These resources are the product of my retirement! After years as a teacher, I tutored. Tackling different exam boards, texts and aspects of English I had to develop lots of materials, which I'm hoping will help those of you still at the chalk face.
These resources are the product of my retirement! After years as a teacher, I tutored. Tackling different exam boards, texts and aspects of English I had to develop lots of materials, which I'm hoping will help those of you still at the chalk face.
Using the GCSE 9-1 sample extract question, these 11 extracts and questions have been structured to echo the one provided by the exam board to provide effective revision and exam practice.
From Act 1, scene 2, an extract with a question on Duncan, and a question on the Witches.
If you find this useful, you may wish to buy 15 other exam extracts with questions, or 15 more exam extracts with questions. All provide useful exam practice and revision.
Similar to my free resources on Hard Times & Wuthering Heights, here are three more comprehensions: Dracula, Moriarty,(from Sherlock Holmes) & The Mayor of Casterbridge when he was a travelling worker who auctions his wife. They are similar in that there is a mixture of questions: information recall, vocabulary and language analysis. Each editable sheet also has a descriptive writing task. Suggested answers are also provided. These would be useful to prepare students for the demands of GCSE, as homework tasks, exams, tuition or for 13+ exam practice etc
For CIE Literature, 26 practice papers on Miller’s Crucible, with an extract-based question, though no extract due to copyright, only the reference to the lines at the start and end. There’s also a general question on character or theme, as on the exam paper.
For Eduqas/WJEC, these 34 exam papers have an extract-based question, (but due to copyright no extract,instead there are page and line references from the Penguin paperback edition) There are also 2 additional questions on characters and themes, making 102 questions in all.
This topic has been back in the news with the worry of pupils’ addiction to their phones, leading to anxiety if separated from them. This simple sheet asks pupils to argue their case, giving a few suggested points to consider, a reminder of rhetorical devices to include and reminders about proof-reading. It may be useful to promote discussion, as well as structured writing to argue a case.
A straight-forward comprehension on South Africa’s first black national team rugby captain who led his squad to World Cup victory in Japan in 2019. There are references to apatheid and to Kolisi’s intentions to help his country. Questions include information retrieval, vocabulary and interpretation. There are suggested answers and a descriptive writing task.
There are no pictures for copyright reasons.
Each of these 5 comprehensions has a variety of questions on information recall, vocabulary, language etc, with suggested answers and a choice of three writing tasks. The topics are: The Artful Dodger, Miss Haversham, Miss Murdstone, Mr Bounderby and Marley’s Ghost. They are similar to my free resource on Hard Times
Suggested marks are given too so they may serve as an exam or holiday homework.
24 exam papers on 1984. As the text remains in copyright, just the location of the extract is indicated, with one question on the extract, and one on themes and characters in the novel, as in the exam. These are designed to provide exam practice and effective revision for those studying for the Cambridge IGCSE Literature exam.
A comprehension exercise from the start of the novel with questions on vocabulary, language use, information recall and inference. Suggested answers are provided. There are also three writing tasks.
A few straightforward exercises, with answers, looking at the Latin roots bi, tri, quad and penta. might be useful as a starter task or part of general work on vocabulary.
Newspaper article about cash machines in the East End now using Cockney Rhyming Slang. Comprehension questions-vocabulary, information retrieval and language analysis, writing tasks, grammar tasks, ( its/it’s & semi-colons in lists) and answer sheet.
For CIE Literature, 20 practice papers on Dickens’ Great Expectations, part 1 (chapters 1-19). Each paper has an extract, extract-based question and a general question on character or theme, as on the exam itself.
For CIE IGCSE Literature, 18 practice papers on Dickens’s ‘Great Expectations’ Part 2. Each paper has an extract, extract question and general question on character or theme, as in the exam.
For CIE Literature, 22 practice papers on Great Expectations, Part 3. Each paper has an extract and extract-based question and a general question on character or theme, as on the exam itself.
A comprehension about Caroline Norton who successfully campaigned to improve the lives of women in Victorian times.
Questions include vocabulary, information retrieval and language analysis.
Suggested answers are provided too!
Although now virtually unknown, she was quite a celebrity in her lifetime and her achievements are, I think, worth celebrating.
Written for KS3 students, it might also be a useful introduction to KS4 students looking at the situation of Victorian women or as a resource for International Women’s Day.
For CIE literature, 24 practice papers on To Kill A Mockingbird, part 1. Each paper has an extract-based question, with the extract reference, and a general question on character or theme as in the sample exam paper. it is not possible to give the extract in full
