How to Ace English Literature
English Literature can seem tedious and even pointless at times, but it teaches us a lot about history, the human condition, sociology, politics, and much more. It also encourages us to build transferrable skills like analysis, building an argument/debate, linking points, and understanding different perspectives. With all that said, sometimes it can be difficult to know where to start, so here are my top tips for getting top marks in English Literature.
Read Your Texts
As much as you may not want to hear it, reading your texts the whole way through is so important when it comes to English Literature. A two-minute online summary may be useful after you’ve read your text for a mid-term reminder, but it won’t help you when it comes to analysis which is the key to getting top grades. Even if you read a chapter or two a night before bed, you’ll find you understand the plot, themes, characters, and nuances much more when you’ve made the effort.
If you struggle with reading, why not listen to the audiobook?
Understand the Basics
English Literature can seem like a complicated web of information at times which is why it’s so important you understand the three basic principles of each text you study: the plot / meaning, the characters and themes, and the context. These fundamentals link to each other and once you have built an understanding of each, you can begin to form your own views and arguments.
You could create posters with some basic information on each (e.g., a brief summary of the text, a list or mind-map of characters and themes (and how they link), and some information on different areas of context). This will give you a fantastic starting point when it comes to revision and building your knowledge further to write critical and stimulating essays.
Do your Research
Understanding the context of your texts is key at GCSE and A Level. Take some time to develop some notes on the writer’s life and beliefs, the time period in which the text is set and is written (if they are different, you will need to research both!), any belief systems or attitudes that are mentioned or implied in the texts, living conditions and cultures presented in the texts, and anything else of importance. If you’re comparing texts, similarities and differences tables can be really useful here.
If you are studying at A Level, you also need to seek interpretations of your texts (e.g., stage productions, films, etc.) as well as academic critical views on the texts (you may have access to JSTOR or other library databases); Google Scholar is also a great resource for finding secondary reading. Ensure you create a list of useful quotes from your secondary reading that link to relevant points in your arguments.
Check the Assessment Objectives
This is a really easy way to ensure you stay on track for top grades: check the mark schemes and assessment objectives for each question. Assessment Objectives will be broken down for each question (for example, for the Modern Texts question (Section A) on the AQA Paper 2, they are broken down as such: AO1 = 12 marks, AO2 = 12 marks, AO3 = 6 marks, AO4 = 4 marks). This way, you can understand roughly how much you need to write for each objective.
Don’t forget to track your progress using these RAG sheets. These sheets have been created through the breakdown of the assessment objectives, so ensure you understand each section as best you can. If you’re unsure about anything, ask your teacher!
‘All quotes are equal, but some quotes are more equal than others’
Okay, so that wasn’t the actual Animal Farm quote, but you get the gist. You must learn quotes for your exams. Even if your exam board allows a clean copy of the text in the exam, you don’t want to waste precious time sifting through hundreds of pages for a quote you think was there. This doesn’t mean you have to be able to recite the entire text by heart, but you do need a good bank of quotes to draw upon.
Be smart here: write down 2-3 quotes for each character and theme in each text you’re studying and then highlight the quotes that appear the most often. Learn these quotes by heart (they shouldn’t be more than two sentences) and you’ll be covered regardless of what question comes up.
Practice your Writing
So, you’ve done your research, read your texts, learned your quotes and you’re confident that you understand the plot, themes, characters, and context. That’s great, but when it comes to your English Literature exams, you will be expected to write lengthy answers. The only way to truly get better at these is to put all of the above to use!
You don’t need to do a whole exam in one sitting to begin with, but spend 30-40 minutes writing an answer to a 30-mark question when you have a free moment or if you haven’t been set any homework for the week. It may seem time-consuming, but it will really help you to see where your strengths are at and where you need to improve. If you would like a third party to mark your practice answers for you and give detailed critical feedback, please book a Marking and Feedback slot here.
