- 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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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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NAT 5 English Critical Essay: The Crucible (Marked 15/20) - Important Relationship
Subject: English
Age range: 14-16
Resource type: Assessment and revision
Last updated
25 January 2021
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This is a National 5 English A-grade critical essay that examines Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible in relation to the following question:
*Choose a play which explores an important relationship, for example, husband and wife, leader and follower, parent and child, or any other relationship. Describe this relationship and then, by referring to appropriate techniques, explain how the relationship develops. *
This NAT 5 essay can be used for Higher English as well, and examines John and Elizabeth Proctor’s relationship. Quotations have been highlighted in blue for ease.
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A bundle is a package of resources grouped together to teach a particular topic, or a series of lessons, in one place.
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. This bundle is useful for teaching by example, reference for both students and teacher, and for general information of the play and playwright.
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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. Your answer must be on a different genre from that chosen in Section 1. You should spend approximately 45 minutes on each section.
touch repetitive as the essay goes on. Analysis/evaluation Analysis is the real strength of the essay, and the candidate demonstrates a thorough awareness of techniques. There is analysis of character, shot selection, National 5 English Question paper: critical reading 222 Commentary SQA www.understandingstandards.org.uk 1 of 6
SQA National 5/Higher Task PART E —FILM AND TELEVISION DRAMA Answers to questions on film and television drama* should refer to the text and to such relevant features as use of camera, key sequence, characterisation, mise-en-scène, editing, music/sound, special effects, plot, dialogue… * TV drama includes a single play, a series or a serial.
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.
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 ...
PROSE QUESTIONS. 1. Choose a novel which gives you an insight into an aspect of human nature or behaviour. State what the aspect is, and show how the characters' actions and relationships lead you to a deeper understanding of human nature or behaviour. 2. Choose a novel with an ending which you find satisfactory.
Potential Essay Tasks In the exam, you will be asked to write a critical essay on the short story, The Pedestrian. You should always choose a task from the PROSE section of the exam booklet. Each task will have a particular focus. Here are some essay tasks from previous exams. Think about how these questions relate to The Pedestrian. 2015 1.
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.
Overall, there is a thinness to the essay, placing it at the very low end of the 13-10 mark range. There are some indications of the 95 mark range, but the - candidate does stick tightly to the task and purpose; there is some familiarity with . National 5 English : Critical Reading (ection ) 01- Commentary A www.understandingstandards.org.uk 1 of 5
English Teachers of National 5 can use this PowerPoint in their lessons if the class are focusing on writing a critical essay for a Film or TV Drama text. Covering common techniques studied when completing a media critical essay and utilising a mixture of individual, paired and group activities, this PowerPoint is great for getting learners planning and responding to their taught text.Use with ...
5.0 (1 review) "An Inspector Calls" by J B Priestley is a thought-provoking drama which reveals the actions and attitudes of the Birling family when they are questioned about the painful suicide of a young woman by a mysterious Inspector. Written in 1945 but set in 1912 Birmingham before the start of the Great War, the play explores ideas about ...
Critical Reading - Critical Essay. How to write a critical essay. Critical analysis is where you make an argument about a text you have read, providing points to support your case. National 5 ...
Lady Macbeth (would rather kill her own child than break a promise such as the one Macbeth has made to her) "I am settled, and bend up/ Each corporal agent to this terrible feat./. Away, and mock the time with fairest show;/ False face must hide what the false heart doth know." Macbeth (decides he is ready to kill Duncan (the King) and saying ...
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 ...
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
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.
National 5. Summer Homework. In S4, National 4 and 5 English involves studying 6 poems by the poet Edwin Morgan. In order to help prepare for the work that we will do on these poems, you should download the following files and complete the tasks over your summer holidays. S4 Morgan Poetry Summer Homework. Poems for you to annotate - please print.
National 5 Critical Essay Questions - Drama 1. Choose a play which deals with a close relationship within a family or community. By referring to appropriate techniques, show how the portrayal of this relationship helps in your understanding of the central concerns of the play. 2. Choose a scene from a play in which tension or suspense is built up.
This is a National 5 English A-grade critical essay that examines Arthur Miller's play The Crucible in relation to the following question: *Choose a play which explores an important relationship, for example, husband and wife, leader and follower, parent and child, or any other relationship.
Finalised Marking Instructions. Scottish Qualifications Authority 2023. These marking instructions have been prepared by examination teams for use by SQA appointed markers when marking external course assessments. The information in this document may be reproduced in support of SQA qualifications only on a non-commercial basis.
This resource will be used by learners to plot and plan their critical essays for Paper 2 of the National 5 English exam. Editable to suit your own teaching style (if you focus on PEE or PEEL chains, PCQE or other ways of structuring paragraphs), use this planning document to ensure your learners write detailed responses in their Critical Reading paper. This would be great when used after ...