- Sep 19, 2019
Our top 8 tips on how to write your National 5 English Critical Essay
Your critical essay is an essay that allows you to demonstrate your analysis, interpretation and evaluation of pieces of literature. Your national 5 English critical essay is worth 20 marks (or half of the critical reading exam) so it is important to make this count. In this post, we have outlined our top 8 tips on how to write and pass your National 5 English critical essay.
Remember: The N5 English Critical Essay questions are found in Section 2 of the Critical Reading paper. You must only answer one question.
1) Choose the right genre!
Ensure you select the correct genre for your essay. The Critical Essay paper will give you a choice of genres: Drama, Poetry, Prose and Language . You can only write an essay on a novel or short story using one of the Prose questions.
Writing about the wrong genre will stop you getting the grade you deserve.
Remember that your Critical Essay cannot be from the same genre as your Scottish text.
2) Choose the right question!
Under each genre heading, you will have a choice of two questions. Make sure that you read both of them carefully and select the one which you feel you could write about best.
3) Identify the key words in your chosen question! These words will be the focus of your essay.
For example:
Choose a poem in which the poet creates a powerful sense of place …
Choose a novel in which there is an interesting character .
In each of these examples, you would use the underlined phrase as your key words.
4) Introduce the text! Your introduction should consist of a brief paragraph consisting of two parts. Firstly, include the title, author, form and subject of your text.
E.g. ‘Dracula’ by Bram Stoker is a powerful gothic novel based upon an ancient vampire’s attempt to move from Transylvania to England.
The second part of your introduction should be a link to the question – using those key words.
E.g. Throughout the novel, we can clearly see how Stoker portrays Count Dracula as a mysterious and interesting character .
5) Structure your discussion! After your introduction, identify where you first see the key words in your chosen text.
E.g. In the opening stages of the novel, Stoker establishes Count Dracula as an interesting character when the protagonist – Jonathan Harker- is travelling to his castle:
‘I was not able to light on any map or work giving the exact locality of the Castle Dracula…’
Start every other paragraph, with a topic sentence that includes the key words.
Later in the novel, we see Stoker further develop the idea of Count Dracula as an interesting character , when Jonathan meets him in person…
6) Provide analysis of any evidence!
Here, the author makes effective use of setting , when he locates Dracula in a mysterious home. This helps develop the sense of the count being an interesting character.
Note that evidence can be quotations, but it doesn’t need to be – especially if you are writing about drama or prose. You just need to explain what events are significant and why they are effective.
7) Remember to evaluate!
Use phrases throughout your discussion to evaluate the writer’s methods:
E.g. this clearly shows… this is effective in revealing… this provides a vivid image of…
8) End in a proper manner!
Your essay must be complete. This means that you need to include a separate concluding paragraph, which sums up your discussion.
You can start your conclusion with
In conclusion, throughout (name of text) we can clearly see (key words) in terms of…
Ultimately, throughout (name of text) we can clearly see (key words) in terms of…
Just remember to include the key words in your conclusion and include an evaluative term too.
Eg. In conclusion, throughout the novel ‘Dracula’, Bram Stoker has clearly presented Count Dracula as an interesting character . This is evident in his effective use of setting to make Dracula mysterious, and later through the character development where the count changes from a proud Transylvanian to a murderous monster.
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Browse our range of SQA National 5 English Past Papers and Mark Schemes below. Testing yourself with National 5 English past papers is a great way to identify which topics need more revision, so you can ensure that you are revising as effectively as possible to help you get ready for your National 5 English exam.
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2017 SQA National 5 English Past Papers
Sqa national 5 english paper 1 – may 2017.
SQA National 5 English Question Paper 1. Reference X724/75/11.
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General marking principles for National 5 English: Critical Reading This information is provided to help you understand the general principles you must apply when marking candidate responses to questions in this paper. These principles must be read in conjunction with the specific marking instructions for each question. The marking schemes are written to assist in determining the 'minimal ...
Past papers and marking instructions Find past papers and marking instructions for your revision. You can search by topic and or refine by subject and level. To add the matching marking instructions simply tick the box.
General marking principles for National 5 English: Critical Reading This information is provided to help you understand the general principles you must apply when marking candidate responses to questions in this paper. These principles must be read in conjunction with the specific marking instructions for each question. The marking schemes are written to assist in determining the "minimal ...
Critical Reading 2022 (All links open to PDF files) 2022 Question paper (External link to SQA website) 2022 Marking instructions (External link to SQA website) Candidate 1 Evidence - Question 7 - Shutter Island. Candidate 2 Evidence - Question 6 - Mrs Tilscher's Class. Candidate 3 Evidence - Question 9 - Letter to an MP.
National 5 Past Papers Links to the appropriate SQA pages Reading for U.A.E J.K. Rowling Paper and Marking Scheme Critical Reading Paper Scottish Text and Critical Essay Writing Previous Exam Paper…
Your national 5 English critical essay is worth 20 marks (or half of the critical reading exam) so it is important to make this count. In this post, we have outlined our top 8 tips on how to write and pass your National 5 English critical essay.
Overview of Understanding Standards resources This document provides an overview of what Understanding Standards resources are available for National 5 English: Reading for Understanding, Analysis and Evaluation, Critical Reading and Portfolio-writing which may be useful in supporting marking and moderation.
Past Papers Browse our range of SQA National 5 English Past Papers and Mark Schemes below. Testing yourself with National 5 English past papers is a great way to identify which topics need more revision, so you can ensure that you are revising as effectively as possible to help you get ready for your National 5 English exam.
Commentary on candidate evidence The candidate evidence has achieved the following marks for each question of the SQA 2021 critical reading (section 2 - critical essay) assessment.
Find SQA National 5 English past papers, specimen question papers and course specification and important subject updates here.
Follow these steps. a. make a note of the key words of the question. Plan 5 or 6 points. Follow the structure given to you by the question (if present) For each point make sure you have. A quote. Analysis including analysis of techniques. Relevance to the question. The central concerns of the text.
Links for all past papers for National 5 English have been added to the National 4 / National 5 page: 2017 National 5 (SQA): Critical Reading & RUAE .pdf. 2017 National 5 (SQA): Marking Instructions .pdf. 2016 National 5 (SQA): Critical Reading & RUAE .pdf.
Macbeth (worries he will not be able to get over the guilt of killing Duncan) "wake Duncan with thy knocking: I would thou could". Macbeth (regrets killing Duncan) "O full of scorpions is my mind dear wife". Macbeth (makes it clear that he is paranoid) Study with Quizlet and memorize flashcards containing terms like "Fair is foul, and foul is ...
2019 Marking instructions (External link to SQA website) Candidate 1 - Scottish text: The Slab Boys. Critical Essay: The Great Gatsby. Candidate 1 Evidence. Candidate 2 - Scottish text: The Telegram. Critical essay: Romeo and Juliet. Candidate 2 Evidence. Candidate 3 - Scottish text: The Cone-Gatherers. Critical essay: O Captain!
General marking principles for National 5 English: Critical Reading r. These principles must be read in conjunction with the specific marking instructions for each questi n. The marking schemes are written to assist in determining the 'minimal acceptable answer' rather than listing every possible correct and incorrect answ
The 2016 SQA National 5 English Paper 1 X724/75/11 Tier mark scheme. View and download SQA National 5 English past papers.
Choose ONE text from either Part A — Drama pages 02- 07 or Part B — Prose pages 08-17 or Part C — Poetry pages 18-25 Attempt ALL the questions for your chosen text. SECTION 2 — Critical essay — 20 marks Attempt ONE question from the following genres — Drama, Prose, Poetry, Film and Television Drama, or Language.
The National 5 English Course enables learners to develop their literacy skills and to understand, analyse and evaluate a range of texts, including Scottish texts, in the contexts of literature, language and media. The Course also enables learners to create and produce texts and to apply their knowledge and understanding of language.
The essay is described by the statements in the 13-10 mark range, and it was awarded a mark from the middle of the range - 11 marks, its relevance off-setting thinness of analysis. Overall, this candidate was awarded 26/40 marks for the National 5 Critical Reading question paper.
SQA National 5 English Question Paper 1. Reference X724/75/11. View Question Paper. View Mark Scheme. GCSE Subjects. GCSE Biology. GCSE English.