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The Twentieth Century – a literary timeline – part 1
a chronicle of events, literatures, politics, and the arts 1895. X-rays discovered; invention of the cinematograph; trial and imprisonment of Oscar Wilde; Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest and An...
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What is close reading?
a brief guide to advanced reading skills Close reading – explained 1. Close reading is the most important skill you need for any form of literary studies. It means paying especially close attention to...
View ArticleHow to cite electronic sources
academic conventions for the digital age Referencing 1. More and more data is now stored electronically in a variety of forms. 2. When quoting, your sources may be in some digital form. 3. The...
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Glossary of essay instruction terms
common terms used in essay questions 1. Instruction terms are words commonly used in essay questions. They instruct or direct you in the approach you should take towards the proposition of the...
View ArticleHow to fail your dissertation
clear guidelines for guaranteed disaster Failing your dissertation is admittedly not an easy task, but if you try really hard you can fail by ignoring all the good advice you have been given. If in...
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How to take notes
important skills for successful study 1. In preparation for writing a piece of work, you should take notes from a number of different sources: course materials, set texts, secondary reading,...
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How to study a novel
reading novels and effective study skills Why study a novel? There’s nothing wrong with reading a novel just to pass the time, or as an alternative to watching TV. But if you want to get more out of...
View ArticleEssay plans
creating firm structure and clear argument 1. Essay plans You can approach the composition of an essay using a number of different writing strategies. Some people like to start writing and wait to see...
View ArticleHow to avoid plagiarism
how to understand plagiarism – and avoid it Plagiarism – definition 1. Plagiarism is defined as “Passing off someone else’s work as your own”. 2. It happens if you copy somebody else’s work instead of...
View ArticleHow to use quotations
the conventions and techniques of quotation Quotations 1. There are in general two instances when you may wish to use quotations from other writers’ work: Evidence – when quoting from other sources to...
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How to write book reviews
notes and style guide for reviewers 1. Good book reviews should as a bare minimum be informative, but if they are good they will also be entertaining. Keep three things in mind whilst writing – your...
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The Twentieth Century – a literary timeline – part 2
a chronicle of events, literature, and politics 1920. League of Nations established; Oxford University admits women; D.H. Lawrence, Women in Love; Nobel prize – K. Hamsun (N). 1921. Irish Free State...
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The Twentieth Century – a literary timeline – part 3
a chronicle of events, literature, and politics 1950. India declares itself a republic; UK and USA attack Korea; first credit cards; first organ transplant; Billy Wilder, Sunset Boulevard; Nobel prize...
View ArticleSample essay introductions [advanced]
getting your essay off to a good start The essay introductions that follow are all taken from third-year undergraduate courses in literary studies. They are not being offered as models of perfection –...
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The Nineteenth Century – a literary timeline – part 1
a chronicle of events, literature, and politics 1789. French Revolution 1790. Edmund Burke, Reflections on the Revolution in France 1791. Thomas Paine, The Rights of Man 1792. Denmark is first country...
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The Nineteenth Century – a literary timeline – part 2
a chronicle of events, literature, and politics 1830. Death of George IV; William IV becomes King. Petitions to both Houses of Parliament on the abolition of slavery. William Huskisson, a former...
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The Nineteenth Century – a literary timeline – part 3
a chronicle of events, literature, and politics 1866. George Eliot, Felix Holt the Radical; Elizabeth Gaskell, Wives and Daughters; Lewis Carroll, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland; Fyodor Dostoyeski,...
View ArticleAnalysis of a Shakespeare sonnet
sample answer to an examination question This analysis of a shakespeare sonnet is an example of literary analysis at third year undergraduate level. It’s also an example of an answer to an essay...
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Analysing fiction – a glossary
a checklist of literary terms Analysing fiction requires that you are able to name and describe the features of a story or a novel that you find interesting. This means having a clear understanding of...
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How to create a bibliography
the basic conventions for academic writing 1. At the end of any scholarly writing (an essay, report, or dissertation) you should offer a list of any works you have consulted or from which you have...
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