ENG4U EXAM

Exam Structure

The exam has 2 halves, part A and B.  Part A is a sight passage.  The sight passage will be non-fiction (article, editorial, personal essay).  Only the Knowledge and Application categories will be assessed in Part A.  Part B is a long answer.  You will write a formal mini-essay (see Mini-essay Style for the Exam).  Two essay questions will be given, choose 1.  Typically the essay question deals with the last major text (novel or drama) studied in the course.  Only the Thinking and Communication categories will be assessed in Part B.

How to prepare for the sight passage portion (Part A) of your final exam - At Home Activity

1. Review rhetorical devices/terms (the list of 9 + general ideas from rhetoric unit), conventions of the essay (the handout) and literary terms.

2. Once a week, during the last quarter of the course, I will give you articles and instructions so that you build your confidence with identifying and stating how the device is being used in a sight passage.  The initial weeks will deal with memorization, and the last weeks will deal with timing your response.

3. On the exam, you will be given a sight passage and specific quotes from that passage, asked to identify a rhetorical device, and then explain how it is working.  There are 10 questions (5 identify, 5 explain the device), these are not choices.

Part B Exam Long Answer Prep Activity - In Class Activity

This next step requires you to not work (brainstorm, share, ask questions) with others.  Doing so will prevent the guessing game from unfolding properly.  You will share your 3 answers in class.

1. Take out a piece of paper, on it write:

   1. 1. The 1 essay question you be prepared to answer now.

      2. The 1 essay question you would not be prepared to answer now.

      3. The 1 essay question you think I would ask if I wanted to be challenging.

2. We will share all our answers during the exam preparation classes.  Write down other people's questions.  At home, outline possible answers.  Remember that you will be writing in a mini-essay style: 

Mini-essay Style for the Exam (Part B)

• thesis (In an exam scenario you have to weigh the importance of a positional thesis versus a thesis which lists arguments.)

• body 1

• body 2

Body paragraphs style: 

• topic sentence

• point 1

• paraphrase 1 (no one wants you to memorize quotes)

• explain 1

• point 2

• paraphrase 2 (no one wants you to memorize quotes)

• explain 2

• concluding sentence

Transitions are important. Have a few memorized. Use standard, formal English.  There are no MLA style marks on the exam.

In an exam, you have to weigh the importance of a positional thesis against a formulaic  list of arguments thesis.  Prepare by becoming comfortable writing a 2 sentence thesis.  Order does not matter, but content does.  One sentence will be your formulaic thesis (text, author, arguments and a reworking of the questions).  The other sentence will be your position.  On an exam, don't make the mistake of incorporating a position in the thesis and then not dealing with it in your body paragraphs.

How to Prepare for the Long Answer portion (Part B) of your final exam - At Home Activity

1. Read the core novel and play for the course.  The long answer question on the exam will come from the last core text studied in the course.

2. You will be given 2 choices.  We will complete an activity which will help you to brainstorm possible topics.

3. Read your annotations and homework answers.

4. Read the notes you took in class during discussions and lessons.

5. Read the notes you took during the seminars and during the units when it seemed that the material was not directly linked to the text.  Look for positional ideas (if you like thinking about a thesis) or big ideas (the pre-unit notes you took).

6. Read your quizzes.

When preparing for Part B 

Consider that English teachers often structure final exam essay questions on:

• a prompt or quote - in junior grades, these tend to be from the texts studies, not necessarily for senior grades.

• a literary term

• ideas that come up over the course of the term

Consolidating your notes for Part B

Create groupings of ideas from the unit.  These will help you to outline answers to possible questions:

• Big ideas from the unit

• Symbols

• Themes

• Character groupings:

  • Minor characters

  • If the protagonist is young, then older characters and vice versa

  • If the protagonist is male, then female characters and vice versa

  • Affiliations

• Common Literary Terms:

  • Characterization

  • Irony

  • Metaphor

  • Allusion

• Big ideas from outside the unit / other units in the course

Log into DigitalTheatre+ (user name and password are located in our Google Classroom) and watch:

• The Prince of Denmark: a story vaguely inspired by Shakespeare's Hamlet

• In Defence of Character - Hamlet - The Interrogation (This has 4 parts)

• Read Frye's essay in the Google Classroom

• Review the Hamlet board  notes in the Google Classroom

Exam Prep using ChatGPT

At the end of the first semester in 2022-23, I asked ChatGPT to come up with some essay questions to help with exam prep after the in-class activity.  Here's the transcript:

Write 10 high school exam questions for Hamlet

1. What is the main theme of Shakespeare's play "Hamlet"?

2. How does Hamlet's character change throughout the play?

3. What is the significance of the ghost in the play?

4. How does the motif of revenge play out in "Hamlet"?

5. Analyze the relationship between Hamlet and Ophelia.

6. Discuss the role of corruption and deception in "Hamlet".

7. What is the significance of the soliloquies in "Hamlet"?

8. Analyze the character of Claudius and his motivations.

9. How does the play "Hamlet" comment on the human condition?

10. Compare and contrast the characters of Hamlet and Laertes.

Write 10 challenging high school exam questions for Hamlet

1. What is the meaning behind the phrase "To be, or not to be" and how does it relate to Hamlet's character development?

2. How does Shakespeare use the motif of appearance vs reality in "Hamlet"?

3. Analyze the theme of revenge and its impact on the characters in the play.

4. Discuss the motif of madness in "Hamlet" and its significance.

5. How does Shakespeare use the motif of death and mortality in "Hamlet"?

6. Compare and contrast the characters of Hamlet and Fortinbras and their role in the play.

7. Analyze the relationships between power and corruption in "Hamlet."

8. How does the play "Hamlet" comment on the Elizabethan society and its values?

9. Discuss the role of gender in "Hamlet" and how it relates to the characters and the themes of the play.

10. In what ways does "Hamlet" continue to resonate with contemporary audiences?

Write 10 complicated exam questions for Hamlet

1. What is the significance of the play within a play in "Hamlet" and how does it relate to the theme of appearance vs reality?

2. Analyze the role of religion and faith in "Hamlet" and its impact on the characters.

3. How does the relationship between Gertude and Claudius relates to the play's themes and characters? 

4. How does the motif of corruption and decay relate to the play's setting and imagery?

5. Analyze the role of the state and political power in "Hamlet" and how it relates to the play's themes.

6. Discuss the role of the supernatural in "Hamlet" and how it relates to the play's themes and motifs.

7. How does Shakespeare use the motif of the uncertain identity in "Hamlet"?

8. Analyze the role of the gravedigger and the graveyard scene in "Hamlet" and its significance in relation to the play's themes.

9. Discuss the role of language and communication in "Hamlet" and how it relates to the play's themes and motifs.

10. Compare and contrast the relationships between Hamlet and his father, and Hamlet and his mother, and how they relate to the play's themes and motifs.

Exam Thesis Positions for Hamlet

This presentation happens during exam prep days.