Higher English
DCHS MASTERCLASS
CRITICAL READING.
Scottish Text and
Critical Essay Writing
40% of overall grade – the largest part of the overall
assesssment
1hour 30 mins
The Scottish Text (SQA)
• Section 1 — Scottish Text — 20 marks
•
• Choose one text from Drama, Prose or Poetry.
•
• Read the text extract carefully and then attempt ALL the
questions for your chosen text.
•
• You should spend about 45 minutes on this Section.
Higher Units
• EXAMINATIONQUESTION PAPERS:
CRITICALREADING 40%
• READING FOR U,A,E,(S) 30%
• PORTFOLIO: WRITING 30%
----------------------------------------------------------Graded A-D. Based on overall aggregate
score for all course units.
THE CRITICAL ESSAY SECTION.
(20marks)
• You are asked to write a fully detailed and analysed
critical essay, that links clearly to the topic in 45 minutes.
A DAUNTING TASK!
• You must choose from poetry, film and TV, drama and
prose texts that you have studied in class.
• The bare minimum of texts you should have a good
knowledge of is two.
• Remember the type of question you will be facing can be
very specific, so even though you may have prepared a
poem, film or a play very thoroughly you may find that
the question does not fit your knowledge. Always have a
backup!
Critical Essay
• As in the Reading for UAE paper, the questions have a common format that
is designed to help you.
• READ THE WHOLE QUESTION CAREFULLY!
• EXAMPLE.
• Choose a poem which is light-hearted or playful or
• not entirely serious.
• Show how the poet makes you aware of the tone and discuss how effective
the use of tone is in dealing with the subject matter of the poem.
• In your answer you must refer closely to the text and at least two of: tone,
imagery, theme, sound, or any other appropriate feature.
• [OLD STYLE/NEW TEXT BOX]
• The questions are in two sections:
• The fist part indicates the kind of text to examine.
• The second part lets you know that to answer this question, correctly, you must
focus on TONE, WORD CHOICE AND SUBJECT MATTER, as the question specifically
mentions these features.
Planning
• Do not spend a lot of time on planning your
essay; time will race past in this exam.
• A good literature essay should contain FIVE good
points to make about a text.
• Write 1-5 in the margin and jot down the point
you intend to make in answer to the question
against the five numbers.
• Remember to introduce your essay properly by
restating the question you are answering,
stating your intentions in the essay and briefly
outlining the main points of the text.
Structure
• You must also conclude your essay in an appropriate way or it will be
considered unfinished and will FAIL.
Once you have selected the question that you think suits you best,
start writing as soon as you can..
• You only have forty-five minutes to write the essay so don’t tell the
story of the text in any detail. This is worthless in terms of marks so
a very brief outline of the main points.
• Try to stick, rigidly, to the forty-five minutes for each section of the
Critical Reading paper and give your best efforts in each.
• Write about: CHARACTERS, SETTING, PLOT, DRAMATIC IRONY,
THEMES, IMAGERY, MOOD, TONE, NARRATIVE VOICE, WORD
CHOICE, FIGURES OF SPEECH.
Critical essay writing
• Effective Analysis and evaluation of
texts score BIG marks.
• SUCCESS= BIG A+E + Clear Writing.
• All expression must read clearly at the
first attempt.
• [Wooly, unclear areas will lead to
failure.]
Critical essay
Pupils need to understand that Critical
Essays are as much about writing as
they are about literature. Technical
accuracy must be maintained.
[SQA]
Critical Essay
Examiners are looking for clarity of thought and developing a
line of argument. Pupils don’t need to be ‘expert’ in literature
to excel in this paper.
• [SQA]
Introductions and conclusions
• Introductions and conclusions, although crucial to an essays
structure, are considered less important than the actual analysis
part of the essay.
• Essays should not be structured around certain techniques: they
should be structured around the question.
• Do not use lists of techniques with no depth of analysis. Respond
to the text, the writer’s craft and the literary features in a way that
is relevant to the question asked.
• A BALANCE MUST BE ACHIEVED.
HIGHER ENGLISH PRELM ADVICE BASED ON PROBLEMS
.
OBSERVED IN PAST PERFORMANCES
• ‘Evidence strongly suggests that pupils did not study
texts/notes enough - lack of quotes and evidence from
texts - more references to text, literary devices and
effectiveness need to be made.’
• ‘Timing - lots of pupils did not complete full essays - must
show more discipline when timing themselves.’
• ‘Failure to identify most appropriate question for their
particular text - this needs practice - going over pastpaper questions.’ LINK TO TOPIC!!!!
• ‘Link analysis to topic in a variety of ways. Use key words
from topic sentences.’
• ‘Failure to structure analysis –Statement, Textual
evidence, Analysis (big bit!!), Response to topic. [S.T.A.R]’
Style and terminology
• ‘Too much identification of technique, (listing),
not explaining why it is used. Not linking
technique to theme. Effect on reader should be
explained.’
• ‘A lack of personal evaluation. Most personal
evaluation that did exist was rather thin.’
• ‘A lack of relevance to question. Pupils need to
refer to question throughout answer and repeat
the wording of the question when making main
points.’
• Work from start to end of text, comment on
both of these areas and 3 others.
Style and terminology
• ‘Technical accuracy. Spelling, grammar, syntax,
wrong technical terminology, poor vocabulary
(using wrong words), a lack of sophistication of
analysis. DON’T STATE THE OBVIOUS’
• ‘A real problem – lack of technical terminology
and sophisticated vocabulary.’
• ‘Pupils still going over story too much. Need to
identify main points in study notes. BE BRIEF IN
YOUR OUTLINE OF THE MAIN POINTS OF A TEXT.’
KNOW THE TEXT
• 1. READ THE TEXTS AGAIN.
[Scan/Annotate/Memorise/techniques/Effects/links to topic.]
• There is no substitute for a full knowledge and understanding of the
text and the only way to achieve this is by reading the texts yourself.
• Many people try to take shortcuts in this area:
• Watch the video/film of the play/novel.
• Read someone else's old critical essay answers or notes on a
particular text.
• Read commercially produced notes (such as York Notes).
• Read the “blurb” on the back of the book.
• These are only shortcuts to a resit.
NOTE TAKING
• 2. NOTE DOWN KEY DETAILS.
• Compile a list of the titles and authors you are preparing to answer on and
then, for each one, add:
• • A brief summary of story/content (50 words max)
• • Personality details of main characters [mood, language, themes]
• • A list of themes/main ideas
• • Note down points of style (e.g. word-choice, imagery, structure, tone,
mood).
• Explain/comment on the EFFECT of these.
• If you can answer the above for a particular text then you have a basic
knowledge of that text. However, this does not necessarily mean that you
will be able to answer successfully on that text.
• Your knowledge must be detailed but above all it must be flexible if you
are to apply it successfully. On the next page you will find a simple but
effective procedure for presenting your knowledge and views.
STAR
• Statement
• Text
• Analysis [THE BIG BIT!!! This scores you all the marks]
• Response [to topic]
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Structure of paragraphs for ALL critical essays. Transferable to all
subjects!!!
Introduction
• Restate the question in your own words. (Use key words from
the task).
• Mention the name of the writer and the title of the text.
• State your intentions. (How are you going to answer the
question / complete the task).
• FOCUS ON THREE AREAS IF POSSIBLE. [TART]
TART
• Title of text
• Author
• Response to question/topic.
• Techniques and aspects you will examine.
-----------------------------------------------------Attempt to be stylish and intelligent – but above all else keep
your writing clear and intelligible.
Preparation
• • Read and analyse questions in past papers. Remember
that relevance is uppermost in a marker's mind and a
lack of relevance will be heavily penalised.
• • Make a glossary of question terms and how you will be
expected to respond to them (e.g. briefly, in greater
depth, account for, outline).
• • Make outline plans for answers to questions in past
papers. This helps you to see if you can come up with
enough relevant points.
• •
Speaking an essay?
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Talk your answer aloud explaining and expanding on the points in your outline
plan. If you become stuck at a particular aspect of the text, say setting, then you
can revise that aspect. This has several benefits:
• it uses up less time than writing the answer out in full
• it highlights deficiencies/gaps in your knowledge of the text
• it highlights difficulties in expressing/articulating your views
• it saves you from spending time revising what you already know
• it builds up fluency
• Answer, in full, questions from past papers. To ensure that you get it right in
your actual Higher exam, you need a fair amount of practice at orchestrating the
various skills involved in writing a critical essay.
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•
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Remember to ensure that your answer has:
• relevance to the question asked
• a good number of points
• sufficient range and variety of points
• individuality / sincerity of views
• justification of views (appropriate textual reference)
Quoting
• Quote accurately at all times
• INDENT all quotes 2 lines and more. Do not put in quotation
marks.
• Put all words from the text used in analysis in quotation marks
'Choose a play in which a character struggles with
her or his conscience.
• Let's imagine you have studied Shakespeare's Hamlet, Macbeth or
Romeo and Juliet. You choose a question on the exam paper that will
best show your understanding of the text.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------'Choose a play in which a character struggles with her or his
conscience.
Outline briefly the reasons for the character's dilemma and go on to
discuss how successfully the dramatist engages your sympathy for
her or him.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------In
your answer you must refer closely to the text and to at least two of:
key scene, dialogue, characterisation, conflict, theme, resolution or
any other appropriate feature.'
[Old style question
Answering
• You couldn't really find a more relevant question for Hamlet. The focus of
the play is the tragic hero's struggle to find the resolve within himself to
exact revenge for his father's death.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------• The 'body' or second part of the question asks you to explain why Hamlet
is unable to make up his mind.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------• Be careful here. You are not being asked to retell the story but to describe
his inner dilemmas.
• ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------• Here you are also asked to describe how Shakespeare has been effective in
making us sympathise with Hamlet.
• ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------• You might want to look at how the disintegration of family life and
friendship and the stability of court causes his vulnerability.
2 part questions
• This 2nd part of the question reminds you to refer
to specific parts of the text to provide evidence
for your statements and opinions.
• You will do this by quoting from the play and
describing incidents that will illustrate your
answer.
• The question also asks you to refer to the
techniques or features listed in the text box.
Answering?
• In this case you might focus on a key scene - the famous 'To be or
not to be' soliloquy scene could be an effective choice as it
illustrates how Hamlet tries hard to find resolution within his inner
conflict.
• A second feature to write about could be the play's thematic
exploration of the conflict between appearance and reality.
• You could show and explain to what extent Hamlet feels he can trust
the claims of his father's ghost.
• You could also look at the dilemma he faces in wondering to what
extent he can get to the emotional and spiritual truth lying behind
the actions and behaviour of those around him (eg Claudius).
• In answering the question, you should also pay some attention to
the way in which Hamlet's quest for truth and certainty engages our
sympathy
• Character, themes, key scene, symbolism, mood, tone, word choice,
imagery could all be examined.
S.T.A.R Example
• The character Hamlet, when we first see him, is very melancholy and
is obsessed with death:
O that this too too solid flesh would
melt, thaw and resolve itself into a dew
The theme of suicide is present from Hamlet’s first cathartic soliloquy.
He uses the imagery of melting water to explain how he wishes his
body would dissolve. The repetition of ‘too too’ shows how he feels
his flesh is unable to change and fall from his body. The idea of his
flesh as ice melting is represented in the word ‘thaw’, which may
indicate his internal feelings as being like ice towards Cladius and
Gertrude. This creates a sinister mood as we assume that Hamlet is
mentally unbalanced and isolated from his society. Therefore, this
opening soliloquy projects a character that is complex and
vulnerable.
S.T.A.R Example
• In the third act Hamlet again is in ponderous mood as he considers the essence of existence and life itself in
his famous speech, which begins:
•
To be or not to be,
•
that is the question…
•
• During this soliloquy Hamlet discusses the recurring themes of life and death using powerful imagery. The
violent connotations in the metaphorical ‘slings and arrows’ and taking up ‘arms against a sea of troubles’
contrast well with the apparent peacefulness of the ‘sleep’ that is, ironically, death. Shakespeare refers to
death metaphorically as:
•
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The undiscovered country from whose bourn
No traveller returns…
• This statement is ambiguous and reflects Hamlet’s internal and external conflict. It may be interpreted in
different ways. The pathos and loneliness of a traveller never returning from an unknown and alien place
suggests the isolation that Hamlet now feels in his own homeland. He seems a stranger in a country now
unrecognisable to him and it is through his schemes and actions that the country will, ironically, never be the
same again. These words may seem prophetic and remind us and emphasise the fact that he is the author of
his own destruction. Another interpretation, that after death we travel to a new and secret destination from
which we can never return evokes the Christian idea of heaven. The image of a perfect and unspoiled, Eden
like, country is highly effective and helps us understand why no traveller would wish to return. This Utopian
vision contrasts starkly with violent images of ‘the whips and scorns of time’ and ‘the pangs of despised love’.
The juxtaposition of life and death in this soliloquy is complemented by spiritual and cultural concepts being
employed. ‘Time’, ‘love’, ‘law’, ‘office’, ‘conscience’ and ‘action’ are deployed to illustrate the complexity of
the human life, in a concrete sense. ‘The dread of something after death’ suggests that the idea of an eternal
life after death govern our behaviour during our mortal lives. We fear going to hell instead of heaven,
therefore we endure the miseries of life. The soliloquy, however, offers more questions than answers and
suggests that the character Hamlet is in a state of deep confusion. The musings in this speech may go some
way explaining his delay in avenging his father.
Problem areas
• 1. Failure to answer the question asked. (treating the
exercise as a general review rather than a particular
question calling for an examination of specific aspects of
the text)
• This would often begin:
• “One book I really enjoyed a lot was . . . . ”
• OR
• “The poem I have chosen is . . . . ”
• Instead, you should, of course, answer using the terms of
the question as this lets your reader know, right at the
beginning, that you intend to deal with the question.
Lack of knowledge of the text
There are many signs of this:
• inaccurate reporting of the text (e.g. getting a
character's name wrong; getting an incident wrong;
getting the title or author's name wrong)
• lack of detail and depth in the answer which suggests
only a hazy or sketchy knowledge of the text.
[use terminology and explain effects of writing
techniques]
• lack of quotations suggest a lack of very detailed
knowledge of the text. [5 min]
• misquotation of the text obviously proves a lack of
detailed knowledge of the text.[ Memorise all quotes]
Questions: Drama
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Choose a play in which one speech or piece of dialogue is
really
important.
Put the speech or piece of dialogue in context, and then go
on to explain why you think it is particularly important to
the rest of the play.
characterisation, theme, language, climax, or any other
appropriate feature.
Questions: Drama
•
•
Choose from a play a scene in which you felt totally
involved.
Show how the skill of the dramatist caused you to be so
involved.
Theme, characterisation, stage directions, aspects of staging
such as lighting, sound, movement, or any other
appropriate feature.
Drama
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•
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Choose a play whose main theme is made clear early in the
action.
Show how the dramatist introduces the theme and discuss how
successfully he or she goes on to develop it.
Theme, key scene(s) characterisation, language or any other
appropriate feature.
Tips
• Mention the author’s SURNAME frequently in your essay.
• DO NOT CALL THEM BY THEIR FIRST NAME AND GET THEIR NAMES
RIGHT.
• Keep referring back to the points the question ask you to focus on.
This will make your essay more focussed, fluent and relevant.
• Use the proper literary terms when dealing with your subject. You
must show that you are confident when using these specialised
terms.
• Remember that your writing is being assessed as well as your
knowledge of texts. Your quality of writing must be of a very high
standard.
• If your EXPRESSION, PUNCTUATION, TERMINOLOGY, SPELLING OR
PARAGRAPHING is weak you will fail!
• BE EXTRA CAREFUL ABOUT THE BASICS!
• IF POSSIBLE, leave three minutes to read over each essay and check
for careless mistakes.
Common Errors
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MISSPELLING – words incorrectly spelt.
Check your work carefully for silly mistakes.
Learn to spell difficult technical terms before the exam.
COMMA SPLICING – using a comma where there should be a full stop. Check your work
carefully for long sentences that cover more than one subject. If in doubt use a short
sentence that is to the point.
LACK OF AGREEMENT – using the wrong form of verb.
For example:
‘The main themes is…’ Instead of ‘The main themes are…’
Check the verbs you use. Read the work in your head, you will often ‘hear’ it before you
see it on the page.
LACK OF PUNCTUATION – forgotten full stops, commas and quotation marks.
Punctuate as you go, don’t leave any thing half written. Practice punctuating perfectly as
homework.
Ask your teacher to show you a really good essay and look at the way it is set out.
POOR PARAGRAPHING – Take a new paragraph each time you change the subject.
POOR GRAMMAR - mistakes in sentence structure. Check your work.
INAPPROPRIATE TONE OR REGISTER – A critical essay must be formal. Avoid casual
expressions and chatty remarks. Write as if you are scripting the Six O’clock News not a
post card from holiday.
Preparation
• FOUR WEEKS BEFORE THE EXAM.
• Reread the texts for the critical essays. (One
hour a night.)
• Reread the notes on each text (as required.)
• Practice close reading papers (once a week)
• Practice essays on different aspects of a text.
(Once a week.)
• Memorise how to spell key words.
• Memorise key quotations.
Drama
• Answers to questions on drama should address relevantly the central
concern(s)/theme(s) of the text(s) and be supported by reference to
appropriate dramatic techniques such as conflict, characterisation, key
scene(s), dialogue, climax, exposition, dénouement, structure, plot, setting,
aspects of staging (such as lighting, music, stage set, stage directions…,
soliloquy, monologue…
• 1. Choose a play in which one scene or moment determines the fate of a
• main character.
• Explain fully why you think this is the key moment in the character’s
fortunes.
• 2. Choose a play in which your attitude to the central character varies at
different stages of the action.
• Show how the skill of the dramatist causes your attitude to change.
• 3. Choose a play in which there is a scene involving intense emotion.
• Show how the dramatist makes you aware of the intensity of the emotion in
the scene and discuss the importance of the scene to the drama as a whole.
Prose
• Answers to questions on prose fiction should address relevantly the central
concern(s)/theme(s) of the text(s) and be supported reference to
appropriate techniques of prose fiction such as: - characterisation, setting,
key incident(s), narrative technique, symbolism, structure, climax, plot,
atmosphere, dialogue, imagery…
• 1. Choose a novel or short story which reaches a climax which you find
dramatic or moving or disturbing..
• Show how the writer achieves the effect and discuss how it leads to your
appreciation of the text as a whole.
• 2. Choose a novel or short story in which the fate of the main character is
important in conveying the writer’s theme.
• Explain what you consider the theme to be and discuss how effectively the
fate of the main character conveys it.
• 3. Choose a short story in which a key incident involves rejection or
disappointment or loss
• Describe briefly the key incident and assess its significance to the text as a
whole.
Poetry
• Answers to questions on poetry should address relevantly the central
concern(s)/theme(s) of the text(s) and be supported by reference to
appropriate poetic techniques such as: imagery, verse form, structure,
mood, tone, sound, rhythm, characterisation, contrast, setting, symbolism,
word choice…
• 1. Choose two poems by the same poet which you feel are similar in theme
and style.
• By referring to theme and style in both poems discuss which poem you
prefer.
• 2. Choose a poem which explores one of the following subjects: bravery,
compassion, tenderness.
• Show how the poet’s exploration of the subject appeals to you emotionally
and or intellectually.
• 3. Choose a poem which you feel is particularly relevant to a teenage
audience.
• Make clear why you think the poem is so relevant to this age group and
show how the poetic techniques used in the poem help to achieve this.
Checklist
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Adding a point
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Order of importance
Furthermore;
Moreover;
In addition to this;
Similarly.
Different point from
the previous one
however;
nevertheless;
on the other hand;
in contrast to this.
Drawing a conclusion
In particular;
More importantly;
Of greatest significance;
Above all.
• Have you used quotations properly?
• Not longer than one or two lines (use…if necessary)
• Do Illustrate a point, do not just repeat it.
thus;
therefore;
as a
result of this;
Consequently.
Checklist.
• Do not string a list of quotations together with only brief comments
in between
• Have you used a suitable tone?
• Formal English, no slang
• No shortened forms or abbreviations (don’t, can’t, etc. e.g.)
• Have you shown awareness of the terminology of literary criticism?
• Literal and metaphorical language; imagery; symbolism; irony; tone;
conflict; themes; climax and anti-climax; narrative viewpoint; jargon;
dialect; persona.
• Is your essay properly structured?
• Introduction including reference to the question
• Logical linked argument
• Conclusion including reference/answer to the question
•  ALWAYS READ OVER YOUR COMPLETED ESSAY!!! 
Marks
20-19
Knowledge and
understanding
The critical essay
demonstrates:
Analysis
The critical essay
demonstrates:
Evaluation
The critical essay
demonstrates:
Technical
Accuracy
The critical essay
demonstrates:
Marks
18-16
a comprehensive knowledge and a very clear knowledge and
understanding of the text
understanding of the text
Marks
15-13
a clear knowledge and
understanding of the text
a comprehensive selection of
very clear textual evidence to
clear textual evidence to
textual evidence to support a
support an argument which is
support the demands of the
relevant and coherent argument clearly focused on the demands of question
the question
a comprehensive analysis of the
effect of features of
language/filmic techniques
Marks
12-10
Marks
9-6
an adequate knowledge and limited evidence of knowledge
understanding of the text
and understanding of the text
Marks
5-1
little knowledge and
understanding of the text
Marks
0
no knowledge of the text and its
central concerns
adequate textual evidence
to support a line of thought
little textual evidence to
which has some focus on the limited textual evidence tosupport focus on the demands no attempt to answer the question
question
support focus on the demands of of the question
and no textual evidence
the question
a very clear analysis of the effect a clear analysis of the effect an adequate
of features of language/filmic
of features of language/filmic analysis of the effect of
techniques
techniques
features of language/filmic
techniques
a committed, very clear evaluative a very clear evaluative stance witha clear evaluative stance with adequate evidence of an
evaluative stance with
stance with respect to the text and respect to the text and the task respect to the text and the
task
respect to the text and the
the task
task
few errors in spelling, grammar, sentence construction, punctuation and paragraphing the ability to be
understood at first reading
limited analysis of the effect of
features of language/filmic
techniques
little analysis of features of
language/filmic techniques
no analysis of features of
language/filmic techniques
limited evidence of an evaluative little evidence of an evaluative no evidence of evaluation
stance with respect to the textstance with respect to the text
and the task
and the task
errors in spelling, grammar, sentence construction, punctuation and paragraphing
which impede understanding