© 2019 Steve Campsall

These are the kinds of questions you could find in your exam:

1. Questions based on a novel read in class.

• These are multi-part exam questions found in many English Literature exams. The first part is often based on a short printed extract from the story. You will usually be asked to answer questions based mainly on this extract concerning an important character, a relationship between two or more characters, an effective use of setting or atmosphere or some aspect of plot or theme. Whilst your answer should focus mainly on the extract itself, you might also be expected to show awareness of what happens before and after the events of the extract. Here are typical questions:
   

  • 'With close reference to the extract, how does Candy react when he hears his pet dog will be shot?'

  • 'How do you respond to this part of the story?'

  • 'With close reference to the extract, how might the reader's attitude towards Crooks change at this point?'

• A second part to this kind of question often relates to an aspect of the whole story, such as the use its writer has made of a key character or how the writer has developed a particular theme. Here are some typical questions:

  • 'What impressions of ranch work are created in Steinbeck's 'Of Mice and Men'?'

  • 'At the end of the novel, George walks off with Slim. How do you feel about this ending to the story?'

  • 'For which character in the novel do you feel the most sympathy?'

  • 'Violence is a key theme of the story; how does the writer convey this to his reader?

  • Remind yourself of the closing part of the novel. Do you think this is an effective way to end the story?

'Empathic' Response

• You might be asked to write as if you were a character by, say, writing a diary entry or a letter, for example. This is called an empathic response.

  • E.g., from John Steinbeck's novel, 'Of Mice and Men': 'Imagine you are George Milton. Write a diary entry for the day you leave the ranch.'
    

2. Questions based on an 'unseen' short-story or prose extract first read in the exam

• These questions are based on a short story (or extract from a longer story) you find in the exam paper.

• They usually concern some aspect of a character, their actions or their relationships with other characters.

• What your exam board requires from you is a personal response. This means you need to develop the skill of quickly and efficiently reading for meaning.

  • A tip: as time is always short in an exam, first look at the questions then read the story quickly through; next, read the story through again but with a pencil in hand - or better have a two or three coloured highlighters handy.

  • This technique will allow you to look out for what is asked in the question and refer back to it easily when writing your answer.

  • Be sure to make plenty of brief notes and annotations on your exam paper.

• You might also be asked to discuss aspects of the story concerning how the author creates mood, atmosphere or tension.

• You will also be asked to show awareness of the themes the author explores in the story.

Here are some typical questions that could be applied to any text:

• 'Referring to lines 10-24, how does the characters' attitudes towards each other change at this point in the extract?'

• 'Referring to lines 26-37, what are your impressions of the male character in these lines?'

• 'How does the writer convey the relationship between the two characters in lines 17 - 37?'

• 'How does the writer convey a sense of tension in lines 52-70?'

• 'Several aspects of society are explored in the extract. What do you find interesting about this?'