Introduction to Comprehension Question B

Question B, the short writing task, is worth 50 marks. This is the same as the
marks given for the prescribed poetry section, so it is well worth taking the time to
prepare for this task. It is a relatively simple exercise to prepare for and students
should be aiming for high marks here. Unfortunately, many students do not take
this short writing task seriously enough, and fail to get a good grade.

You must answer Question A from one comprehension and Question B from
another. It is a good idea to check all the Question Bs first and choose one that
suits you, and then decide which comprehension you will use for Question A.

Typically, Question B asks for a response in one of the following forms:

•   Letters

•   Short Talks

•   Reports

•   Diary Entries

•   Reviews

•   Newspaper or Magazine Articles

•   Interviews

•   Advertisements

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 Points to Note

This is a short piece of writing, roughly a page or two of foolscap. Keep an eye on the
length: this is not a composition so don't make your answer too long. (300 words is
about a page of foolscap, assuming an average of ten words per line.) Check to see if
a particular length is specified.

•   Plan your answer. You should get into the habit of doing this for every section of
Paper 1 and Paper 2. A plan need not be detailed or contain more than a few words
per paragraph. If you write a plan, it will ensure that you do not wander off the
point and will also show you at an early stage whether you have enough material to
sustain an entire assignment. If this is the case, better to abandon the task at this
point and try another, rather than wasting time and trying to start again after
fifteen minutes of writing.

•   When you are planning the short writing task, think of the following five
steps: I, E, E, S, C. These letters stand for Introduction, Elaboration,
Exploration, Summary and Conclusion.

•   Think about the target audience for the piece. If you are writing a letter to your
friend the tone can be chatty and informal whereas if you are writing a letter to a
government minister, the tone must be formal.

•   Which language genre are you going to use? Will you be using more than one?

•   You don't have the time or the space to ramble on so make sure your points
are organised before you write. It can help to ask yourself the following four
questions before you begin your Question B:

1.   What form should this task take?

2.   What should the content be?

3.   Who is my audience?

4.   What register should I use?

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 Themes

Each year, a theme is chosen which reflects some aspect of the lives of teenagers today.
Always check the theme, which is given to you in capital letters on the first page of the
exam papers. Be aware of the theme when you are answering your comprehension
questions. The theme and the texts can be an aid to your planning.
2015 CHALLENGES
2014 INFLUENCES
2013 STORY-TELLING
2012 MEMORY
2011 MYSTERY
2010 THE FUTURE
2009 DECISIONS
2008 IDENTITY
2007 CHANGE
2006 PRETENCE
2005 ORDINARY LIVES
2004 WORK AND PLAY
2003 JOURNEYS
2002 FAMILY
2001 IRISHNESS

This table may help you to get an idea of the types of questions asked in previous
Leaving Certificate examinations.

Topics ‘15 ‘14 ‘13 ‘12 ‘11 '10 '09 '08 '07 '06 '05 '04 '03 '02 '01
Letter X X X X X X X X X X X X
Talk / Speech X X X X X X X X X
Diary entries X X X X X
Report X X
Article in newspaper/ magazine X X X X X X
Interview X X
Advertisement X
Dialogue X X
Proposal to a relevant authority X
Presentation on radio show X X
News report on radio show X
Introduction to a book X X

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 Letter Writing - Formal

(Sender's address)

Address Line 1,
Address Line 2,
Address Line 3.

(Recipient's address)
Address Line 1,
Address Line 2,
Address Line 3.
2nd May 2012

Dear ,

In the first paragraph you should state the purpose of the letter. Think of the tone: if
you are asking for money, you will want to be persuasive. Ask yourself who will be
reading the letter and keep this person in mind throughout. Avoid using contractions
in formal writing, e.g. ‘don't’ instead of ‘do not’.

In the second paragraph, you should expand on the subject of the letter. Make
sure you have made a plan and that there is a logical sequence to the paragraphs.
When writing formal letters, skip a line before beginning each new paragraph.

In the third and subsequent paragraphs, you should continue to develop the
theme of the letter, giving any facts that you think relevant. Four or five points
should be sufficient for the Leaving Cert letter. Remember to avoid slang,
exaggeration, deeply personal anecdotes and any remarks which may be racist,
sexist or otherwise prejudiced. Keep the tone as formal as possible.

The final paragraph is usually quite short, thanking the person for taking the time
to deal with your complaint or consider your request. If you wish them to take
some action on your behalf, this is the time to ask what they intend to do. You may
also tell the recipient not to hesitate to contact you if they have any further queries.

Yours faithfully, (if you have opened with Dear Sir or Madam).

Yours sincerely, (if you have used the recipient's name at the start of the letter).

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 2012 Text 1 – Comprehension Question B

 
Write a letter to Margaret Laurence, in response to Text 1, commenting on what you
find interesting in the extract, and telling her about your home place and its impact on
you.

Remember to ask yourself these four questions every time you plan your answer:

5.   What form should this task take?

This is a letter. It is to a person you do not know personally, so it is a formal
letter.

6.   What should the content be?

Note the word ‘and’ in the question. You are required to do two things: tell
Margaret Laurence what you found interesting about her description of her
home place, AND tell her about your home place.

7.   Who is my audience?
Your audience in this case is a writer who is not personally known to you but
whose work you admire.

8.   What register should I use?

As this is a formal letter, and as you are addressing a writer, your language
should be as correct as it can be. You should read the notes on formal letter
writing before you begin. Also, as the text upon which the assignment is based
contains both narrative and descriptive elements, you may wish to reflect these
language genres in your own writing.

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 The Elms,
Glenville,
Co. Cork.
Ms. Margaret Laurence,
No. 8 Regent Street,
Lakefield,
Ontario,
Canada.

6th June 2012

Dear Ms. Laurence,

It was with great interest that I read your wonderfully evocative description of
your home place. As you so astutely point out, the majority of descriptions of
prairie towns focus on the flatness and seeming dullness of the surrounding
landscape. However, you opened my eyes to the magic inherent in the place. I
was particularly moved by the way you lovingly described how each season
brought with it a new type of beauty. As an Irish person unaccustomed to
anything more than a light dusting of snow in the coldest months, I read with
fascination of your childhood adventures in this winter wonderland. Your
language was positively poetic as you waxed lyrical in your description of ‘the
perpetual fascination of the frost feathers on windows, the ferns and flowers and
eerie faces traced there during the night by unseen artists of the wind’. Your eye
for detail really brought this scene, and others, to life for me.

Your descriptions of the summer were no less compelling, again because of the
beautiful, sensual images. The setting you describe is unfamiliar, but the
childhood play is not. I could almost hear the song of the meadowlark and feel
the scorching sun on my back as I lost myself in your wonderful recollection of
you and your young friends poling the battered old boat along the little river.

Not everything in your essay was strange or exotic to me, and an aspect of your
writing which I found particularly intriguing was the way in which your
childhood mirrored mine. Although we grew up thousands of miles apart, I was
struck by the universality of childhood. What child would not relish a day off
because of heavy snow, and is there any child on the planet who would not then
immediately dash out into those same conditions deemed too dangerous and

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 inclement to allow children to travel to school?

Your love for your home place shines through every word of this essay. This is
something you and I share. Although I live in a suburb of a small Irish city,
there is a feel of the country town to the area. People tend to stay here, and if
they have to leave for further education or for work, most of them come back if
they possibly can. I understand that, as there is a great sense of community in
our local area.

You say that your childhood shaped you and made you the person you are today.
I feel exactly the same way, and I am perfectly content with that. To an outsider,
this place may seem dull and much like any other little village that has been
swallowed up by suburban sprawl, but all I see are the playgrounds of my
childhood. At the top of the hill is the small stream where my sisters and I –
along with a gang of neighbourhood children – fished for tadpoles every
summer. Across the road is the small wood where we walked our dogs, climbed
trees and made innumerable camps and fortresses. And all around me are the
houses of my childhood friends. Nowadays they are my companions for
evenings out in town rather than summer days in the woods and fields, but their
friendship brings me the same sense of security and warmth that it always did.

I’m not sure that I would have put my thoughts about my home place into words
were it not for your charming essay about your childhood, but I am grateful to
you for helping me to see the value of all that I had as a small child, and still
have today. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and for inspiring your readers
to look around them with new and appreciative eyes.

Yours sincerely,

Clodagh O’Sullivan

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 2006 Text 2 – Comprehension Question B

Write a letter to a famous writer or celebrity or sports personality of your choice offering
your services as a ghost writer for a future book. In your letter you should outline the
reasons why you believe you would make a successful ghost writer for your chosen
author.

This sample answer is taken from The Irish Times.

“Hades”, Get the format right.

Faithleg, This is a letter, so I
Co. Waterford. comply with the basic
conventions. I
provide my own
Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro,
address, the address
c/o Manchester United FC,
of the recipient, the
Manchester.
date, a salutation
and a valediction.
6th June, 2006

Dear Senor Aveiro,

Get your audience

Following your double triumph in being selected as both the Senior and the
set in your mind.
Young Footballer of the Year in England, and in the wake of Jose
Here I'm addressing
Mourinho’s ungracious comments about your ‘difficult childhood, no
an individual. I want
education,’ could I suggest that now is the perfect time to consider
something from him.
publishing your own account of your life thus far, your autobiography. Not So, I'm being
only have your dazzling football skills brought the attention of the world to flattering.
you, but the world awaits your response to Senor Mourinho’s unkind
remarks. I know that your manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, has stoutly defended
you in public, but what could be more interesting than your own story of
Try and avoid being
your childhood and teenage years?
predictable. Add a
little bite to your
I am a ghost writer. I write books on behalf of my clients, whose names
writing by selecting
appear on the covers and whose life stories appear within these covers.
unusual or
Contractual restrictions forbid me to reveal the names of previous clients, controversial angles.

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 but could I assure you that my area of experience is the English Premiership Here, I'm looking for
and that you are already professionally acquainted with all my previous someone in the news,

clients. Many of these will confirm this to you, privately and in the strictest someone involved in
a little controversy.
confidence, if you require testimonials.

Allow me to explain the process involved in creating your autobiography

and to clarify your own part in it, assuring you that only the material you
want to share with the public will appear in the finished work.

For a large project such as this, I always conduct a series of interviews with
the subject. These are recorded and later transcribed. Obviously, the more Get the task right. I
have to 'offer (my)
relaxed the interviewing is and the less it resembles an interrogation or an
services as a ghost
obligation, then the more varied and interesting and colourful the material
writer,' so I need to
that will emerge. Nobody wants to confide in an unsympathetic listener.
explain what's
This has always been my particular strength in my profession. As others will
involved.
confirm, again privately and in the strictest confidence, the interviews are
really informal chats, during which we get to know each other. Usually, a
few hours a week for several weeks is sufficient. If I need further material,
Get the register
we can arrange to meet again at your convenience.
right. I note that I

After that, up to the approval of the first draft of the completed manuscript, 'should outline the
reasons' why I would
the work is entirely mine, although you always retain the final say at each
be a success here. In
stage and I may occasionally need to consult you to confirm a detail or two.
other words, I've got
My previous work, under the names of others, of course, has been praised as
to sell myself a little,
‘full of insights,’ ‘a gripping read,’ and ‘providing the sort of intimacy every I've got to be
fan craves to experience.’ persuasive.

But, as I’ve said, it is neither my skills as a researcher nor my skills as a

writer that will make this project even better than my previous work, but
rather the colour and courage of your own life story. The register has to
be consistent. I am

I look forward to hearing from you, sir. persuasive again.

Yours sincerely,

Jason Coodabin

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 Letter Writing - Informal

(Sender's address)
Address Line 1,
Address Line 2,
Address Line 3.

2nd May 2011

Dear _____________,

In an informal letter, the tone can be much more relaxed. You may use slang and
colloquialisms but avoid text language and of course, bad language. If you use
exclamation marks, use them with caution and never use more than one at a time. It is
usual to indent rather than to skip a line when beginning a new paragraph.

The content of an informal letter is naturally dictated by the recipient and by the task
assigned. Use personal anecdotes and try to keep the tone lively and interesting. I
always advise students to be positive but not gushing when writing an informal letter.

How you sign off depends again on the person to whom you are writing. 'Love', is
probably the most common way to sign off; other possibilities are, 'All the best' or
'Thanks again' or 'Best wishes'.

Note: I know that very few – if any – of you write informal letters these days. If you
should be asked to write an email, you simply omit the address and the relative
formality of the greeting and the sign-off. Avoid slang, text speak or abbreviations.

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QUESTION: 2007, TEXT 3, QUESTION B: Imagine you have a friend in another
country which is considering the introduction of a ban on smoking in public places.

Write a letter to your friend advising him/her either to support or not to support the
proposed ban. In giving your advice you may wish to draw on the recent experience of
the smoking ban in Ireland.

No 12 Main Street Get the format

Mallow, right. This is a
Co. Cork. letter, so I comply
with the basic
2nd May 2011 conventions. I
provide my own
address, the date, a
salutation and a
Dear Maria, valediction.

I am sorry I haven't written to you for so long but I have been studying
really hard for the Leaving Cert and there just don't seem to be enough
hours in the day at the moment. I hope you had a good Christmas and that
you got the presents you were hoping for.
Get your audience
It's funny, we were talking about you a lot over the last few days. My sister right. Here I'm
Claire's new boyfriend is from Italy too and your name naturally came up in addressing a
the conversation a lot. He's a nice guy but a little temperamental. We were friend. English is
out for dinner on Christmas Eve and he flew into a bit of a rage when the not her first
waiter told him he couldn't smoke in the restaurant. Stephano said that he language so I am a
thinks our recently-introduced smoking ban is a disgrace and that the little more formal
majority of his friends agree that such a ban should never be brought into than I might be
Italian law. I hope he doesn't, as he claims, speak for most young Italians. with a friend from
Ireland.
You know my feelings on smoking. I absolutely hate the smell and the
health risks associated with second-hand smoke and I think the ban is one
of the best things that has ever happened in this country. If you can, you
should encourage everyone you talk to to support the Italian government in
bringing in similar anti-smoking laws.
Get the task right.
I am arguing in

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 favour of a
If I remember correctly, you are not exactly a fan of smoking yourself and I smoking ban so I
know you have been trying to persuade your Dad to give up cigarettes for must explain my
some time now. Well, a smoking ban would certainly help with that. My reasons for doing
brother has made it his New Year's resolution to quit smoking and he claims so.
one of the main reasons is that he is fed up of having to go outside every
time he wants a cigarette. You know how much it rains here and standing
outside in the drizzle at best or downpour at worst is quite an incentive to
give up for good. It might be just the thing for your Dad. I am being
persuasive in an
The other thing I know you and I agree on is the dreadful smell of cigarette informal way by
smoke on your clothes whenever you've been in the company of smokers. referring to shared
You were furious last summer when you wore your new jacket to the pub experiences.
the night you arrived and found that it stank of old smoke for days
afterwards. That's one of the things I like best about the ban – the fresh
smell in restaurants and cafés. As for pubs, well, they still don't smell that
great to be honest but at least the odour of old beer doesn't linger on your
clothes for weeks! It's also nice to go home knowing you haven't unwittingly
and unwillingly inhaled other people's nicotine for the entire evening. I bet
you'll notice a big improvement in your asthma if public places in Italy
become smoke-free.
Wrapping up with
Well, speaking of healthy living, I'd better sign off now and get to bed. I a link to the main
keep planning to have an early night but it never seems to work out. If I'm body of the letter.
not emailing friends, I'm writing to those few who, like you, live in such a
remote spot that they don't have reliable internet access! Once the smoking
ban is sorted out, you'll have to start campaigning for broadband in your
area, you know.

Give my love to your Mum and Dad and tell them I look forward to seeing
you all again in July. I can't wait for the exams to be over and it's great to
have that trip to look forward to.

Love,

Rebecca

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 Letters to the Editor

•   Letters to the editor are similar to normal formal letters: only the layout is
different.

•   There is generally no need to write the editor's name and address at the top of
the letter, but you may do so if you wish.

•   In your opening sentence, you should give the name, writer and date of the
article which prompted you to write the letter. If the letter is a general one, and
is not in response to an article which appeared in the paper, then you should
simply address the topic in the opening lines: ''The issue of exam stress is one
which affects almost every student in this country.''

•   You sign off by writing, ''Yours etc.'' rather than ''Yours faithfully''.

•   You do not put your name and address at the top of the letter, but at the very
end, underneath your signature.

•   Remember that your audience is the general public. Keep the tone formal
throughout.

•   Humorous touches are allowed, of course, but be careful here. Not everyone may
share your sense of humour.

The Irish Times advises anyone writing to the editor to bear the following advice in
mind:

The Irish Times receives a great many letters each day and it is possible to find space
only for a small selection. When writing, bear in mind that short letters are more likely
to be published than long ones and that letters ranging over several topics are unlikely
to appear.

It is generally best to make one point as concisely as possible, without preamble. When
referring to an article, report or previous letter in The Irish Times, it is helpful to give
the date of publication, if possible.

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The following letter is from ''The Irish Times'' letters page. While the writer
is discussing a serious issue, he introduces a light-hearted note in the final
paragraph.

Madam, – While I can only echo Harry Havelin’s (December 9th) sentiment expressing
thanks to all those frontline staff who have worked throughout this snow and ice, as a
Siberian living in Ireland, I must object to him blaming Siberia for this bad weather.

In fact, conditions here are nothing like in Siberia. In Siberia, when it snows, roads and
pavements are cleared, schools continue to open, airports are not shut down, public
transport continues to operate, pedestrians are not forced to walk in the road because
the footpaths are so treacherous and the water supply is never interrupted.

After many years living in Ireland, I still fail to understand why, at the first flurry of
snow, the country grinds to a halt. I invite any politician to visit Siberia, where the
temperature is hovering around minus 30 degrees, and life continues as normal . . .
perhaps they may even decide it is better to stay there!

Yours, etc.,

VITALY KRAVCHENKO,
Leeson Street Upper,
Dublin 4.

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The following letter is from ''The Irish Times'' letters page. The name and
address have been changed.

Sir, – Unlike last year, the mild Christmas period allowed me to travel freely across the
country. I was struck by the number of derelict lorries, vans and trailers which have
been parked along the roadside and draped with advertising. Everything from new
homes to multinational restaurant chains appears to enjoy this new form of publicity. In
parts of the midlands the roadside fields begin to resemble a series of highly sponsored
trailer parks.

When we are spending millions to encourage people to see this wonderful country it
seems odd for planning authorities to permit or turn a blind eye this trailer trash. The
businesses involved may claim they need this advertising to sustain jobs.

Perhaps it might be more fruitful for them, and those involved in the rest of the
economy, to consider creating a website, rather than creating a camp site?

Yours, etc,

John O'Sullivan,
Orchard Road,
Blackrock,
Cork.

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 Speeches and Short Talks

You may be asked to write a short talk as part of Question B or you may choose to
write a longer speech as part of your composition. Whichever is the case, the most
important things to remember are (a) your audience and (b) to plan what you are
going to say.

Imagine you are delivering the speech. You want to capture your audience's
attention and hold it. You don't want them to wonder what the speech was about
or what point you were trying to make. Have a clear objective in mind and make
sure that every point and every paragraph helps you to achieve that objective.

•   Open with the correct form of address:

'Ladies and Gentlemen' or 'My fellow students'. If it is a debate speech,
remember to begin formally with ''Madam Chairperson, fellow students,
members of the opposition.'' The most important people are mentioned
first.

•   If you are giving a talk, the tone and the form of address can be less formal than
in a speech. ‘Good morning, everyone,’ may be all you need to say.

•   Be definite in your speech; you are trying to win the audience over to your
way of thinking. If the speech is part of a debate, don't forget that your fellow
team members will have points to make too so you will not be expected to
cover every aspect of the argument.

•   Don't bully your audience or make wild, unsubstantiated claims.

•   Be logical and if you make a point, be prepared to back it up.

•   Use factual information but beware of boring your audience with statistics.
Imagine that you are making your speech on a soapbox in Hyde Park and you
will only get and hold an audience if you are entertaining enough.

•   Effective use of anecdotes can engage and interest your audience.

•   Rhetorical questions can provoke thought.

•   Use the language of argument/persuasion here.

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 Sample Speech (based on 2012 examination)
‘You’re old enough, I reckon, to make your own decisions.’
Write a short speech in which you attempt to persuade a group of parents that older
teenagers should be trusted to make their own decisions.

Note:
You don't have the time or the space to ramble on so make sure your points are
organised before you write. It can help to ask yourself the following four
questions before you begin your Question B:

1.   What form should this task take?

This is a short speech.
2.   What should the content be?
You should give reasons why parents should trust older teenagers to make their own
decisions.
3.   Who is my audience?
Your audience is people the same age as your own parents.
4.   What register should I use?
You should be persuasive, but you should also be respectful. It’s fine to be chatty,
but don’t use slang or bad language. Your speech could be serious or light-hearted;
that is up to you.

Good evening, everybody, and thank you all for taking the time to sit patiently and
listen to various members of the student body presenting their point of view on issues
that affect all of us. You will no doubt be relieved to learn
Make  it  clear  that  this  is  a  speech  
that I am the last speaker tonight and that I do not intend
and  not  just  a  p iece  of  p ersuasive  
writing.  Address  your  audience   to keep you for long. My chosen topic is one which I know
directly  a  number  of  times  during   is close to the hearts of all my fellow classmates and one
the  speech.  
which is a bone of contention in many, if not all, of our
households. Should you, our parents, allow your older teenagers more responsibility?

The first thing I would like to say to all of the parents here tonight is that you have done
a great job. No, I’m serious. Don’t look so sceptical. Give yourselves a little credit.
Thanks to your years of tireless work, we are ready to face the world.

The next step is up to you. Do you trust that your parenting has Rhetorical  questions  are  a  feature  
moulded us into reasonable young adults who know the difference of  the  language  of  
argument/persuasion  
between right and wrong and who are capable of having a great time
without ending up in A&E, prison or worse? You should! Now you need to let go a little

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and allow us to prove to you that we have learned the lessons you taught us. That will
never happen unless you bite the bullet and allow us a little more responsibility to make
our own decisions.

I know what you’re thinking: ‘The last time I allowed him to prove how responsible he
was I had to pick up the pieces for weeks afterwards’. And you have a point. We will
make mistakes. In fact, I can see my parents in the front row, nodding. I freely admit
that one night last weekend I came in three hours later than I said I would. And Dad
took me aside and explained that it wasn’t the so
Anecdotes  are  an  appropriate  way  
to  support  your  point  in  a  speech   much lateness of the hour as the lack of
of  this  type.   information that bothered him. He pointed out
that if he or Mum were going to be late, they’d let the other know, because that’s what
adults do. And I realised then that being an adult does not mean doing whatever you
want, but does mean realising that it’s only fair to let those who care about you know
what you’re up to. I wouldn’t have learned this lesson if I had not been allowed the
freedom to make mistakes in a secure and controlled environment. I’m not promising
that I’ll never be late again, but I will definitely text my parents to let them know what
I’m up to. And hopefully they’ll respect my decision to stay out a bit later from time to
time.

As well as our social lives, the other area where there is often
This  is  not  true,  but  it  is  plausible.  
conflict between parents and children is in the choice of third You  can  make  up  facts  and  figures  
level courses. Parents worry that if left to make their own as  long  as  they  are  not  ridiculous.    
decisions, their teenagers may not select a course that offers them a good chance of
future employment. However, a recent Irish Times poll of first year college students
found that of the nine per cent of students who dropped out at the end of first year, over
half said it was because they had been pressured by parents into doing a course for
which they were unsuited. Even more tellingly, over ninety per cent of students who
achieved first class honours at the end of first year attributed their success to the fact
that they were studying a course they had researched and decided upon themselves.
Certainly, they had help from parents and teachers, but the final say was theirs. I’m
sure that if all of the parents here tonight take a moment to reflect on their education
and career choices, those that are happiest are those who followed their own dreams,
not those of their parents. Make  it  clear  that  your  speech  is  
coming  to  an  end  and  show  
awareness  of  your  audience.  
To sum up, what I’d like to leave you with here tonight is the
knowledge that you have done sterling work to date but that you are not finished yet.
Give us more responsibility to make our own decisions and see how well we do. With
your help, I’m sure we’ll go from strength to strength. And on that note, I would like to

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thank you all for listening to me so patiently. It is that understanding willingness to
hear our point of view which makes you the great parents you are. And if that doesn’t
gain me a later curfew, I don’t know what will! Thank you and goodnight.

Sample Speech

Your community has been offered €100,000 euro for use on any local project.
Write the speech you would make to a meeting of your local Community
Association in which you outline the project that you think the money should be
spent on.

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Niamh McCarthy Greets the
audience
and I am a resident of Oakfield Park. Like everybody here tonight,
appropriately,
I was extremely pleased to hear that the local businesses have this is a speech,
not an informal
donated such a large sum of money, €100,000 to be exact, for use
talk.
on a community project. As you all know, there has been much
excitement generated and many people have strong views on how Gives brief
introduction to
the money should be spent. Although we may have different purpose of
proposals, I'm sure you will all agree with me that this is a speech. Tries to
persuade
marvellous opportunity for us to improve our local amenities in a audience to
way that can, and should, benefit the whole community. agree. (Refer to
language
genres handout
I have heard several different ideas put forward on how the money – section on
persuasive
should be used to help specific groups within the area: the elderly,
writing.)
children, teenagers and so forth but what I am proposing is
something which I believe will benefit every single member of our Sets out basis of
proposal,
community. acknowledges
other
viewpoints but
Everybody here is familiar with the large plot of waste ground
says own idea is
between the library and the boy's primary school. At the moment, better.
this is nothing more than a dumping ground for rubbish, it is a
Introducing
dreadful eyesore which badly needs to be tackled once and for all. specifics of
proposal by
using contrast -
I propose that we use the money to turn this overgrown field into a
how the park is
community park, with a playground at one end and the rest now.
landscaped with trees and grass. We could also lay some cement
Concrete
pathways and place a number of benches around the park. I have proposal,
spoken to a landscape gardener who says that all this could be definite plans.
Optimistic that
it can be easily

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 easily achieved for €100,000. The land is owned by the Council achieved.
and they have already stated that they would have no objection to
such a plan, indeed, they have agreed to maintain it by mowing the
grass and picking up any litter.

A local park with a playground and benches would be an ideal area

for people of all ages to stroll and meet friends and a playground Outlines
benefits.
would be of great benefit to parents of young children. Such an
amenity would also enable residents to walk their dogs and would
be a safe place for teenagers to meet and chat.

I would strongly encourage you to accept this proposal as I believe

it will kill two birds with the one stone. An ugly eyesore will be
removed and replaced with an attractive, functional park. In
catering to young and old and providing a place in which all the Rhetorical
question to
members of our community can enjoy themselves, won't we be persuade
truly benefiting everyone in our area, not just one specific group? I audience to
agree.
think so and I hope you do too.

Ends speech
Thank you for giving me the chance to speak to you all here this quite formally.
evening. I look forward to your decision.

Here is another example of an effective speech on the topic of chain mail,

taken from a website. It is longer than you would be expected to write for the
short writing task but remember that speeches also appear as composition
assignments and the same rules apply.

Break the Chain! Begins with a

series of
Did you know that if you’re being forced to withdraw money from rhetorical
questions,
ATM at gunpoint, you can inform the police by entering your pin immediately
in reverse? provoking the
audience to
think. The
Or that Coca-cola logo is a secret message directed against a
questions are
particular religion and the blasphemous message is clear if you intriguing.
hold the logo in front of a mirror?

I'm sure you also know that Bill Gates is sharing his fortune and
you can be a beneficiary if you choose to forward a certain mail?

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 All of these seemingly unrelated examples appear at first glance to
The topic is
be appealing, interesting and informative but the biggest introduced and
connection is that the source of all of these is a number of different the speaker's
views made
chain-mails and each of them is untrue. clear.

My fellow students, I come before you today to urge you to break Addresses
students
the chain and to help put a stop to this irritating phenomenon. My
directly. Makes
main grudge is against the mails that seek to lure or threaten the an appeal to
recipient into forcefully continuing the chain: the ones which are their better
judgement.
meant to spread hatred, superstitions or misinformation or simply
Emotive
to continue the chain. Yes, I’ve even seen a chain saying, 'Let’s see language is
how far it can get; just add your name to the list and forward it to used: ''hatred,''
''absurd,''
your friends'. Can it get any more absurd than this?
''irritating'' etc.

At this juncture, many of you may be wondering what harm an Other points of
innocuous forwarded mail can do even if it’s factually incorrect? view are
acknowledged,
This is what many of my friends argue. But believe me, it’s more then refuted.
dangerous than it looks.

To start with, it can make you look like an idiot. Recently, I got a
Anecdotal
mail from one of my friends asking me to forward it to ten others evidence
and then press F6 five times. The mail claimed that after this, the provided. Tone
is light-hearted.
name of my secret admirer would appear on the screen. I couldn't
believe that such nonsense could come from a seemingly
intelligent student! I stopped reading his mails after that.

Many of us, who normally do not forward unsolicited mails, often

Use of the word
give in to the emotional appeals and consider our job to the society ''us'' makes the
done after forwarding such mails. I believe that most of us must audience feel
they are on the
have at some time received a mail regarding Red-Cross donating a
same side as the
cent for a cancer-struck child or for some 9/11 victim. What we speaker.
don’t realize is the fact that we’re in fact causing more harm to the
reputation and work of such organizations by forwarding
unverified information about them. And then, they need to spend
hundreds of man-hours refuting the contents of the mail.

Remember: often the original context of the mail is often lost in a

chain and if some legal issue crops up and the mail is traced back
to you, then you can be considered the author of that mail. Are you
prepared to take that risk? Let us take a fictional scenario of Mr X,

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 working for Microsoft in Dublin, who gets a hoax-mail regarding a
new virus attacking Windows XP. Mr. X forwards it to some of his The register is
consistent and
friends thinking, 'What’s wrong with being cautious?' His friends the audience
forward it claiming, 'This comes from one of friends, who is borne in mind
throughout.
working for Microsoft'. It won’t take more than two-three steps of
Rhetorical
the chain for that to become, 'This is an official email from questions and
Microsoft'. Very soon, Microsoft is contacted for verification and hypothetical
situations hold
when they trace the mail to their own employee, do you think it’s
the listeners'
going to be easy for Mr X to explain himself? I’ve read about interest.
employees losing their jobs on similar grounds.

Things can get worse for people who fall for such imaginary ideas.
Think what can happen if you try the ATM trick and the tech-savvy
robber gets to know that you were actually trying to inform the The locution
''tech-savvy'' is
police. used but it is
appropriate in
Now that I believe I’ve managed to convince you against the the context of
dangers that this menace poses, here are some ideas to counter it. this speech.

The minimum we can do is not to be the source of any such

message. A two minute search can reveal its falsehood. There are Having
introduced and
sites like Break-the-chain and Hoax-slayer dedicated to the cause
elaborated upon
and they will give you scientific reasons why the particular the subject, the
message is hoax. But don’t stop at just ignoring the mail. If you’re speaker now
concludes by
able to establish that the mail is fake, do attack the source. Reply
offering some
to the sender, mention the links and request him to write a possible
damage control mail to recipients of this mail as well as the person solutions.

from whom he got the mail. I know this may create a kind of
reverse-chain, but this surely is worth it.

Furthermore, if you really want to forward something, ask yourself

if you’re ready to be identified as the original source of message.
Simply by taking these few simple steps, we can all do our bit Again, note the
use of the words
against this menace.
''we can all'' and
the description
The e-mail is one of the best innovations in the field of of theses emails
communication. Let’s be responsible users and not abuse this as a ''menace.''
wonderful communication tool. We just need to use some
Clear end to
common sense and follow some simple steps to break the chain. speech.

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 Reports

When you are writing a report, ask yourself the following questions:

•   Who has commissioned the report and why?

•   What is the problem or issue on which I am reporting?

•   Do I need facts and figures?

•   What topics are to be covered?

•   What is supposed to happen as a result of the report?

Writing your report

•   Give your report a title. This can be a simple rewording of the question.

•   State the aim of the report in the introduction/title.

•   Say who commissioned (asked you to write) the report and what was examined
as a result.

•   State what research was carried out.

•   Look at the facts, detail any problems and highlight any good points.

•   If you wish, you may use bullet points or numbers to organise your findings.

•   Draw a conclusion from what you have just outlined.

•   Make recommendations for remedying any problems.

•   You will be using the language of information, so be as objective, clear and

concise as possible.

•   Be factual and avoid any words which may imply judgement or subjectivity.

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Sample Report : Write a report to your school principal suggesting ways in which
more freedom could be given to senior students in the school.
Introduction Title /
This is a report on the ways in which more freedom could be Introduction

given to senior students in St. Ann's College, Waterford.

Terms of reference
Who
Under instruction from Mr. Donal Murphy, Principal, St. Ann's
commissioned the
College, Waterford this report will investigate the amount of report.
freedom currently allowed to senior cycle students in the school
and will make recommendations for possible changes based on
the findings.
Methods of gathering information
Procedure.
•   A total of 135 senior cycle students were given a detailed
questionnaire designed to establish what they are
dissatisfied with at present and what changes they
would like to see brought about.
•   Students were encouraged to add their own suggestions
at the bottom of the questionnaire.
•   The staff was also questioned and asked if there were
any suggestions they would make or whether they had
any reservations about allowing more freedom to the
Findings. Bullets
students. and numbering
Findings are optional.
1.   84% of the students surveyed feel there should be a
greater distinction between the freedoms allowed to
junior and senior cycles.
2.   92% of students surveyed believe they would not abuse
additional privileges and would be happy to agree to a
code of conduct drawn up by the staff and the student Language of
information used
council.
throughout. The
3.   90% of students surveyed feel that greater freedom in writer's opinion is
senior cycle would better prepare them for life after not given.

school.
4.   The staff members interviewed all agreed that they
would be happy for a distinction to be made between
junior and senior cycle students in terms of the
freedoms allowed. However, teachers were agreed that
any proposed changes should not include allowing
students out of school grounds between eight fifty and
three thirty.

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 Conclusions
Based on the findings of this report, it would appear that the
majority of staff and students are keen to see a change to the
current system. It was generally agreed that it would be
appropriate for the older students to be allowed to have more of
a say in the way they spent their time in school, particularly
during free classes.

The majority of students accept that greater freedoms must be

accompanied by greater responsibilities and they agree that
such privileges, if granted, would be reviewed after a
probationary period and thereafter on a term-by-term basis to
see if they were working well for both students and staff.
Suggestions /
Recommendations Recommendations.
1.   The large alcove beside the library should be turned into
a social area for senior students, with couches, a fridge,
a microwave and a kettle provided. Students are willing
to fund raise for these items themselves. Many
suggested ways in which this could be done and a
meeting should be arranged with Mr. Murphy as soon as
possible to discuss the options.
2.   Senior students should be in school between 8.50 and
3.30 but if they have a free class, they should be allowed
to decide whether to go to the library to study or
whether they wish to go to the new social area.
3.   A meeting between the student council and the staff
should be arranged for a date two months after the
implementation of any changes and the success or
otherwise of the changes should be discussed by both.

The majority of students, 93%, accept that greater freedoms Conclusion

must be accompanied by greater responsibilities and they agree

that such privileges, if granted, would be reviewed on a term-
by-term basis to see if they were working well for both students
and staff. Name of person
who compiled
report (optional)
Niamh McCarthy
6th Year
September 2011

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 Diary Entries

A diary is a personal account through which we see an individual's view of the world.
The language is generally chatty and relaxed and would suit those students who find the
structure of speeches and reports difficult. The diary entry seems to be one of the
examiners' most popular tasks: it has come up five times in the last nine years.

In your diary entry, you can:

•   Record events that have taken place or give details of a way of life.

•   Record travels. (This is called a journal.)

•   Entertain your readers.

•   Give your opinions.

•   Talk about your secret hopes and wishes.

Remember to choose the appropriate tone (formal or informal) and language for
whichever type of diary you decide to write. If you are writing a personal diary, or one
which is intended to entertain your readers (the diary is commonly used in newspapers)
then the tone can be informal, chatty and relaxed.

It is usual to record events in chronological order and to reflect on each event you
discuss.

You must give the date and start by saying, 'Dear Diary'.

There is no need to sign off as if you were writing a letter to a friend. Simply end when
you are finished recounting and reflecting on the events of the day.

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Smaple Diary Entry (based on 2011 Paper)

Plan:
1.   What form should this task take?
This is a diary entry. How it is laid out is not hugely important as there is scope
within this type of task to approach it in a number of different ways. Generally,
however, it is best (and easiest) to stick to a fairly conventional layout (see sample
answer).
2.   What should the content be?
You are Sarah, so you should reflect on events and talk about the impact they have
had on you. Try to be imaginative about Sarah’s reasons for leaving, but make sure
to base as much as possible on the text. When talking about your meeting with the
old woman, look for clues which tell you how Sarah feels about her, and consider
Sarah’s demeanour when she gets off the train.
3.   Who is my audience?
A personal diary records the writer’s thoughts and feelings and is not intended to be
read by anyone else.

4.   What register should I use?

The level of formality here is up to yourself. However, remember that it is difficult
to be too correct, while it is easy to be too casual. As always, avoid text-speak,
overuse of slang and abbreviations. Never use bad language. Don’t focus on
whether or not you would really be likely to write this sort of thing: focus on the fact
that this is an opportunity for you to show the examiner how well you can write.

It  is  usual  to  give  the  date  (and  

possibly  the  time)  a t  the  start  of  a  
diary  entry.      
Thursday 14th November, 7.30 am Note  that  the  extract  mentioned  
the  passengers  carrying  ‘raw  
November  on  the  breath’.    

Well, that’s that. I’m sitting in Kent Station in the freezing cold, waiting for the Dublin
train. I wonder if Mike has woken up yet and whether or not it has dawned on him that
I’ve left. He’ll work it out fast enough when he sees the note on the kitchen table. God
knows, I dropped enough hints that I wanted to move on. He never picked up on them,
though. Just smiled and said I sounded a bit tired and he’d make me a cup of tea, as if
that would solve anything.

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He thought we were so happy. It sickened me, in the end, to hear him talking to his
family about ‘our future’. I could never have a future with someone so unambitious. It
was all well and good when we had just left school, but it
It’s  up  to  you  to  d ecide  why  Sarah  
became clear very early on that he’d have been content to left,  but  the  old  woman  in  the  
live like that forever: him in his dead-end job and me extract  does  say  that  she  is  cold  
and  distant.  
picking up bits and pieces of work where I could.

If I tried to explain any of this to him, he’d just look puzzled and say we had it all going
for us and that as long as we had each other we didn’t need much else. No chance he’d
ever have had the guts to leave his precious home town and try to make it in Dublin or
London. I’m well rid of him. Slipping out quietly was the best way. I couldn’t have
dealt with his begging and pleading. I had made my mind up to go, so what would be
the point of talking about it?

Thursday 14th November, 2.30 pm

Here in the hotel at last after the train journey from hell. It was fine until Mallow, but
then an old woman barged into the seat opposite mine. I did my best to put her off but
she was like Mike’s Aunt Bridie: unstoppable once she was in full flow and wittering on
about the dullest things imaginable.

That was bad enough, but then things became so strange that I’m shivering a little even
thinking of it. She went oddly silent and stared at the ceiling as if she were reading
something terrible that was written up there. The hairs on the back of my neck stood
up, but there was nowhere to go, so I just sat there, frozen.

When she looked down again, the old hag stared right at me and started telling me all
about myself. Honestly, I felt physically ill when I heard her accurately describing the
way I left this morning and telling me that everything had a consequence. It was the
first time I had a moment’s doubt that I had done the right thing. But then I pulled
myself together. After all, I’m just looking after my own interests, and that’s simply
good sense. I know people might judge me for it, but I can’t help that. They’ll see in
time that I was right. I don’t need them anyway.

There goes the phone again. Another text from Mike, as needy There  is  no  n eed  to  sign  off  at  the  
and frantic as all the others. He needs to face facts and realise end  of  a  d iary  entry,  although  you  
can  if  you  like.    The  same  applies  
it’s over. I’m moving onwards and upwards and I don’t need to  the  opening:  you  can  write  
any dead weight holding me back. ‘Dear  Diary’  if  you  wish.      

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Sample OL Diary Entry (based on the extract given in full below)

THE RESCUE

This true story is adapted from Michael Smith’s biography of Tom

Crean, the Antarctic explorer. On 4 January, 1912, a three-man
party ― Crean, Lashly and Evans ― set out on a punishing 750-mile
journey across the South Pole. However, only 35 miles from base
camp, disaster struck. Evans fell ill. Crean was forced to make the
rest of the dangerous journey on his own. The survival of all three
men depended on Crean’s success.

1. Crean now took the bravest decision of his life and volunteered to make the solo walk
to Hut Point. Lashly had offered to go but Crean had told him to remain and look after
the very frail Evans. Then Lashly stuffed Crean’s pockets with the only food they could
find. Before he left, Crean ducked his head inside the tent to say goodbye to his two
companions. They watched the courageous Irishman stagger forward in knee-deep
snow, to begin his lonely march for survival.

2. Crean was bitterly cold, thirsty, starving and physically drained as he began his
journey. The travelling was hazardous. His thighs frequently sank in the soft snow and
there was the ever-present fear of crashing through a crevasse. The wind was blowing
up the drifting snow and blinding Crean. A blizzard could be seen approaching in the
distance. In his tiredness, Crean frequently slipped on the glassy ice. He scrambled
down the hill as the wind picked up and made his way slowly towards the hut.

3. Then to his utter relief, Crean saw dogs and sledges in the distance out on the sea-ice.
He somehow found enough strength to reach the camp. When Crean finally stumbled
into the hut, he fell to his knees, almost delirious with hunger and exhaustion. Inside,
he found the Russian dog-driver, Dimitri, and Atkinson, the one doctor within 400
miles of Hut Point. He blurted out the alarming news about his two companions and
collapsed on the floor. A rescue party set off immediately to find Lashly and Evans.

4. Lashly had wisely torn up an old piece of clothing and attached it to a long piece of
bamboo so that the recovery party would not miss the tiny green tent on the vast Barrier
landscape. After hours on the Barrier, the two men had almost given up hope of being
rescued. Suddenly the howling and yelping of Atkinson’s dogs which galloped right up
to the tent door shattered the stillness and silence. One animal stuck his head through
the little tent flap and licked the face and hands of the stricken Evans. To hide his
emotions, Evans grabbed his ears and sank his face into the hairy mane of the grey

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Siberian dog. Then both men laughed uncontrollably. They never should have doubted
the courage and determination of the Irishman. They couldn’t believe that they had
been saved. It was as if a heavy weight had been lifted from their shoulders.

Diary Entries

Imagine that you are Lashly. Write two diary entries describing your
thoughts as you wait to be rescued.

I underlined the important words in the question to keep myself on track in my

answer.

30th January 1912 11a.m. Date and time

given.
It is now over an hour since Tom set off, I hardly dare to hope that he will
make it and manage to bring help. I gave him the last of our food: Evans is Correct opening.
too weak to eat and it is surely better to give Tom every advantage on his
mission.

It's odd, really – when we set out on this adventure all those weeks ago, I Refers to text - facts

knew we risked death but the possibility seemed somehow remote. Maybe it are correct.
was arrogance, but I never honestly thought I would die out here; instead, I
only thought of our triumphant return home. Now that we are faced with
the bleak prospect of slowly freezing to death in this hostile wilderness, I
find that I am terribly afraid.
Private thoughts –
Evans is weakening more with every passing moment. I fear that even if as asked for in the
Tom does reach us with help, it may be too late. I've never been a very question.
religious man but I am praying now.

30th January, 1912 3.30p.m.

Language is
It is nearly six hours since Tom left and, although we talk cheerfully to one reasonably formal
another about his return, I think that Evans and I have little hope of rescue. as would be
I ventured outside a short time ago and saw that the snow had drifted into appropriate for
high mounds around our tent, making it even more difficult to spot. It 1912. No modern
occurred to me that if Tom were to make it back here with a rescue party, slang or
there is little chance that he would be able to pinpoint our exact location. I expressions used.
rigged up a sort of flag, using a long pole and an old red shirt. Hopefully that
will make us more visible from a distance. Again, refers to

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 text. Shows close
Evans is dozing again. He is sleeping more and more, which is not a good reading of text and
sign. I don't know if I should wake him or if that would simply be cruel. uses facts.
Perhaps our best hope is to fall asleep and simply not wake again. It is
lonelier than I could ever have imagined, out here in the snowy wastes and I
find it difficult to avoid thinking morbid thoughts. I wonder if we do die,
will anybody find our bodies? It seems unlikely. It will undoubtedly be Private thoughts

harder for our families if they do not know exactly how, or when we died, given – fears and

and it will obviously make any sort of burial impossible. It is odd how much doubts expressed.

my thoughts drift towards God at this time; I had always considered myself
more a man of science.

Ends diary in a
Evans is stirring once more, I will stop writing now and put on as cheerful a
plausible way.
countenance as possible so that we may spend what may well be our last
Does not mention
hours in pleasant conversation. God speed Tom on his quest.
rescue, as question
did not ask for this.

Approx 450 words

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 Reviews

When you are writing a review of a film, book, concert or television programme,
remember to give your own opinion. Think about the content and decide what you are
going to say about the quality.

Your review should be structured as follows:

1.   Introduction – tell the reader what you are going to review.

2.   If it's a book, give the title and the name of the author.

3.   If it's a film, give the names of the principal actors and the director.

4.   If it's a concert, give the name of the band and the venue.

5.   Description – Describe the film/book/CD/concert in some detail but

remember not to give away the ending.

6.   Evaluation – Tell the reader what you thought of the film etc. Your opinion is
important; it is what the reader wants to know. Explain why you liked or disliked
it. Think of the advice you've been given for answering questions on Paper 2, a
lot of it applies here. It is not enough to say that you found the film 'boring' or
'brilliant', you must say why.

7.   Think of your audience when you say what you liked and disliked about the
film/book/event. Are you writing for your peers (school magazine) or a serious
publication? Is this film or book in a series with which they are likely to be
familiar? (For example, James Bond, Twilight, Harry Potter.) You may wish to
refer to previous books/films if that is the case. 'This is the third book in the
''Twilight'' series and it came as somewhat of a disappointment to me,' etc.

8.   Recommendation – End with a recommendation in favour of the film/book if

you liked it. If you didn't, advise your readers not to waste their time and money.

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Write a review for your school magazine of any film that you have enjoyed. Your review
should encourage other students to go and see it.

Last week, I went to see 'Hot Fuzz', directed by Edgar Wright and starring Introduction gives
Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. I had enjoyed 'Shaun of the Dead', the last film name of film,

produced by this trio so I had great hopes of 'Hot Fuzz'. All too often, high director and
principal actors.
expectations are dashed by a tired, clichéd re-hashing of the same themes
and the trotting out of the same old jokes, but not in this case. Pegg and
Mentions other
Wright are as hilarious as ever and there are brilliant cameo appearances by films by same
Steve Coogan and Bill Nighy among others, not to mention a startlingly funny people.
performance by Timothy Dalton, playing a sleazy supermarket manager.
Gives opinions.
The basic storyline is simple, Nicholas Angel (Simon Pegg) is the finest cop
London has to offer, with an arrest record 400% higher than any other officer
on the force. He’s so good; he makes everyone else look bad. As a result,
Description –
Angel’s superiors send him to a place where his talents won’t be quite so enough detail given
embarrassing -- the sleepy and seemingly crime-free village of Sandford. without spoiling the
Once there, he is partnered with the well-meaning but overeager police film for those who
officer Danny Butterman (Nick Frost). Danny is a huge action movie fan and might wish to go
believes his new big-city partner might just be a real-life "bad boy," and his and see it.

chance to experience the life of gunfights and car chases he so longs for.
Angel is quick to dismiss this as childish fantasy and Danny’s puppy-like
enthusiasm only adds to Angel’s growing frustration. However, as a series of
grisly accidents rocks the village, Angel is convinced that Sandford is not
what it seems and as the intrigue deepens, Danny’s dreams of high-octane,
car-chasing, gun fighting, all-out action seem more and more like a reality.
Evaluation – the
It's time for these small-town cops to break out some big-city justice.
writer gives
opinions and
'Hot Fuzz' brilliantly pokes fun at all those high-speed, special effects-laden,
explains them.
high-mortality American cop films by bringing all the elements of such
movies to the most unlikely setting of rural England. I think its appeal will be
most appreciated by those of us who were raised on a diet of such films as the
clichés and stereotypes are sent up in an incredibly clever way. Mentions those to
whom the film
I went to see this film with a mixed group, both girls and boys: some lovers of might appeal.
rom-coms, some of action movies and some of horror films. Every one of us
More evaluation.
thoroughly enjoyed 'Hot Fuzz', possibly the first time that we have all agreed
on a film's appeal.

If you haven't seen 'Hot Fuzz' already, go this weekend. You won't regret it. Recommendation.

Aoife  O’Driscoll          
 
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 Articles

Points to note:

•   Decide on the type of publication for which you are writing. This will determine
the tone of your article and the type of language you use. If you are writing for a
magazine, you may decide to use a more light-hearted approach than if you are
writing for a serious broadsheet.

•   Think about which language genre you should use. If you are writing a serious
article about a controversial topic, you may choose to use the language of
argument or persuasion. If you are writing a more light-hearted article on a less
serious topic, you may use the language of persuasion and include several
personal anecdotes (funny little stories from your own experiences.)

•   Read as many articles as you can between now and the Leaving Cert. Most of the
major newspapers are available online, so you don't even need to buy a paper to
keep up with the news.

Feature Article

A feature article is usually intended to amuse or inform. It often centres around human
interest stories and can be opinionated. Personal anecdotes may be used and the tone is
frequently light-hearted. Of course, the topic may be a serious one, in which case, the
tone should be adjusted accordingly. Read the question carefully and study the text on
which it is based. This will give you a clear idea of what is required.

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Sample Article (based on 2013 Text 3 – Question B)
Write an opinion piece, for inclusion in a series of newspaper articles entitled: Must-see
Attractions for Tourists, in which you identify one place or public building in Ireland
that, in your opinion, tourists should visit and explain your choice.

Note:
You don't have the time or the space to ramble on so make sure your points are
organised before you write. It can help to ask yourself the following four
questions before you begin your Question B:

Plan:
1.   What form should this task take?
This is a feature article for a newspaper.

2.   What should the content be?

You should name the place or public building and explain why you think tourists
should visit it.

3.   Who is my audience?
Tourists who are interested in learning about ‘Must-see-Attractions’.

4.   What register should I use?

You can be serious or humorous, but you must remember to be persuasive and to
give information about the place or public building you have chosen.

Sample Answer:

In the centre of Cork city, tucked away between the busy main streets, is the English
Market. If you step through one of the gateways that lead you into this warren of shops
and stalls, you are stepping into history. This covered market has served the people of
Cork for over four hundred years and has survived famine, floods and fire. Its name
derives from the fact that it was built in a wealthy part of the city and originally served
the prosperous inhabitants, many of whom were Anglo-Irish. The poorer people
shopped in what was known as the ‘Irish Market’ a few streets away where prices were
lower. Times have changed, of course, and while the English Market is still famous for
its high-quality produce, it is equally well-known for its superb value.

Whatever your tastes, you will find something to delight you here. From fish to fowl,
from artisan breads to organic chocolates, there is something for everyone. One word of

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advice, bring cash, not cards. Most of the stallholders deal in cash only and believe me,
you will want to spend!

All of this shopping can be tiring, so what could be nicer than Rhetorical  questions  are  a  feature  
popping upstairs to the award-winning Farmgate café and enjoy of  the  language  of  persuasion.  

delicious, wholesome food on the wooden balcony above the heart of the market? There
is no better place in the city to sit and watch the world pass by. Keep an eye out for
some well-known faces while you are there. Darina Allen, of the world-famous
Ballymaloe cookery school, is a regular visitor, as is her daughter-in-law Rachel. Best
of all, of course, because this is a covered market you are safe from the vagaries of the
Irish weather!

One of the most attractive aspects of the English market is that, despite its fame, it is
not a tourist trap. This is a place where locals shop every day and they expect – and
receive – good value, excellent quality and friendly service. There are no snooty,
supercilious sales assistants here, but down-to-earth, helpful and often entertaining
shopkeepers and stall owners: the real people of the Real Capital. This was never more
obvious than during the visit of Queen Elizabeth II to Cork a few years ago. As she and
her entourage walked around the market, Prince Philip’s eye was caught by some
produce on one of the fish stalls. He pointed at fish cakes and asked the fishmonger
what was in them. The immediate response: ‘Fish, boy! What do you think?’ epitomises
the no-nonsense attitude all shoppers can expect. It’s safe to say that if you visit the
market, you will be treated like royalty too!

Sample Feature Article (edited from an Irish Times article)

WITH AIRLINE travel seen as less of a pleasure and more of a pain these days, air
travel etiquette has taken on a whole new set of rules.

There used to be a time, not so long ago, when airline travel was a comforting and
pleasurable experience. Cabin crews smiled, fluffed pillows and sliced lemons for
complimentary gin and tonics. They asked how you were, thanked you for flying with
them and didn’t try to charge you €2.50 for a watery cup of tea. Now, air travel is a
series of stressful situations that travellers have to endure, from cancelled or delayed
flights to reduced in-flight food services, varying baggage allowances and cramped
onboard seating. So, what are the best ways to minimise the stress of air travel and what
rules of etiquette are now a given for modern flyers?

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Let’s start with checking in. For many the anxiety of air travel begins when entering the
airport and approaching the desk to check-in. That’s assuming, of course, that your
airline allows you check-in at the airport. The simple rule is arrive in plenty of time.
This ensures you face smaller queues and are less likely to encounter frazzled airline
staff.

How you board the plane depends on whether you have been allocated a seat or not. If
you have to fight for your seat, then it’s best to sit or stand near the boarding gate,
unless you want to end up beside the bathroom and creche corner. But, can you join the
queue where you have been sitting or must you go to the back of the line? This mostly
depends on the size of the passengers ahead of you.

On the plane itself, if you’re travelling long haul, then the best advice is to try create
your own peaceful environment. Bring an eye mask and ear plugs.

Sitting next to a passenger who is intent on continuing a conversation with you can be
tricky, but there is no harm in letting them know you’d like some quiet time – “I’ve
enjoyed our chat but I’m going to get stuck into this book now”.

On shorter flights many of the complimentary snacks and drinks on offer previously
have been withdrawn, so it is a good idea to bring your own onto a flight. Generally the
prices within the airport itself will be cheaper than those onboard and the added bonus
is that you won’t have to wait until the trolley reaches you. With passengers in close
proximity to you, you do need to be mindful of the type of food you are consuming – an
apple may be preferable to garlic bread.

The bottom line then is that modern air travel is a minefield of potentially stressful
situations. You just have to accept that air travel is not what it used to be and is, as Al
Gore noted, “nature’s way of making you look like your passport photo”.

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 Interviews

The purpose of an interview is to learn more about the person being interviewed, their
background, life, work, likes, and dislikes.

Points to note

l   Give the name of your publication / radio station / TV show.

l   State the name of the person you are interviewing and give some brief background
information.

l   Give each speaker a new line each time they ask or answer a question.

l   Put the initials of the speaker before their question / answer each time.

l   The interviewer's questions and comments should be short: one sentence should
be plenty.

l   The interviewee can answer in more detail, usually a short paragraph.

l   The interviewer's tone is usually fairly neutral.

l   The interviewee's tone is usually relaxed and chatty.

l   It can be a nice touch to end the interview with some information about the book,
film, concert etc. For example, you might mention where and when the concert is
taking place.

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Sample Answer: Text 1 2012 – Question B
‘Early-in-life experience has been central to me.’
Imagine yourself fifty years from now. You have achieved great success and public
recognition in your chosen career. Write the text of an interview (questions and
answers) about the experiences and influences in your youth that contributed to your
later success. (50)

Note:
As always, read the question carefully. Your chosen career must be one which has
allowed you to achieve public recognition and great success. It might be a good idea to
use your own interests or hobbies as a basis for this piece as that will make your writing
more realistic. For example, do you participate in sports? Do you sing or play a musical
instrument? Are you keen on science? There are many possibilities here, so try to
choose something that really does matter to you and with which you have been involved
since you were young. This last point is important because the question also requires
you to talk – like Heaney – about the experiences and influences in your youth which
contributed to your later success.

You don't have the time or the space to ramble on so make sure your points are
organised before you write. It can help to ask yourself the following four
questions before you begin your Question B:

Plan:
1.   What form should this task take?
This is an interview. The interviewers questions should be quite short and the
interviewees answers much longer.

2.   What should the content be?

You should have at least two questions and answers. An anecdote or two would
help to bring the piece to life.
The interview with Seamus Heaney may give you some ideas for questions.

3.   Who is my audience?
This interview will be read by anyone with an interest in your chosen career.

4.   What register should I use?

Your approach could be serious, humorous, narrative, discursive or a mixture of all
of these.

Aoife  O’Driscoll          
 
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Sample Answer:

You  can  write  a  brief  introduction  

In this month’s episode of ‘Before They Were Famous’, Colm if  you  like.    It  makes  it  easier  to  
Dennehy talks to recent Nobel Prize winner Rory Kennedy about abbreviate  the  interviewer  and  
interviewee’s  names  later  on  if  
his formative years.
you  have  given  them  in  full  in  the  
introduction.  
CD: Good morning, Rory, and thank you for taking the time to come into the studio this
morning. Your breakthrough with cold fusion ushered in a new era of safe and cheap
energy, and has brought you incredible fame and fortune. However, we’re not here
today to talk about the discovery; we’re here to talk about the man behind it.

I think it’s fair to say that many people are surprised to learn that you do not come from
a scientific background at all. Can you tell me a little about your parents?

RK: My father was a full-time farmer and my mother worked part-time in the local
bakery. So no, I didn’t exactly come from a scientific background, but my parents
placed huge emphasis on their children’s education. Every evening after dinner, no
matter how tired they were, they made time to check up on our homework and help us
out if we were struggling with anything. They never pretended to have all the answers,
but they did show us that the answers could be found if you stuck at it. I think that’s
what made me so tenacious as a scientist; to this day I find it almost impossible to give
up on a project. I hear my father’s voice in the back of my head, quoting that old
chestnut about success being ‘99% perspiration and 1% inspiration’. It might be
annoying, but it’s true!

CD: You went to a small, local secondary school, and you have been quoted before as
saying that the facilities there were fairly basic. Did that make your study of science
subjects more difficult?

RK: Not really. Don’t get me wrong: we’d have loved a brand-new lab with all the bells
and whistles, but we had an exceptionally dedicated science
Don’t  fall  into  the  trap  of  saying  
teacher who was a genius at making do and who encouraged all ‘my  friends  and  I’  h ere.    Break  it  
the pupils in his class to take science out of the realm of books up:  ‘he  helped  my  friends  and  h e  
helped  me’.    ‘He  h elped  my  
and exams and into the real world. He helped my friends and friends  and  me’.  
me with our entry for the Young Scientist competition – we
came up with a way to harness the energy generated by the breakdown of material in
compost heaps - and winning first prize for our invention gave me huge confidence and
made me believe I had what it took to make a future for myself in scientific research.
CD: When and why did you decide to make the production of low-cost, safe energy your

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goal?

RK: Growing up on a farm and being part of a rural community meant that I saw
firsthand the effects of climate change. I remember with awful clarity the devastation
that a series of harsh winters, late springs and wet summers wreaked on our farm. My
father lost his entire herd because there was no fodder available in this country and the
cost of shipping it in from overseas was beyond his means. The farm had been in the
family for four generations, and I’ll never forget the look of despair on my father’s face
when he thought he’d lose it all. He just managed to hang on and thankfully the
following year was a bit better, but I resolved there and then to devote my future career
to seeking out some way of lessening our reliance on climate-destroying sources of
energy. Happily, I was successful and the rest is history.

CD: It certainly is, and there is no doubt that you will go down in history! Thank you
again for coming in to talk to us this morning. It’s been fascinating.

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