Higher English 2012 Discussion

Structure is weak without substance. As long as you know your texts, and have evidence to back your point, combined with your ability to structure an essay appropriately then that is a perfectly viable method of preparation

Is anyone doing the text " Catcher in the Rye"? Im worried no questions will come up for it :/ Their has been a question every year (2007-2011) bar 2008 so it appears that a question should come up but it's the uncertainty which is killing me.

Last questions is easy. Teacher told us about SME SME.

Start - Middle - End

Done.

With regards to the critical essays, I have been getting around 15 on average every time I do them but can't seem to get passed the 15 mark. I recently found out your supposed to 'analyse' your quotes and that may help. Firstly, is this right? Secondly, why our teacher never told us this I do not know! And thirdly if anyone could give me tips to get me into the late teens early twenties I'd be grateful. :-)

When you say that you're worried no questions will come up for it, are you relying on that as your subject? What other sections/texts have you covered? (Sorry, I know nothing about "Catcher in the Rye"

Firstly, 15 is not a bad grade. 30/50 is a definite B, and combined with folio, close reading and any fluctuations in the cutoffs, you could find yourself still able to get an A on the right day.

Analysing your quotes is a useful habit to get into.

Each paragraph should really have a topic sentence where you make your assertion. Then briefly expand on that point. Give your evidence (quotations). Then analyse - just the usual. Consider it almost like close reading. What does that quotation suggest, why is it evidence. Give connotations of the words, explain why it might lead you a certain conclusion etc. I usually finish my paragraphs by reiterating my topic sentence in a slightly more expanded form, but that's just me.

Also, including "Central concerns of the [play/novel/film/poem/etc]" is a good phrase, the SQA love you dropping a few of them in there.

Hope that was of some help

Pretty confident. I've done two previous timed essays on it before, both got 19, so I feel reasonably confident. What about you?



You've never received any of your grades back? Have you not got a prelim score or anything? And have you ever asked for them back?
As for worrying until August, that's silly. Once you walk out that exam, that's it. There's physically nothing you can do. So instead of worrying about it, just forget it and remember that Higher English is now over. Focus on the rest of your exams, and then after that just chill and enjoy your summer holidays. Hope the paper works out to be a nice one for you.




If you got those marks (any combination of them) you'd be in the mark region of 34-38 out of 50, which would put you [as far as last year's cutoffs] at probably an A pass. Certainly, you'd be in with a good shout!



One day to go, guys, nerves kicking in yet?

With regards to the critical essays, I have been getting around 15 on average every time I do them but can't seem to get passed the 15 mark. I recently found out your supposed to 'analyse' your quotes and that may help. Firstly, is this right? Secondly, why our teacher never told us this I do not know! And thirdly if anyone could give me tips to get me into the late teens early twenties I'd be grateful. :-)

Hello

I'd just like to.confirm something. See in critical essay queztions, if it asks you to talk about eg. Cruelty displayed in a scene, when you've written about that, you still talk about cruelty througout the novel/play, am I correct ?

Thanks

does anyone have any good examples of topic sentences? just in general! It takes me aaaaaaaages to think of the simplest one, so I'm making lists now of possible ones I can use tomorrow. Could anyone help me?

I'm no sure whether you saw, but a few posts up I put a link to some example critical essays that have marks and a lot of them are in the late teens/early twenties. Perhaps reading through a few of them might give you an idea of how to improve/bring in more analysis.

does anyone have any good examples of topic sentences? just in general! It takes me aaaaaaaages to think of the simplest one, so I'm making lists now of possible ones I can use tomorrow. Could anyone help me?

Yeah, you are unlikely to be able to be sph I see. Thanks. We've beno specific on a scene and cruelty and manage a full essay. If it was me, I'd talk about how this cruelty is developed up until the scene, and then have maybe 2 paragraphs specific to cruelty in that scene! or along those lines.