Flashcards · 0475 · Topic 4

Paper 4 – Unseen flashcards

7 cards on Topic 4. Pick a subtopic or study them all.

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How is 0475 Paper 4 Unseen set out?: 1 hour 15 minutes, 25 marks: one question from two, either an unseen poem or an unseen prose extract, printed in full. No set text and no prior knowledge needed.
Who sits 0475 Paper 4?: Only candidates on the Paper 3 plus Paper 4 route. Candidates entered for Paper 2 Drama do not sit it.
How should the planning time on Paper 4 be used?: About 20 of the 75 minutes: read the extract twice, annotate for language, structure, form, tone and shifts in mood, then commit to the poem or the prose option.
What form features matter most in an unseen poem?: Line breaks, rhyme and rhythm, and stanza structure, each linked to the effect it creates.
What form features matter most in an unseen prose extract?: Paragraphing, narrative viewpoint and pacing, and how tension or character builds across the extract.
What is a volta in a poem?: A turn or shift in a poem's argument, tone or mood, often marked by "but" or a new stanza. Tracking it shows how the poem's meaning develops.
What is the commonest weakness in a Paper 4 answer?: A running summary of what happens instead of selective, well-supported analysis of how specific words, images and structural choices create effects.