer might start with a general description of something, and then focus on specific, important details.

Linear / chronological structure

Events happen in time order so that they make sense. Most texts are written this way.

Non-linear Events do not happen in time order. Flashbacks or memories might be used.

Building suspense and tension

Events at the start of the writing are calm and ‘normal’, but become more and more exciting and unusual.

Ellipsis The use of ‘…’

Introductions and conclusions

Opening paragraphs might introduce new ideas with general information; conclusions might summarise events.

Cliff-hanger The writing ends without explaining fully what happens next.

AQA GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE 2015-16

GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE OVERVIEW

In Year 11, you will sit two exams in English Literature.

For the Year 10 mock, you will only sit one exam in English Literature.

This is a brand new qualification – you are the first pupils in the school to take this GCSE.

Everybody sits the same paper – there is no higher / foundation entry.

There is no coursework in this GCSE – your whole grade is based on your exam performance.

You will have no books with you in the exam to help you.

THE GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE Y10 MOCK EXAM

In Year 11, you will sit two exams in English Literature. In this mock, you will only sit one exam.

This is called “Paper 1”.

Paper 1 tests your knowledge of Romeo and Juliet, and The Sign of Four.

The exam question paper contains questions for lots of other texts. ONLY ANSWER 2 QUESTIONS –

One on Romeo and Juliet, the other on The Sign of Four. Do not answer any other questions.

The mock exam is 1 hour and 45 minutes long:

o Spend about 5 minutes planning for Section A, Romeo and Juliet.

o Spend about 45 minutes writing your answer to Section A, Romeo and Juliet.

o Spend about 5 minutes planning for Section B, The Sign of Four.

o Spend about 45 minutes writing your answer to Section B, The Sign of Four.

o Spend about 5 minutes checking your work for mistakes.

QUESTION STRUCTURE

The GCSE English Literature mock exam questions look just like the assessment questions you

completed earlier in the year.

The question structure is exactly the same for both Section A, Romeo and Juliet, and Section B, The

Sign of Four.

You will be given an extract to read, and then a question to answer.

WHAT WE EXPECT YOU TO BE ABLE TO DO AT THIS STAGE OF THE GCSE:

6. You MUST try to answer the question, using quotations from the extract to support your ideas.

7. You SHOULD try to refer to other points in the text, even if you don’t use quotations

8. You COULD try to use quotations from other points in the text to support your ideas

9. You MIGHT be able to refer to the context of the texts to help answer the question

REMEMBER TO…

Read the question carefully

Plan your answer

Write an introduction and a conclusion

Use quotations to support your ideas

This tells you the part of text that the extract is from

This part tells you what to do

This is an EXTRACT – a small section - from the text

THIS IS THE QUESTION YOU NEED TO ANSWER

These bullet points give you extra advice

ROMEO AND JULIET REVISION

You are not allowed to take copies of Romeo and Juliet into the exam.

You will have only the EXTRACT to help you.

To access the higher grades, you will need to choose relevant quotations from other parts of the

text to show that you understand more of the text than just the extract.

Here is a small selection of quotations from the play.

Which theme(s) do they best link to? Tick the appropriate boxes.

ROMEO AND JULIET QUOTATION CONFLICT LOVE FATE /

FORTUNE FAMILY

BENVOLIO Part fools! Put up your swords, you know not what you do.

TYBALT What, drawn and talk of peace? I hate the word…

ROMEO Love is a smoke made with the fumes of sighs

CAPULET My child… hath not seen the change of fourteen years

BENVOLIO Go thither, and with unattainted eye / Compare her face

JULIET It is an honour that I dream not of

JULIET My only love sprung from my only hate!

ROMEO But soft, what light through yonder window breaks?

FRIAR …this alliance may…turn your household’s rancour to pure love

MERCUTIO I am hurt. A plague o’both houses!

ROMEO I am fortune’s fool!

CAPULET …go with Paris to Saint Peter’s Church / Or I will drag thee…

ROMEO O true apothecary! / Thy drugs are quick. Thus with a kiss I die.

JULIET O happy dagger / This is thy sheath; there rust, and let me die.

THE SIGN OF FOUR REVISION

You are not allowed to take copies of The Sign of Four into the exam.

You will have only the EXTRACT to help you.

To access the higher grades, you will need to choose relevant quotations from other parts of the

text to show that you understand more of the text than just the extract.

THE SIGN OF FOUR QUOTATION HOLMES

AS A DETECTIVE

WATSON’S ATTITUDE

TO HOLMES

MYSTERY AND

TENSION

MARY MORSTAN

‘Holmes alone could rise superior to petty influences.’

‘There was, to my mind, something eerie and ghostlike in the endless process of faces which flitted across these narrow bars of light…’

‘Detection is, or ought to be, an exact science, and should be treated in the same cold and unemotional manner.’

‘A client is to me a mere unit, a factor in a problem.’

‘Observation tells me you have been to the Wigmore Street Post Office this morning…deduction lets me know that when there you dispatched a telegram.’

‘Eliminate all other factors, and the one which remains must be the truth.’

‘You really are an automaton – a calculating machine…There is something positively inhuman in you…’

Her expression was sweet and amiable…spiritual and sympathetic…I have never looked upon a face which gave a clearer promise of a refined and sensitive nature.

The features were set, however, in a horrible smile, a fixed and unnatural grin, which in that still and moonlit room was more jarring to the nerves than any scowl or contortion

So swift, silent and furtive were his movements, like those of a trained bloodhound picking out a scent, that I could not but think what a terrible criminal he would have made had he turned his energy and sagacity against the law instead of exerting them in its defence

‘She…had a decided genius that way…and might have been most useful in such work as we have been doing.’

‘Strange,’ said I, ‘how terms of what in another man I should call laziness alternate with your fits of splendid energy and vigour.’

‘…whatever is emotional is opposed to that true cold reason which I place above all things.’

‘My mind’ he said, ‘rebels at stagnation. Give me problems, give me work, give me the most abstruse cryptogram, or the most intricate analysis, and I am in my proper element…But I abhor the dull routine of existence. I crave for mental exaltation.’

‘After the angelic fashion of women, she had borne trouble with a calm face as long as there was someone weaker than herself to support.’