How to prepare for English Paper 1?

The Walsho

Hey guys, I'm just wondering what would be the best way to go about preparing for paper 1 in English, since there's no texts or anything to study.
Any advice appreciated!

Cokehead Mother

Read a bunch of crap. Write a bunch of crap.

The Walsho

Cokehead Mother wrote: »

Read a bunch of crap. Write a bunch of crap.

Ha yeah that's all I've had in mind, almost makes me feel guilty though, doesn't seem like proper studying! Cheers for the response

nerdysal

Before the mocks I studied the five different uses of language and that was a great help in answering the comprehensions... I think it's impossible to study for the composition. I generally write a story that I got a good grade on during the year.

Overheal

You cant study for composition but you can prepare. Honestly the best thing to do is just run through Past Paper I's because it gets your head in the right place.

Also, knowing your preferred style of writing helps. Are you a story Writer? Informative? Opinionated? This is why your teachers tell you to read the paper: its full of columnists that write essays every other day about anything and everything.

bUILDERtHEbOB

What were doing is learning off a bunch of essays and then 'adapt' them into whatever essay is given in the Leaving Cert.

e.g... Learn off an essay about modern Ireland covering law & order, technology, immigration, etc and then if in teh leevin certz say the theme is 'change' you could write about the advances in technology or changes in the face of Irish society with immigrants coming in etc.

Hope that helps!

eoghan h

buy a revision book on paper 1......

I have "Paper 1 Key Skills" and its fairly handy to read through

Peleus

our english teacher makes us write one sentance every day. aim to make the sentance a good length and well structured. Use semi colons and commas. eventually you will see your writing get so much better. its really good. try it!

Fanatic4Life

Practice makes perfect :P I've been aiming to write a composing piece every two weeks or so, give it to the mùinteoir and see what he says. Seems to be working so far! The comprehensions are generally straightforward...y'just elaborate and state the obvious a lot...*shrug*

Overheal

you can also try to hone your craft by posting on boards. Go find a topic you like and post away. Make an essay out of it. But to be fair youre better off writing on paper, obviously.

slownightsolong

Hey can anyone tell me the different styles of writing and features of them? Can't find them anywhere on the internet.

FyeaG

Cokehead Mother wrote: »

Read a bunch of crap. Write a bunch of crap.

So true

FyeaG

slownightsolong wrote: »

Hey can anyone tell me the different styles of writing and features of them? Can't find them anywhere on the internet.

If u lookin for the 5 different forms of language use its the
-the language of narration
-the language of argument
-the language of persuasion
-the language of information
and
-the aesthetic use of language

i wont explain in detail what eatch of em means and what to consider, u should be able to find everythin u need now in the net

FyeaG

nerdysal wrote: »

Before the mocks I studied the five different uses of language and that was a great help in answering the comprehensions... I think it's impossible to study for the composition. I generally write a story that I got a good grade on during the year.

Adopt, improvise, over come ;D

slownightsolong

FyeaG wrote: »

If u lookin for the 5 different forms of language use its the
-the language of narration
-the language of argument
-the language of persuasion
-the language of information
and
-the aesthetic use of language

i wont explain in detail what eatch of em means and what to consider, u should be able to find everythin u need now in the net

Would you believe I cant? I'm just lookin for bullet points, don't require any great detail...

Eire-Dearg

Cokehead Mother wrote: »

Read a bunch of crap. Write a bunch of crap.

Nail on the head.

If you read a lot, even newspapers, books and all that, you'll be fine for this exam.

Unfortunately information on Paper 2 doesn't appear to come from reading Four Four Two all day. :pac:

fufureida

The Walsho wrote: »

Ha yeah that's all I've had in mind, almost makes me feel guilty though, doesn't seem like proper studying! Cheers for the response

Ehm...Im suprised your teacher hasn't explained anything to you.
Ok You do not STUDY for paper one thats impossible... What you do do is PREPARE ( and its a little late for that...) preparation is the key: Read books, articles, magazines, speeches, novels, tourist guides, cereal boxe's...anything! Listen to the radio, watch the news ( none biased news that is ) and just keep in touch with literatute in general! Pick up a book on anything, something you dont know a thing about and read it...all of this should have been done throughout the course of the year.

Read a bunch of crap. Write a bunch of crap. Thats all their is too it. And this preparation is a natural proccess. Admiteddly I havnt prepared for paper one much this year as I didnt really have time to read, but I watch the news often, watch documentaries and read articles and the occasional novel...thats basically it, and picking up vocabulary.

All you can do now is time yourself for paper 1. Practice a few Part As and Bs... but really Im sorta suprised you are even asking this question. But hey, I suppose everyone needs to be told about something!

H2student

Fufu is making me depressed about paper I now. I have read a lot but I don't feel like it had improved my vocabulary much. As a last minute thing, I'm reading random sample answers on e-xamit. I'm probably just bad at appreciating good literature but I don't think they're A standard . Their vocabulary sometimes are very repetitive (the word interesting was used 3 times in 2 lines for example).

Mwah

does reading the sun count?

Indigo Sunrise

I don't think he meant literally "read crap"

fufureida

H2student wrote: »

Fufu is making me depressed about paper I now. I have read a lot but I don't feel like it had improved my vocabulary much. As a last minute thing, I'm reading random sample answers on e-xamit. I'm probably just bad at appreciating good literature but I don't think they're A standard . Their vocabulary sometimes are very repetitive (the word interesting was used 3 times in 2 lines for example).

Im sorry. Really don't stress about vocab, just don't. Its not that important, sure it will show your demand in language but your sentence structure is important too. Just know a few basic words... like Lear is '' egocentric '' '' emotionally volatile '' ''Immoral'' that sorta stuff...

Like just think of this sentence: At dusk, I sat on my front porch and listened to the crickets chirping.

Its sorta a lame sentence really...bring it to life like... '' Dusk had settled across the landscape, painting the sky in hues of a vermillion dusk. Stars were beginning to reluctantly peak and glimmer from the cloud strewn sky. As I sat on my front porch, I gazed into this mesmerising horizon, listening to the elegant cacophony of the crickets.''

It doesnt have to be like the above but you get me, just bring it to life, be random and show off. Just say things that you wouldnt say in real life...because if you said the above in real life you would sound like a plonker.

go right now and type in a bunch of words that you might use in an essay into Microsoft Works and fiddle around with the thesaurus...really fancy words are not that important though...

Why say something in a complicated way when you could say it in an easy way? Just use your skills you been reading as you said you will be fine! Seriously! I find it hard to come up with something nice on the spot and I find I too tend to use the same thing alot...but its only an exam! They arent gonna know if you used this phrase prior to the exam...just chill!

FyeaG

slownightsolong wrote: »

Would you believe I cant? I'm just lookin for bullet points, don't require any great detail...

Jesus
well Narration one is the purpose of usin the language of narration basically, for e.g in speeches or in writtin is to give connected account of events, it can be real or fake or whatever, just remember all narrative things has a setting place or time, use desriptive writin

the Argument one if usin language in speech or writtin to convince the audience or make em agree with the particular point u makin, its arguing from the particular to the general or vise versa

Persuasion is kinda purpose of speakin or writtin to influence others to act or think in particular way the argument and persuasion language use has many particular features but persuasion writting apeals more in feelins and stuff good eg of this type of language is speech by M.Luther King during the civil right movement/ struggle in us in 1960's ( i bet u can find this online google it or youtube it man )

ok lets move on

The language of Information, this must ring atleast somethin in ur head, this type of language is to let the audience reader or whatever to know somethin, the content is factual, show point of view

and the last is Aesthetic use of language this is to compose texts that appeal to readers sense of beauty or harmony, its a language of beauty, painterlly and vivid language use its kinda like a **** u would tell to a girl u really do like, its to imagine and narrate, thats kind of thing

hope this helps

!?!

what's the layout of a letter????

zam

While a good range of vocabulary is important, most teachers and examiners alike hate it when it's obvious that you're just cramming in extra 'fancy' words that you wouldn't normally use to make yourself sound eloquent. I find it really noticeable and feel that it kind of interrupts your flow. So be careful!

fufureida

zam wrote: »

While a good range of vocabulary is important, most teachers and examiners alike hate it when it's obvious that you're just cramming in extra 'fancy' words that you wouldn't normally use to make yourself sound eloquent. I find it really noticeable and feel that it kind of interrupts your flow. So be careful!

True, but what I mean is why say '' he walked to the door '' when you could instead say '' he shuffled to the door ''...you get me? I mean just bring language to life; we all read ( I hope ) and their is nothing wrong with getting inspiration from books. Steal the gem, not the crown!

FyeaG

!?! wrote: »

what's the layout of a letter????

Are u kids do any stuff in free time at all?

Latter:
Spend time in detail on audience, the context, is it public or private
then Register , language is formal, best language of argument, kno the genre of language, u can include askin questions make strang statement and supporting argument, this make it solid
add emotions, emotive phrases and exaggeration for the effect sake, suits language os persuasion
and the last is form, openin closin, u kno, intro outro, greetin, around 3 paragraphs each got piont and topic santance or main point
dont forget to sign out (ur sincerelly -ii- and ur signature ) its a letter

!?!

FyeaG wrote: »

Are u kids do any stuff in free time at all?

Latter:
Spend time in detail on audience, the context, is it public or private
then Register , language is formal, best language of argument, kno the genre of language, u can include askin questions make strang statement and supporting argument, this make it solid
add emotions, emotive phrases and exaggeration for the effect sake, suits language os persuasion
and the last is form, openin closin, u kno, intro outro, greetin, around 3 paragraphs each got piont and topic santance or main point
dont forget to sign out (ur sincerelly -ii- and ur signature ) its a letter

thanks, which way do you write the addresses?

ldxo15wus6fpgm

!?! wrote: »

what's the layout of a letter????

Your address on the right, without your name
The date goes below your address, on the right

Their address starts on the line after the date, goes on the left. If it's formal you go:
Name
Job title
Address

If you don't know their name just put their job title and the address.

Start with Dear whoever. If it's a woman, unless you're sure they're married, you put Ms. whoever.
If you don't know their name, you put dear sir/madam

For the finish, Yours sincerely if you know their name ('s' for 'some' clue who they are) Your faithfully if you don't know who they are ('f' for not a 'f*cking' clue )
Then your signature here,
Then your name (written normally) here.

!?!

^ thanks you!!

curlypops

Brody Delightful Fish wrote: »

For the finish, Yours sincerely if you know their name ('s' for 'some' clue who they are) Your faithfully if you don't know who they are ('f' for not a 'f*cking' clue )

brilliant!

The Walsho

Very surprised to see this pop up in my control panel today. Two years ago this was!