Paper 1 - Fiction - English - TMC Library at The Manchester College

Paper 1 Details

Explorations in Creative Reading and Writing

Questions:

Reading (Section A) - One unseen literature fiction text

(40 marks) (25%) – one single text

• 1 short form question (1 x 4 marks)

• 2 longer form questions (2 x 8 marks)

• 1 extended question (1 x 20 marks)

Writing (Section B) – Descriptive or narrative writing

(40 marks) (25%) • 1 extended writing question (24 marks for content, 16 marks for technical accuracy)

AQA GCSE English Language Grades 5-9 Student Book by Keith Brindle et al.
This section of the student book explains how to succeed in Section A by:
- Using evidence to support your ideas
- Finding relevant details
- Writing about language in literature
- Discussing structure, character, relationships, themes and settings
AQA GCSE English Language Workbook by Keith Brindle
Use this workbook to practice and develop the skills you need to succeed in Section A.

Fiction books

Nineteen eighty-four by George Orwell
George Orwell is best known for his dystopian novels 1984 and Animal Farm. His prose fiction can also be defined by its focus on the themes of politics and power.
Atonement by Ian McEwan
Ian McEwan is best known for his prose fiction in the realist genre. Realist fiction has a realistic setting and ‘real life’ feel.
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
Margaret Attwood likes to experiment with genre and has written both science fiction and crime fiction prose.
Small Island by Andrea Levy
Andrea Levy writes literary fiction with narratives that are often told by a range of different characters. This type of fiction tends to focus more on the themes rather than the plot. For example, Small Island explores the link between place and identity.

Exam preparation

The Art of Fiction by David Lodge
Each chapter begins with a passage from classic or modern literature that embodies the technique or topic at hand. Use these extracts to prepare for the unseen texts in Paper 1.

BBC Bitesize Revision
Select the exam board you will be sitting your 2019 or onward exams with. If unsure, check with your tutor.
Manchester Public Library
Join Manchester Public Libraries for free access to fiction books, eBooks and magazines. Register online for immediate access.
British Library
Explore the ways in which key 20th-century authors experimented with new forms and themes to capture the fast-changing world around them.

My Revision Notes: AQA GCSE English Language by Keith Brindle and Elizabeth Webster
Use these revision tasks to practice what you need to do to get top marks in Section B
Revise AQA GCSE English Language Revision Guide by Pearson
Stay on top of your revision with this step-by-step guide to Section B.

Creative Writing Demystified by Sheila Bender
This book is a must read for tips on boosting writing in both fiction and non-fiction - skills needed to succeed in each of the exam papers.
The Writer's Workbook by Jenny Newman et al.
Use this workbook to develop your writing skills for a variety of genres and audiences.

Grammar Flip
Overview of how sentence structures work in English: check out the 'simple, compound and complex sentence' sections to succeed in GCSE. FREE ACCESS IS LIMITED, but useful.
Mr Barton Revision
A range of online practise questions by topic. If GCSE level practise in needed, select year 11 and above.
Oxford Living Dictionaries
Basic grammatical terms - needed to succeed in English, are usefully explained here, so check out the grammar glossary and get a head start in familiarising with their names.
YourDictionary.com
Use this glossary of rhetorical techniques to help your writing pack persuasive punch. Persuasive argument skills are needed to succeed in exam paper 2.