A Lot About a Little #2: Handmaid’s Tale Extract

A close reading of a sentence from Chapter 10 of The Handmaid’s Tale (extract), with reference to CAIE A-Level English Literature 9695 marking criteria. Thanks for reading! If you find this useful, take a look at our other English Literature and Language courses. In my last post, I discussed the importance of being able to […]

How to Understand the Mark Scheme

For students taking IGCSE in Literature, the absolute best way to ensure a high grade is to understand how the mark scheme works. This page will give you a breakdown of everything you need to know so that you can what examiners are looking for in plain language. You then need to make sure each […]

Assessment Objectives and What They Mean

For students taking IGCSE in Literature, the absolute best way to ensure a high grade is to familiarise yourself with the assessment objectives (AOs). This page will give you a breakdown of each objective, so that you can understand them and what examiners are looking for in plain language. You then need to make sure […]

Descriptive Writing Piece: Hot Air Balloon

This is a descriptive writing piece that I wrote in response to a question for GCSE English Language – the question was ‘Write a description suggested by this photograph’ (photo below). It can be used for any student at any level – GCSE and above – to improve their creative writing skills, particularly on the […]

An Inspector Calls – Full Mark Essay L9 / A* grade

This is an example of a high grade A* / L9 essay for ‘An Inspector Calls’. It was completed by myself, not in timed conditions, to set an example for high achieving students, so it is beyond the requirement of a high grade for GCSE. However, students are encouraged to read it and deconstruct it […]

Farmhand by James K Baxter — Poem Analysis

Below, you’ll find a detailed analysis of James K Baxter’s poem ‘Farmhand. Youth, innocence, awkwardness and rural life — this poem encapsulates Baxter’s own experience as a young man living in New Zealand. Here’s a detailed breakdown of everything you need to know about the poem. It’s tailored towards the Edexcel IGCSE syllabus, but it’s […]

CIE Unseen Poetry Essay Example — An Abandoned Factory, Detroit

Here’s a CIE Unseen Poetry Essay Example that I completed for the Cambridge IGCSE Unseen Poetry exam question, based off of the 2017 English Literature exams. I left my plan and notes in there so you could see all the working out! I also wrote the timings there for you to see roughly how long […]

Derek Walcott — A-Grade A-Level Literature Essay Example

One of my students completed this essay on Walcott recently for the CIE / Cambridge A-Level Literature Exam Board. It received a borderline A grade (80%, 20/25) — there are some absolutely brilliant parts of it, and also some aspects which have room for improvement, so I’ve put my mark breakdown and suggestions for how […]

Howards End — A-Level Essay Questions

I made up a list of essay questions for Howards End because I had a look online and couldn’t find any! These are targeted towards the CIE / Cambridge A-Level Literature Exam Board, but you can use them for any other exam board or level too — AQA, Edexcel, WJEC, Eduqas, OCR, and so on. […]

Howards End Essay — Leonard and Social Class

This is an A-Level essay that explores the character of Leonard and the idea of social class difference — especially the distinctions between the upper, middle, and lower classes. It’s based on the CIE Cambridge A-Level Literature syllabus, but it’s suitable for anyone studying EM Forster’s Howards End at a higher level. If you find […]