how long should a personal essay be leaving cert

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• Jan 11, 2023

Writing a Personal Essay for the Leaving Cert: Tips and Strategies

Updated: Feb 17

Introduction to the Personal Essay

As a Leaving Cert student, you may be required to write a personal essay as part of your exams or coursework. A personal essay is a piece of writing that explores a personal experience, opinion, or belief. It allows you to express your thoughts and feelings about a particular topic and can be a powerful way to convey your personality and values to readers.

Choosing a Topic for Your Personal Essay

One of the key steps in writing a personal essay is choosing a topic that is meaningful and engaging for you. The best personal essay topics are often personal experiences or events that have had a significant impact on your life or beliefs.

They may also be issues or ideas that you are passionate about and want to explore in more depth.

When choosing a topic, it's important to consider your audience and the purpose of your essay. If you're writing a personal essay for a college application, for example, you may want to choose a topic that showcases your unique qualities and experiences and aligns with the values and mission of the college.

It's also a good idea to choose a topic that you feel comfortable and confident writing about. Avoid choosing a topic that is too broad or abstract, or that you don't have enough personal experience with to write about with depth and insight.

Tips for Structuring Your Personal Essay

Once you've chosen a topic, the next step is to organize your thoughts and ideas into a clear and cohesive structure. A typical personal essay will have an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion.

The introduction should introduce your topic and provide some context for your essay. You might also want to include a thesis statement, which is a sentence that states your main argument or point of view.

The body paragraphs should support your thesis and provide specific examples and details to illustrate your points. Each paragraph should focus on a specific aspect of your topic and have a clear topic sentence that introduces the main idea of the paragraph.

The conclusion should summarize your main points and restate your thesis, and may also include a call to action or a reflection on the significance of your topic.

Tips for Writing a Strong Personal Essay

To write a strong personal essay, there are a few key tips to keep in mind:

Use concrete details and specific examples to illustrate your points: Rather than just stating your beliefs or opinions, use specific examples and details to bring your essay to life and make it more persuasive.

Use a clear and engaging writing style: Avoid using jargon or overly complex language, and aim for a clear and engaging writing style that is easy for readers to follow.

Use transitions to connect your ideas: Use transitional words and phrases to help your essay flow smoothly and logically from one idea to the next.

Edit and proofread your essay carefully: Make sure to revise and proofread your essay carefully to catch any mistakes or awkward phrasing. It can be helpful to read your essay aloud or have someone else read it to catch any errors.

Seek feedback and guidance: Don't be afraid to ask for feedback from a teacher or peer on your essay. They can provide valuable insights and suggestions for improvement.

In conclusion, the personal essay is a valuable opportunity for Leaving Cert students to express their thoughts and feelings about a personal experience.

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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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1 Composition (Personal Writing)

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• Leaving Cert. English (Higher) 2020: Paper 1 Section II Composing
• Back to the question >

Preparation

Throughout your Leaving Certificate studies, be curious in all of your subjects. Read widely and write regularly. General knowledge, regular reading and regular writing will make you an interesting, articulate and quick-thinking student — three attributes that are necessary in responding to Leaving Certificate English papers.

Do not adhere to one style or one particular genre. Write in a variety of language categories:

• Information

Take care with your penmanship. Your writing must be legible, and good handwriting will create a good first impression.

If you have built up a number of good written pieces, keep them for reference. You may well be able to utilise some of your ideas and techniques in the actual examination.

Read carefully what your English teacher writes about your written work. Re-write your work to improve it and learn from your mistakes.

This essay is worth a quarter of your entire marks for this examination. Its importance cannot be overestimated!

In the examination you should spend approximately one hour and twenty minutes on this section.

Remember you will be marked under the following criteria:

• Clarity of purpose (30%)
• Coherence of delivery (30%)
• Efficiency of language use (30%)
• Mechanics (10%).

1. Write a personal essay in which you reflect on what you are proud of in your life.

• This title gives you the opportunity to take several different approaches but remember it must be a personal account. Your ideas should be at the heart of the essay.
• A personal essay should have a degree of personal reflection. You should not just tell a story or present a few anecdotes. You must personally reflect.
• Consider what you are proud of in your life. Some ideas you might consider include:
• Your achievements
• Your friends
• Your school
• Charity events
• How you make people feel?
• Your ability to rise above difficulties and/or conflicts.

2. Write a feature article, suitable for publication in a popular magazine, offering some ideas for new inventions and discoveries you think would improve your life or make the world a better place. Your article may be serious or humorous or both.

• This is a feature article for a popular magazine. It should have a headline and sub-headings, if needed.
• You can take a humorous or serious approach or both.
• Your article should offer ideas on new inventions or discoveries that would improve life or make the world better. Be prepared to justify your ideas.

3. 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.

• You must write a short story. You can take a variety of approaches but generally, all short stories have a beginning, middle and end, have at least one character, and have some sense of tension, climax, and resolution.
• Ask yourself questions to create ideas:
• You must have a crime or mystery solved in your story.
• You may include Sherlock Holmes as a character in your story. Text Two could provide you with inspiration.
• Beware of creating an over-long time-line. You have limited space and time. It would be impossible to cover a character’s entire life in 2-4 A4 pages.
• Try to have only 1-3 main characters.
• You have a long time to write this essay. Re-read what you have written quickly to check it for mistakes.
• Create atmosphere and images for the reader — it will improve your writing.

4. Write a discursive essay about our changing relationship with machines and the rise of artificial intelligence.

• This is a discursive essay. You need to discuss what you think symbolises the values held by people of your age today.
• Ensure that you have strong views and that your essay is lively and interesting to read.
• Consider our changing relationship with machines and the rise of artificial intelligence. Some possible points to consider include:
• Tasks are done quicker.
• Machine/robots do the jobs humans do not want to do.
• Robots are taking over the jobs of humans.
• Are humans becoming redundant?
• A.I. can improve many things for humanity.

5. Write a short story which features the three characters that appear on the magazine cover on Page 7 of the examination paper. You are free to write the story in any genre you choose.

• See the notes on short story writing above.
• Look carefully at the image on Page 7. What does it suggest to you? You must feature three characters from the cover in your story.

6. Write a speech in which you argue for or against the motion: Contemporary Irish society is both tolerant and progressive.

• Consider the following rhetorical devices:
• Reaching out to and directly addressing the audience.
• Rhetorical questions
• Vivid and contrasting imagery.
• Ensure that you show that it is a public speech from the start of the task. The examiner must know that you understand the genre.
• Thank your audience for their time and attention at the end of the speech.
• This is a debate speech and, as a result, has certain structures, such as addressing the chairperson, adjudicators, etc.
• Choose which side you are going to argue for and write your speech accordingly.
• Think about Irish society. Is it tolerant and progressive? You may consider some of the following:
• Recent gay marriage referendum
• Adoption rights
• Influence of the church
• The way the state treats refugees
• Changes in Irish life and values over the last fifty years.

7. Write a personal essay in which you celebrate friendship, and reflect on how you have been influenced by the unique and diverse personalities of your friends.

• Consider your friends. How have they helped you throughout your life? How have they influenced you?
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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. 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.

The secrets of my success: how to crack Leaving Cert English

Cillian fahy , who got straight as in his leaving cert, made headlines when he sold his exam notes on ebay for €3,000.

CILLIAN FAHY , who got straight As in his Leaving Cert, made headlines when he sold his exam notes on eBay for €3,000. In this continuing series he shares his study experience with readers (for free), today offering advice to fifth- and sixth-year students on Leaving Cert English

Essay and comprehension

Comprehension: can’t understand it?

Little or no preparation required, just sit back and watch the marks accumulate. Wrong! Don’t forget this question counts for a quarter of your entire English mark! Of all questions, don’t let this attitude take hold here. Do plenty of practice comprehensions over the course of the year, starting now.

Here’s how:

1) Remember you need to do question A and question B from different comprehensions. Which one you choose will depend on your choices on the day and which question you are best at. The best way to find this out, like everything else, is practice!

2) Read the questions before you read the comprehensions. This will give you direction when reading.

3) Highlight the areas you think are worth attention and are relevant to the questions you are asked. If you read the comprehension and find nothing to highlight then maybe you need to look again at the questions or at a different comprehension.

4) Keep an eye on your watch. If you keep within the time it should ensure that you focus rather than daydream.

5) Unlike other questions, when you are practising comprehensions keep strictly to the time allocated for this question.

Composition: a matter of choice!

The composition is a question that seems straightforward. It appears as if the examiner is simply allowing you to express yourself for a quarter of your grade. But the key to this question is choice. You need to ensure you make the right choice for your composition.

1) Read first. In the exam it's important that you read the composition questions before you do anything else on the paper. In this way ideas can be fermenting in the back of your mind while you're tackling comprehensions. It's also a good idea to spend a few minutes when you read the titles writing down a brief idea of those that you think may work. You can return to them later and develop them.

2) Decide on your genre as many of the compositions will require a specific style of writing. One of the key factors in making your choice is identifying which style will suit you best. The main options are a debating piece, a personal essay, a short story or a magazine article. The differences are subtle but important. One of the questions you need to ask yourself is: who is my audience? For example, if you are writing an article, you should probably not refer to yourself as your audience is the magazine's readership, who are looking for objectivity. However, if you go for the personal essay you are invited to give your own perspective, so the tone is different. You should be able to write effectively in two of the different types of composition, thus allowing yourself more choice.

3) Plan ahead. You need to be able to plan the composition before you begin, so your creation has a definite direction and sticks to the point. If you cannot plan an answer properly then you shouldn’t attempt it.

4) Think back. Every essay you write this year (and in fifth year) is practice for the big day. You can make that practice more profitable by approaching compositions in a systematic way. I do not mean learning essays off by heart, which is difficult, time-consuming and stifling of creativity. Here’s what I suggest: after each essay write out a brief summary of that particular composition. These summaries can be categorised in your notes under different headings, such as “personal essays on politics” or “magazine articles on modern living”. One of the compositions on the day might be similar to one that you have written previously. You can then use that summary as a basis for your new composition.

Comparative and drama

Comparative: magic moments

The comparative is an important question on paper two. It’s the one with the most marks on offer and one in which you can really do well.

1) Key moments unlock your full potential here. As you study your comparative texts you should mark everywhere and anywhere that could be a key moment in the text. You should compare the effect of a key moment on the cultural context/general vision and viewpoint/themes and issues of the text with that of other key moments in other texts.

Examples of key moments are: when Fr Jack returns to Donegal in Brian Friel’s play, Dancing at Lughnasa; when Michael is murdered in London in Lies of Silence by Brian Moore; and Rory’s death in Inside I’m Dancing, directed by Damien O’Donnell.

2) Quotes can also be used effectively . They are not always necessary but at the same time it's good to have a few to demonstrate your knowledge of the text.

3) Don't summarise. You should never summarise the plot or story in any way. The examiner is interested in more than that. It can often be difficult to resist this, particularly with key moments. But just keep asking yourself, "am I summarising?" and you'll avoid the biggest pitfall in the English exam.

4) Comparisons need to be clear . Use definite contrasting words that spell it out to the examiner that this is a comparison. This is what they are looking for and you need to make it obvious for them. If in doubt about whether you are being clear enough, then try to make it clearer. Leave nothing to doubt here.

Single text: so it's Shakespeare, so what? The single-text question or, for most people, "the Shakespeare question" is one that candidates lose sleep over. But when you break it down it's not as tough as you think.

1) Rewrite the question. English is all about purpose, so you need to answer the question asked – and only that question. This requires you to understand fully what you are being asked. The best way to do this is to rewrite the question in your own English. This is particularly useful for a Shakespeare question.

Examples of rewriting a question:

(i) In your opinion, what is the appeal of the play Hamlet for a 21st-century audience? Support the points you make by reference to the text. (Leaving Certificate 2005)

Rewrite: Do I think that Hamlet is attractive to people today? What subjects are attractive to today’s audience? What parts of the play talk about those subjects?

(ii) “We admire Hamlet as much for his weaknesses as for his strengths.” Write a response to this view of the character of Hamlet, supporting your points by reference to the text. (Leaving Certificate 2005)

Rewrite: Do I like Hamlet because of his weak points as well as his strong points? Do I like him as much because of both? Where in the play is he weak? Where is he strong?

2) Be clear about the plot. A test to see how well you understand your Shakespeare is to write out the sequence of the text. This will ensure that events are clear in your mind and you can start looking at Hamlet like any other play. If you can't do this, you need to revisit it.

3) Learn "multi-quotes". It's all in the quotes in the Shakespeare question. You will need to learn a large chunk of them. However, rather than learning the entire play word for word, focus on learning quotes which could work in many answers. These "multi-quotes" should be all you need to construct a quality answer.

Examples of Hamlet multi-quotes:

(i) “A little more than kin, and less than kind.” This can be used to describe: Hamlet’s mindset; Hamlet’s relationship with Claudius; Claudius himself; and family as a theme.

(ii) “When sorrows come, they come not single spies, but in battalions.”

This quote can be used to describe: whether or not the play is positive/negative overall; Hamlet’s outlook on life; any negative characters/events in the play; and whether or not the play is entertaining.

4) Develop your style. Right now you shouldn't be able to write a great Shakespeare answer. Why? Because you are still perfecting a style. This is something you will develop over time, and by June you should feel comfortable with it. One of the key elements of your style is presenting an answer. Ask yourself now if you are presenting your answer in the best way and using quotes to their best effect. The only way to know which is best is to practise exam questions!

5) Use no added extras. Here, more than in any other question, you need to write only what is relevant to the answer. Purpose is a key part of the marking scheme. Your answers needs to have answered the questions you were asked. Although you might think throwing in extra information, relevant or otherwise, will get you extra marks, it won't. You're more likely to lose marks because you are not answering the question exactly. Don't write a different answer to a different question, no matter how good your answer.

6) Use originality wisely . In English you are allowed to write what you like as long as you are willing to back it up with quotes and logic. Your own interpretation of a text is just as relevant as any other interpretation. You should be brave enough to offer your own viewpoint, but you shouldn't always look for an original outlook when the agreed view is best. If you are looking for resources that may offer a different interpretation the internet is a good start. Also, Trinity College Dublin runs a weekly evening lecture series on selected Leaving Certificate texts. See if your local university has something similar on offer. But don't take your textbooks for granted as sometimes the best answer is there.

The personal touch

For a lot of people the poetry question can be tough. Students believe that poetry is some form of mishmash of complicated words and poetic terms. But it shouldn’t be. With the right strategy the poetry question can be manageable.

1) Be personal. Show the examiner how you have interacted with the work of a poet. Mention personal things about your life and how it has made you think about these. For example, a parent-child theme might make you reflect on the relationship between your own parents and how that is changing as you grow older. There's no need to go into too much detail but personal examples will show that you have engaged with the poetry on a meaningful level and not just learned it off. Despite all the talk about the Leaving Cert and rote learning, examiners do look for a personal response, in the right context, on the English paper. It will set you apart if you take on the challenge.

2) Know whether to write your paragraphs poem by poem or theme by theme . Focusing on themes generally leads to better-rounded answers because they demonstrate your ability to think about the work as a whole, but sometimes you may be required to answer poem by poem. Look closely at the question you're asked in the exam to ensure that the question doesn't imply that you should write in a certain way.

3) Resist "Eavan Boland syndrome" . The strategy of large numbers of students who put their eggs in one basket and only learn one poet has failed over and over again. There are no patterns and no surefire predictions. You need to know the work of five poets to ensure that one of them is on the paper. Learning about fewer than that is not a good plan. Even if the predicted poet comes up on the paper, the question you are asked might be extremely difficult.

4) Don't forget the unseen poetry . Although it is worth a small amount of marks in relative terms, this section of the paper can still make that difference. At first you will find answering these questions difficult. Practice is the key. You should regularly practise writing about poetry you haven't seen before. That way, even if you feel stuck on the day you will know how to look at the poem and break it down.

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Evelyn O'Connor: Personal Essay vs Short stories

It is important to know the difference between a short story and a personal essay.

Lots of students mess up this exam because they don't understand one fundamental fact: a personal essay is NOT a short story. So what are the main differences between them?

1. A personal essay is always written by and about you – a teenager who lives in Ireland, goes to school and hates having to do the Leaving Cert. A short story can have anyone as the narrator – a rally driver, a model, an inanimate object, a frog.

2. A personal essay can roam across your entire lifetime, including thoughts, opinions, hobbies, anecdotes, quotes and ideas. A short story, on the other hand, has a specific setting, a limited number of characters and usually happens over a very short space of time.

3. A personal essay reflects on life, the universe and everything. A short story has a tight plot, character development and generally ends with a twist.

If you are asked to write a personal essay and you write a short story instead, you will be excommunicated from the Church of Leaving Cert English and can never again worship at that temple. Or at the very least, you'll do really badly in the exam.

Tips for writing personal essays:

1. If you don't find yourself interesting then how can anyone else? You need to think about what it is that defines you as a person, what marks you out as different, unique, special. The reader needs to want to get to know you.

2. What events from your distant and more recent past stick out in your mind? Sometimes seemingly insignificant events teach you something unexpected or funny or profound about life. These are the moments that are worth recounting to reveal your true personality to your readers.

3. What are your passions, hobbies and interests in life? The quirkier, the better. Every examiner is fit to vomit when they see yet another essay on your desire to be a premiership footballer or the next X Factor winner (yawn!). Remember, personal essays reveal your uniqueness so anything that makes you sound like every other teenager on the planet is not worth including.

4. Are you opinionated? What issues do you feel most strongly about? Religion, politics, education, history, science, space travel, global warming, human rights, celebrity culture, technology? Do you have any areas of specialist knowledge? Is there any way you can work these into your essay?

5. Who are the people you find most fascinating in life? They don't need to be famous but they do need to be worthy of our time if you're going to write about them.

Plan in advance. Organise your ideas. Use some of the following techniques:

* Quotes from bands/singers, writers, philosophers, friends, calendars...

* Anecdotes from your past. Of course, you can always describe an event that happened to someone else and pretend it happened to you.

* Descriptive style – so that the reader is drawn into the experiences you evoke.

* Reflection on your experiences/beliefs/attitudes – show an awareness of how you have become the person you are.

* Imagination – you are free to wander off on a tangent, letting your thoughts flow naturally . . . as long as you eventually return to the point.

* Humour – be as funny, sarcastic and brutally honest as you are in real life. Students tend to be pokerfaced and overly serious in the exam, then you meet them in real life and they're a total scream but somehow they didn't manage to get this across in their writing. So sad ;-(

* Hyperbole – take the truth and exaggerate it. Make your writing dramatic.

* Observations about life, love, and lemonade. Here is your chance to muse about everything.

* Identify problems and offer solutions. Don't be a Moaning Myrtle!

Sample question: "Imagine 20 years from now you win a prestigious award and everyone wants a piece of you. Write a personal essay describing how you became the person you are today (2034)"

Elsewhere, see Donal Ryan's personal essay on how he became a writer.

Short Stories

I think it's incredibly challenging/completely unfair to ask anyone to write a really engaging, original short story in one hour and 20 minutes. As well as writing descriptively, the three elements which must be present are plot, setting and characters.

Please avoid melodrama. I've read stories where characters get shot, escape in a speed boat, rescue a kitten from a burning building and then get diagnosed with cancer, all in the space of three pages!

Stories should provide a slice of life, not the plot of a three-hour movie. The titles also tend to be very specific ('write a story about a reunion', 'write a short story in which a young person is eager to leave home'), so writing a pre-prepared short story in the exam has become less and less of an option in recent years.

Descriptive Essays

The new kid on the block is the descriptive essay, which appeared on the exam papers in 2011 and 2013. I see it as a great option because it requires a descriptive style but doesn't insist on the plot and character development that a short story demands.

You can write about one single event or about a series of different events that are tied together by a common thread. The 2013 essay title asked students to "write a descriptive essay based on a variety of glimpsed moments".

A sample descriptive essay is provided to the right. Just one word of warning: it is probably a little on the short side.

For the exam, your composition (whether it's an article, a speech, a personal essay, a short story or a descriptive essay) should be around 1,000-1,200 words. Obviously, quality is always more important than quantity but anything fewer than 900 words will leave the examiner feeling that you just haven't written enough for them to really judge the quality of your writing.

Fragments from a Lost Weekend

Even as I leave, I know there is the funeral. Even as I climb into our cheap convertible, and the rain comes down and the roof goes up, I know. You have been a good friend, even though our lives are so busy now we are sometimes like strangers. You have been a good friend, and now your dad is dead.

The road is long and windy and wet. The Wicklow hills call from the far coast, and in between the car is stuffy and hot to keep the windshield fog off, and I shuffle to get comfortable and try not (for my dear driver's sake) to nod off. But I have never been good with staying awake, and, besides, although I talk for Ireland, a passenger seat is the one place I get lost in my thoughts, climb into my self and am silent, then asleep ...

I jolt awake with a smack to the head, and the sound of a smile in my ears. We cannot have my head collapsing on him as he drives our cheap convertible with no airbags. We cannot have it. So I fight the battle with my eyelids who go on strike so often I think of hiring a crane to prop them up. The light is green tea and amber now, the trees form a canopy. A light mist has replaced the rain and sleep rises from me as contentment settles down.

We pass a house with horse-head pillar stones, and a lady with squeaky wipers, and a three-legged dog ambling along, and he drives me deeper into the heart of nothing. We have other friends who need us this weekend, it's all arranged. Unlike the funeral, and I've been told that up the North they do things strange, it can take longer for the carcass to be primed and changed into 'the corpse'. So we leave you to your death and carry on with life somehow, though really it's not all that difficult, which seems both logical and wrong.

Hours later, my legs are danced to jelly, my throat is raw. The rain ricochets off the roof of our stuffy tent, insistent staccato beat, but I still fall asleep. Sleep and dream of water. Sleep and dream of swimming in a lake of milk, then fire, as a heat between my legs wiggles forth.

Whilst I was sleeping, my organs conversed, my ears heard the rain and my bladder's fit to burst, but I will not get up, I will not get up, I will not get up. I lever open one eyelid, and my claustrophobic-self bursts roaring from her cave. Canvas too close to face, no air, no air, trapped, suffocating. I rip open the tent flap, devour space and air hungrily. Resolve: tomorrow we will be there for you.

Morning dawns bright and beautiful. We have a long drive ahead. We put down the roof, become part of the landscape, which begins with billowing smoke. A woman with a cross arm planted on her hip. A dead badger. The Bent Elbow Hotel. Then a lake. Two men in a mint green rowboat. Those weird white wind-spinners on the hill. A man on a scooter with a red helmet. A buttercup yellow sun smothered in Vaseline, smeared across the sky. Life's minutiae thrill and happiness comes in starburst moments.

Even as we arrive, we know there is the funeral. Even as we climb out of our cheap convertible, and the sun beams down and the roof goes back up, we know. Remind ourselves: Your Dad is Dead. We wait for the service to end. We wait for the queue to dwindle. We wait to take you in our clumsy arms. Your eyes are so lost. Your pain is so real. Your sorrow wraps its hands around my throat. All I can see is a black cat stalking through an empty house, but no clever image can transform this dead man into a dancing corpse. It's over.

A deep sadness settles on your soul, never to be removed.

Evelyn O’Connor, Mount St Michael Secondary School, Claremorris, Mayo

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How much to write?

Lots of you wonder how much you should write for each of the sections and most teachers will say it depends on the student, on the question etc..

I’ll give you some general guidelines courtesy of my mate Benny who corrects Leaving Cert Hons English every year (those doing ordinary level will probably write less for some sections).

Comprehension answers :

10 marks = half page

15 marks = three quarters to one page

20 marks = one to one and a half pages

Question B = one and a half to two pages.

Depends on task. Language of information asks to you be direct, succinct and get to the point so a report, set of guidelines, leaflet might be a page or just over. However, a general guideline suggests two pages – and when you’re counting, don’t include the addresses in a letter. They don’t count as half a page!

Composition = 4 to 6 pages. Quality is more important than quantity. Don’t write so much that the reader gets bored and wishes it was over.

Single Text = 4 – 5 pages. Beyond 6 and you’re probably just waffling.

Comparative = 5 – 7.  Anything less is flimsy. You do have 3 texts after all.

Unseen poetry = Page and a half maximum.

Studied poetry = 4 pages.

Obviously some people write slow, some fast, some big, some small. The important thing is that the examiner sees you are focused on the question and organised in your approach. Don’t waffle.

Oh and one more thing! Bear in mind that the average number of words per line is 10-12. Now grab a copy, any copy and count your words – how many do you usually have per line?

If it’s 8 or less your writing is very big

so you may need to write a bit more.

17 responses to “ How much to write? ”

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Leaving Cert English Poetry FAQ

How many quotations should you have in your poetry essay, how many poems should i study for each poet, how many poems should you cover in your lc essay.

Guidance varies on this. Some teachers say 3-4 poems. Our experience suggests that covering 4 in detail and briefly mentioning another 2 works well for students trying for a H1.