By Yeats College English Teacher Ms. Sinead Caslin Cregg
English Paper One was a very enjoyable paper with a lovely variety of questions. The theme of the paper was “Influence”.
The seven essay titles offered in the Composing Section this year offered an excellent range. One personal essay option invited candidates to “reflect on how being creative has a role to play in many aspects of your life”. I expect this to be a popular choice among students. Another personal essay asked candidates to “reflect on a moment that was enriching for you.” Option five asked for a “speech for or against the motion that Social media influencers are best ignored”. This speech option would suit a lot of students. The essay titles overall were very fair and doable.
The Question B tasks were very straightforward and encouraged students to use their imaginative, creative streaks. The three options were an “article” about “your ideal city or town”, “a letter to the Editor” on the (somewhat specific) topic of “postage stamps”, and “a proposal” for an event for “Culture Night”.
The three texts in the Comprehending Section also offered a fabulous range. Text 2 was a wonderful, accessible extract from the Elif Shafak novel There are Rivers in the Sky. The questions across all three texts were very manageable. As previously, Question (ii) was more of an opinion question, while Question (iii) invited students to discuss “four features of the writer’s style”, as in previous years.
Overall, the English Paper One exams at both Higher and Ordinary Level were very fair and enjoyable, with no major surprises. Students should be very pleased with the exam questions, which offered lots of scope for creativity and flair.
