Edco English Paper 1 by Edco Ireland

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Edco English Paper 1

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Leaving Certificate Higher Level

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Greg Keegan

Edco The Educational Company of Ireland

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First published 2022

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The Educational Company of Ireland Ballymount Road Walkinstown Dublin 12 www.edco.ie

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A member of the Smurfit Kappa Group plc

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ISBN: 978-1-80230-002-4

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All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without either the prior permission of the Publisher or a licence permitting restricted copying in Ireland issued by the Irish Copyright Licensing Agency, 63 Patrick Street, Dún Laoghaire, Co. Dublin.

Book design and layout: Ailbhe Hooper Project management: Lucy Taylor

Editor: Denise Dwyer/Title Verso Editing

While every care has been taken to trace and acknowledge copyright, the publishers tender their apologies for any accidental infringement where copyright has proved untraceable. They would be pleased to come to a suitable arrangement with the rightful owner in each case. Disclaimer: Web references in this textbook are intended as a guide for students and teachers. At the time of going to press, all web addresses were active and contained information relevant to the topics in this textbook. However, The Educational Company of Ireland and the authors do not accept responsibility for the views or information contained on these websites. Content and addresses may change beyond our control and students should be supervised when investigating websites.

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Contents Focusing on the Exam 1

Focusing on Genre and Visual Literacy 8

Introduction to Comprehending Question A 29

Narrative in Comprehending Question A 46

Speech, Memoir and Opinion in Comprehending Question A 73

Introduction to Comprehending Question B 96

Comprehending Question B: Examples 108

Focusing on Composing 144

Focusing on the Writing 181

Focusing on Approaches to Paper 2 196

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Foreword

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Edco English Paper 1 – Leaving Certificate Higher Level is written by an experienced Leaving Certificate English teacher, advisor and examiner with the particular aim of structuring an approach aimed to help all students reach and go beyond their potential.

The text has a deliberate and clear exam focus, through which students can maximise their exam success by exposure to a wide variety of past exam questions, examiner comments and marking scheme analysis. The text also guides students towards independent and original thinking required when taking on the various exam-writing tasks.

Extensive, invaluable and insightful sample answers are provided for students which are annotated with examiner comments and guidance. Sample answers are designed to reflect an achievable yet high standard of Leaving Certificate student. This ensures a standard that students can aim for rather than be impressed by. Emphasis is placed on understanding the underlining foundations of a genre approached understanding of the English Leaving Certificate exam. Cross links are made over the entire English course, stressing the importance of taking an allinclusive approach to the study of English. What a student is required to study for one part of the course is shown to be relevant on other parts of the course. All text and exam questions are current, reflecting the dynamic and evolving nature of the Leaving Certificate English course. Unlike other Paper 1 textbooks available, this text has the added benefit of providing guidelines for approaching Paper 2. Greg Keegan

iii

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Edco English Paper 1 - Leaving Certificate Higher Level

Acknowledgements The following extracts have been reproduced with the kind permission of the publishers, agents, authors and their estates as follows:

Teenage by Jon Savage published by Chatto & Windus. Copyright © Jon Savage 2007. Reprinted by permission of The Random House Group Limited. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, permission Penguin Random House Alan Warner explores the influence of pop music on his writing, permission The Guardian John Lanchester reflects on a new art form: video games, permission The Guardian

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Report from the Interior by Paul Auster, permission The Carol Mann Agency.

Spill Simmer Falter Wither by Sara Baume, with the kind permission of the author @Sara Baume To be Taught, if Fortunate by Becky Chambers, permission Hodder & Stoughton Canada by Richard Ford, permission Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

Elmet by Fiona Mozley, permission Hodder and Stoughton Ltd

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‘The Misadventures of a Dithering Writer in Thirteen and A Half Fragments’ from The Danger and the Glory by Alan McMonagle, permission Arlen House Ltd Time Pieces: A Dublin Memoir by John Banville permission Hodder and Stoughton Ltd

The Medium is the Message – The Power of Public Poetry by Marta Bausells, permission The Guardian. Images courtesy of robertmontgomery.org Letters to a Young Writer by Colum McCann, permission Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

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The photographs in this book come from the following sources: p1 Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock, p2 Panitan Photo/Shutterstock, p5 Sharlaev Maksim/Shutterstock, p6 Burnel1/Shutterstock, p7 Pixsooz/Shutterstock, p7 Panitan Photo/Shutterstock, p8 Nadya Art/Shutterstock, p11 Exopixel/Shutterstock, p12 Marekuliasz/Shutterstock, T-Dubv/ Shutterstock, Glubovy/Shutterstock, Gorodenkoff/Shutterstock, Mimma Key/Shutterstock, p14 PA Images/Alamy Stock Photo, p18 Boris15/Shutterstock, p19 Brazhyk/Shutterstock, p20 Roman Samborskyi, p22 Oleg Mikhaylov/ Shutterstock, p24 Robert Montgomery https://www.robertmontgomery.org/, p25 Buyenlarge/Getty Images, p27 Bettmann/Getty, p27 Mikateke/Shutterstock, p28 both Alamy, p29 Rawpixel/Shutterstock, p30 Fertas/Shutterstock,, p31 Pixel-Shot/Shutterstock, p33 Lucky Business/Shutterstock, p34 Mr Pics/Shutterstock, p38 Joseph Sohm/ Shutterstock, p41 Dima Zel/Shutterstock, p42 Everett Collection/Shutterstock,p46 stockfour/Shutterstock, p47 Teri and Jackie Soares/Shutterstock, p49 Shutterstock, p51 Ugorenkov Aleksandr/Shutterstock, p57 Aranami/Shutterstock, p62 Joelee Art/Shutterstock, p53 Anton Ivanov, p60 Gorodenkoff/Shutterstock, p64 Allstar Picture Library/Alamy, p69 YuriyZhuravov/Shutterstock, p67 Nito/Shutterstock, p73 Valerij Karpeev/Shutterstock, p74 Chung Sung-jun/ Shutterstock, p76 Mariangela Cruz/Shutterstock, p77 360B/Shutterstock, p80 DFree/Shutterstock, p85 Petr Bonek/ Shutterstock, p88 Robert Montgomery, p92 Lev Radin/Shutterstock, p92 Elenavolf/Shutterstock, p95 TungCheung/ Shutterstock, p96 Dragon Images/Shutterstock, p97 VectorMine/Shutterstock, p101 Konstatin Chagin/Shutterstock, p100 Raw Pixel/Shutterstock, p103 Money Business Images/Shutterstock, p105 Rawpixel/Shutterstock, p107 VectorMine/Shutterstock, p108 Shutterstock, p109 Billion Photos/Shutterstock, p113 24K production/Shutterstock, p117 Fmgt/Shutterstock, p119 Lapina/Shutterstock, p121 AZVector/Shutterstock, p124 Sunset Boulevard/Getty, p126 vchal/Shutterstock, p128 © Janina Lamb, lamblionstudio.com, also www.kelmurphy.com, (deviantart.com), www.marin.edu, p129 CurrywurstmitPommes/Shutterstock, p132 fizkes/Shutterstock, p135 AnnaStills/Shutterstock, p138 Kaspars Grinvalds/Shutterstock, p142 Jacob Lund/Shutterstock, p144 insta photos/Shutterstock, p145 MyImages Micha/Shutterstock, p147 muratart/Shutterstock, p149 Songquan Deng/Shutterstock, p150 Vladimir Gjorgiev/Shutterstock, p159 sfam photo/Shutterstock, p164 Shutterstock, p166 Akhenaton Images/Shutterstock, p170Shutterstock, p173 Lightspring/Shutterstock, p177 Juliana Brykova/Shutterstock, p181 Syda Productions/ Shutterstock, p182 Steve Skjold/Shutterstock, p183 Vika Liverpool/Shutterstock, p190 desdemona72/Shutterstock, p192 Syda Productions/Shutterstock, p195 Photographee.eu/Shutterstock, p196 tomertu/Shutterstock, p204 Vladimir Salmon/Shutterstock, p206 James Elkington/Shutterstock, some images Freepik.

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the Exam

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Learning intentions

Focusing on

In this chapter you will understand and engage with:

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a relevant approach to the Leaving Certificate English exam the assessment criteria (PCLM) the layout of the exam papers

the importance of timing.

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While preparing for the Leaving Certificate English exam you should take: a genre- and task-based approach an all-inclusive approach.

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Key Point: All-inclusive approach •

Your approach to studying for the Leaving Certificate English exam should be all-encompassing and global.

•

This means that what you learn and practise for one section may also be relevant to the next section.

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Edco English Paper 1 - Leaving Certificate Higher Level

As Leaving Certificate English students, you should be aware of how the exam paper looks and how the process is examined. Examiners are told to use the PCLM (Purpose, Coherence, Language, Mechanics) criteria of assessment when awarding your mark.

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The PCLM criteria ensure that students who engage with the various writing tasks, using an appropriate language register, in a sustained and continuous manner, will be properly rewarded.

•

The table below is provided in examiners’ marking schemes. This is the guide they must follow when marking your exam. It has been formulated by the States Examination Committee for your benefit.

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Do not worry if some of the phrases in the table seem confusing: the criteria are intended for the examiner, not the student. The main areas that you need to understand and focus on for exam success are explained after the table.

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Assessment Criteria: PCLM

Requirements

P: Clarity of Purpose – 30%

Engagement with the set task, e.g. relevance, focus, originality, freshness, clear aim, understanding of genre

C: Coherence of Delivery – 30%

Ability to sustain the response over the entire answer, continuity of argument, sequencing, management of ideas, choice of reference, use of examples, engagement with texts, control of register and shape, creative modelling

L: Efficiency of Language Use – 30%

Management and control of language to achieve clear communication, e.g. vocabulary, syntax, sentence patterns, paragraph structure, punctuation appropriate to the register, use of lively, interesting phrasing, energy, style, fluency appropriate to the task

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Criteria

Any question worth 50 marks or more is broken down in a marking grid. All questions are marked with the criteria in mind. A question worth 15 marks will not be broken down in a PCLM marking grid, but the examiner is still instructed to apply the same reasoning to the mark awarded.

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Spelling and grammar, e.g. appropriate levels of accuracy in spelling, grammatical patterns appropriate to the register

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M: Accuracy of Mechanics – 10%

Key Point: PCLM marking grid

This is how the mark awarded to a composition worth 100 marks might be broken down:

100

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chapter one

Focusing on the Exam

P – Clarity of purpose (30%) P represents clarity of purpose and is worth 30% of the mark. In essence, P measures the relevance of the candidate’s response. For example:

Have they managed to register enough of the features of the correct genre?

Is their response on task?

It is vital to register a high P mark as C and L are influenced by P. You cannot get a higher mark for C and L than you get for P.

If you have a beautifully expressed response, which is error-free, but have only earned 10 marks out of 30 for P because you missed the main point of the question, then the best mark you can get will be 40. 30

100

• • •

Are they doing what the question asks them to do?

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C – Coherence of delivery (30%)

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In essence, C measures your ability to present compelling and coherent arguments throughout the entire response. It considers: structure and management of ideas sequencing of paragraphs

relevant and appropriate referencing and quotation.

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C represents coherence of delivery and is worth 30% of the mark.

L – Efficiency of language use (30%) L represents efficiency of language use and is worth 30% of the mark.

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In essence, L considers the following questions: Does your paragraph structure make sense? / Is it clear?

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How clear is your language when producing coherent arguments?

Is the language well-registered and appropriate for the task?

How does punctuation impact on fluency and accuracy?

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You will be rewarded for an attempt to be expansive in your vocabulary, if controlled and coherent. Try to be accurate and stylistic.

M – Accuracy of mechanics (10%) • • •

M represents accuracy of mechanics and is worth 10% of the mark.

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For this reason, you need to make a number of mechanical errors before a mark is deducted.

In essence, M measures your abilities in spelling and grammar. While you will be penalised for poor spelling and grammar, there is also an acknowledgement that in a long answer a lot of good mechanics are used.

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Edco English Paper 1 - Leaving Certificate Higher Level

•

This is a graduated scale, and if a mark is deducted you then need to make more errors before being penalised again. Depending on how much you write, you may need to make a reasonable number of errors before a second mark is deducted, so don’t be afraid to be expansive in your vocabulary or expression.

Layout of the Exam

The Leaving Certificate English exam comprises two papers. The focus of Paper 1 is language, while the focus of Paper 2 is literary study.

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Paper 1 Paper 1 is divided into two sections (200 marks to be covered in 170 minutes).

•

LEAVING CERTIFICA TE EXAMINATION, 2021

English - Higher Lev el Total Marks: 140

- Paper 1

Wednesday, 9 June – Morning, 9.30 – 12.2 0

• This paper is divide d into two sections, Section I COMPREHE NDING and Section II COMPOSING. • The paper conta ins three texts on the general theme of REFL TIME. ECTIONS ON • Candidates shoul d familiarise thems elves with each of the beginning their answe texts before rs. • Both sections of this paper (COMPREH ENDING and COMPOSING attempted. ) must be • Section I, Comprehen ding, carries 40 marks . • Section II, Comp osing, carries 100 marks .

Section 2 is the Composing section. It is made up of seven composing tasks, ranging from short stories to personal essays. This section is worth 100 marks.

SECTION I – COMPREH

ENDING

• Two Questions, A and B, follow each text. • Candidates must answer ONE question in Section I: either one Question A OR one Question B on ONE text.

Note: Paper 1 is themed. The theme is different every year, and it is presented on the front page of the exam paper. The theme is there to guide and inspire.

SECTION II – COMPOSI NG

• Candidates must write

on one of the comp

ositions 1 – 7.

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Section 1 is the Comprehending section. It comprises three texts. Each text is followed by a Question A and a Question B, each of which is worth 50 marks. (Throughout this book, these questions will be referred to ‘Comprehending Question A’ and ‘Comprehending Question B’.)

2021L002A1EL

Coimisiún na Scrúdu ithe Stáit State Examinations Commission

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•

2021. M.11

Key Point: Paper 1 requirements

Section 1, Comprehending: You are required to answer one Comprehending Question A and one Comprehending Question B. They must be taken from different texts.

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Section 2, Composing: You are required to answer one composing task.

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Paper 2

Paper 2 is divided into three sections (200 marks to be covered in 200 minutes).

Coimisiún na Scrúduithe Stáit State Examinations Commission

LEAVING CERTIFICATE EXAMINATION, 2021

English - Higher Level - Paper 2

Section 1, The Single Text, is worth 60 marks.

•

Make sure you know your class strategy. Sometimes a student sees a text that they have studied for Section 2 appear in this section and decides it is the easiest option. They then run into trouble when answering the comparative questions in Section 2. Stick to your teacher’s plan. If you have studied a Shakespearean text for Section 1, then answer that question.

2021L002A2EL

2021. M.12

Total Marks: 140 Thursday, 10 June – Afternoon, 2.00 – 5.20 Candidates must attempt the required number of questions in any TWO following sections: • • • •

of the

SECTION I – The Single Text SECTION II – The Comparative Study SECTION III – Poetry, Part A, Unseen Poem and Part B, Prescribed Poetry. All sections carry 70 marks.

N.B. Candidates are NOT required to answer on Shakespearean Drama.

INDEX OF SINGLE TEXTS The Handmaid’s Tale Days Without End Wuthering Heights King Lear The Tempest

Page - 2 Page - 2 Page - 2 Page - 3 Page - 3

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•

Section 2, The Comparative Study, is worth 70 marks. Two out of three prescribed comparative modes will appear on the exam paper:

Theme or Issue Literary Genre Cultural Context General Vision and Viewpoint

Section 3, Poetry, is worth 70 marks.

The first question is on an Unseen Poem: this is a poem that you have not studied (i.e. it is not one of the prescribed poems on the course). It is worth 20 marks.

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The second question is on Prescribed Poetry: you are given a choice of four poets from the eight prescribed poets on your course. This question is worth 50 marks.

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Key Point: Paper 2 requirements

Familiarise yourself with the layout of the exam paper.

one single text one comparative study

one unseen poem one prescribed poet.

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Time Strategy

Key Point: Past exam papers

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At higher level, you must demonstrate the study of a Shakespearean text. If you do not demonstrate this in Section 1, then you must include a Shakespearean text in Section 2, the comparative section.

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It is very important to have a time strategy when preparing for an exam. A time strategy for Paper 1 is suggested below, but it needs to be tested and adapted before you adopt it.

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Some people may need more time in one area and less time in another. See what works for you once you are confident you know how to approach the various sections.

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There is no point in trying to follow a time strategy until you have reached a point where it is possible. The first time you write a short story, it may take three hours; your second attempt may take two and a half hours, and so on. The expectation is that you will be able to reach the suggested time with practice.

•

chapter one

Focusing on the Exam

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Edco English Paper 1 - Leaving Certificate Higher Level

Paper 1 time strategy Remember: the following is a suggested time strategy for Paper 1. You should adapt this time strategy to suit your abilities. 200 marks, 170 minutes Task

Time

Read the text

10 minutes

Answer part (i) – 15 marks

15 minutes

Answer part (ii) – 15 marks

15 minutes

Answer part (iii) – 20 marks

20 minutes

Answer the question

40 minutes

Section and question

Question B (50 marks)

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Question A (50 marks)

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Section 1, Comprehending

Section 2, Composing

Complete the composing task

65 minutes

TOTAL TIME 165 minutes

Note: the total time of 165 minutes takes into account that at least 5 minutes will be lost reading questions, preparing paper, finding pens, etc.

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You will find a suggested time strategy for Paper 2 in Chapter 10.

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Key Point: Edit your work as you go

Read and edit your work as you go. For example, when you are finished a paragraph, read over it and fix errors.

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The suggested time strategy assumes your editing will be continuous.

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It may be more difficult to edit your work at the end of an exam (170 minutes in the case of Paper 1, and 200 minutes in the case of Paper 2), when it is likely that you will be tired, drained and may even be losing interest.

Key Point: Time strategy Stick to your time strategy. This takes discipline. It can be hard to move away from a question you know really well so you can answer a question that you may not feel so confident about.

•

Sticking to your time strategy ensures that when you hear the words ‘pens down’, you can walk out of the exam centre, confident that you have completed all sections of the exam to the best of your ability.

•

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chapter one

Focusing on the Exam

Remember!

• • •

All-inclusive approach

•

Have a time strategy

PCLM

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Familiarise yourself with the layout of the paper

Checklist 1.

Do you understand what is meant by an all-inclusive approach?

Can you name the criteria of assessment referred to by each of the following Can you describe why P is so important?

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letters: PCLM?

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4. Do you know when you should edit your work?

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Focusing on

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Learning intentions

Genre and Visual Literacy In this chapter you will understand and engage with:

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genre and what it means in the context of Leaving Certificate English popular genres of literary text different genre forms

five language genres literary techniques

• • • • • •

visual literacy.

Genre

A good understanding of genre and the various language genres that we use is necessary throughout the English exam.

Key Point: Defining genre The word ‘genre’ refers to the way in which we categorise literary works or texts. This is done by grouping together literary works, such as movies, books and music, by identifying dominant similarities. You can look at the structure of a work (e.g. a novel, play or poem), the style of language (e.g. narration, persuasion) and popular grouping of text (e.g. comedy, horror).

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chapter two

Focusing on Genre and Visual Literacy

Exercise Working in small groups, discuss what you think is meant by the term ‘genre’. Jot down your ideas on a piece of paper.

Language genres

comedy

novel

narration

science fiction

play

argument

fiction

poem

persuasion

horror

movie

information

comedy

painting

aesthetic

romance

photograph

detective

short story

fantasy

personal essay

period drama

speech

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Genre forms

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Popular genres of literary text

Very simply, genre is another word for style. Here are some examples.

A novel, which is a particular genre, can be a romance, which is a particular genre, and can be written using the style of narration, which is a particular genre, and aesthetic language, which is a particular genre.

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Higher level English students must study Shakespearean drama. Macbeth is a play, it is a tragedy, and is written in both verse and prose.

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Based on past exam papers and recent exam trends it is important that you have a good understanding of the different ways the word ‘genre’ is used.

Popular genres of literary texts A western will feature aspects such as open, arid landscapes; a heroic gunfighter; horses; conflict and violence.

•

Each genre has recognisable features that are associated with that particular category. For example:

A socially realistic text will focus on real-life problems. Characters are confronted with believable obstacles in their lives. If something paranormal was to occur, we would immediately realise that this was no longer a socially realistic text.

•

Exercise 1.

Think of a film or a novel that you found to be particular engaging. a. State the literary genre of the text. b. Make a list of the features of that genre to justify your answer. c. Rejoin your original group from the exercise above. Discuss the genres you picked and the features you identified. Has your understanding of genre developed?

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Edco English Paper 1 - Leaving Certificate Higher Level

d. Nominate one member of the group to present your ideas to the class. Look at the following table. Working in small groups, think of other genres and identify features of those genres. For example, you might find many of the features of romances to be similar to the features you would find in a fairy tale.

Science fiction

Romance

Personal writing

monologue

creation and discovery of new worlds

central love story

chatty, conversational

companion

dystopian

struggle to make relationship work

personal

main protagonist’s ability to reason and deduce

technology and artificial intelligence

romantic love followed by optimistic resolution

reflective

clues to the mystery

conflict

mysterious element

judgemental

tension

space travel

sense of adventure

anecdotal

plot twists, cliffhangers

some manner of tragic character who transcending light speed always meets the wrong person

authentic first-person voice

suspense

futuristic

heroic character

aesthetic imagery

the unexpected

extraterrestrial life, aliens, mutants

period setting or fairytale-style setting

emotive

unknown antagonist

curiosity

mistaken identity

intimate

red herring

alternative energy

situational comedy

credible

satisfactory resolution

speculative technology

quest

commentary

suggestion of paranormal

alternative histories

deviation from reality

candid

mind control, telepathy, and telekinesis

happy ever after

humorous in selfdeprecating manner

man vs machine

unwholesome antagonist

indiscreet

parallel universe

self-contained, insular

factual

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violence

thrilling aspect

crime

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Detective/Mystery

Draw a similar table to the one above, but this time present features of the following genres:

a. fairy tale b. comedy c. travel writing d. period drama

Work with a partner and compare tables. Make a note of any features that you think you should have recorded but did not think of.

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chapter two

Focusing on Genre and Visual Literacy

Genre forms There are many specific writing forms (genres), such as short story, speech, play, film, fiction, biography, autobiography, personal essay, etc. Each of these writing forms, or genre forms, is recognisable by a unique set of features. For example, a short story will include some or all of the following features:

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setting, tone and atmosphere characterisation obstacle moment of complication resolution

one main character dialogue sustained and relevant motif.

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Chapter 8, Focusing on Composing, has more information on features relating to other writing forms (genres) including short story, personal essay, speech, descriptive essay, discursive essay and opinion piece.

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Over the course of your engagement and learning within this book, you will learn many of the dominant features of the various genres, forms and writing styles that may appear in your exam.

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Key Point: Difference between language genre and literary genre and forms

As stated, ‘genre’ simply refers to the manner in which we categorise different styles of texts based on dominant features. When we talk about the five language genres, we are essentially suggesting that the English language can also be categorised into neat little groups based on dominant features.

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Edco English Paper 1 - Leaving Certificate Higher Level

Language genres Exercise

Argument

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Narration

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As each of the English language genres is discussed, make a note of the features mentioned.

Persuasion

Imagine you were asked to present a speech to your class, talking about an issue that you are passionate about.

If you were asked to tell someone about a recent experience you had, what features do you think you should include? A feature could be the setting, a character, etc.

Exercise

Information

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Aesthetic

a. What is the purpose of the speech?

b. Are you trying to affect people’s attitudes? c. How, through your language, could you change people’s way of thinking?

Imagine you were asked to design an advertising slogan to sell a new brand of water. What language features could you use to make your brand of water appear better than the ones already on the market?

Pair up with another student. Name your favourite form of novel or film. If you name the same genre, find another student with a different favourite genre. Take it in turns to present an argument explaining why your choice is more engaging than their choice.

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chapter two

Focusing on Genre and Visual Literacy

Language of narration The language of narration is the language we use to tell stories (narratives) that are real or imagined. It is the most common form of language.

• •

Narratives have a setting in time and place.

• •

Narratives provide details.

•

Development of tension, believable dialogue, obstacles, climactic moments, a moment of resolution, etc. are all elements of narration.

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When we write our compositions, we use both the language of narration and aesthetic language.

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Narratives have a structure. Structures vary: they can be logical, fragmented, chronological, etc.

Some features include:

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Descriptive techniques are employed. For example, vivid and developed characterisation is a significant aspect of narration.

Exercise

What, in your opinion, makes a good narrative?

Language of argument

Arguments are most effective when they are structured and contain evidence, such as illustration, examples, facts and statistics. It is important that the writer takes a clear stance on the topic and sticks to their point of view, using more than personal opinion or emotions to back up that point of view.

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We use logic, or irrefutable points, when making an argument.

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The language of argument is used to convince an audience of a certain point of view.

Language of persuasion

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The language of argument overlaps with the language of persuasion, and similar techniques are used. The main difference between these two genres is that the language of persuasion appeals to our feelings, whereas the language of argument relies on logic.

•

The language of persuasion is used to influence how others think.

• •

Points are made for their emotional impact rather than their factual content.

• • •

The tone is often subjective and personal.

Persuasive texts will often contain adjectives, superlatives and descriptive techniques, as the writer appeals to our emotive side. All advertising is centred on the language of persuasion. Rhetorical devices, such as questioning and inclusive use of pronouns, are used to manipulate an audience’s thoughts.

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Edco English Paper 1 - Leaving Certificate Higher Level

Exercise

Read the following text from a speech made by Winston Churchill at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri in 1946 (popularly known as the ‘Iron Curtain Speech’) and answer the questions that follow.

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I am glad to come to Westminster College this afternoon, and am complimented that you should give me a degree. The name ‘Westminster’ is somehow familiar to me.

TEXT – CHURCHILL SPEECH

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Go to www.examinations.ie, material archive, exam papers, English Paper 1, 2017. Read Text 2 ‘A Connected World’. Identify and comment on the effective use of three features of argument and three features of persuasion.

I seem to have heard of it before. Indeed, it was at Westminster that I received a very large part of my education in politics, dialectic, rhetoric, and one or two other things. In fact we have both been educated at the same, or similar, or, at any rate, kindred establishments.

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It is also an honour, perhaps almost unique, for a private visitor to be introduced to an academic audience by the President of the United States. Amid his heavy burdens, duties, and responsibilities-unsought but not recoiled from – the President has travelled a thousand miles to dignify and magnify our meeting here to-day and to give me an opportunity of addressing this kindred nation, as well as my own countrymen across the ocean, and perhaps some other countries too. The President has told you that it is his wish, as I am sure it is yours, that I should have full liberty to give my true and faithful counsel in these anxious and baffling times. I shall certainly avail myself of this freedom, and feel the more right to do so because any private ambitions I may have cherished in my younger days have been satisfied beyond my wildest dreams. Let me, however, make it clear that I have no official mission or status of any kind, and that I speak only for myself. There is nothing here but what you see.

I can therefore allow my mind, with the experience of a lifetime, to play over the problems which beset us on the morrow of our absolute victory in arms, and to try to make sure with what strength I have that what has been gained with so much sacrifice and suffering shall be preserved for the future glory and safety of mankind.

The United States stands at this time at the pinnacle of world power. It is a solemn moment for the American Democracy. For with primacy in power is also joined an awe inspiring accountability to the future. If you look around you, you must feel not only the sense of duty done but also you must feel anxiety lest you fall below the level of achievement. Opportunity is here now, clear and shining for both our countries. To reject it or ignore it or fritter it away will bring upon us all the long reproaches of the after-time. It is necessary that constancy of mind, persistency of purpose, and the grand simplicity of decision shall guide and rule the conduct of the English-speaking peoples in peace as they did in war. We must, and I believe we shall, prove ourselves equal to this severe requirement.

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When American military men approach some serious situation they are wont to write at the head of their directive the words ‘over-all strategic concept’. There is wisdom in this, as it leads to clarity of thought. What then is the over-all strategic concept which we should inscribe today? It is nothing less than the safety and welfare, the freedom and progress, of all the homes and families of all the men and women in all the lands. And here I speak particularly of the myriad cottage or apartment homes where the wage-earner strives amid the accidents and difficulties of life to guard his wife and children from privation and bring the family up in the fear of the Lord, or upon ethical conceptions which often play their potent part.

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To give security to these countless homes, they must be shielded from the two giant marauders, war and tyranny. We all know the frightful disturbances in which the ordinary family is plunged when the curse of war swoops down upon the bread-winner and those for whom he works and contrives. The awful ruin of Europe, with all its vanished glories, and of large parts of Asia glares us in the eyes. When the designs of wicked men or the aggressive urge of mighty States dissolve over large areas the frame of civilised society, humble folk are confronted with difficulties with which they cannot cope. For them all is distorted, all is broken, even ground to pulp...

Exercise

What type of language is used in the above speech?

What features or techniques stood out as effective and engaging?

Did you find this an effective piece of writing? Explain your answer.

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Language of information

The language of information is used to inform the audience.

The vocabulary is precise, concise and comprehensible (easily understood). Verbosity (unnecessary use of complicated language) is avoided, although technical language is often employed. When technical jargon is used, we expect it to be subject-specific. There is an assumption that someone reading a technical manual, for example, will understand the terms associated with this manual.

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It is impersonal and objective, factual and accurate.

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Words are never chosen for emotive or persuasive effect. Informative texts are usually organised in a chronological order. Nothing is left to the imagination. Texts such as instructions, manuals and reports all use the language of information.

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Exercise

TEXT 1 – TEENAGE IDENTITY

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This text is adapted from Jon Savage’s book, Teenage, the Creation of Youth, 1875–1945, in which he traces the history of the modern teenager.

Read Text 1 ‘Teenage Identity’ from Leaving Certificate 2008, English Higher Level Paper 1. How does the author use features of information to reinforce his argument?

Modern teenagers are the ultimate psychic match for the times: living in the now, pleasureseeking, product-hungry, embodying the new global society.

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But where did teenagers come from? Teenage culture is not a modern phenomenon. Teenagers did not simply appear fully formed when the term entered everyday use in the 1940s. In fact the whole business machinery of modern youth culture – hit songs, heavily marketed products, commercial venues for dancing – was up and running, particularly in America before the 20th century even began.

The phrase 'juvenile delinquent' was coined in America around 1810 in response to teenage gangs who, with their own dress codes, rituals and street-corner poses, were filling newspapers and populating novels. The Daily Graphic described an 1890s London gang member as having 'a peculiar muffler twisted around the neck, a cap set rakishly forward, well over the eyes, and trousers very tight at the knee and loose at the foot'. In 1899 Clarence Rook’s South London novel The Hooligan Nights featured a highly strung 17-year-old male protagonist with a darting gaze 'like the eyes of a bird perpetually prepared for conflict'. It is hard not to imagine Victorian adults keeping away from him on the top deck of a tram.

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It was the American social psychologist G. Stanley Hall who coined the term 'adolescence' in 1898 and defined it as 'a period of ten years, from twelve or fourteen to twenty-one or twenty-five'. Characterising it as a period of 'storm and stress', he advised adults to treat adolescents with sympathy, appreciation and respect before subjecting them to the relentless responsibilities of adult industrial life. The term 'generation' up to this had been used to describe 'all men living more or less in the same time' but now it began to refer to 'the new generation', the idea of youth as a separate class, with its own institutions and values.

In Britain this took the form of small earnest groups such as the Woodcraft Folk who offered young people contact with nature and loyalty to the community. Their counterparts in Germany were the Wandervogel, adolescents who rebelled against authoritarian schooling before World War One by hiking, camping and singing folk songs. In France there were the Zazous who listened to jazz and swing, wore extravagant clothes and flirted like there was no tomorrow.

The decade of the Roaring Twenties introduced an international party scene of pleasureseeking bright young people, similar to today’s celebs, Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan, who saturate our own media. Bobby-soxers, the female swing fans with their sporty outfits and dance-ready shoes, screamed en masse for Frank Sinatra and laid the groundwork for gyrating rock’n’rollers, Elvis Presley fans and 'Beatlemania'. In 1944 the magazine Seventeen was published, a fashion and pop magazine aimed at highschool girls. It was a landmark crystallization of teenage identity. Now teenagers were neither adolescents nor juvenile delinquents. They were a separate consumer grouping. 'Seventeen is your magazine,' proclaimed the first issue. 'It is interested only in you and everything that concerns, excites, annoys, pleases or perplexes you.' 1945 was Year Zero, the start of a new era after the atrocities of World War Two and the

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unleashing of the ultimate terror weapon, the atomic bomb. The best placed group to flourish in a post-war era were the young. 'Their lives are lived principally in hope,' Aristotle had once written of the young, while for Stanley Hall, adolescence was nothing less than 'a new birth'. The future would be Teenage.

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Aesthetic language Aesthetic language has no other purpose than to delight and entertain. It is art for the sake of art.

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This language appeals to the reader’s sense of beauty.

Aesthetic language is found throughout all other forms of language, but its purpose is to provide literary pleasure. Writers of aesthetic works employ descriptive techniques to tell stories and create atmosphere.

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They write very detailed descriptions.

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They create elaborate plots, and reliable and believable characters. They also provide tension, action and climax. Generally, aesthetic works will contain very strong themes and issues.

Exercise

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Key Point: Be explicit!

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Take the following sentence, ‘The man walked down the road.’ Rewrite this sentence, turning it into a piece of art. You may consider creating aesthetic images and using exciting verbs, engaging adjectives, and so on.

If you can learn to identify the basic genre or genres in a piece of text, then you will find it easier to comprehend (understand) and you can respond using an appropriate type of language.

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When you are explicit, you engage in a direct and meaningful manner; nothing is left to the imagination of the examiner.

For example, your ability to say that rhetorical devices, such as questioning, make a piece engaging, is explicit.

You also need to be able to discuss features of the various language genres in order to maintain this explicit nature of engaging with the questions.

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When responding to an exam task, try to be explicit in your responses.

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If, for example, the piece is an argument, the question may require you to respond by:

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using the language of argument identifying the main features of argument used in the text identifying features of the genre and commenting on their effectiveness.

The exemplars in Chapters 3, 4 and 5, Focusing on Comprehending Question A, are designed to both identify features of the genre and discuss their effectiveness.

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Literary Techniques

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Writers create works that are often provocative, suggestive and sensual.

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Throughout the two exam papers you will be expected to be able to identify, comment on and use the various literary techniques that are employed by writers.

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Various writers adopt different styles and techniques to achieve their ends.

Having established a good understanding of the language genres, you should consider some of the techniques used by writers. These are often used to add to the aesthetic appeal of a text.

There are some fairly standard literary techniques, both figurative (symbolic and representative) and literal (precise and realistic) that many writers use to create such work.

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Learning and understanding a few simple literary techniques will make it easier for you to be explicit in your answering. The full list is extensive, but learning a select few will allow you to display a knowledge and recognition of the fact that you are dealing with English as a form of communication and an artistic medium. In Paper 1 Question A, for example, you may be asked to give examples of descriptive writing, hence you could draw attention to a comparison, such as a metaphor, and explain it. Similarly, in Paper 2 you could be asked to comment on the skills of a playwright or poet. In this case, you could mention the effect of sound, find an example of alliteration and then explain its effect. In your composition, you may want to create and use your own similes and metaphors.

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Become familiar with the following literary techniques and be able to write about them. They can be a feature of any type of comprehension, but we expect to see them used more dominantly in a descriptive piece or a narrative.

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Techniques to create sound These techniques include alliteration, assonance, sibilance and onomatopoeia.

Break, blow and burn.

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Alliteration is more effective when the sound is repeated across three words or more, for example ‘Make, mould and map’. However, only two repetitions are necessary for alliteration to occur.

This is the repetition of consonant sounds, especially at the beginning of words. For example, the repetition of the ‘b’ sound in the following line:

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Alliteration

Assonance

Assonance is the repetition of identical or similar vowel sounds in a sequence of words. The moon loomed in the gloom of dusk

The repetition of vowel sounds in the above sentence is an example of assonance.

Sibilance

Sibilance is a form of alliteration that repeats ‘s’ sounds.

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Onomatopoeia

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He received a sudden, short shock.

Onomatopoeia involves the use of words that resemble or enact the very sounds that they are trying to describe. For example:

Clip, clop of the horse

Bang, smash, squeal and whine.

Exercise

Comment on the use of sound from the opening lines of Robert Frost’s ‘Out, Out–’ The buzz saw snarled and rattled in the yard And made dust and dropped stove-length sticks of wood, Sweet-scented stuff when the breeze drew across it.

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Techniques to create comparisons Simile This is a comparison using ‘as’ or ‘like’.

Metaphor

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The wind is a simile that describes how fast he ran.

He ran as fast as the wind.

Compare the following metaphor and simile:

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Metaphor: He was a bull of a man. Simile: He was as strong as a bull.

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A metaphor is another sort of comparison, but it does not use ‘as’ or ‘like’: the comparison is implied. It can be a lot more effective and artistic than a simile. It can be extended and developed. A whole poem or even a novel could be an extended metaphor. A metaphor can be general or specific. The reader must recognise and interpret the metaphor in order to make it effective.

Personification

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Here, the metaphor of the bull is used to describe how strong he was. If ten people were asked what was meant by ‘He was a bull of a man’, there may by ten different answers. You might answer big, bold, angry, ignorant, strong or any other answer that makes sense to you. The fact that the writer’s intended meaning was ‘strong’ is irrelevant, as you, the reader, have the power to interpret the metaphor any way you like, as long as it makes some sense. This is what makes the metaphor so effective; it demands engagement. You are never a passive reader when you come across metaphors. Metaphors can be more general than this. In the novel The Lord of the Rings the destruction of the trees by the forces of evil is a general metaphor to describe the environmental damage caused by war. Nearly all poetry contains some type of metaphor.

Personification is the attribution of lifelike aspects to inanimate objects, including human personalities to non-human things.

The long arms of the trees brushed his face.

In this example, even though the tree is a living thing, we can say that it has been personified, as it is described as a person with human limbs and a consciousness. Technically, we are being anthropomorphic, as we are giving the tree human characteristics. When we take an abstract concept and give it human characteristics, we call it an ‘anthropomorphic personification’. Death stood in a black cloak holding his sickle. Faith smiled at his attempts. If we use animal imagery to describe a human, we refer to the imagery as ‘zoomorphic’: He was as quiet as a mouse. A much simpler example of personification: The table stood quietly in the corner.

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What type of comparisons did Frost use in the opening lines of ‘Out, Out–’?

Write a metaphorical sentence where you personify an abstract concept such as love, faith or happiness.

Rewrite your sentence from question 2 in an anthropomorphic manner.

Why, do you think, are these types of comparisons effective?

Can a simple comparison, such as simile, be as effective? Explain your answer.

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Exercise

Hyperbole Hyperbole uses deliberate exaggeration for dramatic effect.

Other literary techniques

Oxymoron An oxymoron seems to be a contradiction: the deafening silence

Pun

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I told you a million times to close the door.

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A pun is a simple play on words. Puns were very popular with Elizabethan dramatists and the Metaphysical poets, but today they are generally used for humour, quite often containing innuendo.

Adjectives

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I was having trouble with my smartphone, so I called it the Titanic. It is syncing well now.

Adjectives are describing words, such as red, sweet, technical.

Allegory

An allegory describes abstract ideas and principles in terms of characters and stories. Narrative is used to teach an idea or a principle.

George Orwell’s novel Animal Farm is an allegory that discusses the rise and corruption of communism in Russia in the early twentieth century.

Pathetic fallacy Pathetic fallacy is a literary device that attributes human qualities and emotions to inanimate objects of nature, most commonly relating to the weather. The weather was miserable as he considered his terrible loss

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Enjambment

The holy time is quiet as a Nun Breathless with adoration; the broad sun Is sinking down in its tranquillity;

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Consider the following lines from William Wordsworth’s poem ‘It is a beauteous evening, calm and free’:

Enjambment is the running on of an idea or point from one line, couplet, or stanza to the next without a syntactical break. In poetry you may notice a line break in the middle of the line rather than at the end. As a consequence, you read the line at a more fluid pace.

In these lines there is no syntactical break after ‘Nun’, so the line runs on to ‘adoration’ where the break comes in the form of a semicolon three words from the end of the line where we would normally expect the break to be. This adds to the flow of the line.

Exercise

Name the technique.

Provide an example.

Discuss its effectiveness.

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Read Text 3, ‘The World of Childhood’ from Leaving Certificate 2017, English Higher Level Paper 1. Identify the effective use of figurative and literary techniques. For each technique:

TEXT 3 – THE WORLD OF CHILDHOOD

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This edited text is adapted from a memoir entitled Report from the Interior by American writer Paul Auster. In this extract he focuses on the world of childhood.

In the beginning everything was alive. The smallest objects were endowed with beating hearts, and even the clouds had names. Scissors could walk, telephones and teapots were first cousins, eyes and eyeglasses were brothers. The face of the clock was a human face, each pea in your bowl had a different personality, and the grille on the front of your parents’ car was a grinning mouth with many teeth. Pens were airships. Coins were flying saucers.

Your earliest thoughts, remnants of how you lived inside yourself as a small boy. You can remember only some of it, brief flashes of recognition that surge up in you unexpectedly at random moments – brought on by the smell of something, or the touch of something, or the way the light falls on something in the here and now of adulthood. You still occasionally fall into old ways of thinking. Each summer as you lie on your back in the grass, you look up at the drifting clouds and watch them turn into faces, into birds and animals, into states and countries and imaginary kingdoms. The world was of course flat. When someone tried to explain to you that the earth was a sphere, a planet orbiting the sun with eight other planets in something called a solar system, you couldn’t grasp what the older boy was saying. If the earth was round, then everyone below the equator would fall off, since it was inconceivable that a person could live his

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Stars, on the other hand, were inexplicable. Not holes in the sky, not candles, not electric lights, not anything that resembled what you knew. The immensity of the black air overhead, the vastness of the space that stood between you and those small luminosities, was something that resisted all understanding. Benign and beautiful presences hovering in the night, there because they were there and for no other reason.

life upside down. The older boy tried to explain the concept of gravity to you, but that was beyond your grasp as well. You imagined millions of people plunging headlong through the darkness of an infinite, all-devouring night. If the earth was indeed round, you said to yourself, then the only safe place to be was the North Pole.

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You were five and a half when your family left the cramped garden apartment in Union and installed itself in the old white house on Irving Avenue in South Orange. Not a big house, but the first house your parents had ever lived in, which made it your first house as well. Even though the interior was not spacious, the yard behind the house seemed vast to you. In fact it was two yards, the first one a small grassy area directly behind the house, bordered by your mother’s crescent-shaped flower garden, and the back yard which was wilder and bigger, a secluded realm in which you conducted your most intense investigations into the flora and fauna of your new kingdom. Robins, finches, blue jays, scarlet tanagers, crows, sparrows, wrens, cardinals, blackbirds and an occasional bluebird. Birds were no less strange to you than stars, and because their true home was in the air, you felt that birds and stars belonged to the same family. The incomprehensible gift of being able to fly, a fit subject for study and observation. What intrigued you most about them were the sounds they made, a different language spoken by each kind of bird, whether tuneful songs or harsh, abrasive cries, and early on you were convinced they were talking to one another.

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Six years old. Standing in your room one Saturday morning, having just dressed yourself and tied your shoes, all ready for action, about to go downstairs and begin the day, and as you stood there in the light of the early spring morning, you were engulfed by a feeling of happiness, an ecstatic, unbridled sense of well-being and joy, and an instant later you said to yourself: There is nothing better than being six years old, six is far and away the best age anyone can be. What had happened to cause such an overpowering feeling? Impossible to know, but you suspect it had something to do with the birth of self-consciousness, that thing that happens to children around the age of six, when the inner voice awakens and the ability to think a thought and tell yourself you are thinking that thought begins. Our lives enter a new dimension at that point. Until that morning, you just were. Now you knew that you were.

At some point during the year you turned six, you were taken by someone to a film that was shown at night. You remember the immensity of the crowded theatre, the spookiness of sitting in the dark when the lights went out, a feeling of anticipation and unease. The film was The War of the Worlds, based on the novel by H. G. Wells. Stone-round metal spaceships landed out of the night sky, one by one the lids of these flying machines would open, and slowly a Martian would emerge from within, an unnaturally tall insect-like figure with stick arms and eerily long fingers. The Martian would fix his gaze on an earthling, zero in on him with his grotesque, bulbous eyes, and an instant later there would be a flash of light. Seconds after that, the earthling would be gone. Transfixed is probably the word that best captures what was happening to you.

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Visual Literacy

Key Point: Reading a visual text

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Visual literacy refers to your ability to interpret, engage with and measure the effectiveness of visual texts, such as graphics, photographs, paintings, illustrations, posters, advertisements, book covers, cartoons, infographics and charts, etc.

Visuals, such as photographs, pictures, paintings and illustrations, are another form or genre of text.

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Example 1

Exercise

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Looking at a visual of this nature you need to be able to ask yourself a number of questions in order to properly engage with the image.

What is the purpose of this image?

Is the purpose clearly delineated?

What can I see? What is the composition? Is it symmetrical?

What are the main features of the visual?

Is there a main subject?

Is there a particular atmosphere or setting created?

6. 7.

Is there a narrative to the image?

Is it aesthetically pleasing?

Does the image provoke an emotional response?

Your answers should focus on texture, colour, expressions, landscape (e.g. rural or urban), weather, light, contrast, etc.

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This image is creative and artistic. It is designed to be aesthetic while conveying the poet’s sentiments.

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The purpose may be a little vague due to the poetic nature of the image, yet there is a sense that a message is being generated.

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The composition is very symmetrical. About two-thirds of the image is sky and onethird is pavement. The main subject is clearly positioned in the centre of the image.

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The dominant colour is a shade of blue that we would associate with dusk.

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The colours help to create an atmosphere for the viewer. This engages the viewer, who may feel the atmosphere is anything from serious to mysterious.

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The image suggests a narrative, yet we do not have enough detail to determine what this is. It could possibly be a celebration of the arts. When we read the illuminated text, we are given a better sense of the narrative. It could suggest the joy of relationships in our world can continue even when someone is absent.

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The image is aesthetically pleasing.

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For example:

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The main subject, i.e. the lines of poetry, are clearly illuminated in clear bright lights. The lights are white, which adds contrast to the image.

The soft, natural colours provide a serene and peaceful atmosphere, which also creates a space for reflection.

Examining the picture in this manner provides you with a large amount of content. It is then up to you to decode how to use or craft this information for the purpose of responding to exam-type questions, as examining a picture could be a part of Comprehending Question A. What you are doing is learning to ‘read’ a visual text.

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Example 2

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You can refer to everything from the camera angle of a photograph to the font used on a poster or even the brush-stroke techniques used in a painting.

Having examined the text, you should be aware of the following: The main purpose of the image is to suggest the science fiction genre.

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The representation of the alien is old-fashioned and unrealistic, yet stereotypical of the era. It is mechanical, and non-bipedal with multiple appendages.

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There is a clear narrative; the woman is defenceless against the arrival of alien being/ craft (gender stereotype).

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The image conveys a sense of excitement, adventure and mystery.

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There is a very 1960s feel in terms of the fashion, gender presentation and colours used.

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Fashion of the era are revealed through flowing golden hair, make-up and tight, revealing clothing.

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Science fiction at the time had a focus on alien life and a fear of invasion.

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The woman’s posture is submissive: she is unconscious and defenceless.

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The alien craft adds to the unrealism, as it is unclear whether it is a mechanical craft or part of the alien. As a mechanism it looks odd, as there are no interlocking parts on the leg-like appendages.

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The artificial blue and green of the background help to create the science fiction, comicstyle atmosphere.

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A bold font accentuates the word ‘fantastic’ and adds dimensions to the narrative. This is developed with the word ‘mysteries’, which is presented in yellow on a blue background for added emphasis.

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The woman seems to be the main focus, as she is in the foreground, while the aliens are presented as powerful, as they come from above. There is a suggestion of perspective as we look up from the woman’s position, which empowers the aliens.

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The various fonts and range of colours used makes the image gripping.

There is a clear symmetry to the composition. If we divide the image into thirds horizontally, we can see an alien on the top foreground, an alien and action in the midground and the woman in the bottom foreground.

The name ‘H. G. Wells’ provides the author details.

Overall, the image is aesthetically pleasing within the pop art culture and genre.

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The woman is oversexualised, from the accentuation of her curves to the positioning of her leg.

The colours used are representative of the character’s role: the woman’s yellow hair and white garment are non-threatening and suggest innocence and victimhood.

You should also be aware of the features of genre that are evident in the picture:

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classic and stereotypical view of alien aggression (attacking Earth) advanced technology conflict

space travel futuristic

extraterrestrial life form

humanity versus alien life.

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Example 3 Exercise: Class discussion

What can I see? What is the composition? Is it symmetrical?

What are the main features of the visual?

Is there a main subject?

Is there a particular atmosphere or setting created?

Is there narrative to the image?

Does the image provoke an emotional response?

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Is the purpose clearly delineated?

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What is the purpose?

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The teacher will ask you the following questions and present your answers on a whiteboard or data projector.

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Example 4

Exercise: Small group discussion

Discuss the image in small groups of three or four. One student then will be nominated to present their responses to the class. The class will be encouraged to critically assess the responses. Each group could be awarded a mark out of ten. Results can then be compared to see where the stronger groups earned the higher marks. 1.

What is the purpose?

Is the purpose clearly delineated?

What can I see? What is the composition? Is it symmetrical?

What are the main features of the visual?

Is there a main subject?

Is there a particular atmosphere or setting created?

Is there narrative to the image?

Does the image provoke an emotional response?

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Example 5

Exercise: Individual response 2.

Is the purpose clearly delineated?

What can I see? What is the composition? Is it symmetrical?

What are the main features of the visual?

Is there a main subject?

Is there a particular atmosphere or setting created?

Is there narrative to the image?

Does the image provoke an emotional response?

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What is the purpose?

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Example 6

Exercise: Individual response What is the purpose?

Is the purpose clearly delineated?

What can I see? What is the composition? Is it symmetrical?

What are the main features of the visual?

Is there a main subject?

Is there a particular atmosphere or setting created?

Is there narrative to the image?

Does the image provoke an emotional response?

Identify various genres

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Remember!

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Know the features of various genres

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Identify language genres Interpret visual texts

Checklist

Can you identify the dominant features of a particular genre of writing?

Can you categorise a literary work belonging to one genre of writing as also

belonging to another genre, based on its dominant features? For example, can you identify a novel as belonging to the science fiction category?

Can you identify the features of the five language genres in this chapter?

4. Can you explain some literary techniques and their effects? 5.

Can you explain how reading visual texts is different to written communication?

6. Can you explain how reading visual texts is the same as written communication? 28

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Introduction to

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Comprehending Question A

Learning intentions

In this chapter you will understand and engage with:

• • • •

an overview of Section 1, Comprehending an overview of Comprehending Question A a targeted approach to Comprehending Question A reading for the purpose of answering Comprehending Question A.

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Edco English Paper 1 - Leaving Certificate Higher Level

Overview of Section 1, Comprehending

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Evening of a hot day started the little wind to moving among the leaves. The shade climbed up the hills toward the top. On the sand banks the rabbits sat as quietly as little gray, sculptured stones. And then from the direction of the state highway came the sound of footsteps on crisp sycamore leaves. The rabbits hurried noiselessly for cover. (Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck) Question: What impact do these lines, taken from the first section of John Steinbeck’s novel Of Mice and Men, have on you?

You get to choose the manner in which you engage with the question.

In an exam, every candidate is being asked the same question, but there are going to be many different types of response. Consider the following:

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•

Student A: I thought it was nice. It had a good feel. The language is good.

Student B: Like most narratives, there is a good sense of setting and atmosphere. I thought this was nice, as I could imagine the scene. Student C: These lines had a dramatic and provocative effect on me as the author is establishing a good sense of genre while registering an appealing and aesthetic language. The setting and time are established as the personified wind moves through the trees and the evening shade establishes itself. The author uses a clever simile to objectify the rabbits as they sit like sculpted stones. I am immediately left with the idea I am about to read a narrative full of lively and imaginative language.

• •

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Be like Student C!

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Key Point: Have an approach

There is an approach needed for all questions on the Higher Level English course. For example, Comprehending Question A demands careful reading of the text and questions, a short plan to organise your thoughts, followed by structured responses that engage with the task.

•

Comprehending Question B asks you to be imaginative and creative while you take on the persona of different writers and embark on a set task.

Composing involves an approach where you must register the correct genre.

•

Points to note for Section 1

•

You must give proper time and attention to Section 1, as Comprehending Question A and Comprehending Question B are each worth 50 marks.

•

To put this into perspective, each question in Section 1 is worth nearly the same as your question on your single text.

• •

Preparation and practice are needed if you want to maximise your marks. As previously outlined in Chapter 1, you are required to attempt one Comprehending Question A and one Comprehending Question B from different texts.

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•

The writing tasks are dynamic, and this changing aspect has added to the challenge of Section 1.

•

Top marks are attainable, but you need to be aware of what the examiner is looking for.

chapter three

Introduction to Comprehending Question A

Overview of Comprehending Question A

There are three possible texts to choose from: Text 1 to Text 3. Question A comprises three parts: Parts (i) to (iii). Part (i) and Part (ii) are each worth 15 marks, while Part (iii) is worth 20 marks. You must be structured and organised: do not assume that a few unorganised, unstructured lines will suffice.

• •

Your answers must reflect your analytical assessment of the question.

•

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Comprehending Question A is more challenging than it seems on the surface. Good reading ability and the skills of analytical criticism are needed for success.

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Each point you make needs its own paragraph.

Key Point: Practise!

Key Point: Paragraphing

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Make your point – establish your main idea.

Explain your point – generate or craft a compelling argument. Back up you point – use references, quotations, anecdotes, facts, etc.

• • •

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The focus of Comprehending Question A is reading and comprehension. If you are struggling with your reading and comprehension, you need to practise. By exam time you will need to be able to critically read any of the texts that have appeared on past exam papers in around ten minutes.

Comprehending Question A often looks for recognition that you are aware of the language being used. Due to the changing and dynamic manner of the questions, you need to be able to think on your feet and engage with whatever type of question is asked.

•

Targeted Approach to Comprehending Question A

•

A question might ask, ‘Is the author successful in developing his point?’ This provides you with the opportunity to show your understanding of literary techniques. You might respond by saying, ‘The author is successful in developing his point, as he uses techniques such as collective pronouns to make the audience feel part of the issue . . .’.

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• •

Your response should imply an understanding of the language genre or genres used.

•

Whatever the question, the expectation is that you will know and understand the various literary techniques that can be used.

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Don’t simply write down the language genre, as this suggests you are tagging a response on to the question. Discuss the various relevant techniques. You never want your answers to seem forced; your answer should always explicitly answer the question that is asked.

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There is often an explicit question that asks you to consider the language used. You might be asked to identify specific literary techniques, or the question may provide the techniques and ask you to discuss their effectiveness or even your personal response to them.

Step 1: Choose your text wisely

In choosing the text on which to answer Comprehending Question A, it may help to first look at the Comprehending Question B for each text. If you feel confident that you can write a strong response for a particular Comprehending Question B, then you can eliminate this text from your choice for Comprehending Question A.

•

Choose the text for Comprehending Question A based on the genre that best suits your ability, understanding and confidence. Always play to your own strengths.

•

Before you commit to any text you should have a quick scan over the questions, just to make sure there is nothing that could be problematic, such as a word you do not understand.

•

While it is not a requirement, it is good practice to follow the structure of the paper. Begin with Section 1, first answering Comprehending Question A, then Comprehending Question B, and then move on to Section 2, Composing.

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Step 2: Read the text carefully

Once you have chosen your text for Comprehending Question A, it is important to read the text carefully. You will do this by focusing on the task at hand and identifying the language used, the style, the features and, of course, the meaning of the content.

•

Read with a pen in your hand. Try to justify your understanding of everything you read by annotating and underlining as you read.

•

Every time you underline a point that you feel is important, annotate it by writing a brief note to yourself, illustrating your reason for underlining this section. For example:

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•

• •

a well-chosen logical argument might be underlined and annotated with ‘logic’.

Underlining and annotating will help to focus your attention on the task of reading and understanding what you are reading.

•

if you underline a simile, you might simply write ‘sim’ over the underlined phrase

•

You should mark interesting words and phrases, note the use of literary techniques and effective adjectives, highlight the dominant language genres being employed and identify the main features of the language genre or genres.

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Introduction to Comprehending Question A

Engage with the questions by showing a good understanding of the genres.

•

Explicitly engage with all aspects and nuances of the question

•

Be coherent and compelling in your arguments. When you are stating a point of view, do so in a clear and unambiguous manner.

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Step 3: Engage with the questions asked

Reading Carefully Underlining and annotating

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As outlined above, all areas of the text that you, as a reader, consider to be significant should be underlined and annotated. In the example below, from Leaving Certificate 2020, English Higher Level Paper 1, note how the annotations provide justification for underlining the section. If you read through a text and just underline everything you think is important without including annotations, you may simply end up with a text that is heavily underlined without any real understanding of what the underlines refer to.

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Underlining and annotating is something that you do for yourself. Your underlines cannot be right or wrong.

Different students may underline and annotate different areas: this is fine. The whole idea is to start an approach which enables you to focus on the reading element of the task.

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• • • •

Remember!

For the purpose of demonstration, the following example is probably more detailed than your own approach will be.

Key Point: Structured and planned approach

A structured and planned approach to Comprehending Question A starts with careful reading of the text. You develop an approach for each question so you will always know how to start. There will be no time wasting. You will have a pen in your hand, you will be focused, and you will be ready to start.

Points to note

• • •

The dominant genres are narrative and aesthetic language. This is an extract from a novel. This belongs to the sub-genre of detective fiction.

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narrative – expecting relevant features of the genre

well-selected adjective use of adjectives personifies the hat

setting and characterisation – relaxed, easy-going, unperturbed

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This text is based on edited extracts adapted from Sherlock Holmes and the Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle, a short story by Arthur Conan Doyle, originally published in 1892.

I had called upon my friend Sherlock Holmes. He was lounging upon

the sofa in a purple dressing gown, a pipe within his reach, and a pile

word ‘studied’ suggests serious and diligent character, which in turn suggests a contrast to the easygoing appearance of Holmes

colour of authority and arrogance (emperor)

TEXT 2 – DETECTIVE FICTION

of crumpled morning papers, evidently newly studied, near at hand.

Beside the couch was a wooden chair, on which sat a very seedy and

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narrative voice – story narrated by Watson

disreputable hard-felt hat, much the worse for wear, and cracked in several places. A magnifying glass was lying upon the seat of the chair. I seated myself before his crackling fire, for a sharp frost had set in, and

very visual adjective synonymous with the legend of Holmes

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onomatopoeia adds vigour to the windows were thick with the ice crystals. the fire, adding metaphor warmth to the ‘I suppose,’ I remarked, ‘that, homely as it looks, that hat has some room deadly story linked on to it – that it is the clue which will guide you in Watson is attempting to the solution of some mystery and the punishment of some crime.’ come across as philosophical. ‘No, no, Watson. No crime,’ said Sherlock Holmes, laughing. ‘Only one Dialogue is used to tell the story of those whimsical little incidents which will happen when you have – becomes a four million human beings all jostling each other within the space of dominant feature of Doyle’s style hyperbolic a few square miles. You know Peterson, the commissionaire? It is to

him this trophy hyperbolic belongs, he found it. Its owner is unknown. I beg that you look upon it as an intellectual problem.’

logical reasoning – helps with character development

‘The facts are these. About four o’clock in the morning, Peterson was making his way homewards down Tottenham Court Road. In front of him he saw, in the gaslight, a tallish man, walking with a slight stagger.

A row broke out between this stranger and a little knot of roughs. One

developing the dialogue helps with plot and characterisation – Holmes is presented as intellectual metaphor

of these knocked off the man’s hat. Peterson had rushed forward to protect the stranger from his assailants, but the man, seeing an official looking person in uniform rushing towards him, took to his heels, and vanished amid the labyrinth of small streets. The roughs had also fled.

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Introduction to Comprehending Question A

Holmes talks in a dramatic and hyperbolic manner

‘ruefully’ suggests he is reluctant, as he feels he will fail Holmes’s challenge

nice adjective

spoils of victory in the shape of this battered hat. He brought the hat to

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me, knowing that even the smallest problems are of interest to me. Here characterisation is my magnifying glass. You know my methods. What can you gather as to the individuality of the man who has worn this article?’ I took the tattered object in my hands and turned it over rather

very visual adjective

ruefully. It was a very ordinary black hat of the usual round shape, hard,

challenging and maybe testing Watson’s intellectual and reasoning abilities

Peterson was left in possession of the field of battle, and also of the

and much the worse for wear. ‘I can see nothing,’ said I, handing it back

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hyperbolic metaphor

to my friend.

‘On the contrary, Watson, you can see everything. You fail however, to reason from what you see. You are too timid in drawing your inferences.’ Holmes picked the hat up and gazed at it in the peculiar introspective

fashion which was characteristic of him. ‘There are a few inferences

more character revealed through dialogue – Holmes appears to encourage and motivate yet is arrogant and judgemental

which are very distinct, and a few others which represent at least a

Is it?

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strong balance of probability. That the man was highly intellectual is, of course, obvious. Also, he was fairly well-to-do, although he has now

within the last few days. These are the more patent facts that are to

be deduced from his hat.’

‘You are certainly joking, Holmes. I have no doubt that I am very stupid, but I must confess that I am unable to follow you. How did you deduce

Watson character coming through, he is selfdeprecating in Holmes’s presence and seems in awe of his intellectuality

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fallen upon harder times. He has grizzled hair, which he has had cut

seems an extraordinary deduction from just a hat – Holmes’s character developed as extraordinary, intellectual and observant

that this man was intellectual?’ For answer Holmes clapped the hat upon his head. It came right over the forehead and settled upon the bridge of his nose. ‘It is a question of cubic capacity,’ said he: ‘a man with so large a brain must have something in it.’

onomatopoeia used for dramatic effect reasoning seems trite

‘The decline of his fortunes, then?’

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‘This hat is three years old. These flat brims curled at the edge were

Holmes, gleefully, it seems, explains the facts behind his reasoning

fashionable then. It is a hat of the very best quality. Look at the band

of ribbed silk and the excellent lining. If this man could afford to buy

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so expensive a hat three years ago, and has had no hat since, then he has assuredly gone down in the world. The further point, that his hair

is grizzled, and that it has been recently cut, are to be gathered from a

close examination of the lower part of the lining. The magnifying glass discloses a large number of hair-ends, clean cut by the scissors of the

barber.’

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‘Well, it is very ingenious,’ said I, laughing. ‘But since, as you said just

now, there has been no crime committed, all this seems to be rather a waste of energy.’

Sherlock Holmes had opened his mouth to reply when the door flew open, and Peterson rushed into the apartment with flushed cheeks,

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dazed with astonishment.

dramatic interruption seems to refute the previous words of Watson

Exercise

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Try this for yourself. Read Text 2, ‘Cultural Influences’ from Leaving Certificate 2014, English Higher Level Paper 1 in the same manner.

Remember: your purpose is to focus your attention on the task of reading. You are developing an approach.

TEXT 2 – CULTURAL INFLUENCES

At an event entitled ‘The Joy of Influence’, organised by Andrew O’Hagan, six writers were asked to talk about an art-form, other than literature, that influenced them. This edited text, adapted from The Guardian newspaper, is based on the contributions of two writers, Alan Warner and John Lanchester. 1. Scottish novelist Alan Warner explores the influence of pop music on his writing.

Calibrating how something as ubiquitous as pop music has influenced your writing feels similar to asking, ‘How has the weather influenced your writing?’ While I love all types of music, pop and rock certainly appear in some of my novels. I would only reference music on the page if it served some narrative function. The carefully indexed lists of song titles in my novel, Morvern Callar, enforced Morvern’s methodical approach to life. The individual timbres of the songs seemed appropriate to the mood. Morvern is

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I have learned there is real danger listening to music while I’m writing. The moving, dynamic power of great pop songs can soon fool you into believing what you are writing is also dynamic and emotionally powerful.

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Pop music functions as this huge repository of personal emotion because it is among these songs and sounds, on radio and at dances and on television, that our young hearts come alive. All this music continues to live for us as a vital thing, both linking us to our past but able to energise us in the future – and a growing library of new songs is added as life goes along.

listening to the music of her dead boyfriend on her old Sony Walkman. She is haunted and perplexed by this music, listening objectively but not necessarily with pleasure. So I may not always reference music I necessarily enjoy. It is just what fits the narrative requirements in this world so dressed in song.

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While I am aware of this personal emotional heritage, as a writer I have to construct the emotional architecture of my characters – you can’t just chuck in a few so-called ‘popular cultural references’ for effect. When I was fifteen and even more daft, I tried to give up rock music and listen only to orchestral – so-called ‘classical’ music. I was always a real sucker for self-improvement (still am) and I thought I could only become a refined writer if I censored aspects of the real world. I did develop a love for Bartók, Stravinsky and Ravel but I kept coming back to rock and pop music. Heavy metal was the real folk music of the small Scottish town I grew up in. All the guys in our town pipe band practised drums and chanter but listened to Deep Purple; it was simply my culture and I became weary of denying it.

Of course some pop music is not popular at all and it doesn’t try to be. After punk, bands showed a healthy disregard for audience approval. I was mesmerised by that mocking arrogance and such conviction. I wanted to write like that. It was pop music that helped me decide that great writers could come to me on my own terms alone.

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2. Journalist and novelist John Lanchester reflects on a new art form: video games.

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What’s exciting and interesting about video games is their newness. Video games are the first new artistic medium since television. They are more different from television than television was from cinema. They are the newest new thing since the arrival of the movies just over a century ago. That automatically makes them attractive, from the novelist’s point of view, as part of the job of the novel is to be interested in the new. The artistic impact of video games goes in two different directions: what is it that this new thing does that’s new, and what is it that it does that’s old, but done differently? Video games do story and spectacle and there’s a particularly distinctive aspect to their sense of progression, of moving through levels and their experimenting with difficulty and frustration and repetition as part of the form.

But the really new thing about video games is the fact that the player in them has agency: she makes decisions, makes choices, has a degree of control. Increasingly, it’s the case that the player makes the story, makes the game-world. This gives the medium a real kick of intimacy and force. At its best, it can take you inside the world of a character with a force whose only rival – I find to my surprise – is the novel. That wasn’t at all what I was expecting. This takes us to another impact of the new medium, which concerns its effect on older forms. There’s a curious link between video games and the novel and it is to do with the experience of being inside a world created by somebody else, but having the freedom to make up your own mind about what you find there. The novel takes you further and deeper inside someone else’s head, but the aspect of agency inside video games, the fact that you can make choices that genuinely affect the story, is fascinating and genuinely new. I’m sure that there is going to be some hybridisation between the two forms: a new beast, slouching towards us. I’m eagerly looking forward to meeting the beautiful mutant.

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Underlining and annotating speeches

historical reference/ anecdote/ information

This edited text is adapted from a speech delivered by President Barack Obama at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Kennedy Space Center in Florida. In this extract he acknowledges the history, and outlines the future, of American space exploration.

content and context of speech

TEXT 3 – JOURNEY INTO SPACE

Little more than half a century ago in a remote and desolate region of

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genre – expect features of the genre

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The following speech from Text 3, ‘Journey into Space’ taken from Leaving Certificate 2016, English Higher Level Paper 1, illustrates the different manner in which you will annotate different genres of writing.

what is now called Kazakhstan the Soviet Union launched Sputnik,

the first artificial satellite to orbit the Earth. The Soviets, provocative it was perceived, had taken the lead in a race for which we were not yet fully prepared. But we caught up very quickly. In the years that

to water purification, from aerospace manufacturing to medical

appealing to a sense of national pride

hyperbolic contrasting poles of advancement

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imaging. On a personal note, I have been part of that generation so inspired by the space programme. One of my earliest memories is sitting on my grandfather’s shoulders, waving a flag as astronauts

arrived in Hawaii.

So today, I’d like to talk about the next chapter in this story. The

personal anecdote, deliberate shift to ‘I’ personalises and humanises speaker, which is developed with grandfather image

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use of inclusive have followed, the space race inspired a generation of scientists and pronoun – innovators. It has contributed to immeasurable technological advances gets everyone involved that have improved our health and wellbeing, from satellite navigation

being provocative

challenges facing our space programme are different, and our

move from ‘I’ to ‘our’ which includes everyone in his challenge

imperatives for this programme are different, than in decades past. We’re no longer racing against an adversary. We’re no longer competing

use of ‘we’ to achieve a singular goal like reaching the Moon. In fact, what was once accentuates global a global competition has long since become a global collaboration. collaboration

focus on ‘I’ to show personal I am one hundred per cent committed to the mission of NASA and its commitment to a better future future. Because broadening our capabilities in space will continue to serve our society in ways that we can scarcely imagine. Because

hyperbolic

exploration will once more inspire wonder in a new generation –

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factually outlining a plan

if we fail to press forward in the pursuit of discovery, we are ceding our future and we are ceding that essential element of the American character.

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persuasive hyperbolic language

inspirational language – persuasive

sparking passions and launching careers. And because, ultimately,

We will start by increasing NASA’s budget by $6 billion over the next five years. We will ramp up robotic exploration of the solar system,

including a probe of the Sun’s atmosphere; new scouting missions

information and fact downplays the size of the investment by looking at the projected results

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to Mars and other destinations and an advanced telescope to follow

Hubble, allowing us to peer deeper into the universe than ever before. We will increase Earth-based observation to improve our understanding of our climate and our world – science that will garner tangible emotional appeal

benefits, helping us to protect our environment for future generations. And we will extend the life of the International Space Station, while

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as well as testing and improving upon our capabilities in space. After decades of neglect, we will increase investment – right away – in

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persuasive because it is confessional and honest

research that can help improve the daily lives of people here on Earth,

other groundbreaking technologies that will allow astronauts to reach

outlining a clear path for success – easy for audience to engage with

space sooner and more often, to travel farther and faster for less cost,

persuasive buzz word

global-based emotional appeal

actually using it for its intended purpose: conducting advanced

persuasive buzz word

and to live and work in space for longer periods more safely. That

means tackling major scientific and technological challenges.

use of questioning, rhetorical aspect as no response is required

metaphoric and dramatic

How do we shield astronauts from radiation on longer missions? How do we harness resources on distant worlds? How do we supply spacecraft with energy needed for these far-reaching journeys? These are questions that we can answer and will answer. And these are the

strong, authoritative tone

questions whose answers no doubt will reap untold benefits right here

dramatic and on Earth. We’re not looking just to continue on the same path – we want positive to leap into the future; we want major breakthroughs; a transformative agenda for NASA.

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Through our plan, we’ll be sending many more astronauts to space over

journeys to allow us to begin the first ever crewed missions beyond the

continuous development of ambitious plan, using facts and information (may be hyperbolic)

the next decade. By 2025, we expect new spacecraft designed for long

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continuous use of pronoun involves everyone

Moon into deep space. We’ll start by sending astronauts to an asteroid for the first time in history. By the mid-2030s, I believe we can send

Mars will follow. And I expect to be around to see it.

humans to orbit Mars and return them safely to Earth. And a landing on

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Now, I understand that some believe that we should attempt a return to the surface of the Moon first, as previously planned. But I just have to say pretty bluntly here: we’ve been there before. There’s a lot more of space to explore, and a lot more to learn when we do. I believe it’s more

good argument, as he is refuting possible counterarguments

important to ramp up our capabilities to reach a series of increasingly demanding targets and that’s what this strategy does.

So this is the next chapter that we can write together here at NASA.

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good argument, as he is refuting possible counterarguments

money solving problems in space when we don’t lack for problems to

solve here on the ground? And obviously our country is still reeling from the worst economic turmoil we’ve known in generations. But you

clever persuasive writing, as it suggests we are more knowledgeable than the critics

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We will partner with industry. We will invest in cutting-edge research again involving and technology. We will set far-reaching milestones and provide the the audience in resources to reach those milestones. I know that some Americans the plan have asked the question: why spend money on NASA at all? Why spend

and I know this is a false choice. We have to fix our economy. But the space programme has fuelled jobs and entire industries. The space programme has improved our lives, advanced our society, strengthened our economy, and inspired generations of Americans. I have no doubt

firm, absolute language

that NASA can continue to fulfil this role. This is exactly why it’s so essential that we pursue a new course and that we revitalize NASA and its mission – not just with dollars, but with clear aims and a larger purpose.

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using nostalgia and historical anecdote clearly designed to provoke an American audience Now, little more than forty years ago, astronauts descended the ninerung ladder of the lunar module and allowed their feet to touch

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of a daring and perilous gambit – of an endeavour that pushed the

well-pitched propaganda – inspires the audience

the dusty surface of Earth’s only Moon. This was the culmination

boundaries of our knowledge, of our technological prowess, of our very capacity as human beings to solve problems. It wasn’t just the greatest

well-chosen use achievement in NASA’s history – it was one of the greatest achievements of superlative

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The question for us now is whether that was the beginning of

something or the end of something. I choose to believe it was only the beginning.

nice and clever use of indirect question

in human history.

Exercise

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Try this for yourself. Read Text 2, ‘Shared Memories’ from Leaving Certificate 2012, English Higher Level Paper 1 in the same manner.

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This text consists of an edited extract from a speech, delivered by former President Mary Robinson to an international conference on hunger. In it she considers the commemoration of the Irish famine of 1845 and explores how society’s memory of the past, our collective social memory, shapes our response to contemporary issues. This text has been adapted from the original, for the purpose of assessment, without the author’s prior consent.

TEXT 2 – SHARED MEMORIES

The Irish famine is an event which more than any other shaped us as a people. It defined our will to survive. It defined our sense of human vulnerability. It remains one of the strongest, most poignant links of memory and feeling that connects us to our diaspora.

Historians recognise that it is important, indeed imperative, that we the survivors, and future generations, should know about those who had no one to speak for them at the time of their greatest need and suffering. The story of the silent people should be heard. But the story is not confined just to Ireland. I think particularly of Charles Fanning’s fine book, The Exiles of Erin, which painstakingly lays before its readers the stories of those who escaped from famine and came to the United States and began to make a new present, which has now become a shared past. At the conclusion of another book which I have read with enormous interest – The End of Hidden Ireland, by Robert Scally – there is a striking and moving sentence. Describing the emigrants who set out on the desolate journey from Ireland to America, he writes, ‘Peering from the stern rather than the bow of the emigrant ship, that backward glance at the incongruous palms and gaily painted houses along the shore near Skibbereen was not only their last sight of Ireland but the first sight of themselves.’ It is the backward glance leading to self-knowledge which in this sentence is so striking. We need to reflect carefully on the purpose of commemorating an event such as the famine. The terrible realities of our past hunger present themselves to us as nightmare images. The

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For every piece of economic knowledge our children gain about the crops exported from Ireland during the famine years, let them come to understand the harsh realities of today’s markets which reinforce the poverty and helplessness of those who already experience hunger.

bailiff, the famine wall. The eviction. The workhouse. And yet how willing are we to negotiate those past images into the facts of present-day hunger? How ready are we to realise that what happened to us may have shaped our national identity, but it is not an experience confined to us as a people? How ready are we to see that the bailiff and the workhouse and the coffin ship have equally terrible equivalents in other countries for other peoples at this very moment?

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Let them learn, too, from the influence the famine has had on contemporary Irish poets. When Eavan Boland [in her poem, ‘The Famine Road’ reflects sadly on the limitation of the science of cartography because the famine road does not show up on the map, or Seamus Heaney writes: ‘and where potato diggers are/you still smell the running sore’ they are drawing inspiration from that dark moment of our past. They remind us that famine in our contemporary world also silences the culture of peoples who are portrayed to us all too often as mere statistics. That portrayal makes it easier for us to distance ourselves, to switch off.

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If we are to account for the sheer horror of the disparity between twelve million children who died in the developing world in one year and the few hundred thousand it could have been if the world’s resources were better distributed, then we will need to send young people into the world who have been prepared to close the gap between the idea of hunger and the fact of it. We need to help young people to face the future with the understanding that famine is not something which can be understood only through history. It must be understood with every fibre of our moral being.

for straightforward information retrieval based on the text for insights into character

for an assessment of opinion or point of view to describe in your own words

to explain the author’s point of view about the effectiveness of arguments if the language is appropriate to the task

• • • • • • • • •

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Comprehending Question A could ask you:

how effective features of style are

•

if the writer’s use of various features of genre is interesting, informative, convincing, effective, engaging, compelling, etc. to make links to other texts or to Paper 2.

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Remember: there is a marking scheme which is being employed by your examiner even when the question is below 50 marks and not broken into the PCLM grid.

•

At all times be conscious of the P (Clarity of Purpose) mark, as this is the benchmark for all other marks.

•

High marks are awarded for P when you take on the task in a compelling and relevant manner.

•

Try to give what is required. For example, if the question wants you to identify style or language genres, state them explicitly.

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All answers should be exemplified, and you will also be required to give textual evidence for every point you make.

Structure

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Chapter 1, Focusing on the Exam, has a breakdown of the PCLM assessment criteria.

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An examiner will not be impressed by your ability to transcribe large chunks of text from the examination paper to your answer booklet, but will be impressed with short pertinent quotes that back up the point you are making.

• • •

Be organised: use paragraphs.

An examiner will not reward full marks for unstructured, block answers.

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And L (Language Use) requires you to make appropriate use of paragraphs.

•

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Some questions clearly state the number of points that you are required to develop.

Unless otherwise stated, if a question is worth fifteen marks, it is a good idea to aim for three clearly defined and exemplified points, each in its own paragraph with evidence taken from the text. If it is obvious that there is only one or two relevant points to back up the answer, then leave it at that. Only ever include a weak or unsubstantial answer if the question explicitly asks for a certain number of points and you are struggling to fill the requirements of the question.

•

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C (Coherence of Delivery) of the marking scheme demands structure and sequencing of ideas.

How many paragraphs?

• •

Key Point: Assessment criteria

Opening statement

•

An opening statement summarising all the main points to your answer can be a good idea, but only if it can be simply and efficiently stated.

•

The opening statement should sound something like, ‘I think the character is caring, confident and independent.’

•

Then, you will write a paragraph proving that the character is caring, followed by a second paragraph proving that they are confident, and finally a third paragraph proving that they are independent.

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If the question is complicated and you feel time will be wasted trying to write an opening statement, then start with your first point.

•

You are not expected to write a conclusion for your Comprehending Question A responses, due to the time constraints. You will conclude your points at the end of each paragraph, and this is more than sufficient.

•

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Remember! The examiner will reward you for: good analysis and comprehension clear structure appreciation of the task

consistency of register (the language used is appropriate to the task) a well-thought-out response.

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• • • • •

chapter three

Introduction to Comprehending Question A

Time strategy

Once you have practised a few of these questions try to follow a time strategy such as the one suggested below: 10 minutes to read the text

15 minutes for each of the 15-mark questions – Part (i) and Part (ii) 20 minutes for the 20-mark question – Part (iii)

• • •

Read the text carefully: underline and annotate clearly

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Read the questions carefully: identify nuances to the question Understand the task and show appreciation of task Engage explicitly with questions: identify language genres and techniques

Structure your responses

Use relevant, succinct references and quotations Assessment criteria

• • • • • • •

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Remember!

Checklist

Can you read past Comprehending Question As in around ten minutes?

Can you identify the various genres?

Can you identify the language used?

4. Can you identify the features of the genre? 5.

Can you talk about features of the language?

6. Can you talk about the effectiveness of these features?

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d Ire la n of om pa ny

Narrative in

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Comprehending Question A

Learning intentions

In this chapter you will understand and engage with:

• •

a targeted approach to Comprehending Question A continued focus on reading for the purpose of answering Comprehending Question A.

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chapter four

Narrative in Comprehending Question A

Exam questions with sample answers and directions Narrative Example 1: 2016, Text 2

Example 2: 2020, Text 2 Example 3: 2020, Text 3

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• • • • •

Example 4: 2018, Text 2 Example 5: 2014, Text 1

Narrative comprehensions

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Example 1: 2016, Text 2 Below is Text 2, ‘A Personal Journey’ from Leaving Certificate 2016, English Higher Level Paper 1. Read the text carefully and answer the questions that follow.

TEXT 2 – A PERSONAL JOURNEY

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The following edited extract is adapted from Sara Baume’s award-winning debut novel, spill simmer falter wither. Ray, the middle-aged, reclusive narrator and his beloved dog, One Eye, are on the run from the authorities. One Eye attacked another dog and its owner and Ray fears his dog may be impounded. In the extract below, Ray is talking to One Eye.

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We are driving, driving, driving. Over hillslopes and humpback bridges, through loose chippings and potholes wide as children’s paddling pools and deep as old people’s graves. Past lavender hedges, betting shops, sports grounds. Past countless closed doors behind which are countless uncaring strangers. We are heading inland, keeping to the back roads as much as possible. You are looking out the rear window where the view is best, or perching on the passenger seat with your maggot nose pressed to the air vents. What do you smell? Fox spray and honeysuckle, pine martens and seven different kinds of sap? Riding in the car is like watching a neverending reel at a wraparound cinema, complete with the surround-sound of engine putter, the piped scent of petrol fumes and passing countryside.

We are driving, driving, driving. And every time the engine stops, you expect we’ve reached the end. But each stop is never an arrival, just another pause along the way. A snack, a walk, a smoke, a sleep, and off again. The car wavers onto the white lines and the cat’s eyes bonk beneath our wheels. BONKbonk, BONKbonk, BONKbonk, and I wake to the red twigs of the dogwood shrubs clawing our paintwork. I expected it would be exciting; I expected that the freedom from routine was somehow greater than the freedom to determine your own routine. I wanted to get up in the morning and not know exactly what I was going to do that day. But now that I don’t, it’s terrifying. Now nothing can be assumed, now everything’s illconsidered, and if I spend too long thinking it makes my eyes smart and molars throb. I tense myself into a stone and forget how to breathe. I list aloud all the things that are good and all the reasons I must go on. Glass pebbles are good, games of football on deserted strands, oil refineries by night, jumble shop windows, gingernuts, broken buoys, nicotine, fields of flowering rape. And I must go on because of you. Now it’s okay; I can breathe again. And on we go. Is this how people cope, I wonder. Is this how everybody copes?

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We are driving, driving, driving. And the car is our house now, home. The boot is our attic. The loose chippings are our floorboards. The sunroof is our balcony. The back roads and hinterlands are our ceaselessly surging view.

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The car bounces, rolls and jitters like a steel orb in a pinball machine, with no right way to go and no particular destination. We round an everlasting succession of hairpin bends, bump through ten thousand bottomless ruts. Every day we see abandoned traffic cones and signposts heralding road works which never materialise. Now the ditches are distended by blackberry brambles, ferns, nettles, fuchsia, knapweed, elderberries and rose hips, so overgrown they narrow the road to a single lane for travelling both directions. See how the hedge trimming tractor has left a trail of massacred vegetation in its wake. Flowers with their throats slit and berries chopped, popped.

We are driving, driving, driving. And the wraparound car screen is reeling off fields and fields and fields, of wheat and oats and barley which have all died now, and in death, turned to gold. Torn filaments of their gold blows to the ditches, sticks in the prickles, dangles and glitters like premature tinsel.

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Every dawn, we leave the car to walk, to follow your directionless route of indecipherable landmarks. Over a drumlin and a bog, past a saltwater lake and a shooting sanctuary, through a patch of magic mushrooms and a fairy circle. Now here’s an alien thing which might be a lizard and might be a stranded newt. You lick its dead belly. What does it feel like? Like boiled, cooled leather, like licking your own tongue back again? You learn each new stopping spot detail by detail, by its symphony of smell, and never by its signpost. BUNRAFFY, the signposts say, DOWRASH, CREGGISH, LISFINNY.

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They are mostly villages, the signposted places, some hardly even that. After several villages we stop at the sight of a post office. 'Back in a minute,' I tell you. I slide my savings book and driver’s licence beneath the safety glass to a girl with an armload of copper bangles. I ask her how much I’m allowed to withdraw at once. She says 'what?' three times before she hears me properly, and each time I repeat myself, I feel smaller and smaller and smaller. I drive from the village until we are between cow fields again.

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A village becomes a town when somebody builds a supermarket, a library, a secondary school, a third or fourth or fifth pub, a retirement home.

And we are avoiding them, the towns. Here come the featureless bungalows, each with a couple of garden ornaments distributed about their neatly trimmed lawns. Now here’s an electronic gate with a keypad mounted to a post. At the far end of the extensive driveway, see the unfinished palace. Naked plaster and a lake of mud where grass-seeds ought to have sprouted. Count the front-facing windows. There are no fewer than twelve, plus three dormers and a skylight.

In almost every village there’s a shop, and almost every village shop is attached to a pub with a sign over the door bearing the full name of the original proprietor: JAMES O’SHEA, they say, JOHN T. MURPHY. The shelves are dusty. The merchandise is bizarrely organised. A box of powdered custard sits next to a can of engine oil, which sits next to a tin of marrowfat peas, which sits next to a tub of nappy powder. Now these are the only places we stop to shop. They never stock exactly what I think we want, but there’s always something close enough to compromise.

And I like the cramped proportions. I like the cold and clammy air, the surplus of useless clutter; it puts me in mind of my father’s house.

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chapter four

Narrative in Comprehending Question A

QUESTION A (i) Outline, in your own words, what is revealed about Ray’s mental and emotional state in the above extract.

Note What you are being asked to do is outline in your own words what is revealed about Ray’s mental and emotional state in the extract provided.

•

You may address ‘mental and emotional state’ separately or together.

•

In this particular question, the terms are synonymous with each other, so it is advisable to deal with them as one.

•

‘Mental and emotional state’ may be broadly interpreted as ‘thoughts and feelings’.

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Points you could consider

Stressed, anxious, e.g. ‘I tense myself into a stone’, ‘Is this how people cope?’ Alienated, unsettled, e.g. ‘countless uncaring strangers’, ‘it’s terrifying’ Shy, adrift, insecure, e.g. ‘I feel smaller and smaller and smaller’

Alert, suspicious, disappointed, not enjoying the ‘freedom from routine’, etc.

Language reveals his dark vision of the world, e.g. ‘massacred vegetation’ Nostalgic/sentimental, pleased to be reminded of his father’s house

Approach

There are many points that you could deal with. Note a few on rough work paper, then decide which ones you will use. In this question, you should develop three points, as there is no other direction given. For each point: explain your point: craft a compelling argument – highlighted below in yellow

back up your point: use references, quotations, anecdote, fact – highlighted below in purple.

The answer below is engaged: it provides a relevant point that is explained and backed up with reference to and/or quotation from the text. Note how the opening sentence signposts, summarises and links directly to the terms used in the question.

•

make your point: establish your main idea – highlighted below in green

• • •

•

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Identifies closely with One Eye, e.g. ‘we are driving’, he keeps talking to the dog

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• • • • • • •

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•

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Sample answer

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It is obvious to me that Ray is stressed and anxious. He is running away from a possible legal penalty for the sake of his dog. This has led to an anxious state: he informs us he is as ‘tense’ as a stone and ‘forgets how to breathe’. He wonders how everyday people can cope without routine and structure in their lives, which is ironic, as once he craved freedom from routine. He views the world around him as comprising uncaring ‘strangers’. This mental state leaves him feeling lonely and detached from other human beings. The repetitive ‘driving, driving, driving’ accentuates his anxious state of mind. He is nervous and fearful, which is reflected in the fact that he cannot ‘breathe’.

I believe Ray’s mental and emotional state is anxious, bleak and unstable.

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Ray’s anxiety is reflected in a bleak view of the world, which is suggested by his language. He begins by referring to potholes as ‘deep as old people’s graves’. This is an unusual simile, as it suggests mental and emotional instability: making constant references to death is hardly typical behaviour. Images of death lie heavily on his mind. The fields of barley have all died now and the vegetation is described as ‘massacred’. His image of the flowers is quite startling, as he describes them as having their ‘throats slit’. This constant use of dark and macabre language accentuates a troubled and anxious state of mind.

I can’t help thinking that someone who talks to a dog on a constant basis with an implied expectation that he is going to talk back suggests a mentally and emotionally distraught and tired mind. Ray anthropomorphises the dog, referring to him as a ‘you’ that looks out the passenger window for the best views. He poses questions to the dog, which is indicative of his unstable state of mind, because obviously these questions are never going to be answered. His relationship with the dog is obviously an irrational and abnormal one.

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(ii) In your opinion, to what extent is the portrayal of contemporary Ireland in the above extract accurate or inaccurate? Give reasons for your answer.

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Note

It is impossible to answer this question if you do not know what is meant by ‘contemporary’.

•

With this in mind, remember: it is advisable to have a quick look at the questions before you commit yourself to a particular choice of text. If there is a word or phrase that is going to become problematic, move quickly to a different text.

•

Points you could consider Unwelcoming society, e.g. ‘countless closed doors behind which are countless uncaring strangers’

•

Aspects of contemporary Ireland reflected, e.g. the ‘electronic gate’, ‘featureless bungalows’, ‘unfinished palace’

•

Signs of modern rural development: ‘a village becomes a town when somebody builds a supermarket . . .’

•

Post-economic boom and recession, e.g. ‘abandoned traffic cones and signposts heralding roadworks that never materialise’

•

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chapter four

Narrative in Comprehending Question A

Sample answer I believe contemporary Ireland is accurately portrayed in the extract.

develop your argument with reference to the information in the text

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Ireland today is different from Ireland in the past. We were once renowned for our welcoming and friendly attitude. The Ireland of today is a lot more reserved and private. This is evident in the attitude of the young girl working in the post office. She does not seem to be the type of character that conveys ‘céad míle fáilte’s to tourists. The people of modern rural Ireland are described as detached, as they remain behind ‘countless closed doors’ and are uncaring of strangers. I believe this is reflected in the electronic gates, which would never have been a feature of Ireland in the past.

good reference to finish your argument

open with your opinion of contemporary Ireland

introduction simply agrees with the portrayal (in a question of this nature, anything more elaborate takes too long to present and wastes time – keep it simple)

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Another aspect of contemporary Ireland that stood out in my mind was the sense of post-economic boom, which was represented by the abandoned traffic cones. As a nation, we are acutely aware of the recession that devastated rural Ireland. This is clearly evident in the description of ‘signposts heralding roadworks that never materialise’. This also provokes thoughts of the countless unfinished building projects scattered all around the country.

continue with your opinion of contemporary Ireland and link it to facts presented in the text

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share your observation of One thing that continues to be a feature of the modern Irish landscape contemporary Ireland is the constant appearance of large supermarket chains. It seems that and link it to the text nearly every village in the country has become delineated by a large in the next line Lidl or Aldi supermarket at the entrance to the village which has now, in the words of the narrator, become a town. The idea of a quiet rural village has been eroded due to modernisation. Once upon a time, rural people had to travel to big cities to avail of supermarkets, libraries and even nursing homes, but in the Ireland of today they pepper the landscape which would suggest this is an excellent portrayal of contemporary Ireland.

You were asked for your opinion, and you presented three strong arguments, all backed up with information from the text which has now generated full marks for the ‘P’.

Example 2: 2020, Text 2

Turn back to page 34 and read Text 2, ‘Detective Fiction’ from Leaving Certificate 2020, English Higher Level Paper 1. Reread the text.

QUESTION A

(i) Based on your reading of the edited extract above, explain three insights you gain into the character of Sherlock Holmes. Support your response with reference to the text. (15)

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•

This is a fairly straightforward question that will fit neatly into a three-paragraph approach with a simple one-line introduction.

• •

There are quite a lot of insights to choose from.

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Be careful in how you present your points. You do not want to present a simple character sketch; rather you want to use the characterisation to present your insights.

Note

Points you could consider

He is introduced as lounging, relaxed, easy-going, unperturbed, upon the sofa in a purple robe (colour of authority)

•

He ‘studied’ the newspapers: the word ‘studied’ suggests a serious and diligent character, which in turn suggests a contrast to his easy-going appearance

• •

‘The facts are these’: he uses logical reasoning – character development

• •

‘knowing that even the smallest problems are of interest to me’: characterisation

•

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‘possession of the field of battle’, ‘spoils of victory’: Holmes talks in a dramatic and hyperbolic manner, using metaphors

‘What can you gather as to the individuality of the man who has worn this article?’ He challenges and tests Watson’s intellectual and reasoning abilities ‘ruefully’: this word suggests Watson is reluctant, as he feels he will fail Holmes’s challenge

•

‘You fail however, to reason from what you see. You are too timid in drawing your inferences.’ More character revealed: he appears to encourage and motivate, yet is arrogant and judgemental

•

‘to be deduced from his hat’: seems an extraordinary deduction from just a hat – Holmes’s character developed as extraordinarily intellectual and observant

•

‘For answer Holmes clapped the hat upon his head’: onomatopoeia used for dramatic effect

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‘This hat is three years old. These flat brims curled . . .’: Holmes, gleefully it seems, explains the facts behind his reasoning

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•

Sample answer

the insight emerges as he is presented as someone more than he first appeared

I believe Holmes is laid-back yet diligent, arrogant and an incredible observer of people and items.

Holmes is introduced as someone who is very laid-back as he lounges in a ‘relaxed, easy-going, unperturbed, [manner] upon the sofa’. He is wearing a purple dressing gown, which adds to this relaxed attitude, yet also hints at power and authority, as purple is a colour synonymous with emperors. There seems to be more to the character than meets the eye. Even the description of the newspapers, which have been ‘studied’, suggests that beneath the laid-back persona there is a diligent and studious person.

use quotation to present your initial image of the character develop the initial reaction to the character and probe this character to find an insight

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probe the observation

Holmes has an incredible ability to come to conclusions based on his powers of observation. It is amazing what he can deduce from a hat. Holmes’s character is developed as an extraordinary intellectual. Looking at the details of the hat he can tell his audience that ‘This hat is three years old. These flat brims curled . . .’ He goes on to claim the owner had recently had a haircut and had fallen on hard times. All these details present a serious mind capable of great deduction. He has a flair for the dramatic, which is evident in his hyperbolic use of metaphors when he describes the hat as ‘the spoils of war’ and when he onomatopoeically ‘clapped’ the hat on his own head.

general observation about the character

insight stated and developed further development of character insight

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develop an insight

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good choice of quote to develop the argument

As we become more familiar with his character, we begin to notice deeper insights to this man. Beneath his lazy charm and amicability there is an arrogant and judgemental side to his character. He tests the intellectual and reasoning abilities of his friend and colleague: ‘What can you gather as to the individuality of the man who has worn this article?’ Watson ‘ruefully’ takes on the challenge, fearing he will fail. Holmes’s sense of intellectual superiority is seen as he accuses Watson of being ‘too timid’. While he appears to encourage and motivate, he is also arrogant and judgemental. insight is clearly stated

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move beyond the superficial presentation of the character and develop an insight to the character

chapter four

Narrative in Comprehending Question A

Just because the (ii) part of Comprehending Question A seems to have changed in recent years we are not going to assume this change will continue. While you were asked to explore outside of the text, this changed slightly in 2021, where part (ii) was again focused on the text. You were, however, asked to give your personal opinion to an observation made by the writer. Be prepared for all types of questions. Do not have set expectations and remember, if something unexpected appears all you need to do is respond and engage with what the question or writing task is asking you to do.

(ii) Text 2 is an example of writing in the genre, detective fiction. Explain why you think this genre has a wide and enduring appeal. Make three points in your response. (15)

Note

• •

This question directly examines your knowledge of a particular genre of fiction.

•

Other examples of this type of question are: All three texts from 2017 – part (ii) focused on your opinion; and all three texts from 2018 – part (ii) asked you to reference a text you studied from Paper 2.

It asks you to consider texts outside of what you have read in the text accompanying Comprehending Question A.

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Points you could consider Features of the genre relating to detective fiction include: an internal monologue a sidekick or companion

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clues to the mystery

the main protagonist’s ability to reason and deduce tension plot twists cliff-hangers suspense

the unexpected mysterious antagonist red herring satisfactory resolution suggestion of paranormal thrilling aspect violence crime.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

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•

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The question asks why you think the genre has a wide appeal and an enduring appeal. You can incorporate as many of these features that you think will help in your crafting of a good response and you can also use features from the text if you feel it will add to your response.

•

Structurally, you should aim for three good points, each developed in its own paragraph with reasonable comment and content. You might take a feature such as characterisation, and this will allow you to develop the different types of characters that you might find in detective fiction that add to its wide and enduring appeal.

•

Approach

• •

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For more information on features of popular genres, see Chapter 2, page 10.

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Note how the sample answer below is deliberately crafted with the aim of maintaining focus on:

• •

the features of genre – highlighted in green the wide and enduring appeal – highlighted in yellow.

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chapter four

Narrative in Comprehending Question A

An opening statement of this nature allows you to develop these points – each point is multi-dimensional (they have many aspects that you can focus on)

Sample answer

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When reading detective fiction, we are presented with varying and interesting characters. The main protagonist is often intellectual, stubborn, arrogant and sanctimonious. They take on the world as if it owes them a favour. They answer to nobody and will often stretch the law to its limits in the pursuit of their case. These intellectually superior protagonists are then opposed by very similar antagonists, who are also incredibly engaging, as they often have some grand plan or a massive egomaniac-style plan. They surround themselves with gangs of ‘goon’-style villains, who are also entertaining, as they are the complete antithesis to the main characters, and they often provide humour and comic relief. These characters are often so varied and incredible that they allow the reader to become immersed in a fantastic world that is exciting and appealing.

I believe characterisation, a sense of mystery and the faithful companion all add to the wide and enduring appeal of the genre.

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Readers are generally engaged when presented or confronted with the unknown: this adds to the wide appeal of detective fiction, as readers from many different genres can still appreciate the idea of the unknown and mystery. Everyone loves a good mystery. The vast majority of detective fiction is designed to keep you in a heightened sense of anticipation, where you desperately turn the next page in order to see what happens. The terms ‘page-turner’ and ‘cliff-hanger’ are applicable to this fiction. As you travel through a good detective novel you can expect many twists, turns and unexpected elements to the mystery. Readers love the feeling of always guessing, sometimes knowing, but never being certain. Often their expectations are shattered as the mystery takes a dramatic turn. This conventional feature of the genre most definitely adds to its mass appeal and longevity.

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Everybody can relate to the idea of friendship and the desire to have a faithful companion by their side, especially when times get tough. Holmes’s relationship with Watson is a good example of this. Holmes confides in him and uses him as a sounding board for ideas and theories. Human beings are social creatures, and we appreciate the type of relationship that develops in these tense and exciting situations. Even the solitary detective and crime fighter, Batman, ended up with Robin. In some ways, these relationships humanise those that are often intellectual and arrogant characters, and this can account for the reason that some very flawed characters end up being loved by many readers.

(iii) Identify four features of good storytelling evident in the extract. Discuss how the features you have identified add to your enjoyment of the extract. Support your response with reference to the extract. (20)

Points you could consider

•

• • • • • • •

Note

•

If you are aware of the features of the genre, this is a straightforward question. This is a narrative, so find four features of a narrative and then say how they add to your enjoyment of the text.

Characterisation Strong narrative voice Dialogue Well-crafted setting (very Victorian) Back story – hat and its owner Holmes’s flair for the dramatic Creation of tension through mystery and cliff-hanger ending

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Approach Features of good storytelling (features of the genre) – highlighted below in yellow How the features added to your enjoyment of the text – highlighted below in green

Sample answer

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Characterisation is a dominant feature of any narrative, and it is done very well in this extract. Holmes is clearly presented as an intriguing and interesting character who provoked my curiosity. His powers of deduction seem almost unbelievable, and this is something I am drawn to. Watson is also intriguing, as he seems to play a secondary role to the main protagonist. We can see that he is in awe of his companion, and the venerability that he concedes to Holmes grabbed my interest and added to my overall enjoyment of the text. Even marginal characters such as Peterson are presented as interesting: he burst into the room flushed and anxious.

• •

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The narrative is presented with the use of a strong narrative voice. There is control and credibility to the manner in which the story is told. I did not find the narrative archaic or old-fashioned, which was a surprise, as I thought late-nineteenth-century fiction would be difficult to comprehend. I enjoyed the witty and colourful turns of phrase, such as the personified ‘disreputable hat’ and the fact that it is a ‘spoil of war’. Watson is descriptive and detailed, and this helps to create a good sense of place and atmosphere, all of which greatly added to my enjoyment of the text.

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Many stories rely on the use of dialogue to lend credibility to the characters and events. The use of dialogue becomes a dominant feature of this extract. Other than Watson’s narrative voice, the story is told through dialogue. I was thoroughly entertained by the juxtaposing dialogue, which provided insights into the two contrasting characters and their philosophy on life. Watson, in a self-deprecating moment, claims to be ‘stupid’, while Holmes gleefully revels in his own powers of deduction.

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Like all good stories there is an excellent crafting of setting. I found myself drawn into the comfortable atmosphere of Holmes’s study. This is clearly a Victorian room, inhabited by the Victorian gentlemen. Holmes lounges on a couch in his robe with his trusty pipe near at hand. The crackling fire adds warmth to the setting, as it keeps the sharp frost at bay. The description of the hat presents us with a Victorian atmosphere as we are informed about the fashions of the day.

Key Point: Full marks!

The writer has earned full marks while responding to this comprehension. P – All aspects and nuances of the question are engaged with in a compelling manner. The writer is doing exactly what the task asked them to do.

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C – Each task is completed in a coherent, sustained and continuous manner, using references that are relevant.

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L – Language used is appropriate to the task; vocabulary is expansive and controlled; and work is accurately punctuated.

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M – Spelling and grammar is correct.

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chapter four

Narrative in Comprehending Question A

Example 3: 2020, Text 3 Below is Text 3, ‘Science Fiction (Sci-Fi)’ from Leaving Certificate 2020, English Higher Level Paper 1. Read the text carefully.

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Text 3 consists of two elements: edited extracts adapted from Becky Chambers’s recent science fiction novella, To be Taught, if Fortunate, and a sci-fi magazine cover from the 1950s. Go to www.examinations.ie, material archives, paper, 2020, English, Paper 1, Text 3, to see the book cover.

TEXT 3 – SCIENCE FICTION (SCI-FI)

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My name is Ariadne O’Neill, and I’m the flight engineer aboard the Open Cluster Astronautics spacecraft, Merian. My crew mates are mission specialists Elena Quesada-Cruz, Jack Vo, and Chikondi Daka. We’re part of the Lawki programme, a broad ecological survey of exoplanets – that is, planets that do not orbit our sun – known or suspected to harbour life. Our mission is focused on the habitable worlds in orbit around the red dwarf star Zhenyi (BA921), including the icy moon, Aecor. In terms of formal training, I’m not a scientist. I’m an engineer. I build the machines that get scientists where they need to go.

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We descended into Aecor’s atmosphere without a hitch. My heart pounded as I put on my Terrestrial Extra-Vehicular Activity (TEVA) suit. TEVA suits are partially for our own protection, but mostly to protect the world from ourselves. Human skin is laden with bacteria, we exhale bacteria too, and there is no telling what human contaminants could do to an environment. Are we passively poisonous? There’s no way of knowing. Plus, we could get sick too. Hence, suits.

This was not my first step off Earth. I’d spent a year and a half at the New Millennium Lunar Base. The Moon is incredible. I felt my daily share of reverence. But I felt a similar reverence, a related reverence, when I stood at the rim of the Grand Canyon for the first time, or stood breathless and shivering atop Mount Fuji.

Like any good guests, we carefully checked our surroundings before setting up our temporary home. We scrutinised the ground below us for anything better left alone. We do our best to leave no trace. We try to be mindful tenants and ethical observers, to have as minimal an impact as possible.

Inflatable habitat modules are one of my favourite inventions. The Merian comes equipped with two of them – one for the greenhouse, one for the clean lab – each attaching to an airlock on the side of the capsule. You might think that spending years in such a dwelling might start to feel claustrophobic, but consider the fact that ours is the only building at all on any world we travel to. As of yet, we have found no other life forms that build cities or machines. I was already in my happy place. Landing had worked, the suits worked, the modules worked. In order to do science you need tools, shelter and a means to get where you are going. I was responsible for all of these. I was building a trellis where good work would grow. There was nothing I wanted more than that, nothing that brought me more pride. Due to copyright restrictions we are unable to print the original cover image.

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Edco English Paper 1 - Leaving Certificate Higher Level

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I was happy. Content like I could never remember being. I was surrounded by people I loved, safe in a place free of noise and the empty trappings of civilisation. Here, nobody cared about status or money, who was in power, who was kissing or killing whom. The right things mattered on Aecor. I am a secular woman, but it felt to me like a sacred place. A monastic world that repaid hard work and patience with the finest of rewards: Quiet. Beauty. Understanding.

We did plenty of work. We catalogued nine hundred and twenty-six species of multi-cellular organisms. We additionally catalogued over three thousand species of bacteria. The Merian ran so beautifully on Aecor that I had little to do for her beyond standard maintenance. I spent most of my time in the lab, helping to program image recognition software. Any task that needed an extra pair of hands, I was there for.

(i) Based on your reading of the written element of Text 3, explain three insights you gain into the character of Ariadne O’Neill. Support your response with reference to the text. (15)

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QUESTION A

Note

Text 3 is in some ways similar to Text 2. The major difference is in genre: detective fiction and science fiction.

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This is a fairly straightforward question that will fit neatly into a three-paragraph approach with a simple one-line introduction.

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There are quite a lot of insights to choose from.

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Values simplicity and calm

Intellectual and successful, she is chief engineer – experiences have bred success Passionate, diligent, hardworking

Environmental consciousness – ethical approach to ecology Pride in her work and her ethics Portrays a strong sense of responsibility and independence

Brave explorer – interacting with new life (insight)

• • • • • • • • •

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Points you could consider

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Be careful in how you present your points. You do not want to present a simple character sketch; rather you want to use the characterisation to present your insights.

Articulate, precise and knowledgeable

Composed under the stress of having to suit up and enter a new world

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chapter four

Narrative in Comprehending Question A

Exercise: Exam practice Complete the above question. Partner with another student. Assess the strengths of each other’s work, using the PCLM assessment criteria in the Key Point box on page 56.

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(ii) Both elements of Text 3 belong to the genre, science fiction. Explain why you think this genre has a wide and enduring appeal. Make three points in your response. (15)

Note

Similar to part (ii) of Text 2, this question asks you to identify three features of the genre and discuss why you think the genre has a wide and enduring appeal.

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Note: this question is not based solely on Text 2. You can look for features within the text to use in your response, but you do not have to. You can just think of the main features of the genre, select three that you think are most relevant to the wide and enduring appeal of science fiction and then develop your answer.

Points you could consider Creation and discovery of new worlds Dystopian Technology and artificial intelligence Conflict

Space travel

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Some manner of transcending light speed Futuristic Curiosity

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Extraterrestrial life, aliens and mutants Alternative energy

Speculative technology Alternative histories

Mind control, telepathy and telekinesis Humans vs machines

Parallel universes

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

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Approach

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Quickly jot down a few features of science fiction in your rough work. Pick three and start developing.

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No one feature is necessarily better than the next; it is a case of which features you think you can use to craft the best response.

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You need three paragraphs (one for each feature). Each paragraph should:

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state explain include references.

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Edco English Paper 1 - Leaving Certificate Higher Level

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I believe the creation and discovery of new worlds is a dominant feature of many successful science fiction stories. This feature has definitely added to the wide and enduring appeal of the genre, as the vast majority of people like to use their imaginations. There is mass appeal in the idea of an exciting and unexplored world outside our horizons, waiting for discovery. There is an interest in beginnings and creation that spans the entire history of humanity. Even the most ancient myths are concerned with the creation and discovery of new worlds. This is something that is universally ubiquitous and, therefore, very appealing and enduring, as we are all required to engage our imaginations.

Sample answer

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Science fiction has been responsible for much innovation in science. Many of the devices and gadgets we use on a daily basis were first envisioned by a science fiction writer. We are a species that is motivated by technology. In many ways, this is the age of technology and innovation. Many are drawn to the genre as they search for glimpses of a possible future. Already, Artificial Intelligence is becoming a reality, as computers are taught to problemsolve. We are surrounded by devices, such as smartphones and speakers, that will do tasks from setting your heating to playing your favourite playlists. The fanbase of science fiction continues to grow as our world becomes synonymous with technology, and this appeal only seems to grow stronger with each new innovation.

Exercise

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Humans have always looked to the stars for inspiration and belief. It is difficult to believe that among the billions of habitable planets in the cosmos there is only one inhabited planet to be found. The idea of alien life forms has always stimulated humans’ imagination. The success of movies such as E.T. and Star Wars shows how popular the concept is of other beings existing. Such groundbreaking science-fiction adventures helped to give the genre mass appeal. Kids today still read and watch some of these texts. There is no denying its appeal, as it continues to grow. There are even fans out there who claim alien life forms already walk amongst us. Hyperbolic or nonsense, it does show how such ideas grab the imagination.

In small groups, examine the above response. Annotate the response showing how the writer has clearly demonstrated a good sense of purpose. Nominate one member of the group to present your work to the class.

Compare your work with the work of another group in the class.

(iii) Based on your engagement with Text 3, make four points in which you compare the fictional world presented in the written text with that presented in the visual image. Support your answer with reference to both the written and visual elements of Text 3. (20)

Go to www.examinations.ie material archive and select Paper 1 Text 3 from Leaving Certificate 2020 to see the visual element.

Note

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In this question you are asked to compare two worlds that are very different, yet based within the same genre of science fiction.

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One is a visual text while the other is a written text.

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You are also asked to make four comparisons.

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It is important that you maintain a link between the written and the visual text. So if you decide to talk about how space travel is depicted in the written text then you need to contrast your point to the depiction of space travel in the visual text.

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chapter four

Narrative in Comprehending Question A

Credibility of space travel: the picture depicts an unrealistic spacecraft compared with the text, where the voice of the engineer and the use of technical language makes the idea of space travel more convincing.

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Gender stereotypes: the picture shows old-fashioned gender stereotypes compared with the text, where the female engineer deconstructs gender stereotypes.

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Depiction of alien life: the picture presents a green, bug-eyed monster, whereas the text presents alien life as microorganisms.

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Nature of and motives for space exploration: the picture presents a dangerous close encounter with alien life, which suggests conflict. The text presents conscientious scientific exploration based on ecological concerns.

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Points you could consider

Sample answer

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The text has been carefully crafted to present a believable representation of space travel. The main character tells us that she has already spent a year and a half at the New Millennium Lunar Base. This adds credibility to her journey into outer space. Her spacecraft, the Merian, is described as possessing two inflatable habitat modules. One is a greenhouse, which again adds credibility to the concept of surviving for years in outer space. This is a complete contrast to the unrealistic depiction of space travel as it is presented in the image. The flying saucer adds to the sense of unrealism as it is disproportionate in size to the characters. Both characters are drifting in space without any life lines or aspects to their space suits which would support life in the vacuum of space.

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The visual image depicts a very old-fashioned gender stereotype. The woman’s posture is submissive; she is screaming for help rather than trying to fight back. She is represented in an oversexualised manner. Her space suit is designed to accentuate her curves and her femininity. The male character, heroically rushing to her rescue, is also presented in the stereotype of the day, as his masculinity is accentuated through his hyperbolic physique. Once again, this is a complete contrast to how gender is presented in the text. The main character is female and an engineer. She is obviously successful and powerful in their world, as she claims to build machines that bring scientists where they want to go.

The visual image presents a clichéd presentation of alien life form. It is the classic, green, bug-eyed monster with an oversized head and long tentacles. There is very little about the creature’s physiognomy that makes sense. This is a total contrast to the alien life form presented in the text. In the text a more realistic description of alien encounters is described, as the crew catalogued nine hundred and twenty-six species of multicellular organisms and thousands of species of bacteria. The contemporary text clearly breaks with the old stereotypes of the genre.

Once again, the text seems to dispel old-fashioned ideas linked to the genre. Close encounters are often depicted as moments of conflict and danger. This is featured in many novels, comics, movies and images. It is clear in the visual image that the extraterrestrial life form is aggressive, dangerous and is about to kill or eat the female character. This idea of intergalactic conflict is challenged in the contemporary text, as the crew of the Merian are clearly on a quest for scientific discovery. They are presented as conscientious scientists, displaying great respect for ecological concerns.

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Edco English Paper 1 - Leaving Certificate Higher Level

Exercise In small groups, examine the above response. Annotate the response showing how the writer has clearly demonstrated a good sense of purpose. Nominate one member of the group to present your work to the class.

Compare your work with the work of another group in the class.

Read the text carefully.

TEXT 2 – A SUCCESSFUL YOUNG WRITER

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This text is based on edited extracts from Fiona Mozley’s debut novel, Elmet. Fiona Mozley was the youngest writer nominated for the Man Booker Prize in 2017.

Example 4: 2018, Text 2

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We arrived in summer when the landscape was in full bloom and the days were long and hot and the light was soft. I roamed shirtless and sweated cleanly and enjoyed the hug of the thick air. The sun set slowly, and the evenings were pewter before they were black, before the mornings seeped through again.

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Now pocked with clutches of trees, once the whole county had been woodland and the ghosts of the ancient forest could be marked when the wind blew. The soil was alive with ruptured stories that cascaded and rotted then found form once more and pushed up through the undergrowth and back into our lives. Tales of green men peering from thickets with foliate faces and legs of gnarled timber. The calls of half-starved hounds rushing and panting as they snatched at charging quarry. Robyn Hode and his pack of scrawny vagrants, whistling and wrestling and feasting as freely as the birds whose plumes they stole. An ancient forest ran in a grand strip from north to south. Boars and bears and wolves. Does, harts, stags. Miles of underground fungi. Snowdrops, bluebells, primroses. The trees had long since given way to crops and pasture and roads and houses and railway tracks and little wooded copses were all that was left.

Daddy and Cathy and I lived in a small house that Daddy built with materials from the land here about. He chose for us a small ash copse two fields from the east coast main line, far enough not to be seen, close enough to know the trains well. We heard them often enough: the hum and ring of the passenger trains, the choke and gulp of the freight, passing by with their cargo tucked behind in painted metal tanks. They had timetables and intervals of their own, drawing growth rings around our house with each journey, ringing past us like prayer chimes.

On the day we arrived an old squaddy [soldier] drove up the hill in an articulated lorry filled with cracked and discarded stone from an abandoned builders’ yard. The squaddy let Daddy do most of the unloading while he sat on a freshly cut log and smoked cigarette after cigarette. He talked all afternoon about the army and the fighting he had done in Iraq and in Bosnia and how he had seen boys as young as me slashed open with knives. There was little darkness in him when he told us this. Daddy worked on the house during the day and in the evening the two grown men went down the hill to drink some of the cider the squaddy had brought in a plastic pop bottle. Daddy did not stay long. He did not like drinking much and he did not like company save for me and my sister.

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chapter four

Narrative in Comprehending Question A

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Our house was laid out like any bungalow on the outskirts of any smallish city where old people and poor families live. Our house was stronger than others of its type though. It was built with better bricks, better mortar, better stones and timber. I knew it would last many dozen seasons longer than those houses we saw on the roads into town. And it was more beautiful. The green mosses and ivies from the wood were more eager to grip at its sides, more ready to pull it back into the landscape.

When Daddy came back, he told us that he had an argument with the squaddy. He had clouted the squaddy about the head with his left fist and now had a bloody nick in his skin just by the thumb knuckle.

On the clearest evenings we stayed out until morning. Years ago, Daddy had bought me a wooden recorder and Cathy a violin. We had had free lessons when we were still at school. We were not experts but made a decent sound because of the instruments we played. Daddy had chosen well. He knew nothing of music but a great deal about fine objects.

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Before the house was built, in those few hot, dry months when we camped and sang, Daddy talked to us properly. He used few words, but we heard much more. He spoke of the men he had fought and the men he had killed, in the peat fields of Ireland or that black mud of Lincolnshire that clings to the hands and feet like forensic ink. Daddy boxed for money with bare knuckles far from gymnasiums or auditoriums but the money could be big and men whose cash came from nowhere arrived from across the country to lay their bets on him to win. Anyone was a fool not to back my Daddy.

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Yes, it was during this summer in the woods that Daddy told us these stories, confided in us, and Cathy and I listened like we were receiving precious heirlooms. Daddy’s eyes became wide when he spoke to us, flecked, light blue, like worn denim, and he would lean in and open them generously then pinch them closed ever so slightly when he reached for a memory that was not quite clear. He sat forward in his chair with his long, thick legs apart, his elbows resting above his knees and his cavernous chest bearing broad, weighted shoulders.

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Once again, be aware of your structure. Three paragraphs are needed, each one detailing something you have learned about Dadddy’s character, an explanation and a reference. Be aware that there are vague aspects to the text. We are not told why he killed men or why his stories were told when they camped rather than when the house was finished. Try to acknowledge these ambiguities in your answer.

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Note

(i) Based on your reading of Text 2 above, what do you learn about Daddy’s character? Refer to three aspects of Daddy’s character in your answer, supporting your response with reference to the text. (15)

Points you could consider

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A compelling figure, with mysterious, insular, violent, anti-social characteristics, e.g. killing men? hitting the squaddy

• • • •

Hardworking, resilient and resourceful character Contradictory aspects: loves nature and music, yet argumentative and violent Strong paternal aspect to his character: nurturing, unorthodox, unusual, intimidating Exhibits a wide variety of talents and interests

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Edco English Paper 1 - Leaving Certificate Higher Level

Exercise: Exam practice Attempt part (i) above, using the pointers provided.

(ii) In the above text, Fiona Mozley has created a place that grips the reader’s imagination. From the texts you have studied for your Leaving Certificate course, identify a place that gripped your imagination. Explain in detail why this place gripped your imagination.

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Note The examiners expect more than a physical description of a place.

A good answer will deal with the physical, historical, cultural, geographical, social and moral aspect of a place, as well as a clear indication as to why it gripped your imagination.

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An elaborate description of a place from a text is not sufficient.

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While describing the place, it would be a good idea to reference features of the particular genre.

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Sample answer

From the texts that I have studied for my Leaving Certificate, a place that gripped my imagination was the town of Big Whiskey from the film Unforgiven, directed by Clint Eastwood.

The movie is set thirteen years after the American Civil War, the bloodiest chapter in American history. This violent episode permeated the society of towns such as Big Whiskey. This rural town was lawless and relied on a hired private sheriff to keep the peace. Little Bill, the Sheriff, is representative of the moral order. He keeps the peace within his own moral framework and is dismissive of the wider laws of society. The fact that one man was empowered to act as police, jury, judge and executioner was fascinating.

The historical setting and the notion of law and order show how the place gripped your imagination. The argument relies on the attitudes and morals of the place rather than a physical description of the place.

The physical world of the town adds to the harshness of its population. Violence was an accepted means of solving your problems. This is an easy world to imagine. The western genre is presented through all the usual clichés: a main street with wooden structures supporting large facades, empty arid spaces, the gunman on his horse, the glory and romanticism of gunfights, the corrupt sheriff and the heroic outlaw. While clichéd, these images were every engaging.

While examining the physical world of the place that gripped your imagination, there is an effort to show the classic features of the genre and how these features helped engage your imagination.

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The attitude to women and how this is so different from today is used to show how the place gripped your imagination. Overall, these three paragraphs attempt to go beyond the superficial and provide compelling reasons as to how a place in a text could grip someone’s imagination.

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This town viewed women as objects to be bought and sold as sexual objects for the gratification of men. This was an isolated society where the cowboys of the range lived a lonely life, and their only female company was the company they ‘had to buy’. In this society, it was perfectly acceptable to use, own and objectify women in such a manner. Skinny, the so-called patriarchal figure within the ‘billiard’ hall, proves his lack of concern when he takes out the bill of sale for Delilah, wondering how he will make money from a ‘disfigured whore’. This total objectification of women, though grotesque, gripped my imagination, especially in light of our world which constantly strives to accentuate equality and attempts to end sexual exploitation.

chapter four

Narrative in Comprehending Question A

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(iii) Based on your reading of Text 2, do you agree that Fiona Mozley displays superb narrative skills, including the effective use of aesthetic language, which enable her to craft an atmospheric and occasionally disturbing story? Support your answer with reference to the text. (20)

Note

This is a question concerned with language style. You are expected to take on all aspects of the question, showing your understanding of the language rather than just repeating key phrases such as narrative and aesthetic.

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You need to be explicit in your discussion. You will do this by naming, explaining and referencing techniques. You then need to show why the technique is used and allude to its effectiveness. For example, the author’s constant personification is an aesthetic technique to help create an atmosphere, which is part of creating a narrative.

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If you do not know the features of narrative or the features of aesthetics, you cannot do well in a question of this nature. This goes for all language-based questions. If the question is about a speech, you need to know the traditional aspects of a good speech, etc.

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Approach

features of the genre – highlighted in yellow effective aesthetic language – highlighted in green atmospheric and occasionally disturbing story – highlighted in purple.

• • •

Each paragraph clearly identifies a clear feature of the genre to show the author’s ‘superb narrative skills’:

Sample answer All good narratives start with a clear sense of setting. The setting of the story is beautifully presented through the artistic use of language by employing techniques such as personification. The landscape is brought alive as the soil is described as ‘Alive with ruptured stories that cascaded and rotted then found form once more . . .’ We are left with a rural atmosphere, however, adjectives such as ‘ruptured’ and ‘rotted’ hint at a dark undercurrent to the story. ‘Tales of green men’ and ‘half-starved hounds’ add to the compelling aspect of the imagery, yet also suggest a slightly disturbing landscape. Engaging and interesting characterisation help with the creation of good narratives. Daddy is an enigma. On the one hand, he is a loving and attentive father, yet on the other

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hand, he claims to have killed men. The atmosphere is dark and disturbing as we are not told why he killed men. We are unsure if he was in the military or if these fatalities were a result of his violent and illegal prize fighting. While describing these violent incidents, the artistic nature of the description provides an engaging juxtaposition. She describes the ‘peat fields of Ireland’ and the ‘black mud of Lincolnshire’ which metaphorically still clings to his hand ‘like forensic ink’. The merging of metaphor and simile accentuates the overall aesthetic of the language.

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Narratives rely on a believable narrative voice to maintain credibility. The use of the young child’s voice helps with the overall narrative, but is also slightly eerie as some of the subject matter and the manner in which it is told is disturbing. It is uncomfortable to hear a young child describing violence and death. This is also evident as she casually describes the father’s bloody nick on his hand after violently hitting the ‘squaddy’. The onomatopoeic ‘clouted’ adds to the aural imagery in an artistically pleasing manner, but also accentuates the father’s dark nature.

Edco English Paper 1 - Leaving Certificate Higher Level

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The evocative opening adds to the eerie setting and provides a skilful delineation of plot. There is a layered approach to the creation of atmosphere: the sibilant ‘sun set slowly’ and then turned ‘black’. Adjectives such as ‘black’ suggest a dark undercurrent to the narrative. The dark atmosphere is developed as the metaphoric ‘ghosts of the ancient forest’ are heard on the breeze. This continued sense of atmosphere is slowly crafted and becomes more and more ominous as the plot is effectively introduced. We are left with the feeling that the narrative begins with the arrival of the ‘squaddy’.

Exercise

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Read the first two paragraphs from 1984 by George Orwell, and answer the questions that follow.

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It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen. Winston Smith, his chin nuzzled into his breast in an effort to escape the vile wind, slipped quickly through the glass doors of Victory Mansions, though not quickly enough to prevent a swirl of gritty dust from entering along with him.

The hallway smelt of boiled cabbage and old rag mats. At one end of it a coloured poster, too large for indoor display, had been tacked to the wall. It depicted simply an enormous face, more than a metre wide: the face of a man of about forty-five, with a heavy black moustache and ruggedly handsome features. Winston made for the stairs. It was no use trying the lift. Even at the best of times it was seldom working, and at present the electric current was cut off during daylight hours. It was part of the economy drive in preparation for Hate Week. The flat was seven flights up, and Winston, who was thirty-nine and had a varicose ulcer above his right ankle, went slowly, resting several times on the way. On each landing, opposite the lift-shaft, the poster with the enormous face gazed from the wall. It was one of those pictures which are so contrived that the eyes follow you about when you move. BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU, the caption beneath it ran.

What do you think is the most dominant language used?

Identify features of the language. Name the techniques used, explain their use and provide your opinion about their effectiveness.

What type of narrative is this (e.g. social realism, detective, fiction, biography, autobiography)?

What elements make this a good example of narrative writing?

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chapter four

Narrative in Comprehending Question A

Example 5: 2014, Text 1 Read the text carefully and consider the book cover.

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First, I’ll tell about the robbery our parents committed. Then about the murders, which happened later. The robbery is the more important part, since it served to set my and my sister’s lives on the courses they eventually followed. Nothing would make complete sense without that being told first.

In the novel, Canada, Richard Ford tells how a bank robbery committed by Bev and Neeva Parsons influenced the lives of their children, Dell and his twin sister, Berner, who were fifteen years old at the time of the crime. In this edited extract Dell remembers his escape to Canada with his mother’s friend, Mildred Remlinger. Go to www.examinations.ie, material archives, paper, 2014, English, Paper 1, Text 1, to see the book cover.

TEXT 1: AN INFLUENTIAL EVENT

Our parents were the least likely two people in the world to rob a bank. They weren’t strange people, not obviously criminals. No one would’ve thought they were destined to end up the way they did. They were just regular – although, of course, that kind of thinking became null and void the moment they did rob a bank . . .

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Mildred Remlinger drove up to our house in her battered old brown Ford, came straight up the walk, up the steps and knocked on the front door, behind which I was waiting alone. She came right inside and told me to pack my bag. She asked where my sister Berner was. I told her she’d left the day before. Mildred said we didn’t have time to go and look for her. Juvenile officials representing the State of Montana would be coming soon to take us into custody. It was a miracle, she said, they hadn’t come already. Then with me in the car seat beside her, Mildred drove us out of Great Falls that late morning of August 30, 1960, and straight north up the 87 highway.

Mildred didn’t much speak at first, as Great Falls settled into the landscape behind us. Up on the benchland north and west of the Highwoods, it was nothing but hot yellow wheat and grasshoppers and snakes crossing the highway and the high blue sky, and the Bear’s Paw Mountains out ahead, blue and hazy but with bright snow on their peaks. Havre, Montana, was the town farther north. Our father had delivered someone a new Dodge there earlier in the summer. He’d described it as a 'desolate place, down in a big hole. The back of beyond'. I couldn’t imagine why Mildred would be driving us there. On the map Havre was nearly as far north as you could go in Montana. Canada was just above it. But I felt I was doing what our mother had planned for me.

Mildred was a large square-hipped, authoritative woman, with short black curly hair, snapping small dark eyes, red lipstick, a fleshy neck, and powder on her face that masked a bad complexion, though not very well. She and her car both smelled like cigarettes and chewing gum, and her ashtray was full of lipstick butts and matches and spearmint wrappers, though she hadn’t smoked while we were driving. In Havre, we drove down the hill to the main street and found a sandwich shop. We sat at the counter inside, and I ate cold meat loaf and a soft roll with butter and a pickle and lemonade, and felt better. Mildred smoked while I ate and watched me and cleared her throat a lot and talked. She said she was forty-three, though I’d thought she was sixty or more. She said I should go to sleep in the back seat after lunch, and this was what let me know we weren’t just going to Havre that day but were travelling farther on.

Due to copyright restrictions we are unable to print the original cover image.

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The land north of Havre was the same as we’d been driving through: dry, unchanging cropland – a sea of golden wheat melting up into the hot unblemished blue sky crossed only by electrical wires. There were very few houses or buildings. Low green hills lay far out ahead in the shimmering distance. It was improbable we were going there, since I speculated those hills would be in Canada, which was all that lay ahead of us.

From Havre, we drove north, across a wooden railroad viaduct over the tracks and the muddy river and along a narrow highway that angled up the rimrock grade high enough to let me look back to the town, low and dismal and bleak in the baking sunlight. I was farther north than I’d ever been and felt barren and isolated, becoming unreachable. Wherever Berner was, I thought, was better than this.

At a certain point, Mildred took in a deep breath and let it out as if she’d decided something she’d been keeping silent about. She was staring firmly ahead. 'I’m taking you to Saskatchewan to live for a little while with my brother, Arthur. It won’t have to be this way completely forever. But right now it does. I’m sorry. It’s what your mother wants.'

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'I don’t want to do that.' I said this with absolute certainty. Mildred’s brother. Canada. I felt sure I didn’t have to do any of that. I had a say-so. Mildred drove on for a time without speaking. Finally she said, 'Well, if I have to take you back, they’ll arrest me for kidnapping you and put me in jail. They’re looking for you to put you in an orphanage. You better think on that. I’m trying to save you here.' The black road seemed to be my life shooting away from me at a terrible speed, with no one to stop it.

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(i) From your reading of Text 1 what impression do you form of the landscape in which the extract is set? In your answer you should refer to both the book cover and the written passage above. (15) Refer to www.examinations.ie, material archive, 2013 Leaving Certificate English Paper 1 Text 1 to consider the book cover.

Note

The question is looking for your impression, not the narrator's.

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• •

When dealing with the book cover make sure that you create links between the visual and the written text. Note how the sample answer is crafted. While talking about your impression of the landscape, you need to clearly illustrate that this is formed through the author’s use of language such as adjectives and personifications.

•

You should also be cognisant of the odd juxtaposition between the barren land and its poetic beauty. By referring to this juxtaposition you are again trying to go beyond the superficial and are differentiating yourself as the higher-achieving student.

•

Sample answer I formed the impression of a hot, desolate landscape. This is evident in the fourth paragraph, where we are told the landscape was, ‘nothing but hot yellow wheat’. Adjectives such as ‘hot’ and ‘yellow’ suggest the power and heat of the sun. The personified ‘lazy’ mountains suggest a loneliness to the country, which is accentuated by the ‘grasshoppers’ and ‘snakes’, which are the only signs of life. It was a place that his father had described as the ‘back of beyond’ and a ‘big hole’. This develops my impression of desolation, as we are provided with another character’s insight to the place. The further north they go, the more barren and hot the landscape seems to get. Even the one town they visit is described as ‘dismal and bleak’. The sunlight is described as baking

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chapter four

Narrative in Comprehending Question A

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and even the narrator’s mood reflects the desolate and hot landscape, as he felt ‘barren and isolated’. Despite the apparent bleakness of the unchanging cropland, I am left with the impression of a strange beauty to this hot landscape, as the ‘wheat melt[s] up into the hot unblemished blue sky’.

The visual book cover reinforces my impression of this landscape, as the majority of the picture is taken up with a blue, hazy sky. There is absolutely no sign of life or civilisation other than a few telegraph poles. It is the type of highway I can imagine ‘snakes’ and ‘grasshoppers crossing’. The remaining landscape is as dry, hot and desolate as the descriptions in the text.

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Exercise 1.

Examine the above sample answer. Annotate and identify where the writer has engaged with the question.

Identify where the writer is focusing on the visual text.

Identify where the writer is making clear links between the visual text and the written text.

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(ii) The first two paragraphs above are the opening of Richard Ford’s novel, Canada. In your view, is this an effective opening? Give reasons for your answer with reference to the first two paragraphs of the text. (15)

Note

This question examines your awareness and knowledge of the language of narration and how various features of narration are used to create a successful opening to a text.

•

An effective opening to any narrative depends on certain elements. In this case, elements include: an engaging narrative voice (personal), intriguing and dramatic plot details, characterisation and the creation of tension, excitement, drama, through the use of flash forwarding/foreshadowing.

•

You must be able to read the question properly – in this case, it is asking you to identify features of the genre that are evident in the first two paragraphs and comment on their effectiveness.

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•

Approach

• •

Pick three features and discuss. Make sure you stick to the first two paragraphs, as this is clearly stated in the question. A good sense of time and place is effective in any opening. In this case, these are not dealt with in the first two paragraphs, so do not include this in your answer, as the question clearly indicates where to get the information.

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•

In the sample answer below:

• • •

effective opening is highlighted in yellow reasons are highlighted in green reference and quotation are highlighted in purple.

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Sample answer I believe the opening is effective, as in a clear and frank manner the author, through the narrator, reveals plot information. The opening line is dramatic as we are told the parents committed a robbery. This is dramatic, effective and engaging, as flash forward or foreshadowing is used to delineate an exciting aspect to the plot as the robbery ‘served to set me and my sister’s lives on the course they eventually followed’.

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All good narratives depend on clear and interesting characterisation. Even in these opening two paragraphs we are introduced to the main players and we are given a description of the parents. We are told they were the ‘least likely to rob a bank’, and they were ‘not obviously criminals’. This adds to the effectiveness of the opening, as we are engaged by the characters and are left wondering what happened that turned them into criminals.

Exercise: Exam practice

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The narrator’s personal voice added to my engagement with the extract. The use of pronouns such as ‘I’ll’, ‘our’, ‘me’ and ‘my’ lent a very genuine and believable aspect to the story. I felt as if I was being invited into the personal life of a believable and interesting character who has lived an interesting life. As this is conveyed in the opening paragraphs I was immediately engaged.

Complete part (iii), using the pointers provided.

Note

Lyrical beauty may refer to vivid descriptive details, colourful imagery and aesthetic language (evocative metaphors).

•

Engaging narrative may refer to the powerful narrative voice, original storyline, interesting and engaging characters, effective setting and atmosphere.

•

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(iii) Ford’s writing is characterised by its engaging narrative, lyrical beauty and concrete realism. Based on your reading from paragraph three onwards of the above extract, to what extent do you think this statement is accurate? Refer to features of Ford’s writing style evident in the extract in support of your viewpoint. (20)

Concrete realism may refer to believable dialogue, sense of fear and apprehension, unromanticised description of Mildred, her battered brown Ford, the ashtray, the need for food, sleep, and so on. Mildred’s cognisance of the consequences of her actions and an authentic sense of place found in the detailed descriptions and real place names.

•

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Narrative in Comprehending Question A

Exercise: 2020, Text 1 Read the text carefully and answer the questions that follow.

TEXT 1 – FROM GENRE to GENRE

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This text consists of two elements: firstly, edited extracts adapted from Alan McMonagle’s essay, 'The Misadventures of a Dithering Writer in Thirteen and A Half Fragments', in which he discusses writing in different genres.

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I flit anxiously and eagerly from genre to genre. I always have a few stories on the go. Some of them are like eels – they slip away if I do not make a fast grab. Some are like bold children – they pay absolutely no attention to anything I tell them to do. One or two arrive unannounced from the farthest recesses of my imagination and insist on writing themselves with little or no input from myself. I have four novels to write and a couple of plays require open heart surgery. Several poems are threatening to rise up and bite off my fingers if I don’t give them immediate attention.

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I don’t know if my writing is in anyway distinctive. I am an aural learner as opposed to say the more common visual learning that attends so much writing. I can hear things before I see them. My reasons for writing are partly intrinsic, partly spiritual, partly fanatical. Intrinsic because if I do not write I will go mad. Spiritual because I like to hang around with people who do not exist. Fanatical because I like moving as quickly as possible from the everyday world into the world of the imagination. Stretching reality; bending it, distorting it, somehow twisting it out of shape. Watching what characters make of this tilt in their lives – this is what I like to do.

I began writing as a boy. Little stories, plays, poems. My early offering was heavily influenced by an unlikely combination of Agatha Christie and an anthology of Greek myths and legends devoured innumerable times in my local library. By the age of twelve I announced my retirement as a writer. I stopped writing for a long time and was reluctant to resume. Having abandoned it for so long, when I returned to writing as an adult I was so grateful and so relieved upon realising that the realm of the imagination had not abandoned me. Let yourself be led by the child that you were. This is a tendency I adhered to upon my resumption and, indeed, return to when it all threatens to get away from me. I am, at various times, a reluctant, plodding, instinctive, spontaneous writer. At times I feel that, if I stay awake for long enough, I can reach the end of a considerable narrative arc. At other times I feel that uncapping a pen is a bridge too far. I wake and enter every day with varying combinations of wonder and dread. I have started several novels. There is the edgy-existential one about the brother-sister assassination squad. There is the comedy-of-desperation one about the office slave finally tipped over the edge by a boss constantly referred to as the highly evolved vegetable. There is the life-weary one about the last day in the working life of a barber terrified beyond

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If you know what you want to be you will be it. If you don’t know, then you will spend your days reinventing yourself, discovering who you are. I envy the former standpoint in so many ways. But I am an uncertain person and rather than rail against this uncertainty I try to harness it. And so each day becomes the first day; it allows room for discovery, invention, reinvention, wonder, mystery; all of which are manna for the creative urge and time spent dwelling in the imagination. Writing is about taking risks. It is a high wire act. A game you lose almost all the time.

Exercise What type of text is this?

Identify and comment on the main features of the genre.

Comment on the effectiveness of the main features of the genre.

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Remember!

Read the text carefully: underline and annotate clearly

Read the questions carefully: identify nuances to the question

Engage explicitly with questions: identify language genres and techniques Structure your responses

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Use relevant, succinct references and quotations Assessment criteria

Can you still identify the various genres?

Can you still identify the language used?

Checklist 1.

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Understand the task and show appreciation of task

• • • • • • •

measure of the imminent reunion with his poet-activist daughter. There is my novel featuring an as-yet-to-be-named antagonist who is more of a genius in dreams than in life. I am all the time hankering to work on the very project I am not currently tangled up inside.

Can you still identify the features of the genre?

4. Can you still talk about features of the language? 5.

Can you still talk about the effectiveness of these features?

6. Can you use this information to craft compelling and coherent responses to the exam questions?

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d Ire la n of om pa ny

Speech, Memoir and Opinion

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Learning intentions

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in Comprehending Question A

In this chapter you will understand and engage with:

a targeted approach to Comprehending Question A reading for the purpose of answering Comprehending Question A.

Speech and Memoir

• • •

Example 1: 2012, Text 2 Example 2: 2021, Text 3 Example 3: 2021, Text 1

Newspaper/visual, opinion

• •

Example 1: 2017, Text 1 Example 2: 2018, Text 1

• •

Exam questions with sample answers and directions

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Speech Example 1: 2012, Text 2

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Reading the speech carefully, you should be aware that there are many of the expected features of the genre evident, which will enable you to engage with the various questions and respond to the writing tasks in a compelling and well-crafted manner.

Exercise: Exam practice Read the text and answer Question A parts (i) and (ii):

Turn back to page 42 and read Text 2, ‘Shared Memories’ from Leaving Certificate 2012 Higher Level English Paper 1.

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(i) In the above extract, Mary Robinson explains why she thinks it is important to commemorate the Irish famine of 1845. Which three points from the extract do you think most effectively support her view point? (ii) Identify and comment on three elements of effective speech-writing in Mary Robinson’s address to the conference on hunger. 2.

Critically compare your responses to the sample answers below.

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Note

You are looking for what you think are Mary Robinson’s three strongest arguments. It is then up to you to present these points in a compelling manner.

•

The question is not asking why ‘you’ think it is important to commemorate the famine. It is not even asking if you agree with her points; it is asking for you to break down Mary Robinson’s best arguments and show their effectiveness.

•

The question establishes the fact that she thinks it is important to commemorate the famine so there is no need for you to do this. Stick to what the question is asking you to do.

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•

Sample answer

Three points that I think most effectively support Mary Robinson’s view that the famine should be commemorated are the importance of telling the silent people’s story, understanding the diaspora and understanding the global reality of famine.

Robinson wants to commemorate the famine, as she feels it is vital that we tell the ‘silent people’s story’. It is a story that ‘should be heard’. Their hardship and pain need to be understood so that they become more than a statistic. She feels that their pain helped shape our culture. She feels we need to understand this so their plight can be linked to the future, hence changing young Irish people’s attitudes and ensuring that we learn a lesson from the past. She feels these lessons will help eradicate similar suffering in the world today. Ultimately, she wants to sensitise an issue that has been desensitised due to statistical analysis.

logical, layered response shows compelling reason why Robinson thinks we should commemorate the famine.

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once again, logical reason is used to engage with the task

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Irish society changed drastically at the time of the famine. The Irish diaspora led to the development of cultures in America, Canada, England, etc. By commemorating the famine, Robinson feels we can better understand these communities. She quotes Robert Scally who suggested that ‘their last sight of Ireland [was] the first sight of themselves’. These people overcame massive odds and eventually prospered. We can look to their story to have a better understanding of emigration and the reasons for emigration. This is part of our world today and by remembering those who left during the famine she feels we can learn to empathise and relate to those who find themselves in similar situations due to economic needs.

chapter five

Speech, Memoir and Opinion in Comprehending Question A

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Robinson recognises the global reality of famine. She realises that it is in no way distinctively Irish. She links the economic past of Ireland with what is happening today. She feels that the ‘economic knowledge our children gain about the crops exported from Ireland during the famine; let them come to understand the harsh realities of today’s markets’. In other words, she feels that by commemorating the famine we can draw an analogy between the farmers of Ireland who were forced to export cash crops, such as grain, in 1845 with the struggling farmers of developing worlds who are forced to grow coffee and tobacco rather than feeding their families.

Some questions allow the student to dig deep into the text. This paragraph goes beyond the superficial. It is why the quote is slightly longer than the usual short snappy quotes. It was necessary to back up the point with a stronger sense of her argument. Overall, three arguments that most effectively support her view have been chosen.

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(ii) Identify and comment on three elements of effective speech-writing in Mary Robinson’s address to the conference on hunger.

Note

This should be quite straightforward once you know what you are looking for – effective use of features of the genre.

•

Once you have identified three elements of effective speech-writing, you must comment on them.

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•

There is more on features of effective speech writing in Chapter 8, Focusing on Composing, page 171.

Sample answer

Three elements of Robinson’s effective speech-writing are her use of historical and literary references, personal language and rhetorical techniques. Her use of historical references and quotations from recognised historians such as Robert Scally legitimise her points. We feel that we are being informed during her speech. We are being told something worthwhile. This sense of legitimisation is developed through her use of dramatic and ‘nightmare images’. Images of ‘the bailiff’ and ‘the workhouse’ resonate with us as Irish people. This is accentuated with literary references to Heaney and Boland. The overall effect is to reiterate her point of view, which makes the speech effective.

identifying a feature of the genre and showing why it is used effectiveness is developed with clear use of the text

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identifying a feature of the genre and showing why it is used

once again, the feature is developed with use of examples from text – effectiveness clearly amplified

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Robinson cleverly manipulates her pronouns in order to connect and engage with the audience. She begins by addressing ‘us as a people’ and she refers to ‘our diaspora’. This immediately engages our national conscience. We are presented with ownership and feel part of her narrative. Having created a meaningful rapport with the audience she then returns to the personal pronoun and shares intimate information about ‘the book I have read’. She then finishes with the collective pronoun asking how ‘we are to account for’ the starving millions in today’s world. By returning to the collective pronoun she makes her audience feel both involved and to a degree responsible for this tragedy.

rhetorical devices developed with use of examples from text – effectiveness clearly amplified

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Another effective element of speech-writing is her use of persuasive and rhetorical techniques. Repetition, such as the constant linking of the past with the present, and the constant reminder of people’s suffering, is designed to affect the audience. The audience is further engaged with the use of rhetorical questions such as, ‘And how willing are we to negotiate those past images into the facts of present day hunger?’ Questions such as this make the audience think about her arguments and ultimately come to the same conclusions as the speaker.

identifying a feature of the genre and showing why it is used

(iii) Consider the visual images that accompany this text. Which of the images would you have chosen to project as a backdrop to Mary Robinson as she delivered the above speech? Explain your choice (image and text).

FACT: THE CRISIS IN THE HORN OF AFRICA IS UNLIKE ANY OTHER – DISPLACING, STARVING, KILLING OVER 13 MILLION PEOPLE

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Image 3

Note

2004 Indonesia tsunami

2010 Haiti earthquake

Horn of Africa famine/war/drought

In a question of this nature, it is vital to make links between the visual text and the printed text.

•

In keeping with the type of structure that you are developing, you will need to be able to come up with two points for each of your chosen visuals, giving you a four-paragraph answer for a 20-mark question.

•

Sample answer Image 1 provides a horrible image of a starving woman who is clutching something to her chest. This could be her belongings or even a child, living or maybe dead. The pain and anguish are clearly evident in her features. I would choose this image to accompany the text, as it illustrates the Irish ‘will to survive’. The memorial represents the fact that the Irish people, despite their pain and hardship, were determined to endure.

linking visual text to written text

It connects with what Robinson says about the ‘terrible realities of our past hunger’. This is one of the ‘nightmare images’ that comes to mind when we consider the famine. The people who were forced to emigrate or were forced into the linking visual text to written text

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Speech, Memoir and Opinion in Comprehending Question A

workhouses were in a destitute situation. It is clear from this image that the woman is destitute, in pain, anxious and scared. These are emotions that come to mind when we consider the speech by Robinson. Image 3 is also an image that I would use as a backdrop to her speech, as it also helps to clarify her arguments . . .

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Exercise: Exam practice

1. Complete the previous paragraph by developing the argument that Image 3 provides statistical analysis for what Robinson is saying about modern famine. 2. Write a fourth paragraph developing the argument that Image 3 helps bring the statistics alive.

TEXT 3 – THIS IS YOUR TIME

personal TEXT 3 is based on edited extracts from the speech, transcript of a graduation speech delivered so also in 2018 by American actor Chadwick Boseman, expecting at Howard University. In this text, Mr Boseman elements reflects on the time he spent at Howard and of personal how it influenced him. writing

expecting features of the genre

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Example 2: 2021, Text 3

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what seemed to be a random day, my head down lost in my own world of issues, like many of you do daily. I raised my head and Muhammad

apt metaphor, as the image synonymous with Ali

effective, as he is creating a shared experience with the audience, presenting himself as one of them

personal anecdote

Ali was walking towards me. He raised his fist to a quintessential guard. impact, as it is an iconic and wellI was game to play along with him, to act as if I was a worthy opponent. known image of the What an honour to be challenged by the greatest of all time for a brief ex-champ

switch to personal pronouns adds personal and intimate reflection

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hyperbolic It is a great privilege, graduates, to address you on your day, a day and marking one of the most important accomplishments of your life to romanticised image date. This is a magical place. I remember walking across this yard on

effective opening, as the use of pronoun makes the audience feel included and special, as if he is talking to each person directly

moment. His security let the joke play along for a second before they ushered him away, and I walked away floating like a butterfly, light and ready to take on the world. That is the magic of this place. Almost anything can happen here. Howard University has many names, the Mecca, the Hilltop. It only takes one tour of the physical campus to understand why we call it the Hilltop. Almost every day I would walk the full length of the hill to Fine Arts where most of my classes were. Throughout ancient times, institutions of learning have been built on top of hills to convey that great struggle is required to achieve degrees of enlightenment.

he is a man of humility and respect impact, as it presents the possibilities of youth and education using historical allusion and illustration to enhance his point

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once again he is talking directly to the individual, ensuring For some of you, the challenge was actually academics. You worked metaphorically everyone’s accentuating hard. You did your best, but you didn’t make As or Bs, sometimes Cs. attention – a their privileged simple but clever That’s okay, you are here on top of the hill. Sometimes your grades position feature of the don’t give a real indication of what your greatness might be. For others genre clever manipulation, the challenge was financial. You and your family struggled to make as students will while addressing welcome such ends meet, but you are here. For a lot of you, your hardest struggle was the individual sentiments social. You were never as cool and as popular as you wanted to be and by using ‘you’ he is also it bothered you, but you are here. Most of you graduating here today acknowledging having used universality of personal struggled against one or more of the obstacles I mentioned in order student problems reflection to reach this hill-top. I urge you to invest in the importance of this and challenges and intimate anecdotes, he moment and cherish it. now provides advice Early in my career I got an audition for a soap-opera on a major network. I was promised more money than I had ever seen before.

When I saw the role I was playing – that of a young man in his formative years with a violent streak pulled into the allure of gang involvement

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played honestly, can be empowering, but I was conflicted because this role seemed to be wrapped up in assumptions about us as black folk. Howard had instilled in me a certain amount of pride and for my taste

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clear accentuation of his moral development and how he owes this to Howard

– I found myself conflicted. That’s somebody’s real story. Any role,

reveals aspect of speaker’s personality – not overly influenced by financial gain, he has principles

this role didn’t live up to those standards.

After filming the first two episodes, I had an opportunity to bring my concerns to the executives of the show. I asked them some questions

about the background of my character. Question one: where is my

developing the anecdote

father? The exec answered, ‘Well, he left when you were younger.’ Okay.

Question two: in this script, it alluded to my mother not being equipped

to operate as a good parent, so why exactly did my little brother and I have to go into foster care? Matter-of-factly, he said, ‘Well, of course she is on heroin.’ I queried whether some of the assumptions around characterisation were stereotypical. That word lingered. I was let go from that job on the next day. My agents told me it might be a while

he is challenging stereotypes

before I got a job acting on screen again.

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instilled in you here at Howard closed the doors in front of you? I

thought of Ali in the middle of the yard in his elder years, drawing

something to me on that day. He was transferring the spirit of the fighter to me. Graduating class hear me well this day. This day, when you have reached the hill top and you are deciding on next jobs, next steps,

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from his victories and his losses. I realised that he was transferring

strong sense of genre, he is directly addressing his audience

careers, you should rather find purpose than a job or a career. Purpose

coming to a is an essential element of you. It is the reason you are on the planet at conclusion

this particular time in history. Remember, the struggles along the way are only meant to shape you for your purpose.

I don’t know what your future is, but if you are willing to take the harder

clarifying importance of resilience

way, the one with more failures at first than successes, the one that is

ultimately proven to have more meaning, more victory, more glory, then you will not regret it. Now, this is your time. Howard’s legacy is not

strong assertion

wrapped up in the money that you will make, but the challenges that

trying to inspire a young and possibly materialistic audience to what is important in life

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providing advice to his listeners, designed to be inspiring, as he finishes with authoritative tone

using rhetorical questions

developing and referring back to an earlier metaphor

But what do you do when the principles and the standards that were

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engaging with the audience, as he suggests his experiences at their university made him resilient and capable of fighting for his principles

chapter five

Speech, Memoir and Opinion in Comprehending Question A

you choose to confront. As you commence on your paths, press on

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with pride and press on with purpose.

QUESTION A – 40 Marks [Covid allowance – Question usually worth 50]

(i) Based on your reading of TEXT 3, explain three insights you gained into how Chadwick Boseman was influenced by his time at Howard University. Support your answer with reference to the text. (10)

Indicative material from the marking scheme: Chadwick Boseman claims he was imbued with a fighter’s spirit while at Howard University

• • • •

His experiences at Howard engendered ‘a certain amount of pride’

•

The principles and standards that guide his life were cultivated while at university Studying at Howard helped form his attitude towards money His university experiences made him willing to confront challenges, etc.

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You should begin by identifying an aspect of the speech that had an influence on how Boseman was influenced by his time at the university. You can then explain the insight that you gained from how he was influenced by these experiences.

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It is obvious that Boseman has great pride in his university, and he seems to take great pleasure in addressing the current students. He uses the anecdote about an early acting role to illustrate the pride that he gained from Howard University. He tells the audience that he had a job with more money than he could imagine, yet it did not sit right with him due to the racist and character assumptions that were conveyed in the show. He lost his job when his pride could not be kept quiet and he questioned these stereotypes. This anecdote conveyed an important insight. I could see how irrelevant money becomes in a person’s life if they are expected to compromise their beliefs, pride and principles. Having learnt these lessons, he is proud to be a Howard alumnus. I can clearly see how he was influenced by his time at the university.

Sample answer

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This attitude towards money is also expressed when he asserts that the legacy to be gained from their education is not ‘wrapped up in the money’ they will make ‘but the challenges you choose to confront’. I think his experiences at Howard have helped him develop beyond the superficial. He sees education as a means to being able to take on life with dignity and pride. He is concerned not with the potential pay check, but with the ability to be resilient and resourceful. I found this profound and encouraging, as he inspirationally presents a world where we can all strive for personal success.

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Another impact that the university had on his life can be seen when he shares with us the story of how he met Muhammad Ali on the campus. What was once a playful moment where he engaged in a mock sparring contest with the former heavyweight champion of the world became a personal metaphor for the spirt of the fighter that the university developed within his consciousness. I could clearly see how such a chance encounter affected his development as a young man. He learned to be resilient and true to himself. Ali left him with a sense of invincibility, and he proceeded with an attitude where he felt he was floating like a butterfly. He believed that he was a part of a magical place where anything was possible. (ii) In paragraph 7, Chadwick Boseman observes, ‘Purpose is an essential element of you.’ Give your personal response to this observation by the writer. (10)

You are expected to provide a personal response to the observation, ‘Purpose is an essential element of you.’ A sensible approach would be to provide first an interpretation of his observation, and then your reaction to his observation. As you are directed towards paragraph 7, it would be prudent to read the paragraph before you start presenting your response.

Boseman seems to be a very strong believer in purpose. He looks at the struggles and experiences that we have all encountered as defining moments in our development that help shape our purpose. In his mind, the graduates have reached the hilltop, and now they must discover their purpose. Their academic education is over, and as they go into the world they should be motivated by more than material desires. Their career should have a meaning. This observation resonates with me. I am currently standing on a hill as I leave an important stage in my education. What I do next will help define me as a person. I will hopefully embark on a university journey that will help me discover this purpose. I do not want to live a shallow life, working a job purely for financial gain. I would hope to train for and find a career that brings joy and satisfaction. I do not believe that to be motivated by money or power is a recipe for happiness. I too want to achieve meaning in my life, and for this reason I have being inspired to think about and search for purpose as I take the next steps on my journey in life. In order to reach our true potential, to reveal our true selves, I believe we first need to find our purpose in life.

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Speech, Memoir and Opinion in Comprehending Question A

(iii) Identify four features of the language of persuasion evident in the above text, and discuss how effectively these features are employed by Chadwick Boseman to craft an emotional and inspiring speech. Support your response with reference to the text. (20)

• • • •

Boseman’s effective use of inclusive, conversational language helps to inspire his audience Personal anecdotes/persuasive arguments heighten the appeal of his speech Skilful use of imperatives and repetition adds emphasis and emotional weight Powerful emotive/metaphorical language is inspirational

Compelling conclusion is designed to both inspire and provoke an emotional response, etc.

•

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Features could include: (from the marking scheme, list is indicative not exhaustive)

You are required to identify four features of the language of persuasion evident in the above text, and discuss how effectively these features are employed by Chadwick Boseman to craft an emotional and inspiring speech.

Sample answer

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Boseman uses an inclusive style of language that is designed to inspire his audience. He begins by addressing ‘you’ on ‘your’ day. The use of pronoun is inspiring, as it makes the audience feel included and special, as if he is talking to each person directly. He then changes to the personal pronoun, as he launches into an anecdote, where, ‘I remember walking across this yard’. This adds to the personal, emotional and intimate aspect of his anecdote, as the audience feel they are being exposed and invited into his world in a friendly and familiar manner. His iconic meeting with Ali is shared, and the audience feels not only included but inspired by Bosman’s experiences.

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A regular feature of persuasive language is the use of anecdotes, and Boseman’s anecdotes are carefully chosen to elicit an emotional response from his audience. His story cataloguing his experience as a young actor asked to perpetuate a stereotype was very provocative. The audience are engaged by a story of unfairness and bigotry. It is impossible to ignore such a story without some type of emotive response. Most listeners would feel inspired by such a story, and may resolve to have similar principles themselves. Others may simply feel that such injustice needs to be removed from our world. Either way, his choices of stories are designed to have a persuasive and provocative effect on the audience.

Boseman uses historical allusion to provide an emotional impact. His example of the ‘hilltop’ is a profound metaphor for the need to be challenged before success is achieved. He informs his audience that in ‘ancient times, institutions of learning’ were deliberately built on hilltops in order to illustrate the achievement of enlightenment. The listeners are profoundly affected by such illustrations. Every time they walk the hill they will now feel as if they are reaching a personal moment of enlightenment. By being able to link the hilltop to a historical event, he provides legitimacy and authority to his argument while engaging the audience by elevating a process that they do daily to something profound and meaningful. Having described the manner in which he was excluded from a show by being true to his principles, Bosean poses a rhetorical question that has the effect of bringing meaning and purpose to his use of personal anecdote. He asks what they will do if the principles learnt at Howard University cause doors to be closed for them. His clever crafting of this persuasive speech clearly leaves the student with the feeling that they will persevere and stand by their principles. If doors are closed, they will look for other doors that may open for them. He is an inspiring figure, as everyone in that audience will be aware of his success despite these earlier setbacks. The audience will believe that they too can be excluded by being principled and yet still go on to achieve success. This clever use of a question is clearly inspiring and motivational.

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Edco English Paper 1 - Leaving Certificate Higher Level

Example 3: 2021, Text 1 TEXT 1 – TIME PIECES

Text 1 is based on edited extracts from Time Pieces: A Dublin Memoir by John Banville. In this text the writer reflects on some childhood memories and shares his thoughts on the past.

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genre: memoir, personal writing – expectation is information, emotive and reflective

Dublin was never my Dublin, which made it all the more alluring. I was

sense of place born in Wexford, a small town that was smaller and more remote then, and setting

sequestered in its own past. My birthday falls on 8 December. The eighth

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alliteration used to be both a Holy Day and a day when people from the provinces adds fluency flocked to the capital to do their Christmas shopping and marvel at the Christmas lights. So my birthday treat on successive years in the

atmosphere, time

first half of the 1950s was a trip by train to Dublin, a thing I looked

more explicit accentuation of time

very different forward to for months beforehand. world

We would leave from the town’s North Station in the wintry darkness of early morning. I believe there were still steam trains then, although

Old World atmosphere

metaphor

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diesel was the coming thing. How thrilling it was to walk through the personification sombre, deserted streets, my head still fuzzy from sleep, with the long

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day’s adventure all before me. The train would arrive from Rosslare suggestive of a big event Harbour, carrying blear-eyed passengers off the overnight ferry from Fishguard in Wales. Away we would chug, onomatopoeia the window

hyperbolic? simple alliterated adjective onomatopoeia

beside me a black glass mirror in which I could study my menacingly shadowed reflection and imagine myself a confidential agent – as spies

flight of imagination

used to be called in the espionage novels of a previous age – on board

the Orient Express and bound on a top-secret mission to the dusky and dangerous East.

reminder that this is a childhood memory

personification We would have been somewhere in the approaches to Arklow when metaphoric

the dawn came up, turning the frost-white fields to a shade of sharply

vibrant adjective

glistening mica-pink. Certain moments in certain places, apparently

alliterative ‘d’ sound

alliterative ‘f’s sibilance

insignificant, imprint themselves on the memory with improbable reflection and observation – they, the suspicion arises that one must have imagined them. Of those personal writing vividness and clarity – improbable because, so clear and so vivid are

memory is uncertain

December journeys I recall, or am convinced I recall, a certain spot where

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despite uncertainty the memory lives on

the train slowed at a river bend – the Avoca river, it must have been – a spot I can still see clearly in my memory’s eye, and which I have returned to repeatedly in my novels.

personification, metaphoric

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of magical promise [metaphor] towards which my starved young soul endlessly yearned. That the city itself, the real Dublin, was, in those

poverty stricken 1950s, mostly a grey and graceless place, did not mar my dream of it – and I dreamed of it even when I was present in it, so that

high romance.

When does the past become the past? How much time must elapse before rhetorical question romantic conclusion

likes to use alliterative sounds

mundane reality was being constantly transformed before my eyes into

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romanticised vision of the past or romantic memory

Dublin, of course, was the opposite of ordinary. Dublin was, for me, a place

hyperbole

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Speech, Memoir and Opinion in Comprehending Question A

what merely happened begins to give off the mysterious, sacred glow that

rhetorical question

is the mark of true pastness? After all, the resplendent vision we carry with us in memory was once merely the present, wholly unremarkable, except in those moments when one has just fallen in love or won the lottery. What

is the magic that is worked upon experience, when it is consigned to the

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laboratory of the past, there to be shaped and burnished to a finished radiance? [rhetorical question] Let us say, the present is where we live, while the past is where we dream. Yet if it is a dream, it is substantial, and

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rhetorical question

sustaining. The past buoys us up, a tethered and ever-expanding metaphorically objectifying a hot-air balloon. What transmutation must the present go through in order concept to become the past? Time’s alchemy works in a bright abyss. metaphor metaphor, oxymoron

very profound clever use of questioning – engaging the reader

Westland Row Station – it did not become Pearse Station until years later – more realistic presentation was mostly a vast soot-blackened glass dome, a couple of grim platforms, of the past

descriptive qualities developed

and a ramp leading down to the street. It seems to me now that on every one

of those eighths of December we arrived in rain. This was not the driving, pounding rain of the provinces, but a special urban variety, its drops as

how the past is remembered

romanticised image of indeed sub-subatomic, particles that flash through you and me and all things past, also scientific at every instant. The rain turned the pavements greasy, so that one had to metaphor make one’s way over them with caution in one’s slippery leather soles. fine and as penetrating as neutrinos, those teeming showers of subatomic,

contrasting approach between romanticised past and a real past

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Edco English Paper 1 - Leaving Certificate Higher Level

geographical detail, quite detailed for a childhood memory

At the station exit we turned left on to Westland Row. At the top of the street, turning left and immediately right, we would come up into Merrion Square, where, at number one, a fine example, at least in its exterior, of a

knew none of these things at the time of which I am writing. I doubt I had

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subjective and emotional opinion, reflection

terraced Georgian townhouse, Oscar Wilde was born. I need hardly say I

even heard of poor Oscar, who today is commemorated by a hideous and garishly painted statue, representing him asprawl on a rock at the corner of the square opposite his birthplace. What indignities we consider

ourselves free to visit upon the famous dead!

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QUESTION A – 40 Marks [Covid direction: question usually worth 50 marks – 15, 15 and 20 – but in 2021 Question A was marked 10, 10 and 20] (i) Based on your reading of TEXT 1, explain three insights you gained into the impact of time on memories. Support your answer with reference to the text. (10)

The question wants you to consider Banville’s observations and provide an insight into what you now think the impact of time has on memories. In other words, do you engage either from a positive or negative manner from his reflections? It is up to you, the reader, to decide what direction you want to take, because it is your three insights, not the writer’s. In order to respond to the question it needs to be a personal response.

memories may be unaffected/preserved by time, remaining fresh, precise and vivid

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the passage of time may distort/alter memories over time, memories may become nostalgic or idealised the passage of time can transform the ‘unremarkable’ present into ‘the resplendent’ past time makes memories precious; ‘the past buoys us up’

• • • • •

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Indicative material: From the marking scheme

Sample answer

While reflecting on the train journey, Banville observes that certain moments

in our lives leave an imprint on our minds. He feels that these images are

so clear and vivid that we may end up questioning their validity, and he

wonders if ‘one must have imagined them’. Time has had a profound effect on

his memory. He is suspicious of his own memories. I think this is extremely interesting, and I find myself wondering if some of my childhood memories are real, or whether they stem from family stories or even photographs. I am left convinced that our memories that seem clear and vivid are a product of many factors that can twist or distort an image over time. strong, assertive words such as ‘convinced’ shows that there has been an impact on your thought process

providing a good link to a part of the text that directly deals with memories and time this is his conclusion you are showing your reaction to his argument that time affects memory in a certain way

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show your reaction to this argument

memory. He describes poverty-stricken 1950s Dublin as a magical place. The mundane aspect of this grey and graceless place was transformed in his memory. I think this is an idea we can all relate to. As we grow older,

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the grey landscape of our childhood often gives way to colour and developing a sense of rainbows. This can be seen in simple memories such as the weather. I personal remember summer holidays at the beach, covered in sun factor, not sitting impact to the writer’s at home looking out at the rain wondering if it will ever stop. It seems that points time filters our memories and leaves us remembering the good parts.

Time has definitely left a romanticised image of the past in Banville’s

start with the text, look at an area where the writer clearly presents an argument where time has had an effect on memory

chapter five

Speech, Memoir and Opinion in Comprehending Question A

Banville proposes the argument that time ‘buoys us up’. He develops his

presenting your own romanticised memory of the past – showing your impact to the idea of time on memory

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argument with the use of the hot-air balloon metaphor. This leaves the impression that memory can raise the spirits. When I think about the past I can remember many incidents that have helped me

cope with the struggles of life as a Leaving Certificate student. When times are hard I remember when times were good. Banville’s observations that memories can help with our

mood has had a positive impact on how I think of the past, as I can think of positive rather than negative memories.

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insight to impact of time on memory

this is another of Banville’s arguments about how time impacts memory, which is then followed by the insight you have gained from reading this argument

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(ii) In paragraph 5, John Banville observes, ‘the present is where we live, while the past is where we dream’. Give your personal response to this observation by the writer. (10) As we are directed to paragraph 5, it would make sense to go back and carefully reread paragraph 5.

You are given an observation by the writer and then asked for your response to this observation. First of all, you need to be able to comprehend the observation. Your discussion should start by interpreting what the writer is saying. Then you can show the impact it has on you in a personal sense. Link to the text if you can, but this does not need to be done and should not compromise your ability to engage with the observation.

I think this is a profound but true observation. We are all obviously living in the present. This is our day-to-day consciousness, and reality governs everything we do. The past, however, is a different world. While once upon a time it was reality, it has since become a place of dreams. Banville suggests that over time, memory takes on a ‘sacred glow that is the mark of true pastness’. The reality of what was once true gives over to a romanticised image of what happened in our past. We remember things in a dream-like manner. We remember what was good and enjoyable and forget the rest. Even as I complete my six years of senior level education, I think back on all those past years with such fond memories that I must wonder – was it real? Were those care-free days of Junior Cycle really stress free and full of fun and excitement, or is that how I choose to dream about the past now that I am moving on to the next stage of my life? All my memories are a little like this. Sometimes I think back and create a new narrative for myself. Maybe some of my greatest creations are my memories. Banville’s metaphor of ‘time’s alchemy’ was effective in consolidating this idea in my mind. I am thinking that my present experiences are being mixed in some test tube in order to create a later dream of the past. I am like a chemist creating formulae for the romanticised memories of the past.

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Edco English Paper 1 - Leaving Certificate Higher Level

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This question is examining your understanding and ability to identify features of the genre. As you have seen in so many Comprehending Question A writing tasks, if you do not know the features of various genres, including popular texts, language and formats, you will not be able to fully and comprehensively engage with the set task. This is a reflective piece of personal writing, but the question asks you to look at the narrative elements. You are required to identify the features and then discuss how effectively the features are employed to tell the story of his childhood.

• •

the evocative, descriptive details create memorable settings for his recollections aesthetic and descriptive language Banville’s ability to create contrasting moods and atmospheres adds to the narrative quality atmosphere, tone, mood the writer weaves an enjoyable coming-of-age story around his birthday outings sense of plot

•

John Banville presents his childhood self as a character to great effect characterisation

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•

the intriguing opening hooks readers into the story of the writer’s childhood trips to Dublin clear sense of setting

Indicative material from the marking scheme:

•

(iii) Identify four features of the language of narration, evident in the above text, and discuss how effectively these features are employed by John Banville to tell the story of his childhood trips to Dublin. Support your response with reference to the text.

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Sample answer

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identifying Banville uses features of narrative such as characterisation, aesthetic a feature of language, setting and a clear sense of plot in order to effectively tell the the genre story of his trips to Dublin as a child.

asserting that the feature is effectively Good narratives generally rely on good characterisation. Banville effectively used – this needs to be employs this technique in order to share his memories of his childhood. proved He develops an interesting and engaging character of himself at a young

age. There is an innocence and quaintness about a child excited to travel identifying identifying the use of the to Dublin to see the Christmas lights. This aspect of the character cleverly characterisation character enables us to engage with the character, as we all can remember innocent effective use of and exciting moments from our childhood. The young Banville is a great characterisation and careful observer, which also enables us to engage with the character. We cannot help but be drawn to the child whose head is fuzzy with excitement as they describe the thrilling journey as if it was an adventure on the Orient Express. The skill that he employs to craft this character

developing the author’s use of characterisation developing on the effective use of characterisation

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Speech, Memoir and Opinion in Comprehending Question A

captures and engages the attention of the reader, making this an enjoyable conclusion accentuates effective use of feature, as it makes the story engaging, enjoyable and provocative asserting that it is effectively used

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identifying a feature Many narratives are effectively told with the use of aesthetic language. of the Banville skilfully weaves rich artistic language throughout this piece of genre work. His alliterative phrasing, where ‘people from the provinces’ travel going on to the capital, add to the musical quality of his expression. Steam trains to show where the ‘chug’ onomatopoeically through the countryside, while the author’s own aesthetic language shadow ‘menacingly’ casts a personified shadow on the train window. is used Metaphorically, Dublin was a magical place where his ‘starved young soul effectively endlessly yearned’. The sibilant ‘s’ sound, combined with the personification

and thought-provoking memoir.

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of the soul that is looking to be fed, adds to the effective aesthetic use

of language, which elevates this piece into a thoughtful and memorable highlighting aspects of aesthetic language and showing how they are effectively used

narrative.

In the opening line, we are told that Dublin is alluring, and that Wexford was

a small town. Already we are being provided with a sense of setting, which is an integral aspect of all good narratives. This is effectively developed with

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a sense of time, as he tells us that they leave in the ‘wintery darkness’ of an early morning. The trains still used steam, and a trip to Dublin was like some

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exotic adventure akin to a trip on the Orient Express. The winter feel of the setting is accentuated through the ‘frost-white-fields’, a skilful juxtaposition to the ‘grey and graceless’ Dublin. These well-chosen adjectives help

The writer develops a clear sense of plot, which is an important element

once again a clear feature of the language of narration is identified

develop the overall sense of setting and time.

whole paragraph is designed to show how a setting is established

of good narrative language. This is effectively displayed in the opening

paragraph, where we are told how country people ‘flocked’ to the capital to do their Christmas shopping. This became a birthday treat, and we are clearly informed what the extract is about. He looks forward to an outing that he then shares with us. We are drawn into this story by this foreshadowing of events that are to take place. The simple story of a trip to Dublin is told in an adventurous manner, with a clear structure and linear plot, which helps engage the reader.

developed how the feature effectively adds to the narrative

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Edco English Paper 1 - Leaving Certificate Higher Level

Newspaper/visual, opinion Example 1: 2017, Text 1

'The Medium is the Message – The Power of Public Poetry' by Marta Bausells

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This text is based on two images that incorporate work by the poet Robert Montgomery, and 'The Medium is the Message – The Power of Public Poetry', an edited article from The Guardian newspaper, written by Marta Bausells. The images are from the website robertmontgomery.org.

TEXT 1 – THE WORLD OF POETRY

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Read the text carefully.

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He has been called a vandal, a street artist, a punk artist. Scottish poet Robert Montgomery has consciously made an 'awkward space' for himself in between artistic categories – and he thoroughly enjoys it. His work puts poetry in front of people in eye-catching visual formats, from advertising billboards he has covered with poems, to words he has set on fire or lit with recycled sunlight in public spaces. The texts tend to be lyrical, dreamy and almost optimistic. 'I feel it’s a kind of responsibility to critique things that you think are bad – but I also feel an almost moral obligation to propagate hope,' he says.

A new global crisis has propelled him to focus his work on climate change. 'I think the ecological crisis we are facing is the major historical crisis of our time and our generation will be judged on it.' By putting poetry in our faces, Montgomery hopes to bring it into the public discourse. 'I’m interested in Roland Barthes’s idea that speech defines a culture. Poetry can define the dominant languages we have in culture.'

Montgomery approves of another kind of page leaping phenomenon: the proliferation of new 'Instagram poets' who also mix the written word with careful visual presentations. 'The internet is a wonderful medium for poetry,' he says. He celebrates the fact that poets can garner audiences that 'bring their work alive' before they get a chance to get published.

His work seems to have developed into the realm of inspirational quotes for fans, with his poems popping up on selfies, clothes, walls and bodies. 'Getting institutional recognition is great, but someone getting tattooed is such a personal compliment. After all, the goal of art, for me, is to communicate our innermost feelings to strangers.' Montgomery’s work on London billboards has, on occasion, provoked run-ins with the law. He was put into the back of a police van after he pasted his poem for William Blake on a billboard in Bethnal Green. 'But I got into a conversation about literature and one of the police officers was really engaged with it. I guess it was a lucky experience. I think most people wouldn’t be averse to having a poem at the end of the street instead of another Diet Coke ad.'

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chapter five

Speech, Memoir and Opinion in Comprehending Question A

(i) Based on your reading of Text 1 (images and written text), what do you learn about Robert Montgomery’s approach to poetry? Support your answer with reference to Text 1. (15)

For a 15-mark question as straightforward as this, try to provide three points in developed paragraphs.

•

Everything you say will relate in some way to his unconventional and somewhat innovative approach.

•

Make sure you refer to both the text and the images. Equal treatment is not necessary, but both must feature.

Points you could consider

Unusual, original, innovative, unconventional, principled, moral approach

Uses eye-catching visual formats, e.g. billboards, recycled sunlight display Texts tend to be lyrical, dreamy, optimistic, provocative

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• • • • •

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•

Note

Deals with contemporary issues, e.g. climate change, conflict Supports the internet as a medium for poetry

(ii) Robert Montgomery believes that poetry can be of benefit to society. In your opinion, have you benefitted from engaging with poetry during your time at school? Give reasons for your answer.

The question asks for reasons, so you should provide at least two reasons. This question allows you to explore and provide your own opinion outside of the text. A really good answer will still use the text as inspiration or reference.

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• •

Note

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(iii) Compare the two images featuring Robert Montgomery’s work that appear on Page 2. You should address the following in the course of your answer: setting and atmosphere, the poems, the visual impact of the images. Support your answer with reference to both images. (20)

You should compare the two images featuring Robert Montgomery’s work and you should address the following, although not necessarily equally:

•

Note

setting and atmosphere poems

visual impact of the images.

• • •

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Points you could consider Setting: deserted and coastal; crowded and urban Atmosphere: dreamy, misty, tranquil/purposeful, eerie/lively, imposing buildings/ leisurely promenade Poems: evocative, emotive/reflective, stark, thought-provoking, inspirational, powerful, philosophical

•

Visual impact: colour/black and white, light/shade, appealing/striking, conventional/ unconventional

Example 2: 2018, Text 1 Exercise: Exam Practice

Example 2: 2018, Text 1 TEXT 1 – ADVICE TO YOUNG WRITERS

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Read the text carefully. Answer the three questions above, using the pointers given.

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•

• •

Award-winning writer, Colum McCann, teaches creative writing in Hunter College, New York. This text is based on edited extracts from Colum McCann’s book, Letters to a Young Writer.

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Why do we tell stories? Why do we need to lean across the table, or the fireside, or the fabulously intertwined wires of the Internet and whisper 'Listen'? We do it because we’re sick of reality and we need to create what isn’t yet there. Literature proposes possibilities and then makes truth of them. Literature can be a stay, or a foothold against despair. Of course it’s not enough, but it’s all we’ve got.

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A first line should open up your rib cage. It should reach in and twist your heart backward. It should suggest that the world will never be the same again. Guide your reader into your story. Your duty is to make the reader see and hear. With the right word, you will find the balance of imaginative richness and form. You have to drag the moment reluctantly from silence. As a writer, you are alive to every sentence. Your imagination is creating a reality. It is as if you are unpeeling time.

One of the great joys of fiction writing is discovering who your character truly is. There is little better than creating someone from the dust of your imagination. Your characters must be intricate, complicated, flawed. They need to step up and bear the weight of reality. They need to be a heart-breaking mess of flesh and bone.

For the purposes of good storytelling you must know your character in the most exact detail. The story will be nothing if the character is not part of a great human stew. We have to make them so utterly real that the reader can never forget them. Writing a character into being is like meeting someone you want to fall in love with. You don’t care (yet) about the facts of his or her life. Don’t overload us with too much information. Allow that to seep out later. We are attracted by a moment in time – a singular moment of flux or change or collapse – not by grand résumés or curricula vitae. So don’t generalise. Be specific. Carry a notebook. Write in it when you get a chance. Images, ideas, snatches of street dialogue, addresses, descriptions, whatever might eventually make its way into a sentence.

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Our stories rely on the human instinct for architecture. Structure is, essentially, a container for content. The shape into which your story gets placed is a house slowly built from the foundation up. Stories are agile things. They’re elusive. So the containers they go into should be pliable. You should have a grand vision, of course, an eventual end-point, but you must be prepared to swerve, chop and change direction at the same time. The best journeys are those where we don’t exactly know what road we will take: we have a destination in mind, but the manner of getting there should be open to flux. So, write and rearrange, write and rearrange, write and rearrange, and eventually you will begin to see the structure emerge.

Be a camera. Make us feel as if we are there. Colours, sounds, sights. Bring us to the pulse of the moment. See the whole landscape at first, then focus in on a detail, and bring that detail to life. There is no harm in trying all angles. Try first person, second person, third person. Try from the viewpoint of your main character, then try it from the perspective of the outsider. Sometimes the outsider is the one who makes absolute sense. Eventually – if you persevere – you will hear the right voice, and you will see the right form, and you will uncover the right structure, and it will unfold from there.

chapter five

Speech, Memoir and Opinion in Comprehending Question A

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Plot takes the backseat in a good story because what happens is never as interesting as how it happens. And how it happens occurs in the way language captures it and the way our imaginations transfer that language into action. Listen for the quiet line. Anyone can tell a big story but not everyone can whisper something beautiful in your ear. In the end, what plot must do is twist our hearts in some way. It must change us. It must make us realise that we are alive. One thing leads to the next. And the issues of the human heart unfold in front of us. Such, then, is plot. Anything can happen, even nothing at all. And even if nothing happens, the world still changes, second by second, word by word. Perhaps this is the most astounding plot of all.

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In the end it is only the well-chosen word that is capable of dealing with truth. Only that language which is capable of reaching the poetic will be able to stand in opposition to that which is wrong. In other words, nothing short of your best work will do. Language is a great weapon. You do owe allegiance to that elusive notion of truth. You should write so as not to fall silent.

Exercise: Exam practice Answer part (i) (below).

Swap your work with a partner. Assess their work and award it a mark out of 15. Compare marks.

With your partner, discuss your rationale behind the marks awarded and try to come to a consensus.

(i) Based on your reading of Text 1 above, what skills or qualities do you think a young writer would need in order to follow the advice offered by Colum McCann? Refer to three skills or qualities in your answer, supporting your response with reference to the text. (15)

Note

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While this is a reasonably straightforward question that suited a simple structure of point, explanation and reference, you must ensure that you engage with the exact wording of the question.

•

A simple, yet costly, mistake would be to focus on the qualities and features needed to be a good writer rather than the qualities needed to follow McCann’s advice on how to be a good writer.

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• •

You should select three skills, three qualities or a combination of skills or qualities. Answers should be supported with reference to the text.

Points you could consider Observational skills, imagination, passion, compassion, integrity, creativity

Sample answer Three skills or qualities needed to follow the advice of McCann are observational skills, dedication and the ability to create characters.

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Writing skills: drafting, editing, structuring, characterisation

Perseverance, patience, dedication, imagination, flexibility

• • •

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McCann provides advice that presupposes the writer has observational skills. There is no point in telling someone to carry a notebook and catalogue ‘images, ideas, snatches of street dialogue . . .’ if the writer lacks the observational skills to do this successfully. Not everybody is continually aware of the world around them. It takes a special skill to be a writer. McCann advises us to promote this skill by annotating our world. Those with observational skills will be best able to follow this advice.

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McCann describes the process of writing as a full-time vocation. He feels you need to fully immerse yourself in the world of your characters in order to develop engaging plots. This would suggest that in order to follow his advice you need to be dedicated to the process. Someone without this dedication will not be ‘alive to every sentence’ and they will not use their imagination to create a new reality. Without dedication it is unlikely someone will have the diligence to try all angles, try different structures and ‘chop and change direction’.

McCann obviously believes that the main foundation to any good story is the writer’s ability to create engaging and believable characters. A large portion of the text is dedicated to the creation of characters. In order to follow this advice, the young writer must be able to ‘know your character’. To follow his advice, they must be able to make them so ‘utterly real that the reader can never forget them’. The young writer needs to be able to craft a character that is ‘intricate, complicated, flawed’. To do this they need to be a good observer of people in general.

Exercise: Exam Practice Answer part (ii) (below).

Swap your work with a partner. Assess their work and award it a mark out of 15. Compare marks.

With your partner, discuss your rationale behind the marks awarded and try to come to a consensus.

(ii) Colum McCann tells us that sometimes in writing, 'The issues of the human heart unfold in front of us.' From the texts you have studied for your Leaving Certificate course, identify a moment in a text where you feel an issue of the human heart unfolded in front of you. Explain in detail what this moment revealed to you about the human heart.

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This is an interesting question, as the candidate is asked to use information that is traditionally associated with Paper 2.

•

The text is about characterisation and the manner in which plots affect characters and then reveal issues of the human heart. If you can relate this to something you have prepared for Paper 2, then you will earn the marks.

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Note

Sample answer

From the context of the text, McCann tells us that the twisting of a plot reveals the unfolding of the heart. Characters are what makes this moment engaging. In Macbeth, issues of the human heart are clearly unfolded during the banquet scene.

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Once Macbeth has learned to deal with the death of Duncan, he believes he is capable of committing horrendous crimes without any real worry of the consequences. This is proven to be incorrect in this scene. He has coldly planned the murder of his friend and comrade Banquo and Banquo’s son, Fleance. He eagerly questions the murderers about the event and is delighted to hear that the blood on the man’s face is Banquo’s. This suggests he is cruel and merciless.

Exercise: Exam Practice

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Soon, however, we learn that Macbeth’s conscience will not stay quiet. He hallucinates and creates a scene in front of all the assembled Thanes of Scotland. His heart rebels at the cruel deed he has committed. The ghostly spectre of Banquo destroys his social and political credibility. This is the moment when the issue of the human heart is revealed. What is revealed is that even a man as bloodthirsty and cruel as Macbeth can suffer from remorse and conscience.

Answer part (iii) (below).

Swap your work with a partner. Assess their work and award it a mark out of 20. Compare marks.

With your partner, discuss your rationale behind the marks awarded and try to come to a consensus.

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(iii) Based on your reading of Text 1, do you find Colum McCann’s approach to advising young writers appealing or unappealing? Discuss the elements of Colum McCann’s writing style that make his approach to advising young writers appealing or unappealing. Support your answer with reference to the text. (20)

Note

•

This is a language question, so you are expected to identify features of the language and style used, which you can then show to be appealing or unappealing.

Points you could consider

• •

His conversational, passionate, reflective tone appeals An inclusive, respectful approach both empowers and encourages young writers

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Writes with penetrating clarity, adding to his accessibility His pithy and instructive approach makes the writing lively and compelling An engaging combination of practical advice, ideas and opinions Skilled use of language and vivid imagery adds readability and appeal Use of an active imperative voice inspires action

• • • • •

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Sample answer

Yes, I believe McCann’s approach to advising young writers is appealing.

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The young writer is immediately engaged by his use of language. Hyperbole describing how a story can be a ‘foothold against despair’ was inspiring. It made me think about why I read stories. He continues in this hyperbolic manner when he tells us that the opening line should open your rib cage and ‘twist your heart backward’. This is a provocative metaphor, which is appealing, as I felt myself being forced to engage with the image rather than passively accepting a more mundane image. McCann’s strong authoritative voice is appealing. His advice takes on the form of a command. He tells us with a strong imperative voice that, ‘Your characters must be . . .’, ‘The story will be . . .’ and ‘Don’t overload us . . . ’. I found myself absorbed by his advice. He presents himself as such an authority on the subject that any young writer would be compelled to follow all his advice. This strong, authoritative voice was both convincing and attractive.

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There was a practicality about his advice that was also appealing. Despite the strong imperatives, he manages to make the process seem accessible. Simple advice such as carrying a notebook and tuning in to the world around you seems both possible and maybe enjoyable as you become aware of your environment. He suggests we are allowed to make mistakes as long as we explore all angles and perspectives. The inclusivity of his advice has a mass appeal, which accentuates the overall appeal of the extract.

McCann’s style of writing is pleasant and appealing. Phrases such as, ‘Bring us to the pulse of the moment’, is aesthetically pleasing. Personifying the abstract moment as some type of heartbeat is sensually evocative. I can practically see and feel the moment. He describes structure as ‘a container for content’. The metaphor is accentuated through the alliterative ‘c’s, which adds to the musical and rhythmic quality of his prose. Overall, the young writer is both engaged by the content of the piece and the beautiful manner in which it is presented.

Key Point: What you have learned You are now equipped to take on any Comprehending Question A that you may meet in the exam.

•

You are comfortable discussing genre, register and task. This is something that you will carry with you throughout the Leaving Cert English course.

• •

You have learned how to create compelling and structured paragraphs.

•

You have learned to stay focused and targeted throughout your discussions, which means you will be able to respond to the tasks in Comprehending Question A in a pointed, sustained and coherent manner.

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Speech, Memoir and Opinion in Comprehending Question A

Remember! Read the text carefully: underline and annotate clearly Read the questions carefully: identify nuances to the question Understand the task and show appreciation of task

Use relevant, succinct references and quotations Be aware of the assessment criteria

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Structure your responses

Engage explicitly with questions: identify language genres and techniques

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• • • • • • •

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Checklist

Can you still identify the various genres?

Can you still identify the language used?

Can you still identify the features of the genre?

4. Can you still talk about features of the language? Can you still talk about the effectiveness of these features?

6. Can you use this information to craft compelling and coherent responses to the

exam questions?

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Introduction to

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Comprehending Question B

Learning intentions

In this chapter you will understand and engage with:

• • • •

an appropriate language register for your writing the audience for your writing a targeted approach to Comprehending Question B using conventional formats and features of the following writing tasks:

• •

letters speeches

• •

debates

•

reports.

diary entries

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Language genres and register ‘Register’ refers to a language that is appropriate to a specific: situation audience

purpose subject.

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• • • •

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You learned about the five language genres in Chapter 2. You are confident that you can identify and comment on the various features of these language genres. Now you must use this knowledge to write in an appropriate language register when responding to the various types of writing task in Comprehending Question

Key Point: Audience, Purpose, Register the audience for whom you are writing

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the purpose of your communication the appropriate language register.

• • •

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When writing you must always keep in mind:

Exercise: Exam practice 2.

List the features associated with each of the five language genres. In small groups:

What are the five language genres?

Make a list of features that you would use to try to convince an audience of a certain point of view.

Number the features in terms of how effective they are, with Number 1 being the most effective.

Discuss why you think Number 1 and Number 2 are effective.

Nominate one member of the group to present your ideas to the class.

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For more information on genre, see Chapter 2, page 8.

‘Genre’ also refers to the different types of texts and styles that you may be asked to use or engage with.

•

An understanding of genre needs to go beyond your understanding of the five language genres.

•

You must be able to show awareness of the main genres (language genres, popular literary texts, genre forms) in Comprehending Question A, Comprehending Question B and Section 2, Composing.

Targeted Approach to Comprehending Question B

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Remember!

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Comprehending Question B tends to be quite specific in terms of the task that you are asked to engage with. Tip: Try to take on a task that you know something about.

Key Point: Be Genuine

The more genuine your response seems, the higher your grade will be. If you are asked to write an article, your response should read like an article; if you are asked to write a letter, your response should read like a letter, etc. It is important to follow the correct format (see section on ‘Formats’ below), but ultimately, how your response reads is the key to success.

•

A good appreciation of task and audience with an appropriate language register will help you to create a genuine response.

•

If you are asked to write an article for a travel magazine and you have never read a travel magazine it will be very difficult to write a believable article, as you may not be aware of the features of the genre. You may be tempted to answer this question if you like travelling, but that does not mean you will write a good travel article.

•

Play to your own strengths. There are many different types of task that could be asked. Choose the one that suits you the best.

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Try to be believable. Remember: making the right choices enables you to write successfully.

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The keys to success are:

• • •

Complete all aspects of the task in a genuine and believable manner.

Demonstrate a good awareness of the audience. Register the correct language genre.

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You may be asked to write a task that has a very conventional or traditional format. In this case, you are expected to know how to lay out the work correctly. For example, if you are asked to write a formal style letter, you should present it as a formal style letter. Be aware, however, that it is more important to ensure that it reads like a formal letter in terms of its genre features and language register than it looks like a formal letter.

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For example, you may lose a mark or two if you fail to put the addresses in the correct positions, but you will lose substantial marks from P (Clarity of Purpose) if the letter fails to read like a formal letter. Once again, it is clear ‘task’ is the important factor.

Format

It is a good idea to know some of the standard conventions. At the very least, it will signify to your examiner that you are a serious student.

•

It would be a shame to lose even one mark because you do not know a few very simple conventions.

•

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Remember!

The loss of 1 mark from P (Clarity of Purpose) has the knock-on effect of both C (Coherence of Delivery) and L (Language) losing a mark, as the P mark sets the standard, and the C and L marks can never be higher than the mark awarded for P. Conventional formats are found in tasks such as: letters debates reports.

A letter may be informal (e.g. to a friend or family member), formal or an open letter. It is expected that you will know how to lay out a letter both informally and formally.

One of the biggest errors that students make is to assume that they have completed the answer because they have formatted it properly. This is only a start: your letter should have plenty of content and it should read like a letter in terms of its content and language register. The manner in which the task or question is asked will determine the amount of content needed.

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diary entries

Letters • • •

speeches

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• • • • •

Follow the question and do what it asks.

•

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Informal letter This is your address. Note and memorise the punctuation. 5 James St.,

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Co. Dublin.

Baldoyle,

Follow the format for the date. 20th June 2022

‘Hi’ is an informal greeting. Hi Jane,

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Language is deliberately informal. The introduction highlights the reason for writing the letter. How are you doing? Hope all is well. Hi to the family. Listen, just writing to invite you to a party I am having next Friday. The wording of the question or task will determine your content. Make sure you start a new paragraph for each new point. Language should acknowledge the fact you are talking to someone you know.

Hope you can make it. Let me know! Don’t be a stranger. Remember you have something called Snapchat – maybe you should learn how to use it. See you Friday,

Tom

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Sign your forename.

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As this is an informal letter, you may sign off any way you like.

Note While it is easy to say an informal letter is to a friend or someone we know, it is important to remember that the purpose of the letter is the real determining factor behind the layout. For example, if you were writing to your bank manager looking for a loan, you would not write an informal letter, even if the bank manager was your sister or best friend.

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Formal letter

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Sometimes you will be asked to write a formal letter. Once again, note the manner in which the letter begins. Your introduction will always state the reason why you are writing the letter. Make sure that you adopt the appropriate register: the language should be formal, concise and clear.

Your address

5 James St.,

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Baldoyle,

Co. Dublin.

Follow the format for the date.

Address of the person you are writing to Secretary,

Dept. of the Environment, 10–14 O’Connell St.,

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Dear Sir/Madam,

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Dublin.

20th June 2022

Language is deliberately formal. The introduction highlights the reason for writing the letter.

I am writing to you on behalf of our senior students in St John’s Secondary School, Dublin, who are becoming more and more concerned with the state of the environment. I wish to enquire about setting up a recycling scheme in our school.

Once again, the wording of the question or task will determine your content. Make sure you start a new paragraph for each new point. Language should be of a formal nature.

Because you do not know the name of the person that you are writing to you will sign off with ‘Yours faithfully’. If you do know the name of the person you are writing to, you should sign off with ‘Yours sincerely’.

I look forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience. Thank you for taking the time to deal with my request. Yours faithfully, Print your name, draw a line over the top and then sign on the line.

Tom Smyth Tom Smyth

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Exercise Write and lay out a formal letter.

Write and lay out an informal letter.

Compare your letters with the templates provided above. Mark each one out of 10. Deduct one mark for every error you have made.

An open letter has the same basic internal structure as a letter. The introduction will state the reason for writing. There are no addresses needed.

You can open the letter with ‘Dear sir/madam’ or ‘To whom it may concern’.

The main difference between a letter and an open letter is the audience. In this case, the audience is everyone who is reading the letter. Where the letter is published will impact the sense of audience. For example, the audience of a national paper would be a lot broader than the audience of a travel magazine.

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• • • • •

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Open letter

Do you think that any of the identified audiences are incorrect? If so, why?

Speech

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• Exercise • •Disgusted with the increasing levels of litter in your local park, you have decided to write an open letter to your local newspaper outlining your concerns. • a. Write down who you think the audience is. • b. In small groups, share your answers. • c. Have you identified different audiences? • d. Share your responses with the class. • e. Is there a general agreement on the audience? •

In Comprehending Question B you may be asked to write a talk or a speech. Speeches are designed to change people’s opinions or provide information.

• • • •

Effective techniques to use when writing a speech are covered in Chapter 8, Focusing on Composing.

In order to change beliefs, information is not enough; you must be persuasive. You must adapt the language register to one that is appropriate to the audience. Your language while addressing your classmates will be very different to when you are addressing the local community.

•

Content is important. No matter how eloquent you are, an audience will not be impressed without hard factual content.

•

Don’t dwell on minor points; a few well-developed major points are much better than a list of minor points.

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Be organised. Order your points. Support them with reports, facts, statistics, quotes, surveys, articles, etc. If you don’t have any, make them up.

• •

If you do make information up, make sure it is believable and realistic.

Conventions

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Make sure your language shows competence, understanding and confidence in the subject. Include jargon and buzzwords, but do not overdo it. You must assume your audience will not understand a language that is too technical.

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Introduction to Comprehending Question B

Open with a formal address to the audience such as, Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to welcome you here this evening while I . . .

•

Define the purpose of your speech in the introduction. If you are welcoming a guest, make sure you provide some biographical information about your guest.

•

Refrain from inserting directions such as, ‘pause for applause’. It can come across as trite and won’t earn you any marks.

• •

Do not list your points; discuss them.

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•

Conclude by thanking your audience for their attention.

Exercise

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You are making a speech to a group of students about climate change, and you are trying to convince them to use less energy in their daily lives. What types of language technique could you use?

Write the first paragraph of the speech.

Work in small groups. Each person reads their paragraph to the group. Identify a feature that another student used in their speech, which you did not use. Ask the student why they chose to use this technique.

Did you find the technique effective or not effective? Explain why.

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Debate

A debate is an attempt to argue a motion with the intention of changing or manipulating the audience’s point of view.

•

Remember who your target is. Try to use the appropriate language register. Your language when addressing your class will be different than if you were in a national debating competition. You try to pitch your language to those in attendance.

•

You must hold people’s attention. Try to be interesting. Use fact and figures, even if you have to make them up, to hold people’s attention.

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A debate should always begin with a formal introduction, such as Chairperson, ladies and gentlemen, fellow debaters, I would like to welcome you here today as I propose/oppose the motion . . .

•

Use the term propose when arguing in favour of a motion and oppose when arguing against a motion.

• • • •

The argument is always referred to as the motion.

•

You should always try to refute (counter and disprove) and rebut (contradict) the other team’s possible ideas. A debate is usually two-sided, so there should be an attempt to predict what an opponent’s arguments might be and to provide counter-arguments.

•

The person arguing in favour of the motion can be referred to as ‘the government’.

Clearly define the topic that you are speaking about in your introduction. Each paragraph should be a point, using argument and or persuasion.

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When ending a debate, state that the motion should stand or fall, depending on whether you are proposing or opposing.

Exercise

Why, do you think, is it important to follow the correct conventions when preparing for a debate?

Break into groups of four.

Write out a motion for a debate about facilities for young people in your community.

Examine the motion.

Are there two sides to the argument?

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What side would you like to argue?

Do you think it makes a difference which side you are arguing? If so, why?

Diary

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• • •

A diary is a record of experiences, impressions, feelings, judgements and emotions. The language register should be informal, chatty, colloquial and factual. Vocabulary should be emotive and observant.

• •

Conventions

• •

If you attempt this question, make sure it reads like a diary.

A diary is a monologue; you are talking to someone who does not talk back.

Exercise 1.

Why, do you think, would someone write a diary?

How would you recognise a diary entry?

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Conventions You should always begin with ‘Dear diary’. Each entry should be dated. You may say things like, ‘Dear diary, I am so happy to have someone I can talk to, sorry for moaning, but I must get this off my chest, it’s great to be able to talk to you after such a long, tedious day’.

Sign off each entry.

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• • • •

Journal entry

If you are asked to write a journal entry your approach should be the same as a diary entry.

• • •

The difference between a diary and a journal is the audience.

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A diary is a personal monologue, while a journal is designed to be read by others.

Similar to the open letter, it is your responsibility to identify the audience and then ensure your approach and language register is appropriate for the audience.

Blog

• •

A blog is a form of online journal.

•

While a blog is designed for a more general audience, it shares many of the features of a diary.

•

The language register is chatty and informal.

•

The writer is addressing an audience while expressing their views and opinions.

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It is a website that is regularly updated by the host.

Exercise

In pairs, go on the internet and find a blog entry that you find interesting.

Identify the main features of the blog.

Present the blog to the class, using a data projector, for example.

One member of the pair should highlight the main features that you identified to the class.

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Report A report is an account of a problem or a situation. A report demands accurate and concise writing. It must be factual and clear. An effective report will take into consideration the type of information being expressed and the audience who will be reading it. The purpose of the report and the language will have a bearing on the language register. Mostly, the language will be formal and impersonal, but you can temper this when writing for an audience such as a school body.

• •

Reports are usually written to help people to make decisions and policies.

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• • •

A report must inform the interested parties, arrive at conclusions and make recommendations.

Conventions

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Generally, reports are divided into four sections.

1. Introduction

This is where the purpose of the report is outlined. It should contain an introduction to the facts or a description of the problem.

2. Information

3. Conclusion

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This section includes facts and statistics, as well as eye-witnesses statements and first-hand accounts or opinions.

This is a summation of the main points and will include a degree of analysis.

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4. Recommendations

This section includes suggestions for possible solutions of future problems. Recommendations must be realistic and attainable.

The language of a report should be unbiased. Conclusions and recommendations should be based on findings, and not on personal preferences.

Exercise

Identify three different reports that someone your age may be asked to write in a school context.

Who is the audience for each report?

What is the main purpose of each report?

Working in small groups:

choose one report

discuss whether or not you think this report could be effective.

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Remember!

•

Choose the right question. Try to choose something you have some knowledge about and, if possible, use your own experiences.

• •

Concentrate on task, audience and language register.

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Use formal conventions if the task requires them.

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Checklist

Do you understand what is meant by language register?

Can you identify an appropriate language register to be used in a specific situation?

Can you use your understanding of the various language genres to help identify an

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appropriate language register?

4. Can you identify the different audiences that are implied by the various writing 5.

tasks that you could be asked to execute?

Can you think of techniques that you could use to clearly accentuate a sense of task?

6. Do you recognise the importance of task, audience and register? 7.

Do you understand why you should always choose a question that you know

something about?

8. Do you understand what is meant by ‘playing to your strengths’ in terms of choosing your Comprehending Question B?

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Comprehending

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Learning intentions

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Question B: Examples

In this chapter you will use exam examples to improve your responses.

Exam questions with sample answers and directions Example 1: 2019, Text 1 (Journalistic opinion piece – persuasion, personal writing and argument)

Example 2: 2019, Text 2 (Journal entry – reflective personal writing )

Example 3: 2017, Text 3 (Radio broadcast – talk, reflection and personal writing)

• • • • • • • • •

Example 4: 2008, Text 3 (Website article – opinion piece) Example 5: 2020, Text 3 (Speech – persuasion and argument)

Example 6: 2014, Text 3 (Formal letter – persuasion and information) Example 7: 2010, Text 1 (Interview – narrative and information) Example 8: 2020, Text 2 (Introduction to book – personal writing, persuasion and opinion) Example 9: 2011, Text 1 (Magazine article – travel writing, information and opinion)

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Comprehending Question B: Examples

Some of the questions that come up in Comprehending Question B have been quite pointed. It can be easy to miss an aspect of these questions, as there are often layers and nuances that need to be acknowledged. They can appear a bit like a list of instructions.

•

If you plan your response, you can ensure that you cover all the ‘instructions’ and engage with all aspects of the task.

•

As always, a sustained response to the task is of utmost importance.

You must engage with the task in every paragraph.

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Example 1: 2019, Text 1

Key Point: Sustained response

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Exam examples

Journalistic opinion piece – persuasion, personal writing and argument

QUESTION B

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In Text 1, Jeanette Winterson extols the virtues of the arts, arguing that artistic activities are beneficial both for individuals and for society in general. She also gives her views on the relationship between art and money. Write an opinion piece, suitable for publication in a broadsheet newspaper, in which you extol the varied virtues of sport, put forward a reasoned argument to persuade readers that sport benefits both individuals and society, and give your views on the appropriate relationship between sport and money.

1: Show a clear appreciation of the task This has become even more relevant in recent years, as the tasks have become more pointed. Make it clear that you are writing for a broadsheet newspaper. Be aware that this is an example of personal writing; you are presenting your opinion, so you should use a similar style to a personal essay.

• •

•

Argument and logic should be registered as a feature, as you are asked for a ‘reasoned argument’.

2: Adopt an appropriate language register

•

You need to adapt a register suitable for publication in a broadsheet newspaper.

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3. Demonstrate a good sense of audience

• •

You need to extol (praise) the varied virtues of sport.

•

You need to provide your views on the appropriate relationship between sport and money.

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You need to put forward a reasoned argument to persuade readers that sport benefits both individuals and society.

4: Cover all aspects and nuances of the question

There are three clear nuances to the question, so it makes sense that each one is dealt with in their own paragraph. Plan your response.

•

Introduction: acknowledge all aspects of the question, task, genre and audience

Paragraph 1: extol the virtues of sport, e.g. health, wellbeing, community

Paragraph 2: reasoned argument to persuade readers that sport benefits both individuals and society, e.g. individual and obesity, diabetes, heart problems, national cost of success

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• • •

Paragraph 3: relationship between sport and money – what you think is an appropriate relationship, e.g. GAA amateur, rugby professional, Premier League soccer and obscene salaries

Assessment criteria

You need to show an understanding of genre and register: express an opinion/put forward a point of view in a register suitable for a national readership. Your response needs to be relevant and should focus on all aspects of the question, i.e. extol the varied virtues of sport, put forward a reasoned argument to persuade readers that sport benefits both individuals and society, and give a view or views on the appropriate relationship between sport and money. You also need to display a degree of freshness and originality.

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This 50-mark question is broken down as follows:

Sustained focus (you engage with the task in every paragraph), continued control of register, management and sequencing of ideas, etc.

Language should be in keeping with what you would expect to see in a broadsheet paper. Language should be managed and controlled to achieve clear communication, quality of expression, style, fluency, etc. Language should be appropriately punctuated.

M: Accuracy of mechanics. Spelling and grammar should be correct.

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Continuing with our theme of sport and our national identity, today I will be looking at the virtues of sport, its benefits and the relationship between sport and money. In yesterday’s edition,

Opinion is backed up with observation and anecdote.

readers. Today I will be examining the issue from a personal and individual point of view.

all of us. Sport has an undeniably positive impact on our health,

wellbeing and our communities. If we ever had any doubts about

this, all we have to do is look at the recent effects of the Covid-19

pandemic. Crime is on the rise among young people. This paper, it seems, is reporting one gruesome stabbing after another. It is our

Displaying clear opinion, in The Journal, that there is a direct link between antisocial awareness of genre.

behaviours and the inability of people to vent their emotions and express themselves through sport. There has been a collapse in

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community spirit and our general sense of wellbeing. People’s health is suffering due to lack of exercise. When involved in sport,

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and are more constructive members of the community. You, the reader, must realise that your health will improve if you actively participate in sport. The Sport Science research department

Good acknowledgment of the audience.

as players or spectators, people are happier, more satisfied in life

You are persuading the individual that sport is a benefit.

Displaying clear awareness of genre. Language implies a broadsheet feel to the observation.

Clear sense of task, as the virtues of sport are extolled.

Stating your opinion in an absolute and authoritative manner. Use of collective pronoun makes the article inclusive and acknowledges audience. You are extolling the virtue of sport.

It is impossible to deny the many benefits that sport brings to

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The phrase ‘undeniable’ adds strength to the praise of sport.

status of the GAA seems to have caused quite a stir with our

Establishing the personal aspect of the task.

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prize-winning journalist Martin O’Reilly’s article about the amateur

The phrase ‘prizewinning journalist’ suggests a serious, broadsheet feel to the paper, while ‘readers’ acknowledges the genre and audience.

Sample answer

Acknowledging task and establishing daily aspect of the paper. By providing a serious theme to the article you are suggesting a broadsheet feel to the article.

chapter seven

Comprehending Question B: Examples

in Dublin City University has repeatedly and conclusively provided evidence that sport reduces obesity, diabetes and heart disease. There is no excuse when your health is at risk. ‘I have no time’ is

Science fact used to reason the argument.

not an excuse; get up earlier. ‘My knee is damaged’ is not enough; try a low-impact sport, like swimming. The nation also benefits from sport. International success always improves the mood of the population. There is a cost, however, and this needs to be acknowledged. There is no point wondering why we do not excel in the Olympics without being prepared to invest in the infrastructure needed for success. Invest in the nation’s sporting future and you

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You are persuading the nation that sport is a benefit.

will reap the benefits as a happy spectator. The 1990 Irish World

likely it is that it will be taken over and controlled by business

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Cup success has often been cited as one of the catalysts of a period Reasoned argument is of unprecedented economic growth. backed up with iconic In this reporter’s opinion, our obsession with sport has resulted in Acknowledging both historical task (‘opinion piece’) illustration. one negative aspect. The more popular a sport becomes, the more and genre (‘reporter’).

interests. Professional soccer is a sport that has, in my estimation, been ruined by money. Players, immersed in obscene salaries and

Providing your view on relationship between sport and money.

surreal lifestyles, have lost sight of reality. Money has transformed

Task remains on target, as next aspect of question is introduced.

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rugby into a game of hyperbolic hard hits, with devastating health your observations implications for the professional player. This relationship between

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money and sport is unhealthy. Prize money has led to corruption Your view is backed up and match fixing in sports like snooker and racing. Cheating in the by anecdotal observations form of steroids has practically ruined sports like cycling. Let us all (personal hope that our national games maintain their amateur status and we writing). can continue to enjoy sport for its passion and energy. Good register of genre Don’t forget to buy tomorrow’s edition, where another of my and task. esteemed colleagues, presenting their views on the future of Finishing with the individual sports, will complete the series of articles looking at same theme sport and our national identity. you started with.

Direct engagement with the readers, suggestive of a national audience, which again emphasises the broadsheet aspect to the paper.

Exercise: Exam practice

Based on your experience of second-level education, write an opinion piece suitable for publication in a national newspaper, in which you acknowledge what you see as the strengths of the education you have received, criticise what you see as its weaknesses and make suggestions for its improvement. Break into groups of four and plan your response as a team.

• • • •

Student 1: consider how to provide a sense that this is a national newspaper.

Student 2: look at the strengths. Student 3: criticise the weakness. Student 4: suggest improvements.

Write your individual response, using the plan created by the group.

• •

Compare all four responses. Together, identify the strengths and weaknesses of each response. Are all aspects of the task covered? Provide a mark out of 15 for P.

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• •

Is the response sustained and well-organised? Provide a mark out of 15 for C.

•

Check the spelling and grammar. Provide a mark out of 5 for M.

chapter seven

Comprehending Question B: Examples

Example 2: 2019, Text 2 Journal entry – reflective personal writing

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Look at the photograph and imagine you are fleeing Earth on the last spaceship evacuating the planet after human actions have made our world uninhabitable. Write a reflective journal entry, which you hope will be preserved for future generations. In it you should criticise humanity’s folly which resulted in the loss of our earthly home, share your personal memories of the planet, and celebrate some of Earth’s former glories.

QUESTION B

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Is the language clear and coherent, and is it correctly punctuated? Provide a mark out of 15 for L.

1: Show a clear appreciation of the task You are asked to write a journal entry.

This is more or less the same as a diary entry, although a journal is designed to be read by others while a diary is a little more personal. For this reason, your language, while remaining reflective and intimate, has to be pitched towards a more general audience.

• •

2: Adopt an appropriate language register

You must register a language suitable for a reflective journal entry (aimed at future generations) in the context of an uninhabitable planet.

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3: Demonstrate a good sense of audience You must present your journal as something that will be read by future generations. You must criticise humanity’s folly, which resulted in the loss of our earthly home. You must share personal memories of the planet.

4: Cover all aspects and nuances of the question You should plan your response.

You must celebrate some of Earth’s former glories.

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• • • •

Introduction: register the journal aspect and register the task – hope it will be read by future generations

• • •

Paragraph 1: criticise humanity’s folly – global warming and lack of recycling

•

Paragraph 2: personal memory – trip to beach with parents, cycling in the west of Ireland

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Paragraph 3: former glory – irony of being saved by technology when technology destroyed the world, global community of sport

Assessment criteria

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This 50-mark question is broken down as follows:

You must display an understanding of genre and register, e.g. reflective tone, sense of audience, awareness of context, relevance, focus on all aspects of the question – criticise humanity’s folly which resulted in the loss of our earthly home, share personal memories of the planet, and celebrate some of Earth’s former glories. You also need to display a degree of freshness and originality. In order to do all of this, your entry must be full of pain, regret and guilt, otherwise it will seem disingenuous.

Sustained focus (you engage with the task in every paragraph), continued control of register, management and sequencing of ideas, etc.

Language should be managed and controlled to achieve clear communication, quality of expression, style, fluency, etc. Punctuation should be accurate.

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M: Accuracy of mechanics. Spelling and grammar should be accurate.

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Comprehending Question B: Examples

Sample answer 1/1/0001 Date reflects end of world and beginning of a new era Dear future generations,

Immediately acknowledging an aspect of the task – you are hoping the journal will be read by future generations

Ire la n Good accentuation of writer’s fear and emotion – adds to the reflective aspect of the entry

This is it. Day 1 of a new future. I am terrified as I look to a future that Developing the genuine is unclear and uncertain. As I look through the tiny porthole from the sense of back of Saturn 186, all I can see is the quickly diminishing image of what setting and place was once our home. An image that still seems beautiful, yet we all know

Creating a genuine sense of setting and place

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the destruction that exists on the surface. If you are reading this, we providing have succeeded in finding a new home. Perhaps you may learn from our context mistakes. If not, well this journal has obviously faded to dust like the memory of our home. acknowledging task

Who could believe we would be the authors of our own destruction? For all the brilliance and genius to be found on Earth, collectively we were idiots.

Selfish idiots, who refused to read the signs. Earth got warmer and warmer, and what did we do? We bought a new summer wardrobe and stronger sun factor. Areas of our planet that were once lush rainforests are now arid

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looking to humanity’s folly as the reason for Earth’s destruction

deserts. The flora withered, and this was soon followed by the emaciated

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fauna. Then came the famine. Two-thirds of the world’s population died of hunger. Over four billion people. If we had learned to recycle, reuse

and stop wasting Earth’s resources, we would not have ended up in this situation. If we had cared more for the bees and other pollinators as

reflection much as we did for our smartphones we would not be where we are now. and emotion I am flushed and consumed with anger and guilt as I think about what happened. It was easy to blame world leaders and politicians, but what did

accentuating a sense of human folly emphasising a sense of loss collective pronoun shares a collective responsibility; folly suggested in that the problem was in our hands to solve emphasising human folly

strong personal reflection and guilt in keeping with the genre

assuming global responsibility

I do? Nothing other than sign online petitions on my latest smart device. As I blink through the tears of remorse, my clearest and most poignant memory is going to the beach with my family. Earth’s beaches were beautiful. My home country of Ireland was a great

doing what the task requires – producing a memory of Earth

example of this. As an island we had countless beaches to choose from. Long sandy beaches with magnificent sand dunes were a

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reflection and memory

favourite playground of my youth. As I grew older, the summer days seemed to become hotter. We regularly stayed in Ireland and went cycling along the coastal towns in the west of Ireland. Rather than becoming alert to the

continuing with the theme of human folly as memory is shared

warning signs, we basked in the sunshine. Then the sea became unsafe to

marine life combined with human effluence, which was pumped into our oceans, turned our beaches a dirty brown. I hope that you, the future, will never have to experience the corruption of a world that you love and care for.

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This was followed by extreme levels of water pollution. Rotting

maintain the connection with your audience, otherwise the journal aspect is lost

swim in. It began with the death of marine life due to plastic pollution.

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Technology was one of the world’s crowning glories; it has saved us as we

acknowledging aspect of the task

leave Earth behind on this elaborate spacecraft. Ironically, it also doomed

us. The technological revolution of the early noughties had a dramatic effect on an already fragile environment. It is amazing to think about what we

have achieved. Yet we can never forget what we have lost. Maybe it is more

acknowledging aspect of the task, good sense united in international sports events such as the Olympics or the World Cup. of reflection in keeping with the genre This proved humans’ capability of coming together to achieve excellence. acknowledging Hopefully, you will learn from this, and future generations will work together audience

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significant to think of other glories such as the fact that the world was often

acknowledging task and genre

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to create rather than destroy.

There is no national flag on the side of this ship. It is international in nature. As we came together in folly to destroy

Earth, we then came together to save humanity in our brilliance. It is a

shame that this sense of global community came so late.

My greatest hope is that the future of humanity will learn from our mistakes.

Hopefully this journal will be read and used as a record of our folly and can

be kept as a lesson learned from the past.

Deirdre Murphy, Day 1 of the new world diary and journal entries should always finish with a signature

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Comprehending Question B: Examples

In groups of two, examine the sample answer above. Write out a justification for awarding full marks.

Exam practice: Imagine that you are an American citizen and you have just listened to President Obama’s speech on page 38. You are opposed to the amount of public money committed by the President for space exploration and decide to mount an online campaign against this expenditure. Write a post for your blog in which you give your reasons for opposing the spending of so much public money in this way, and propose how you think these public funds could be better spent.

Example 3: 2017, Text 3 Radio broadcast – talk, reflection and personal writing

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QUESTION B

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Exercise

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You have been asked to participate in a radio programme entitled Reflections on the World of Childhood. Write the text to be broadcast on radio, in which you reflect on the world of your childhood, discuss what captured your childish imagination, and recall a selection of the songs or sounds or stories that live on in your memory.

1: Show a clear appreciation of the task

What makes this question quite straightforward is you can be yourself and you can use real experiences for your talk.

•

This question is asking you to write a speech for the radio. You will need to present reflection and memories.

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•

2: Adopt an appropriate language register Your language will be similar to that used in a personal essay.

You should be reflective, chatty and colloquial.

• •

Your language register must reflect the task.

For more information on language in a personal essay, see Chapter 8, Focusing on Composing.

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3: Demonstrate a good sense of audience You must make it obvious that you are:

• • • •

writing a text to be broadcast on radio reflecting on the world of your childhood

Key Point: Pay attention to phrasing It is important to pay attention to words such as ‘selection’. Mentioning one song, for example, does not constitute a selection.

•

You must engage with the task in every paragraph.

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• •

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recalling a selection of the songs or sounds or memories that live on.

discussing what captured your childish imagination

•

This article is supposed to appear on a radio show. You must try and find ways of registering this. By talking to your listeners and using phrases like ‘tune in’ you will help the text sound like an article that you may hear on a radio show. You are trying to be as genuine as you can.

4: Cover all aspects and nuances of the question

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Introduction: establish radio audience and engage with task, general reflection on childhood Paragraph 1: imagination, toy – Lego

Paragraph 2: song – 'Moves Like Jagger', Maroon 5 Paragraph 3: sound – ice-cream van

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• • • •

Plan out your main points before you begin. Your talk can be nicely organised if you follow a relevant structure.

Assessment criteria

This 50-mark question is broken down as follows: P

You must show an understanding of genre, i.e. text for radio broadcast. You must focus on all aspects of the question – reflection on the world of childhood; discussion of what captured your childish imagination; and recollection of the songs or sounds or stories that live on in your memories. You also need to display a degree of freshness and originality.

Sustained focus (you engage with the task in every paragraph), continued control of register, management and sequencing of ideas, etc.

Language should be managed and controlled to achieve clear communication for a radio audience, quality of expression, style, fluency, etc. Punctuation should be accurate.

M: Accuracy of mechanics. Spelling and grammar should be accurate.

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Comprehending Question B: Examples

Sample answer I would like to begin by wishing you all a good morning and thanking FM

to my reflections on my youth. Everybody has memories of those distant and wonderful days

who have taken the time to tune in to listen

acknowledging task and audience

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Sunshine Radio and all you listeners out there

acknowledging a radio audience

the world of childhood that I experienced.

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pleasure, but today, rather acknowledging selfishly, I would like to use this a radio audience opportunity to reminisce about

of long summers and endless hours of

Varied use of pronouns establishes writer’s voice and authority, and then invites listeners into the discussion with use of ‘everybody’. Colloquial and chatty register, which is appropriate to the task.

acknowledging I am sure all you listeners would agree that childhood is a time audience and of imagination. It is a time when little minds start to explore the task boundaries of their world. I think toys, while useful in keeping little

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clearly minds active and out of trouble, were invented to develop a child’s accentuating imagination. I firmly believe that my interest and desire to become notion of childhood an engineer started with my obsession with Lego. The world of imagination childhood is full of possibilities. I remember thinking, ‘What will I

personal, reflective, intimate tone, in keeping with task and genre

design and build today?’ ‘Ferb, I know what we are going to do today’

is a quote that I will always remember, a sound from my youth that inspired creativity. My rockets and robots, made from Lego, may not

have had the same sophistication as Phineas and Ferb’s extraordinary

clear personal constructions, but to me they were inspirational. reflection on childhood The song ‘Moves Like Jagger’ lives on in my memory. It is a song

talking directly to the audience

that still gets played and only this morning I heard it on this very radio station. I remember asking my dad, ‘Who is Jagger?’, and while watching Maroon 5’s video, I wondered what that strange walk was. This was my introduction to The Rolling Stones. I don’t know about you guys, but I love the old-time rock and rollers. For the next five or six years I grew to love the tunes of the Stones, AC/DC and similar genres.

good engagement with the task; quote is a genuine and believable childhood memory continuing with the varied aspects of the task acknowledging genre clear accentuation of how a song has remained part of the memory

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The freedom to be found in music is characteristic of youth. I loved the freedom of playing along to these blues numbers. Even today, whenever I hear the sound of the ice-cream

remember bursting through the door in a state of half panic, cajoling

van I am immediately transported back to my youth. I

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good sense of a sound provoking memories and reminiscences

making a nice connection between childhood memories and music

and pleading with my parents to provide me with the two euro needed for a 99 ice cream. I can still feel that sense of panic and fear that the

memory is genuine, reflective, intimate, confessional

van might be gone before my mum gathered together enough change

nor will there ever be, an item of confectionary so

wonderful as that glorious treat consumed on the side of

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continuing the reflective element

to purchase an ice cream for my sister and myself. There was never,

the road with one’s friends. This was probably the most memorable sound from my youth.

clear accentuation of the requirements of the task

Thank you for listening. It was a pleasure sharing my memories and

accentuation of genre and good sense of audience

reminiscences with you as I took this walk down memory lane.

Exercise

Your teacher will select individuals to read the above sample answer out loud to the class. Your aim is to convince the class that this is something they might hear on the radio. Pitch the tone and inflection to make your reading believable.

Exam practice: Write the text for a short radio talk where you explain the importance of books in your life and in today’s world.

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Comprehending Question B: Examples

Example 4: 2008, Text 3 Website article – opinion piece

QUESTION B

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Students in your school have been invited to contribute articles to the school website on issues relevant to young people. This week’s issue is 'We are what we wear'. Write an article for the website expressing your views on the topic.

1: Show a clear appreciation of the task

The important aspect is that you are writing an article for the student body which will appear on the school website.

•

As you are writing your views on ‘We are what we wear’ you should use the language of argument, but you will back it up with some persuasion.

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•

2: Adopt an appropriate language register Your language register must reflect the task.

You need to register a language appropriate to fellow students that is comprehensible to them, but at the same time you will be a little bit formal, as it is a published school website.

•

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3: Demonstrate a good sense of audience You must make it obvious that you are:

• • •

writing for a student body

•

This article will appear on a website, so you must try and find ways of registering this. This does not mean you have to refer to websites and web addresses throughout, but it could be a clever way of acknowledging the task.

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You are asked to express your views, but you should also give some facts and figures relating to young people.

•

aware that this is a school website.

More importantly, if the reader is directed to check out a hyperlink, for example, the article reads like a web-based article.

4: Cover all aspects and nuances of the question

Make sure you read the question carefully. Identify all aspects of the question and make sure that you can cover each one. Plan your response.

• • • • •

Introduction: look at the issue of the day, do you agree ‘We are what we wear’? Paragraph 1: clothes categorise teenagers into different groups – music Paragraph 2: teenagers judge by first impressions (aware) – we wear to make a statement Paragraph 3: consequently, uniforms kill individuality, must find new ways of expressing

Conclusion:

we are what we wear

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the phrase ‘logging on’ is cleverly used to show an early appreciation of task

immediately acknowledging and showing an appreciation for the audience

Sample answer

most of you will feel the same. During last Tuesday’s non-uniform day I was struck with the

clever use of pronouns, again showing a good sense of audience

notion that our school body has clearly categorised themselves

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This is an issue that I can’t help agreeing with, and I am sure

to this week’s exciting and topical issue ‘We are what we wear’.

by the clothes they wear. The sporty people were wearing Under it is vital that we maintain the main Armour, while the fashion conscious were wearing Superdry. If motif of the question throughout the entire you doubt my word, just check out the pictures posted on this question – the reference website. by directing the reader around the website, you here is to the main topic are showing a good sense of task and genre of the piece This general observation helped me conclude that students like to assert their interests through their clothing, convincing me

that ‘we are what we wear’. The main point of the article is clearly accentuated. This is the language of argument: provide a major premise, prove it with factual information and then arrive at a general conclusion.

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use of a schoolbased activity that the whole school community is involved in and understands shows a good sense of audience

Teachers, friends and fellow students thanks for logging on

by switching from the personal pronoun to the collective we develop a connection to the audience, demonstrating a good sense of the audience

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You will have seen other writers use techniques like this when you prepared for Comprehending Question A.

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Criteria for assessment: In this paragraph you have covered what is necessary to show full engagement with the task. You have covered task, audience, register and dealt with the topic. This will mean that the examiner can award you with a high P mark. If you sustain this throughout the response you will get full marks for P, and then C and L will follow, as there is good structure, coherent expression and compelling language used.

I have also seen around our school many examples to show that

audience

students judge by first impression, such as the snide looks that registering new students get, just because of the category they fall under. I persuasive think this is terrible and sickening and has even led to incidents of language cyberbullying on our very own website. We have the right to express

task

ourselves through our clothing, but not at the expense of others. The fact that we are what we wear should make us better people and should not be an excuse to threaten others.

main point of the article clearly accentuated

constant use of ‘we’ demonstrates an awareness of and connection with the audience

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this is a good opportunity to link in with your audience by reminding them that you are also part of the audience

Most of my friends hate wearing uniforms, as do I because we all feel that they kill individuality. When we look at the facts, the reasons for uniforms become apparent. Recent studies carried out in the University of Limerick have shown a direct link between disruptive

comfortable manner. With this in mind, we should find other ways of

main point of the article is clearly accentuated

expressing our individuality, such as piercings or hair style.

registering both task and genre

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language of we are what we wear. Results can be viewed on www.Limerick/ argument uni.ie. Disruptive students will disrupt when attired in their own

behaviour and non-wearing of uniforms, clearly showing that

chapter seven

Comprehending Question B: Examples

Thanks for your time. It has been a pleasure voicing my views on

task

to express your own views on the website. Please email, share or

task

Tweet your responses to www.issueoftheweek.ie. Remember: this is

The entire conclusion is designed to accentuate the task, everything from the web-based element to the fact that it is a school website.

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this week’s ‘big’ issue. Before I log off, I would like to invite you all

a school website, and no derogatory comments or abusive language

will be published.

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Exercise: Exam practice

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Write an article for your school website, in which you consider the experience of reading a text and watching a film adaptation of the same text. In your article you should identify at least one written text which has been adapted as a film. Consider the advantages and disadvantages of each of these formats, and explain which format you would recommend as the way in which to experience the text(s) for the first time. You may refer to any text(s) of your choice in your answer.

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Example 5: 2020, Text 3 Speech – persuasion and argument

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Enlightened aliens, horrified by the injustice and inequality evident in human society, have decided to eliminate all human beings and recolonise Earth with more deserving inhabitants. You have been chosen to represent humanity and deliver a speech to the alien powers in which you try to save us from our fate. In your speech you should: acknowledge some of humanity’s failings in relation to justice and inequality, point to evidence of the many admirable qualities of the human race, and explain why the aliens should believe we can be trusted to work together for a better future.

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QUESTION B

1: Show a clear appreciation of the task

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address enlightened aliens who are horrified by injustice and inequality in society and want to recolonise Earth acknowledge humanity’s failings

provide evidence of humanity’s admirable qualities explain why the aliens should believe we can be trusted to work together.

• • •

defend humanity

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• •

You are required to write a speech. You must:

2: Adopt an appropriate language register

Your language register must reflect the task. In this speech you are trying to save humanity. Your language, passion and emotion (e.g. despair, frustration) must reflect the gravity of the task.

3: Demonstrate a good sense of audience

An alien audience who feel they have the right to eradicate humanity.

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4: Cover all aspects and nuances of the question Introduction: usual speech introduction manipulated to reflect the gravity of situation, acknowledge alien audience and your position as defender of humanity

• • • •

Paragraph 1: address enlightened alien audience and their plans Paragraph 2: human failings – environmental, moral and political Paragraph 3: law and order, community science and technology

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•

A plan should help ensure that you cover all aspects of the task.

Conclusion: example of how we work together and can work together, global cooperation (COVID-19).

Assessment criteria

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This 50-mark question is broken down as follows:

You must show an understanding of genre, i.e. effective use of some elements of speech writing. Awareness of target audience, appreciation of seriousness of situation, use of persuasion, etc. You also need to display a degree of freshness and originality.

Sustained focus (you engage with the task in every paragraph), continued control of register, management and sequencing of ideas, etc.

Language should be managed and controlled to achieve clear communication, quality of expression, style, fluency, etc. Punctuation should be accurate.

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M: Accuracy of mechanics. Spelling and grammar should be accurate.

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This is a greeting, as the genre (speech) expects a greeting, yet this is not a welcome. The respect and venerability shown is more out of fear and a desire not to offend.

Sample answer

Wise, venerable and esteemed visitors from the outer galaxy.

establishing the fact that the writer is representing all of humanity; very good acknowledgement of audience

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I stand before you, representative of all humanity and ask, no, beg you to grant us a

reprieve. Time. Time to prove our worthiness and time to beg your indulgence. Do not look on us as a lost cause, but as a wayward child who needs

emotional appeal – good speech technique

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repetition used – effective speech technique

to be pointed in the right direction. Like all children, we are redeemable. Give us guidance, not annihilation.

imperative, yet also an appeal

As the thunder roared and lightning streaked across the sky, the people of Earth looked to the cosmos and were startled

to see the colossal shapes of your alien spacecrafts break

through our atmosphere. This was the most incredible and

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awe-inspiring event in the history of humanity. We welcomed

effective repetition of ‘we’; We wanted to be like you. And then! We learned of your plans acknowledging to wipe out our race, everything down to the very last memory. audience and providing Forgive us for questioning your enlightened state of mind, but context surely you can see the irony in your logic. How can a race who rhetorical manipulation – prides themselves on honouring and deferentially subscribing part of the appeal

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you. We revered your knowledge and obvious enlightenment.

good use of aesthetic language to emphasise drama and gravity of the situation

to justice and equality think it is acceptable to conquer and destroy another civilisation?

effective use of rhetorical question

We know we have failed. Our world was not always equal

acknowledging failings

and just. But it is our world, and we are becoming more enlightened, and we do strive to advance civilisation. It seems that due to the greed of the rich, humans are slowly destroying our environment. This is, however, a process that

effective use of rhetorical question accepting responsibility

began during the industrial revolution. We are starting to see the effects that industry has had on the world and nations are

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coming together to try and rectify these problems. Plastics task demands an acknowledgment of human follies

pollute our oceans, carbon chokes the air and rainforests are burned to graze cows. This has happened. It is undeniable. Poor people have suffered at the hands of the capitalists and

Every culture, present and historical, has worked because

next part of the task – show admirable qualities

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everyone has followed the rules and moral codes of society.

while acknowledging folly, there is a sustained appeal in an attempt to save humanity

We have developed a civilisation that respects law and order.

accentuating human folly

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oligarchies. Change is in the air. These practices are no longer finishing acceptable. Humanity is starting to take responsibility for our point with an actions. Do not deny us the chance of continuing to make such imperative advances. appeal

This is humanity working at its best. We have proven our ability to work as a global community. Yes, we have had world wars and

admirable qualities

we have witnessed the rise of despots and dictators, but in recent times we have also witnessed the world coming together to combat a virus that could have decimated our world. People of my nation are safe

due to vaccines invented in Russia, China, Europe and America. The

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world came together to save the world. We have proven we can do this. Our international sporting events accentuate the desire for a global

admirable qualities develop sense of appeal

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community. This is reflected in the unprecedented advances in both sense science and technology. We will survive and thrive if you can provide us of an appeal is with the opportunity. sustained

You can trust us to build a better future. You claim to be horrified by next part of the task the inequality in our society. In today’s world people are equal. Gender equality has finally become a reality. People are no longer discriminated

because of gender or sexual orientation. There is still poverty in the

world. There are still bigots and racists walking among us, but these are becoming the minority and, hopefully, in a few years, if we are given a few years, they will become a tired and embarrassing relic of the past.

refute the aliens’ arguments finishes with strong sense of appeal

So, while we acknowledge we are not perfect, please give us the chance to improve! On the behalf of all humanity we beg for your indulgence! Thank You.

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Exercise: Exam practice Poster 2

Poster 3

Poster 4

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Poster 1

2016 Paper 1 text 1

Before attempting the following question, break into small groups and discuss the visual aspects of the four posters. Refer back to Chapter 2, Focusing on Genre and Visual Literacy, page 24.

Imagine that you are the adjudicator for a poster competition; entries must promote a production of Shakespeare’s play, The Comedy of Errors to a contemporary audience. The entries below represent the finalists in the competition. Write a speech in which you announce the first and second prize winners. In your speech you should explain your judgement, commenting on the visual appeal of the first and second prize winning entries and their effectiveness in promoting a production of this Shakespearean play to a contemporary audience.

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Example 6: 2014, Text 3 Formal letter – Persuasion and information

Inspired by Seamus Heaney’s essay about the importance of objects from the past, your class has decided to organise an exhibition celebrating the significance of objects from childhood in the lives of well-known people.

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Write the letter you would send to a well-known person, inviting him or her to contribute an object from his or her childhood and a written explanation regarding its personal significance. In your letter, you should explain the inspiration for the project and include, as an example, a piece you have written about an object from your childhood that is of significance to you.

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QUESTION B

1: Show a clear appreciation of the task You must:

invite the person to contribute a childhood object

invite the person to provide a written explanation of the significance of the object explain the inspiration for the project

provide a piece you have written about an object as an example.

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Choose someone you know a little bit about and someone who is likely to respond to such a request. This will help with showing your awareness of the task. A famous Premier League footballer who has no known interest in Ireland is unlikely to help with the development of a genuine sense of task.

•

write a well-structured formal letter to a well-known person

• • • • •

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•

2: Adopt an appropriate language register

You are asking someone for a favour, so your register will be persuasive and informative.

3: Demonstrate a good sense of audience

Show awareness that you are asking a favour by demonstrating a persuasive attitude towards your chosen celebrity.

4: Cover all aspects and nuances of the question

A good plan will ensure that you cover all aspects of the question.

• • • • •

Introduction: reason for writing – inspired by Heaney’s essay Paragraph 1: appeal to their humble nature, ask for an object, assure them it will be returned Paragraph 2: ask for written accompaniment Paragraph3:

describe your contribution and written explanation

Conclusion:

thank them in advance

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Sample answer 13 Pembroke Road, Barrymore, Co. Cork.

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23rd March 2015

letter is clearly formatted as a formal letter, in keeping with task and genre

For Attention: Paul O’Connell IRFU, 10–12 Lansdowne Road, Dublin.

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Dear Mr O’Connell, Having been inspired by Seamus Heaney’s essay about the

importance of objects from the past, my class has decided to

organise an exhibition celebrating the significance of objects from childhood in the lives of well-known people. As you are one of

our sporting heroes, I am writing to you on behalf of our school to

hopefully get you involved in our exhibition.

fulfilling requirements of the task

In keeping with the genre, the reason for writing is clearly asserted in opening paragraph. Flattery is used as a persuasive technique.

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I know you have become one of the greatest legends in Irish sporting

good sense of audience, flattery is skilfully used and our project by contributing an object from your childhood that would hold reminding him of his humble roots is a personal and significant place in your development. We are convinced persuasive that an object from such a successful celebrity as yourself would raise the

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history, but I would ask you to remember your humble roots and support

profile of our exhibition and guarantee its success.

I guarantee any such object will be returned to you as soon as the

exhibition is over, as we understand how such items can have a monetary

value and can consequently end up on eBay. I can assure you this will not

happen, and anything you share with us will be treated with the utmost

respect.

good persuasive writing, as it suggests the success of the project hinges on his involvement pre-empting and refuting possible arguments against involvement

I know you are an extremely busy man and I am sure every minute of free time is precious to you. With this in mind, I am still forced to ask you to

fulfilling provide a written explanation regarding the object’s personal significance. requirements of the task This is something that is personal to you and to share such an explanation with our visitors would be amazing and much appreciated. The explanation

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does not have to be very long; just a few lines explaining the significance of the object. I plan on exhibiting a rugby ball that is signed by eight of the current Irish

follows: This ball was presented to me in 2013 by my uncle, who was friends with Brian O’Driscoll. It was signed by the Irish team, eight of whom are still

fulfilling requirements of the task

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playing rugby to the best of my ability. The piece that I am including is as

rugby squad. This ball is precious to me, as it has inspired my interest in

on the squad. It has a particular significance to me, as every time I need

fulfilling requirements of the task. Attempting to make a personal connection with the audience adds to the persuasive qualities of the task.

inspiration I look to all those famous names and think about how hard

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work and dedication enabled these great men to achieve such success. This motivates me and helps me to work hard at all tasks.

Needless to say, it is a great honour to have your name on this ball. I

wonder do you remember my uncle who asked you to sign it. Once again, I

would ask you to become involved in our exhibition. I know you are the type

of person who likes to contribute towards local communities.

persuasive manipulation, making it difficult to say no

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Yours sincerely,

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Thank you for your time and your incredible service to the nation.

developing the personal appeal

Dominic O’Brien

Exercise: Exam practice

Young people are often the recipients of unwanted advice. Write an open letter* to all those who have ever offered you unwanted advice. In your letter you should identify some nuggets of unwanted advice you have received, describe your response to receiving such advice, and share your opinion on how and when advice could be appropriately offered. Your letter may be amusing or serious or both. * A letter intended for a wide audience often published online or in the print media.

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Example 7: 2010, Text 1 Interview – narrative and information

QUESTION B

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1: Show a clear appreciation of the task

Imagine yourself fifty years from now. You have achieved great success and public recognition in your chosen career. Write the text of an interview (questions and answers) about the experiences and influences in your youth that contributed to your later success.

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'Early-in-life experience has been central to me.'

You are being specifically asked to write in a question-and-answer format. A long list of questions with short answers is going to be both boring and unengaging. What is required is a short introduction, which may contain a narrative element, followed by four pertinent and probing questions that allow for the development of answers. You can conclude with a short paragraph, that wishes the best for the future, for example, or expresses thanks. You must make it obvious that you are aware that you are writing for an interview: Use a question-and-answer format

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Choose a career, e.g. author

Imagine yourself at 68

You need around four questions that could illustrate:

• •

experiences that have contributed to your success

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• • • •

influences that have contributed to your success.

2: Adopt an appropriate language register

The tone and register should be conversational.

3: Demonstrate a good sense of audience Those listening to or reading the interview.

4: Cover all aspects and nuances of the question

As always, plan your work.

• • • • • •

Introduction: establish interview setting Paragraph 1 (Question 1): critics’ response to first work

Paragraph 2 (Question 2): first success Paragraph 3 (Question 3): person of significant influence Paragraph 4 (Question 4): influence of other authors Conclusion: end the interview

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Key Point: Pay attention to phrasing Ensure there is a good balance between the two main aspects of the task: experience and influences. The plan ensures that both are treated equally.

I would like to thank you for joining us in this week’s big

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establishing context and clearly showing task

Sample answer

interview where world-renowned author Tom Smyth has agreed

to answer questions sharing his experiences and influences that

affected his rapid rise to world fame.

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Welcome Tom, it is a well-known fact that your first adventure probing question that allows for into the world of publishing was poorly received by the critics. Do development you feel this experience had any bearing on your future success? It amuses me when I think back to my initial disappointment at the

response of the critics. I did, however, learn a very important lesson. And

to think I had considered abandoning my writing career. Once I got over my personal immediate depression, I realised that people were buying my book. This insight

conversational and intimate, showing awareness of audience

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had a massive bearing on my future career, as I learned to discount the comments made by the critics, whether they were positive or negative. It

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is the reading public who buy books and I learned to keep them happy by being true to myself and my own personal style, which I soon realised was a perfect recipe for success.

second probing So, Tom, would you regard that as your first successful publication? question Oh God! No. Looking back, I think it sold a couple of thousand copies. My first real success was The Bus, which sold nearly two million copies. This

clearly an experience that contributed to success; language is informative yet personal

conversational information

was probably my fourth attempt at breaking the market. Each attempt was

a step in the right direction and helped build my fan base. It is reassuring

information

that as you grow in popularity there is a growing number of people who

will buy your book just because of the name on the front of it. This gives reflective and intimate, adding to the conversational aspect of response you great confidence and belief in yourself and you are left with a desire to provide the fans with what they want. This causes a snowball effect, which definitely led to my success.

engaging with question/task

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engaging with the second part of the task that asks for influences

Was there any one person who had a significant influence on your development as a writer?

I suppose there were many people that influenced my direction in life

great efforts to influence and nurture my writing style while passing on his own infectious passion for literature. He showed great belief in what I was doing and as time went on, we kept in contact. At the time when I

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to be my Leaving Cert. English teacher. This was someone who went to

continuing in the conversational style

as a young man, but if I was to honestly pick one person it would have

very reflective, honest and intimate, and shows awareness that there is an audience, as the question is addressed directly and clearly

was considering giving up writing he was insistent that I should persevere with a career that he believed I was very talented at. His belief was so

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strong that it enabled me to regain my belief in myself. He helped me to hold on to my original style and to ignore the disparaging comments of the critics. This is one of the reasons that I dedicated my final work of literature to him.

Despite the fact that you have such a unique style, many

other authors.

of us would like to know if you were ever influenced by

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engaging with the second part of the task that asks for influences

I think all writers are influenced by those who have gone before us, even if it is on

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a subconscious level. As a child I was enslaved to the fantasy fiction genre, yet I am now famous for writing socially realistic crime drama. You might wonder where the influence is. The reality is that authors such as Tolkien, Donaldson and Pratchett

created amazing plots that involved incredible drama. Quite often, their stories providing logical involved forms of crimes and mysteries that needed to be solved. As I reasoning for success in crime developed through my youth I never lost the love for these stories, but I drama; maintaining did try to add a mature element to them. My famous crime dramas conversational and intimate tone emerged and, well, the rest is history.

Thank you for taking the time to answer these few questions. As an Irishman you are a great example to all of us. I hope some current Leaving Cert. student will be inspired by your fantastic career, and maybe in another fifty years it will be one of them who is being interviewed. All that is left is to wish you the very best for your retirement. Thank you and good luck.

finishing with good acknowledgment of task, question and audience

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The style of writing is ‘chatty’ and conversational. This has the effect of making the piece seem more genuine. Personal narrative and information are carefully blended into this conversational-style interview, making it seem natural and believable.

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The interviewer writes four questions and gives them to the interviewee to consider for around five minutes before the interview starts.

Start the interview! It should take around eight minutes.

When the interview is finished, repeat the exercise but reverse roles.

Exam practice: Imagine you are a journalist for your local newspaper. One of the local Irish athletes has returned home after winning a gold medal at the World Championships. You have been asked to interview this athlete for the local paper. Write out a transcript of the interview. The interview should be presented in question and answer format.

Split into pairs. One of you is a talk show host (the interviewer); the other is a famous sports personality or musician (the interviewee).

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Exercise

Exam practice: Write the text of a talk you would deliver to your class in which you consider some of the positive and negative influences on young people’s lives today and how they respond to these influences.

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Example 8: 2020, Text 2

QUESTION B You have been asked to write the introduction to a new collection of contemporary detective fiction. In your introduction you should: outline the reasons why you think detective stories have enduring appeal, discuss some of the personal qualities you believe are essential in a memorable fictional detective, and explain why you recommend this particular collection of stories to readers.

Introduction to book – personal writing, persuasion and opinion

•

You must make it obvious that you are aware that you are writing an introduction for a new collection of contemporary detective fiction.

•

You must:

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1: Show a clear appreciation of the task

4: Cover all aspects and nuances of the question

outline reasons for the enduring appeal of detective stories

•

discuss some of the personal qualities you believe are essential in a memorable fictional detective

•

explain why you recommend this particular collection of stories.

2: Adopt an appropriate language register

Introduction: introduce the task, title, etc.

•

Paragraph 2: qualities essential for a detective, e.g. arrogance, hubris, intellect, obtuse

•

Paragraph 3: why I recommend, e.g. well thought out, good structure, accomplished authors

You must show an understanding of genre and register, e.g. the writing should invite and encourage readers to engage with the new collection, and should be aimed at fans of the genre as well as the general reader. You must show relevance and focus on all aspects of the question, outlining reasons for appeal, personal qualities and recommendations. You also need to display a degree of freshness and originality.

Sustained focus (you engage with the task in every paragraph), continued control of register, management and sequencing of ideas, etc.

Language should be managed and controlled to achieve clear communication, quality of expression, style, fluency, etc. Punctuation should be accurate.

This should be a persuasive piece of writing.

• •

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•

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3: Demonstrate a good sense of audience

Paragraph 1: outline reasons for enduring appeal, e.g. sense of mystery, engaging characters, tension

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Potential purchasers and readers of the book.

Assessment criteria

This 50-mark question is broken down as follows: P

M: Accuracy of mechanics. Spelling and grammar should be accurate.

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Sample answer In this collection of detective stories, 12 prize-winning authors, including acknowledging task, genre and audience

2019 Booker Prize-winning author Shalom Musa, come together in an

Lose yourself in a new adventure with these 12 extraordinary texts.

Those of you familiar with this genre will be aware of its long and glorious history, but for those of you who are just discovering detective fiction, be

assured that there are many reasons for its wide and enduring appeal.

Everybody loves a bit of mystery in their lives and these particular stories

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in keeping with the genre, this is an invitation to read the book

acknowledging and inviting in a new audience

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joys and fascination of the world of detective fiction, this is your chance.

extraordinary display of this popular genre. If you have yet to discover the

will not disappoint. We read and enjoy this fiction because we want to be thrilled, left hanging on the edge of suspense, immersed and enthralled by gripping characters, and to escape the normality of our world through the tension experienced by these characters. All the elements that we

would normally associate with the genre are executed in a beautiful and

literary manner right throughout this collection.

engaging with two possible audiences engaging with specific aspect of the question, outlining reasons for enduring appeal

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I believe a good detective story is only as good as the detective featured in the story. In my opinion, it is someone who is vastly intellectually

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superior to those around him. A successful detective is someone who will not play by the rules. They will bend the law to suit their own needs and they do so with a sense of recklessness, superiority and arrogance

that seems to justify every action, no matter how ludicrous it is. To be

a fictional detective you need to possess a large degree of hubris. This

engaging with specific aspect of the question, discussing qualities essential to a detective

results in an overinflated ego, pride and belief in your own brilliance. Unlike the heroes of Greek tragedy, this hubris does not lead to a fall, but

catapults the protagonist towards success and an ability to defy all

sustained engagement with task, inviting audience to read this book

the odds. This is the type of character you will find in this

Displaying a good knowledge of genre

collection of stories. They may not always be believable, they are often flawed, but they are always engaging.

As collections go, this one is a must for any fan of the genre. Whether you are new to the idea of detective fiction or are an old campaigner, you will find something thrilling and exciting in this collection. Not only does the

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acknowledging two audiences, invitation to read compendium feature established and successful authors, but there are also some exciting debut writers. The collection is well thought out, nicely structured and printed and bound to the highest quality.

are page-turners and cliff-hangers; they are exciting and will keep you on the edge of your seat. Jump in and enjoy.

Exercise: Exam practice

clearly acknowledging task, providing recommendation to read

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pleased to see that it is also available as an ebook. These stories

Those of you who have embraced the technological world will be

Example 9: 2011, Text 1

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The expansion of online shopping has had a devastating effect on all types of real shops and department stores. Write an introduction to a collection of essays in support of real shops, in which you celebrate the joys of ‘real’ shopping, explain what the presence of shops and shoppers brings to communities, and discuss some of the implications for us all of the ever-increasing popularity of online shopping.

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QUESTION B

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Magazine article – travel writing; information and opinion

Places one has never visited often hold a certain mystery or fascination. Write a feature article for a travel magazine about a place you have never been to but would like to visit. In your article explain what you find fascinating about this place and why you would like to go there.

1: Show a clear appreciation of the task You must make it obvious that you are aware that you are writing for a travel magazine.

•

It is a feature article, which suggests it is the main article in the magazine, written by a travel journalist, rather than someone sending in an article.

•

You must:

•

• •

write about somewhere you have never been show why this place is fascinating.

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2: Adopt an appropriate language register As you are writing your views the language will be emotive and subjective, which means you will be dealing primarily with the language of persuasion.

•

You will also use the language of information, by providing facts and figures relating to the place and relevant to potential travellers.

•

You need to register a language appropriate to a travel magazine.

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•

3: Demonstrate a good sense of audience Readers of a travel magazine.

4: Cover all aspects and nuances of the question

Introduction: allude to the magazine, mention the place, say it is fascinating, and you want to go there, e.g. Egypt, acknowledge readers

• • • •

Paragraph 1: fascinating due to early civilisation, history of pharaohs

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•

Paragraph 2: pyramids, sphinx, curses, etc.

Paragraph 3: Egypt today – markets, bazaars, food, people, language, culture Conclusion:

I want to go here

Assessment criteria

You must show an understanding of genre and register, i.e. express an opinion/put forward a point of view in a register suitable for a feature article in a travel magazine. You must focus on all aspects of the question, i.e. somewhere you have never been but would like to visit, and why it is mysterious and fascinating. You also need to display a degree of freshness and originality.

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This 50-mark question is broken down as follows:

Sustained focus (you engage with the task in every paragraph), continued control of register, management and sequencing of ideas, etc.

Language should be managed and controlled to achieve clear communication, quality of expression, style, fluency, etc. Punctuation should be accurate.

M: Accuracy of mechanics. Spelling and grammar should be accurate.

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Readers, I know all you intrepid travellers out there are used to hearing my advice and suggestions about where to go in this world. Due to the ongoing worldwide pandemic and the associated restrictions in travel, the feature article

I have never visited. As I have never been there, I have a chosen a destination that is full of fascination and mystery: Egypt, the land of the pharaohs. Having travelled the world for this magazine I constantly find myself in new

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this month is a little bit different, as today I am going to talk about a place that

Asking a travel journalist to write about a place they have not visited is an odd task. The introduction is designed to address this oddity. You should also notice there is a clear sense of task and audience. The writer is talking directly to their readers.

Sample answer

is that I already feel as if I know the place. The history of the country is part of

accentuating task

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situations, discovering new things. One of the alluring aspects of Egypt, however,

good engagement with task

most people’s consciousness, but this does not negate the mystery. Actually, it adds to the fascination. From Alexander the Great through Julius Caesar to the

modern traveller, Egypt has always attracted attention. Everybody knows about the ancient pharaohs, such as Ramses I and II or

humour used to Tutankhamun, but actually seeing their mummified corpses would maintain connection with audience; be an invaluable insight into history. I am sure you will excuse the attempt to use a pun shows competence pun, but it would effectively be bringing the mummies to life. in language

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information is used to accentuate the journalistic feel to the article

Although I have never been there, the pyramids themselves are an extraordinary

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and internationally recognised landmark, which in turn are synonymous with the developing a connection with of my fascination with ancient architecture. What could be more ancient than the audience, which also shows good pyramids? The mere scale of the project is inexplicable. How did people 5,000 appreciation of task nice use of years ago create such enduring and impressive structures? I am

Egyptian people and their culture. All you regular readers out there will be aware

rhetorical question

constant engagement with task and audience

sure those of us fascinated by ancient literature would love to stand in the shadow of the pyramids and, like Oedipus, answer the riddle of the Sphinx. The mystery of such structures demands my attention, and for this reason I really want to go there. There are so many reasons to visit this mysterious place, but they

are not all historical. Modern Egypt is, apparently, a vibrant and exciting place. As a gateway to the Far East it offers visitors the open-air bazaars of Alexandria and Cairo. I can already smell the exotic spices and feel the expensive silks.

acknowledging two audiences, invitation to read

Egyptian cuisine is something I have never experienced, and even as I write this,

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Comprehending Question B: Examples

I can imagine myself digesting my local meal while staring out over the Nile and absorbing the wonders of antiquity. Of all the places in the world, this is one that stands out in my mind as the most

conclusion is in keeping with task, genre and audience

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in antiquity is alluring, attractive and gravitational. I look forward to the end of

mysterious and fascinating. The sense of history and the aura of a world lost

travel restrictions and travelling to Egypt to write a follow-up to these suggested and imagined experiences.

Exercise: Exam practice

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The writing group, to which you belong, has decided to develop a website, aimed at aspiring young writers. You have been asked to contribute an article on one of the following genres: detective fiction; travel writing; humour; romance; autobiography; the short story. Write the article you would contribute, discussing at least two important characteristics of your chosen genre and offering advice to young people wishing to engage in this type of writing.

At this stage you are now equipped to take on any Comprehending Question B that you may meet in the exam. You have developed your awareness of genre, register and task.

•

You have further developed your ability to remain focused and targeted.

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• •

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You have learned to sustain compelling and structured points relevant to a set of tasks or criteria.

Key Point: Remember your approach

Clearly identify all aspects of the task that need discussion. List the separate components in a plan.

• • • • •

Make the right choice. Try to choose a question that you have some knowledge about, and, if possible, use your own experiences.

Concentrate on task, audience and language register. Be structured. Use formal conventions if the task requires them.

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Can you identify an appropriate language register to be used in a specific situation?

Can you use your understanding of the various language genres to help identify an appropriate language register?

Can you identify the different audiences that are implied by the various writing tasks that you could be asked to execute?

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Checklist

4. Can you think of techniques that you could use to clearly accentuate a sense of task? 5.

Do you recognise the importance of task, audience and register?

Do you understand what is meant by ‘playing to your strengths’ in terms of choosing your Comprehending Question B?

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6. Do you understand why you should always choose a question that you know something about?

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8. Can you generate an approach and a plan that will ensure you cover all aspects and nuances of the question?

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Comprehending Question B: Examples

Your school Principal has agreed to your suggestion to display three poems, or extracts from three poems, on the 2017 Leaving Certificate Higher Level English poetry course, in your school. You have been asked to choose the poetry and decide how and where it will be displayed. Write an article for your school’s website in which you explain your choice of poetry, your ideas for its display and the impact you hope this project will have on the school community. [2017 Text 1]

The views people hold today are often influenced by the news and information they receive from the online world of the internet and social media. Write an opinion piece, for publication in a national newspaper, in which you give your views on the extent to which people today rely on the online world as a source of news and information, the reliability of these sources and the impact of this development on society. [2017 Text 2]

Your school Principal has decided not to hold any graduation ceremony for the Leaving Certificate Class of 2015. The school’s Student Council disagrees with this decision. As Chairperson of the Student Council you have been asked to write a letter to the Principal, in which you express the students’ dissatisfaction with this decision and make a case for holding a graduation event. Write the letter you would submit to the Principal. [2015 Text 1]

Write the introduction for a collection of writing (e.g. poems, stories and articles) by young people about older people. In it you should discuss the importance of older people, such as grandparents, in the lives of young people today and the contribution made by older people to society in general. [2015 Text 3]

You have been asked to give a talk to your class entitled: Television and radio in the lives of young people today. Write the text of the talk you would deliver in which you consider the role of television and radio in the lives of young people today. [2013 Text 1]

Your class has decided to produce a book about 'un-heroic' or ordinary people as a fund-raiser for a local charity. Write the text for the introduction of this book, in which you explain the purpose of the book and why your class thinks it is important to celebrate ordinary people. [2013 Text 2]

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Some previous Comprehending Question Bs

Write an opinion piece, for inclusion in a series of newspaper articles, entitled: Must-see Attractions for Tourists, in which you identify one place or public building in Ireland that, in your opinion, tourists should visit and explain your choice. [2013 Text 3]

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Learning intentions

Composing

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Focusing on

short story

personal essay

discursive essay

speech

descriptive essay

• • • • •

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In this chapter you will understand and engage with the features of the following genres:

Questions with sample answers and directions

• • • • • •

Example 1: short story Example 2: short story Example 3: short story, with a focus on sub-genres Example 4: personal essay Example 5: speech Example 6: descriptive essay

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Overview of Section 2, Composing In this section you are given seven titles to choose from. These titles cover a wide range of possible genres from speech to personal essay.

•

You must get the genre right. If you fail to register a correct genre for a particular task your grade will suffer massively.

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You will register the correct genre by using some of the established and accepted features of the particular genre.

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•

Section 2, Composing, is worth 100 marks, which equates to 25 per cent of your entire Leaving Certificate English grade. It must not be taken lightly.

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Short Story

Short stories give us the opportunity to easily register the correct genre. Well-written short stories tend to score very high marks.

Key Point: Register features of the genre

A well-written short story is one where features of the genre are evident. This is important to highlight, as many feel a well-written short story needs to be incredibly imaginative and climactically concluded, for example. This is not the case: aim to include as many features of the genre as you can.

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In this case, your form is a short story, and your dominant registers will be narration and aesthetics.

•

You may also be asked to take on popular literary genres, such as science fiction or detective fiction.

•

For this reason, you need to be aware of the features of these popular literary genres and incorporate them into your story.

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In Chapter 2, we discussed language genres, popular literary genres and genre forms.

Go to Chapter 3, for features of some common literary genres

Short story structure

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When writing a short story, you must make sure you use a narrative structure such as the following: Describe the setting

Create an atmosphere relating to a plot

Introduce a main character relevant to the plot

Character is confronted with a challenge

Challenge or obstacle is resolved

Conclude story

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Plan

The points do not need to be in order. Your main idea may begin with the resolution, which could then help with the setting and give you an idea about your character.

• •

Once you get an idea, start jotting down points.

Fill the main points into the structure below.

• • •

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To ensure that your story has a relevant narrative structure or narrative shape, begin by accentuating it in your plan.

This becomes the plan that the examiner sees in your exam booklet. Insert main point from rough work

Character:

Insert main point from rough work

Plot outline:

Insert main point from rough work

Obstacle:

Insert main point from rough work

Resolution:

Insert main point from rough work

Setting/atmosphere/place:

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Describing in a creative manner

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Remember: you will be rewarded for being descriptive. The easiest way to do this is to make a conscious effort to use and develop the various literary terms, figurative devices and aesthetic devices that you have learned to recognise and use, such as personification, metaphors, etc.

Key Point: Be descriptive

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Exercise

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The angry (personification) waves washed (alliterative ‘w’s) against the side of the frail (adjective) boat. Streaks of lightning lashed (alliterative ‘l’s) across the sky, illuminating the wrath (metaphor) of the gods. Rain fell in giant (adjective, hyperbole) globules, like carelessly discarded marbles (simile).

By being aesthetic it is easy to be descriptive. The more descriptive you are, the easier it is to be creative. Consider the following description of a storm at sea.

The following exercises are descriptions, not stories: you are practising your ability to be creative and aesthetic. Feel free to go over the top in your efforts! Describe using various figurative and aesthetic devices:

kids playing in the snow

a man fishing

a construction site

Working in groups, describe: a.

a forest at night

the view from a hilltop

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•

Quite often, the best stories deal with everyday events or topics. These stories are usually the best ones, as you can ground such stories in your own experiences.

• •

Try to be original, organised, personal and creative.

•

Some students feel the need to introduce crazy and violent plots, as they feel their story will be considered boring otherwise. This is not necessary: the best stories do not have to be exciting or climactically concluded.

•

Students lacking in confidence and direction often fill their stories with long meaningless introductions and finish with a line or two of violent or absurd conclusions as they try to fill lines and realise that time is running out. Instead try to start your story in the first paragraph.

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Try to avoid tired, clichéd and boring stories about scoring the winning goal, alcohol abuse, violence and general teenage angst.

Starting your short story

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Opening

• •

When you start writing you should launch into the story immediately.

•

Avoid long and irrelevant introductions. So many stories begin with getting up in the morning, getting washed and having breakfast. If this does nothing to push the plot forward, then it is irrelevant and a waste of time.

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Begin the story by setting the scene. This is a key feature of the genre, which is explored in more detail below. Then, try to create an atmosphere. When creating an atmosphere try to suggest a sense of the place. For example, if you set your story in a big city the atmosphere should be noisy, vibrant, the air smoggy and the people busy.

Characters

Characterisation is a key feature of the genre, which is explored in more detail below.

•

Morning sequences are often followed by descriptions of a family member who is not pertinent to the story, such as the mother who is cooking breakfast. If the character is not pertinent to the story, then there is absolutely no reason to introduce them.

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• •

There is often room in a story for a marginal character or characters, but these characters must have some relevance to the story.

Plot development

Remember: your plot is the basic storyline. Keep it simple. Keep it relevant.

• •

Try to link your ideas to the plot very early on. You are responding to a title, so the theme or title must be continuous throughout the story. You need to avoid the ‘tag-on line’: this is where we have one line that attempts to relate the story to the title.

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As long as you create a believable and engaging character the plot does not need to be very exciting in order to grab the reader’s attention.

•

When you are developing your plot, there should be some obstacle or adversity that challenges your main character. This then needs to be resolved. This resolution will mean that your conclusion pretty much writes itself. You will avoid the temptation to finish a story that you have lost control of with a silly ending such as. ‘I woke up and it was all a dream.’

•

An obstacle could be a simple everyday event such as a school incident.

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Setting the scene

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•

Obstacle, resolution and conclusion

Key Point: Setting the scene

The scene should be set in a time and place. This can be stated directly or implied.

It was the summer of 2018. My eighteenth year was marked by my first ever visit to America; to New York, the city that never sleeps.

As I entered this new phase of my life, I embarked on my first ever adult journey; the Big Apple. What a way to start the summer.

Followed by: The streets buzzed and danced with activity. Crowds of people jostled and chattered as they made their way through the sprawling metropolis. The air was acrid with the taste of spitting exhausts, etc.

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Exercise Create a setting for a short story in: a.

b. the countryside

a city

c. a futuristic world

Good characterisation is a key feature of the genre Once the setting has been fully described, you can then create a character.

•

Describe the character physically and also describe their personality.

•

The character can be anyone you like. You could base them on yourself, a friend, a TV character, etc. You can refer to them as I, he, she, John, Mary – again, whatever you like.

• •

Your character should be believable.

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•

Key Point

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Characterisation

You need to create a character that the reader can engage with.

Nobody wants to read a story featuring a character who they are indifferent to. Try to create either a positive or negative connection so the reader will like or dislike your main character.

•

Ultimately, you want the reader to either hope that the character overcomes the obstacle in the story or to hope that they fail. Either way, the reader is being engaged, which is important for a successful story.

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•

In the example above, the character is presented both physically and personally. Try to link these two elements. In the example, the character is not particularly likeable due to his arrogance and vanity, yet at the same time you reveal a weakness, which might elicit sympathy from the reader: John’s dark eyes and rather trendy hairstyle seem to accentuate his domineering personality, but in fact they are hiding his insecurities.

• •

John was as arrogant as he was aggressive. Standing tall, he often intimidated his peers. His long black hair sat in a perfect little man bun on the top of his head. His deep dark eyes hid the fact that this was all a facade and on the inside he was actually quite shy and unsure of himself.

Exercise

As a group, discuss the elements needed for these characters. Then craft the various characters on your own. a.

Describe a character who is arrogant and sanctimonious.

Describe a character who is shy and demure.

Describe a character who is intelligent but lacks confidence.

Describe a character who is overconfident.

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Remember! Strong, relevant opening Opening links to plot/obstacle Believable character introduced Be descriptive at all times

Character overcomes/is challenged by an obstacle relevant to title

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• • • • • •

Story concludes

Before you start writing, plan out your story. This will keep you focused and prevent you from wandering away from the main point. Think of your story as a river: always moving forward. Often slowing down, but never stopping. Everything that happens in the story has got to help the river move forward.

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Example 1: Short story Write a short story about a rebellious teenager.

Assessment criteria

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The usual criteria for assessment are used:

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Focus – a narrative that features a rebellious teenager. Understanding of genre – the effective use of some elements of the short story, e.g. setting, plot, characterisation, narrative shape, resolution, atmosphere, dialogue, tension, narrative voice. You also need to display a degree of freshness and originality.

The extent to which the narrative is successfully sustained and developed, the effective sequencing and management of ideas, etc.

Control of narrative language, e.g. style, vocabulary, syntax, punctuation. Punctuation should be accurate.

M: Accuracy of mechanics. Spelling and grammar should be accurate.

Plan

Brainstorm your ideas on a rough work piece of paper and then transfer your ideas to a simple plan to accentuate your narrative structure. Setting:

school

Character:

typical teenager, prone to acts of defiance but feels bad about it

Plot outline:

acts out in front of a teacher

Obstacle:

overcoming/failing to overcome attitude

Resolution:

strikes out at the helping hand

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Establishing a school setting. In the opening line the writer is establishing their willingness to use an aesthetic language. The walls and the cigarette are both personified. The cigarette suggests a sense of the rebellious, so the writer is linking to the title in the opening line. This must be maintained throughout.

Sample answer

the prison-like walls. A cold shudder swept through my spine and cold

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constant friend, nicotine. I lit up the early morning smoke and looked to

drips of sweat ran down the back of my neck. I took out my vanity mirror

I was a young, frustrated girl, as my newly acquired rebellious nature

conflicted with my more considerate and conformist side. My crumpled

young girl that had been coerced into teenage acts of angst and revolt. I did not know where my recent behaviour came from, but all I knew

blatant disregard for my parents’ authority and school in general. My tall, lanky frame made it hard to be innocuous, which often resulted in my getting into trouble for the smallest of misdemeanours. My blonde hair and pretty blue eyes had no idea how to deal with the emotions that were consuming my life. In the last few months, I had lost interest

hair and eyes are personified as having a mind of their own

was that I had developed an attitude that often displayed

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Developing rebellious motif without resorting to hyperbolic displays of teenage antisocial behaviour makes the story very natural.

expansive vocabulary – attitude is rebellious, as she gives up efforts to be presentable Nice use of adjectives ‘crumpled’ and ‘wild’ in keeping with rebellious motif. Good character development, as she is presented as conflicted.

good characterisation: she is someone who stands out

in hockey and my grades had slipped dramatically. motif continues

I could not believe that I had thrown a party in my parents’ house last

night, on a school night! What was I thinking? I knew they would be

home before I got a chance to tidy up the general carnage left behind.

fluidity is emphasised with use of sibilance – adds to the dramatic feel to the story

uniform and wild, unkempt hair did not resemble the compassionate

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After the brief setting, we are introduced to the character.

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into that gloomy place, wearing a brazen mien of defiance.

aesthetic continues with use of simile

reminder and gave myself a final check. Unimpressed with what I saw, I rolled up of teenage insecurities my sleeves and pulled my shirt out from under my jumper and plunged

I stood outside the foreboding walls of the school and turned to my one

If I cared, I would have taken the trouble to clean up the mess but deep down, there was a conflict as guilt gnawed at my insides. Maybe it was the effects of the nauseous hangover that had been plaguing me all

apt and clever use of punctuation Great metaphor to describe the teenage party – we would normally associate ‘carnage’ with a car wreck.

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like most rebellious morning. Confusion raged within me. I had become used to disregarding teenagers these feelings of guilt and cleverly put it to the back of mind. do I took a deep breath as I halted outside my classroom door. I decided to

believable and genuine dialogue

‘Slamming’ the door maintains the rebellious motif.

‘Well, thank you for gracing us with your presence, Amy.’

These were the words that were thundering through my ears. Mr Smith

effective use of onomatopoeic ‘thundering’

was a small, limp man, domineered by oval glasses, which accentuated

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comments caused me to slam the door behind me.

meekly apologise for my late arrival, but the teacher’s snide, sarcastic

developing marginal character

his dark, caring eyes. He obviously had no idea where and when to

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use sarcasm. The sniggers that emanated around the classroom were

indicative of the gratitude that the students awarded him for his caring attitude. This angered me further and I sent a glare of disdain and She is a strong character (character development) when she wants to be.

vindictiveness towards my peers, which quickly quelled their mirthful disrespect. I had more regard for this teacher than for any other teacher, but I could never reveal this because

of my rebellious facade.

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I stormed across the room, thumped my bag off the ground and flung myself unceremoniously into the chair. My disruptive and invasive

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torrent was truncated by the simplest of glances from Mr Smith. He had an uncanny way of putting me on edge, as I felt he could see

right through my hard exterior and I trembled at the sympathy that I could sense in those dark eyes. I was surprised at the degree to which

character reveals her weakness

nice metaphor: aesthetic language continues to be a feature of the genre. expansive vocabulary nicely alliterated adds to fluency of expression

I longed for his sympathy.

I put up my usual protective shell, a barrier to all sympathy and

understanding, and sat staring blindly at the classroom walls like a zombie. interesting use of simile, metaphor, I sat surrounded by a red mist of personal fury. The dark, dusky room was adjective and personification filled with an air of nonchalance and disregard, which conflicted with the smell of my own fears and anxiety as ‘Smithy’ quizzed the students on last night’s homework. His monotonous voice drummed and droned through my continued use of aesthetic language

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tender mind. The flickering fluorescent light jarred on my already frayed nerves. I felt as if the walls were closing in on me.

atmosphere and mood accentuated with the alliterative phrases

‘Amy! Are you still with us?’ asked ‘Smithy’. dramatic use of onomatopoeia

usual show of empathy, he quickly moved on to the next student development of marginal character

refusing to embarrass me by singling me out. The pounding

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noticed the nervous and apprehensive expression on my face. With his

My heart pounded and resonated sonorously in my chest. He must have

subsided and in quiet gratitude I attempted to concentrate on

the rest of the lesson.

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After class Mr Smith asked me to stay behind. Once again, the walls took on a sinister attitude. I fixated on the back of the chair in front of me.

‘Rough night?’ he asked. His words cut through my defences like a sharp pain spilling through my mind. I welled up. My body shook in waves of uncontrollable shudders. My waxy red lips tremulously curled into a

frightened sneer, and I burst into tears. approaching a character-based sense of obstacle ‘Now, now, there is no need for that; I can see something is troubling you.

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It’s okay to talk about it if you think it will help.’

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It was too late. His soft, caring voice had no effect. All the sadness, anger and frustration that had been pent up inside me for so long was unleashed in a torrent of emotion. I could not make eye contact, as I feared he

would see through my cold, obnoxious facade and penetrate my deeply

lonely and scared heart. His care and attention made me uncomfortable. I yearned to reach out to his offer of help, but so many thoughts and

emotions were whirling around my head. I wanted to scream, to ask for

help but this could not compete with my desire for control and the fear of

exposing my inner emotions.

Clear conclusion as the rebellious teenager surfaces. Nice manner in which her earlier description of eyes and hair is used to help with the conclusion.

failure to overcome her obstacle, leading to conclusion

Trembling, I looked him in the eyes: ‘What would you know, you foolish old man?’ Vindictive words were accentuated with the darting gaze from my pretty blue eyes. My wild blonde hair flicked back and bobbed as I turned and ran, leaving the residue of my angelic heart on the black trodden tarmac. The rebellious teenager had again conquered.

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Example 2: Short story Write a short story where someone is manipulated or manipulative.

Assessment criteria

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The usual criteria for assessment are used.

100

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Plan

Once you have brainstormed a few ideas always begin with a plan that clearly shows your narrative structure.

•

The writer is attempting to be a little bit inventive with the motif of ‘manipulated’. This is a good attempt to ‘think outside of the box’.

•

Try to be original. hospital

Character:

manipulated, arrogant, selfish, wants to be a doctor to become rich

Plot outline:

modern-day slavery/internship, bitter due to his manipulation, long unfulfilling hours with no pay

Obstacle:

overcoming his attitude – happens by becoming endeared to a sick person

Resolution:

coma patient wakes up and thanks the older doctor who gets credit; he doesn’t mind

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Setting:

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Sample answer The clinical white walls and the sharp sting of disinfectant joined to irritate my

hardship. I walked down the long, narrow corridor listening to the rhythm of my feet as they tapped out the tune of my

awaited me inside those manipulative walls of drudgery and

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Continued use of aesthetic language while developing place, setting and sustaining motif of title.

already fragile nerves. Another day of slavery and ridicule

distress. Even the locker room, with its cold steel rows of doors

hiding the grey scrubs, delineated the lowest form of life in any hospital, the medical intern.

linking to the title

In the opening line the writer establishes their willingness to use an aesthetic language, immediately creating a sense of place and atmosphere.

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I grew up surrounded by wealth and opulence and that is what I wanted. I was

willing to allow myself to be taken advantage of and exploited in order to achieve my dreams. Everybody knows how wealthy consultants are, and this was my goal. I worked hard and diligently, scoring 600 points in my Leaving Certificate. This

was easy; I never had a problem focusing on a task once I had a goal in sight. I

breezed through medical school, enjoyed the life of a student and still graduated

patients, appease their recalcitrant family members, impress

characterisation

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know-it-all nurses and do the work of my superiors without credit, payment or acknowledgement of my medical prowess.

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presenting an unlikable aspect to the character

with first class honours. Now, however, I had to learn to fawn and fuss over sick

I stood slightly detached from the other interns and waited for Dr Madnar to hand out our list of daily duties. The man was not half the doctor that I was, yet

he daily demeaned my talents by sharing the worst jobs possible in the hospital.

My tall, athletic frame towered above Madnar’s small, diminutive physique as I

continued character development

took the folder containing my duties for the day. My dark eyes smouldered with anger as I read through my tasks. They were so beneath me I felt as if I was being sustaining motif of title

twisted and moulded beyond recognition. I was required to assist the nurses in assessing minor injuries, distribute prescribed medication and finally, I would

finish the day babysitting a coma patient.

The day passed much as I had expected. My time with the nurses was dull and mundane. Handing out prescriptions was so monotonous that I really found myself questioning my choices that had led to this sense of entrapment. After sustaining motif of title

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six hours of wasted talent I proceeded towards the ICU for a further six hours of monotonous vigilance. The ICU ward was one of the most depressing sections of the hospital. Room

awareness of the reality of the career I was embarking upon. The interns and junior doctors referred to this shift as ‘graveyard duty’, not, as I originally thought, because of the long, unsociable hours, but due to the fact that half

these people were already dead. Even a doctor of my calibre could do little to

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added to the gloom and despair of hospital life, leaving me with a sudden

after room of critically ill patients, some of whom were never going to recover,

save the majority of them. It dawned on me why these consultants demanded

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such large remuneration. I repressed my emerging social conscience and concentrated on my insulted feelings that I should be left here

new aspect of character’s personality beginning to emerge

wasting my talents.

The patient’s room was sparse, cold and unadorned; dominated by the relentless beeping of the ECG. While ICU rooms are not famed for their warmth, the

barrenness of this room barely resonated with the life exhibited by the patient in it. There were no flowers, gifts or even a single ‘Get Well’ card. Tentatively moving

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closer to the bed, I caught my first glimpse of the patient. Despite his large frame he was now old and frail. Filled with tubes, IVs and monitors he looked like a

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preserved specimen to be found in a museum rather than a hospital. He had been in a coma for two years, and the room, combined with the absence of any

living family, smelled of neglect. An alien feeling of disconcertion began to nibble good descriptive language used to push the plot forward

at my defences.

A nurse entered the room and began to babble while changing his catheter. She scorned at the waste of time and a hospital bed that this patient was abusing.

She claimed, ‘He’s lucky he has such a good insurance policy, otherwise I don’t

think he would have been given this long’. The nurse’s comments were another

blow to the recusant barrier that I had spent a lifetime wrapping around my own

humanity. The vast fortune that I was going to accumulate suddenly seemed quite insignificant. The pettiness and selfishness of my actions became apparent to me and my insides churned with vitriolic guilt. I decided I was going to make amends by caring for this patient as best as I could. presence of marginal character has profound effect on protagonist’s attitude

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I began a regular routine of checking his vital signs, adjusting the flow of fluids

and medication from the various IVs and when no medical science was needed, I

resorted to reading him stories and even singing songs on occasion. I brightened up the room with flowers and cards and began to stay with him well after my

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plot shifts had ended. I even spent my lunch breaks at his bedside to make continues to develop sure everything was alright and to provide him with a bit of company. The other interns began to whisper behind my back, but I did not care. All that

mattered was tending to this man. The true meaning of what it is to be a doctor slowly began to materialise, like the developing signs of life in the patient. Dr

Madnar came into the patient’s room to reprimand me for neglecting my other

character undergoes a transformation

duties. While in the middle of his scathing tirade an amazing thing happened. A

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low susurration of sound interrupted Dr Madnar’s lecture. We both turned to the frail figure of Mr Bolden. He was gently humming the song I had been singing

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moment of to him for the last four months. He opened his eyes, stared at Dr Madnar complication and smiled. Madnar brushed me aside and introduced himself as his

doctor. He informed him of the fact that he had been comatose for two years and

that they had made every effort to administer to him. Looking around the colourful, flower-filled room, Bolden weakly uttered his thanks and gratitude to Dr Madnar. Once again I was manipulated and forced resolution

to play second fiddle to the senior doctor who happily took all the credit. A few

months ago this might have bothered me, but now things were different. I quietly

walked from the room with a smug grin of satisfaction knowing that I had helped save the life of a fellow human being. My altruistic satisfaction was short-lived, character undergoes a transformation however, and my former sense of bitterness and disdain for my colleagues reemerged a few months later when I heard that Mr Bolden died quietly in his sleep, leaving a vast fortune to Dr Madnar. Final twist in narrative adds to the impact of the story.

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Mark

The writer has managed to score full marks for P. They have registered enough features of the genre to earn a high P mark. The various elements are well registered in a lively and original manner. There is a clear narrative structure.

This story is coherent and well delivered. The sense of genre is maintained and sustained throughout the task and the motif of the title is carried throughout.

Control of the register, syntax and punctuation is as good as can be expected for a Leaving Certificate student.

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Overall a short story of this standard does enough to earn full marks, or as close to full marks that it would make very little difference to the overall grade.

M: Spelling and grammar is also good enough to award full marks.

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Exercise

Working in small groups, practise brainstorming the following titles. Then, working alone, choose a title and complete the short story.

1. Write a short story about a reunion.

2. Write a short story inspired by the phrase ‘. . . an inferior rock band howling for fame’. 3. Write a short story in which a young character is eager to leave home.

4. Write a short story in which a ghostly presence plays a significant part.

5. Write a short story in which the main character is transformed when faced with a daunting challenge.

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6. Write a short story in which a closely guarded secret is gradually revealed. 7. Write a short story in which mistaken identity is central to the plot.

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8. Write a short story that centres on two characters and a car journey. 9. Write a short story in which a tattoo plays an important part in the narrative.

10. Write a short story in which the central character’s status as an outsider has a direct influence on the plot.

Example 3: Short story, focusing on sub-genre

You may be presented with a title that demands some consideration of certain sub-genres of the short story genre. In recent years, detective, mystery and science fiction have all appeared as a sub-genre of the short story. When taking on titles of this nature, there is an expectation that you will have a reasonable register of the conventions of the sub-genre that is being addressed. In order to take on any of these titles successfully you need to register:

• •

some of the conventions of a short story some of the conventions of the particular genre of short story. Go to Chapter 2, page 10 for a chart of features of genre such as detective fiction and science fiction.

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Write a short story which features the following three characters popularly depicted in 1960s science fiction: a heroic-looking male figure, an attractive female and a nonhumanoid alien.

Science fiction genre Having chosen this title, you must make sure you write a short story.

•

If you choose the science fiction genre, to be successful you must register enough of the features of the science fiction genre to clearly acknowledge that this is a science fiction short story.

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All the usual rules and features of the short story genre still apply.

• • •

This title encourages you to explore a sub-genre of the short story, i.e. science fiction. You do not have to write a science fiction story, but if you do, you must get the genre right.

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Characters

Your story must feature the three characters that appear in the question. It makes sense to jot down a few ideas about each character before you start.

•

Male character: overly defined body, ill-prepared, ill-equipped, heroic, stereotypically male

• •

Female character: presented as a victim, weak, stereotypically female, sexy Alien: aggressive, dangerous, stereotypically space creature

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You do not have to stick to these ideas: use what comes to mind when you think about early depictions of the science fiction genre. You can then use this as inspiration for your story.

Plan

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Brainstorm a few ideas and then present them in a plan that clearly shows your narrative structure. Characters:

•

Male character – reckless Female character – resourceful and intelligent (despite demeaning stereotypical presentation)

• •

search for a new home, Earth is uninhabitable due to human error

Setting:

Alien – territorial

Plot outline:

find a new home, but locals not too impressed; male character nearly causes annihilation of humanity’s survivors, but intelligent and resourceful female saves the day

Obstacle:

humans need a home

Resolution:

find peace with alien

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launching straight into the story, establishing a sense of place

Sample answer

showing willingness to use an aesthetic language; providing belching out noxious fumes and toxic air. Now, enslaved by their own folly, context for the story the last remnants of the human race drifted in deep space, short of developing sense of plot; supplies, a leader and hope. Travel was becoming limited due to the creating a motif to be sustained throughout the story depletion of the uranium needed to power the proton warp engines fictional technology needed to transcend the speed of light. Unexpectedly and quite in keeping with dramatically a tiny blip manifested on their scanners. After many years genre

showed any sign of hope. The first planet that was possessed of the

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materials and nutrients needed for survival. plot development

establishing sense of place and atmosphere

of aimlessly navigating through space this was the first planet that

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They were forced to leave their home behind. An arid, barren landscape

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Fear mingled with hope as the fleet realised someone needed to explore this

planet. Ever since their president had tragically died on an exploration onto an unknown planet nobody wished to leave the developing a sense of the plot relative safety of the fleet. Rick Bones, strong, assertive,

fluidly introducing the first of the main protagonists; arrogant and proud, realised this was his chance to shine. He stepped forward, providing insight into providing revelling in the chance to be their saviour. Standing tall, athletic and his personality

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a physical description powerful he filled his space suit in a manner that seemed quite unnatural. Before he had finished delivering his ‘saviour of the human race speech’, Delilah

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moved to his side. ‘I will accompany you’, she declared. Delilah did not quite trust Rick. She was aware of his power and courage, but lacked faith in his intelligence. Delilah was curvaceous and alluring and turned the heads of most

good characterisation, as both characters are developed

providing a physical people. It was often overlooked that she was in fact one of the most description intelligent members of this fleet. aim of paragraph is to develop the characterisation that is a major feature of the short story genre

introducing second protagonist

pushing the plot forward in a quick planet’s atmosphere in a blaze of flame and exploding gases. As their craft and dramatic manner using stabilised, they found a plateau, where they landed the craft. Nervously they left techniques such the craft and in a momentous and tentative moment, barely trusting the positive as onomatopoeia

Jammed into the cockpit of the small landing craft, they broke through the

reading on their life-support sensors, they released the glass-domed protective helmet. The sweet-scented smell of fresh air brought tears to eyes that had language and action in keeping with the science fiction genre

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good attempt to develop aesthetic language, from the sibilance to personification of the eyes

almost forgotten what it was like to breathe fresh air. They then became aware of the sounds of nature. The twittering and chirping of birds emanated from the trees in a surreal-like memory of a world long deserted. Leaves rustled on bended boughs as the wind played a soft

of contentment. once again onomatopoeia, alliteration and personification all add to the atmosphere and engaging quality of the story

melody, whispering through the treetops in a long susurration

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aesthetic language continues with use of onomatopoeia and simile

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Plot needs to jump forward as the genre demands Their wonder and joy were short-lived as a blood-curdling shriek cut through the development, yet it is still a short air in a vicious wail of despair. Rick immediately pulled his plasma phaser from story, and you need to move his low-slung holster. Mindlessly, he let loose three short blasts in the language towards resolution. in direction of the pitiful sounds of distress. Delilah rushed to his side Language continues keeping to be descriptive and knocked the offensive weapon from his grasp. with and aesthetic. genre sense of action in keeping with genre; good development of character ‘What the hell do you think you’re doing, ya flaming idiot?’ she screamed. ‘You

have no idea what or who you are shooting at.’

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He sent a glare of vindictive hatred in her direction, ignored her protests, picked up his blaster and moved in the direction of the cries. As they pushed through

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the burnt and charred undergrowth they came across a pitiful scene: a small

character continues to develop

group of alien life forms huddled together just out of reach of the blaster’s destruction. They were green with long tentacles yet seemed young and childlike.

burst from the forest and wrapped its appendages around Delilah. Rick moved to her side with a threatening look in his steely eyes.

alien life form is introduced as third character

There was another dramatic cry and a much larger version of these creatures

‘Release her or your kids die,’ he growled with undisguised anger. His aggressive

demeanour was hiding a fear that had been growing within his soul ever since

they first became aware of danger. He was consumed with a desire to save his

people and he was not letting this obstacle get in his way. He raised his gun . . . ‘No!’ screamed Delilah. She broke free and covered the trembling young aliens with her body. ‘Get out of the way,’ Rick whispered in a soft but deadly voice. Delilah walked characters continue towards him, gently putting her hand on the gun and pushing it towards the ground. ‘I to develop; moving don’t think this is the way we are going to save our people. We need to communicate towards with these indigenous creatures.’ As she spoke there was a rumbling towards the tree resolution

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line. An army of green tentacles pushed forward and surrounded the two homeless space travellers. As threatening as they were, Rick surveyed them from a military perspective. They had no weapons other than primitive spears and wooden clubs.

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them, their primitive weapons raised in a threatening manner. As they waited the fell blow

Any chance of success seemed a distant memory as the strange life forms surrounded

that would end their lives, the creature who had attacked Delilah moved forward and

now shielded their trembling bodies. Following a series of unintelligible sounds from the

creature, the tension began to dissipate. Room was made and the indigenous creatures of sense of resolution, the planet tried to communicate with these alien invaders. Delilah had never pushing plot considered herself an alien or an invader. She started to look at the situation from towards conclusion

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the other end of the lens. Delilah knew she still had a challenge with Rick. She also knew that if she could convince him of their need for peace, he would be able to convince the fleet. It turned out that the planet was sparsely populated. The indigenous creatures obstacle is resolved

were peaceful and were willing to welcome humanity to their world.

Rick, gently manipulated by Delilah, began to realise that their only hope for peace was

through friendship. He took it upon himself to ingratiate himself among the natives. He helped develop their society and showed them new and more successful ways and means

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of producing food and constructing their homes. Over time, his leadership skills began to shine and were vital in helping the humans to live peacefully with the planet’s indigenous

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creatures. Though often rash and quick to anger, he was kept on a short leash by Delilah, story is concluded

who became his wife.

Write a short story, in which a crime or mystery is solved, and which begins with a dramatic arrival. You may set your short story in any era and may choose to include or not include the fictional detective Sherlock Holmes. Detective, crime genre

Exercise: Exam practice

Write a short story for inclusion in a collection of science fiction writing inspired by the following quotation ‘ . . . a new beast, slouching towards us . . . the beautiful mutant’.

Write a short story, suitable for publication in a collection of spy stories, in which a librarian, a photograph and a chair are central to the narrative. Thriller, adventure, crime genre

Write a short story that captures the evolving relationship between two characters – one young and one old – as they travel in a strange land. Adventure (variety of possibilities) genre, personal writing, could also be a very conventional style short story.

Write a short story, for inclusion in a collection of detective fiction, about a character who explores various possibilities in order to solve a crime. Detective, crime genre

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Personal Essay

Key Point: Register features of the genre

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As with all composing tasks, it is vital that you get the genre right.

When writing a personal essay, the most important thing to remember is it must be about yourself and it must be genuine. Setting a narrative style essay in a historical context would immediately fail to register the genre as, quite obviously, you are not living in the past. Some of these are suggestions, while others are a must. They are all accepted features of the genre.

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• •

If you follow the points below, you should be able to register the correct genre.

Watch out for any point with a ‘must’ and ensure you apply it to your essay.

Features of the genre

A personal essay can attain high marks, as it is easy to register the correct genre. A personal essay must be written from a first-person point of view.

It must be reflective and contain a degree of comment. Draw on your own experiences, as this will add a degree of honesty, which will help accentuate the personal aspect of the story.

• •

Be emotive. Do not be afraid to show your hopes, fears, excitement, etc. (While this is not a must, it is strongly recommended.) Hopes and fears relate to everyday issues. While emotive language can be effective, use restraint when developing your ideas. This is not the place to open up about sensitive issues and psychological problems.

• • •

Feel free to create aesthetic imagery in order to display your feelings.

•

Set your narrative in the recent past so you can draw upon and comment on your experiences.

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If you want to write a personal narrative, you must make it autobiographical.

If you write a personal narrative, it is a good idea to jump in and out of the narrative and provide comment and insight when filling in the gaps.

You can relate to famous figures or celebrities, which could enhance your viewpoint.

• •

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•

Famous historical and analogous moments could also be referred to within the context of your experiences. (Only do this if it helps your essay. Do not include such references just because you have learned them off and are determined to use them).

•

Some well-chosen quotes and anecdotes could help in enhancing your arguments. (Only do this if it helps your essay. Do not include such quotes just because you have learned them off and are determined to use them).

• •

Persuasive and argumentative techniques can be used. Language register should be conversational, personal and intimate.

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•

Starting with a quote, rhetorical question or anecdote could help you initiate the reflective process. (Again, only use such quotes if they are relevant.)

• • • •

Your essay must be credible.

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A cyclical structure can work well, as you return to your initial thought or feeling.

Your views can change.

Example 4: Personal essay Write a personal essay on the importance of a mobile phone in your life.

Plan

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The ending should contain some form of impact.

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Plan your work out in the following manner. Remember: your plan is a rough road map. You can follow it closely or you can take small deviations, but without it you will get lost. A wellstructured essay of any nature needs to be planned, otherwise it will appear to be rambling. Impact of phones in my own life and in lives of my peers – negative narrative: give analogous example of this impact – visit of a cousin from America who spent all his time on phone

Comment:

My view in relation to this example – unhealthy, diminishing social and literary skills

Narrative:

Lead reader towards complication – worried about bringing cousin to meet my friends

Comment:

Thoughts on the nature of the modern phone – have a moment of clarity

Narrative:

Transitional paragraph pushing towards resolution

Resolution:

Discover cousin was keeping video log of his trip and how he was enjoying Ireland; shared with other Americans; actually very positive; my opinion changes to a degree. Summation in relation to this change – I can appreciate the use of mobile phone in a less excessive manner

Conclusion:

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Opening comment:

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Sample answer

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Opening comment: stated point of view. This is something that needs to be supported and developed The ubiquitous mobile phone has become the one accessory that no teenager can throughout. go without. While I appreciate the improvements that the electronic revolution has made to my life, I cannot help wondering at the cost. The self-absorbed

bubble accentuated by the glow on the user’s face from the backlight of the touch

personal voice: reflective and judgemental

screen has created a new beast. This beast is the modern teenager; a robot-like figure, losing the capability to interact with other human beings without the aid language is reflective and aesthetic – good development of metaphor, which turns into a simile

of their phone.

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Last summer, Jim, my cousin, came to Ireland from America for a holiday. I was excited, as I had not seen him for three years. My memories of Jim involved

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intimate summers hanging out on my grandparents’ farm playing all the and personal usual children’s outdoor games. The first thing he did when we left the airport was turn on his phone. Within moments his face was basked in the so

familiar glow of technological backlight. The moment we arrived home he was

familiar and relatable image; genuine and thought-provoking.

asking for the WIFI password and then his face disappeared into the screen once

second paragraph begins the personal narrative: genuine memory based on experience; autobiographical

again. ‘Is this it?’ I thought to myself. ‘Am I to spend the next four weeks watching my cousin swiping his way through his holiday?’

reflecting on his behaviour – again personal, judgemental and intimate

It became abundantly clear to me that the advances in technology are creating a socially redundant generation. Jim’s reluctance to engage socially without the

personalising general aid of his phone was frighteningly obvious. The more I observation from real thought about it, the more I realised that in today’s relationships experiences

moving away from the narrative and adding general comment and observations; reflective

people were becoming more willing to communicate with each other through the medium of texting. Where has the simple phone conversation disappeared to?

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Intimacy is being replaced with touch screens, which perpetuates materialism as people become more endeared to the high-range smartphone. A stigma has developed around a person’s phone. I know people my

reflection leads to general observation

own age who will not answer their phone in public, as

technology. This technology is manifested in the modern smartphone. suggests personal fear for the future

return to the personal narrative.

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as young as two or three are becoming engulfed by the modern force that is

they are embarrassed because their phone may be an old model. Even children

He was on it again. I like and use my phone, but I don’t see the need to be online

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developing opinions based while eating my dinner. I was secretly hoping he was not one of those people who on personal tweet about what they have just eaten. I had bought two tickets to Foo Fighters, experiences who were playing Slane in a week’s time. I had been looking forward to bringing

development of genuine and credible personal narrative

my cousin along to meet all my friends and to share in the festive concert

atmosphere. It occurred to me that this was not such a great idea. My friends

were the active and extroverted sort of people who would not appreciate being lumbered with an unsociable ‘technophile’. I was not even sure if I still

liked him, as we had exchanged very few words since he had

confessional; very honest; personal fear being developed

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arrived. I knew he liked the Foo Fighters, as he had sent me a link on WhatsApp to their new single. Then it occurred to me that we had

personal moment of last two years on social networks such as WhatsApp, Snapchat and Instagram. realisation The modern phone is no longer designed with the primary function

reflection on the epiphany

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spent a lot of time communicating with each other over the

of making phone calls. Actually, I can’t remember the last time I made a phone call. Mobiles arrive pre-loaded with Instagram and other such apps. We young people use them all the time. We have become dependent on them. My cousin, Jim, and I

were closer when separated by the Atlantic Ocean because we knew how to use

technology to maintain our relationship.

reflective in both a general and personal manner

impact of phone is now vague: is it good or bad? questioning initial thoughts and feelings on the issue

Now we were struggling, and I realised I was half to blame. I had never picked up the

phone and rang to ask how he was. I had laughed at my mother and her efforts to Skype her sister. Instead I had sent messages such as, ‘Watsup’ and ‘R U good’. There was, personal consequences explored, slightly self-deprecating; no longer just judging the cousin

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however, one positive. We knew each other and we were aware of each other’s likes and dislikes. personal sense of self-recrimination continues; move towards resolution I picked up my phone. I sent him a text message. ‘Fancy going to Foo Fighters next week.

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Got a couple of tickets. One rule, no mobile phones. Looks like we will have to talk to

continuing the narrative.

each other for a change. :-) :-)’ The reply was nearly instant. ‘Great idea, can’t wait.’

story beginning to go full circle; recognisable shape to the narrative, yet it is still intimate and reflective

elements of comment as narrative develops – slight deviation from original plan but that’s okay (as the essay developed an extra paragraph of narrative was needed)

The concert was great but what really stands out for me that day was the manner

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in which we rekindled our relationship. As soon as we met up with the rest of my friends all my social fears dissipated. Jim was an instant hit with all my friends,

especially the girls. I had forgotten how charming he could be. He had also learned how to milk his American accent. When we were going home some of the girls

asked for his phone number. Jim found himself for the first time that day looking for his mobile phone. I don’t think he had missed it one bit up until that point.

moving towards a resolution

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phone is re-introduced to the narrative, but in a positive manner

focus of the narrative is now on Jim; relationship is starting to develop, adding to confessional and intimate style

When we got home I brought up the subject of the phone. I told him how irritated

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I was by his constant use of his smartphone. Rather than trying to defend himself he showed me his phone. He had been keeping a video and blog-style diary of his stay in Ireland. I felt guilty

personal, reflective and honest; genuine and credible

when I realised that the main theme of his diary was how happy he was to be

spending time with his Irish cousin. I instantly felt regret that I had not tried to communicate with him earlier. The video of him arriving in the country and

taking a seat in the back of the car stood out as a poignant moment, as it was

at the same time I had been judging him for having his nose stuck in his phone.

It became clear to me that there is a positive place for the smartphone in our

society.

narrative designed to make the writer feel bad for their initial judgemental opinion of the cousin moment of resolution is clear, personal, judgemental and reflective

A change of opinion or viewpoint leads nicely into the conclusion and will also help with the sense of impact that we are hoping for.

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stating an absolute fact, which was mentioned in the opening line – essay has gone full circle

conclusion Technology permeates every aspect of our world. We can deny its presence but at a cost. The elderly businessman who refuses to check his emails will

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The secret is to learn to control technology and the benefits of technological

personal cognisance of the consequences of ignoring technology

consequences in a slightly lose business, while the teenager who refuses to check more general manner his Snapchat account may lose out on a social life.

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advances which have made the smartphone possible, rather than be controlled by it. A balance is needed in life, and I am pretty sure that when the telegraph

was first invented there were members of society that felt this newfangled gadget

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would ruin society as we know it. Ruin – I don’t think so; final thoughts leading into a change – definitely. final statement finishes with an impact

Mark

Once again, when we look at P, it is clear that the writer has clearly registered the genre.

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Exercise: Exam practice

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P: Focus – a personal essay, which reflects on the importance of a mobile phone in your life; good understanding of genre – the effective use of some elements of personal writing, e.g. written in the first person, reflective insights, confessional tone, individual observation, use of personal anecdotes. Displays freshness and originality.

Write a personal essay in which you reflect on moments of insight and revelation you have experienced.

Write a personal essay reflecting on what you perceive to be the pleasures particular to youth.

Write a personal essay in which you reflect on the value of personal space and quietness in the modern world. Write a personal essay in which you reflect on what feeds your imagination. Write a personal essay in which you reflect on some of the places that have helped to shape and define you, and the significance of these places in your life.

Write a personal essay in which you celebrate friendship, and reflect on how you have been influenced by the unique and diverse personalities of your friends.

Write a personal essay in which you reflect on what you are proud of in your life.

Write a personal essay in which you reflect on the ‘useless clutter’ that is a feature of many aspects of our lives.

Write a personal essay about your response to an ending, or endings, in your life that you consider significant

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Discursive Essay In Example 4, there was one clear related narrative that was referenced throughout the entire response. It is also acceptable to have a series of short narratives that could be unrelated.

•

The narrative style is not the only approach that you can take: a personal essay can also take on a discursive style.

•

All the rules for the personal essay genre still apply, but the focus is on a discussion of the topic rather than a narrative approach. You can still use personal anecdotes to help clarify or enhance your viewpoint.

•

This is a good example of how various genres cross over and complement each other. A discursive personal essay will look at all angles of an issue while a personal essay remains very subjective.

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•

Features of the genre

One of the main features of the discursive genre is the ability to look at the subject from different angles. This is what distinguishes the discursive style from a debate or treatise, yet the features of argument and persuasion are still used.

•

If you wanted to write a discursive personal essay on the impact of a mobile phone on your life, you would need to examine all the various pros and cons of the phone. You would need to observe the subject from all angles while remaining balanced in your examination, then you draw a personal conclusion.

•

analysing the subject

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making observations – personal or general

expressing a good range of ideas and viewpoints writing reasonably concise, well-structured paragraphs

argumentative reasoning

using persuasive and rhetorical devices demonstrating a good knowledge of the subject

• • • • • • • •

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In any discursive essay you will need to examine all angles of the subject by:

using language with impact.

Note:

You may be asked to write a discursive essay on a topic that has no personal connection to you: in this case you will need to adopt a more formal tone.

•

It will no longer be a personal essay and it will appear as: ‘Write a discursive essay on . . .’

•

Key Point: Categories of discursive essay A speech, talk, debate or opinion piece are all categories of discursive essay, so they all employ similar characteristics.

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Note: A discursive essay does not always feature on the exam paper.

Exercise: Exam practice Write a discursive essay about some of the items you think symbolise the values held by people of your age in Ireland in 2022.

Write a discursive essay in which you consider the subject of leaders and leadership.

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Discursive personal essay:

Discursive essay:

Write a discursive essay about our changing relationship with machines and the rise of artificial intelligence.

Write a discursive essay in which you explore the positive and negative aspects of different types of advertising.

Write a discursive essay in which you discuss the importance of privacy in people’s lives and the challenges to privacy in the modern age.

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Speech

When writing a speech, you need to make sure you adopt an appropriate tone and register.

•

The language you use must relate to the question asked. If you are asked to write a thought-provoking speech, you need to pose interesting, profound and evocative questions.

•

If you are addressing, for example, the UN, then this must be obvious; if the audience is Irish, the tone needs to be definitively Irish.

•

Having established tone and register, you must follow the conventions.

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•

Go to Chapter 4, to revise the conventions of speeches.

Effective techniques when writing speeches Many effective speech writers use facts in order to prove logical points. Facts are more effective if they are clear and concise, as this helps to clearly define the argument.

•

Quotations are also used, for example from well-known academics, scientists or social commentators. This can help to develop facts or provide legitimacy to the argument.

•

The use of historical references and quotations from recognised historians and academics helps with a speech. We feel that we are being informed during such a speech. We are being told something worthwhile. This adds a sense of legitimacy to the speech.

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You can personalise the argument by using pronouns such as ‘I’ and then connect to the audience with the collective pronoun ‘we’. This is effective, as it lets the audience know that we are all responsible for the problem or issue and that we can all be part of the solution. By using such persuasive techniques, a speech writer can make the audience feel part of the argument, which is an effective way to maintain interest.

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A good speech is effective if it is persuasive. Use of hyperbole, superlatives, questioning, emotive language, inclusive language and imperatives all help the persuasive aspect of a speech.

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A speech should be written with an authoritative voice. The best way to do this is by being informed and confident.

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Another good aspect of speech writing is the use of analogies (drawing a comparison to something) or anecdotes (short illustrative stories) to illustrate your point. This again draws in the audience and makes them part of the drama.

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The use of rhetorical techniques such as repetition, triads and rhetorical questions is very effective in speech writing. This makes the audience think about the arguments and ultimately come to the same conclusions as the speaker.

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Edco English Paper 1 - Leaving Certificate Higher Level

Example 5: Speech

You are competing in the final of a national public speaking competition. The topic to be addressed is: Language is a great weapon. You are free to agree or disagree. Write the speech you would deliver.

Assessment criteria

Focus – a speech on the topic ‘Language is a great weapon’; register appropriate for delivery at the final of a national public-speaking competition; understanding of genre – the effective use of some elements of speech writing, e.g. use of references, rhetorical language, anecdotes, imagery, illustrations, inclusive language, awareness of audience. Must display a degree of freshness and originality.

Plan

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Looking at the P of the assessment criteria you can once again see the importance of making sure you get the genre correct.

You should start by planning your speech. Brainstorm ideas then select your best points. You will need around five+ points to complete the essay. weapon for good or bad

• • • • • • •

Hitler vs King

social media words online rise of dictators prejudice and bigotry racism gender

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Sample answer

Ladies and gentlemen, fellow competitors; I would like to welcome you here today while I address the topic of whether

formal opening is in keeping with genre

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referring to competitors rather than debaters as this is not a debate but a public speaking competition

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‘Language is a great weapon’. From the cynical and

sinister speeches of Hitler during the Nuremberg rallies that opened the darkest

chapter in the history of humanity, to the inspiring and inclusive speeches of Martin Luther King during the civil rights movements that woke the ‘once dormant’ Black

American community and inspired hope for the advancement of society; language has undoubtedly always been a powerful tool in our world, and to argue otherwise would

collective pronoun engaging with audiencehas

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be farcical. juxtaposing historical allusions demonstrates power of language as weapon for good and bad

A weapon is a tool, and a tool is used to effect change. History

taught us that change can be positive or negative, pessimistic or

optimistic. Every one of us has felt the impact of the effects of language.

We have seen the great benefits of language wielded productively and the

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devastating consequences of language brandished in a nefarious manner. Do we really believe the old adage ‘Words will never hurt me’? Actually,

use of rhetorical question

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these clichéd words seem trite and frivolous. Teenagers have become social pariahs, introverted, depressed and suicidal due to the words that have been fired in their direction. If language is a weapon, then the nasty words

of the behind-the-screen keyboard warrior is the ammunition feeding this

aesthetic terrible weapon of mass destruction. Social media has changed the face of hyperbolic imagery language bullying into a new beast, a terror that has ravished the lives of too many used to develop victims. Language has been moulded into a terrible weapon. Research from image the Central Statistics Board has revealed frightening figures that link 80 per

cent of young suicides to abuse suffered from social media. fact used to confirm argument Historically, orators such as Hitler used language to inspire a nation to a hysteria of hatred. Hitler rose to power by using the vulnerable and forgotten victims of the treaty of Versailles. He gave them a scapegoat in the form of the Jewish community and made Germans feel important and superior again. Surely, we have

alliteration used to develop fluency of speech

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good use of historical illustrations

matured and developed as a species. He was democratically elected, which we, as a modern society, claim to find absolutely outrageous. We, the people of the world, the UN, the philosophers and the politicians have

persuasive use of ‘we’

twisted to serve the machinations of an individual. Then came Tito, followed by Pol Pot, followed by Milosevic . . . Need I continue? Will I

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Successful use of collective pronoun; audience made to feel responsible for ironies of our world; good movement from historical to the present

categorically stated this can never happen again. Language would never be

say the word you are all thinking? Trump. Impossible! Love him or hate him, it is undeniable that Trump defeated

all the odds and expectations in becoming elected, because he knew how to load

and unleash the mighty weapon of language. From his electoral speeches to his

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manipulation of social media, he ended up being elected President of the USA by preying on the sensibilities of the vulnerable and marginalised and

by pandering to the rich and mighty by massaging their egos. Do I need to spell out the analogy to Hitler’s rise to power?

strong argument demonstrating how powerful language can be

Language, as a weapon, can be used to effect change. This does not have

to be negative. We live in a world that is striving to be more understanding, ecumenical and tolerant. It was not always like this. After the Reformation

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and Counter-Reformation, European governments fought wars over words such as ‘transubstantiation’. If language helped to create prejudice, I think

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it is safe to say, it is now being used to help eradicate prejudice. No one

sustained and clever use of historical illustration and analogies

is born a bigot. It is something we learn through our culture and through

our language. Societies that still practise bigotry and prejudice are often societies whose language has failed to develop with the times. Some may

feel that language suffers from political correctness gone mad, but I firmly believe that by removing derogatory and offensive words from our daily

lexicon, we are freer to live in, and develop a more just society. We all

must examine the language we use and if we find it wanting then we must

change. The words we use are powerful and they can often have unintended

good movement from collective pronoun to the personal and back to the collective

consequences. We Irish like to think of ourselves as a nation free from racism. This is not the case. As someone coming from a mixed Irish and Asian family, I can tell you first hand that I have been called many a racial slur on the GAA pitch.

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I can take a chop from a hurley across my back without flinching, but to be called by a racial slur is devastating. The pain and hurt that such language can cause is profound. Any one of you who have ever experienced this type of racial abuse will not be able to tell me that language is not a weapon. personalising the argument adds to drama and passion of the speech

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against racism.

Thankfully we can see organisations such as the IRFU taking a stand

We live in a world that is traditionally patriarchal. Language has suppressed females for thousands of years. Patriarchal institutions such as the

medieval church produced societies that actively discriminated against

women. We learn this from ‘history’ not ‘herstory’. The language is a man’s

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language. It powerfully repressed and held back the development of women through countless cultures and societies. Thankfully, this is changing.

Language is exposing many of the misogynistic faults of our contemporary world. The Me Too movement is an excellent example of how language can be crafted to effect change. While it originated as a way for female survivors

magnitude of the problem across the world, highlighted the

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difficulties in reporting and pursuing these crimes legally, and has shone a spotlight on the ways in which we can all take a stand against behaviour that objectifies women.

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good development of argument demonstrating how as a weapon, language can effect change

of sexual harassment to share their experiences, it has demonstrated the

Language is potent, language is powerful, language is ubiquitous. Pen or

sword: is there really a difference? Is it possible to wield a sword without

words? Can you write a speech without packing a punch? Really, I do not strong ending makes use of rhetorical devices such as repetition and questions

think so! Thank you and goodnight.

Key Point: Use your interests and knowledge It is obvious that the writer has a keen interest in history and has used their knowledge of history to help develop their speech. Use your own interests, skills and hobbies. Always play to your own strengths.

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Write a speech in which you argue for or against the motion: Contemporary Irish society is both tolerant and progressive.

Write a speech, to be broadcast online, for or against the motion: We are a selfobsessed generation.

Write a speech, to be delivered to a World Youth Conference, in which you give your views on how democracy can be supported in the world today.

Write a speech, for a class debate, for or against the motion: Young people should travel and see the world before joining the workforce or furthering their education.

You are participating in a public-speaking competition for second-level students. Write a speech, that can be serious or amusing or both, in which you describe what you see as the essential elements of the Irish character.

Write a thought-provoking speech, to be delivered at a United Nations Youth Conference, in which you consider some of the causes and possible solutions to what you see as the defining struggles of our age.

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Exercise: Exam practice

Descriptive Essay Key Point

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A descriptive essay tends to reveal a writer’s experience through carefully crafted description. Again, many genres are linked. A lot of the techniques used for the personal essay and the discursive essay can also be used here. The real difference is the attention and focus given to the descriptive element.

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A descriptive essay focuses attention on an aspect such as a person, an experience or a place.

• • •

The title will determine where the focus of the essay should be.

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It is the writer’s task to engage the reader by going beyond the superficial.

You need to show creativity and depth, so your essay does not become merely a long aesthetic-style stream of consciousness.

A descriptive essay may contain other elements, such as narrative, but the focus should be placed on descriptive writing. Having some form of narrative or a discursive element is a good idea, as a pure stream of consciousness-style descriptive essay can often fail to engage and maintain the reader’s attention.

Example 6: A descriptive essay Write a descriptive essay which captures a sense of the difference between dawn and dusk and celebrates both the beginning and the end of the day. You are required to write a descriptive essay that:

• •

captures a sense of the difference between dawn and dusk celebrates both the beginning and the end of the day.

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Assessment criteria

Focus – a descriptive essay, which captures a sense of the difference between dawn and dusk and celebrates both the beginning and the end of the day. You need to demonstrate a clear understanding of genre – in other words you need to register the effective use of some elements of descriptive writing, figurative language, imagery, use of setting, creation of atmosphere/mood, attention to detail, quality of observation, etc. You also need to display a degree of freshness and originality.

The extent to which the descriptive writing is successfully sustained and developed, the effective sequencing and management of ideas, etc.

Control of narrative language, e.g. style, vocabulary, syntax, punctuation. Punctuation should be accurate.

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Plan

Set the context and background; describe a setting

Introduction:

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M: Accuracy of mechanics. Spelling and grammar should be accurate.

Describe the dawn: Day begins with a cycle; struck by the magnificence of the dawn; move from rural to coastal to suburban Celebrate the dawn: How wonderful it was; time of optimism

Describe the dusk:

How the day comes to an end – on your way home from school/ evening study and leads to a thought process where you compare both dusk and dawn

Celebrate the dusk: How wonderful but bittersweet as the day ends

Conclusion:

Judgement, comparison between the two – difference

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Sample answer I love the dawn. One of my greatest pleasures in life is to be on my bike early

usually get up just before dawn, don my cycling gear and prepare myself for the

setting a scene and a sense of narrative

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thirty-kilometre journey into school. It is a routine that I love, as I feel privileged

in the morning so that I can experience that moment when the day awakens. I

to be able to bask in the glory of the morning on those days that I choose to cycle to school.

forming a link with the title

The day begins with an audible click as the cleats of my shoes bind with the pedals.

It is usually cold, regardless of the time of the year. Rain, I do not mind;

the wind, however, presents its own challenges. As I take off into the gloom, I

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creating atmosphere and mood

become aware of the world around me. There is no other way to experience the beginning of the day in such an intimate manner. You feel part of the nature that surrounds you. I live in a rural area just outside the city. The first thing that I become aware of is the dawn chorus. The tweeting and chirping of the birds can be quite raucous in the early hours of the morning. A strange intensity about their conversations, calm and peaceful, projects me descriptive techniques day. I always feel optimistic, full of the joys and pleasures of life as I look forward to what used the day has to offer. celebration of dawn – offering a reason for the glorification of the dawn

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into a surreal world as I glide by, lost in my own thoughts. It is an interesting time of the

A glimmer of light appears over my left shoulder. As I reach the coast there is a fiery

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continued use of glow appearing on the surface of the sea. The dark viridian fields over my right aesthetic and shoulder are still basked in shadow. The air smells of hope. As the sun emerges from its descriptive techniques slumber, the sea is even more animated. Dawn is sometimes indescribable. Reds, golds

and ember deep orange dazzle in all their glory. My eyes are fixed on the road in front of me. The tarmac is scarred and pitted with wear and tear. It is a difficult stretch to traverse. The vibrations course through my wrists and are dampened by my aching elbows. description becomes tactile

continued use of aesthetic and descriptive techniques

The surface changes and suddenly I am alive to the world around me. The sun is higher

now, the fiery intensity has gone, but is replaced with a soft yet beautiful reflection on the surface of the water. I know that this is a special time to be savoured. The gentle sounds of nature, the lapping of the water on the rocks, the melodious tune of the birds and gentle whispering of the wind will soon be replaced with the harsh cacophony of humanity. continued use of aesthetic and descriptive techniques to celebrate the dawn throughout paragraph; conditions of task are being adhered to

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A truck rumbles past, followed by the sonorous belching of an old transit van. Dust is kicked up from the surface of the road. I pull a scarf over my mouth and push my glasses close to my face. The serenity of my world is cruelly disturbed as a careless

and churlish driver skims past my shoulder, driving far too fast. Thankfully, I leave the main road and start to travel down a

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sense of change as dawn gives way to day

newly built cycle track. I return my focus to the developing world that surrounds me. The trees are awake now and move to the tunes of nature. I often wonder why I love

the morning so much. Sitting on my bike without being shielded or protected from the

elements you can really become part of the emerging day. It is a time of promises and adventure. As you observe the world fresh, pure and unspoilt, you can believe that

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anything is possible.

setting a context for comparison to dusk

The sea is gone, the fields and trees have surrendered to the suburban world of houses and lawns. I am forced to stop at the train crossing. Other students begin to arrive from developing the personal The train thunders past while the many commuters stare through the glass window. narrative; focus of essay They appear divided from the world by an artificial barrier. Oddly, I feel a little bit continues to sorry for them. To them this is just another day; mundane and lacking in the glory that be on descriptive I have discovered during my hour-and-a-half cycle. The gates of the school loom in elements

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lanes and side roads. A few glance in my direction, nodding their heads in greeting.

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the distance. Time to visit the changing rooms and prepare myself for the day ahead. The day was long and tiring. The hour and a half in study did nothing to brighten my mood. The optimism of the day was slowly scourged by the banality and monotony

of the day. My mood brightens as the familiar click informs me that the cleats on my

shoes are properly locked into the pedals. Shadows are beginning to lengthen as I reach the train crossing. This time the gates are up, and I flash past, making my way

nice transition to the dusk

to the cycle track. It is ironic, I think to myself, how the gates held me up during the

promise of the morning. As evening matures, they are up, suggesting a metaphoric

sense of freedom as I move towards the gloom of the dusk.

accentuating a new type of beauty; difference to dawn is emphasised

The dusk, however, is not gloomy, merely full of shadows. It has a new beauty, a

different beauty. As I leave the world of manicured lawns and observe the fields over my left shoulder, I notice the trees dimming in the light. Birds are quieter now as they make their way towards the rookeries. Their constant chattering is gone and all I hear is the beautiful yet sad song of a lonesome nightingale. The ocean has developed a description of dusk and the difference to the dawn is continued

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new look. As the sun disappears behind the hills and fields the sea is momentarily basked in a silver light; then darkness descends. The world is quiet again. There are fewer cars on the road and as I approach the last few kilometres of my journey I think

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Dawn and dusk are destined to never meet. It is a diurnal chase that has existed since

of how different these worlds are.

time began. One cannot exist without the other. They both have a beauty that is worth

celebrating yet are very different. The morning is full of hope and promise, while dusk, despite its beauty, is often bittersweet as the day failed to deliver on its promises.

conclusion is designed to accentuate the difference between the two parts of the day

Exercise: Exam practice

Write a descriptive essay in which you capture how the landscape reflects the transition of the seasons. You may choose to include some or all of the seasons in your essay.

Write a descriptive essay entitled Night Scene.

Write a descriptive essay in which you take your readers on an urban journey.

Write a descriptive essay which captures life in Ireland in 2015 from the point of view of an observant time-traveller. The time-traveller may be from the past or from the future.

Write a descriptive essay about what you find beautiful or exotic in everyday life.

Write a descriptive essay describing life in Ireland during the Covid pandemic.

Remember!

In order to do well you must register a number of the features of the particular genre.

Be aware of the cross-links between the different genres. Always start with a plan.

Be structured.

Choose a topic that suits your strengths and interests.

• • • • •

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Checklist

Do you understand what is required to clearly show an understanding of the different genres of writing that can be examined?

Can you identify an appropriate language register to be used when taking on the different composing tasks?

Can you plan out your responses?

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Focusing on

Learning intentions In this chapter you will understand and engage with:

• • • • •

punctuation homophones contractions syntax commonly misspelt words.

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the Writing

•

If you are careful and conscientious about proofreading and editing your written work you will improve your spelling, punctuation and syntax.

•

You will also improve your spelling, grammar and punctuation by reading closely, and taking note of interesting words, phrases and sentence construction.

The following areas of study will improve your ability to write accurate English.

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Punctuation

At this stage of your English studies it is expected that you will be able to punctuate correctly. Your punctuation needs to be accurate and appropriately registered.

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Commas Commas have many uses.

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Commas are used to separate the different parts of a sentence so the reader can easily understand the intended meaning.

Usage 1: To separate the different parts of a sentence

As soon as I finish this exercise, I will put on my jacket, unlock my bike and cycle home.

It is common for students to leave out commas that totally transform the meaning of a sentence. This can have a major impact on your overall coherence. Consider the following examples. John the Doctor has a busy schedule.

The above sentence implies that there is a person called John the Doctor. John, the doctor has a busy schedule.

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Now John is being informed that he might not get to see the doctor, because the doctor is too busy.

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John, the doctor, has a busy schedule.

This time there is a doctor named John who has a busy schedule.

Key Point: The absence of a comma can transform a sentence Let’s eat granny.

This simple sentence is unpleasant, as it suggests horrific cannibalistic images. A simple comma after ‘eat’, however, totally transforms the sentence, as it now conveys a pleasant image of someone wishing to share a meal with their grandmother.

Let’s eat, granny.

Usage 2: To separate items in a list

Commas are used to separate items in a list. We use ‘and’ for the last item in the list rather than a comma. He went to the store and bought a litre of milk, a bag of sweets, a loaf of bread, six eggs and a Mars bar. Again, commas used in this way can transform a sentence. Consider the following example: Last night, I watched Star Wars Jaws and The Avengers.

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If you are familiar with these movies, you will understand the intended meaning, i.e. that I watched three movies last night. However, someone who has never heard of these movies will think that I only watched two: the first called Star Wars Jaws and the second called The Avengers. By omitting a comma, I have changed the meaning of the sentence.

Usage 3: To separate adjectives when describing something

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Now the sentence accurately states that I watched three movies: the first, Star Wars; the second, Jaws; and the third, The Avengers.

Last night I watched Star Wars, Jaws and The Avengers.

Generally, commas are used between adjectives when describing something. Adjectives that are coordinate (that can be interchanged) are separated with a comma. The sentence should still make sense if you replace the comma with ‘and’.

Example 1

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The long, dusty road. The dusty, long road. The long and dusty road.

There is an exception. When two adjectives cannot be interchanged, a comma is not used.

Example 2 The long denim jeans.

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It would sound wrong to say, ‘The denim long jeans’ or ‘The jeans are long and denim’, so in this case we do not use a comma.

Usage 4: To separate direct speech or quotation

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Commas are used to separate direct speech or quotation from the rest of the sentence when the speech is introduced, interrupted or followed by a phrase such as ‘he said’, ‘she asked’ or ‘they replied’.

“ I am in blood stepped in so far that, should I wade no more, returning were as tedious as go o’er”

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Usage 5: With ‘however’ A comma is used before and after ‘however’. When a sentence begins with ‘however’ a comma is used after it.

However, the uses of commas are very important. We notice, however, when they are not used we can get confused. However hard he tried, he couldn’t master the rules of punctuation.

Usage 6: With conjunctions

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The exception to this rule is if ‘however’ modifies an adjective or adverb:

It was a hard day, but he never gave up.

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He is a good talker, but he prefers to listen.

A comma is used in front of conjunctions that connect independent clauses. Independent clauses can function as standalone sentences.

Exercise

Rewrite the following sentences, inserting commas where necessary.

Solitary beams of bright morning light glistened through the foggy windows glancing off colourful maps and shelves stacked with ancient books illuminating each mote of dust amongst the rows of dingy desks. The shrill piercing wail of the school bell broke the calm serene atmosphere. This was quickly echoed by the stampeding of boisterous students as they pushed and shoved their way to class. I silently slid into the dark musky classroom and was greeted with the daily chorus of friendly chatter echoing around the room.

I called for Tom the one with the long brown hair to join our football match.

Naoise and I have always competed for a starting position.

Sam the accounting student loved to spend his spare time out on the field in front of the clubhouse practising his skills.

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Colon A colon can be used to introduce direct speech/quotations, but usually just for emphasis or where the introduction is complex (such as for a full sentence).

‘Macbeth’ is a play full of metaphors: in these comparisons Macbeth’s guilt comes to the fore.

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Semicolon A semicolon works like a more powerful comma and has different uses.

Usage 1: To mark a distinct division in a sentence

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A semicolon marks a very distinct division in a sentence between clauses that can stand alone as separate sentences. It is often used when we want to unite two different, but related, sentences.

I was prepared to rough it and camp whatever the weather; my dad had other ideas. I’m studying for my exam; I can’t meet you to go shopping.

Usage 2: In lists with internal commas

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A semicolon is used in a complicated or detailed list where the elements listed themselves contain commas. She went to the shop and bought, among other things, ingredients for the cake; snacks for the party, including vegan options; two different flavours of crisp – salt and vinegar for her brother, and cheese and onion for her dad; garlic and thyme naan bread; and a pint of milk.

Usage 3: To separate comparative statements

A semicolon can be used to separate statements that are connected in a comparative sense. The dress was blue; her shoes were white.

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Lady Macbeth merely encourages Macbeth; it is Macbeth who actually kills Duncan.

Exercise

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Rewrite the following sentences, inserting semicolons where appropriate. Sarah likes sport Tim does not.

While driving through Europe this summer, I crossed through Paris, France Salzburg, Austria Wengen, Switzerland and Trieste, Italy.

Tom had a big bet on the game he was sure his sister would score.

Her skirt was green her boots were black.

No one could believe it was raining the game was cancelled.

Question mark •

A question mark is used every time we ask a direct question. Who won the match?

• •

Never put a full stop or a comma after a question mark. Do not use a question mark after an indirect question. I asked him who had won the match.

•

Do not use a question mark when a question is embedded in a statement. May I ask that everyone stops writing and hands in their papers.

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Exclamation mark •

Use an exclamation mark after giving an urgent message or an order, and to express surprise or disbelieve.

• •

Never use more than one!

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Remember: an exclamation mark also acts as a full stop. You can’t follow an exclamation mark with a question mark, as the sentence is either a question or an exclamation. ‘Stop! Are you trying to cause an accident?’

Apostrophe •

Apostrophes are used to show possession.

•

John’s car.

An exception to this rule is when the word ‘it’ is used to denote possession.

•

When a word ends in ‘s’, you put the apostrophe after the ‘s’. John’s car is red James’s car is red. My parents’ house is big.

I have

I’ve

He is

he’s

I will

•

I’ll

it’s

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It is

Apostrophes are used to create contractions (when you join two words together).

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Its meaning is unclear, but it’s a nice example of possession.

Apostrophes are not used for plural words that end in ‘s’.

The books are on the table.

Capital letters

• •

Capital letters are used for all proper nouns. Use a capital letter at the start of a sentence. Bridget drank some Ballygowan Water on the train to Cork.

•

Use a capital letter for the first word in direct speech: The sun scorched down and John shouted, ‘It’s too hot.’

• • •

Use a capital letter for a title such as ‘Doctor’. Use a capital letter for abbreviation, such as ‘Dr’. Use a capital letter when writing addresses, as they are made up of proper nouns.

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Exercise

theres some paint in the garage

whats the matter with toms brother

susans sister is a great athlete

were going to france on a camping trip

james’s bicycle was stolen last night

frances’s car was also broken into

he went around to his parents house

Quotation marks indicate direct speech and quotations.

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•

Quotation marks

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Punctuate these sentences where appropriate and add capital letters where appropriate.

‘Watch out!’ she said. ‘Sorry, I didn’t see you there,’ he replied. ‘To be or not to be, that is the question’

•

Using single or double quotation marks is usually an issue of style. It looks well if you use single quotation marks and double when there is a quote within a quote. Mary said, ‘I can’t believe he asked me, “Do you like cooking?”’ Sometimes quotation marks are used around a single word to identify it as an idiom, as slang or as colloquial language.

•

He had not seen her for ‘yonks’.

In the example above, the quotation marks acknowledge that the word ‘yonks’ is an idiom synonymous (connected with) with good fun.

•

If dialogue is interrupted, close the quotation marks and then open them again when the dialogue continues.

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•

‘I’m tired,’ he yawned, ‘and I need some rest.’ Always use quotation marks for the name of a play, book, movie or poem when you are writing, e.g. ‘King Lear’, ‘Wuthering Heights’, ‘Unforgiven’, ‘The Fish’. If you are typing, you can use italics.

•

Ellipsis

•

An ellipsis is used to suggest that there is more to come, such as in a list. It can also be used to indicate a pause in dialogue or to create dramatic tension.

The creaking of the floorboards seemed to be coming closer . . .

•

When quoting a play or a poem, an ellipsis can be used to indicate that part of the quote is missing. This can be useful if you are quoting from a play or poem, but do not feel it is necessary to write down the entire quotation. ‘Out, out, brief candle! Life is but a walking shadow . . . Signifying nothing.’

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As against: ‘Out, out, brief candle! Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player That struts and frets his hour upon the stage Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing.’

Dash •

A single dash is generally used to introduce an afterthought or an aside.

He looked around – not expecting to see any familiar faces.

•

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And then is heard no more: it is a tale

A pair of dashes is used to insert drama into a sentence by interrupting it and drawing attention to the enclosed phrase.

•

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He looked around – pulse racing – waiting for applause.

A dash is used at the end of a sentence to indicate an interruption. He screamed, ‘Help! Help! Can anybody he–’

Hyphen

A hyphen is used to join two connected words together.

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on-screen, do-it-yourself, god-daughter, twenty-three . . .

Exercise

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Punctuate these sentences and add capital letters where appropriate. he is not really looking for his homework hes just wasting everyones time

when i was a child i played xbox watched tv trained two nights a week and still managed to finish my homework

granny who was sitting on the big comfortable chair gave me a big smile and asked what is for dinner she told me she loved me can you believe that

frosts metaphor of two roads diverging in a yellow wood is such a great depiction of the choices we make in life

i love shakespeares warning beware the green eyed monster

looking straight at her he said we will catch up on instagram

stop you are giving me a headache

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Homophones are words that are spelt differently and have different meanings but sound the same to varying extents.

•

Sometimes homophones can cause trouble for the student. There is a surprisingly long list of homophones in the English language. The following are a few that often cause problems for some Leaving Certificate students.

•

Learn to identify where you have a problem. If the particular homophones that you struggle with are not explained below, look them up or ask your teacher for help.

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•

Being and Been Been is used with the verb ‘to have’. I have been late to school every day this week. He has been very understanding about it. Being is used with the verb ‘to be’.

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•

Homophones

He is being a nuisance. She was being friendly. They are being friendly.

Their, There and They’re

•

There is an adverb indicating place or a position; their relates to possession. He likes to eat his lunch over there.

Their bags are green, while their shoes are purple. There was a lot of confusion over their politics.

They’re is used in place of ‘they are’ (contraction).

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•

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They’re always happy at the end of the game

Where, Were and We’re

•

All of the uses of where have to do with a place, location or situation.

Where is the coffee shop?

Where are the keys? Where are they?

•

In the following two examples, where does not indicate a question; it refers to a place.

He lives where there are many shops.

She moved to a country where the people are friendly.

•

Were is a form of the verb ‘to be’ and is used to describe something that happened in the past.

What were you doing yesterday? My friends were gone for the entire match. Why were you late?

•

We’re is used in place of ‘we’ and ‘are’ (contraction). We’re going to have a picnic once we arrive at the park.

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Allowed and Aloud

•

Allowed suggests permission, while aloud is something verbal that we can hear.

He was allowed go to the show where the actor spoke aloud.

•

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For and Four For is a preposition, while four is a number. She is responsible for taking care of four puppies.

Here relates to location or to a particular point or case. The book is here.

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•

Hear and Here

Here is the place that I was telling you about.

Here is the argument that Banquo is morally compromised.

•

Hear relates to the perception of sound. Can you hear the song?

Knew relates to knowledge, while new relates to the age of an object or a recent discovery.

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•

Knew and New

Knight and Night

A knight is a medieval soldier, while night is what comes after the evening time.

•

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‘I never knew that Jane opened a new bakery.’

It was a dark, stormy night when the knight finally arrived on horseback.’

No is a negative statement, while know relates to knowledge.

•

Know and No

Knows and Nose

•

Knows relates to knowledge, while a nose is found on your face.

Knot and Not

•

You tie a knot, while not is a negative response.

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Focusing on the Writing

True and Through

•

True relates to fact, as in he is telling the truth, while we walk through a door.

Two, to, too To is a preposition with several meanings, including ‘towards’ and ‘until’. Too is an adverb that can mean ‘excessively’ or ‘also’.

Die and Dye

Die is what you do at the end of your days, while you might dye your hair a different colour.

•

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Fair and fare

•

Fair is just and reasonable (also beautiful), while fare is the price of a ticket.

Gorilla and Guerrilla

•

Gorilla is an animal, while guerrilla is a self-styled freedom fighter.

Hole and Whole

A hole is something you dig in the ground, while whole is an entire object.

Morning and Mourning

Morning is the time from sunrise to midday, while mourning is what we do at a funeral.

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•

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•

Two is the number two.

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• • •

A principal is the leader or head of an organisation, while a principle is a code, belief or value.

•

Principal and Principle

Exercise

Look through the list of homophones above. Identify any that you feel you may have misused in the past. Write these words into sentences.

In groups of four, identify any other homophones that might cause confusion.

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Contractions

•

Make sure the apostrophe is in the right place.

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Make sure you can use the contractions correctly.

•

A contraction is a word made by shortening and combining two words with the use of an apostrophe. While contractions are an acceptable part of the English language, sometimes a sentence may sound or read better without them. Below is a list of frequently used contractions.

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Frequently used contractions aren’t

could not

couldn’t

can not

can’t

should not

shouldn’t

do not

don’t

would not

wouldn’t

does not

doesn’t

must not

mustn’t

did not

didn’t

was not

wasn’t

have not

haven’t

I will

I’ll

has not

hasn’t

they will

they’ll

is not

isn’t

who’ll

I’d

I have

I’ve

you’d

where is

where’s

he’d

who is

who’s

they’d

you have

you’ve

it is

it’s

they have

they’ve

here is

here’s

we have

we’ve

there’s

could have

could’ve

what is

what’s

should have

should’ve

I am

I’m

would have

would’ve

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who will

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are not

I would

he would

you would

they would

there is

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Focusing on the Writing

Syntax • •

Syntax refers to the arrangement of words in a sentence.

•

It is a common mistake for students to begin a sentence with the object of the sentence rather than the subject.

•

If you are struggling to write sentences that are syntactically correct, keep to shorter, simple sentences. As you become more used to writing these sentences you can start to develop your sentences.

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Generally speaking, if we read a sentence and it seems fluid and comprehensible then the words are in the right order.

As a simple rule, when writing simple sentences think of SVO. This is where the subject(S) comes first, then the verb(V) followed by the object(O).

The man (S) walked (V) down the road (O).

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Spelling

Spelling can be complicated in English. As soon as you start learning rules you will start to become aware of the exceptions. The rule ‘I before E, except after C’ is a good example of this. In many cases it works well and can help you with your spelling. The problem arises when a weird spelling causes us to forfeit the rule. As you can see, the words ‘weird’ and ‘forfeit’ do not follow the rules.

Commonly misspelt words extremely

marriage

refer

analytically

fulfil

meagre

reference

becoming

fulfilling

mercilessly

referred

fulfils

miraculously

referring

fundamentally

obsessed

regretted

harassed

opportunity

repetition

committing

hardly

oppression

significantly

completely

immediately

particularly

soldier

constantly

importantly

persistently

soliloquy

critical

inevitably

pessimistic

soliloquies

critically

inherently

pivotal

theatre

definitely

innately

poignantly

threatened

dysfunctional

instantly

poisoning

tolerant

effectively

integrated

portrayed

totally

elaborate

intensely

predominantly

tragedy

emigrated

interests

pursuing

tremendous

emigrates

intrigue

rarely

ultimately

emotionally

intriguing

realise

unbelievable

encouraging

intuitive

recommend

undoubtedly

enlightened

juxtaposition

reconsiders

unfortunately

committed

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certainly

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analytical

believing

The best way to improve your spelling is to be aware of what you are reading, take note of unusual spellings and if you are constantly spelling particular words incorrectly, learn them.

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Try to be aware of common pitfalls in spelling. The best way to do this, whenever you are reading, is by always paying attention to the spelling and grammar that is used.

•

If a word looks odd or out of place, look it up. Sometimes Americanisms account for spellings that look odd. We do not write American English in Ireland, so we do not accept spellings such as ‘color’ (the correct spelling is ‘colour’).

•

There is no such word as ‘alot’. The correct word is ‘a lot’. This is a common error, as it sounds like one word when we are speaking. Another error of this nature is writing ‘eachother’ as one word instead of ‘each other’.

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•

Edco English Paper 1 - Leaving Certificate Higher Level

Exercise

Look through the list of commonly misspelt words above. Identify any that you feel you may have misspelt or misused in the past. Write these words into sentences.

In groups of four, identify words that you have misspelt in the past. Test each other on these words.

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Exercise

The following passages have been taken from exemplars in Chapter 8, Focusing on Composing. The punctuation has been removed and a number of spelling errors have been introduced. Rewrite the passages correctly. When you have completed each passage selfassess your work by comparing to the exemplars as they originally appeared in Chapter 8. Example 6, paragraph 1

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I love the daun one of my greatest pleasures in life is to be on my bike early in the morning so that I can experience that moment when the day, awakens I usually get up just before daun done my cycling gear and prepare myself for the thirty-kilometre journey into school it is a routine that I love as i feel priviledged to beable to bask in the glory of the morning on those days that I chose to cycle to school. Example 6, paragraph 2

The day begins with an audible click as the cleats of my shoes binds, with the peddles it is usually cold regardless of the time of the year reign I dont mind the wind however presents it’s own challenges. As I take of into the gloom I become aware of the world around me their is no other way to experience the beggining of the day in such an intimate manner you feel part of the nature that surrounds you. I live in a rural area just outside the city the first thing that I become aware of is the daun chorus. The tweeting and chirping of the birds can be quite ruckus in the early hours of the morning a strange intensity about their conversations calm and peaceful projects me into a surreal world as I glide by lost in my own thoughts Its an interesting time of the day I always feel optimistic full of the joys and pleasures of life as I look, forward to what the day has to offer.

Example 2, paragraph 1

The clinical white, walls and the sharp, sting of disinfectant joined to irritate my already fragile nerves another day of slavrey and ridicule awaited me inside those manipulative walls of drudgery and hardship I walked down the long narrow corridor listening, to the rhythm of my feet as they tapped out the tune of my distress even the locker room with it’s cold steal rows of doors hiding the grey scrubs delineated the lowest form of life in any hospitle the medical intern.

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Focusing on the Writing

Remember!

•

To clearly express your ideas in a coherent manner you must punctuate correctly.

• • • • • •

Be aware of the different areas of punctuation.

Identify and learn the contractions that may cause you difficulties. Be conscious of commonly misspelt words.

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Be conscious of how words are spelt and learn any that you are unsure about.

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Identify and learn the homophones that may cause you difficulties.

Know how to use all aspects of punctuation.

Checklist

Do you understand the importance of correct punctuation?

Do you understand the different punctuation marks and how to use them

correctly?

Can you distinguish between different homophones?

4. Can you correctly form a contraction? 5.

Do you understand what is meant by ‘SVO’ when considering syntax?

6. Are you aware of your own limitations when it comes to spelling? 7.

Can you identify tricky words and learn them?

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d Ire la n of om pa ny

Focusing on

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Learning intentions

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Approaches to Paper 2

an approach to your Single Text how to respond to Single Text exam-style questions an approach to the four Comparative Modes

•

time strategy

• • •

In this chapter you will understand and engage with the following elements in relation to Paper 2:

•

how to respond to Comparative Mode exam-style questions

• •

an approach to Unseen Poetry

• •

an approach to Prescribed Poetry

how to respond to Unseen Poetry exam-style questions how to respond to Prescribed Poetry exam-style questions

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Focusing on Approaches to Paper 2

As for Paper 1, it is very important to have a timing strategy for Paper 2. The suggested template below should be adopted to suit your strengths.

•

Some people may need more time for one section but will work more quickly on another. See what works for you once you are confident you know how to approach the various sections.

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•

Time

Section 1, The Single Text

60 marks

55 minutes

Section 2, The Comparative Study

70 marks

60 minutes

Section 3, Poetry: Unseen Poem

70 marks

• •

Read poem

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Marks

200 marks, 200 minutes Section

Time Strategy for Paper 2

5 minutes

Write answer (four paragraphs @ 5 minutes per paragraph)

Section 3, Poetry: Prescribed Poetry

20 minutes

50 marks

60 minutes

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Section 1, Single Text

TOTAL TIME 200 minutes

Due to the changing dynamic of the Leaving Certificate questions that are asked it is important that you have a good, all-round knowledge of your Single Text.

•

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Key Point: How you should approach your single text

Look at all your material in a more inclusive manner. Memorising certain areas, such as a character analysis or a main theme, may have resulted in a good mark some years ago, but is no longer sufficient.

•

Approach

If you study a play, you need to understand the genre, i.e. that it is a dramatic text and that the characters have a dramatic role in the manner the story is told. Effectively they are dramatic devices. The same applies to the language, plot details, plot twists, and so on. The exam questions will reward this type of understanding.

• •

If you study a novel, you must understand the features of the genre.

•

If you can show good engagement with the task, you will do well. You will not do this by writing essays or summaries that you have memorised.

•

Examiners are looking to reward the student who shows good knowledge and is spontaneous in their response.

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If you really want to do well in your exam, you need to think beyond the superficial. An examiner will be impressed with the student who comes up with fresh or original interpretations.

•

Do not be afraid to question the ‘conventional’ presentation of ideas. Think of the text as a large package that needs to be unwrapped. As you tear off the layers of wrapping paper you will go beyond the superficial and start to really engage with the text, which in turn will enable you to engage with the various questions asked.

•

You use, manipulate and craft the information from the text to respond to the writing tasks. Engage with the question and answer it rather than writing down everything you know about the play or novel. A question may ask how a character influences a theme. The student, seeing the mention of ‘character’, suddenly rushes to write down a character sketch that they have memorised, but which may have absolutely nothing to do with the question.

•

At the end of your studies you will know a lot about your Single Text. The key to exam success is to think about the material you will use in your responses and be selective. You cannot use all of your knowledge.

•

You will end up wasting valuable exam time if you write about extraneous events or characters.

•

Use quotes judiciously. Essays can be ruined by overuse of quotes. Sometimes a student feels that they should use all the quotes they have learned, regardless of the relevance of the quotes.

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•

Edco English Paper 1 - Leaving Certificate Higher Level

How to respond to Single Text exam-style questions

Questions in recent years have rewarded the student who is thinking about the text and using their knowledge of the text to answer the question rather than the student who has ‘learned off’ possible answers.

•

Students who do not engage with the exact wording and nuances of the questions will not be rewarded.

•

You should strive to demonstrate independent thinking in your responses to the exam tasks.

•

A reproduction of exemplar-style answers which have been memorised is not what is required.

•

The text is the text and the information that you learn is not particular to one question, theme or character issue. You should be able to manipulate the information you have learned in order to answer any exam question that may be asked.

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A reproduction of an essay that you wrote previously will not necessarily gain you high marks.

•

Provide interpretation, insight and analysis. Do not summarise.

• •

Read and examine the questions in an analytical manner, and make sure you understand what you are being asked to do.

•

You will choose a question based on how well you understand the requirements of that particular task. Once you choose, the assumption is that you understand the task.

•

Once you have decided on the question you are answering you need to choose your points that you are going to write about.

•

Do not fall into the trap of writing narrative or irrelevant or extraneous information.

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Begin by listing the points that you think you can discuss in order to respond to the question.

• •

List as many points as you can in a determined amount of time.

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While you will only have enough time in the exam to discuss about six points, do not stop listing your points after you list six. Your seventh or eighth point may be your best point. Spend your time making the list then number them where number one is your best point. Make your way through your points chronologically. This way, even if you run out of time, you will have discussed your best points.

•

chapter ten

Focusing on Approaches to Paper 2

Discuss how Shakespeare makes effective use, for a variety of purposes, of the

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discussion with reference to Shakespeare’s play ________.

contradictions and inconsistencies evident in _______’s character. Develop your

Candidates should discuss how Shakespeare makes effective use, for at least two purposes, of the contradictions and inconsistencies evident in _______’s character. Pay particular attention to the quality of the discussion and the effective use of apt reference to the play.

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Mark by reference to the criteria for assessment using the breakdown of marks below.

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Focus; relevance of response; well-chosen, compelling points; originality of thought; understanding of the use of language; evidence of critical literacy, etc.

Sustained focus; appropriate management and sequencing of ideas; coherence; points effectively substantiated; apt use of examples, references, quotations and key moments; effective engagement with the text, etc.

Language managed and controlled to achieve clear communication throughout; fluency; quality of expression, etc.

M: Accuracy of mechanics etc. This is not a straightforward character question.

• •

• • • • •

You are required to demonstrate how contradictions and inconsistencies evident in _______’s character are effectively used for a variety of purposes. How does the character add to the development of the plot? How does the character add to the development of themes? How does the character add to the development of issues? In what way does the character enable the narrative? How is the character an avatar through which the narrative unfolds?

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• • •

How does the character add to the complexity of the play?

•

How does the character help develop other relationships and characters in the play?

How does the character add or diminish the tension/suspense/tragedy/drama?

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Examiners will be advised to use a code such as CE for the contradictions and inconsistencies evident in _______’s character effectively used for a variety of purposes.

How does the character’s moral/immoral/amoral nature raise interesting philosophical questions within the play?

Every time you effectively demonstrate how contradictions and inconsistencies (C) are used effectively (E) for a variety of purposes your examiner will code your response with CE. Your aim is to have every paragraph coded with CE.

•

If you think that learning isolated essays on certain aspects of the play will be sufficient, you are wrong. You need to be able to mould and craft your overall and global understanding of the play into a coherent and compelling argument that deals explicitly with all areas of the question.

•

If you limit your understanding of the play by learning revision notes or essay exemplars from revision guides, you may fall into the trap where you do not have the relevant information needed to engage with all of the question.

•

By all means use such aids to help you craft an answer. Do not learn material off with the intention of regurgitating it in a rote-like manner, as it is very unlikely you will gain sufficient marks for doing this.

•

Engage with the questions in a relevant and spontaneous manner.

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•

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Section 2: Comparative Study Approach

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Two of the three prescribed comparative modes will appear on your exam. Each comparative mode has two choices. In recent years one question asked you to engage with one text in part (a) for 30 marks and then to engage with the other two texts in part (b) for 40 marks. The second question is marked out of 70 and asks you to compare all three texts, or in some cases at least two texts. This is an area of the paper where students can struggle. Often this is due to a failure to provide coherent comparisons, while responding to a writing task, while also demonstrating an awareness of the comparative mode. You need to engage with all three aspects. This is what makes it difficult, yet with a good approach you can do very well.

•

The comparative modes are: cultural context, general vision and viewpoint, theme or issue, and literary genre.

• •

The Comparative Study is worth 70 marks.

• •

•

Due to the changing dynamic of the questions on the Leaving Certificate English exam, it is imperative that you know all three of your texts equally well.

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•

Writing out a memorised essay without paying attention to the question that is asked will not score high marks no matter how well it is written.

•

Your preparatory work is used to answer questions. Think of it is a foundation or platform that needs to be manipulated and wrapped around the question.

•

A good approach involves examining each of your comparative modes under four main aspects. Do not, however, assume that the question will ask for four aspects. You may only need to consider one, which was the case in the literary genre question in the 2015 exam, or two, which was the requirement in Question 1 part I of the 2020 exam, and one named aspect, setting, in the literary genre Question 2.

•

The question and all nuances must be addressed. Your studied aspects should help in showing an understanding of the comparative mode.

• •

You should make comparisons in every paragraph.

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Looking at four aspects can help to organise your thoughts. It should not limit you in your comparisons. Therefore, you should have a good knowledge of your texts.

•

The question may be character-based or may ask you to focus on a particular scene or even a theme/technique/trait that influences the comparative mode. Whatever the question asks, the key to success is to:

• • •

explicitly answer the question make comparisons.

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In order to have a successful approach, you need to question what you learn about certain aspects of the societies within the texts. You can do this by questioning their values.

You are trying to determine what a text tells you about its society. There are certain aspects that you can consider to organise your thoughts, some of which are listed below. Not all of these aspects will be relevant to each text, but some will be. The list of aspects can be as extensive as you like, but four should provide you with plenty of content, as long as you have a good understanding of your texts. Choose aspects that are common to all three texts.

•

You must look at the values and structures of the worlds created in the texts.

• •

show an understanding of the comparative mode

Cultural context

• •

When preparing for the Comparative Study, you should adopt an approach which aids in your preparation while being aware that the manner in which the questions will be asked will not allow for a memorised answer.

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•

chapter ten

Focusing on Approaches to Paper 2

Family

• • •

How does the family influence events and character actions? Where do elements such as obedience, love and duty fit in? Is the individual more important than the family unit?

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Religion

• •

Is religion evident in the lifestyles, values and attitudes of the characters? How does it relate to marriage and sex?

You could examine the existence of violence, its effect on characters and the resulting fear within that society.

• •

Is violence used as a means to an end?

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•

Are problems solved with violence?

Conflict Are problems within the text a cause of conflict? Does conflict lead to violence?

Gender roles

• • •

You could examine the level of conflict in a text and look at how it is resolved.

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• • •

Violence

Who has the power and who makes the decisions?

Are characters marginalised, repressed or disenfranchised due to gender? Are characters empowered due to gender?

Class structure

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Question how society dictates who has money, power, status, education, etc.

Poverty

You could examine the sense of helplessness and desperation that results from poverty.

Money

•

How does money relate to the characters and the world they live in?

Education

Who is educated? Is education based on factors such as class, gender or wealth?

• • •

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Does it exist in the world of the text?

• •

Does education empower?

202

We do not want to be limited in our understanding of the text or of the cultural context, but we must also be aware that four aspects should be enough to help our global understanding of the cultural context presented in our three texts.

General vision and viewpoint

•

The general vision and viewpoint is the impression that you come to after experiencing the text.

•

While it is going to be influenced by the author, playwright or director, ultimately the view of the world is something you decide on, based on the various aspects that are presented to you in the text.

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•

In order to determine the general vision and viewpoint you need to decide if the world of the text has an optimistic or pessimistic outlook.

•

The general vision and viewpoint is affected by everything that happens in the text. Therefore, it is not uncommon for your views to change back and forth throughout the text. What you need to do is come to a general conclusion.

Many texts will have a rather clear and universally accepted general vision and viewpoint, but in some cases, you may have a different view of the world than the next reader and that is perfectly okay as long as you can explain how you determined your view of the world.

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chapter ten

Focusing on Approaches to Paper 2

In order to answer this question, you should select certain aspects to help focus your thoughts. In a question like this it is good to be broad in your comparisons, but it is not necessary to cover all aspects. Pick a few and concentrate on them.

Plot Is the plot serious or light-hearted?

How is the plot resolved? Does it have a positive ending? How does the plot make you feel?

Main characters Consider the main characters.

Are the characters positive or negative in outlook? Are they idealistic or repressed? Are they hopeful for the future? Are they religious?

Can they change – either positively or negatively?

Themes

You can look at general themes, such as family, the role of women, violence and education.

•

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Are they bitter or resentful?

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• • • • • •

• • •

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Consider the plot: how does it suggest the general vision and viewpoint?

Historical context

You can also look at the historical context. Does it give us a comic/serious/bleak view of life?

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Literary genre

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Literary genre refers to how the author has chosen to tell his or her story.

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You need to be aware of the major features of the genre.

The texts you choose could include a combination of plays, films and novels, with no more than one film as part of the selection. As for the other comparative modes, choose four aspects of literary genre in order to help focus your attention. You could choose any aspect used by the author to develop their text.

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Narrative structure: is it linear/fragmented/chronological?

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How is setting used? Be able to compare the aesthetic language used by a novelist to the camera angles and positions used by a director.

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How does the author make use of symbolism and imagery?

Techniques like flash back and foreshadowing may be used to develop the text.

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Narrative voice can have a strong influence on the text. Is the voice reliable, trustworthy and does it overtly influence the reader’s interpretation of the text?

Characterisation is an important aspect of literary genre.

When considering a play or movie, you might want to concentrate on lighting, costume, make-up or music.

Theme or issue

The mode of theme or issue can be very broad, so it is a good idea to develop an approach that narrows your focus.

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Once again, a good approach is to concentrate on four aspects.

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Chose a theme that interests you. It may be a theme that has featured as one of the aspects in one of your other comparative modes. Explore how the theme is developed at the beginning of a text. You can think of the beginning of the text as up to any point that you feel the theme has been properly introduced. This could be one chapter or as many as five or six.

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Next, focus on how the theme is developed. Are there any new layers, changes or twists in the presentation of the theme?

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Your understanding of the theme may be changed, consolidated or reinforced at the moment of complication or resolution.

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You could examine how your understanding of the theme is at the end or conclusion of the text.

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How to respond to Comparative Mode exam-style questions

Read the following possible approach to a comparative question: in this case, Question 2 from A – General Vision and Viewpoint from Leaving Certificate 2019, English Higher Level Paper 2.

‘Our view of the personal integrity of a central character can help to shape our impression of the general vision and viewpoint of a text.’

Compare the extent to which your view of the personal integrity of one central character, in each of three texts on your comparative course, helped to shape your impression of the general vision and viewpoint of your chosen texts. Develop your answer with reference to the texts.

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You need to: establish a central character from each text establish their personal integrity compare how the personal integrity of the characters shapes your general vision and viewpoint.

show how this integrity shapes your view of the general vision and viewpoint

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• • • •

A key component to a successful answer is your ability to establish the personal integrity of a character. In 2019 this was a struggle for students. Many students chose to ignore it and just compared characters and then stated the general vision and viewpoint. This was not sufficient.

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If you do not know what personal integrity means, then you cannot answer this question.

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This is a good reminder of why we try to make sure we have choice by covering enough material.

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Before you begin you must make sure you understand what you are being asked to do.

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If you jump in and start mindlessly reproducing your preparatory work, you may miss the point of the question.

You must engage with the question in a continuous and sustained manner. Any deviation from the set task is a waste of time. Quotations are not all that necessary, but you should be able to show a good

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understanding of your texts with good reference, memorable scenes, outline of

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relevant dialogue, etc.

Referring to key moments in the texts can be a good substitute for quotation when backing up your points. Do not, however, use the phrase ‘key moments’ unless it is

asked in the question.

You may abbreviate titles of texts and the names of the comparative modes. Just write them out in full the first time then put the abbreviation you are going to use in a bracket and use the abbreviation from that point onwards. For example, ‘General vision and viewpoint (GVV)’ and ‘Philadelphia, Here I Come! (Philadelphia)’.

Plan

Under exam conditions you should be able to deal with at least three aspects. Introduction: Show understanding of the GVV, name texts and authors, establish characters. Paragraph 1: Take Text A and find an example of character’s integrity from aspect 1. Compare with an example of character’s integrity from aspect 1 of Text B, showing how this has shaped your understanding of the GVV. Paragraph 2: Take Text AB and compare with an example of character’s integrity from aspect 1 of Text C, showing how this has shaped your understanding of the GVV.

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Paragraph 3: Take Text A and find an example of character’s integrity from aspect 2. Compare with an example of character’s integrity from aspect 2 of Text B, showing how this has shaped your understanding of the GVV.

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Paragraph 5: Take Text A and find an example of character’s integrity from aspect 3. Compare with an example of character’s integrity from aspect 3 of Text B, showing how this has shaped your understanding of the GVV.

Paragraph 4: Take Text AB and compare with an example of character’s integrity from aspect 2 of Text C, showing how this has shaped your understanding of the GVV.

Paragraph 6: Take Text AB and compare with an example of character’s integrity from aspect 3 of Text C, showing how this has shaped your understanding of the GVV. Conclusion: Brief summation of your argument; effectively, a reiteration of the opening statement.

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Following an approach similar to that shown above will ensure that you have comparisons in every paragraph, that you show an understanding of the general vision and viewpoint in every paragraph and that you engage with the question in every paragraph.

Sample introduction

Your introduction should look something like this:

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The general vision and viewpoint refers to the overall sense, insight and feeling that we gain when looking at the world of the text. In the case of the texts I studied, Eastwood’s ‘Unforgiven’, Bronte’s ‘Wuthering Heights’ (WH) and Friel’s ‘Philadelphia, Here I Come!’ (Philadelphia), the worlds are bleak and pessimistic. This can be clearly seen when we examine the personal integrity of central characters such as William Munny (Unforgiven), Heathcliff (WH) and Gar (Philadelphia).

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Section 3: Poetry Students often panic when confronted with the idea that they have to interpret a poem without the aid of notes or teacher direction.

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This is unnecessary, as the questions are generally easy and do not require a deep or profound analytical understanding of the poem.

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The question is worth 20 marks which, with a little bit of work, can be easily realised.

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Unseen Poem

Once you have grasped the general approach to these questions, practise them.

Direction to examiners

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‘Students should be able to . . . read poetry conscious of its specific mode of using language as an artistic medium.’ (DES English Syllabus, 4.5.1) Note that responding to the unseen poem is an exercise in aesthetic reading. It is especially important, in assessing the responses of the candidates, to guard against the temptation to assume a ‘correct’ reading of the poem. Reward the candidates’ awareness of the patterned nature of the language of poetry, its imagery, its sensuous qualities, its suggestiveness.

Approach

Note that the Unseen Poem is essentially a reading test: while the examiners will expect reasonable content, the emphasis is on the student’s engagement with the poem, not with the amount that they write. Start by reading the poem as carefully as you can. Do this with a pen in your hand, annotating as you go along.

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Be very aware of the language used. Mark and identify poetic devices, such as metaphors, etc.

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Try to identify some type of general theme, meaning or at least a relationship or connection within the poem. Don’t worry if you are vague about this: if you can make your idea or point relevant with reference to the poem then you can be sure that its relevancy will be accepted, even if you miss the main point of the poem.

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Next, read the questions. You should be pleasantly surprised with how much of each question you can answer even if you do not fully understand the poem.

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Choose your question and take careful note of the wording: be sure to reflect this wording in your answer. It is easy to stray from the appointed task if you are not feeling confident.

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Remember the criteria for assessment. You will lose out on P (purpose) if you do not answer the question, and this will permeate the remainder of the assessment.

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Quite often, a part of the question will ask you to deal with the language of the poem. Close analytical understanding of the poem is completely unnecessary for answering this part of the question. All you need to do is identify, name, explain and comment on the aesthetics of the poet’s language. For example, choose a personification or simile and then exemplify.

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Do not summarise the poem unless the question explicitly asks you to do so.

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Make sure your answer is structured and organised: each point in its own paragraph, developed and exemplified with textual reference.

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How to respond to Unseen Poetry exam-style questions Read the following possible approach to an Unseen Poem: in this case, from Leaving Certificate 2019, English Higher Level Paper 2.

Read the following poem, written by Carol Ann Duffy to mark the 100th anniversary of the end of World War One.

The Wound in Time

onomatopoeia

chanting their bitter psalms, cannot heal it.

Not the war to end all wars; death’s birthing place; the earth nursing its ticking metal eggs, hatching new carnage. But how could you know, brave

excellent adjective

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innocence and naivety of as belief as you boarded the boats, singing? soldiers who left to fight this The end of God in the poisonous, shrapneled air. terrible war onomatopoeia

Poetry gargling its own blood. We sense it was love

you gave your world for; the town squares silent,

awaiting their cenotaphs*. What happened next?

War. And after that? War. And now? War. War. History might as well be water, chastising this shore;

Their sacrifice was in vain.

for we learn nothing from your endless sacrifice.

War follows war.

interesting metaphor

War has left a legacy that prayer/remembrance cannot sanitise.

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It is the wound in Time. The century’s tides,

Personifying time (abstract) by suggesting it can be wounded

Answer either Question 1 or Question 2 which follow.

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A UNSEEN POEM (20 marks)

They said WWI would end all wars, ironic, actually was the birthplace for modern wars; oxymoronic image Dramatic use of egg as metaphor for destruction; also personifying war as it hatches like a new life

Profound imagery, metaphor followed by literal images as the air was poisoned (gas) and filled with shrapnel (from exploding bombs) Dramatic and unsettling personification of poetry Sacrifice of young men who gave their lives for a war memorial, but did not have the result of ending war interesting personification: history punishing the shore

Your faces drowning in the pages of the sea.

Carol Ann Duffy * Cenotaph – war memorial

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(a)

Discuss the appropriateness of the title, 'The Wound in Time'. In your response, make detailed reference to the words chosen by the poet for the title. Develop your answer with reference to the poem as a whole. (10)

(b)

Choose two images from the poem that you find particularly effective in capturing the horror of war and explain why you find these images particularly effective for this purpose. (10)

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Having read through the poem annotating in this manner, you should have no trouble taking on the questions that follow.

Sample answer

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1 (a)

I think this is a very appropriate title, as the whole poem catalogues the

terrible cost of war and how this particular war was the breeding ground for all future wars, which became more and more destructive as time went on.

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You are agreeing that the title is appropriate. You establish a good premise for your argument; it is a breeding ground for future wars. You must now develop this by making detailed reference to the words in the title and referencing the rest of the poem. reference to the The poet personifies time as something that can be wounded. In the second words in the title

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line she describes how this wound has left a legacy which cannot be healed no matter how many ‘psalms’ are sung. The soldiers who fought in this war

were told that this war would end all wars. To many, this made sense of their sacrifice. The poet clearly suggests this was naivety, as war only becomes

more deadly in future conflicts. This is a wound in time that cannot be

referencing the rest of the poem

healed as long as humans continue to wage war on each other. The use of

these two words is extremely effective and provocative, as by the end of the

poem we learn that nothing was achieved from their ‘endless sacrifice’.

linking the words of the title to the rest of the poem

1 (b) The first image that I found particularly effective in capturing the horror of war was ‘death’s birthing place/the earth nursing its ticking metal eggs,

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focus is on how your chosen how war can breed war. A battlefield is a place of destruction; here, however, image is effective in capturing the it is oxymoronically described as a birthing place. What is being born is the horror of war hatching’. I found this particularly effective, as it was a chilling reminder of

thought this was horrifying. An image of an egg should be wholesome and

an uncontrollable bomb, casting out death and carnage.

The answer is deliberately crafted to use and show understanding of the poetic devices used by the poet to create such effective imagery.

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comforting, not a metaphor for a device that will onomatopoeically tick like

developing a personal sense of horror with good strong reference to the poem

capability of creating even more destructive means of killing each other. I

A second image effectively capturing the same horror is, ‘Poetry gargling

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its own blood’. I thought the personification of poetry was provocative and suggestive as it onomatopoeically ‘gargled’ in blood. The word ‘gargling’

suggests the horror of pain and chocking on the poisoned air. Poetry, which is often used as a means to express an idea, is personified as a living entity struggling to breathe in the terrible and obnoxious reality of a battlefield. Blood is an obvious but powerful metaphor representing death, anger, passion

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Again, the focus is on how your chosen image is effective in capturing the horror of war while showing a good understanding of poetic language and how the poet has used language to create the image.

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horror of war.

and despair. This was a dramatic and effective image, clearly accentuating the

Approach

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The examiner is not concerned with overly technical, analytical deconstructions of poems or long, elaborate biographical introductions.

The reality is you have about 55 minutes to write an essay responding to a particular question.

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When responding to a Prescribed Poetry question you must show engagement with the poems.

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Prescribed Poetry

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The student who shows an awareness of the poet’s language, displays a knowledge of the poems and explicitly engages with the wording of the question will do well.

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Your response to the poems should show personal engagement. An examiner accepts the fact that this might be a little bit contrived, but the student who is the most convincing will be the most successful.

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Past questions have been very specific and have asked for discussion of statements. If you do not have a good knowledge of a wide range of the poet’s poems, you may find that you can write only a limited response.

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Sometimes students will persist in discussing a favoured poem as they know a lot about it but if it is irrelevant to the question then it is a waste of time.

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If you are waiting for a favourite poet to appear on the exam you could also find yourself very limited in your response, as your interpretation of their poems may not suit the question.

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You may also find that you do not understand the question about your favourite poet; there could be words or phrases in the question that you do not understand.

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Do not limit yourself by taking short cuts.

Students often ignore this problem and write about the poems they have studied rather than poems that are relevant to the question. If you are limited in your range, you may be forced to do this due to lack of choice. This will result in very low marks.

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How to respond to Prescribed Poetry exam-style questions

In order to discuss poetry, you need to use an appropriate register. You must use poetic and aesthetic terms and understand the various figurative devices, such as metaphor, etc.

Durcan has been chosen here for the purpose of illustration – the points are relevant to all poets and the types of questions that you could be asked for each one.

‘Durcan takes a narrative approach to explore a variety of issues in poems of great emotional honesty.’

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Discuss this statement, supporting your answer with reference to the poetry of Paul Durcan on your course.

Having decided to approach this question, you must ask yourself what you are being asked to do.

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In this question there are different elements, all of which need to be reflected in your answer:

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narrative approach: look for narrative techniques such as setting, place, character, obstacle, etc.

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to explore a variety of issues: the themes the poet deals with.

with great emotional honesty: where he shares, e.g. his feelings, hopes, doubts, fears, but can also contain aspects such as confessional tone and self-deprecating manner. Having established the different elements, you then need to pick the poems that you are going to use.

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Do not pick your favourite poem or the ‘easiest’ poem: pick the poems that will best answer the question.

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For this reason, it would be very unwise to only have a few poems prepared, as they may not be relevant to the question.

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Aim to use three or four poems in your response and then try to discuss as many of them as possible within the time you have allowed for this question (about 55 minutes). However, be aware there is no set number of poems to be used in your response. It would be better to use fewer poems that are relevant than include poems that do not suit the question.

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Remember: every time that all aspects of the question are discussed you will be coded.

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A lengthy introduction is not necessary. You want everything you write to be pertinent to the question: you do not have time for lengthy biographical information, for example.

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Your responses should show personal engagement and an ability to talk about poetry, its language, its sensuous and evocative qualities and so on.

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Do not provide a narrative summary unless it is clearly pointed and being used to engage with the question.

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Your aim is to have a code at the end of every paragraph. This can only happen if you are engaging with all the aspects of the question.

Suitable poems to be discussed

‘Nessa’ ‘Sport’ ‘The Difficulty That Is Marriage’

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You may know and really like the poem ‘Wife Who Smashed Television Gets Jail’, but while it is a narrative and contains narrative techniques, you might question its emotional honesty. If you were stuck, you could argue the author is using a fictional narrative to explore his honest feelings about media and society. There are, however, poems which would be more suitable and if you are well prepared you will select the most suitable poems from your repertoire. For example, the following three prescribed poems meet all the criteria of the question:

Checklist

Do you understand why you should think of your texts in an all-inclusive manner rather than categorising them into separate sections?

Do you understand that having an approach to each section will help ensure that you engage with the questions rather than repeating narrative summaries or memorised material?

Do you have sufficient knowledge of your texts to properly plan out a response?

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Do you understand and can you write about the language of poetry?

4. Can you make comparisons between texts when responding to Section 2?

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