Pearson Edexcel International GCSE English Language A · specification 4EA1 · Component 2 | Section A: Reading · Free · no account needed
The anthology Part 2 texts: poetry and prose (4EA1 specification)
Ten texts — five poems and five prose extracts — of which one becomes a 30-mark essay in Component 2.
Specification coverage
Component 2, Section A — Part 2 of the Pearson Edexcel International GCSE English Anthology
Assessment objectives: AO1, AO2. Suggested learning time: 180 minutes.
Required knowledge
- All ten Part 2 texts: five poems and five prose extracts
- The text is provided in the examination, so the demand is understanding rather than memorisation
- There are no AO3 marks in Component 2 — this is not a comparison question
Required skills
- Analyse how writers use linguistic and structural devices to achieve their effects
- Select relevant textual references and examples
- Sustain a single argument across a 30-mark essay
How it is examined
- One 30-mark essay on one Part 2 text
Common mistakes
- Comparing texts. Component 2 assesses AO1 and AO2 only.
- Retelling the poem or story rather than analysing it.
- Ignoring form. On the poems especially, the shape carries meaning.
- Quoting whole lines when a phrase would do.
This page maps the specification. To learn the content, open the anthology texts — completely free.