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English Paper I has three sections: Question A (comprehension, 50 marks,)
Question B (short exercise in style, 50 marks) and full-length Composition
(100 marks.) In each, the tasks set are quite predictable.
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For instance, there are only four types of questions that can be asked in
Question A: assessing a point made by the author, developing a topic beyond
the text, analysing the effectiveness of the author’s use of language, and
reading an image. Generally, your grade in comprehension will be
determined more by your understanding of the question than by your
understanding of the text. You will be awarded marks only in so far as you
properly address the question you were asked. So, an intelligent, critical
reading of the question is essential. For example, in 2007 you were asked to
select three vivid images used by the author. Most candidates picked three
images. What’s the difference between an image and a vivid image? Well,
you know that already, don’t you?
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There’s a lot of reading and a lot of writing involved in English Paper I.
However, it is also an opportunity to express yourself, to reveal the colour of
your personality. Individuality and creativity are rewarded. This is called
self-expression. But awareness of shape and structure are also rewarded. This
is called form. Good writing always emerges from the tension between selfexpression and form. Don’t neglect either.
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The Composition is worth 100 marks and three options are available: the
short story, the personal essay and the discussion essay. Different skills are
required for each, so at this point you should know which one you will
attempt. Know your option before you sit the exam.
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On average, a full-length essay should be 1,000 words, or 4-6 pages.
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Relevance to the given topic trumps all in terms of grades. Your essay simply
must be relevant to the question.
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The short story is the most popular option, but it is also the toughest to gain a
high grade in. To get an ‘A’ in the personal essay or discussion, you need
certain skills, but to get an ‘A’ in the short story you need creative talent.
Skills can be taught and acquired; it’s much harder to come by talent. Also, in
the context of an exam with such severe pressure on your time, this test of
talent is made even tougher.
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Properly understood, the short story is an exploration of the inner life of a
character caught in a defining situation or period. There must be this
exploration of the inner life of a character. You should aim to create a
situation with the potential for great spiritual or emotional conflict or danger.
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When writing the short story, many students content themselves with a
description of external events, such as an account of a sporting contest or an
accident. The Department of Education calls this an ‘anecdote,’ a short
account of a fairly inconsequential incident, and points out that it is not
sufficient.
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Question 7 in the Composition section invites you to write a short story
prompted by or suggested by one or more of the images in one of the texts
presented for comprehension. The instruction to correctors is that ‘a tenuous
link will suffice.’ The reality is that the less strong the link between image
and story, the less marks you will gain in terms of relevance. Your short story
can be thematically consistent with the image or consistent with the surface
details – the appearance of the characters, the location and the props – of the
image.
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The Personal Essay can be written either as a narrative – you tell a single story
illustrating the given topic – or as a discussion – you apply the topic to three
or four areas of your personal life, such as family, friends, romantic
relationships, school, sport, etc. Whichever way you approach it, you must
never write it in the third person. The Personal Essay is your take on life.
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The second approach offers a better chance of getting a high grade, since it
offers more scope for a varied, comprehensive treatment of a topic. The
narrative approach can illustrate only one aspect of a topic. Last year’s
personal essay was on ‘the idealism and passions of youth,’ and you can
appreciate why a wide-ranging exploration of this would be better rewarded.
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The discussion essay invites you to extend yourself beyond your personal
concerns, into the wider world. The merely personal perspective is too limited
here. Examples, illustrations and anecdotes drawn from the social sphere –
current news, historical events, and so on – must be employed to support your
points. The material should be of general interest and must be reasonably
well-informed
about
the
topic.
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Slang and cursing should be handled with great caution in the full-length
Composition. These are among the crudest forms of expression, and
remember that marks are going for the sophistication of your written
communication. However, if your use of slang/cursing expresses character –
a foul-mouthed gangster, for instance – then it is acceptable. It is rarely a
good idea to include such vocabulary in the narrative element of your text.
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In Question B you may be asked to provide (1) an Informative text, which
categorises material for the information of the reader – an election leaflet in
2007 – (2) an Opinion Piece, which offers your views on a topic – the changes
we welcome in our society in 2007 – or (3) a Narrative/Descriptive Piece,
capturing the voice of a particular character – a boy struggling to control his
feelings after a traumatic day in 2006. The Opinion Piece is really a miniature
form of the discussion essay, and the Narrative, with its emphasis on
character, is a miniature form of the short story.