Edexcel GCSE English Lit Paper 1 - Last Minute Advice! Good luck from Miss Adams!

Added: 2026-05-10

[00:00:00]Hi everyone. So, the literature exam is tomorrow. And I wanted just to come online, do a quick video for you just to offer you some last minute advice and guidance. And obviously wish you good luck. This video is going to focus on the Edexcel home board. I will do a quick one for the international as well.

[00:00:16]So, if you're looking for international, just it's on its way. Um so, tomorrow in the exam, obviously as you hopefully are aware, there are three parts to this question. Three parts to this exam, sorry.

[00:00:30]The first section, you're going to be obviously doing your Shakespeare.

[00:00:33]And that is split into two. So, you've got your extract question, and then you've got your wider question, okay?

[00:00:39]Now, the extract, whichever Shakespeare you're doing, where you get your marks is from your analysis. Your analysis of language, structure, and form, okay? So, it is really important that when you're picking apart that extract, you're looking at what's most relevant to the question, and am I selecting the quotations that have enough in them for me to really pull apart?

[00:01:08]On the mark scheme, they are looking to see critical terminology or subject terminology.

[00:01:14]Like, there are two bullet points on the mark scheme for each level. And one is about understanding how meaning is shaped by language structure, by you know, range of devices, etc. methods. And then the second bullet point is critical terminology. So, you have to use words like metaphor, simile, alliteration, rhyming couplets, iambic pentameter. So, you want to make sure that you're selecting the quotations that work the best for you to show off, okay? Do, however, still make sure that you are being really kind of precise in your topic sentences. So, let's say for example, you get Macbeth Act 5, Scene 5.

[00:01:55]Oh, wouldn't that be a dream? Uh Macbeth Act 5 Scene 5 and the question is Macbeth's state of mind. So, your topic sentences need to accurately describe what his state of mind is, okay? So, for example, you might say um in this extract, Shakespeare presents Macbeth as reflective on the news of the death of his wife.

[00:02:21]For example, she should have died hereafter, blah blah blah blah blah. Do you see what I mean? That's very different from saying Macbeth's state of mind is presented through quote. Yeah, you need to say something specific and then get in your quotations. Multiple per paragraph is great as long as you are tearing them apart for devices, okay? Uh if you want a little bit of practice there, um I do actually Sorry, it's only for Macbeth and Romeo and Juliet, but I do have scene by scenes.

[00:02:47]So, if you think to yourself, right, if Act 5 Scene 5 came up, if Act 4 Scene 2 came up, go and have a little look at the video that goes with that scene just to kind of remind yourself of what's in it possible. Second part of the Shakespeare is of course your wider. Do not use anything from the extract. It just will mean nothing. You'll just get zero. So, um you've got to go to the other parts of the play. Now, you don't need to analyze here. All you're doing is showing your expert knowledge of the play in relation to the question. 25% of your mark comes from context. So, it's really important that you integrate contextual discussion into the majority of your paragraphs. You can't force it.

[00:03:33]You don't repeat it. Um so, if there's a paragraph where you're like, oh, it's the same context, just move on and just put it elsewhere, okay?

[00:03:41]Um Again, it's about knowledge and understanding. So, if you can't find a quote, because obviously we know that we've got to have our quotes memorized for this. If you can't find a quote from your brain, from your mind palace, then think to yourself, "Okay, right. Well, what actually happens in that scene? How can I paraphrase what happens so I can still show understanding without retelling the story?" Um so, let's say for example, loyalty came up and you wanted to argue that um King Duncan has great loyalty to his subjects and it demonstrates what a good king he is and you're like, "Ah, what's that metaphor in Act um 1 Scene 4 where he promises Macbeth that he's going to help him?"

[00:04:31]And you might just think it's got something to do with planting and something to do with growing. So, you might say something like, "Duncan's loyalty to Macbeth is demonstrated through his desire to reward his own loyal services. He promises that he has already planted him and that he will endeavor to grow him further." Okay, the actual quote is, "I've begun to plant thee and will labor to make thee full of growing." But if you can't get that in your brain, then a little bit of paraphrase with just the odd word dropped in is absolutely fine. And if you've got no quotes in that moment and so you're just relying on paraphrasing, just make sure you pop in things like, "Shakespeare crafts this moment, too."

[00:05:15]"Shakespeare characterizes him in this moment because so that you're not retelling the story."

[00:05:23]That advice is just as relevant to the second section, which is like your third question that you're going to do. And this is on your modern texts. So, in this one, this is a 40-marker. So, you've got a little bit more time, 50-odd minutes with a bit of checking time, um to to go through this, 50 minutes, sorry.

[00:05:45]Um And so you're obviously expected to to write a little bit more. Now, I teach Lord of the Flies, so it's Lord of the Flies in my head.

[00:05:53]Um let's say for example, you get a question on Roger in Lord of the Flies.

[00:05:59]That'd be nice. Um you need to think to yourself, okay, right, what is the significance of the character? How does the character maybe change? How can I evidence those changes? And then think to yourself, context.

[00:06:13]What is the most important context for this particular argument? Cuz context here is worth 40%.

[00:06:22]It's huge. So, again, sorry, just keeping with Lord of the Flies.

[00:06:27]We know that he was a school teacher. We also know that he was involved in the war. We also know that he was deeply concerned about the atrocities that mankind is commits both in war and out of war.

[00:06:40]If you're writing about how Roger is set out as sort of a little bit different at the beginning of the novel, that he's sort of um sly and he has inner avoidancy of secrecy and inner intensity of secrecy and avoidence. Sorry, couldn't get the quote then. Um you're not going to want to start talking about how Golding bombed a town and felt guilty about it.

[00:07:01]You're going to want to talk about how he was a teacher in an all boys school and therefore saw the kind of range of behaviors in young children. So, just make sure that your context matches your point. Now, this is the only part of the Edexcel literature paper where SPAG matters. SPAG meaning spelling, punctuation, and grammar.

[00:07:22]It's eight marks. It's loads. It's 20%.

[00:07:25]It's the difference between a grade.

[00:07:27]So, if you're one of those lucky people where SPAG is just, you know, easy for you, then great. Just make sure that you're rereading your work as you go to just to make sure that you don't have any kind of crazy mistakes. If you're someone that's struggles with spellings and punctuation, then just think about the things that you know a little bit a little bit of a problem that you can fix, okay? So, for example, things like missing capital letters or strange capitals in the middle of words. Just just be really conscious of it. Make sure you're spelling the title of the writer correctly and the character names correctly, things like that. Um and my advice to you for the bag is try and check your work as you go rather than leaving it all to the end because if you leave it all to the end, your brain's going to be tired and you're less likely to pick up on the mistakes and you might run out of time. Whereas, if you check every paragraph that you write, so you write a paragraph and then you go quick quick, oh whoopsie, I misspelled Priestley. Oh, whoopsie, I didn't use a capital letter.

[00:08:37]Correct them and then hopefully as you go through the rest of the paper, you'll be a little bit more conscious of it.

[00:08:44]Okay, right. I think that's it. I'm going to stop. I'm going to stop blathering on. Only thing left to say is a massive good luck to you.

[00:08:51]If you're still revising your content, um do have a little look on my channel on the playlists. I've like I said, I've got Macbeth, I've got Romeo and Juliet, I've got Lord of the Flies, and I've got An Inspector Calls. So, maybe just go through and have a little look at those for some gentle revision and me shamelessly plugging myself in two ways.

[00:09:11]I'm shamelessly plugging my book as well.

[00:09:13]Anyway, right. Best of luck to you. Let me know how the exam goes. If you've seen my prediction videos, please let me know what they were. I'll be really really interested. Okay, thanks so much.

[00:09:22]Good luck.