This is a seven page guide on how to form verbs in the PAST PERFECT tense that use 'être' as their past participle (the HAVE part, e.g. she HAS done). You will need this skill to complete KS3 and almost all GSCE tasks to an A/A* standard. With informal layout and full explanations of what each tense is, and why, with examples, and 48 exercises to try with full answers, this is an essential guide to ensure you can write, read, hear correctly and speak good, full sentences in tasks. This is part 1- how to do the pluperfect tense with verbs that use 'être' is also in the shop. Passive tenses (e.g. they have BEEN seen) will also be covered as they use 'être' too, in another guide. Suitable for revision, a lesson guide or familiarising yourself with French grammar for pupils, teachers, tutors and home schoolers. For ages 11 and upwards and even for primary school students if they are advanced students.

A model essay for Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men on possibly one of the most contentious characters- Curley's wife. Currently at an A03/grade B level, at the end there are tips on how to improve it to an A/A*. Suitable for pupils who are trying to streamline their essays or come up from a C grade, or lesson aid for tutors and homeschoolers.

This is a A/A* grade GCSE English model essay preparation handout covering a topic in the play An Inspector Calls by JB Priestley. In this case it is a discussion of the character of Gerald Croft and how he embodies the themes of the play. It includes points to discuss; themes you should mention in ANY Inspector Calls essays; and quotes- and deviates from the PEE structure. This is because many examiners consider PEE a weak structure for which they can only award AO2/ grade C marks. Great revision/ essay preparation tool that can be adapted for all essays, and useful for those who find the play difficult to follow. It is divided up in how to compile an introduction an essay body and a conclusion. A useful guide for teachers, pupils and tutors/parents who homeschool, with four pages of explanation and themes, and an additional three page section for the addition of relevant quotes and space to make your own analysis/commentary before you start the essay.

This is a four page guide on all the tenses (times in the past present or future) you will need to complete KS3 and almost all GSCE tasks to an A/A* standard. With informal layout and full explanations of what each tense is, and why, with examples, this is an essential guide to ensure you can write, read, hear correctly and speak good, full sentences in tasks. Suitable for revision, a lesson guide or familiarising yourself with Spanish grammar for pupils, teachers, tutors and home schoolers. For ages 11 and upwards and even for primary school students if they are advanced students.

A full in depth analysis of Wilfrid Owen's 'Exposure' poem, part of the 'Conflict' section of the GCSE Anthology. Ten pages long fully annotated with check yourself questions, and further reading recommendations, this guide is perfect for a lesson plan, revision, or getting to grips with this piece of now classic World War I poetry. Pupils, teachers, tutors and parents who are home schooling will find this invaluable. It contains biographical and social context information, themes, symbols, motifs and language structures such as simile, metaphor, rhythm and rhyme, and imagery.

This is the fourth part for the verbal reasoning component of the 11 plus examinations for grammar and selective entrance schools all across the UK. There are 40-42 (including CEM format) possible types of exercise that can turn up on these entrance exams, these are the first quarter. These methods are unique to me and I spent some years with real pupils developing them to the highest possible standard. There is an extra part (5) for exercises added to these tests from 2012 that has been created for exclusive online upload too.s For the CEM 11+ guides please see parts 6 and 7 of our survival guide. This section contains mathematical sequences and skills, short codes and vocabulary exercises. This is for schools that use the NFER Nelson, Nelson Bond or Bond style 11+ verbal reasoning component ONLY. All these sections are/will be available in the shop. The answers are included, with some explanations. For parents, tutors and pupils who'd like to try for grammar or other selective school, each page has a full and friendly explanation of what to do and what tricks and traps to avoid, with sample questions to try at the bottom of each page. Eight pages long and at a bargain price of £2 per section. ***Note that one or two typeos are always deliberately left in the NFer 11+ guides because they are notorious for having mistakes in their exams, one reason why many schools and LEAs are moving to CEM formats. Pupils need to know what it 'feels' like to find an error, to 'know' that examiners are fallible, how not to panic when they find an error as they will be awarded the mark anyway, and just to let the teacher/invigilator know. Parents/tutors do have this explanation ready when your child/pupil attempts these tests. Errors are most common on maths and codes exercises.***

AN EIGHT page guide on this novel, it includes: Examination of the three main themes in the novel and how to use them in essays Biographical detail on the author Historical, literary and social context of the novel With good weblinks to topics that students just starting out at GSCE may not be familiar and ten multiple choice questions to check knowledge and understanding of the text and the guide (with answers) this guide can be read before or after reading the novel. Useful for teachers, tutors and pupils, this can be used as revision, an essay helper or a whole lesson document. Allied to this is part 1 of the analysis of this novel, concerning the characters, in full, also available on this site. This can be used for KS3 or GCSE (11-16 year olds.)

AN EIGHT page guide on this novel, it includes: Examination of all major and minor characters How each character connects to themes (keyworded) in context Links to how and where they appear in the novel With good weblinks to topics that students just starting out at GSCE may not be familiar and ten multiple choice questions to check knowledge and understanding of the text and the guide (with answers) this guide can be read before or after reading the novel. Useful for teachers, tutors and pupils, this can be used as revision, an essay helper or a whole lesson document. Allied to this is part 2 of the analysis of this novel, concerning themes, symbolism and motifs in full, also available on this site. This can be used for KS3 or GCSE (11-16 year olds.)

A full and in-depth EIGHT page up to A* guide on this poem for GCSE students and teachers. It can be used as revision, as a lesson tool, or just to make sense of this classic poem by Seamus Heaney. Fully annotated, with quotes, 'check yourself' questions and further reading, this is an essential guide to one of the most challenging poems of the GCSE anthology- suitable for all exam boards. This goes over biographical and poem context, universal themes (issues the poet tend to address a lot) themes, motifs, symbolism and language. Picture credit: Geoff Rollinson.

This is a four page guide on all the tenses (times in the past present or future) you will need to complete KS3 and almost all GSCE tasks to an A/A* standard. With informal layout and full explanations of what each tense is, and why, with examples, this is an essential guide to ensure you can write, read, hear correctly and speak good, full sentences in tasks. Suitable for revision, a lesson guide or familiarising yourself with French grammar for pupils, teachers, tutors and home schoolers. For ages 11 and upwards and even for primary school students if they are advanced students.

Meant to be used in conjunction with the full guide on these two poems on this site, this is a real essay written by one of our pupils, fully annotated and marked to the highest standard. With full corrections and plenty of friendly tips and advice, marked essays like this are vital to help essay improvement and consistency of response. This essay compares and contrasts 'A Frosty Night' by Robert Graves and 'Catrin' by Gillian Clarke, and was for the WJEC board, but can be used in all syllabi and courses that are doing the 'love and loss' module of the poetry anthology.

A nine page guide on these two poems, it includes: Brief biographies The full poem Language and Literature analysis of both poems (including themes and devices) Analysis of selected quotes from each poem A task to try, typical of school assignments on poetry. Useful for teachers, tutors and pupils, this can be used as revision, an essay helper or a whole lesson document. Allied to this is a fully marked model essay from one of our pupils on this topic, also available on this site.

This is the second part for the verbal reasoning component of the 11 plus examinations for grammar and selective entrance schools all across the UK. There are 40 possible types of exercise that can turn up on these entrance exams, these are the first quarter. These methods are unique to me and I spent some years with real pupils developing them to the highest possible standard. There is an extra part (5) for exercises added to these tests from 2012 that has been created for exclusive online upload too. This is for schools that use the NFER Nelson, Nelson Bond or Bond style 11+ verbal reasoning component ONLY. The CEM based 11+ verbal reasoning will be added/ is available in the shop as an extra document. Three more part of this section of the VR are available in the shop. The answers are included, with some explanations. For parents, tutors and pupils who'd like to try for grammar or other selective school, each page has a full and friendly explanation of what to do and what tricks and traps to avoid, with sample questions to try at the bottom of each page. Eleven pages long and at a bargain price of £2 per section. ***Note that one or two typeos are always deliberately left in the NFer 11+ guides because they are notorious for having mistakes in their exams, one reason why many schools and LEAs are moving to CEM formats. Pupils need to know what it 'feels' like to find an error, to 'know' that examiners are fallible, how not to panic when they find an error as they will be awarded the mark anyway, and just to let the teacher/invigilator know. Parents/tutors do have this explanation ready when your child/pupil attempts these tests. Errors are most common on maths and codes exercises.***

Written for the AQA exam board but suitable for any course that includes this book, this is a guide on analysing the biographical, social and historical context in The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald. Without this essential background, it is difficult to obtain high marks on this novel. At A level you need to put into context everything you read and analyse. Eleven pages long, fully annotated with a further reading section and a revision quiz, this can be used for revision, lessons and to get to know the work by pupils teachers and tutors. One of a set of six (all available on this site) of guides that comprehensively cover all aspects of this novel from context and themes to symbolism and motifs.

Written for the AQA exam board but suitable for any course that includes this book, this is a guide on analysing the plot in The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald. Ten pages long, fully annotated with a further reading section and a revision quiz, this can be used for revision, lessons and to get to know the work by pupils teachers and tutors. One of a set of six (all available on this site) of guides that comprehensively cover all aspects of this novel from context and themes to symbolism and motifs.

A full and indepth ten page up to A* guide on this poem for GCSE students, tutors, parents who are homeschooling and teachers. It can be used as revision, as a lesson tool, or just to make sense of this poem before you read it, for context. Fully annotated, with quotes, 'check yourself' questions and further reading, this is an essential guide contains necessary biographical background on the poet, themes, imagery, symbols, motifs and language devices for one of the more interesting poems and poets of the GCSE syllabus- suitable for all exam boards.