AQA A-Level English Literature
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14 study areas
About the course2 topics
Literary genres2 topics
- Aspects of tragedy42 objectives
- Aspects of tragedy - Set texts: Shakespeare6 objectives
- Aspects of tragedy - Set texts: Drama and further texts18 objectives
- Aspects of comedy54 objectives
- Aspects of comedy - Set texts: Shakespeare6 objectives
- Aspects of comedy - Set texts: Drama and further texts18 objectives
Texts and genres5 study areas
Theory and independence1 topic
Assessment and exam guidance
Assessment Objectives
Articulate informed, personal and creative responses to literary texts, using associated concepts and terminology, and coherent, accurate written expression.
Analyse ways in which meanings are shaped in literary texts.
Demonstrate understanding of the significance and influence of the contexts in which literary texts are written and received.
Explore connections across literary texts.
Explore literary texts informed by different interpretations.
Exam Structure
Theory and independence
Not stated
Duration
50
Marks
20%
Weighting
Literary genres
2h 30m
Duration
75
Marks
40%
Weighting
Texts and genres
3h
Duration
75
Marks
40%
Weighting
Tips and common mistakes
Common Exam Mistakes
Pitfalls to avoid in your exams
- •Treating genre as a fixed checklist and judging a text mainly by whether it contains expected features; instead, discuss how conventions are used, combined or challenged and what that achieves.
- •Listing genre features without linking them to meaning; instead, select one or two conventions and analyse their effects in detail.
- •Assuming a single correct genre label exists for every text; instead, acknowledge competing classifications and evaluate which reading is most illuminating and why.
- •Claiming a set text is a classic example of a genre without evidence; instead, specify which elements are present and how fully they are developed.
- •Ignoring the qualifying phrases and forcing every text into one genre; instead, use the wording to explore partial or mixed generic identity.
- •Treating 'elements of' as a weakness in the text; instead, analyse how selective use of conventions shapes meaning and reader response.
- •Treating genre as a fixed checklist and ignoring moments where the text breaks the rules; instead, identify the convention and then analyse the departure.
- •Assuming that subversion always means criticism or rejection; instead, consider that it may be playful, affectionate or used to refresh a genre.
Top Examiner Tips
Expert advice for exam success
- •Anchor every generic claim in a short quotation or precise textual detail, then explain how that detail signals, modifies or disrupts a convention.
- •Use hedging and comparison language such as 'can be read as', 'draws on' and 'complicates' to show that genre boundaries are porous.
- •When a question invites debate, briefly set two possible generic readings against each other and argue for the more persuasive one.
- •Quote or paraphrase the specification's phrasing when framing an argument about a text's partial generic fit, then test that claim against textual evidence.
- •Prioritise depth over breadth: analyse two or three generic elements closely rather than listing many superficially.
- •Where a text mixes genres, structure your argument around the effects of that mixture, such as tension, irony or tonal shift.
- •Plan your response around two or three clear conventions and their subversions, so your argument has a sharp analytical focus.
- •Use precise genre terminology, such as ‘anti-hero’, ‘unreliable narrator’ or ‘open ending’, and immediately explain how the example fits or challenges the term.
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