What is Unseen Poetry?

Lots of students find a section called ‘Unseen Poetry’ cropping up on their English exams. It’s quite a confusing term at first! It basically means that you have to read and react to a poem that you’ve never seen before, and write an essay on it in response to a question or prompt – all […]

How to get top marks in the AQA Power and Conflict Exam Question (by an AQA Examiner)

How to get top marks in AQA Power and Conflict Essay Question

Below, you’ll find an answer on how to get top marks in the AQA Power and Conflict Exam Question. This question can be a bit tricky! The first thing to do is understand all the themes and ideas of each poem. Then, practise planning and writing until you feel like the essay’s easy to do! […]

Macbeth: The Best Key Quotes

Here’s a list of the best quotes for the character ‘Macbeth’ in Shakespeare’s play of the same name. I’ve been teaching Macbeth for years and these quotations are the ones that I find myself returning to over and over again. They have lots of techniques and imagery in them, and they relate to a huge […]

How to Analyse Form (Drama) in Macbeth

Drama is a living, breathing form of writing. It’s meant to be performed, not read in silence like a book. If you’re aiming for top grades, you must treat drama and plays as if they are supposed to be acted out, in front of an audience – consider the way in which an actor might […]

Robert Frost: Essay Questions

Below, you’ll find a range of essay questions on Robert Frost and his poems. There are two types of questions: Comparative and Discursive. The comparative questions will ask you to compare two poems specifically, the discursive will ask you to ‘comment’ on or ‘discuss’ the poems without specifically requiring a comparison. I hope they’re useful! […]

Descriptive Writing: Nightmare World (Writing Process, Example Plan + Written Extract)

Below, you’ll find a Descriptive Writing Piece: Nightmare World, along with the writing process, example plan and written extract. The piece below was given to a student as a writing prompt. With direction and support during the planning phase, he produced an excellent piece of work! His piece would receive a high grade, though it […]

How to Answer Language Paper 2, Question 4: Comparative Essay

How to answer English Language Paper 2 Question 4 Comparative Essay

This question is a tough one! I think it’s probably the hardest on the whole paper. It counts for 16 marks, which is 20% of your overall score for this paper. So, make sure you know how to do it! A lot of my students get a bit intimidated by the idea of having to […]

AQA Language Paper 2, Question 3: A*/L9 Full Mark Answer

Below, you’ll find a high-grade student example answer for AQA GCSE Language Paper 2: Writer’s Viewpoints and Perspectives, Question 3. I’ve added in the mark scheme notes to show why this would receive a high level. Thanks for reading! If you need help with this exam, you can take a look at our full course. […]

Macbeth Essay Planning: Fear and Weakness

Macbeth: Essay Question Breakdown Below, you’ll find two Macbeth essay questions – each one is broken down into a clear process that shows you how to identify keywords, select information from the extract, formulate a plan and develop a thesis. This process is a generalised process, so make sure to check your own exam board […]

Notes on Religion in “Macbeth”

Below, you’ll find some thoughts, notes and comments on the idea of religion in “Macbeth”. These are intended as a starting point – you should also read essays on the topic, do your own research and develop your own more personal and detailed beliefs about each theme before attempting to write essays! Every essay or […]