All 9 English Literature topics for Edexcel International GCSE, grouped the way the exam is. Each topic has a few flashcards to test yourself; the full sets are free in Socrates AI.
What is an unseen text?
A poem or extract you have not studied before, analysed in the exam.
What should you do first with an unseen poem?
Read it at least twice: first for overall meaning and tone, then for methods such as imagery, structure and form.
How should you plan an unseen poetry answer?
Identify the main idea, pick three or four key methods with quotations, and plan a line of argument about the poet's purpose.
What is a stanza?
A group of lines in a poem, like a paragraph.
What is rhyme scheme, and how is it shown?
The pattern of rhymes at the ends of lines, shown with letters (e.g. ABAB).
What is a sonnet?
A 14-line poem, usually in iambic pentameter, traditionally about love.
Revise all 17 Poetry: form, structure and language flashcards free →
What is the difference between first-person and third-person narration?
First person: told by a character ("I"). Third person: told by a narrator outside the story ("he", "she").
What is an omniscient narrator?
A third-person narrator who knows the thoughts and feelings of all characters.
What is an unreliable narrator?
A narrator whose account cannot be fully trusted, because of bias, limited knowledge or deception.
Revise all 16 Prose: narrative and characterisation flashcards free →
What are stage directions?
Instructions in a play script about setting, movement, tone or lighting.
What is the difference between a tragedy and a comedy?
A tragedy ends in suffering or death, usually of the protagonist; a comedy ends happily, often with marriage or reconciliation.
What is an act and a scene?
Acts are the main sections of a play; scenes are smaller units within acts, often marked by a change of place or time.
Who wrote An Inspector Calls, and when is it set and written?
J. B. Priestley; set in 1912, written in 1945.
Why is the gap between setting and writing important?
The 1945 audience knew about the Titanic and two world wars, so Mr Birling's confident predictions seem foolish (dramatic irony).
Name the members of the Birling family.
Arthur (Mr Birling), Sybil (Mrs Birling), Sheila and Eric.
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Who wrote Macbeth, and roughly when?
William Shakespeare, around 1606.
What do the witches predict for Macbeth in Act 1?
That he will be Thane of Glamis, Thane of Cawdor and king.
What do the witches predict for Banquo?
That he will be the father of kings, though not king himself.
Who wrote Romeo and Juliet, and where is it set?
William Shakespeare, in Verona (with a scene in Mantua).
Which two families are feuding?
The Montagues (Romeo's family) and the Capulets (Juliet's family).
What does the Prologue reveal?
That the play is about "a pair of star-cross'd lovers" who die, and whose deaths end their families' feud.
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What is a protagonist and an antagonist?
The protagonist is the main character; the antagonist opposes them.
What is a theme?
A central idea explored in a text, e.g. ambition, love or social responsibility.
What is characterisation?
How a writer presents a character, through description, speech, actions and others' reactions.
What is a thesis statement?
A clear argument in your introduction that answers the question and guides the essay.
What is a good structure for an analytical paragraph?
A point answering the question, embedded evidence, close analysis of words and methods, and a link to context or the writer's purpose.
What does "AO1" usually reward in literature?
A personal, critical response to the text with well-chosen quotations.
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