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Year 11 - English

Writing an extended and developed response on Edexcel 'Conflict' poetry

Conflict poetry continued

Unit Summary

In this unit, pupis read and analyse three poems from the 'Conflict' anthology. Pupils complete two lessons about each poem: one on understanding and one on analysis. At the end of the unit, pupils analyse themes from across the anthology and practise crafting a sophisticated comparative essay,

Lesson Summary

You will learn to create a written response which meets a success criteria.

Key Notes

  • An excellent introduction could start with a brief summary of each poem.
  • An introduction should then have a more specific statement about the focus of the question, followed by a thesis.
  • Topic sentences need to be clear, comparative and linked to the question.
  • Comparative conjunctions should be used to compare language, form and structure of poems.
  • Context can be used to develop arguments.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • subtle: less obvious; nuanced; complex or understated
  • comparative vocabulary: words and phrases used to signpost similarities and differences
  • tentative language: language which indicates a suggestion or idea (as opposed to a fact)
  • discourse markers: language used to signpost different parts of a text (e.g. in conclusion)
  • redraft: rewriting parts of your work to include missing elements or upgrade the quality of your response

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • Analytical paragraphs should lead by comparing how the writers use language, form and/or structure.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

1. Explain this English learning goal in two key points.

An excellent introduction could start with a brief summary of each poem. An introduction should then have a more specific statement about the focus of the question, followed by a thesis.

2. Define this language term and use it in a sentence. 'subtle'

less obvious; nuanced; complex or understated.

3. Correct this common English misunderstanding.

Mistake: Analytical paragraphs should lead by comparing how the writers use language, form and/or structure. Correction: The best comparative analytical writing begins by exploring connections between the key ideas or attitudes in a poem, supported by analysis of how writers use language, form and/or structure to convey these ideas or attitudes.

More Lessons In This Unit

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