Edexcel GCSE English Literature (1ET0) is a closed-book course assessed by Paper 1 (Shakespeare and post-1914 literature) and Paper 2 (the 19th-century novel and poetry since 1789). Our Edexcel GCSE English Literature course follows the 1ET0 specification and covers Shakespeare, post-1914 British drama or prose, the 19th-century novel and the poetry anthology with unseen poetry. You prepare for Paper 1 and Paper 2 with essay plans, key quotations and timed practice. Lessons are live and one-to-one with a verified subject tutor, who works through exam-style questions with you, marks your answers against the Edexcel mark scheme and shows you where marks are won and lost. Your tutor gives written feedback on full essays using the assessment objectives. Suitable for Year 10 and Year 11 students and resit candidates.
Reviewed by S. Chakraborty, M.Sc. and B.Ed., University of Calcutta; English Language and Literature specialistLast updated
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What you will learn
Prerequisites
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Course structure
In short: this course gives one-to-one online tutoring for Pearson Edexcel GCSE English Literature (1ET0). A verified English tutor teaches your Shakespeare play, post-1914 text, 19th-century novel and poetry, closed-book quotation skills and essay technique.
Edexcel GCSE English Literature (1ET0) is a closed-book GCSE in which you study a Shakespeare play, a post-1914 British play or novel, a 19th-century novel and a poetry anthology cluster, and analyse unseen poems. It is graded 9 to 1 and assessed by two exams worth 50% each.
This course prepares you one to one with a verified English tutor, who marks your essays against the Edexcel assessment objectives.
Official specification: Pearson Edexcel GCSE English Literature (1ET0). Papers and content can change, so check the current specification on the board's website.
For wider support, see our English literature tutoring page, or the AQA GCSE English Literature course if your school follows AQA.
Both Edexcel GCSE English Literature (1ET0) papers are closed book. Check the current specification on the board's website.
| Paper | Time | Marks | Weighting | Content |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1: Shakespeare and Post-1914 Literature | 1 hour 45 minutes | 80 | 50% | Section A Shakespeare: extract (20) + theme elsewhere in the play (20); Section B post-1914 essay (40), including SPaG |
| Paper 2: 19th-century Novel and Poetry since 1789 | 2 hours 15 minutes | 80 | 50% | Section A novel: extract (20) + whole-text essay (20); Section B poetry: anthology comparison (20) + two unseen poems (20) |
| Component | Set texts |
|---|---|
| Shakespeare | Macbeth, The Tempest, Romeo and Juliet, Much Ado About Nothing, Twelfth Night, The Merchant of Venice |
| Post-1914 (examples) | An Inspector Calls, Blood Brothers, Animal Farm, Lord of the Flies, Journey's End, Hobson's Choice, Anita and Me, The Woman in Black, The Empress, Refugee Boy, Coram Boy, Boys Don't Cry |
| 19th-century novel | Jane Eyre, Great Expectations, Jekyll and Hyde, A Christmas Carol, Pride and Prejudice, Silas Marner, Frankenstein |
| Poetry anthology | One collection of 15 poems: Relationships, Conflict, Time and Place, or Belonging |
Tutors help you choose a small set of flexible quotations for each character and theme, then test you with retrieval practice and timed planning so you can recall them under exam conditions.
Paper 2 asks you to compare an anthology poem with another from your cluster and to analyse and compare unseen poems. Tutors teach a simple comparison structure and how to analyse form, structure and language in a poem you have never seen.
Here is an illustrative example on Hyde in Jekyll and Hyde.
| Element | Example |
|---|---|
| Point | Stevenson presents Hyde as inhuman and evil. |
| Quotation | Enfield says Hyde seemed "like Satan". |
| Analysis | The simile links Hyde to the devil, suggesting pure evil. |
| Context | Victorian readers would see Hyde as a moral warning. |
Students most often lose marks through the habits below. Each is easy to fix with practice and feedback.
| Mark-loser | What to do instead |
|---|---|
| Retelling the plot | Make an argument in every paragraph |
| Long quotations | Embed short quotations |
| Feature-spotting | Explain each method's effect |
| SPaG errors in the post-1914 essay | Proofread; SPaG marks are in Paper 1 Section B |
| Weak unseen comparison | Compare the two poems throughout |
Lessons are live and one to one on video. Your tutor works through your set texts, plans answers with you and marks timed essays against the Edexcel mark scheme. See also Edexcel GCSE English Language and our English Literature subject page.
An Edexcel GCSE English Literature tutor online gives you live 1-to-1 lessons on your 1ET0 set texts, with marked essays and quotation practice for the closed-book exam.
This course suits Year 10 and Year 11 students on Edexcel 1ET0, and post-16 learners resitting.
Prerequisites: basic reading, essay writing and some knowledge of literary techniques.
Course length: 40 one-hour lessons across 4 modules.
| Stage | Topics | What you can do afterwards |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shakespeare | Write an essay on an extract and the whole play |
| 2 | Post-1914 literature | Analyse character and theme in your modern text |
| 3 | 19th-century novel | Analyse your novel with context |
| 4 | The poetry anthology | Compare poems and respond to unseen poetry |
Where it leads: see the Edexcel GCSE English Language course, or our English literature tutoring page.
The specification code is 1ET0.
Yes. You can't take your texts into either exam.
A Shakespeare play and a post-1914 British play or novel.
A 19th-century novel, a poetry anthology comparison and unseen poetry.
A small set of flexible quotations for each main character and theme is more useful than a long list.
Yes. Tutors work on the texts your school has chosen.
Yes. Tutors mark your essays against the Edexcel mark scheme and explain how to move up a level.
The price depends on the tutor and session length. You see the hourly rate before booking, with no subscription.
Write a clear argument, use precise quotations, analyse the writer's methods in detail and integrate context. Regular marked practice helps most.
Paper 1 (1 hour 45 minutes, 80 marks, 50%) and Paper 2 (2 hours 15 minutes, 80 marks, 50%), both closed book.
In the post-1914 essay in Paper 1 Section B.
Macbeth, The Tempest, Romeo and Juliet, Much Ado About Nothing, Twelfth Night and The Merchant of Venice.
Jane Eyre, Great Expectations, Jekyll and Hyde, A Christmas Carol, Pride and Prejudice, Silas Marner and Frankenstein.
15 poems in one collection: Relationships, Conflict, Time and Place, or Belonging.
Pearson publishes grade boundaries for Edexcel GCSE English Literature after each exam series, and they change from year to year with paper difficulty. They show the raw marks needed for each grade. Your tutor marks full past papers and compares your scores with recent boundaries to estimate your grade and target the topics that matter most.
Pearson publishes recent Edexcel GCSE English Literature past papers, mark schemes and examiner reports on its website, and schools can access more through their secure portals. Use them under timed conditions, then mark your answers carefully with the mark scheme. Your tutor sets past-paper questions topic by topic, then full timed papers closer to your exam.
Yes. You can book one session to see if the tutor suits you, with no subscription.
Weekly lessons suit most students; add extra sessions before exams.
Yes. Tutors can set past-paper questions and go through them in the next session.
Yes. Lessons are online, so you can book times that suit your time zone.
Yes. You can learn with a 1-to-1 Edexcel GCSE English Literature tutor online through live video lessons. Your tutor works through your own set texts, helps you learn quotations for the closed-book exam and marks your essays against the assessment objectives.
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