English — Core Revision Notes

1. Reading for Meaning (Paper 1 / Paper 2)

IGCSE English Language rewards responses that are precise, well-evidenced, and show genuine engagement with the text. For comprehension questions: read the question, locate the relevant section, select a specific word or phrase, and explain the effect it creates. Do not just copy out large chunks of text — the examiner wants your interpretation. For summary questions: find all the relevant points in the text, paraphrase (restate in your own words — do not quote directly), and write one developed point per sentence. Use connectives like 'Furthermore', 'In addition', 'However' to link ideas. Inference questions ask what the writer implies but does not directly state — think about what information is hidden between the lines.

Comprehension technique — PEE structure

• Point: state the idea clearly and link it to the question
• Evidence: quote a word, phrase, or short extract (use quotation marks)
• Explain: analyse the effect — WHY did the writer choose this? What does it suggest to the reader?
• For language analysis, always focus on the specific word or technique — 'The word _____ suggests _____ because _____ '
• Avoid 'this shows that...' as a filler — develop your explanation and focus on the reader's reaction
• For imagery (simile, metaphor): identify the comparison → explain what two things are compared → state the effect on meaning or mood
• For structure questions: comment on the sequence, pace, paragraph length, sentence types, and how the ending relates to the opening

2. Language Analysis — Techniques & Effects

When asked to analyse how a writer creates effects, name the technique and then explain the effect in context. Simile: compares two unlike things using 'like' or 'as' — 'her eyes were like burning coals' → creates a sense of intensity and danger. Metaphor: direct comparison without 'like/as' — 'the road was a ribbon of moonlight' → makes the description vivid and lyrical. Personification: gives human qualities to non-human things — 'the wind screamed' → suggests violence and aggression. Alliteration: repeated initial consonants — used for emphasis and rhythm, or to create mood (plosive sounds: hard/aggressive; sibilance: soft/threatening). Onomatopoeia: words that sound like what they describe ('crash', 'hiss') — brings the scene to life for the reader. Hyperbole: deliberate exaggeration — 'I've told you a million times' → emphasises frustration or emotion.

Key literary techniques — the full list

• Simile: comparison using 'like' or 'as' — state what is compared and the connotation created
• Metaphor: direct comparison — identify the image and its emotional effect
• Personification: human qualities given to an object or concept — think about what this makes the reader feel
• Alliteration: comment on the TYPE of sound (plosive, sibilant, fricative) and its mood effect
• Onomatopoeia: the sound echoes the meaning — creates immediacy and sensory vividness
• Repetition: emphasis on an idea, creates rhythm, hammers home the writer's point
• Rhetorical question: involves the reader, assumes their agreement, challenges them to think
• Rule of three (tricolon): lists three items for rhythm and completeness — 'blood, sweat, and tears'
• Contrast / juxtaposition: placing opposites together to highlight a difference — creates irony or tension
• Pathetic fallacy: weather/landscape reflects character's emotions — grey sky = sadness

3. Writing for Purpose & Audience

For directed writing tasks, you must match your register and tone to the purpose and audience. Formal writing (letters, reports, speeches, essays): no contractions, full sentences, impersonal tone, accurate punctuation. Informal writing (personal emails, blogs, diary entries): conversational tone, first person, some contractions allowed. Persuasive writing: use AFOREST — Anecdote, Facts, Opinion, Rhetorical questions, Emotive language, Statistics, Tricolon (rule of three). Argumentative writing: present a balanced view, use connectives (although, however, on the other hand), reach a reasoned conclusion. Descriptive writing: use all five senses, structure writing (close-up to wide angle, or move through time), vary sentence length to control pace, use figurative language purposefully.

Article, speech, letter — key conventions

• Letter (formal): your address (top right), date, recipient address (left), 'Dear Mr/Ms surname' OR 'Dear Sir/Madam', formal register, 'Yours sincerely' (named) / 'Yours faithfully' (unnamed)
• Letter (informal): your address optional, 'Dear [first name]', relaxed register, 'Best wishes' or 'Love'
• Article / newspaper: headline, subheading, introduction naming who/what/where/when, quotes from 'experts', byline, varied paragraph length
• Speech: direct address ('Ladies and gentlemen...'), rhetorical questions, repetition, inclusive 'we', passionate conclusion with call to action
• Report: title, subheadings, bullet points acceptable, impersonal tone, numbered sections, clear recommendations
• Diary: dated entry, first person, emotional/reflective tone, present tense often used

4. Literature — Prose and Poetry

For IGCSE Literature, you must write about language, structure, and context. Always embed short quotations (do not write a long quote and then explain it — weave the quote into your sentence). Show understanding of how the whole text works together, not just the extract. For character analysis: track how a character changes across the text (development arc). For theme questions: identify the message the writer is communicating and how their choices (language, structure, narrative perspective) convey that message. Context: when was it written and how does that affect the meaning? (e.g. Victorian attitudes to women in 'Great Expectations', Cold War context in '1984', post-colonial themes in 'Things Fall Apart'). Do not retell the plot — analyse.

Poetry analysis — what to cover

• Subject / theme: what is the poem about on the surface vs deeper meaning
• Speaker / voice: who is speaking? Is this reliable? First person vs third person
• Tone: the emotional attitude of the speaker (bitter, nostalgic, celebratory, ironic, melancholic)
• Form: sonnet (14 lines, structured emotion), free verse (irregular, mirrors chaos), ballad (narrative, accessible)
• Structure: how is the poem organised? Does it shift between stanzas? Is there a volta (turning point)?
• Sound devices: rhyme scheme (ABAB, ABCABC), rhythm, caesura (mid-line pause), enjambment (run-on line — creates flow or urgency), end-stopped lines
• Imagery: metaphors, similes, personification — what world is being created?
• Comparison (if comparing two poems): choose one clear theme, compare closely, avoid 'in Poem A, X happens; in Poem B, Y happens' — integrate your comparison