CFE Higher English 2015 - 2016

Does anyone have any essay plans for Hamlet?

Reply 83

Hols W

Hi,

I got an A in Higher English 2014-15. MacCaig again, teachers (or is he a set text? My memory fails me)? Isn't he a little stale and puerile in his unresting wan death-mumbles? I mean, c'mon, the man influenced the Manics!

That aside:

For MacCaig, your easiest one is the age-old "choose any two, etc..." question. A former English teacher of mine who was seconded to work for the SQA in working on the CfE stuff once told me that the compare/contrast questions were going to be almost a constant in future exams.

So: you have "Brooklyn Cop" vs. "Hotel Room, 12th floor" for that.
If you want something more unusual, you could cast MacCaig's meeting with the disabled "holy" man in "Assisi" as a harbinger of his wife's death, in a twisted mimicry of sacredness, the "white cave" and all - arms like etiolated twisted twigs, vs. the Assisi man's disabled body.

If you're thrown a line that saves you from having to write about two texts, however, go with just "Visiting Hour". It fits almost any of the classic Higher poetry questions, if you can spin it correctly.

Feel free to throw me any questions on Higher English. I don't have all the free time in the world, but if I can help anybody a couple more rungs out of mandatory school, then, naturally.

Reply 84

Hols W

Original post by qasim-98

Yeah I agree. I got a high C in the prelim, and then I decided that what I did wasn't enough and studied properly and hoped for the best :biggrin:

Folio - 23/30
Critical Reading - 36/40
RUAE - 22/30

81/100

I pulled off a high A in the prelim, and reproduced it in the exam. Funny, as there were some two-page-long semicolon-orgy sentences, invented words, and a poem I hadn't studied in the exam essays - bloody miracle, I call it.

Incidentally - if anybody's interested in a little polite academic rebellion and would like to write a little Larkin stuff for the free essays, rather than MacCaig or bloody Plath or whatever your teacher's serving up the day, I 30/30ed on an ad-lib essay on "Aubade" ("choose a poem whose closing lines..."). Did similar on Int 2 with "Ambulances". It appears the SQA likes Larkin!

Reply 85

Does anyone know good techniques which essentially improve your essay?

Like for example me analysing pathetic fallacy is better than simple metaphor etc.

Does anyone know good techniques then for Drama or Poem?

Reply 86

Hey, guessing you recently had your prelim? Was your close reading to do with supermarket shopping, I think we may have done the same one as most schools buy in English.

Regardless, how was your score?

For close reading though look over your techniques, types of questions and practice papers is all I can reccommend personally.

Reply 87

Congratulations on a great performance first of all,

Second, I haven't finished all my prelims yet so don't know my results currently but English felt okay.

Third, that is a STRONG critical essay mark. 15 is good, you do not want to drop below that at all.

The textual analysis you got an A in, but i reckon you should try to bring that up to about 17 out of 20.

This is because it eases the stress of your close reading if you are not that good at it but I would strongly reccommend improving your close reading score from this (easier said than done I know) but past papers are essential. Since you don't like old higher, and neither do I, I think its a waste for English, there are heeps of books with practice papers. Even how to pass has a practice I think? The ruae book our school told us to get has a few practices in them. Do these as best as you can by rememorising techniques and how they are effective.

I am in the same boat as you though probably.

Do you not know your folio mark?!?!?!?!? Because it's even more impressive that you got a 68% B without your folio and that will probs boost you to an A anyways because if you got about 25 in it, then that brings you to 73% my friend.

I hate English but we must all persevere.

Hope this helps :smile:

Reply 88

alana_p

10

I got the same supermarket close reading.

Im really happy with my mark in the prelim, i got 15/20 and 15/20 for the critical writing and 26/30 for the close reading. Leaving me with 80%. I'm hoping i can slightly improve but if not maintain that 😊. Does anyone have any tips for the essay? I'm doing a drama text with three close readings for back up, but i always make my essays far too long but i struggle with where you really pick up marks, any tips?

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Reply 89

scottishgirl163

Original post by Jeff548

Hey, guessing you recently had your prelim? Was your close reading to do with supermarket shopping, I think we may have done the same one as most schools buy in English.

Regardless, how was your score?

For close reading though look over your techniques, types of questions and practice papers is all I can reccommend personally.

My close reading was on supermarkets too!

Reply 90

Original post by scottishgirl163

My close reading was on supermarkets too!

Yeah the weekly ordeal or something? How did you find it? I though it was actually pretty good but now I am scared because a few people clearly scored lower than hoped :frown:

Reply 91

scottishgirl163

Original post by Jeff548

Yeah the weekly ordeal or something? How did you find it? I though it was actually pretty good but now I am scared because a few people clearly scored lower than hoped :frown:

I didn't think it was too bad actually whilst doing it but I got 17/30 and was quite disappointed with it tbh.

Reply 92

Science_Girl

12

Original post by scottishgirl163

I didn't think it was too bad actually whilst doing it but I got 17/30 and was quite disappointed with it tbh.

Apparently the P&N papers are harder than the final, so I wouldn't worry too much. I haven't got my mark back, so I'm just hoping for the best!

Reply 93

Original post by Science_Girl

Apparently the P&N papers are harder than the final, so I wouldn't worry too much. I haven't got my mark back, so I'm just hoping for the best!

Well considering last years prelim for P and N, I found the exam harder so I still think that.

Especially since the sqa's TA is always annoying in the final question they ask.

Reply 94

lucy713

This might sound weird, but is AH english somewhat more enjoyable than higher? I really dislike the close reading in it, and the fact that it isn't in AH sounds pretty good. I want to take history, and possibly crash higher mods (maybe higher business?) too, so would it just be an overload of info or would it be manageable?

Reply 95

JM_1998

13

Original post by lucy713

This might sound weird, but is AH english somewhat more enjoyable than higher? I really dislike the close reading in it, and the fact that it isn't in AH sounds pretty good. I want to take history, and possibly crash higher mods (maybe higher business?) too, so would it just be an overload of info or would it be manageable?

I'm doing AH this year and while I'm enjoying the critical writing, in terms of the dissertation and literary study; the Textual Analysis (essay on unseen poem/short story/ drama extract) in exam conditions can be fairly challenging, the majority of my class fails them and the few that do pass well (myself included) never receive over 17/20. The folio aspect of the course is practically identical to Higher.

I'd say the trade off of the CR at higher for TA at AH is not one of equal proportion haha; it's significantly more difficult to read Tennyson's Ulysses for the first time and write a cohesive 7 page essay that effectively analyses the poetic techniques and how this contributes to the centra concerns (which you also need to figure out) in 1hr 30mins, than it is to read a passage on supermarkets and point out word choice (huge nono at AH) and lists.

To answer the question at hand, I'd say you'll get from AH what you put in. Unlike Higher where your teacher will spoon feed you and go through the poems you're studying line-by-line and will consciously make an effort to ensure you are engaging with the content of the novel/play; AH is very much you discussing the texts in your view - and not what your English teacher teaches you to discuss so you'll pass. (At least this has been my experience of AH haha) Another significant difference is that aside from the TA all of your essays will be comparative, so comparing three or more poems with regards to the theme of love, or two plays with regards to characterisation etc etc

The majority of my class has grown to despise the subject, with the few that still enjoy it (again, including me, despite my slightly pessimistic tone haha) having a deep interest in classical and contemporary literary fiction, and also are planning to go on and study English at Uni,

Subjects wise I'm doing AH English, History and Bio this year and it's no more taxing than my 5 Highers last year (History, English, Modern Studies, Maths , and Bio) - so long as you can absorb facts and stats easily and don't find writing lots a huge pain then I think your choices would be manageable :biggrin:

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 96

Mystery.

21

Original post by jamesg2

You could try this guide for the MacCaig set of poems.

http://www.scottishsettexts.co.uk/Pupil%202015%20Update%20set.aspx

Do you know of anything similiar for Othello and come gatherers??

Reply 97

jamesg2

You will find the unit on the Cone Gatherers here:-

http://www.scottishsettexts.co.uk/Robin%20Jenkins.aspx

There is a companion unit on Revision Questions for the “Cone Gatherers.” That should be on the site next week.

I am at present putting notes together for Critical Essay topics and one of those units is indeed on “Othello.” Should be on the site in a couple of weeks.

If you can get hold of it I highly recommend the DVD of “Othello” staring John Kani and Richard Haines and directed by Janet Suzman. This was a performance of Othello staged in Johannesburg during the apartheid. I have never seen a more powerful version of the play.

Reply 98

Original post by jamesg2

You will find the unit on the Cone Gatherers here:-

http://www.scottishsettexts.co.uk/Robin%20Jenkins.aspx

There is a companion unit on Revision Questions for the “Cone Gatherers.” That should be on the site next week.

I am at present putting notes together for Critical Essay topics and one of those units is indeed on “Othello.” Should be on the site in a couple of weeks.

If you can get hold of it I highly recommend the DVD of “Othello” staring John Kani and Richard Haines and directed by Janet Suzman. This was a performance of Othello staged in Johannesburg during the apartheid. I have never seen a more powerful version of the play.

Sup,
I study cone gatherers too so thanks for that! I don't suppose you have anything for Romeo and Juliet...?

Reply 99

jamesg2