how long should a descriptive essay be leaving cert

Leaving Cert English Masterplan  by Paul McCormack

In this article, Paul McCormack takes a look at the Leaving Cert Higher Level English papers and breaks down exactly what you need to cover with tips on what to focus on and the depth required. 

Download the Masterplan in PowerPoint

If you want to be a good writer, you need to concentrate not just on what you say, but also on how you say it.

Marking Scheme - PCLM

• Purpose (30%)
• Coherence of Delivery (30%)
• Language (30%)
• Mechanics (10%)

Paper 1 -200 marks

Timing – 2hrs 50mins = 170 mins

• QA – 60 minutes
• QB – 30minutes
• Composition – 70 minutes
• 10 minutes – ‘wriggle-room’

Comprehension – QA  - 50m = 12.5%

• 3 texts – Answer on 1
• 3 Questions: 2x15m + 1x20 marks
• Expectation – 5 marks = 1 paragraph
• NO opening or closing paragraph required

Expect Q(i) to be very straightforward – often a simple character analysis task.

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.

Expect Q(iii) to be a style question – vital to prepare and be able to identify the key qualities of different styles of writing: a)    Argument -----> Discursive  b)    Persuasion ----> Speech / talk c)    Story / narrative d)    Description / Aesthetic e)    Personal writing

Expect Q(ii) to be the most challenging . In recent years, these questions have required candidates to be imaginative . These questions often do not require direct reference to the attached Reading Comprehension passage.  

Example: In TEXT 1, Jeanette Winterson claims that, “We go to Shakespeare to find out about ourselves now.” With reference to a Shakespearean play you have studied for your 2019 Leaving Certificate course, identify an image, moment or episode that revealed something to you about “yourselfnow”. Explain the insight(s) you gained from engaging with this image, moment or episode.

Comprehension – QB - 50m = 12.5%

• 3 tasks – Answer on 1
• Pick QB first
• Imaginative tasks – often requires candidate to adopt a persona
• Task usually involves a ‘framework’ instruction, i.e. A speech; a talk; an introduction to a collection of essays; a magazine article / blog post / article for school website; a formal letter; a Diary entry

Questions will also usually contain a list of tasks that must be addressed across the response. The key here is to be:  1)    Accurate 2)    Consistent 3)    Imaginative 4)    Concise  

Example: 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.

Composition – 100m = 25%

• The most important section of the exam
• 7 choices – select one
• Questions always genre-specific
• A personal essay
• A short story
• A discursive essay

There will also likely be an option to write: 

• A descriptive essay
• A persuasive essay
• A magazine / newspaper article

The style of writing is the most important criteria for assessment here. Tasks are genre-specific, so:

• A short story should contain obvious elements of narrative / aesthetic language
• A speech should display an understanding of persuasive and argumentative techniques
• A discursive essay should display a balanced, informed, considered approach
• A personal essay should be reflective and contain ‘individual observation’

The marking schemes very clearly lay out the expectations related to each style of essay and should be studied closely.

The quality of language and expression  will be closely examined in this task above all others. The expectation is that the candidate will display a strong understanding of the particulars of the selected genre and will write in an articulate and clear style.

Imagination and Originality are key factors in a successful composition.

Paper 2 – 200m – 200 minutes.

Time management: take one hour to write each essay, and then spend 20 minutes on Unseen Poetry at the end.

There is an expectation that all answers on Paper 2 will be:

• Substantial (anywhere between 1,000 & 1,200 words is a reasonable expectation)
• Evidence-based. Quotation is vitally important here. There is an absolute expectation of supporting quotation for answers to Single Text and Studied Poetry answers. Quotation also adds to the quality of comparative answers.
• Analytical – the expectation is that answers will contain thoughtful and considered question-facing commentary. All Paper 2 tasks are exercises in CRITICAL THINKING.
• Properly structured.  

Note: In responses to Single Text and Studied Poetry tasks, opening and closing paragraphs certainly should be written . However, they should be brief and only need to accomplish one task – state the candidate’s response to the statement proposal in the question. Every answer on Paper 2 must be written in the language of argument  so provide your THESIS and move on. Closing paragraphs should again be brief and simply re-iterate the thesis. Candidates do not need to ‘list’ points on the OP or CP.

Single Text – 60m = 15%

Five texts are prescribed for study:

• All the Light We Cannot See
• A Doll’s House
• Frankenstein
• The Picture of Dorian Gray
• There will be 2 questions on each text and candidates must answer one question.
• The question will contain multiple elements

Examples: #1 Discuss how Shakespeare makes effective use, for a variety of purposes, of the contradictions and inconsistencies evident in Othello’s character. Develop your discussion with reference to Shakespeare’s play, Othello.

#2 Discuss how Shakespeare’s use of language, including imagery, plays an important part in developing our understanding of one of the following aspects of his play, Othello: themes; characterisation; setting and atmosphere. Develop your answer with reference to the text.

Expectations:

• Answers will be question-facing.
• Answers will not ‘narrate’ the studied text.
• Answers will be thoughtful, and points and evidence will be contextualised in the light of the question.
• Between 4-6 relevant points will be presented in a logical and structured essay.

Othello – Key Topics for Revision:

• The story-arc of the main characters
• The modern appeal 
• Universal themes like corruption and deception are particularly important.

Comparative Three modes are prescribed for study:

• The cultural context
• Theme and issue
• Literary genre

CANDIDATES MUST ANSWER ON ONE MODE.

• Each mode will offer a choice between two questions.
• One choice will be a stand-alone 70-mark essay. 
• In 2021, candidates could refer to 2 texts when answering this question WITHOUT FEAR OF PENALTY.
• The other choice will be divided into Part A (30) marks and Part B (40 marks).
• Candidates are expected to be able to refer to three texts when answering this question.

Expectations: Answers will

• Be written in the comparative spirit
• Display a detailed knowledge of the selected texts
• Avoid paraphrasing / narrating the selected texts.

When writing a Comparative answer, ensure you clearly identify your selected texts before you begin to write. The list technique is a very effective way to do this.

Try to develop 3-4 points in a thoughtful and analytical style. 

Studied Poetry: Poets Prescribed for Higher Level 2022

• Expect to see at least one poet from each category on your exam. 
• 4 poets are usually examined
• In 2021, 5 poets were examined.
• Candidates have to answer on one poet.
• Questions will usually explicitly refer to  a)    The thematic content of a poet’s work b)    Aspects of the poet’s style of writing  
• Candidates should refer to between 4-6 poems in an answer.
• Candidates will focus in on 3-4 core poems and then refer to another 1-2 other poems in context.
• Candidates will not summarise the poems. 
• Candidates will be selective in choice of evidence. 
• You do not have to tell the examiner the story of the poem.  
• The questions will vary in difficulty . Decision-making is a key skill here.
• A good example if this comes from the 2020 Paper 2:

Emily Dickinson  Discuss how Dickinson’s unique approach to language, and the balance between beauty and horror in her imagery, help to relieve some of the darker aspects of her poetry. Develop your response with reference to the poems by Emily Dickinson on your course. 

Adrienne Rich Discuss how Rich makes effective use of a variety of characters, often in dramatic settings, to probe both personal issues and wider social concerns in her poems. Develop your response with reference to the poetry by Adrienne Rich on your course.

One of these questions was much easier than the other...

Finally, some comments from the Chief Examiner that are worth considering...

The Leaving Certificate English Syllabus states that, “Developing control and power over language is the most essential educational achievement for all students if they are to become confident, thoughtful and discriminating adults and citizens”, (Leaving Certificate Syllabus, English, para. 3.5). The importance of key language skills is emphasised throughout the Marking Schemes for Leaving Certificate English and candidates who exhibit competence and control in the use of language are rewarded. It should be remembered that  candidates’ language skills are continuously assessed in the marking of answers to all questions on both Papers 1 and Paper 2 of the Leaving Certificate English examination. The criteria for assessment are applied in the case of every answer at both Higher and Ordinary Levels. This means that candidates who exhibit fluency appropriate to the task are rewarded in relation to every question answered. It is worth noting that some examiners identified candidates who were able to demonstrate knowledge of a text or texts but were less able to deliver this knowledge in a lucid and coherent fashion. 

An appropriate awareness of grammatical and syntactical conventions contributed to the cohesiveness of better answers in the 2013 examination, as did the use of correct spelling and punctuation. Weaker responses tended to be characterised by an inability to organise answers in a logical and coherent fashion and a lack of clear expression. The syllabus requires that, “all students will be expected to be assiduous in their attention to paragraphing, syntax, spelling and punctuation.” 

Candidates at both Higher and Ordinary Levels benefited when they exhibited an ability to structure their writing, organise paragraphs, spell accurately and correctly employ punctuation. 

The criteria for assessment also make explicit reference to the “use of lively interesting phrasing, energy, style and fluency”. It is essential that candidates are aware of the many purposes for which language is used and the diverse forms it can take, to appropriately serve particular purposes and audiences. Creative and thoughtful users of language were rewarded.

Paul McCormack is a senior English teacher at the Institute of Education, Leeson Street, Dublin. He is the author of Bridge The Gap TY English and Uncovering History.

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Top tips for your leaving cert english paper 1 exam 2021

It’s coming up to exam time so here are a few tips for Paper 1…

The comprehension section (QA OR QB) of Paper 1 is worth 40marks , which is 14% of your total mark for English. In this section you will be given three texts on various aspects of a specific theme (always written on the front of the paper in capital letters) such as young writers, challenges, influences, mystery or relationships. Normally, you are given three comprehensions, one of which may be a picture text (visual literacy). The texts will be extracts from books, articles from newspapers or magazines, speeches and the picture text a set of photographs, covers of books or some other visual material.

When choosing your QA OR QB, bear in mind the following points:

(1) Each text is followed by a QA and a QB. QA contains a number of questions relating directly to the text. You are expected here to show a good grasp of its content and to give your own response to it. Question B poses a writing task arising out of the text. You might be asked, for example, to write in the style of a newspaper article, a letter, a short story, a diary entry, or an interview script.

(2) When deciding on QA, make sure that you familiarise yourself with each text and with the questions which follow it before you decide which questions to attempt. Spend 5 minutes reading through them carefully. What might initially look like a favourable option may not always contain favourable questions. Remember your understanding of the questions is crucial, so much so that I often advise my students to choose their QA on their familiarity with the questions that come up.

(3) QB is the other option that students have over QA this year of your Paper 1. It holds the same marks as Comprehension (14%) . QB is a test of concise writing or condensed writing. The most commonly asked QB are letters, short speech/talk/article, interview, blog and diary entry. However, they may also ask a QB that you have never encountered such as writing an election leaflet, a competition entry or a script of dialogue. You shouldn’t shy away from such choices if you like the task as they usually don’t demand a specific structure or format. Write 2-2.5 pages for QB. Any more suggests an inability to write in a concise manner. Try to be original with your points (or if appropriate, use humour-an amused examiner is a generous examiner!) as QBs often lack originality and can be quite mundane. PLEASE NOTE that there is usually 2-3 tasks within the Q so label each one carefully and aim to do a paragraph on each. You can use your Point, Support, Explain method for each paragraph.

(3) Start with your QA or QB. This year, due to the amendments, you have more time than every before to spend on this section – I would recommend 60 minutes for QA or 50 minutes for QB. For QA, write approximately 3 pages. For a 15mQ, write 3 points/ 3 paragraphs and for a 20mQ, write 4 points/4 paragraphs. For QB, make sure you follow the set tasks of the Q – in recent years, there have been 3 distinctive tasks set out within the Q.

(4) Do your Paper 1 essay next – remember at 36%, this is worth over a third of your marks this year!! Options for Paper 1 essay include speeches, articles, personal essay, descriptive essays and short stories. For most essays (except for short stories) an introduction, 5-6 points/paragraphs and a conclusion should suffice. It is essential that you do a detailed plan for this Q as you must know what you are going to write and the examples that you are going to use to support your points. Spend 20-25 minutes on your plan and 85 minutes on writing. Make sure you know your language genres (persuasion, argument, information, narration and aesthetic) as you must use these features when writing the different types of essay. For e.g. speech writing demands features of persuasive and argumentative language genres, articles need to have informative language features while short stories must contain narrative and aesthetic language features. Make sure you write a complete essay- an unfinished Paper 1 essay is like walking out of your French oral exam half way through it!

(5) It is always a nice boost to do a good Paper1 as it gets the exams off to a good start but please don’t dwell on any negatives when you come out of the exam. Put it behind you and move on!

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Leaving Cert. English, Paper 1 – Part A: The Complete Guide

What are you being asked to do?

The marker is told to view each question as a task, which you must solve with your answer. Here the task is to show your comprehending skills; you are proving to the marker that you can read or look at a certain text and answer questions based on what you have read or seen. There are three question types used to test this: questions concerning what a written question is about, questions on the style of a written text, and questions on the style of a visual text.

If we look at the 2009 exam we see this. Text A contains three questions:

• Based on your reading of the above text, outline the views of Veronica Chrisp and Bernie Wright on  animal welfare in zoos.
• Join the debate. Having considered the views expressed in the text, do  you think zoos should be closed? Give reasons for your decision.
• Select  four features of argumentative and/or persuasive writing evident in the text and comment on their effectiveness. Refer to the text in support of your answer.

Text B contains the questions:

• David Malouf evokes a strong sense of place in this extract from his short story. What impression do you get of the Australian town and its people? Support your answer with reference to the text.
• Do you think the boy has a good relationship with his parents? Give reasons for your answer.
• Identify and comment on four features of narrative and/ or descriptive writing evident in this text. Support your answer by illustration from the text.

Text C contains the questions:

• From your reading of this text what do you understand by the term ‘the decisive moment’? Refer to both the  written and visual text in support of your answer.
• Select  three features of the author’s style in the  written element of the text and comment on their effectiveness. Support your answer with reference to the  written text.
• Write a personal response to the visual image in Text 3 that makes the greatest impact on you. [You might consider the subject matter, setting, mood, caption, relevancy, photographic qualities/ technique, etc]

As seen, there are three question types throughout the three texts. However, regardless of the question type three things are asked of you to show your comprehending abilities:

• to give a straight response – you are asked such questions as whether ‘ you think zoos should be closed?’ which require to say whether you think something is so, or is not, or should be so, or should be not etc.
• you are asked to give reasons for your response – mention is made of e.g ‘Give reasons for your decision’ (the likes of ‘Support your answer with reference to the written text’ etc also indicates this as it asking you to give reasons from the written text).
• To give examples for your reasons – each question always requires you to e. g ‘ Support your answer with reference to the written text ’ (here referring to examples), ‘ Refer to the text in support of your answer ’ (here answer refers to your straight response and reasons which you use to back it up)

Sometimes you may be asked to give a personal response – questions may appear such as ‘From your reading of the text’, ‘Do you think..’ or ‘Write a personal response’.

The questions in Part A are thus asking for a straight answer to each question, reasons for your choosing of this straight answer, and examples to show that your reasons for choosing this straight answer can be chosen and thus that your straight answer is suitable for answering the question asked of you. Throughout this you may have to respond personally.

What do you need to have in these answers?

As well as the three (or four, if you include a personal response) requirements above, the marker will expect your answers in Part A to include the four qualities of  Clarity of Purpose , Efficiency of Language use ,  Coherence of Delivery and  Accuracy of Mechanics . Hence, in any answer to a question in Part A, you are required to have these seven elements, meaning that you can answer any question on Part A with a suitable answer structure that contains all seven elements.

An effective way to structure your answer so as to contain all seven elements is with the ‘say and show’ method. This involves stating your answer to the question and then showing how this answer is suitable for answering the question with evidence. This method splits your answer into an introduction, main body of three/ four paragraphs and a conclusion. The broad outline of this answer already sets out to answer Part A in the manner required as shown above; the introduction will introduce your answer with your straight response to the question, the paragraphs of the main body of your answer will provide reasons for choosing this straight response and examples to prove that the reasons for and thus the straight response can be chosen, while including a personal response, if needed. The conclusion will conclude your answer. Using this method answers the question and thus solves the task as the marker wishes because it also includes the four qualities looked for by the marker, as shall be shown.

Clarity of Purpose

The  introduction brings about the first quality needed in your answer.

This means that you are engaging with the set task, which here is proving that you can read/look at a text and answer questions based on it. As we have seen, the set task requires several things of you, and the introduction allows you to place the first of these in your answer. To show this, we will take the question: ‘Do you consider the first paragraph to be an example of good descriptive writing?’ (2007, text 1, i)

Any introduction to a piece should tell its reader what it is about. Here, the first few lines of your answer should do this and thus your straight response to the question is suitable, because it will tell the marker in a concise manner what your answer is about. It will do so because the remainder of the answer will back this straight response up because it will be reasons for your choosing of this straight response and examples to back such reasons up – therefore the straight response is the perfect introduction because it tells your marker what the remainder of the answer will be about. A suitable straight response for the question above would be something such as ‘I do consider the first paragraph to be an example of good descriptive writing.’

Immediately your answer has one requirement, the straight response to the question. It now requires reasons to show the marker why you chose this straight response to answer the question (these reasons may involve a personal response; even though the above is a personal response more is needed, as shall be shown). As said, an introduction should inform the reader of what the remainder of the piece is about, and therefore your introduction here should tell the marker of the reasons for why you chose the straight response, such as the one above. Each of these will be used in a paragraph of the main body of your answer, so you should list these to the marker, because they are the rest of your answer, and in your introduction you need to tell the marker what is in the rest of your answer. For the answer above something such as so should suffice:

‘I feel the first paragraph is so because it uses verbs and adjectives to create a vivid energetic picture, imagery which appeals to the sense of sight and sound, and it uses personification of the tree, which adds to the dramatic visual effect.’

Each of your reasons will be used in a paragraph to back up your straight response. In each paragraph a threefold method can be used to show a reason for choosing your straight response.

Firstly, like the first lines of any piece should indicate what the remainder of the written piece is about, the first lines of each paragraph should indicate what the rest of the paragraph is about. You should therefore firstly mention the reason you will concentrate on in the paragraph, such as

‘I do consider the first paragraph to be an example of good descriptive writing, firstly because of its including verbs and adjectives to create a vivid, energetic picture.’

Secondly, you need to say how this reason helped you make your straight response to the question. This is an important part of  Clarity of purpose because you are here showing to the marker that the reasons you have chosen for and thus your straight response do answer the question asked of you; in other words, you are showing that what you are writing is solving the task asked of you. Here you can insert another requirement sometimes needed in your answer, a personal response. You can here say why you chose this reason and thus why you are answering the question with the response you picked. Doing so for the question we have begun answering would continue its first paragraph in such a manner:

‘In doing so I think the first paragraph becomes alive and full of motion; it is not like a picture you would view in an art gallery which captures a specific moment, forever. Here the first paragraph is describing a tree being cut down so I feel it needs to describe the various stage of this, rather than capturing it in a one-off moment. The falling of the tree is not simply a one-off moment; it is a series of events which includes the tree’s struggle to stay up, its fall and after the fall. Therefore I expect a suitable description to be energetic and vivid to convey this variety and multitude of happenings. I felt using verbs and adjectives to create a vivid, energetic picture achieved this easily.’

If a personal response is not required, you can simply say why you chose this reason helps answers the question with your straight response, without inserting ‘I’, ‘me’ etc.

All that is then needed to conclude the paragraph are examples; these will provide evidence that your reason does help answer your question because the text shows instances of how you say it does, thus proving your statement of how it does so to be true.

If you use this threefold method for each paragraph of your main body you will be including the requirements for your answer; you will have given a straight response to your answer, provided reasons for doing so (as well as showing how these reasons prove your straight response to be suitable for answering the question) which can include a personal response, as well as backing up all of this with examples. Having done so in a well-structured and organised manner brings in another of the four qualities looked for by the marker in your answer.

Efficiency of language use

This quality focuses partially on your using of language (/writing) to form a suitably structured answer to the question/task required of you. Using the structure above would show that you are able to control your language to answer the question/task. This quality also concerns your writing/ language use within your answer structure, and that you are using suitable langauge to answer the question within a suitable answer structure, both of which are needed to show that you can use your language suitably to answer the question. Some things to keep in mind so that you are using suitable language are:

• Correct terminology/phraseology is essential – if you are asked on a certain question, you will be expected to write about material which is in someway suitable; for example if you are asked to talk about a character, the marker won’t expect you to be mentioning such things as setting.
• Short sentences are best; long sentences may take away from the point you are trying to make and the marker may view this as ‘waffle’.
• The use of ‘I’ or ‘me’; if the question is aimed at ‘you’, answer accordingly.
• Engage with the text and use plenty of examples to back up your answer.

Coherence of delivery

This marker will look for your answer to continuously and cohesively answer the question over its entirety without disruption or interruption. Providing your answer with examples will continuously provide evidence for your straight response and reasons for this – so use plenty of examples.

The other way to continuously and cohesively answer the question is to ensure that when you move from one part of your answer to another, such as a different part of the paragraph, or another paragraph, you link this new part of your answer to the previous part. This ensures that your answer remains unified and gaps do not form. There are two places in your answer to do so:

1) In paragraphs when different examples are used to provide evidence that your reason does help answer the question through the response you used. Use linking phrases to link your examples and present them as unified, all serving the same function, showing that your reason does help answer the question with your response. Use such phrases as ‘We see this again with..’, ‘We see more of the same’ etc.

For example, in the paragraph which we have been answering, after introducing the point about the verbs and adjectives and showing how this reason helps you answer the question with your response, you could use such examples and link them as so:

‘This is seen with the mention that the tree ‘twisted’ but later ‘keeled over’ and finally fell to the ground ‘with a thunderous hurricane crash’ all in the space of a couple of moments.  However the description does not stop there ; even after the tree has fallen the description continues and we hear how the boy saw ‘light flood in to the space where the tree had stood.’ I felt that the effect is that the description is alive and energetic, with a variety of happenings occuring in a small space of time which, when forcing these all together in one short paragraph, creates an intense feeling of energy, which the description (as shown above) aimed to convey.’

The linking phrase ‘However the description does not stop there’ links the first example, of the tree’s fall, to the second, of the boy’s viewpoint of the fall. In doing so, it shows both examples to be doing the same thing, showing that the verbs and adjectives present the fall as vivid and energetic, through portraying the fall as a series of happenings, and thus showing a suitable reason for answering with your straight response to the question asked, which furthermore presents your straight response a a suitable for answering the question.

2) In-between paragraphs; again linking phrases can be used to present your answer not as a group of separate paragraphs providing reasons for your straight response to a question, but a unified answer which makes a response to a question and then exapands upon this statement by providing reasons which all show why chose to respond to the question in the manner you did so. At the beginning of paragraphs you can link each paragraph to the last through linking phrases such as ‘Another reason I’, ‘As well as..’ etc.

For example, if you were to begin the next paragraph after the one just mentioned above, you may want to link it in such a way as ‘As well as its including verbs and adjectives to create a vivid energetic picture, another reason I consider the first paragraph to be an example of good descriptive writing is its including of imagery which appeals to the sense of sight and sound.’

This, as said, achieves the same effect as linking examples in your paragraphs; it shows each paragraph linked to another to be doing the same thing, providing reasons for choosing to respond to the question in the way you chose to.

After completing the main body of the answer, all that is left is the  conclusion . The purpose of the conclusion is to conclude your answer so here you should be reminding the marker of your response to the question, your reasons for doing so and how this suitably answers the question. Therefore, you should list your response, your reasons for this response and finally a couple of lines stating what these have shown over the entire answer; how your response and reasons are a suitable answer to the question. An example for the question we have been answering throughout could be:

‘As shown, I do consider the first paragraph to be an example of good descriptive writing. This is because the first paragraph uses verbs and adjectives to create a vivid energetic picture, it uses imagery which appeals to the senses of sight and sound and finally because of its personification of the tree, which adds to the dramatic visual effect. All of these combine to make the first paragraph an example of good descriptive writing because they allow the paragraph to show, rather than simply tell, what happened (the falling of the tree).’

Finally, with regards to the final quality needed, Accuracy of Mechanics , spelling and grammar should be of a high standard, with very few mistakes allowed before marks are deducted (this occurs when mistakes hamper the marker’s of your answer).

All in all, when you are answering your question for the part A/ comprehension section you should be focusing on:

• Providing a response to the question
• Providing reasons for this response
• Stating why you can use these reasons
• Evidence that proves your reasons are relevant
• Clarity of Purpose: that you are answering the question (providing a response to the question)
• Coherence of Delivery: that you are continuously answering the question
• Efficiency of Language Use: that you are using the appropriate language (structure included) to answer the question
• Accuracy of Mechanics: While doing all of the above you are using correct spelling and grammar
• Introduction: list response and reasons for this
• Main body: three paragraphs, each of which has linking phrase to the last paragraph to achieve coherency. Each paragraph should state the reason for your response in the introduction, explain why this reason justifies your response, while also giving examples to provide evidence of your reason.
• Conclusion: Sum up your response and state its significance.

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Subreddit for Leaving Cert students and teachers to request and share resources for all exam subjects. Request resources you need, share files others might need. A link to the shared drive can be found in the stickied post.

Tips for all Sections of English Exams.

First of all, good luck to everyone. I have no idea if this subreddit has actually helped anyone but I hope it has and will in the future once it's had a little time to grow.

Below are the tips I gave my class for the English exams this week. Of course there is much more that could be added but in my experience this is what matters most.

For anyone looking for notes, there are tonnes of English notes in the shared drive for this subreddit also: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Vfd5iQi5ddgE7rxfYb8Oj6cGwR3Ip_Io?usp=share_link

(TLDR: Answer the Question at all Times! Plan responses before writing. Pay attention to timing)

*Make sure to choose Q.A and Q.B tasks from different texts*

Section 1: Q.A: Comprehension

-Understand the Question(s ): Don’t just read the Qs, analyse them. If you misinterpret the questions your answers are worth nothing. Take the time to figure out exactly what they’re asking you before you start writing.

-Answer the Question!: Everything your write needs to work towards the same goal. Anything you write that isn’t linked to the task won’t earn marks so stay on topic and keep everything relevant.

-Timing and Structure: Short intro with one paragraph for every 5 marks (unless Q states otherwise), and one minute spent writing per mark. Answer the Q by getting straight to the point, provide evidence, explain how it supports your point, move on.

-Last Minute Revision: Be familiar with the features of the different language genre; Aesthetic, Narrative, Argumentative, Persuasive, Informative.

Section 1: Q.B: Functional Writing

-GAP: What matters most here is meeting GAP; Genre, Audience, and Purpose.

Genre is about matching the format of the task you are completing. If it’s a speech, introduce yourself and speak to the audience. If it’s an article include a headline/byline. If it’s a letter, make sure you include address/date etc.

Audience links to who the intended reader/listener of your writing might be. If it’s a formal letter you tone would be more serious and stiff. A diary entry would be more informal and personal etc.

Purpose means you have completed ALL of the tasks asked of you. Is your writing achieving it’s intended function? Is your speech persuasive or informative? Is your diary entry reflective and personal? Read the Q and answer it!

-Timing and Structure: You will have about 30-40 minutes to write this. Plan your response carefully and aim to write between 2-4 pages. Focus on GAP above all else and leave plenty of time for the 100 mark composition task coming up.

-Last minute Revision: Look over the layout of different genres like a Diary Entry, Speech, Letter (Formal and Informal), Article.

Section 2: Composition

-Structure and Length: Pay attention to GAP, but put more emphasis on planning here since this essay is so long. You are aiming for somewhere between 4-8 pages here so PLAN your response carefully. Even if you use extra time on the comprehension tasks you need at least an hour for this section. It is worth 25% of your entire Eng result so make it count!

At the start establish GAP , introduce a hook to grab attention, and create a flow by including a thread you’ll use to tie sections together.

Each section needs a clear focus that is fully explored before moving on. Try to use connectives to make your essay follow a logical path as it develops.

Your Conclusion would ideally link back to your opening in some way to create a sense of completion. No cliff-hangers, waking up from dreams, to be continued, or random twists.

-Content: For this section GAP definitely matters, but HOW you write becomes increasingly important. Find opportunities to show off your writing ability by hitting the examiner with a barrage of techniques and devices, descriptive details, personal reflection, use of the senses etc. GAP will get you a good grade, showing off at opportune moments will get you a great grade.

-Last Minute Revision: Look over samples of H1-level Personal/Discursive Essays and Descriptive Essays as they are historically the more dependable options.

*Do not just summarise your texts!*

Section 1: The Single Text (Macbeth)

-Answer the Q: Any moment your refer to, and quote you include, and character you summarise, it all needs to be linked to what the question is asking you. Use the key words from the Q often, but make sure you actually discuss them !

-Likely Topics: There is a lot they can ask, but the most likely topics are on the main Characters (Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, Duncan, Banquo, Macduff, Witches), the main Themes (Ambition, Guilt, Power, Good Vs. Evil), and Style (Symbols/Images, Soliloquies).

- Last Minute Revision: Focus on the key scenes in the play paying attention to how they link to the characters’ development, the play’s main themes, and common symbols/images.

1:3, 1:7, 2:2, 3:4, 4:1, 5:1, 5:5, 5:8. (Not really a “last minute” task…)

Section 2: The Comparative

-2023 Changes:

Texts: Remember that this year you do not NEED to know all 3 of these texts. You can choose to tackle the 70 mark Q on just 2 of your studied comparative texts. If you have studied all three texts I STRONGLY suggest you take the route of answering the 30 mark Q on one of your texts, and the remaining 40 mark Q on the other 2. Statistically, this is the way you are most likely to get the highest marks; It eliminates the complexity of comparing 3 texts at once and it makes your comparative response much shorter/easier.

Modes: Also remember that all 3 of your studied modes will appear. You can use information from the other 2 modes, but keep the focus on the mode you choose to respond to.

-Comparative Essentials: As always, answer the Q. But make sure you are comparing as frequently as possible. Sections should start and end with comparisons at the very least!

-Last Minute Revision: If you’re in a tight spot then pick two texts, and just one mode. Know your key moments (beginning, climax, ending) and choose the 70 mark Q on 2 texts.

Section 3: Poetry

-Biggest Mistake: The biggest mistake is that students often just summarise what each poem is about and throw some random quotes in to prove you’ve learned them. This will lose you massive marks. Answer the Q! Use your knowledge of the poems and the quotes you’ve learned to support a clear argument. Do no fall into the trap of just summarising poems.

-Structure: Aim to discuss 4 poems in detail, 5 if you're good with timing. One paragraph per poem with around 3-7 quotes to support points.

-Last Minute Revision: 4 Quotes from 4 Poems by 4 Poets -Unseen Poetry: This is worth the least amount of marks so leave it until last. If you have time, tackle the 2x 10 mark Qs. If you're short then tackle the 20 marker. This will be somewhat similar to the comprehension Qs from Paper 1; Focus on the Q, support your points with evidence, and move fast.

1 Composition (Personal Writing)

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Really Useful Links for Writers: Leaving Cert Essay Writing

Paul FitzSimons

• 29 May 2014

I have good news – the weather will be beautiful next Wednesday. The sun will shine, the skies will be clear, the temperature will be in the twenties. How do I know that? Because it’s the first day of the Leaving Cert Exams.

Besides being the unofficial start of summer, Day 1 of the Leaving is also English Paper 1, the culmination of two years’ work for around fifty thousand English language students.

The Leaving Cert English exam is divided into two papers – Paper 1, which is all about comprehension and composition and Paper 2, which covers The Single Text , The Comparative Study and Poetry. Like the other two-part exams Maths and Irish, English 1 and 2 happen on two different days – the first Wednesday and Thursday mornings of the schedule. Maybe this is to give brains and hands a chance to recover from a hectic morning of essay-writing.

Besides having the aptitude to tell a good story, writing essays at Leaving Cert level requires certain acquired skills, most of which we learn over the years of study prior to the exam. However, there are some aspects of writing the perfect essay that we don’t necessarily pick up or, with the deluge of knowledge that we’re trying to take in, have slipped from our memories. Thankfully, there are plenty of online resources that will fill in those gaps and also offer some additional advice on writing, organisational and time-saving that will prove invaluable on the day.

On the ever useful website LeavingCertEnglish.net – seriously, I wish this had been around in my day – we are given an invaluable guide to preparing for and then sitting down to English Paper 1. Their pages include advice on approaching each essay, what needs to be covered to achieve a passing mark and what flourishes will help to get that all-important A.

After sitting his Leaving Cert in 2011, student and blogger Aidan Curran decided to take the lessons he learned during that traumatic year and share them on his website. His post How To Get An A In English Essay Writing takes us through everything we need to remember coming up to and during the exam. He reminds us that, as essay-writing is not something we can memorize, it makes it both the easiest and most difficult part of the exam.

Most of the above applies to Paper 1 of the exam. Of course, there are also some essays to be written for Paper 2, which deals with curriculum’s prescribed texts, such as the play, novels and poetry. The Clevernotes website offers us some invaluable advice on tackling the second English paper compositions, suggesting that, in order to form a cogent and coherent response to the question asked, an essay must always contain an introduction, a number of well-focused body paragraphs and a conclusion.

For some slightly more tongue-in-cheek advice on essay writing, we can watch video blogger Clisare’s video on Entertainment.ie. She takes us through her unique thoughts on writing both English and Irish essays. She does offer some interesting insight but the fact that she advises us to remind the teacher that ‘Irish is a dead language’ suggests that we should probably take most of her tips with a grán salainn.

If you feel an online tutor will be able to help, check out TutorHunt .

“The whole purpose of education is to turn mirrors into windows.” – Sydney J. Harris

A Whole Website Dedicated To It.

LeavingCertEnglish.net has all the advice, information and sample exams we need to tackle the Paper 1 essay.

“”Stick to the topic. Have plenty of ideas. Identify problems but also offer solutions.”

http://leavingcertenglish.net/2012/03/inspiration/ .

Them’s The Rules.

LeavingCertEnglish.net takes us through six important rules for writing the perfect essay.

“It’s really important to grab the reader’s attention. Use a quote, or a series of rhetorical questions, a list, or a vivid description.”

http://leavingcertenglish.net/2011/05/six-rules-of-essay-writing/

From The Horse’s Mouth.

Recent Leaving Cert student Aidan Curran takes us his advice on Essay-writing, based on his own experience.

“Obviously, when you get the essay titles first you say “That’s it, I’m screwed, we’ll call it a day”. But if you just look at them, you’ll realise that they can be changed to your strengths.”

http://aidancurran.com/how-to-get-an-a1-in-english-essay-writing-aidan-curran/

It’s Not All About Paper 1, You Know.

English Paper 2, which deals with the subject’s prescribed texts and poetry, also involves some essay writing. Clevernotes tells us how to tackle it.

“The most basic principal of essay writing is that it should be structured. Your essay must form a cogent and coherent response to the question asked.”

https://www.clevernotes.ie/english/hl/leaving-cert/how-to-write-a-paper-two-essay/

And Lastly, Some Proper Serious Advice (Or Maybe Not)

Vlogger Clisare gives us her unique take on Essay Writing.

“Always end English Language essays with ‘…and then I woke up.’ Teachers love that.”

http://entertainment.ie/wtf/WATCH-How-to-write-a-leaving-cert-essay/191520.htm

(c) Paul FitzSimons

About the author

Paul FitzSimons is a screenwriter and novelist and has written the novel ‘Burning Matches’ and a number of scripts for film and TV. He has worked as a storyline writer on RTE’s ‘Fair City’. His short stories are published in ‘Who Brought The Biscuits’ by The Naas Harbour Writers. Paul likes crime thrillers, good coffee and Cadbury’s chocolate. He doesn’t like country-and-western music or people who don’t indicate on roundabouts.

Paul also runs the  Script Editing service Paul | The | Editor .  paulfitzsimons.com

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Leaving Cert Short Story Writing - How to deal with the recent specificity of exam titles

"The first thing students need to do is to underline key words and write them on top of your rough work page, which can be the inside of the cover sheet of your answer booklet"

Plan your short stories by using headings

Like most creative or athletic pursuits, short story writing is a skill that you either possess, or do not. Wow! What a negative way to open an article about short story writing! But it's true. One of the challenges for each of us is to identify our skills and make best use of them. This is why school offers so many ways to explore and cultivate our talents. When it comes to writing, practising all of the essay types offered on Paper 1 is an invaluable part of this process.

Leaving Cert essays generally fall into two camps: Creative (Short Stories and Descriptive Essays) and Opinion (pretty much all of the others: Speeches, Articles etc). If teacher feedback suggests that you may have talent at short story writing, then you need to hone your narrative and descriptive skills by writing short story essay titles from past exam papers. That alone, however, is not enough to ensure your success on the day.

Let's look at one of the options that appeared on the 2020 exam paper: 'Write a short story in which a crime or mystery is solved, that 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.' The first thing students need to do is to underline key words and write them on top of your rough work page, which can be the inside of the cover sheet of your answer booklet. Here, the key words would be 'crime or mystery is solved', 'begins with a dramatic arrival', 'any era', 'include Sherlock Holmes or not'. Thereafter, you need to brainstorm and write down any ideas that come into your head. You have plenty of time to plan and write, usually around 1 hour and 20 minutes, so don't panic! Once you have chosen your best idea, you need to plan your story.

I ask my students to plan their short stories by using headings. The first heading should always be conflict. This is the problem or issue that is faced by your main character or characters. Be as specific and succinct as possible. For example:

1. Conflict: Sherlock Holmes descendent, Sheldon Holmes must discover who killed his aristocratic Aunt Claudia. Once you are clear about the conflict of your story, the rest of the pieces, with a little nudging, usually fall into place.

The other headings that I recommend are:

2. Characters: Brief details about your characters, their ages and primary traits.

3. Setting: Where and when is this story set?

4. Opening: For this example, you have already been given an instruction: begin with a dramatic arrival. Whose arrival will be announced in dramatic fashion in your introduction?

5. Background details: What connects these characters? How do they know each other? What will the reader need to know in order to understand them and the action of the story?

6. Climax: How is the conflict of your story going to reach the highest point of tension? There must be a climactic moment, a paragraph where the conflict is finally faced by the characters. In this particular story, this would be where the killer is revealed to both Sheldon Holmes and the reader.

7. Resolution: How are you going to conclude your story? What details will be revealed? A good way of looking at your conclusion is to see it as an aftermath, an epilogue to your story. How will this experience affect your characters? For this short story, you will need details on how the killer will be brought to justice and its effect on the other characters.

Both your brainstorm and plan should take around 20-25 mins. This is the most important part of short story writing. Imaginative thinking and clear planning will ensure that you have the characters and their story fixed firmly in your mind, before you start writing it. Remember to look over the key words from the short story title before you start writing. Examiners will want to make sure that your story contains these key elements, a critical aspect of gaining those all-important marks for purpose. Practise these brainstorming and planning activities for the essay titles from the past exam papers. The more you practise, the better, and faster you will be at creating an excellent short story with clear focus on the title. Key skills to have in your pocket for the Paper 1 exam indeed - and a great way to sharpen your short story skills!

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The Leaving Cert personal essay is a well loved and virtually permanent feature of Paper 1 (here is some evidence ).

It belongs in the 100 marks Composition section, the single biggest chunk of the English exam.

What is the personal essay?

It calls for a confessional, introspective tone.

Do you like the sound of these questions:

• Remember those times when you did not say what you really thought or felt. Why didn’t you? How do you feel about it now?
• How would you feel about a terrible event of your past if it happened today?
• What did you learn about building family relationships based on the experience of your parents and grandparents?

You get the message – this is serious life stuff! The Leaving Cert personal essay may be one of the only times you truly get to be yourself in a standardised exam.

The marking scheme allows us to interpret the term “personal essay”’ liberally, potentially even entirely or partly as personal (first person) narratives.

How to do well in the personal essay?

Reading such an essay, you should get the feeling that you are learning someone’s deeper thoughts and reflections. It shouldn’t feel like an opinion piece in a newspaper.

Even though a certain stream of consciousness quality is usually acceptable with these essays, remember that clarity (the P of PCLM) always gets priority .

By reading the correct and H1 sample essays below, you will learn how much to write, what kind of themes come up again and again and how you may be able to differentiate yourself from the crowd.

‘To live is the rarest thing in the world, most people just exist.’ – Oscar Wilde

Personal essay: pleasures particular to you for Leaving Cert English #625Lab

• Post author: Martina
• Post published: April 18, 2019
• Post category: #625Lab / English / PCLM / Personal essay

Write a personal essay on what you perceive to be the pleasures particular to you. #625Lab. Corrected by an experienced examiner, graded as 83/100 with feedback on how to improve…

Personal essay: a time in your life in which you felt you were treated unfairly for Leaving Cert English #625Lab

• Post published: March 22, 2019

Write a personal essay on a time in your life in which you felt you were treated unfairly. #625Lab. Corrected by an experienced examiner, graded as 79/100 with feedback on…

Personal essay: moments of insight and revelation for Leaving Cert English #625Lab (Divorce)

• Post published: September 23, 2018
• Post category: #625Lab / English / Personal essay

Write a personal essay in which you reflect on moments of insight and revelation you have experienced. (2017) #625Lab. Theme: divorce. Some parts of this essay are outstanding, but it…

Personal Essay: Uncertain about what you want for Leaving Cert English #625Lab

• Post published: April 23, 2018

Write a personal essay in which you reflect on an occasion in your life when you felt uncertain about what you wanted. #625Lab. Wonderfully reflective, revelatory personal essay dealing with loss.…

Personal essay about significant endings for Leaving Cert English #625Lab

• Post published: April 7, 2018

Write a personal essay about your response to an ending, or endings, in your life that you consider significant. (100 marks)   Stellar stuff via #625Lab. If you want to send…

Personal Essay: Moments of Insight and Revelation for Leaving Cert English #625Lab

• Post published: February 25, 2018

Write a personal essay in which you reflect on moments of insight and revelation you have experienced (2017). This is a good attempt at a personal essay showing a lot…

Write a personal essay about one or more moments of uncertainty you have experienced #625Lab

• Post published: February 15, 2018

This essay below is a beautiful exemplar of the genre of personal essay, full of cathartic confessions, teenage going on middle-aged angst and some incredibly deep insights and lessons learnt.…

Personal Essay: Experience of Dramatic Arts for Leaving Cert English #625Lab

• Post published: November 9, 2017

Write a personal essay about your experience (as a performer and/or audience member) of the dramatic arts; plays, musicals, concerts, comedy etc. (2010) You may also like: Complete Guide to…

Leaving Cert English Personal Essay: Irishness #625Lab

• Post published: October 1, 2017
• Post category: #625Lab / English / Personal essay / Too long

“The shoes of Irishness fit me well.” Write a personal essay in which you explore your sense of what it means to be Irish. (2001) This is a good essay…

Leaving Cert English Personal Essay: Pretence and Unvarnished Truth #625Lab

• Post published: September 18, 2017

“Let’s stop all this pretence and tell each other the unvarnished truth for a change.”   Write a personal essay in response to this statement. (2006) This is an essay…

Leaving Cert English Personal Essay: Useless Clutter #625Lab

• Post published: September 10, 2017

The village shops in Sara Baume’s novel contain a “surplus of useless clutter”.  Write a personal essay in which you reflect on the “useless clutter” that is a feature of…

Write a personal essay on the tension you find between the everyday treadmill and the gilded promises of life

• Post published: June 5, 2017
• Post category: English / Personal essay

Write a personal essay on the tension you find between the everyday treadmill and the gilded promises of life. (2013) Themes: social norms, choice, philosophy, religion ‘To live is the…

Leaving Cert English Personal Essay: one or more moments of uncertainty you have experienced.

• Post published: June 4, 2017

Write a personal essay about one or more moments of uncertainty you have experienced. Themes: social disadvantage, divorce, homelessness Note: this is a personal essay, but it has a plot…

Write a personal essay in which you describe a place that you consider beautiful

• Post published: February 1, 2017

Themes: religion, family Please note that we are apolitical. We just like good essays. This came up on the 2008 paper. This essay is on the short side of the…

Personal Essay: Not all problems are physical

• Post published: October 23, 2016

'Not all problems are physical'. Write a personal essay about your response to this statement in light of experiences your life that you consider significant. Themes: mental health, anxiety ‘It is…

Personal Essay: Moments of Uncertainty

• Post published: September 26, 2016

  Write a personal essay about one or more moments of uncertainty you have experienced.  Themes: sexuality, social conflict Candidates may adopt a variety of approaches (serious, humorous, anecdotal, discursive,…

How To Improve Your Grade If Your Teacher Isn’t Giving You Feedback

• Post published: November 3, 2014
• Post category: Durcan / English / Hamlet / Personal essay / Short Story / T.S. Eliot / Video

- How to write a strong introduction- How to craft impactful sentences- Common grammar, syntax and style problems- How to stay relevant to the question- Examples from Hamlet, Personal Essays,…

⚠️Want a FREE 2024 Study Planner?

• Feb 16, 2023

Mastering Leaving Cert History: A Guide to Writing Sample Essays

Updated: Feb 17

Leaving Cert History is one of the most challenging subjects for Irish students, especially when it comes to writing essays. The exam requires students to write two essays on topics chosen from a list of options. These essays carry a significant amount of marks and can make or break a student's chances of securing a good grade. However, with the right approach, mastering Leaving Cert History essays is possible. In this blog, we will provide tips and insights on how to write sample essays for Leaving Cert History.

1. Understanding the Essay Structure

The first step to writing a great essay is to understand its structure. An essay has three parts: introduction, body, and conclusion. The introduction should grab the reader's attention and provide background information on the topic. The body should include the main argument, supported by evidence and examples. The conclusion should summarise the main points and restate the thesis.

2. Choosing the Right Topic

Choosing the right topic is crucial for a successful essay. The Leaving Cert History syllabus provides a list of options for essays. It is essential to choose a topic that interests you and that you are familiar with. The topic should be narrow enough to provide a focused argument but broad enough to allow for enough research and analysis.

3. Research and Analysis

Research and analysis are crucial for a well-written essay. Start by reading through relevant texts and taking notes. Use primary sources, such as diaries, letters, and speeches, to support your argument. It is also essential to analyze the information and present a clear argument, using evidence to support your claims.

4. Writing Style and Grammar

Writing style and grammar are essential for a good essay. Use clear and concise language, avoiding slang and colloquialisms. Avoid long and complex sentences that can be difficult to understand. Make sure to proofread your work to avoid spelling and grammatical errors.

5. Time Management

Time management is crucial during the Leaving Cert exam. Make sure to allocate enough time to each section of the exam, including essay writing. Plan your essay before you start writing, including a clear thesis statement, main argument, and supporting evidence. Leave enough time for proofreading and editing.

In conclusion, writing a Leaving Cert History essay can be challenging, but with the right approach, it is possible to master it. Understanding the essay structure, choosing the right topic, research and analysis, writing style and grammar, and time management are all essential components of a successful essay. Practice writing sample essays, and seek feedback from your teachers to improve your writing skills. With these tips and insights, you will be well on your way to writing successful Leaving Cert History essays. Good luck!

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Classwork Essay Titles

I’m just cleaning out my classroom, so I’m going to plonk this exercise here for future reference, rather than saving a piece of paper that will end up in the bottom of a box of other random pieces of paper!

Write a response to ONE of the following. You have 1hr 10mins.

1. Write an article (serious and/or humorous) for your school magazine titled “10 ways to survive secondary school”

2. Write a sensational news report or your school website describing your debs – who was there! what they wore! who got drunk! who got kissed! who got dumped!

3. Write a news article giving advice (serious and/or lighthearted) to tourists visiting Ireland for the first time.

Here are some essay titles I gave my Leaving Certs in the run up to the exams:

1. Write a descriptive essay on the wonder and innocence of childhood.

2. Write a short story in which something funny happens.

3. Write a speech discussing the idea that, in schools, appearances often mask a disturbing reality. This speech will be delivered in front of the Minister for Education.

4. Write an article for a popular magazine examining some of the unanswerable questions we spend our lives pondering.

5. Write a personal essay discussing your philosophy of life and examining how this effects your behaviour and your relationships.

Here are a few more I’ve just found

1. Write a speech for International Women’s Day. You may take a serious and/or humorous approach

2. Write a descriptive essay on the beauty and the ugliness of our world.

3. Write a short story in which a small moment has a deep significance for the main character.

4. Write a personal essay in which you explore the people, the places and the experiences that have shaped you into the person you are today.

This lot below were topics for a TY public speaking competition:

• Irish women have yet to achieve equality
• Ireland does not need Europe to succeed as a nation
• Our greatest asset in Ireland is our education system
• Future generations will be furious at our indifference to protecting the environment
• As a nation and as individuals we must prioritise our mental health
• Our lack of digital literacy education in schools is a foolish and dangerous oversight
• In the modern world there is no such thing as a ‘generation gap’ between young and old

Yet more – all discovered over the course of two days as I clean out my classroom and dump random bits of paper scrawled with essay topics, homework exercises, class tests…

This list is from a TY public speaking class:

• Write out the speech you deliver at your sister / brother’s wedding or hen/stag
• Write the eulogy for a loved ones funeral
• Write a speech where you nominate someone for an award
• Propose some changes in the way your school is run at a student council meeting
• Prepare a lesson to teach first year students for a class – any subject, any topic!

Here are some debate topics I gave at some random date in the past…

Argue for or against one of the following motions:

• Ireland should lower the voting age
• School attendance should be voluntary
• Parents should be punished for their childrens’ mistakes
• TV talent shows are destroying the music industry
• Beauty pageants do more harm than good
• Doctor-assisted suicide should be legalised
• Celebrities should not be role models

Every time I think I’ve come upon the last random selection of essay titles, I find more!

• Write a light-hearted speech about your pet hates in life
• Write a newspaper article in which you uncover and expose a scandal
• Write an entertaining descriptive essay for a competition under the title “If I ran this school”
• Write a debate speech in which you argue for or against the motion that “the future of publishing is digital”
• Write a personal essay entitled “I’m weird but that’s OK”

One response to “ Classwork Essay Titles ”

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