June 17 - Exam tips/hints

How to study for an English exam?


The exam consists of 2 parts: sight passage(s) (take about 1 hour for this) and essay (use about 1
hours for this).


For the exam, it is expected that you understand and are able to either define or apply (find an example of it in the text) the following terms:


- All points of view - 1st, 3rd objective, omniscient, limited
- All aspects of setting: time/place/atmosphere
- All forms of conflict
              internal conflict: person vs. self
              external conflict: person vs. person/society/nature

Other terms to know and be able to apply:

-theme
-character (protagonist/antagonist)
-tone (happy, sad, gloomy, anxious, tense, exciting, nervous, awkward, uncomfortable, etc).
- irony - situational, verbal, dramatic
-symbolism/symbol

-simile
- metaphor

- personification
- soliloquy
- tragedy
- imagery
- paradox
- oxymoron

- foreshadowing

- flashback

- pun


Part A: Sight Passage

You will be asked to read a selection or selections and answer a series of related questions. The selection
 will reflect a prominent theme. If the question asks for “direct reference” or “evidence” or “proof,” remember that you are expected to use a quotation from the selection. The more specific and precise, the better.

“Literary devices” or “figurative language” refers to similes, metaphors, personification, irony, paradox, etc. 

Remember that STYLE refers to how the author writes (i.e., what literary devices he/she uses, sentence types, vocabulary, etc.). 

Watch your time, and watch your spelling and grammar.

The theme is the MESSAGE, not subject of the story.

Highlight/underline as you go! Key ideas, messages, literary devices, characters etc. 

Part B: Essay
You will be marked on Knowledge (of the book) and structure of the essay), Thinking (specific references,
focus on the topic, thesis statement), Communication (topic/summary sentences, transitions, spelling and
grammar, third person, formal diction, present verb tense), and Application (making connections between ideas in the book and your argument and use of MLA).


Read the questions carefully. Choose ONE. 

Make a strong, clear, thesis statement that answers the question. It must be argumentative!

Remember, never "list off" points in your thesis. A proper thesis will not say: "Friar Laurence, Romeo and Juliet and the feud led to Romeo and Juliet's deaths".  

To begin, create a thesis and then one sentence per point (3 points) then get writing!