REALLY IMPORTANT!!! Elle's Question - What exactly are we meant to write? A 6 point guide.

A 6 point guide to answering section B.

As you can see from the example answers I posted earlier, you are trying to find a series of points that relate to your particular theme in each of the three authors you choose to answer about.

Follow this process, and you won't go far wrong.

1. Know each of your texts well enough that you can find relevant parts easily. You don't need to know all kinds to say about them yet, you just need to remain clam enough to find your evidence once you're in the exam. 

Done that? Onto 2....

2. Have a look at your choice of 2 questions, and pick the theme you think you can write most about, or the theme that links the three texts best. Don't faff about too much. Make the decision and go.

Ok so far? Onto 3...

3. Get your highlighter/pencil out and skim through your key texts. Obviously I'm not talking about whole chapters here. Skim read until you find the good bits. Then, look for the following:

*Structural techniques which link to theme in the question
*Lexical choices which link to the theme in the question
*Imagery that links to the theme in the question.

Remember, for each author, you're probably only going to need about 8 quotes/bits of evidence to comment on.

So, hopefully now you have found your evidence (you can do this author by author if you want). Onto 4...

4. You obviously chose that evidence for a reason, so start formulating it into paragraphs. So, write your paragraphs like this...

POINT - What is the first thing that the first author has done which links to your theme? For example, have they used a particular type of lexis to reflect the theme? Have they used a particular strucutral device to reflect the theme? Have they used particularly strong imagery to relate to the theme?

EVIDENCE - Explain where your evidence is from in the text, then put your quote in.

EXPLAIN (there are many different ways you can make you EXPLAIN good) - What is SO special about this quote? What EXACTLY has the author done (use terminology if possible)? What is the author trying to say? How does it link to the historical context of the text? How does it make you feel?

Then, to make your paragraph as strong as possible, add MORE EVIDENCE and MORE EXPLAIN if possible,

So now you have your first paragraph, what next?

5. Do you have a similar point to make about another author? If so, begin your next paragraph, but begin it with "In the same way, we see a very similar technique used by Tennyson..."

Do you have a point which is so different that it is almost the opposite? If so, begin your next paragraph, but begin it with "Conversely, we see a very different technique used by Tennyson..."

Similarities always look nice and neat, so try and get as many of them in as possible. But differences are OK too.

Last point?

6. Carry on doing this until you've used up all your points. However, make sure you include an equal focus on all three authors. Don't just go mental on one. You'll REALLY lose marks.

Follow this, and you'll be fine.

NW