English National 5 Essay Examples Available
The English Department have sent more resources for National 5 critical essay revision to this site for inclusion.
They take the form of exemplar timed essays on the novels studied in the course: Stone Cold, Of Mice and Men and Animal Farm.
Find them on the dedicated critical essay revision page . The PDF files are named according to: the novel they are concerned with; whether they are the first or second example (1 or 2); and each example is numbered into parts – (i) – (iv).
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- 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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National 5 English
Updates and announcements, change to conditions of assessment in english portfolios from session 2024-25 (01/05/24).
We’re tightening the conditions of assessment in National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher English writing portfolios from session 2024-25.
What’s changing:
There will be a new mandatory requirement for learners to complete their first draft during class time, under the supervision of the teacher or lecturer.
This will enable teachers and lecturers to review learners’ first drafts before learners continue to work on them independently. Learners will then complete their final piece under some supervision and control, as is currently the case.
We aren’t making any other changes to the writing portfolios. The assessment standards remain the same.
Why we’re making this change:
We’ve been receiving ongoing feedback from the English teaching profession that, under the current assessment conditions, it can be difficult to verify that learners’ work is their own, as it’s possible they may have had input from others when working on their draft outside of school or college hours.
This change will further support teachers and lecturers with authenticating learners’ work in the writing portfolio. It will allow them to observe how learners’ work is developing without any outside influences. This will help them to identify if there are any unusual changes in the quality and content of a learner’s writing portfolio at the final submission stage, or if the final piece is unrecognisable from the first draft, which may indicate that it’s not the learner’s own work.
Updated documents
We’re updating the course specifications and the portfolio-writing coursework assessment tasks at each level. These will provide a clear process that learners need to follow when producing their portfolios. The updated documents will be available in early June.
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Essential information, course specification ( 13/09/2023 ).
Explains the structure of the course, including its purpose and aims and information on the skills, knowledge and understanding that will be developed.
- N5 English Course Specification September 2023
Past Papers and Marking Instructions
Access all past papers by subject/level
Additional question papers resources
Illustrates the standard, structure and requirements of the question papers candidates will sit (includes marking instructions).
- English: Reading for Understanding, Analysis and Evaluation Specimen Question Paper National 5 June 2018
- English: Critical Reading Specimen Question Paper National 5 October 2018
There were no exams in 2021. The 2020-21 question paper resources are, for most subjects, modified papers which reflect the modifications put in place for session 2020-21
- National 5 English Critical Reading question paper
- National 5 English Reading for Understanding, Analysis and Evaluation question paper
- National 5 English Critical Reading marking instructions
- National 5 English Reading for Understanding, Analysis and Evaluation marking instructions
Coursework ( 18/1/24 )
This section provides information on marking instructions and/or the coursework assessment task(s). It includes information that centres need to administer coursework and must be read in conjunction with the course specification.
Instructions
- Instructions for the submission of National 5 and Higher English coursework January 2024
- English Coursework Template - Microsoft Word
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- Coursework assessment task for National 5 English
- Guidance on conditions of assessment
Information on the production and submission of SQA-assessed coursework for National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher.
- Coursework for External Assessment (261 KB)
Understanding Standards ( 27/11/2023 )
- Examples of candidate evidence with commentaries
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Changes to course assessment from academic session 2017-18 onwards
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Please note: Understanding Standards materials are regularly reviewed to ensure they remain up to date.
Additional Resources session 2020-22
Further information can be found on the Understanding Standards Website.
Course reports ( 14/09/2023 )
Provides information on the performance of candidates - which is useful to teachers, lecturers and assessors in their preparation of candidates for future assessment.
Course Reports
- 2023 National 5 English Course Report September 2023
- 2022 National 5 English Course Report September 2022
- 2019 National 5 English Course Report September 2019
- 2018 National 5 English Course Report August 2018
- 2017 National 5 English Course report October 2017
Verification Reports
- English Verification Key Messages Round 1 March 2017
- English and Communication Qualification Verification Summary Report June 2019 June 2019
Scottish Texts in English Courses
Scottish text list for National 5 and Higher English courses (valid from session 2018-19):
- Scottish set text list 2018-19
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National 5/ Higher Critical Essay Writing: 'A Hanging' by George Orwell
Subject: English
Age range: 14-16
Resource type: Unit of work
Last updated
27 September 2018
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This power point will take pupils through the structure of a Critical Essay on ‘A Hanging’ by George Orwell. The essay follows a PEER structure and offers examples.
It tackles the following question: Choose a non-fiction text which made you think about a social issue. Explain briefly what that issue is and at greater length show how the writer’s treatment of the issue conveyed her or his point of view. In your answer you must refer closely to the text and to at least two of: setting, theme, style, descriptive detail, or any other relevant feature.
This resource is ideal for use with a National 5, GCSE, AS Level, or Higher English class.
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The English Department have sent more resources for National 5 critical essay revision to this site for inclusion. They take the form of exemplar timed essays on the novels studied in the course: Stone Cold, Of Mice and Men and Animal Farm. Find them on the dedicated critical essay revision page. The PDF files are named according to: the novel ...
NATIONAL 5 CRITICAL ESSAY EXEMPLAR - 'OF MICE AND MEN' Prose: Characterisation, setting, language, key incidents, climax, turning point, plot, structure, narrative technique, theme, foreshadowing Choose a novel or a short story or a work of non-fiction which explores an important theme.
National 5; About the National 5 English course Section Two - Critical Essay. The National 5 English course is assessed on folio writing, a spoken language assessment, a final exam as well as ...
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.
NATIONAL 5 CRITICAL ESSAY EXEMPLAR - 'MACBETH' Techniques: characterisation, key scene(s), structure, climax, theme, plot, conflict, setting, dramatic irony, foreshadowing Choose a play which you feel has a dramatic final scene. Describe briefly what happens in the final scene and then, by referring to appropriate
Critical Essay - Section 2. Question 5 Poetry (Shooting Stars by Carol Ann Duffy) Candidate 1 Evidence. Question 7 Film and Television Drama (The Truman Show) Candidate 2 Evidence. Question 4 Prose (The Hate U Give) Candidate 3 Evidence. Candidates 1 to 3 Commentaries.
docx, 17.45 KB. This is a National 5 English A-grade critical essay which examines Arthur Miller's play All My Sons in relation to the following question: Choose a play in which the writer creates an interesting character. By referring to appropriate techniques, explain how the writer makes this character interesting.
SECTION 2 — Critical essay — 20 marks Attempt ONE question from the following genres — Drama, Prose, Poetry, Film and Television ... Please refer to the Scottish set text list on the National 5 English webpage for the most up-to-date information. page 02 ... By close reference to one example of word choice, show how Cassie's attitude to Joe
Example Critical Essay notes; ... This is exactly the process you should go through when analysing quotations, techniques, or key episodes in a critical essay at National 5.
How to write a successful introduction to your SQA National 5 English Critical Essays, with examples for 'Macbeth'. Part 2 of 2. For more free videos subscri...
Critical Reading - Critical Essay. Critical analysis is where you make an argument about a text you have read, providing points to support your case. National 5 English Critical Reading - Critical ...
The Crucible Essay and Quote Booklet Bundle: NAT 5/Higher. This bundle contains 5 example Higher English critical essays and 1 example National 5 critical essay. It also contains a booklet of the most significant and useful quotes necessary for studying Arthur Miller's 'The Crucible' with accompanying analysis.
N5. National 4XDOLÛFDWLRQV 2021 ASSESSMENT RESOURCE X824/75/12English Critical Reading. Duration — 1 hour 30 minutes. Total marks — 40 SECTION 1 — Scottish text — 20 marks. Read an extract from a Scottish text you have previously studied. Choose ONE text from either Part A — Drama pages 02- 07 or Part B — Prose pages 08-17 or ...
Section 2 Critical essay The candidate was awarded 11 marks. Summary The candidate has chosen to write about the short story On the Sidewalk Bleeding by Evan Hunter, in response to question 4 from the prose section. The National 5 English Question Paper 2019 | Critical Reading Commentary SQA | www.understandingstandards.org.uk 2 of 26
National 5 Critical Essay Unit 'The Pedestrian' by Ray Bradbury . Pre-Reading Tasks Answer the questions on this page before reading the story. ... On the next page is an example of an essay plan for a critical essay on task 2 from the 2015 exam paper. After reading it, you should use it to help you create a plan for one of the other ...
English: Critical Reading Specimen Question Paper National 5 October 2018; 2021. There were no exams in 2021. The 2020-21 question paper resources are, for most subjects, modified papers which reflect the modifications put in place for session 2020-21. National 5 English Critical Reading question paper
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 ...
5. Choose a novel or short story or non-fiction text which deals with an important issue (e.g. social, political, moral, religious . . .). Identify the issue and, by referring to appropriate techniques, show how the author deepens your understanding of it. 6. Choose a novel or short story in which there is a character who provokes an
EXAMPLE - quote a specific example or examples. You should give a quote as evidence in every genre. ANALYSIS - analyse your example. Explain clearly and in detail what your example proves. Think about why you chose it and how the writer's message is made clear. LINK - link back to the . question. and the writer's . central concerns ...
Theme of ambition quotes. Click the card to flip 👆. "Brave Macbeth - he well deserved that name." "Is this a dagger I see before me, / The handle toward my hand?" "I have no spur / to prick the sides only / Vaulting ambition, which o'erleaps itself / And falls on th'other -". "Stars, hide your fires, / Let not light see my black and deep ...
Resource type: Assessment and revision. File previews. docx, 16.77 KB. This is a National 5 English A-grade critical essay which examines J. B. Priestley's play An Inspector Calls in relation to the following question: Choose a play which explores an important theme. By referring to appropriate techniques, explain how this theme is explored.
Age range: 14-16. Resource type: Unit of work. File previews. pptx, 336.18 KB. This power point will take pupils through the structure of a Critical Essay on 'A Hanging' by George Orwell. The essay follows a PEER structure and offers examples. It tackles the following question: Choose a non-fiction text which made you think about a social ...
This interactive map complements the static control-of-terrain maps that ISW daily produces with high-fidelity and, where possible, street level assessments of the war in Ukraine. ISW's daily campaign assessments of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, including our static maps, are available at understandingwar.org ; you can subscribe to these ...
Task 1: Talk to friends and family and come up with 3 possible topics you could research and write about. Write down your 3 possible topics. It is unrealistic to take a wide topic and say: 'My essay is on Scottish Independence'. You must narrow your focus and have a clear argument based around your topic.