Standard Grade Revision

Writing Paper

Paper lasts 1 hour 15 minutes Inside the booklet, there are photographs and

words. Use them to help you when you are thinking about what to write. Look at all the material and think about all the possibilities.

Decide which assignment you are going to attempt. Choose only one and write its number in the

margin of your answer book. Pay close attention to what you are asked to write. Plan what you are going to write. Read and check your work before you hand it in. Any changes to your work should be made clearly.

Initial Advice

Personal/Reflective- remember to include thoughts and feelings constantly

Creative/Imaginative- build up plot, setting, character, theme, etc.

Informative/Discursive- usually not done well, due to lack of specific knowledge

Descriptive- usually on last page, and can be difficult to maintain for full exam time.

Newspaper articles- remember to use features such as headings, captions, sub-headings etc.

‘Write in any way you choose…’ questions

Genres

Always keep the essay question in sight to ensure you keep focussed.

Try to avoid having too much ‘build up’ and get into answering the question quickly

Always quickly plan the focus of each paragraph within an essay

Think about interesting ways to start- a shocking statement, a dictionary definition, an alliteration, a simile, etc.

Always SHOW not TELL with feelings- next slide

Personal/Reflective

Always describe emotions rather than simply stating them.

E.g. I was so cold and miserable. Becomes… My hands were trembling in the frosty air,

and I began to wish I was anywhere else, but here.

SHOW not TELL

I was so excited to finally arrive. I felt deeply unhappy. I couldn’t wait to have a shot. I felt really angry. I was so disappointed.

Now you try…

Quick writes are the best way to brainstorm ideas and get you thinking about experiences you could write about.

Write about an occasion when you had an experience that changed your life.

Remember to include your thoughts and feelings.

Quick Writes

Write about an occasion when breaking a rule was more important than following it.

Remember to include your thoughts and feelings.

Fun for Everyone! Describe your favourite fairground

attraction. Remember to include your thoughts and

feelings.

Write about an occasion when you took part in a Scottish celebration or festival.

Remember to include your thoughts and feelings.

Always in their Shadow! Write about an occasion when you felt

second best. Remember to include your thoughts and

feelings.

Write about an occasion when you achieved a personal goal after a struggle.

Remember to include your thoughts and feelings.

Stay focussed on the question Keep in mind if you have a title or opening to

use Before writing, always plan out a quick plot

ensuring you have a clear beginning, middle and end

Think about including a twist in the tale, a turning point, a cliff hanger or a dramatic event

Maintain character and setting descriptions throughout the story

Creative/Imaginative

Character: Harry had a thin face, knobbly knees, black

hair and bright-green eyes. He wore round glasses held together with a lot of Sellotape because of all the times Dudley had punched him on the nose. The only thing Harry liked about his own appearance was a very thin scar on his forehead which was shaped like a bolt of lightning."

J.K. Rowling, ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’

Interesting Descriptions

The snake-man was small and very old, probably over seventy. He wore leather boots made of thick cowhide and he had long gauntlet-type gloves on his hands made of the same stuff. The gloves reached above his elbows. In his right hand he carried an extraordinary implement, an eight-foot-long wooden pole with a forked end. The two prongs of the fork were made, so it seemed, of black rubber, about an inch thick and quite flexible, and it was clear that if the fork was pressed against the ground the two prongs would bend outwards, allowing the neck of the fork to go down as close to the ground as necessary. In his left hand he carried an ordinary brown sack.

Donald Macfarlane, the snake-man, may have been old and small but he was an impressive looking-character. His eyes were pale blue, deep-set in a face round and dark and wrinkled as a walnut. Above the blue eyes, the eyebrows were thick and startling white but the hair on his head was almost black. In spite of the thick leather boots, he moved like a leopard, with soft, slow cat-like strides.

Roald Dahl, ‘The Green Mamba’

Now you try…

Write a short story using the title: The Rebel

You should develop setting and character as well as plot.

Write a short story using the title: The Smile

You should develop setting and character as well as plot.

Write a short story using the following opening:

Sal awakened slowly. Dazed at first, she tried to focus but she was still dizzy from the rollercoaster. At last, her eyes fixed on the empty booth, then beyond to the empty stalls and the empty fairground . . .

You should develop setting and character as well as plot.

Write a short story using the following opening:

From the darkness, a glimmering light sparked faintly and began to glow . . .

You should develop setting and character as well as plot.

Write a short story using the following opening:

Something just wasn’t right. He turned. Nothing. He turned again to see the outline of a dark figure . . .

You should develop setting and character as well as plot.

Choose 1 for a quick write:

1. Graffiti: art or vandalism? Give your views.

2. Entertainment today is too expensive for many young people. Give your views.

3. Learning to drive. Managing your money. Parenting. What life skills would you like to learn at school?

Informative/Discursive

In 2010 paper only 2 questions in this genre:

1. Describe the scene brought to mind by one of the following:

Rain stained the still warm path; each collision a hiss.

OR 2. Slowly the sun dawned on an endless

golden land.

Descriptive

In 2010 paper only 2 questions in this genre:

Write an article for your school magazine describing a visit to an unusual or interesting building.

Write an article for your school magazine in which you argue the case either for or against an independent Scotland.

Newspaper Articles

Look through books at home and make a note of any interesting openings.

Brainstorm ideas using mind maps/ post-it notes/ bullet points.

Look through past papers at the types of topics you may be asked about.

Time yourself writing an essay under ‘exam conditions’- this will speed you up.

Do not try to ‘force’ an existing essay you have written into an essay question- it will be marked down for irrelevance.

Personal essays tend to score best under exam conditions.

Final Advice