structure and layout
of texts
letters, short talks, reports, diary entries,
reviews, newspaper or magazine articles,
interviews, advertisements
english revision
,introduction
The Question B Comprehension is the short writing task in English
Paper 1 and it is worth 50 marks of your overall paper.
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 you should be aiming for high marks
here.
Unfortunately, many students do not take this writing task seriously
enough, and fail to get a good grade. You must answer Question A from
ONE comprehension and Question B from ANOTHER; you will have
three comprehensions so there will always be one that it left out and
won’t have to answer. Therefore, it is a good idea to check all the
Question Bs first and choose one that suits you the best, 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
,points to know
Question B is expected to be a short piece of writing, roughly two to three
pages, no more. Keep an eye on the length: this is not a composition so don't
make your answer too long (do around 300 words in a page, assuming that
the average is of ten words per line).
Plan your answer. You should get into the habit of doing this for every
section of Paper 1 and Paper 2. A plan doesn’t need to be detailed, just a few
words or sentences to organize your thoughts for maximum 10 to 15 minutes.
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 the entire assignment.
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?
Be 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?
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.
,formal letter
Remember to ask yourself these four questions every time you plan your answer
for any kind of task:
1. What form should this task take?
2. What should the content be?
3. Who is my audience?
4. What register should I use?
Formal Letter:
Form: The task should take the form of a traditional, structured letter with a
formal greeting and closing.
Content: The content should be objective, informative, and professional. You
should focus on conveying important information or making a request.
Audience: The audience is likely someone you don't know personally, such as
a business partner or stranger.
Register: The register should be formal and professional, using proper
grammar, spelling, and vocabulary.
Example:
Write a letter to a business partner requesting information about a potential
deal.
Use a formal greeting like "Dear Sir/Madam" and a closing like "Yours
faithfully" or "Best regards."
Avoid using slang and colloquial language - stick to proper English.
Proofread carefully for grammar and spelling mistakes - this is a professional
document.
, format
(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 (name of recipient/Sir or Madam),
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).
of texts
letters, short talks, reports, diary entries,
reviews, newspaper or magazine articles,
interviews, advertisements
english revision
,introduction
The Question B Comprehension is the short writing task in English
Paper 1 and it is worth 50 marks of your overall paper.
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 you should be aiming for high marks
here.
Unfortunately, many students do not take this writing task seriously
enough, and fail to get a good grade. You must answer Question A from
ONE comprehension and Question B from ANOTHER; you will have
three comprehensions so there will always be one that it left out and
won’t have to answer. Therefore, it is a good idea to check all the
Question Bs first and choose one that suits you the best, 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
,points to know
Question B is expected to be a short piece of writing, roughly two to three
pages, no more. Keep an eye on the length: this is not a composition so don't
make your answer too long (do around 300 words in a page, assuming that
the average is of ten words per line).
Plan your answer. You should get into the habit of doing this for every
section of Paper 1 and Paper 2. A plan doesn’t need to be detailed, just a few
words or sentences to organize your thoughts for maximum 10 to 15 minutes.
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 the entire assignment.
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?
Be 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?
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.
,formal letter
Remember to ask yourself these four questions every time you plan your answer
for any kind of task:
1. What form should this task take?
2. What should the content be?
3. Who is my audience?
4. What register should I use?
Formal Letter:
Form: The task should take the form of a traditional, structured letter with a
formal greeting and closing.
Content: The content should be objective, informative, and professional. You
should focus on conveying important information or making a request.
Audience: The audience is likely someone you don't know personally, such as
a business partner or stranger.
Register: The register should be formal and professional, using proper
grammar, spelling, and vocabulary.
Example:
Write a letter to a business partner requesting information about a potential
deal.
Use a formal greeting like "Dear Sir/Madam" and a closing like "Yours
faithfully" or "Best regards."
Avoid using slang and colloquial language - stick to proper English.
Proofread carefully for grammar and spelling mistakes - this is a professional
document.
, format
(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 (name of recipient/Sir or Madam),
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).
