ZIMSEC O Level · Literature in English · Form 3, Form 4
Planning
- Underline the key words in the question (e.g. “How does the writer present…”, “To what extent…”).
- Brainstorm three to five main points.
- Decide your overall argument (thesis).
Structure
- Introduction: briefly answer the question and outline your approach.
- Body paragraphs: use PEE – Point, Evidence (quotation or reference), Explanation (how it supports the point and links to the question).
- Conclusion: sum up your argument without simply repeating.
Language
Use the present tense for events in literature (“Tambu decides…”), formal style, and literary vocabulary. Name the author and the title correctly.
Common mistakes
Retelling the story instead of analysing; making points without evidence; ignoring the question; and spending too long on one point.
Worked example: A paragraph using PEE on the theme of ambition (in any set text).
Point: The writer shows that ambition can destroy family ties.
Evidence: refer to the moment the character chooses wealth over his brother.
Explanation: this choice reveals how desire for status overrides loyalty, a warning the writer develops through the novel.
Check yourself
- What does PEE stand for?
- In which tense should you discuss events in a novel?
- Name the most common mistake in literature essays.
Show answers
- Point, Evidence, Explanation.
- The present tense.
- Retelling the story (narrating) instead of analysing it.
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