The statements and questions in this grid about Bao Ninh’s novel “The Sorrow of War” were provided by real sixth-form students, with development in the brackets being provided by me. The third column in the chart is left blank so that your students can fill in their own responses to the ideas. It may be prudent to print this on A3 paper so that students have sufficient space to write, and/or upload a copy to your school’s VLE so that students can download and type directly onto a digital copy. Excellent for revision.

This worksheet/activity is great for revision, and can be filled out as students encounter characters upon first reading/throughout their initial reading of the play, or completed retrospectively. It has been filled in with the names of characters from Brian Friel’s play “Translations” but could be easily adapted/used for other plays. Students are encouraged to make notes on multiple features including the characters’ attitudes, impact on them as readers, and how the characters speak. I usually print one copy of this out on A4 and then blow it up to A3 size to give students more space to write. It can also be uploaded to your school’s VLE so that students can download extra copies if they need it (or if they prefer to type onto a digital copy).

This worksheet/activity is designed for MA-HA A Level/IB English A students. It provides the references made in the play to characters from classical literature/mythology, in the order in which they are mentioned in the play, so is a great resource for revision. Students can work in class or at home to locate the quotation where the character is mentioned (if they put act/scene numbers this helps their essay-writing/referencing skills generally). Students are then encouraged to explain the significance of this being included (this column in the chart could be an extension task for those of higher ability, or all students could be asked to do it). Prompts are included to help students with the explanation/aid differentation.

This weblog pack consists of a compilation of blog entries which appeared online on a variety of websites after certain Enid Blyton books were reissued with changes to characters' names (e.g. Jo-> Joe) and actions (Dame Slap apparently only snaps now). The blog pack can be issued in its entirety to each child or it can be divided up and individual blog entries given to students according to their level of English (the entries vary in length and complexity). The blog entries also present a variety of viewpoints. A great way to discuss language change with secondary students of all ages alongside other topics such as revisionism. Possible questions for students include: Why are people so demonstrably upset by the changes? Is their protest reasonable (why/why not)? Is it right to change parts of an author’s work once it has been published (why/why not)?

The questions in this file are replicated multiple times to ease printing, photocopying and distribution. They deal with affirmations made by Barabas and Ferneze in this scene and require students to justify their answers with evidence from Act 5 scene 1, as well as from elsewhere in the play where appropriate. Students could be given one or both questions either to respond to with short answers or to expand/develop into an essay.

This list of questions is intended for students studying Christopher Marlowe’s play “The Jew of Malta”. The questions can be given to students before or after watching the Grandfather Films production of the play, with the understanding either way that they make notes throughout their viewing of the film. The questions include topics such as possible cuts that could be made, the chronology of the film, and the casting. The questions could therefore be used by students of English, Drama, or Film Studies. There are three copies of the questions per page, for ease of printing, photocopying and distribution.

These comprehension questions were designed for MA-HA (I)GCSE students studying Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s poem “If Thou Must Love Me”. They could be used in groups or alone in class, or as homework. They would also be good as a revision activity or if you need cover work. The questions could also be split up and used in class using a carousel format. Extension questions are included, especially regarding the poem’s form, and contextual knowledge surrounding the poet’s husband, Robert Browning. Two copies of the questions are included per sheet of paper to ease printing, photocopying and distribution.

This worksheet was designed for use by MA-HA (I)GCSE students learning about Hopkins’ poem “The Caged Skylark”. The grid on the sheet encourages them to identify techniques and imagery used to compare the man and skylark, and to cite examples using line numbers. There is also room for students to expand upon their observations, which could be used as extension. This activity could be completed in groups or alone in class, used as homework, or completed for revision.

This worksheet covers techniques used in parts 1 and 2 of Stephen Crane’s short story “The Open Boat”. It was designed for MA-HA (I)GCSE students. Students are encouraged to match literary and linguistic techniques with their definitions before filling out a table that shows they can identify these techniques being used within the text, as well as finding quotations to support them. A third column is included in the table by way of extension, with students being asked to explain the effect this has if they can.

These comprehension tasks in relation to Jhumpa Lahiri’s short story “The Third and Final Continent” were designed for MA-HA (I)GCSE students. They could be completed in class or alone as short-answer tasks, or used as revision or homework. Alternatively, different questions could be assigned to small groups and developed into a presentation; or, if you would prefer a longer/more detailed answer, individual questions can be set as essays. The questions require students to find evidence from the text to support their answers and focus mainly on cultural contexts and differences, and character development. Multiple copies of the questions fill the page for ease of printing, photocopying and distribution.

This resource is designed to be printed and laminated so that students can match techniques and quotations from TS Eliot’s poem “Rhapsody on a Windy Night”. It was designed for IB Diploma Programme English Language & Literature students (so KS5) but could be used with able KS4 students too. After completing the activity students can be given a non-laminated version of the file to keep (all techniques are aligned with the correct answers). Techniques covered include anaphora, personification, themes, and iambic rhythm. Great as a starter or main activity.

This would make a good revision activity for A Midsummer Night’s Dream, or is useful if you need to teach the play within a short space of time or need to set cover work. It is aimed at high-ability KS3 but could also be used with KS4. The extracts used focus on the moments that show Oberon realising Puck’s mistake, and fixing the problem. The extracts do not deal with other extracts/themes from the play. After reading the extracts (which I would recommend doing aloud, whether as a class or in small groups), there are questions for the students to complete (which could also be done in a carousel or other format if you prefer, or students can sit down and write). A short glossary is provided.

This is a useful worksheet to be used as part of a wider selection of class activities or if you need cover work. It defines concrete, abstract and proper nouns, and then gives students a selection to sort into a chart (provided). Five should then be chosen and used in students’ own sentences. Depending on where you are, you could either remove the example of ‘God’ or use it as a stimulus for debate (proper or abstract, or both?). This latter activity could also segue nicely into a lesson on discursive or argumentative writing. This activity is aimed at KS3 but has a broad range of appeal depending on your students’ needs: it could for example be used with able KS2s or with KS4s who lack grammatical knowledge.

This activity has 3 separate parts. After eliciting a class definition of idioms from students, the worksheet requires them to match idioms with their true meanings. Interesting discussion could follow, not just to correct the answers, but to explain how they knew/guessed if they were unsure. Students can then write sentences using the idioms before developing their ideas into a story (more than one idiom could be used in the story - e.g. through dialogue - or one idiom could be developed more thoroughly into a narrative). This was originally made to use with KS3 but could also be used with able KS2s.

This worksheet/activity is designed to follow on from a lesson covering the poem’s content. Once students have understood its content, the sheet can be used. The first task encourages students to match techniques found in the poem with definitions. (Students can also find examples from the poem once they are done.) Suggested follow-up activities, mentioned on the sheet, include inviting students to guess information about the poem’s time period and author, and asking students to explain why the literary/linguistic techniques are used (with sentence stems included to start them off). Aimed at MA-HA KS3 but could also be used with KS4.

Students can work in teams or alone to find quotes that show how Lloyd feels about Dinah (or the other way around), and write these into the evidence column on the chart. In the explanation column they should explain what this tells us. An extension question is also provided to stretch and challenge your more able students. Aimed at KS3.

This chart helps students to identify techniques used by Gillian Cross in chapters 2 and 3 of The Demon Headmaster. Alliteration and assonance are the most obvious ones to focus on but this can be adapted according to your students’ existing skills (other possibilities include repetition, emphasis, metaphors and imperatives). Students also have space to give examples/quotes to support their ideas. Higher ability students are encouraged to fill in the third column to explain the effects of the techniques used. Aimed at MA-HA KS3 students.

This file consists of 9 questions in relation to poems 4-6 from Simon Armitage’s Black Roses collection. (The questions are repeated twice on one page in the file for easy printing/cutting out/distribution). Students could complete these in small groups or on their own. These were devised for a sixth-form group of EAL students. However, they could be used in KS4 as well (not sure I would recommend for KS3 as the content of the Black Roses collection could be disturbing for children who are too young).

This worksheet was designed for use with KS4 but could also be used with KS3. It is designed to help students differentiate between key factors that may change when delivering a speech for 2 different audiences on the same topic, such as duration and tone. The two audiences in question in this case are Grade 9/Year 10 students and senior staff/headteacher, but could of course be changed.

This resource consists of an article written in the Independent in 2011, plus accompanying comprehension questions which I created. It was originally used with EAL 6th-formers but could be used throughout KS4 and KS5, not just in English but also in politics lessons. The questions range from asking students to define extremism and terrorism, encouraging student understanding of policy-making, and inviting student opinion on aspects of policy.