WBCHSE HS Alternative English (ALTE) study plan
WBCHSE HS Alternative English (ALTE) · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 6 hours per week
Prose – comprehension and critical analysis of prescribed prose texts & Textual reference-to-context and short-answer questions across the syllabus
Read every prescribed prose text once end to end, annotating plot, character and turning point in the margin of your own copy.
Build a one-page profile for each prose piece listing narrator, setting, central conflict and resolution.
Write out definitions in your own words for the prose terms you will be examined on: irony, satire, tone, point of view, characterization and narrative stance.
Practise five reference-to-context items by identifying the speaker, addressee and situation before writing the answer.
Draft a 60-word summary of each prose text without looking at the book, then correct it against the text.
Your checkpoint
A handwritten prose dossier of one page per text (profile plus 60-word summary) covering the full prose syllabus.
Prose – comprehension and critical analysis of prescribed prose texts & Textual reference-to-context and short-answer questions across the syllabus
Answer two passage-based prose questions in full exam format, quoting at least three short phrases per answer.
Construct theme statements for each prose text and support each with two textual moments.
Compare two prose texts on a shared concern such as class, gender, or colonial encounter, in a 200-word note.
Compile ten short-answer questions per prose text and answer them in note form within timed limits.
Identify and correct three weak habits in your earlier answers: plot retelling, unsupported assertion, and missing conclusion.
Your checkpoint
Two full-length timed prose essays marked against a self-made checklist of quotation, analysis, and structure.
Poetry – comprehension, appreciation and poetic devices in prescribed poems & Textual reference-to-context and short-answer questions across the syllabus
Read each prescribed poem aloud twice, marking stress, pauses and shifts in mood.
Paraphrase every poem line by line in your own prose to prove literal comprehension.
Tabulate the poetic devices you can actually verify in each poem, with the exact quoted words beside each device name.
Write a 100-word appreciation of one poem per session, moving from literal sense to effect and theme.
Answer five reference-to-context poetry items by locating the line, naming the device at work, and explaining its effect.
Your checkpoint
A poetry device-and-appreciation table for every prescribed poem, plus five completed reference-to-context answers.
Poetry – comprehension, appreciation and poetic devices in prescribed poems & Supplementary reader / long fiction – theme, character and narrative technique
Write two timed poetry essays, each opening with a thesis about theme rather than a summary of the poem.
Map the long fiction or supplementary reader on a chapter chart of plot, character introduction and narrative shift.
Trace one major character's development across the text with three cited stages.
Analyse the narrative technique of the long text: point of view, time handling, framing and use of dialogue.
Draft three possible essay prompts on the long text and outline each in bullet points.
Your checkpoint
A chapter chart plus one character-arc timeline for the long text, and two timed poetry essays.
Supplementary reader / long fiction – theme, character and narrative technique & Reading comprehension of unseen passages
Write two full essays on the long text, one on theme and one on narrative technique, each with embedded short quotations.
Answer unseen comprehension passages under a strict time limit, practising skimming for gist before reading for detail.
Practise inference questions by writing answers that cite the line number or quoted phrase that supports each claim.
Summarise three unseen passages in 50 words each and check against the original for retained key points.
Review your long-text essays for the balance between retelling and argument, and rewrite one weak paragraph.
Your checkpoint
Two long-text essays and three timed unseen-passage sets with summaries, all self-marked for accuracy and time.
Writing skills – report, letter, notice, paragraph and essay & Grammar and vocabulary in context
Write one notice, one formal letter, one report and one paragraph to exact format and word limits, checking salutation, heading and register.
Draft two essays from a range of discursive, argumentative and reflective prompts, each with a clear plan before writing.
Complete grammar drills on tense, subject-verb agreement, articles, prepositions and reported speech, then apply each rule in two original sentences.
Build a vocabulary log of 40 exam-useful words with meaning, collocation and one sentence of your own.
Edit one earlier piece of writing for redundancy, weak connectives and informal register.
Your checkpoint
A writing portfolio of one notice, one letter, one report, one paragraph and two essays, plus a 40-word vocabulary log.
Writing skills – report, letter, notice, paragraph and essay & Grammar and vocabulary in context & Textual reference-to-context and short-answer questions across the syllabus
Write two timed full writing tasks in 30 minutes each to build speed under exam conditions.
Do a mixed grammar and vocabulary test of 30 items and log every error by rule type.
Compile a master list of 30 reference-to-context items across prose and poetry and answer them all in short form.
Rehearse short-answer technique: direct opening sentence, one piece of evidence, brief comment, no padding.
Revise the weakest three rule types from your error log with fresh practice sentences.
Your checkpoint
A mixed 30-item grammar and vocabulary test with an error log, plus 30 completed reference-to-context answers.
Prose – comprehension and critical analysis of prescribed prose texts & Poetry – comprehension, appreciation and poetic devices in prescribed poems & Supplementary reader / long fiction – theme, character and narrative technique & Reading comprehension of unseen passages & Writing skills – report, letter, notice, paragraph and essay & Grammar and vocabulary in context & Textual reference-to-context and short-answer questions across the syllabus
Sit two full mock papers under strict timing, including unseen passage and writing sections.
Mark each mock against the domain weightings and identify the two domains costing you the most marks.
Re-read your prose dossier, poetry table and long-text chart in a single spaced revision pass.
Rewrite the two weakest mock answers to full standard and compare them with your first attempt.
Finalise a one-page revision sheet of quotations, devices and format rules to review on exam morning.
Your checkpoint
Two completed timed mock papers with marked scripts, rewritten weak answers, and a one-page final revision sheet.
Milestones
Week 2: You can write a full prose essay in 30 minutes with at least three accurate quotations and no extended plot retelling.
Week 4: You can name and evidence at least four poetic devices in any prescribed poem and outline a character arc in the long text from memory.
Week 6: You can produce a correctly formatted notice, letter and report within their word limits, and score above 80 percent on a 20-item grammar check.
Week 8: You complete two full mock papers within time and show measurable improvement in your two weakest domains between the first and second mock.