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English short story?

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  • 06-04-2014 8:54pm
    #1
    Kelly090
    Registered Users Posts: 80 ✭✭


    For my English junior cert exam in June I am planning on writing a short story for the composition section on paper one. I wrote one really good short story a few months ago for English class. I worked really hard on it and I got 97%. I am able to twist this story to fit the titles for all the English exams since 2003. If I learned off this story for the exam and the title suited on the day would it be okay to use it? Will the examiner recognise that I have rote leaned it? Will I get penalized for this? Thanks :)


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    #2
    Irishgirl1998
    Registered Users Posts: 80 ✭✭Irishgirl1998


    Learn it off . My teacher said pick your top 2 stories and learn them off


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    #3
    ElmW13
    Registered Users Posts: 188 ✭✭ElmW13


    My English teacher tells us that if we are going to use a learnt off essay, so the examiners won't suspect it is learnt off if the see it on the front page of the booklet and dock you marks if the feel you have it learnt off, go in at least four or five pages in the booklet before writing it :)


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    #4
    MmmPancakes
    Registered Users Posts: 712 ✭✭✭MmmPancakes


    ElmW13 wrote: »
    My English teacher tells us that if we are going to use a learnt off essay, so the examiners won't suspect it is learnt off if the see it on the front page of the booklet and dock you marks if the feel you have it learnt off, go in at least four or five pages in the booklet before writing it :)

    They have to give you the marks unless you don't answer the questions or if you stole it, it's the same in LC, the examiner might know you learned off a Shakespeare essay but they can't not give you the marks for it.

    Just learn it off and do a fake plan above it before you start so that the examiner thinks you wrote it on the spot.


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    #5
    Kelly090
    Registered Users Posts: 80 ✭✭Kelly090


    MmmPancakes wrote: »
    They have to give you the marks unless you don't answer the questions or if you stole it, it's the same in LC, the examiner might know you learned off a Shakespeare essay but they can't not give you the marks for it.

    Just learn it off and do a fake plan above it before you start so that the examiner thinks you wrote it on the spot.

    haha thats a good idea thanks so much :)


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    #6
    spurious
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Education Moderators Posts: 27,188 CMod ✭✭✭✭spurious


    There's really no need to do that.


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    #7
    Kelly090
    Registered Users Posts: 80 ✭✭Kelly090


    spurious wrote: »
    There's really no need to do that.

    Yes but I want to get an A and I struggle to write enough quality material in only an hour


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    #8
    spurious
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Education Moderators Posts: 27,188 CMod ✭✭✭✭spurious


    Kelly090 wrote: »
    Yes but I want to get an A and I struggle to write enough quality material in only an hour

    You will get the marks your essay deserves, whether it is written upside down on the back pages or on the first page. It's the JC, the examiners are trying to give you as many marks as you deserve.
    Having a learned off essay of your own is not an issue really, it's still your work - just be absolutely sure it ties in with the title. Every year there is someone posts here who has slapped down their learned off essay and forgotten to include the phrase or paragraph linking it to the question asked.


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    #9
    Kelly090
    Registered Users Posts: 80 ✭✭Kelly090


    spurious wrote: »
    You will get the marks your essay deserves, whether it is written upside down on the back pages or on the first page. It's the JC, the examiners are trying to give you as many marks as you deserve.
    Having a learned off essay of your own is not an issue really, it's still your work - just be absolutely sure it ties in with the title. Every year there is someone posts here who has slapped down their learned off essay and forgotten to include the phrase or paragraph linking it to the question asked.

    Thanks yeah I am not certain about learning off my stories yet just in case I cant incorporate it into the specific titles given to me. Thanks for the advice though :)


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    #10
    Xgracie
    Registered Users Posts: 506 ✭✭✭Xgracie


    No meaning to sound all judgey here or anything but like is there really any benefit in learning one off? Like how hard is it to get marks on the essay?


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    #11
    Kelly090
    Registered Users Posts: 80 ✭✭Kelly090


    Xgracie wrote: »
    No meaning to sound all judgey here or anything but like is there really any benefit in learning one off? Like how hard is it to get marks on the essay?

    Well since it's worth 70 marks I think its integral that I do well in this section. I suppose you could get away with not studying anything for it but I want an A :)


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    #12
    MmmPancakes
    Registered Users Posts: 712 ✭✭✭MmmPancakes


    Kelly090 wrote: »
    Well since it's worth 70 marks I think its integral that I do well in this section. I suppose you could get away with not studying anything for it but I want an A :)

    I learned mine off and got an A :P


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    #13
    Bazinga_N
    Registered Users Posts: 3,232 ✭✭✭Bazinga_N


    I made mine up on the day of the exam and got an A - so really it works both ways.

    Learning off an essay is quite unnecessary in my opinion. You're putting more pressure on yourself for no reason. It's a creative writing type question, so be creative and make up a story on the day. It's not the same as an answer to your poetry, fiction or drama questions, where there's certain things needed for marks and stuff. Use good grammar and proper English, be creative and link to the title and I promise you, you'll achieve most of the 70 marks. Don't put too extra pressure on yourself, when there's no need to.


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    #14
    Blue giant
    Registered Users Posts: 1,336 ✭✭✭Blue giant


    I'd agree with the poster above. There's absolutely no need to learn off a whole essay. I also made up an essay on the spot and got an A. In fact I wouldn't learn off whole answers for any part of the exam including poetry, drama and novel. If you practice enough writing loads of different styles you'll develop your own and be able to write about anything.


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    #15
    spurious
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Education Moderators Posts: 27,188 CMod ✭✭✭✭spurious


    Langston Hollow Coffin wrote: »
    Anyone have any sample stories?

    Does this mean 'Anyone want to give me an essay I will learn off and pretend is mine?'
    Then, no.


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    #16
    vcshqkf9rpzgoe
    Closed Accounts Posts: 110 ✭✭vcshqkf9rpzgoe


    spurious wrote: »
    Does this mean 'Anyone want to give me an essay I will learn off and pretend is mine?'
    Then, no.

    Why would I do that? What would be the point of the Junior Cert then? I was absent for the majority of the year and obviously missed when we were learning to write the stories so I'm just looking to see what they're supposed to be like. Please stop jumping to conclusions when you don't know what is actually happening in someone's life


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    #17
    spurious
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Education Moderators Posts: 27,188 CMod ✭✭✭✭spurious


    There are books of short stories if you want samples.
    Go to the library.


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    #18
    vcshqkf9rpzgoe
    Closed Accounts Posts: 110 ✭✭vcshqkf9rpzgoe


    spurious wrote: »
    There are books of short stories if you want samples.
    Go to the library.
    Could you give me some examples of the books?


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    #19
    spurious
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Education Moderators Posts: 27,188 CMod ✭✭✭✭spurious


    Exploring English 1 - recently republished, has more short stories than you would ever need.


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    #20
    vcshqkf9rpzgoe
    Closed Accounts Posts: 110 ✭✭vcshqkf9rpzgoe


    That has stories from 1967, the world has changed since then....quite considerably


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    #21
    spurious
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Education Moderators Posts: 27,188 CMod ✭✭✭✭spurious


    Langston Hollow Coffin wrote: »
    That has stories from 1967, the world has changed since then....quite considerably


    You asked about short stories. They are some of the best examples you will ever find.

    Yes, they are older than you. So is Shakespeare.


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    #22
    dee_mc
    Registered Users Posts: 7,179 ✭✭✭dee_mc


    Langston Hollow Coffin wrote: »
    That has stories from 1967, the world has changed since then....quite considerably

    It's an excellent book, and the fundamentals of short story writing haven't changed.
    Maybe think before rejecting peoples' advice which you requested :)


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