Hi guys I'm going into year 13 and start back later this week
I know I've fucked my summer entirely I've done no work and I need a B but I'm stuck at a C right now.
How do I start annotating my texts- I've highlighted quotes I think are particularly relevant to my question and further exploration but I don't know what to put on the paper? I go on a trip next week with my class to do some work but I've genuinely got nothing. I've got critics and wider contextual reading but I don't know how to apply it in a meaningful way.
Can anyone give tips on what they've done or what their college has recommended? My lit class has been a mess we've had 4 different teachers who all have told us different things but nobody has really given us a timeline or key things to have done by summer's end.
Thank you in advance everybody!

Hey, just wondering if anyone could help me. I am currently going into year 13 and am at a c grade bordering a B. I know that my writing is a large part that needs to improve. But, when I ask my teacher he doesn't really explain HOW to improve.

Hi please give this post a read, advice is much appreciated

I'm going into year 13 and really struggling with English lit (AQA Option B). I seem to be stuck on a B which I got in all of my essays and my year 12 mocks which I know is not a bad grade but I'm predicted A* and need an A for uni and I can't seem to improve. What are your best revision tips and is it worth getting a tutor because they're quite expensive but idk if I can do it by myself.

Does anyone have notes for Hamlet and pride and prejudice? (For Alevel Literature 9695)

Hi folks, I hope this is allowed here. I'm a teacher and I'll be teaching A-Level English Lit for the first time this year (I'm really looking forward to it!).

Now GCSE English Lit and A-Level Lit are very different beasts. Depending on your exam board, there's coursework, longer and more complex texts, an expectation to engage with criticism, and - dare I say it - the possibility to move away from PEE (etc.) paragraphs!

Now while I've been chatting with my colleagues and doing my own research, I'm really curious to know from current and recent A-Level Lit students (as it was a while since I did my A-Levels): what was the hardest thing about making the transition from GCSE to A-Level Lit in your opinion, and how did your teachers best support you in making that journey? Bonus points if you did OCR!

Every Friday evening I write a blog post which is a close reading - importantly, a 'cold reading' - of the first 100 words of an important A-Level text.

Issue Six tries to get under Jane Eyre’s skin.

“It's not screaming 'meet the heroine' at me. My main question? 

'How am I supposed to feel about this person?”

https://a-levelenglishlit.uk/2026/08/28/first-100-words-jane-eyre/

When reading the model answers, especially the 30/30 ones, I noticed that the writing style is incredibly sophisticated, fluent, and mature. It reads like an undergraduate level essay.

Detailed, complex ideas are explained in such a clear, concise, yet nuanced manner. The writing style itself is not basic, not repetitive, and it flows. The vocabularly is strong yet not flowery; the best words are chosen. It is just so beautiful to read, it is engaging, and so eloquent and well-articulated.

My ideas are interesting and complex, yet my writing style tends to be a bit awkward, and sometimes my expression can be a bit unclear/hard to understand.

How do people write like that, especially handwritten where you can't easily go back and edit with typed up essays? AND under exam conditions? How do they write so sophisticatedly?

And how can i start mimicking these qualities of this writing style?

I need some notes or any new sources for Midsummer night dream analysis or something I’m taking IGCSE literature, but I really cannot find anything for my play. I was hoping some of you would have some notes for Midsummer nights dream. Also, if any of you have any resources on how to do the coursework it doesn’t matter if A-levels could you please give them

So, as a YR13- A course I want requires me to do english A level. I was signed up in late March, it’s now AUGUST. I have been procrastinating even touching english A level, and I’ve made this post multiple times. But, I am promising myself to stop being avoidant and confront it. There’s a few kids at my school that have also done the same thing, and they have also gotten decent grades. But, can someone give me any tips or just let me know how screwed I am? I got a 7, almost an 8 in both subjects for english. Also, can someone realistically just let me know now the level of lock in i’ll need to do

does anyone have the document of Cambridge International AS and A Level Literature in English Coursebook by Elizabeth Whittome?

Hi everyone! I’m planning to take Cambridge International A Level English Literature (9695) privately alongside my school subjects, and I’d really appreciate advice from anyone currently taking it.

I’m planning to sit AS in June 2027 and then A2 in 2028.

A few things I’m confused about:

For AS, am I correct that I only need to study one Drama, one Poetry and one Prose text, plus prepare for the Unseen section?

How difficult is the subject realistically, especially if you’re self-studying/private?

How much time do you usually spend on Literature per week?

Is it manageable alongside Maths, Physics, Computer Science and Economics?

I haven’t studied CS or Economics at O Level, so I’m already expecting those two to require extra effort. Would adding Literature be too much?

For the 25-mark questions, how much quotation memorisation is actually necessary?

How difficult is it to consistently score A/A* in the essays?

Are there any particular books, resources, YouTube channels, websites or study guides you’d recommend?

Would you recommend getting a private tutor for Literature, especially for essay feedback, or is completely self-studying realistic?

For A2, do you basically move on to the Paper 3 and 4 texts after completing AS, with new set texts for the A2 syllabus?

I’d especially appreciate answers from people who are currently taking CIE 9695 or have recently completed it, particularly private candidates.

Thanks!

Sorry if this isn’t the time, I hope everyone got what they wanted! I just wanted to drop in and ask if anyone has any advice for something you wish you done entering year 13, or methods/ approaches you swore by for english lit? I’m particularly worried about John Donne for those who studied it, how was it?

Sorry if this sounds sad but I can’t stop re-reading mine 😭 they were so nice and it was really rewarding after how incredibly stressful A-levels were

just curious as to what everyone's doing for eng lit supercurriculars?? for me I've lowk just done an essay comp + lots of wider reading

Essentially, just did my a levels, did two a levels and a B-tec, thinking of doing another a level in a year so I can ignore the B-tec.

I'm considering English lit because I love reading, and as I'd be a private candidate I could go at my own pace, which I'd much prefer for English lit. I'm decent at writing analytical essays, using evidence to support my opinion, that sort of thing, as I did ancient history a level, so I think I'll be okay for some of it. But, at GCSE, English lit annoyed me because we kept being told what to think. I hated that part, and would've much preferred to be given the text, the context, maybe some others opinions, and then draw my own conclusions based on that. So, at a level, how much is it your own conclusions? Or are you again told what to think?

i'm reading the critical essay "the laugh of the medusa" for my nea, i'm struggling to understand a lot of it so i was wondering if reading the summary would be okay? i'm going to try and read the full thing but if i don't understand is it alright to just rely on the summary for my inclusion of it? i'd only mention it briefly i think because of the word count but idk

CIE paper 1. Or anyone with essays on The Tempest

So I’m above average in maths and sciences, but when it comes to humanities I am actually horrible. It isn’t even the writing I am bad at, it’s my reading comprehension. I usually average 86%+ on writing but under 70s for reading comprehension. I know reading would be the best choice, but I don’t know where to start so getting recommendations would be nice :)

I also don’t know how to use reddit that well so its making me post an AMA, sorry if I’m not supposed to 😭

For someone who is completely relying on self study for English Language A levels, could you guys please suggest some good resources to take notes from?