English Language - Exam Guide and Q4 tips

Hi all,

As you know, the next English Paper is THE BIG ONE!

Here's my exam guide:

You can find a past paper and mark scheme here. 

I have a series of powerpoints dealing with each question in turn. You can find these here, here and here.


Question 4 is the really tricky one, as you can see from this graph:

The key to standing out from the crowd on this paper is by being one of the 21% of students who answer Q4 well. The only way to do it is practise, practise, practise!

Tips for Q4:

1) Memorise this... and practise searching for these techniques (esp. the ones in bold):

2)  Remember the keys words in the question: language and its effects.

3) In order to make the most of your comparisons, be prepared to use both of these key words as starting points for comparison:

4) Using language as a starting point for comparison
   eg:

• Both writer's start with long, list-like sentences in order to....   
• In both articles, the writers use metaphor to illustrate their points...
• In Source 3, there is a lexical chain of words which remind us of movie monsters...
• Whereas in Ssource 2, the writer uses a string of powerful verbs to...
• Both writers use alliteration to good effect... 
• The language in Source 3 is often colloquial...
• In comparison, the language of Source 1 is fairly formal. However, there are exceptions...

5) Using effects as a starting point for comparion
    eg:  

• At the start of Source 3, the writer builds tension before revealing the subject of the article...
• Similarly, the writer of Source 1 is trying to build interest...
• Both texts have a humorous tone in places...
• Both writers use hyperbole in order to persuade the reader...
• Source 3 ends with a feeling of triumph...
• In contrast, Source 2 ends with a sense of resignation... 

 REMEMBER, when starting with effects, make sure you comment on language after the quote to explain how the writer's techniques helped achieve those effects.

 6) Follow up your quotes by analysing (ZOOM IN):

• The word ___________ has connotations of...
• The word __________ has the effect of...
• This suggests...
• This use of imagery has the effect of...
• The use of the short sentence at this point is particularly effective because...
• The writer's use of assonance has the effect of...
• This has an impact on the reader because... 

 7) Structuring your response:

I'm always a little wary of giving students a set structure. This is because it entirely depends on the combination of texts in front of you. A structure like DAFOREST is limiting in that it just picks out a few arbitrary techniques in a weird order - and some of them aren't language. It's a structure to scrape you a C.

If I was pushed to recommend a structure, it's probably be this:

1) Start by comparing the effect of the openings of the extracts and how they suit the purpose of the text (eg. building tension/interest, shock, persuasion, describing etc)
2) Write about word choices in the two sources
3) Write about imagery (similes/metaphors/personification) or comparisons used to illustrate.
4) Write about sound effects such as alliteration and assonance in the two texts.
5) Comment on the use of sentence structures (long, short, lists, repetition etc.)
6) If there's time, end by commenting on how the endings of the texts are effective. 


It's very likely that you won't have time to do all this, but you don't have to. This structure will give you plenty to write about and will keep you on task. Starting with effects gives you a nice way in to any combination of texts. 

Finally, a very useful resource can be found here: a past paper (your mock?) with example Band 4 answers (with examiners comments).



I hope this helps. Feel free to send me stuff to mark! And get in touch if you are unsure about anything.


Mr M 

Final Poetry Advice

Hi,

I'm pretty confident about this one, girls. You are more ready for this paper than any other class that I've sent into this exam in the past.

In this post, I'd like to just focus on some key reminders. See previous posts for past papers, mark schemes, links to blogs about other poems etc.

So, here's a reminder of the structure I described today:



Remember:

• when comparing ideas/attitudes/feelings, you should still analyse and interpret your quotes
• when comparing the writer's methods, you should still comment on interpretations of meanings (ideas/feelings/poet's message etc.) Perhaps do structure before language to ensure that you don't forget it.

In effect, you are using two different starting points for making comparisons to ensure that you hit the requirements of the marking criteria. You are looking at the comparison from two different angles (I wish I could show you Burrell's illustration here - if you send a photo, I'll put it up!).

Just keep doing what you've been doing through the course. Zoom in and zoom out.

A few last things...

Remind yourself of poetic devices here.

Finally, here's a couple of interpretations of My Last Duchess. There's loads of help on this poem out there, including tutorials on Youtube like this one. 

Here's one more dramatic reading of the poem, this time re-imagined as a British-Asian arranged marriage.

Great work so far, girls. You're nearly there: keep going!


Mr M

Next up: Poetry

Hello Y11,

So, your next exam is English Literature Paper 2: Poetry Across Time.

Remember, you will get a clean Anthology in the exam.

My hunches for this exam are as follows, but remember that anything could come up - you need to know all of the poems and know plenty of them inside out.

Top hunches:
My Last Duchess
Medusa

Others that haven't come up for a while:
Checking Out Me History
The Clown Punk
The Hunchback in the Park

Here's my exam guide:


And here's a couple of past papers:

 

Here is the top end of the mark schemes for section A and B:

 

 

And here are some posts about the poems:

• 'Give' and 'The Clown Punk' - Simon Armitage
• 'Les Grands Seigneurs' by Dorothy Molloy
• 'The Ruined Maid' by Thomas Hardy
• 'My Last Duchess' by Robert Browning
• 'On a Portrait of a Deaf Man' by John Betjeman
• 'Checking Out Me History' by John Agard 
• 'The Hunchback in the Park' by Dylan Thomas
• Model answer: 'Ozymandias' and 'The River God' 

And here's my approach to the unseen poem.

 

You can find lots of other poetry resources by clicking on 'Character and Voice' in the browse by topic menu, here --------------------------------->

Finally, some links for poems which are not mentioned above. Here are two essential articles on 'Medusa' and 'Singh Song' by the authors themselves.

I'm also intending to finish another model answer on 'Portait of a Deaf Man' and 'Casehistory: Alison' - the one we started in the lesson the other day.

Good luck!


Mr M

A reminder: Crooks

Hi,

Th doc below is particularly useful in showing the ways in which Steinbeck presents Crooks.

Note the similarities with Curley's Wife in that he lives his life under 'layers of protection' - perhaps they all do.

Another key quote is the one about his deep set eyes that 'glittered with intensity'. This represents the light, the hope, the dream that lays buried deep inside of him. However, this innocent dream of the past has been damaged by bitter experience. Now he is sullen and cynical; he knows he has to keep people at arm's length to protect himself.

In this chapter, Steinbeck makes him physically grow - but then shrink again as a result of Curley's Wife's attack. In the end, the circular structure (not that again!) of the chapter shows he's going nowhere.

Anyway, here's the doc:

Mr M

English Lit 1: Monday

Hello Y11,

Stay calm - it's English Lit 1 on Monday!

First thing to remember: BRING YOUR COPIES OF THE TEXTS!

Next, double check that you know what to do in the exam. Here's my exam guide:


 And a past paper: 

And here are the top ends of the two mark schemes:

Finally, don't forget the importance of writing about the writer's methods. The words Priestley and Steinbeck must be prominent in your responses. Remind yourself of the writer's methods: Priestley here and Steinbeck here:

Finally, please look at the Browse by topic section on the right on the page for more stuff on the texts.

I'll be posting more over the weekend. Also, follow us on Twitter for last minute advice and to fire your panicky last minute questions at us!

Good luck troopers!

Mr M

My Last Duchess: Context and final thoughts

Hi,

Lucrezia de' Medici, generally believed to be My Last Duchess

In this post, I'm going to go over a bit of historical context, recap the story of the poem, and discuss the ending, which was rushed at the end of last lesson.

Context:

The speaker is most likely Alfonso II d'Este, the fifth Duke of Ferrara (1533–1598), who, at the age of 25, married Lucrezia di Cosimo de' Medici, the 14-year-old daughter of Cosimo I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, and Eleonora di Toledo.
 
Lucrezia was not well educated, and the Medicis could be considered "nouveau riche" in comparison to the venerable and distinguished Este family (the Duke's remark regarding his gift of a "nine-hundred-years-old name" clearly indicates that he considered his bride beneath him socially). 

She came with a sizeable dowry, and the couple married in 1558. He then abandoned her for two years before she died on 21 April 1561, at age 17. There was a strong suspicion of poisoning.The Duke then sought the hand of Barbara, eighth daughter of the Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand I and Anna of Bohemia and Hungary and the sister of the Count of Tyrol, Ferdinand II. The count was in charge of arranging the marriage; the chief of his entourage, Nikolaus Madruz, a native of Innsbruck, was his courier. Madruz is presumably the silent listener in the poem. The other characters named in the poem, painter Frà Pandolf and sculptor Claus of Innsbruck, are fictional.

The poem

The poem is set during the late Italian Renaissance. The speaker (presumably the Duke of Ferrara) is giving the emissary of the family of his prospective new wife (presumably a third or fourth since Browning could have easily written 'second' but did not do so) a tour of the artworks in his home. He draws a curtain to reveal a painting of a woman, explaining that it is a portrait of his late wife; he invites his guest to sit and look at the painting. As they look at the portrait of the late Duchess, the Duke describes her happy, cheerful and flirtatious nature, which had displeased him. He says, "She had a heart – how shall I say? – too soon made glad..." He goes on to say that his complaint of her was that "'twas not her husband's presence only" that made her happy. 

Eventually, "I gave commands; then all smiles stopped together." He now keeps her painting hidden behind a curtain that only he is allowed to draw back, meaning that now she only smiles for him - just as we wanted it. The Duke then resumes an earlier conversation regarding wedding arrangements, and in passing points out another work of art, a bronze statue of Neptune taming a sea-horse. Throughout the whole poem you get the sense that the Duke owns his wife.

In an interview, Browning said, "I meant that the commands were that she should be put to death . . . Or he might have had her shut up in a convent."

Structure - the importance of the ending


In terms of structure, the ending of the poem is vital because we don't realise the true purpose of this meeting until the end. It completely changes the tone and meaning of the entire poem from casual conversation into pointed warning. The words 'looking as if she were alive' at the start now seem like cruel mockery. Here are my notes on the ending:

We learn that the whole conversation about the painting is planned. The Duke is sending a message to the Count's daughter to not make the same mistakes as the last duchess.

It is obvious from this ending that they had previously been discussing the 'object' of this meeting (the daughter) and, perhaps more importantly, the dowry. His point about the dowry here is basically this: Everyone knows the count is rich and generous, so I know you won't mess me about over the large dowry I'll be demanding.

Is the dowry the real 'object' of his desires?

The final image is hugely significant. He killed his wife because he couldn't tame her. He likes to think of himself as having the power of Neptune in the statue.
    
This is a very famous poem which has a long critical history. There's plenty of information about this poem online. Here's GCSE Revision's YouTube translation and analysis of the poem:



This is a great poem to write about in the exam; it compares well to poems such as Ozymandias, The River God, Les Grands Seigneurs etc. However, it is tricky to get your head round at first. Get to know it inside out, and there's a good chance you'll get to use that expertise in the exam.

If you feel like you need more help with this or any other poem, please comment, email or catch me in school.


Mr M

An Inspector Calls: Mr Birling

Hi,

For Section A of Lit Unit 1, you have to answer one essay question on An Inspector Calls (from a choice of two). Here are the question focuses from the past papers:

June 14:

•  gender
• the importance of Eva Smith

June 13:

• the ending
• Eric

Jan 13:

• Mrs Birling
• the significance of social class

June 12:

• Inspector Goole
• the opening stage directions

Jan 12:

• responsibility (you've done this for your CA!)
• Gerald

June 11:

• contrasts
• Sheila

Jan 11:

• tensions in the family
• selfishness 

So what could come up in your exam? The answer is... almost anything. You need to be prepared for a range of questions.

However, it's likely that your question will either be something that has not been covered before - or something that hasn't been covered for a while. Could Sheila be back? Could we hit the jackpot and write about responsibility again? I also like the 'contrasts' question: think young/old, rich/poor, capitalist/socialist, realism/the unreal ending. Dichotomies.

But I think there's a very good chance that it could be Mr Birling. So what might a Mr B question look like? How about these?

• How does Priestley undermine Mr Birling in An Inspector Calls?
• Mr Birling is a static character and is nothing more than a personification of capitalism. How does Priestley use Mr Birling to criticise capitalism?

Here's some thoughts about how to structure an answer to one of these questions:


Intro - first impressions:
stage directions and early dialogue - 'provincial speech' and manner hints at modest roots, but he's very quickly forgotten where he came from. Selfish and business obsessed - even at daughter's engagement: 'lower costs and higher prices' - Priestley hinting at his attitude towards his workers. Desperate to impress Gerald and possibly insecure. Hints that he's not as 'comfortable' as he tries to make out. Worries about the Crofts not being there and whether the celebration is lavish enough.

Dramatic irony:
Titanic - obvious reference which makes him sound buffoon-like. Repetition and categorical assertions ('unsinkable... absolutely unsinkable) highlight his over-confidence. War - more emotive. The references to 1940, Russia and H.G Wells/G.B Shaw would resonate with a 1940s audience in particular, and highlight the capitalist/socialist dichotomy.

Interrogation:
His attempts to intimidate Goole show that he's self-important and feels like he should be above the law. He is set up for a fall. Defensive quotes: 'If everyone was responsible...awkward.' etc. Euphemisms: 'horrid business'.

Comments on the interrogation of others:
Initially seems glad to not be the only one involved. Criticises others. Defends Gerald's adultery etc.

Realisation:
'Inspector, I'd give thousands' etc.

Ending:
Ends up laughing at the 'famous younger generation'. Circular structure mirrors his return to complacency. Somewhat lighthearted, silly language shows his growing excitement at getting away with it. 'By jingo, a fake.'

Conclusion:
Birling = capitalism. Static character intended to personify all the faults and complacency of Edwardian England - which led us, in Priestley's view, to war. Characterisation is not subtle - we are meant to see him as a buffoon from the very start. Whatever he says after the Titanic reference is not to be trusted - neither are his capitalist views. Titanic as metaphor for Birlings with their confidence, wealth and ultimately, their downfall.



I hope that makes sense and seems like a sensible approach. Your next step should be to find the quotes to go with this plan. Why not have a go at writing it? It could be your exam question! In addition, I've found this helpful revision powerpoint. Take a look.

  

Keep revising - and let me know if you need anything.




Mr M 

Build your vocab power! Grrrr!!!

Hi all,

Here are a couple of nice resources for all you logophiles (that's a lover of words) to help you build up a stockpile of bombastic terms to wow the examiner!

First, this word wheel is particularly useful for those thoughts and feelings questions in the English Language paper (Q3). Click it to make it bigger.

Even better, see the 9-page doc below. Why not print it off and learn as many as you can?


Enjoy!


Mr M

PS. I'm also a bit of a fan of this: the Academic Word List.

Analyse This...

Hi,

Here is a good article to practise your skills of language analysis for the English Language paper. There are loads of good language features to discuss here.

Don't forget that in the exam the language question (Q4) also involves comparison.

I will upload some notes on this text later so you can compare what you found...


Here is a reminder of the kind of things you ought to be looking for:

Mr M

Post-lesson poetry write ups

Hi Y11,

See! Your very own revision egg!

Last year, the run-up to the exam was a particularly tight thing. It was speed poetry at its speediest. Because of this, I decided to write a series of post-lesson write ups to ensure that key ideas about each poem didn't get lost in the rush.

This year, we've got more time to prepare properly and to make sure that you've thought about the links between the poems.

But I thought it would be useful to put all of those posts together in one place so that you can look at them when you need to. So here they are:

• 'Give' and 'The Clown Punk' - Simon Armitage
• 'Les Grands Seigneurs' by Dorothy Molloy
• 'The Ruined Maid' by Thomas Hardy
• 'My Last Duchess' by Robert Browning
• 'On a Portrait of a Deaf Man' by John Betjeman
• 'Checking Out Me History' by John Agard 
• 'The Hunchback in the Park' by Dylan Thomas

My most popular post is still this model answer to a question comparing 'Ozymandias' to 'The River God'.

You can find lots of other poetry resources by clicking on 'Character and Voice' in the browse by topic menu, here --------------------------------->

Finally, some links for poems which are not mentioned above. Here are two essential articles on 'Medusa' and 'Singh Song' by the authors themselves.

Happy revision. As always, feel free to get in touch with any questions about the poetry - or the exams in general.


Mr M

 





 

What do the Lit papers look like?

Hello.

Here are some past papers for your viewing pleasure. Remember, your Literature exams are:

English Literature Unit 1: Exploring Modern Texts (Of Mice and Men and An Inspector Calls)
English Literature Unit 2: Poetry Across Time (Poetry Clusters and Unseen Poetry)...

There is a higher and foundation paper for each exam below. Make sure you pick the right one.

Please follow us on Twitter. Last year I tweeted out links to past papers - it's quicker and easier than uploading them here - and I'll be doing the same again shortly.

Anyway, here are some papers. Don't say I never give you anything!







Mr M

Exam Guides

Hello again,

Here are my guides to your three exams. 

In the coming days, I'll post some past papers so that you can get a feel for each paper.

Please check the exam dates against your exam timetables and let me know if I've got anything wrong....

I've put these guides in the order that you'll sit the papers:

I hope these help. 

If you have any questions about your English exams, please feel free to comment here or ask me via Twitter.



Mr M

Easter Revision

Hello Year 11,

Things have been a bit hectic recently, and with the rush to finish the Of Mice and Men assessment (damn that fire drill!) I didn't really get much time to talk to you all about Easter revision.

Now that I've caught up with a bit of sleep and feel half human again, my intention is to do a daily revision blog over the rest of the Easter holidays. Sad, I know.

Some of the posts will be brand new; others will be salvaged from last year. Make sure you don't miss anything by:

a) Putting your email address into the little 'follow by email' box over here ------>
b) Following us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/beverleyhigheng

To kick off, here is my advice about your priorities for revision:

A major focus for Easter should be poetry. It's been a while since you studied the poems, and when you get back we'll be looking at how to compare them. I've been asked how to approach poetry revision. Here are my suggestions (from easiest to most demanding):

1) Read the poems (ignore the notes) over and over. This is the MOST IMPORTANT thing you can do.
2) Go over your notes and work in ex. books.
3) Use BBC Bitesize and this blog. 
4) Use the study guide I emailed out.
5) Write up revision notes / cue cards etc. Research suggests that writing by hand has a greater impact on memory than reading or typing notes. I've seen some amazing revision notes in form time recently!
6) Fill out comparison grids on pairs of poems (see below).
7) Try a past paper!

Here's the poetry comparison grid. If you can fill one of these out about a pair of poems, then you will be able to write about them in the exam:



Advice about how to compare poems in the exam:



Coming soon: EXAM GUIDES


Happy revision (and Easter),


Mr M 

Final reminder: Question 4

Hi,

Just one final word about the language paper tomorrow.

The document below outlines my advice on how to structure your response to question 4. But please remember, although this approach involves starting with effects, you still have to compare the ways in which the two writers use language.

So...

Make sure that you do the following (at least):

• compare how the writers use words/phrases for effect (analyse)
• compare how the writers use simile/metaphor/comparisons
• compare examples of short/long/list-like sentences + comment on effect
• try to find an example of how sound contributes to effect (eg. alliteration, assonance etc)

You should find and highlight interesting language features as you read so that you can concentrate on structuring your comparative response. Don't start writing until you know what you're going to compare in terms of language and effects.

Best of luck.

If you have any further questions, comment or tweet.


Mr M

English Language: The final (and biggest) hurdle...

Hi all,

The blog's gone quiet since the end of English Lit - mainly because everything I've got to say about English Language is already on here. 
Click EngLang here -------------->

For updates and advice in the lead up to the exam - or if you've got any questions - follow us on Twitter.

Remember, there's loads of other advice and revision material out there. Try Mr Bruff's YouTube clips: foundation tier (C) here; higher tier (A*) here.

Most of you know that this exam is hard - and it's the qualification that everyone wants to know about. Look at the graph. If you can nail Q4, you set yourself apart from the majority and massively boost your chances of success. Practice is vital. Don't kid yourself that you can't revise for it.


Please comment or tweet if you have any concerns or questions.


Get revising!



Mr M



 

One final OMAM hunch...

Hi,

I've just tweeted links to all the past Lit Unit 1 papers, and one thing that struck me was that there's never been a part b question about...

... the American Dream!

Now how can that be? It seems so obvious. Well, it's still yet to come up.

So, if the exam board decided on a part b question on this topic, what might it look like? And what extract would they pick?

How about this:

Or this...

Revise your Of Mice and Men themes here and here. The second link has quotes to connect with each theme.

Finally, if you need some last minute context revision, check these out:

BBC - Of Mice and Men Historical Context Part 1
BBC - Of Mice and Men Historical Context Part 2
BBC - Of Mice and Men Historical Context Part 3
BBC - Of Mice and Men Historical Context Part 4

Or this, a powerpoint that's nearly as old as my teaching career:

Good luck everyone!


Mr M 

Priestley's methods and message

Hi all,

One last blog before the Lit Unit 1 exam.

Well done to those of you who have been firing practice exam questions at me over the last week or so. Some of you can rest assured that you are going to do very well in this exam. It's not too late to do some serious, high impact revision - and trying exam questions is as high impact as it gets. You don't want to experience writing a 45 minute An Inspector Calls essay for the first time in your final exam, do you? That'd be like arriving at your driving text without first having any experience of driving a car. That's a slightly rubbish simile, but you get the idea.

One last thing I wanted to re-inforce is the assessment objectives you have to hit in Section A (An Inspector Calls). Unlike the part b OMAM question, you don't have to write about context (though it'd be hard not to mention it). You are only being assessed on:

AO1: respond to texts critically and imaginatively; select and evaluate relevant textual detail to illustrate and support interpretations

and 

AO2: explain how language, structure and form contribute to writers’ presentation of ideas, themes and settings

So, a big part of what you need to do in this question is to write about Priestley's methods and how they get across his ideas.

Here's a few reminders:

• It's a well-made play. That means it's set in real time, in a realistic setting, a tightly focused storyline. The effect is that it feels like you are watching real life unfold in real time. That is, until Priestley breaks the conventions of the well-made play at the end. But more of that later.
• The initial stage directions are worth exploring. It is through these that Priestley sets up our initial impressions of the Birlings. For instance, the phrase 'comfortable, but not cosy and homelike' is the first suggestion we get that we are seeing an awkward, unnatural facade of perfect family life. The reference to the lighting, which goes from 'pink and intimate' to harsh and bright symbolises the light of truth. There will be nowhere for the Birlings to hide.
• Priestley's stage directions are revealing once the dialogue kicks in too. Sheila, for instance, is always 'half-serious, half-playful' or showing 'mock aggressiveness' in the opening stages. This shows that she's a little giddy and immature; she's never had to grow up as she's lived a sheltered, privileged life so far.
• Dramatic irony is used heavily, especially to undermine Mr Birling. The effect is easily achieved as the play is set in 1912, but the audience are watching in 1946 or after. So the Titanic reference and war references have a great impact in revealing Birling's complacency. This makes it quick and easy to position his audience against Mr and Mrs Birling from the early stages of the play.
• Characterisation: Priestley sets up his characters to show contrasts. The younger Birlings are dynamic characters who experience change. They're believable humans with faults and redeeming features. Eric and Sheila are like us in many ways - too concerned with our own problems to see the big picture, but basically good. They just need a wake-up call, which is what Priestley is trying to give us. Sheila in particular acts as our representative on the stage. She reacts with horror as we should, and she realises what's really going on as we do. Her words make sure that we keep up (eg. when she tells Mrs B to stop blaming the father of the child for everything.)
• The older Birlings are static characters. They're less believable as human beings; in fact, they seem to be used by Priestley to encapsulate ideas (Mr B = Capitalism; Mrs B = inherited wealth + status). They're almost caricatures. Priestley uses dramatic irony to undermine them, and he makes sure we dislike them from the start.
• The two generations create a dichotomy between the selfish attitudes of Edwardian Britain and the social conscience of the post-war generation. Capitalism vs socialism. In this way, Priestley's play contains hope for the future - beyond the 'fire and blood and anguish'.
• The Inspector is an unusual character. He is moralistic and seems to be more focused on teaching the Birlings a lesson than uncovering the truth about Eva Smith. For instance, he says they can 'divide the responsibility between them after' he's gone. He represents socialism in the play. Perhaps Priestley uses him as his own mouthpiece - it certainly seems that way at the end - allowing him to go back in time to point the finger of blame at those he saw as being responsible for everything that went wrong.
• The play makes use of dramatic, cliffhanger endings at the end of each act. These pauses give the audience time to reflect on their own actions. This is also what happens at the end - Priestley delivers his final message, then leaves everything open for us to interpret for ourselves. It's not really about Eva at all, or the Birlings; it's about the 'millions and millions' of Evas, and us.
• Priestley builds lots of tension. From whether Birling knows about port or not, to the Croft's absence, to Eric's behaviour and to the talk of what happened last summer - there's clearly more to these relationships than initially meets the eye. The general feeling is that appearances and reality are very different things. This is highlighted by the Alderman Meggarty conversation later. 
• The sounds of doors knocking and slamming, as well as ringing telephones also help to create tension. Each time, they mark a change in direction or emphasis. When Eric goes out, we know he is involved too. When the phone rings at the end, we only hear half a conversation, but it is clear from Birling's face that something is wrong. This final phone call is a great way of stalling the narrative and maximising the tension.
• The Inspector's final lines have the feel of a rhetorical speech. It has repetition, use of 'we', and the metaphor of 'fire and blood and anguish'. Is he referring to war, or hell? Priestley is being intentionally ambiguous because he wants us to think. This speech feels like it is directed at us.
• Afterwards, Priestley's play comes full circle. The older Birlings return to their old, self-satisfied and complacent ways. They drink and feel confident about the future. Then... an Inspector calls! This circular structure (like in OMAM), leaves us wondering and forces us to ponder our own behaviour. We have to accept that the message is not about the Birlings - Priestley wants us to write our own ending. The circular structure suggests that if we don't change our ways, we're doomed to make the same mistakes as the Birlings.
• The twist at the end is made all the more effective because of Priestley's use of the conventions of the well-made play. We expect a neat ending, but we don't get it. We expect realism, but we are left pondering whether Goole really was a ghoul.

Before I sign off, I just wanted to throw a few docs your way. First up is a model answer about the initial impressions of Mr B that I wrote years ago:




And this is a study guide packed with useful information and things to think about:



The last one is an Of Mice and Men related task. Comment on examples of light/dark imagery and symbolism:



Okay, I think I'm out of Unit 1 chat. But I'll be back soon to re-focus you on Lit 2: Poetry.


Good luck (it's not about luck)!



Mr M