This discussion is now closed.

Check out other Related discussions

Higher English (again)

Scroll to see replies

I may have gotten a 25 for an essay last year, I got 46 overall and one of my essays had no quotes so I can't see it achieving a 23... I think someone on here said they got 50/50 for essays so it is possible :p:

I'm referring to SQA marked essays btw

Reply 61

TimmyVermicelli

ArcadiaHouse

Has anyone ever got 25 for a critical essay? Our head of English said "the SQA do not give 25s, but you'd do well to get 23 or 21." The highest I've ever got is 21 ...

I got 23 in my last essay :smile:

Reply 62

namedeprived

Best I've ever got for an essay is 19. :frown:

I generally consistently get somewhere between 15-19 for the essays and somewhere between 32-40 for close reading. Hoping that's enough to scrape an A. Obvioulsly it won't be if I get the lowest scores in each of those ranges.

Reply 63

OriginofSymmetry

namedeprived

Best I've ever got for an essay is 19. :frown:

Well, the lowest in those ranges sums up to 62/100. And in recent years, the A mark has been 63/100...

Reply 64

xo-Heva

I tend to get 17-19 for essays.
I am lucky if I make 20 in the close reading though... I just do not understand it at all...

Reply 65

javjamoll

xo-Heva

I tend to get 17-19 for essays.
I am lucky if I make 20 in the close reading though... I just do not understand it at all...

We've only done one essay so far this year :eek:

and that was only 13! I got less in the prelim (11 for both!) :eek3:

But I done so bad in CR, 12/50 :o:

lol! At least we have another one when we et back! :biggrin:

I thought I done well aswell in it :frown:

At least 30!

Reply 66

namedeprived

OriginofSymmetry

Well, the lowest in those ranges sums up to 62/100. And in recent years, the A mark has been 63/100...

Oh, good.

Not too far away then, I thought it was closer to 65-67 for an A.

Reply 67

javjamoll

EmmaDilemma

You've only done ONE ESSAY!?!? :eek3:

What the hell... we've had like 8..probably more than that.
Jeeezzz.

What was your close reading on? Cos the one in my school was pretty hard like not many people got that great marks.. i got 30 and i thought I had done better..

I'm serious, we have only had one set essay to do :smile:

none of the sets have done much compared to other schools in the area. :eek3:

Reply 68

ArcadiaHouse

TimmyVermicelli

I got 23 in my last essay :smile:

Oh cool.

I'd love to see a 23 or 25 essay, but I'm happy with 21: then I just need to improve the Close Reading.

EDIT: Actually our teacher showed us a 23 essay and it was littered with spelling errors and grammatical mistakes: she even wrote that Shakespeare wrote the novel! And it wasn't even written under exam conditions! :\

I noticed on the SQA website that one year an A band 1 was 70%! :eek:

Our teacher only gave As to people with 70% or more in the Prelim. Maybe that's her master plan: to get everyone to aim for well above an A! I got a C in the first Prelim and a B in the second Prelim; I need to work on Close Reading and 'Othello' to get an A in the final exam. :woo:

I've noticed that those who do well in essays seem to not do so well in Close Reading, and vice versa ... :confused:

Reply 69

Meteorshower

Most people I know who were good at essays were good at close reading too so I think it's just a coincidence here.

Reply 70

javjamoll

Well I've tried to finish that essa from last page. Can someone see/check if this has the right sorta analysis....

"gas! gas! Quick boys! - An ecstasy of fumbling"

The word choice of both 'ecstasy' and 'fumbling' gives of the sense of a sinister atmosphere as both words suggest the way the soldiers were stuggling and frantically esacping the 'gas' in the area. The exclamation marks and repition of 'gas!' also shows this through the tone created. The short, single words emphasises an urgency of fast escape.

Or do I need to go further? or does that quote not sufficiently explain a sense of sinister atmosphere?

Reply 71

Meteorshower

In my opinion you haven't described why ecstacy and fumbling create a sinister atmosphere at all. You've said that they do but not why. IMO you should say what the words mean and why that creates a sinister atmosphere afterwards.

The last sentence is better.

Reply 72

OriginofSymmetry

Meteorshower

This. Plus more depth.

Reply 73

Nonie No

Our head of English said "the SQA do not give 25s, but you'd do well to get 23 or 21."

That's rubbish. And I have PDW materials to prove it.

Reply 74

ArcadiaHouse

Nonie No

That's rubbish. And I have PDW materials to prove it.

What are PDW materials, pray?

Our head of English clearly has no faith in us then. :p:

Btw, is it normal to do eight sides for a Close Reading paper? I didn't do it under timed conditions, but I think I wrote far too much. :\

Reply 75

OriginofSymmetry

ArcadiaHouse

Btw, is it normal to do eight sides for a Close Reading paper? I didn't do it under timed conditions, but I think I wrote far too much. :\

Yeah that can be normal. Depends on writing size.

And 25 is possible, I got it last year for one of my essays.

Reply 76

namedeprived

Does anyone here happen to have a copy of the 2000 Critical Essay Paper? I have to do Q1 for Monday. I should be able to find it or borrow a copy tomorrow, but it'd be great if someone could tell me now.

As you can see, I've not even done all the set homework for the Easter Break. I need to get my act in gear.

Reply 77

Nonie No

ArcadiaHouse

What are PDW materials, pray?

ArcadiaHouse

Btw, is it normal to do eight sides for a Close Reading paper? I didn't do it under timed conditions, but I think I wrote far too much. :\

Is this on the wide-lined SQA answer booklet? I'd say that was not too excessive. But if it's on ordinary lined paper - where do you get the time?!?!
Quality is generally found in a candidate's ability to be succinct in their responses to Close Reading questions. Eight sides suggests, to me, a tendency to waffle... :frown:

Reply 78

ArcadiaHouse

Nonie No

Professional Development Workshop materials - teachers attend courses where actual SQA responses are discussed and evaluated - those posted on The Remains Of The Day are from this year's courses. They are available on the SQA website - for Close Reading too, I think (haven't looked, in all honesty).

Is this on the wide-lined SQA answer booklet? I'd say that was not too excessive. But if it's on ordinary lined paper - where do you get the time?!?!
Quality is generally found in a candidate's ability to be succinct in their responses to Close Reading questions. Eight sides suggests, to me, a tendency to waffle... :frown:

Thank you. And yes, I think you're right: I spent ages on it to figure out where I'm going wrong (got 29/50 for the Prelim). I'm letting my teacher see it on Monday, so ...