RBSE SS English Literature study plan
RBSE SS English Literature · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 6 hours per week
Prose and Fiction
Map every prose and fiction text on the syllabus and record its author, genre, setting, and central conflict in a one-page grid
Read the two longest fiction pieces end to end and annotate plot turning points and character introductions
Write short character sketches for the four most examinable protagonists, each citing two textual moments
Define five recurring prose terms (narrative voice, foreshadowing, interior monologue, satire, bildungsroman) with one example from your reading
Your checkpoint
A completed syllabus grid plus four character sketches of about 120 words each with cited textual evidence
Prose and Fiction
Compare themes across at least three prose texts and group them under four recurring ideas
Draft two full-length analytical paragraphs that move from claim to evidence to interpretation
Identify and label the narrative technique used in each prose text on your grid
Summarise each remaining prose text in 60 words without quoting
Your checkpoint
Two model analytical paragraphs (150-200 words each) plus a 60-word summary for every prose text
Poetry
Read every prescribed poem aloud twice and mark stressed syllables and pauses
Paraphrase each poem line by line into plain prose
Identify the central theme and tone shift of each poem in a single sentence
Match each poem to its form (sonnet, ode, ballad, lyric, free verse) with a one-line justification
Your checkpoint
A poem-by-poem table giving paraphrase, theme, tone shift, and form for the full poetry list
Poetry & Literary Devices, Figures of Speech and Poetic Form
Annotate each poem for at least three figures of speech with the exact quoted phrase
Explain how rhyme scheme and metre support meaning in two contrasting poems
Write two comparative poetry answers linking a shared theme across two poets
Build a personal glossary of 15 poetic devices with a fresh example you construct yourself
Your checkpoint
A 15-entry device glossary and two comparative poetry answers of 250 words each
Drama
Outline the plot of each drama text act by act in no more than two lines per act
Characterise the protagonist and antagonist with two speeches each as evidence
Explain how one dramatic device (soliloquy, aside, dramatic irony, stage direction) functions in each play
Draft a full essay on a major dramatic theme using three embedded quotations
Your checkpoint
Act-by-act outlines for every drama text plus one 300-word thematic essay with embedded quotations
Drama & Literary Devices, Figures of Speech and Poetic Form
Convert two prose passages and two verse passages into accurate paraphrase without losing meaning
Practise identifying figures of speech in unseen short extracts under timed conditions
Write a 100-word summary of a 500-word unseen passage, then trim it to 60 words
Link each dramatic device you studied to a named figure of speech or structural feature
Your checkpoint
Four paraphrases, a 100-word and a 60-word summary of one unseen passage, and a one-page device cross-reference sheet
Comprehension, Summary and Paraphrase & Composition, Letter Writing and Applied Writing
Draft one formal letter, one application letter, and one short report using correct layout and register
Write a 200-word composition under a 25-minute timer and self-mark against a checklist
Summarise two unseen prose passages in the prescribed word limit
Correct five deliberately faulty sentences for grammar, punctuation, and tone
Your checkpoint
A portfolio of three applied-writing pieces plus two timed unseen summaries, all self-marked against a written checklist
Prose and Fiction & Poetry & Drama & Literary Devices, Figures of Speech and Poetic Form & Comprehension, Summary and Paraphrase & Composition, Letter Writing and Applied Writing
Sit one full-length mock paper under exam timing without notes
Mark the mock against the board's mark distribution and list your three weakest domains
Re-drill the twenty facts, quotations, and definitions you most often forget
Rewrite your two lowest-scoring answers to full-mark standard
Your checkpoint
A marked mock paper with a written error log and two rewritten answers
Milestones
Week 2: You can summarise any prose text in 60 words and write an evidence-based analytical paragraph in under 15 minutes without notes
Week 4: You can paraphrase any prescribed poem and name at least three figures of speech in it with quoted evidence
Week 6: You can paraphrase and summarise an unseen passage to the required word limit and explain any dramatic device in context
Week 8: Your timed mock scores at or above your target band in at least four of the six domains, with a written plan for the remaining two