English – Leaving Certificate Higher Level Exam Structure, Marks and Timing Paper I is 2 hours and 50 minutes long, worth a total of 200 marks and is split into two different sections: • Section I – Comprehending: 1. It is worth a total of 100 marks; 50 for question A and 50 for question B. 2. It is subdivided into three texts. You must answer Question A on one text and Question B on another; you cannot answer questions A and B on the same text. This means that you do not answer on one text at all. 3. You should allocate 45 minutes each for both questions A and B. • Section II – Composing: 1. It is worth a total of 100 marks. 2. You have to write on one of the seven essay titles provided. 3. You should allocate 80 minutes for your essay. Paper II is 3 hours and 20 minutes long, also worth a total of 200 marks and is split into different three sections: • Section I – The Single Text: 1. More commonly known to students as the “stand-­‐alone text”. 2. It is worth a total of 60 marks. 3. It is subdivided into five with each single text lettered A to E. You may only answer on one of these texts, the one you have studied in a solitary context (be careful not to get mixed up as some of them overlap for the comparative mode). You must then decide to answer either question (i) or (ii) on your chosen text; you do not answer both. 4. You should allocate 60 minutes for either question (i) or (ii). • Section II – The Comparative Study: 1. It is worth a total of 70 marks. 2. Although there are four modes of comparative (theme/issue, cultural context, literary genre and general vision and viewpoint), only two will be given on the paper and they will be lettered A and B. You must decide whether you are going to answer on A or B first. A and B are further subdivided into parts 1 and 2; you must then decide to answer either question 1 or question two; you do not answer both. 3. You should allocate 70 minutes for either question 1 or 2. • Section III – Poetry: 1. It is worth a total of 70 marks. 2. It is subdivided into two; unseen and prescribed, lettered A and B respectively. You must answer on both. 3. The unseen poem (part A) accounts for 20 marks and you must answer one of the accompanying questions, either 1 or 2. You should allocated 20 minutes for either question 1 or 2. 4. The Prescribed Poetry (part B) accounts for 50 marks. You must decide whether you are going to answer on poet 1, 2, 3 or 4; you only answer on one. You should allocate 50 minutes for whatever poet you chose. Paper I: Section I – Comprehending •
There are six types of prose: 1. Autobiographical – This generally tells the story of the author’s life experiences and tends to be written from the first person perspective. 2. Argument – This provides both sides of the story, often using statistics, research and data to support points made. The author relies heavily on facts and remains detached from the issue at hand. 3. Informative – The purpose of such pieces are to inform and teach the reader in a clear and concise manner. Oftentimes, the author is imparting knowledge. 4. Narrative – This tells a story, generally fictional. There is generally a definite sequence of events with a beginning, middle, peak and end. Narrative prose tends to emphasize what people, places and things do. 5. Persuasive – This can be easily mistaken for argument. And while very similar, persuasive writing tends to be very biased with the author only using statistics, research and data that proves, reiterates or strengthens his/her point. They do not take into account the counter-­‐argument at all. 6. Descriptive – This can be easily mistaken for narrative. And while very similar, descriptive writing tends to focus more on what people, places and things are actually like. It is very detailed and requires a heightened sense of imagination. Good descriptive writers paint clear pictures and images in readers’ minds. •
Be familiar with each type of prose and be able to recognise them; this will aid you in identifying key themes and the purposes of the texts. •
Always choose your question B first; that eliminates that particular text leaving you with two texts to choose from for question A. •
Ensure that your answers are clear and concise, reflecting a solid understanding of the content of the text. •
Avoid waffle and irrelevancies at all costs. •
Be careful, as always, with spelling, grammar and punctuation. Paper I: Section II – Composing •
There are six genres of writing (most of which are similar to their prose type of the same name): 1. Argument – This is where you are arguing a point. You need to be ensure, however, that you include points from both sides of the argument; if you are biased, your piece turns persuasive. 2. Informative – This is where you are attempting to inform your reader. You need to be exceptionally clear and concise. 3. Narrative – Narrative essays are more commonly known to students as short stories and are probably one of the most popular essay forms. Here, you are telling a story; your story should have a plot (and, therefore, a beginning, a middle and an end) with no more than two or three main characters. Students often lose marks in this type of essay by over-­‐complicating their story with too many characters. 4. Persuasive – This is where you are trying to tempt the reader around to your train of thought. It uses certain elements of the language of argument but must be rather one-­‐sided or biased. 5. Descriptive – This is where you scrutinize something simple (e.g. an object) and describe it in the most minute detail. This can be very difficult as it requires a heightened sense of imagination. 6. Aesthetic – This is a mixture of two or more of the above languages. •
You should always spend approximately five minutes at the very beginning of your composing question brainstorming and planning your essay. Make sure to include this in your exam booklet when you are handing it up. •
As obvious as it seems, ensure that your essay has an introduction and a conclusion; this is something students forget time and time again under the pressure of exams. •
Avoid using clichés and colloquial or conversational language. •
Your essay should show some originality; try not to be predictable. •
Showcase your vocabulary; however, if you are unsure how to spell a long or complicated word, opt for a simple one instead. •
Never ever EVER conclude your essay with ‘And then I woke up’ or ‘It was all a dream’. •
And, once again, be careful with spelling, grammar and punctuation (and do not forget to use paragraphs). Sample Essay (Uses Techniques from the Informative and Persuasive Languages) 2005 Composing; Question 4 (‘…..the hope that things will be better for the next generation.’ – Text 2. Write an article for a newspaper or magazine, outlining your vision of a better future.) A Brighter Future for the Developing World? In 1963 President Kennedy said: ‘We have the ability, we have the means, we have the capacity to eliminate hunger from the earth…..we need only the will.’ There is simply no argument there. According to Food First, the world’s production of wheat, grain and rice alone should be enough to provide our global population with sufficient food and nourishment for each and every single one of their daily intake recommendations. Yet 840 million people are dying from starvation and famine. And why, I hear you ask? Well the answer is exceptionally straightforward; we simply lack the political will. Structural Adjustment Programmes (which will be referred to as SAPs from here on in) have kept the feet of the people in the developing world in chains. These are given to Third World countries in the form of financial aid but stringent restrictions are placed on what exactly the money can be used for. They are forced to found commercial enterprises and industries for the West’s greedy needs. And this is absolutely disastrous for the young population as industry can provide neither food nor education for them. The first step essential to improve the lives of the poor is to abolish these programmes and all of the strings, terms and conditions attached. The World Bank is also crippling progression in these countries. For every one step forward, the World Bank pulls them three steps back. For every €1.50 in aid given to these developing countries, €5.00 is demanded back in interest. No wonder the Third World is in such a dire condition; they owe more money in interest alone than the actual sum given every year. Our politicians should be forced to stand up in the spotlight to condemn such actions by the World Bank and demand world debt be entirely cancelled in order to give these struggling people a fresh start, a clean slate. Annual global military expenditure is estimated at $800 billion with approximately 12000 children maimed or killed by landmines. The Western World must stop supplying the poorer countries of the world with such lethal weapons, often without appropriate knowledge or training with regards to their use. The West is literally making a profit out of every person, be it man, woman or child, who loses there life. This is utterly outrageous but, unfortunately, the will is not there to cease arming child soldiers and young boys. This situation, too, must stop if progress is to be made and the conditions of the world’s poor is to be relieved. Another visible problem is that the wealthy countries are not being made to live up to their obligations under the terms of the United Nations (which will be referred to as the UN from here on in). All first world countries are supposedly bound to donate 0.7% of their annual profits to the developing world, though this has failed to be enforced. Ireland, for example, has most certainly never reached this target; instead, we set our own private aim of 0.45%. Ethiopia, one of our apparent priority countries for aid, only gets half of what it takes to maintain Croke Park every year; imagine that! The only countries known to have successfully reached the set target are the Scandinavian. So where exactly is it that our priorities lie? The UN needs to start implementing its plans and countries must be forced to pay their way. However, that is not to say that there are not a lot of generous people out there and their kindness does not go unnoticed. But the issue remains that people are not looking at the roots of the problems and are simply throwing money at plastic buckets in the hope that they will disappear. And while this does undoubtedly help, it does not solve anything; if only the solution was as easy as that. The infrastructure in these countries needs to be examined and continuous problems assessed. Aid workers can remain providing food for an eternity but nothing will change. The situation will not eventually solve itself. The key to success will be is ultimately education; ‘give a man a fish and you feed him for a day but teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.’ Incentives need to be provided for parents to send their children to school and through education, their plight will be lessened. Education is the engine which pulls the train of development along its tracks. We have the resources and the ability and, according to development consultant Paul Cullen, just 1% of the wealth of the world’s 200 richest people would provide access to primary education for all Education truly is the only way forward. However, not only must male children be educated, the women must be too. Many women in the developing world are subjected to propaganda by big western milk powder producers such as SMA. They are convinced that bottle feeding their babies is safer, more nutritional and more fashionable than breast feeding. And while this may very well be the case in places where there is sufficient supplies of fresh clean water, in these countries, mothers often mix this sacred powder with filthy, contaminated water thus resulting in the deaths of many babies. Women need to be taught how to look after their babies’ interests and this alone could prevent so many unnecessary deaths. After all, women are the world’s powerhouse; they work in fields and spend large proportions of their time rearing large families. And, indeed, the size of these families is another issue which needs to be tackled; women need to be introduced to and become familiar with modern contraceptive methods in order to reduce family sizes. And so it is obvious that women simply need to be educated. It is true what they say; ‘educate a man and you educate a person but educate a woman and you educate a family.’ First and foremost, we must ensure that due pressure is placed on governments, politicians and aid workers to abolish these malfunctioning SAPs and to wipe out world debt. Secondly, every effort should be made to stop providing firearms and various other types of weapons to fulfil aid obligations. Thirdly, we need to start tackling the roots of the problems, empowering women and providing equal opportunities to education for all. We have identified the problems. We know that we possess the ability, the means and the capacity to eliminate poverty. All that is left is the will. We must pursue this will night and day by whatever means necessary. We must write newspaper articles such as this to enlighten and spread knowledge. We must let our protest be heard. 840 million people go to sleep hungry tonight. We owe it to them to amplify their voices. A world of equality is out there and it is within our grasp. Paper II •
Read each of the questions carefully before brainstorming and planning your essays. •
Once again, avoid waffle and irrelevancies at all costs; make every sentence count. •
Your essay should illustrate a thorough understanding of the question asked. •
Support each and every single one of your major points with a relevant quotation. Your quotations do need to be 100% accurate. •
You are marked according to the ‘PCLM’ scheme: •
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1. P = Clarity of Purpose (30% of total marks available for that question) – Did you successfully answer the question? 2. C = Coherence of Delivery (30% of total marks available for that question) – Did you continue to answer the question with relevant content? 3. L = Efficiency of Language (30% of total marks available for that question) – Did you use appropriate language? Did you show a thorough understanding of the English language? 4. M = Accuracy of Mechanics (10% of total marks available for that question) – Based on your spelling, grammar, punctuation, paragraphing, etc. Remember you must answer on William Shakespeare in either your single text or comparative question. Once again, ensure you include an introduction and a conclusion. Your introduction should make reference to the question you have been asked and are about to answer. Macbeth by William Shakespeare Macbeth is probably the most popular single text for examination in both 2013 and 2014. Here is a list of some of the most important quotes you need to know for the character of Macbeth and their explanations: •
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“Whose horrid image doth unfix my hair And make my seated heart knock at my ribs” (Macbeth – Scared of becoming king, particularly through murder.) “If chance will have me king, why chance may crown me, Without my stir” (Macbeth – Believes that what is meant to happen will happen, without his intervention.) •
“I have no spur To prick the sides of my intent, but only Vaulting ambition” (Macbeth – Recognises his own ambitions.) •
“I am in blood, Stepped in so far that, should I wade no more, Returning were as tedious as go o’er” (Macbeth – He has gone so far now that it is no longer possible to return.) “our suffering country Under a hand accursed!” (Lennox – Scotland is suffering under Macbeth’s reign.) •
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“Sweet bodements” •
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(Macbeth – Speaking of the three apparitions; believes that they indicate a prosperous future.) “Each new morn New widows howl, new orphans cry; new sorrows Strike heaven on the face” (Macduff – Like Lennox, he believes Scotland is suffering under Macbeth’s reign; a river of blood is extending in all directions.) “an angry god” (Malcolm – Describing Macbeth as he is now.) “I think our country sinks beneath the yoke; It weeps, it bleeds and each new day a gash Is added to her wounds” (Malcolm – Scotland is falling apart at the seams.) “Where sighs and groans and shrieks that rend the air are made, not marked” (Ross – Death is now commonplace; so much so, that carnage is now expected everyday. People hardly react anymore.) “I’ll fight, till from my bones my flesh be hacked” (Macbeth – Vows to fight even though the battle is already over and his time is up.) “She should have died hereafter” (Macbeth – Referring to his wife’s death; appears unfazed, almost as if he does not care.) “my soul is too much charged With blood of thine already” (Macbeth – Does not want to fight Macduff; he admits, to himself as much as anyone else, that he has enough blood on his hands already.) Sylvia Plath Sylvia Plath is one of the most popular female poets among students on the Leaving Certificate course for examination in 2013. Here is a breakdown of one of her most famous poems Morning Song: •
“Love set you going like a fat, gold watch” (The ‘you’ in this quote refers to Frieda Rebecca, the daughter born on April 1st 1960. She was conceived with love, with the gold watch referring to the golden moment of her birth.) •
“The midwife slapped your footsoles, and your bald cry Took its place among the elements” (Humour and optimism at her daughter’s birth. The baby marked her introduction to the real world by crying.) •
“New statue. In a drafty museum” (Sudden plummet of mood; child is compared to an object, something inanimate, cold and unfeeling. There is no bond, her maternal instincts have evaded her.) •
“We stand round blankly as walls” (Responsibility intimidates her; they do not know what to do with a baby.) •
“I’m no more your mother” (Shows a sense of detachment from her child. Once the umbilical cord is cut, there is no longer a biological connection between mother and child and, in Plath’s case, no spiritual connection either.) •
“All night your moth-­‐breath Flickers among the flat pink roses. I wake to listen: A far sea moves in my ear” (Becomes warmer towards the child again in a homely atmosphere. Initial insecurities and doubts are replaced by a more relaxed appreciation of the wonder of life. Her maternal instinct finally emerges and comes to the fore as she strains to hear the child breathing for fear anything may be wrong.) •
“One cry, and I stumble from my bed” (In contrast to her earlier statements, she now immediately responds to her child’s needs, tending to her immediately.) •
“And now you try Your handful of notes” (She now hears her child’s tears as song.) Sample Comparative Essay The texts I have studied for my comparative course are Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller, Reading in the Dark by Seamus Deane and My Left Foot directed by Jim Sheridan. My chosen theme is parent/child relationships, with particular attention to father/son relationships. Although both the film and the play emphasize my chosen theme, they deal with the topic in two very different ways. In Death of a Salesman, Willie almost smothers his sons in love and yearns for them to be pillars of pride in his life. This is clearly evident in his recollections of the Ebbets Field game when he refers to Biff as being like ‘a young god, Hercules’. This is in complete contrast to My Left Foot where Paddy Browne barely acknowledges his son’s existence for the most part. He sees Christy as a complete and utter failure, a disgrace to the family name. He is completely ashamed of his son and it is not until the very end that he truly accepts Christy into the bosom of the family when his intelligence shines through; ‘This is Christy Browne, my son; genius’. The link between these two men is that they both strove for their sons’ respective successes but, unfortunately, this was not always for the right reasons. Both Willie and Paddy were very image conscious, continuously worrying about other people’s perceptions of them. In the play, Willie believes that respect can only be earned if one has been a huge success in life with copious amounts of money, a sophisticated job and a high degree of popularity. To him, other people’s opinions mean everything. He pushes both of his sons in everything that they do, forcing them to achieve and it is in this way that he hopes to gain people’s praise and respect. Similarly, in the film, Paddy is very conscious about the way other people in the community look at his family. He, too, believes achievement and success to mean everything in life and that people’s opinions will be based on these concepts also. And, since Christy is only a ‘cripple’, he fails to look beyond the exterior and see beneath the surface, believing that because of his disability, Christy will never come to anything in life He regards his son as a fool, a nuisance and must be constantly reminded to say goodbye to him whenever he is leaving the house. He puts Christy down at every available chance; for example, when he refers to Christy’s drawing as an ‘old squiggle’. It is not until Christy proves himself by writing his mother’s name on the ground that Paddy finally accepts his son for the unique individual that he is. Paddy believes that this achievement, however small, will finally prove to others his son’s worth and ends up taking him down to the pub, declaring his son a Browne, a chip off the old block. Both Willie and Paddy do love their sons but the extent of that love is highly dependent on their successes; as such, it is a qualified love. The novel, Reading in the Dark, in contrast, shows a father who loves his son unconditionally despite all that happens between them. For the most part, the pair appear to have a reticent relationship, with actions speaking louder than words in most cases; for example when he hits his son who in turn retaliates by destroying his father’s roses. In the end, though, it is clear that the father never stopped loving his soon deep down; this is no more evident than when his pride shines through as his son receives his degree. This text differs from the other two insofar as this man’s love for his son was not based on achievements or successes, it was merely hindered by the family secret. Communication is a big issue in all three texts. None of the three fathers are able to talk to their sons or express their feelings verbally. They all feel that actions portray their love in a far better manner. In Death of a Salesman, Willie hopes that through his committing suicide, Biff will realise his guilt, regret and remorse over the affair and forgive him. His obsession with success leads him to believe that his sons will have a better life and a brighter future if he is permanently absent as they will receive his life insurance, thus providing them with a better financial foundation. In this way, Willie hopes to show his sons his love rather than simply telling them using those three small words. In My Left Foot, Paddy acts similarly, attempting to express his love through the extravagant act of building the new bedroom. Paddy, unable to openly express his praise and encouragement, hopes that Christy will understand and appreciate this gesture as a token of his affection. As Mrs Browne acknowledges: ‘That’s the nearest he’ll ever come to saying he loves you’. In Reading in the Dark, the father and son also fail to communicate and simply act upon their emotions. While their relationship is, for the most part, strained, they eventually come to an understanding and learn to love again. The burden of all the things which remain unsaid causes the relationships to suffer in each of the three texts. In both the play and the film, a strong bond can be seen between the boys and their mothers. Both women are at the heart of their respective families, working endlessly to keep the wheels in motion. In Death of a Salesman, Linda has kept a close eye on her husband’s relationship with their sons, understanding that he has put his whole life into them and that they mean the world to him. But this is just not enough for Biff and so Linda is forced to become resigned to the fact that they will never get on. This disappoints her but, of course, she does not know the whole story. She pressurises him by declaring it is with him his father’s fate rests; ‘His life is in your hands’. She is constantly trying to keep her family together, just like Mrs Browne in My Left Foot. Despite Paddy’s failure to accept Christy, Mrs Browne does not lose hope and works hard building bridges between her husband and her son. Unlike her husband, she is able to see beyond Christy’s disabilities and knows that her son possesses a special talent right from the start; art. She knows that if she is unrelenting and tries hard enough, her husband will one day see this too. And, indeed, in the end her hard work pays off, with father and son becoming united. Both of the aforementioned women are pillars of strength and unity in their consecutive families and are possibly the most stable, reliable figures in each. Their love for their sons shows no boundaries or limitations; they simply love their sons for who they are. The mother/son relationship in Reading in the Dark starts out in a similar fashion. However, the weight of the family secret gnaws away at their relationship and eventually, cracks begin to appear when the boy realises that the truth lies with his mother but she refuses to tell him more than he needs to know. Then, when the grandfather reveals all, the boy is unable to hold the secret any longer and so tells his father through the medium of Irish. Even though the father is unable to translate or understand what he has just been told, the mother knows what her son has just done, resenting him for it. Slowly, the son begins to question her love and commitment to this father, resulting in her attempting to banish him. Although he promises to keep her secret, she doubts him and, as a result, their relationship is threatened. It is not until his mother has a stroke does he learn to love her again but, unfortunately, history prevents their relationship from ever fully healing. Unlike in the play and film, in this case, the mother drives a wedge between her husband and her son. Consequently, it cannot be denied that all three texts are shaped by the theme of parent/child relationships. Lives are marred by communication difficulties and, at times, the fabric of family life is torn apart by conflict. However, some close bonds grow out of some of these deep-­‐rooted problems. In conclusion, and on a very personal level, the insights into family life gained have made this study a fascinating, worthwhile and memorable task.