One of the things that makes English exams so difficult is that they are usually closed book – this means that you have to memorise as many quotes as you can.  But before you do that, you are faced with the more overwhelming tasks of deciding which quotes to learn!  Here is a quick study tip that will help you collect key quotes – and it shouldn’t take you more than 20 minutes.

Why don’t you stick post it notes around your mirror with quotes on them?  That way you will see them every morning – read them whilst brushing your teeth!

Go through your text and complete a worksheet like this: Quotes – Scrooge

You can do it for different characters, the whole text, different themes – whatever you need.

Get in touch for an editable Word document.

Why will this help?

When you’re writing an essay or revising, all you have to do is have this worksheet in front of you and take your pick of quotes!

Top Tip:  choose quotes that are versatile i.e. you can use them to evidence different points.

EXAMPLE

From ‘A Christmas Carol’ by Charles Dickens: “squeezing, wrenching, grasping, clutching, covetous old dinner” are negative adjectives to describe Scrooge.  It can be used for multiple purposes – to question whether he can change, to describe him, to evidence that Dickens may be using ‘sinner’ to imply he will go to hell if he does not change etc.