The 7 different composing styles with Elaine Dobbyn
The 2017 Paper 1 featured a challenging Composing section – seven very different styles with very specific tasks,
If you were relying on doing a short story or a speech you only had one option and would be able to rapidly adapt to the specific task given. For example, the short story task was as follows: ‘Write a short story in which a tattoo plays an important part in the narrative.’ I for one would have found that tough! The best preparation for the Composing section therefore involves preparing several different styles and being ready to adapt to whatever might pop up on the paper in June. Here’s some advice on each of the seven tasks that came up in 2017.
Discursive Essay
A discursive essay is one which explores a particular issue or topic from an objective perspective i.e. examining both sides of the story before coming to a conclusion or offering a solution.
The task in 2017 was as follows:
‘Write a discursive essay in which you explore the positive and negative aspects of different types of advertising.’
The marking scheme advised examiners to reward: ‘the effective use of some elements of discursive writing e.g. use of allusions, arguments and counter arguments, illustrations, analysis, etc. originality and freshness, etc.’ Most students will have covered the positive and negative aspects of advertising for Junior Cert Media Studies so it’s an accessible task. I would start my planning by brainstorming the pros and cons in a chart like this: I may not use all of these points but I’ve given myself plenty of material to plan my essay and to have a balanced approach to the topic. I might start by criticising manipulative cosmetic ads that aim to create a collective disgust at wrinkles or acne spots and who often misrepresent the effectiveness of their product by having models with flawless skin featured in their ads. I might then balance it with a discussion of the Dove ‘Real Beauty’ campaign that aimed to change attitudes by featuring more normal looking women in their cosmetic ads and exposed the photoshopping tricks of advertising companies.
I might focus a paragraph on advertising to children and the barrage of toy ads that appear on TV in the run up to Christmas. Studies have proven that children are particularly susceptible to advertising as they haven’t developed their critical faculties yet. Perhaps I would propose that all advertising of children’s products be banned or only shown after a 9pm watershed.
Clearly an essay like this would benefit from real world examples but how can one research a topic when one is stuck in an exam hall? Short answer – you can’t - so you need to do some research now. Keep a notebook with interesting facts, statistics, examples and quotations on a range of topics, for example, animal rights, poverty, homelessness, civil liberties, the judicial system (capital punishment, mandatory sentences etc), social media, inequality based on race/sex/religion etc. Having research done on topics like these will help you in writing speeches and articles as well as discursive essays. Watch the news, read newspapers, keep informed on current affairs and you will be engaging in good preparation for Leaving Cert English Paper 1.
Descriptive Essay
In the past few years ‘descriptive essays’ have started to appear more regularly as an option in the Composing section of Paper 1. The focus is on creating a vivid, fully realised world in which the reader can immerse themselves.
The task in 2017 was as follows:
‘Write a descriptive essay entitled Night Scene.’ The marking scheme advised examiners to reward: ‘the effective use of some elements of descriptive writing e.g. imagery, use of setting, anecdote, creation of atmosphere, attention to detail, quality of observation, appeal to the senses, etc.’ Good descriptive writing will appeal to all your senses, evoke emotions or a sense of atmosphere and have elements of poetic writing about it. Beware, however, of overdoing it on the adjectives and adverbs as you can, all too easily, veer into the territory of ‘purple prose’, which is so extravagent it draws too much attention to the writing and atmosphere is lost. If I was tackling the 2017 task I would first of all picture where this night scene was taking place: the middle of a city with drunken revellers spilling out of pubs and nightclubs? The sea shore with the ocean glowing silver in the moonlight? A campsite with a group of old friends gathered around a blazing fire, roasting marshmallows and telling ghost stories? It could be interpreted many different ways with lots of options for rich, evocative description. Pick something you have experienced for yourself so you can use your memories of the physical experience to bring it to life for the reader.
After making my choice – the campsite- I would next brainstorm details that appeal to all the senses so I create a rounded picture:
Many of the techniques you’ve studied in poetry can also add depth and colour to your descriptive writing, for example, alliteration, assonance, onomatopoeia, metaphors or similes. Practice by setting yourself a variety of tasks to describe situations such as: a coffee shop on a rainy day in autumn, the sea shore on a warm day in summer, the city centre at 3am, a hushed library, a school classroom with and without a teacher present! Descriptive writing can really add to a short story and to personal essays.
Speech
Speeches can come in a variety of shapes and sizes: a debate speech will be arguing for or against a specific motion and will need to use logic and persuasion to convince the audience. Speeches can also, however, work like discursive essays where they look at both sides of a topic in an objective manner. The task in 2017 was as follows:
‘Write a speech, to be delivered to a World Youth Conference, in which you give your views on how democracy can be supported in the world today.’ This task requires the student to have an understanding of the challenges facing democracy globally and to have ideas about how to tackle those challenges. Again we can see the need to keep a research notebook on a range of issues so we have information and opinions ready to go in the exam. Some points that could be made in this task include: the voting age – should it be reduced to 16? Should voting be compulsory as it is in Australia? The manipulation of constituency boundaries or ‘gerrymandering’, placing of impediments to voting such as ID requirements – a big problem in certain states in the US, Fake news – the new threat of fake news stories on the internet and the bots that promote them – did they influence the US election in 2016? The rise of the AltRight in Europe and America etc.
With a speech it’s important to address the audience using the correct register and tone for the specific situation i.e. more formal if addressing the UN, more informal if addressing your classmates. This task specifices a World Youth Conference which suggests an international audience of wellinformed young people so you would use a formal register and may choose to focus on youth issues. Also important with a speech is to use techniques learned in your study of the language of argument and persuasion, for example; a logical approach with step-bystep arguments, research/facts/statistics to back up your points (these can be made up in an exam situation – the important thing is to demonstrate your ability to use the technique), repetition, rhetorical questions, emotive language, humour, imagery, contrast etc.
Short Story
The ability to write a good short story is a real talent but is one that can be developed with practice. Neil Gaiman describes them as “tiny windows into other worlds and other minds and other dreams. They are journeys you can make to the far side of the universe and still be back in time for dinner.” A short story must give the reader a glimpse into a world that feels real, with fully realised characters and a believable course of action. The short story option in 2017 was to write: ‘a short story in which a tattoo plays an
important part in the narrative’. The specific nature of the task makes it impossible to simply memorise a short story you wrote previously and regurgitate it in the exam. You must be able to think on your feet and to do that you need to practise writing lots of short stories between now and the exam. The marking scheme advised examiners
to reward: ‘the effective use of some elements of the short story e.g. setting, plot, characterisation, narrative shape, resolution, atmosphere, dialogue, tension, narrative voice, originality and freshness, etc.’
Plan your story from beginning to end in advance, all the while limiting the breadth of the plot to what is possible to achieve in a four or five page short story. Novels can occur over hundreds of years and include a multitude of subplots, a variety of locations, and an army of supporting characters. The main events of a short story, however, should occur in a relatively short period of time (days or even minutes), and you typically won’t be able to develop effectively more than one plot, one or two main characters, and one setting. Keep it simple!
The next most important thing to remember is to show your story rather than to tell your story. What’s the difference between the two? Well, “telling” is the dependence on simple explanation, for example: Jonny was exhausted. Showing, on the other hand, is the use of description and detail to help the reader figure stuff out for themselves: Jonny yawned at length. He could barely lift his feet to climb the stairs, every muscle ached and he longed for his bed.
Why is showing better? Two reasons. First, it creates mental pictures for the reader. When reviewers use terms like “vivid,” “evocative,” or “cinematic” to describe a piece of prose, they really mean the writer has succeeded at showing, rather than merely telling.
Second, showing is interactive and participatory: it forces the reader to become involved in the story, deducing facts (such as Jonny’s personality) for himself or herself, rather than just taking information in passively. Simply – it is more enjoyable for the reader.
Reading lots of short stories will also help your preparation. Claire Keegan’s ‘Walk the Blue Fields’ and Kurt Vonnegut’s ‘Welcome to the Monkey House’ are both excellent collections. Many famous short stories are available to read online also, for example, ‘The Happy Prince’ by Oscar Wilde, ‘The Telltale Heart’ by Edgar Allan Poe and ‘Hills Like White Elephants’ by Ernest Hemingway.
Dialogue
One of the most unusual composing tasks in 2017 was this dialogue task:
‘Imagine it is the Stone Age and you have just invented the wheel. Write a dialogue in dramatic form, in which you introduce and promote your new invention to your sceptical friends and neighbours. Your drama may be humorous or serious or both.’
The marking scheme was looking for: ‘the effective use of some elements of imaginative dramatic writing e.g. creation of distinctive voices/characters, sense of dramatic tension, dramatic development, variety of tone e.g. comic, darkly humorous, satirical, ironic, sincere, persuasive, sceptical, etc. originality and freshness, etc.’
Essentially a dialogue is like writing the script of a scene from a play and you lay it out just the same. The name of the character goes on the left hand side of the page followed by a colon and then their dialogue. You can use stage directions to describe the setting and give detail about the tone of the dialogue if it’s not immediately clear. Here’s an example for the opening to the task above:
Wattle and daub hut, piles of straw in corners, primitive clay bowls etc.
Sheila: (sounding quite stressed) Thanks for coming folks, if you will all just take a seat for a minute… over there John…(pointing
out a pile of straw to a slow moving elderly
man) I want to show you something that could make a big difference to our community...
Mary: (to John) Sheila’s been at it again.
John: I know! My hut’s next to her ‘workshop’she’s been banging and clanging for weeks now…
Mary: (loud whispering) Her poor mother’s demented with her. Why won’t she just get married and start having a few babies? That would put a stop to her nonsense. Sheila, who has heard everything, rolls her eyes and starts banging on a pot to get everyone to stop talking. Sheila: I really need your attention for just a few minutes folks. If you will look over here you will see something I’ve created that may solve a lot of our mobility issues.
(proud expression) I call it ‘the wheel’. (Blank, puzzled faces gaze back at her)
John: Can you eat it?
Sheila: No, no it’s not food. It’s for helping move stuff from place to place, maybe even people if I can figure out how to attach a few of them together…
Mary: Can you sit on it?
Sheila: Well yes I suppose you can… (exasperated) but that’s not the point – this is the future people! Can’t you see the possibilities?! John: I don’t mind walking though.
Mary: Me neither.
John: It’s good exercise.
Mary: You get fresh air.
Sheila: (losing her cool) Stay in the past if you want – what do I care?! I’ve just created the invention of the century here. You lot are the worst!
Personal Essay
Writing a personal essay is, very simply, about writing as yourself. Unlike in a short story, where you might pretend to be a lawyer, monster or ballerina, in a personal essay YOU, a teenager living in Ireland, about to finish school, are the star of the show. People generally write better when they’re writing ‘what they know’ so the personal essay is a great choice for most LC students.
The personal essay option in 2017 was to: ‘Write a personal essay in which you reflect on moments of insight and revelation you have experienced.’ This was a nice open title that allowed students to explore moments of growth and learning from any time in their life. The marking scheme guided examiners to reward: ‘the effective use of some elements of personal writing e.g. reflective insights, confessional tone, individual observation, use of personal pronoun, anecdotes, etc.’
Using the marking scheme as a guide here are some ideas for how to tackle this task:
Reflective insights: The ability to reflect on your life, experiences and identity is key to the personal essay. Everyone’s experiences are different but some moments that might be worth exploring could include: the loss of a loved one, the experience of illness, being a target of bullying, racism, sexism or bigotry, taking on a very difficult challenge (whether you succeeded or not!), travelling etc. Reflecting simply means thinking about what the impact of that experience was on
you – what did you learn? Confessional tone: Be frank about your thoughts and neuroses – the personal essay is all about honesty. Tell anecdotes from your own life – you may think that nothing interesting happens to you but curiosity about other people’s lives is a key part of the human psyche (hence our passion for soap operas). Using a confessional tone creates intimacy with the reader and draws them in to your writing.
Individual observation: See the personal essay as a chance to reveal your personality. It is a chance to explore your attitudes, emotions, hopes and beliefs, what you, as an individual, have observed of the world. The more original the better- show off what makes you unique and make your essay memorable as a result.
Use of personal pronoun: It might seem obvious but use the pronouns ‘I’ and ‘me’ throughout the essay. Saying ‘this is how I see things’ is a more pleasant way to voice an opinion than saying ‘this is how things are’.
Anecdotes: Personal anecdotes can greatly contribute to revealing personal memories and feelings and can also be hugely entertaining. Imagine you’re chatting to a group of friends and regaling them with tales from your crazy family holiday. You can exaggerate to add humour just as we do when telling stories. If an examiner is laughing and enjoying a piece of writing they’re less likely to be picking holes in it. Test out your laughinducing writing skills on your teacher over the coming months as a humorous tone can sometimes be tricky to convey on paper.
Article
Like speeches, articles for newspapers, magazines or websites can use a variety of types of language. Read the task carefully to assess who your target audience is and what register and genre you should use. The 2017 composing task asked students to ‘Writean article for a serious publication in which you consider whether scientists or writers and artists have made, and continue to make, the greater contribution to society.’
The task here is to make an argument for either the contribution of scientists or writers and artists to society. Which group have done more for humanity? This is an ideal task for students who have a passion for either the Sciences or the Arts. Try not to sit on the fence in a task like this – pick a side and argue furiously for it! On the science side you could consider the positive impact of vaccinations and other medical discoveries, innovations in fertilisers that multiplied agricultural output, the invention of the engine, air travel, Einstein, Marie Curie, Rosalind Franklin, Nikola Tesla, Bill Gates etc.
On the Arts side you could examine the power of literature to change attitudes in society and to inspire people: Mary Wollstonecraft and Ibsen’s influence on the changing role of women in society, Frederick Douglass and Harriet Beecher Stowe’s influence on changes in attitudes to slavery, Harper Lee’s impact on the Civil Rights movement, Shakespeare’s influence on our use of language, Helen Keller’s demonstration that people could contribute to society despite disabilities etc etc.
You could also examine the damage scientists and writers have done to society as counter-arguments: Fritz Haber, who invented Ammonium fertiliser which increased agricultural yields exponentially, also invented chemical warfare with the use of chlorine gas in WWI, all weaponry including the Manhattan Project’s invention of the atomic bomb, climate change resulting from burning of fossil fuels in engines, pollution etc. It could also be argued that the writings of Machiavelli, Karl Marx, Hitler, Ayn Rand etc contribute negatively to society inspiring violence and hatred in people. Argument is the process of trying to
convince other people of your point of view using either evidence or facts. The tone is logical and calm, without emotion. When using the language of argument you appeal to someone’s brain rather than their heart in your attempt to sway them. Good argumentative writing is clear and concise and features verified facts. A verifed fact is information from a reliable source, for example, the OECD, WHO, ESRI or a university study. In an exam situation you can make up a statistic or reliable sounding fact to demonstrate you know how to back up your argument.
The key thing to remember is not to sit on the fence - take a side and argue for it passionately. If you prefer to look at both sides of an argument try the discursive essay task.