Paper One Practice Objective: to explore key information across a novel and analyse the writer’s language and structure. In your exam, you will be asked to do the following things: Read an extract from a novel Find information to show that you have understood it Make inferences (read between the lines) Analyse the way that it is structured Criticise the writing Create your own piece of descriptive writing Tips for the exam (preparation and exam technique) Bring a highlighter Revise using the work that we do in lessons and what we have on the website Read lots at home! This can include your AR book and also any leaflets that come through the door, articles in the newspaper and interesting websites.

Comprehension: This means showing that you have understood the text and read it carefully. List four things that you find out about the young horse who narrates the story. I mark per correct quotation.

Making inferences: this means to read between the lines and think about what words might suggest (connotations). Look in detail at this passage. How does the writer use language to describe the young horse’s experience? How to get top marks: Pick out techniques using the appropriate terminology confidently Select a wide range of techniques to analyse Fully explain meaning using ‘because’ Explore alternative meanings and fully analyse the effects of the technique USE PEEE! They seemed to lunge at me all at once, but they were slow and I managed to slip past them and into the middle of the pen where I turned to face them again. They had stopped laughing now. I screamed for my mother and heard her reply echoing in the far distance. It was towards that cry that I bolted, half charging, half jumping the rails so that I caught my off foreleg as I tried to clamber over and was stranded there. I was grabbed roughly by the mane and tail and felt a rope tighten around my neck before I was thrown to the ground and held there with a man sitting it seemed on every part of me.

Analysing Structure: this means to consider why events or information come in a certain order. You explore what effect this might have on the reader and how it suits the writing. Now you need to think about the text as a whole. How has the writer structured the opening of the chapter to capture the reader’s interest? How to get top marks: Pick out a range of structural techniques Name them using the correct terminology Fully explain their effects using ‘because’ Explain why the writer might have used these structural techniques and how they affect the reader USE PEEE! You could write about: The way that the narrator is revealed slowly The opening paragraph and what it introduces The way that events are structured to increase tension

Responding to critical analysis: this means that you will be commenting on the extract and giving your personal opinions, as well as commenting on someone else's. Michael Morpurgo talking about the animal theme in his novels: “I am of the view that we’re on this planet together, that we’re all sentient creatures, all feeling creatures, and we inhabit this place together. And I mean together: it’s not them and us, we are together. It just so happens that we are very bright as a species and we’ve come to dominate this planet which means that we use animals, use them up. We destroy them.” Do you believe that Morpurgo’s ‘War Horse’ reflects his opinions about how we treat animals? In your answer, you could comment on: 1.How you feel about the horse in the extract 2.How effectively Morpurgo describes the horse’s experiences 3.Whether you think that the writer should use his novel to send out messages about his personal beliefs Use evidence from the extract to support your answer.

How to get top marks: I believe that Michael Morpurgo effectively delivers a powerful message about the cruel way in which we treat animals in his novel ‘War Horse’. The juxtaposition that he uses to make the colt- “gangling” and “spindly”- seem vulnerable compared to the men, who are “harsh”, “red faced” and “clambering” show just how much danger we pose to animals like this and how little we care about how threatening we must seem to them. Reading this description made me realise just how much small animals are like a young child who is weak, tiny and probably still learning to walk (on ‘spindly’ legs). We would be appalled at a child being treated in this way by brutal and stronger adults, so why not animals too? Morpurgo’s language draws attention to this and it is an important message for everyone to understand; why shouldn’t he use his novel as a platform for something like this? Offers examples from the text to explain views convincingly Selects a range of relevant quotations to validate views Critically evaluates the text in a detailed way. Do you believe that Morpurgo’s ‘War Horse’ reflects his opinions about how we treat animals? In your answer, you could comment on: 1.How you feel about the horse in the extract 2.How effectively Morpurgo describes the horse’s experiences 3.Whether you think that the writer should use his novel to send out messages about his personal beliefs Use evidence from the extract to support your answer. Detailed analysis of the effect of the writer’s choices

Creative Writing: This means writing to describe, and you will plan your writing carefully before starting, thinking about using a range of descriptive techniques, varied sentences, accurate punctuation, paragraphs and powerful vocabulary. How to get top marks: You use a wide range of techniques to suit TAP You use a wide and adventurous range of vocabulary A wide range of connectives to make your writing flow Impressive paragraphs for effect (not just TipTop!) Perfect punctuation ; : - and apostrophes Simple and minor sentences for effect Complex sentences Sentences with ISPACED openers Do you know what these are? Do you need to see examples? Visit our skills page and click on the appropriate tile.skills page

You will have a choice of two tasks. DON’T DO BOTH! Choose either this

Paragraph 1: TipTop: Descriptive technique: Complex sentence: Powerful Vocab: Paragraph 2: TipTop: Descriptive technique: Complex sentence: Powerful Vocab: Paragraph 3: TipTop: Descriptive technique: Complex sentence: Powerful Vocab: Paragraph 4: TipTop: Descriptive technique: Complex sentence: Powerful Vocab: CHALLENGE: Can you use an echo, contrasting paragraph or repetition to make your structure even more effective? CHALLENGE: How are you going to create flow between your paragraphs?

OR THIS...

Paragraph 1: TipTop: Descriptive technique: Complex sentence: Powerful Vocab: Paragraph 2: TipTop: Descriptive technique: Complex sentence: Powerful Vocab: Paragraph 3: TipTop: Descriptive technique: Complex sentence: Powerful Vocab: Paragraph 4: TipTop: Descriptive technique: Complex sentence: Powerful Vocab: CHALLENGE: Can you use an echo, contrasting paragraph or repetition to make your structure even more effective? CHALLENGE: How are you going to create flow between your paragraphs? Write a short story which includes a character who is scared or in a vulnerable position.