An exam preparation slideshow for year 11 students preparing to answer a question on Hemingway's 'The Old Man and the Sea'.

1. The Hemingway Question The Last Piece of the Puzzle

2. Choice of 2 Questions Passage based or Whole text

3. Type of task Open text Clean copy 35 minutes

4. Both questions are ‘HOW’ focused They require an understanding of: Characters Relationships Themes Hemingway’s writing style

5. Passage based question 200-300 word extract Requires close study of Hemingway’s content and language You must also connect the passage to the rest of the novella

6. ‘How does Hemingway reveal ( ) here and in the rest of the novel?’

7. ‘How does Hemingway portray ( ) here and in the rest of the novel?’

8. ‘In what ways does Hemingway’s writing hereadd to your understanding of ( )?’

9. ‘How does the ( ) in this passageconfirm what you have learned earlier in the novel?’

13. Whole text question Requires you to draw connections between 3 or more sections of the novel that address the topic given Use brief, embedded quotation to support your ideas

18. Pitfall to avoid Time wasted by flicking through the text to find relevant sections

19. Solution Know the text better! Use specific illustrative example from memory as well as quotation – it’s quicker

20. Pitfalls to avoid Failure to answer the question set and slip into retelling rather than analysing the text

21. Solution Annotate the question Plan your answer briefly and stick to the plan Remember that the examiner knows the text as well as you do or better so you don’t need to explain the plot!

22. Pitfalls to avoid Inability to offer a full answer in the limited time available

23. Solution It is unlikely that you WILL be able to offer a full answer – and because it’s the 1st of 3 questions on the paper, you are in danger of eating into time you don’t have so use a 5 paragraph plan -

24. The 5 Paragraph Plan – Passage P1 – Thesis that directly addresses the topic P2/3 – commentary that support your thesis, illustrated by close textual reference to the language and content of the passage P4 – Commentary from other sections of the novel that also support your topic-based thesis P5 – Conclusion that revisits the thesis and acknowledges its significance to Hemingway’s themes and interests

25. The 5 Paragraph Plan – Whole text P1 – Thesis that directly addresses the topic P2/3/4 – 3 points that support your thesis, illustrated by close textual reference from different sections of the novel P5 – Conclusion that revisits the thesis and acknowledges its significance to Hemingway’s themes and interests

26. Other Preparation Strategies Multi pass reading Review all notes Visit Study Guide sites Question prediction Plan under timed conditions