English Literature

    OCR
    GCSE

    Specification: J352

    English Literature develops your ability to analyse poetry, prose and drama from different eras. You'll explore how writers create meaning through language, structure and form while developing your own critical voice.

    31

    Topics

    0

    Objectives

    124

    Exam Tips

    125

    Pitfalls

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    Study Guides

    2 revision guides for OCR GCSE English Literature

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    Key Features

    • Analyse language and structure
    • Explore context and themes
    • Compare texts effectively
    • Write compelling essays

    What Gets Top Grades

    A*/Grade 9

    Knowledge & Understanding

    Demonstrates comprehensive and accurate knowledge

    • Uses correct subject-specific terminology
    • Shows detailed understanding of concepts
    • Makes accurate connections between topics
    • Demonstrates depth beyond surface-level knowledge

    Application

    Applies knowledge effectively to new contexts

    • Selects relevant knowledge for the question
    • Adapts understanding to unfamiliar scenarios
    • Uses examples appropriately
    • Shows awareness of context

    Analysis & Evaluation

    Develops sophisticated analytical arguments

    • Constructs logical chains of reasoning
    • Considers multiple perspectives
    • Weighs evidence to reach justified conclusions
    • Acknowledges limitations and nuances

    Key Command Words

    OCR
    State
    1 mark

    Give a single fact or term

    Identify
    1 mark

    Name or select

    Describe
    2-4 marks

    Account of process or features

    Explain
    3-6 marks

    Give reasons with BUSINESS-FACING outcomes

    Analyse
    6-9 marks

    Examine methodically showing cause→effect→outcome

    Evaluate
    9-12 marks

    Judge, weigh up evidence, reach SYNOPTIC conclusion

    Common Exam Mistakes

    Pitfalls to avoid in your exams

    • •Treating characters as real people rather than functional constructs (e.g., criticizing Sheila's behavior without noting her role as the proxy for the younger generation)
    • •Listing historical facts (Titanic, WWII) without linking them to specific textual themes or audience reception
    • •Describing the plot or character arcs without analyzing the writer's methods (AO2)
    • •Failing to conclude the argument, leaving the essay as a series of disconnected points
    • •Treating the 'Wasteground' scenes as irrelevant interludes rather than analyzing their symbolic function regarding childhood and memory.
    • •Confusing the chronology due to the non-linear structure, leading to incoherent character tracking.
    • •Asserting context (e.g., 'women had no rights') without nuance or specific textual evidence regarding the characters' specific class and era.
    • •Describing the plot of the 'secret' (Rosie's parentage) without analyzing the dramatic tension it creates.

    Top Examiner Tips

    Expert advice for exam success

    • •Memorize 'portable' quotations that serve multiple themes (e.g., 'fire and blood and anguish')
    • •Structure the essay chronologically through the play to demonstrate understanding of character development and structural arcs
    • •Explicitly reference the audience's reaction to demonstrate awareness of the text as a drama (AO2)
    • •Allocate 5 minutes for planning to ensure the argument meets the 'sustained' criteria for Level 5/6
    • •Structure the essay thematically rather than chronologically to handle the time-shifts effectively.
    • •Memorize short, versatile quotations for each of the four women, as this is a closed-book examination.
    • •Explicitly analyse the effect of the 'Wasteground' scenes when discussing childhood or social conditioning.
    • •Ensure the conclusion evaluates the cyclical nature of the mother-daughter relationships presented by Keatley.

    Specification Topics

    31 topics

    An Inspector Calls

    0 objectives4 tips4 pitfalls

    My Mother Said I Never Should

    0 objectives4 tips4 pitfalls

    A Taste of Honey

    0 objectives4 tips4 pitfalls

    Anita and Me

    0 objectives4 tips4 pitfalls

    Never Let Me Go

    0 objectives4 tips4 pitfalls

    Animal Farm

    0 objectives4 tips4 pitfalls

    Lord of the Flies

    0 objectives4 tips4 pitfalls

    A Christmas Carol

    0 objectives4 tips4 pitfalls

    Great Expectations

    0 objectives4 tips4 pitfalls

    Jane Eyre

    0 objectives4 tips4 pitfalls

    Pride and Prejudice

    0 objectives4 tips4 pitfalls

    Frankenstein

    0 objectives4 tips4 pitfalls

    The War of the Worlds

    0 objectives4 tips4 pitfalls

    The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde

    0 objectives4 tips4 pitfalls

    Sonnet 18 (William Shakespeare)

    0 objectives4 tips4 pitfalls

    The Manhunt (Simon Armitage)

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    The Passionate Shepherd to His Love (Christopher Marlowe)

    0 objectives4 tips4 pitfalls

    Death Be Not Proud (John Donne)

    0 objectives4 tips4 pitfalls

    To His Coy Mistress (Andrew Marvell)

    0 objectives4 tips4 pitfalls

    She Walks in Beauty (Lord Byron)

    0 objectives4 tips4 pitfalls

    Remember (Christina Rossetti)

    0 objectives4 tips5 pitfalls

    Valentine (Carol Ann Duffy)

    0 objectives4 tips4 pitfalls

    Nettles (Vernon Scannell)

    0 objectives4 tips4 pitfalls

    A Complaint (William Wordsworth)

    0 objectives4 tips4 pitfalls

    Macbeth

    0 objectives4 tips4 pitfalls

    Romeo and Juliet

    0 objectives4 tips4 pitfalls

    A Midsummer Night's Dream

    0 objectives4 tips4 pitfalls

    The Merchant of Venice

    0 objectives4 tips4 pitfalls

    Much Ado About Nothing

    0 objectives4 tips4 pitfalls

    Henry V

    0 objectives4 tips4 pitfalls

    Unseen Poetry: Analysis and Comparison

    0 objectives4 tips4 pitfalls

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