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General Information

Leaving Cert English what should I expect?

The English syllabus at Leaving Cert centres around two general areas-comprehension and composition. In the comprehension section of the syllabus students learn how language shapes experiences through style and context.
In the compositon assignments,students will develop skills to use language to shape and order experience for themselves. The aim of the syllabus is to create a respect and recognition for language used accurately. This improves students proficiency in oral and written language skills. In addition the syllabus aims to give students an appreciation for English poetry and literature.

The exam at both Higher and ordinary levels is broken into two papers see the breakdown below.

English is a compulsory subject for all those doing the Leaving Certificate. Students who excel at English can pursue a career in Journalism , literature, teaching and Law. English is the international language of business and it is essential for students to wish to further their careers to have a good command of the written and spoken words.

English is divided into two papers Paper 1 and Paper 2. Each paper carries equal marks.

Did you know!

In 2010 total of 33007 students took English at Leaving Cert . 18316 girls took English at Leaving Certificate at higher level while 14691 boys did English at Higher Level in 2010.

10.3% of students got an A
26.9% of students got a B
38.9 % of students got a C
21.7% of students got a D
1.6% of students failed

Exam Breakdown

Exam Breakdown Higher Level - Paper 1

Paper 1 - 170 Marks
	Marks	Comment	2010	2009	2008
Section 1	100	Answer Questions A & B. (35 minutes for each question)	Comprehension 1.Personal Future 2.A Global Future 3. An Imagined Future	Comprehension 1.Decisions for Society 2.Personal Decisions 3. The Decisive Moment	Comprehension 1. TEENAGE IDENTITY. 2. FALSE IDENTITY? 3. Clues to Identity
Section 2	100	Answer 1 of 7 exercises. (Allow 70 minutes)	Composition	Composition	Composition

Paper 1 - 170 Marks
	Marks	Comment	2007	2006	2005
Section 1	100	Answer Questions A & B. (35 minutes for each question)	Comprehension - 1.FILMS TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE .2. LONDON, PAST AND PRESENT 3. FORCES FOR CHANGE?	Comprehension 1.“WHAT SEEMS TO BE THE PROBLEM, LADY SARAH?” 2.GHOST WRITING 3. PRETENCE	Comprehension- 1.AN ORDINARY LIFE .2. ORDINARY LIVES IN WAR TIME . 3. PUBLIC LIVES
Section 2	100	Answer 1 of 7 exercises. (Allow 70 minutes)	Composition	Composition	Composition

Exam Breakdown Higher Level - Paper 2

Paper 2	Marks	Comment	2010	2009	2008
Section 1 Single Text	60	Answer 1 of 2 questions. (Allow 55 minutes)	Wuthering Heights/Dancing at Lughnasa / King Lear / The Grapes of Wrath/The Blackwater Lightship	1) Cat’s Eye, Margaret ATWOOD. 2) Regeneration, Pat BARKER. 3) Jane Eyre, Charlotte BRONTË. 4) The Crucible , Arthur MILLER. 5)Macbeth, William SHAKESPEARE	1) WUTHERING HEIGHTS – Emily Brontë. 2) THE REMAINS OF THE DAY – Kazuo Ishiguro. 3) DEATH AND NIGHTINGALES – Eugene McCabe. 4) THE CRUCIBLE – Arthur Miller. 5) OTHELLO – William Shakespeare
Section 2 Comparative Study	70	Answer 1 of 2 questions. (Allow 60 minutes)	1.GENERAL VISION AND VIEWPOINT / 2. LITERARY GENRE	1. THEME OR ISSUE / 2. THE CULTURAL CONTEXT	1. THEME OR ISSUE / 2. Literary Genre
Section 3 Poetry	70	Allow 60 minutes. Spend 45 minutes on the prescribed poem and 15 minutes on the Unseen poem.	A. Unseem Poem : Seed- Paula Meehan B: WB Yeats, Adrienne Rich, Patrick Kavanagh,TS Eliot	B: Prescribed Poetry, Elizabeth Bishop, John Keats, Philip Larkin, Michael Longley, Derek Mahon, John Montague, Adrienne Rich, Derek Walcott	A- Poem :Those Winter Sundays Robert Hayden . B: Prescribed Poetry, Philip Larkin , John Donne , Derek Mahon , Adrienne Rich

Paper 2	Marks	Comment	2007	2006	2005
Section 1 Single Text	60	Answer 1 of 2 questions. (Allow 55 minutes)	1) Pride and Prejudice Jane Austen. 2) Wuthering Heights Emily Brontë. 3) The Poisonwood Bible Barbara Kingsolver. 4) Death of a Salesman Arthur Miller. 5) Macbeth -William Shakespeare.	1) PRIDE AND PREJUDICE – Jane Austen. 2) B THE POISONWOOD BIBLE – Barbara Kingsolver. 3) C DEATH AND NIGHTINGALES – Eugene McCabe. 4) AS YOU LIKE IT – William Shakespeare. 5) KING LEAR– William Shakespeare	1) Wuthering Heights -Emily Brontë. 2) Silas Marner -George Eliott. 3) Amongst Women -John McGahern. 4) Hamlet -William
Section 2 Comparative Study	70	Answer 1 of 2 questions. (Allow 60 minutes)	1. THE GENERAL VISION AND VIEWPOINT / 2.THE CULTURAL CONTEXT	1. THEME OR ISSUE / 2. THE CULTURAL CONTEXT	1.THE GENERAL VISION AND VIEWPOINT 2.LITERARY GENRE
Section 3 Poetry	70	Allow 60 minutes. Spend 45 minutes on the prescribed poem and 15 minutes on the Unseen poem.	A- Poem :Ben Ziman-Bright Rhapsody . B: Prescribed Poetry, Robert Frost , T.S. Eliot , John Montague, Sylvia Plath	A- Poem :Valentin Iremonger The Toy Horse. B: Prescribed Poetry, John Donne , Thomas Hardy, Elizabeth Bishop, Michael Longley	A- Poem :BACK YARD Carl Sandburg . B: Prescribed Poetry, Eavan Boland, Emily Dickinson , T.S. Eliot, W.B. Yeats

Exam Breakdown Ordinary Level

Comment	Two Questions, A and B, follow each text.
	Candidates must answer a Question A on one text and a Question B on a different
	Candidates must answer only one Question A and only one Question B.(35 minutes for each question)
Paper 1	Marks	2010	2009	2008
Section 1	100	Comprehension-DANGEROUS CHALLENGES/ACROSS THE ATLANTIC IN A LEATHER BOAT/ FACING DANGER	Comprehension -Topics Internet/Televison and Connections	Comprehension-Topics Paradise/What does the Future Look like/ Irish Lifestyle
Comment	Answer 1 of 7 exercises. (Allow 70 minutes)
Section 2	100	Composition	Composition	Composition
Paper 2	Comment		Answer 1 of 2 questions. (Allow 55 minutes)
Section 1 Single Text	60	Wuthering Heights/ Dancing at Lughnasa /Sive /Lamb / Lies of Silence/ Panther in the Basement / King Lear /The Grapes of Wrath / The Blackwater Lightship	1) Cat’s Eye, Margaret ATWOOD. 2) Regeneration, Pat BARKER. 3) Circle of Friends Maeve Binchy 4) Jane Eyre Charlotte Bronte. 5)SPIES – Michael Frayn 6) PHILADELPHIA, HERE I COME! – Brian Friel 7)THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME	1) WUTHERING HEIGHTS – Emily Brontë. 2) THE REMAINS OF THE DAY – Kazuo Ishiguro. 3) DEATH AND NIGHTINGALES – Eugene McCabe. 4) THE CRUCIBLE – Arthur Miller. 5) OTHELLO – William Shakespeare . 6)How Many Miles to Babylon? Jennifer Johnston .7) Lies of Silence Brian Moore.8)The Plough and the Stars-Sean OCasey. 9) The Importance of Being Earnest -Oscar Wilde
Section 1 Single Text	60		– Mark Haddon, 8)THE CRUCIBLE – Arthur Miller, 9)MACBETH – William Shakespeare
Comment	Answer 1 of 2 questions. (Allow 60 minutes)
Section 2 Comparative Study	70	A HERO/HEROINE/VILLAIN/ B THEME	1.Social setting / 2 .Theme	1. RELATIONSHIPS/ 2.Social Setting
Comment	Allow 60 minutes. Spend 45 minutes on the prescribed poem and 15 minutes on the Unseen poem.
Section 3 Poetry	70	A UNSEEN POEM-Nettles . Prescribed Poetry Fleur Adcock, Paula Meehan, TS Eliot, WB Yeats	A: Unseen Poetry: Robert Hershon SENTIMENTAL MOMENT B: Prescribed Poetry, Siegfrid Sasson ,Elizabeth Bishop, Rosita Boland, , Philip Larkin, Michael	A- Poem :Seagull Brian McCabe . B: Prescribed Poetry, Maya Angelou Paul Durcan, Derek Mahon , Adrienne Rich

Comment	Two Questions, A and B, follow each text.
	Candidates must answer a Question A on one text and a Question B on a different
	Candidates must answer only one Question A and only one Question B.(35 minutes for each question)
Paper 1	Marks	2007	2006	2005
Section 1	100	Comprehension-Topics The Rescue(tom Crean)/A Champion on the Run (Derval O'Rourke)/ THE MANY FACES OF SUCCESS	Comprehension-Topics-MASTERING FEAR/ INVASION / THE HORROR INDUSTRY	Comprehension-Topics-What Freedom means to me…/NOT SO FREE…/IMAGES OF FREEDOM
Comment	Answer 1 of 7 exercises. (Allow 70 minutes)
Section 2	100	Composition	Composition	Composition
Paper 2	Comment		Answer 1 of 2 questions. (Allow 55 minutes)
Section 1 Single Text	60	1) Pride and Prejudice Jane Austen. 2) Wuthering Heights Emily Brontë. 3) The Poisonwood Bible Barbara Kingsolver. 4) Death of a Salesman Arthur Miller. 5) Macbeth -William Shakespeare. 6)A Moment of War-Laurie Lee .7) Juno and the Paycock- Sean O’Casey. 8)A Slipping-Down Life– Anne Tyler .9)The Importance of Being Earnest -Oscar Wilde	1) PRIDE AND PREJUDICE – Jane Austen. 2) B THE POISONWOOD BIBLE – Barbara Kingsolver. 3) C DEATH AND NIGHTINGALES – Eugene McCabe. 4) AS YOU LIKE IT – William Shakespeare. 5) KING LEAR– William Shakespeare 6)How Many Miles to Babylon?Jennifer Johnston. 7)A Moment of War-Laurie Lee.8)Juno and the Paycock- Sean O’Casey. 9) Of Mice and Men John Steinbeck	1) Wuthering Heights -Emily Brontë. 2) Silas Marner -George Eliott. 3) Amongst Women -John McGahern. 4) Hamlet -William Shakespeare. 5) As You Like It -William Shakespeare. 6).Home Before Night-Hugh Leonard. 7) Fly Away Peter David Malouf. 8).Juno and the PaycockSean O’Casey. 9) Of Mice and Men John Steinbeck
Section 1 Single Text	60
Comment	Answer 1 of 2 questions. (Allow 60 minutes)
Section 2 Comparative Study	70	1.HERO, HEROINE, VILLAIN / 2. THEME	1.ASPECTS OF STORY: TENSION OR CLIMAX OR RESOLUTION 2. SOCIAL SETTING	1.RELATIONSHIPS / 2.SOCIAL SETTING
Comment	Allow 60 minutes. Spend 45 minutes on the prescribed poem and 15 minutes on the Unseen poem.
Section 3 Poetry	70	A- Poem :DRIVING INTO HISTORY-Pat Boran- . B: Prescribed Poetry, Sharon Olds,Howard Nemerov, Robert Frost , John Montague,	A- Poem :Gareth Owen SONG OF THE CITY. B: Prescribed Poetry, Edward Thomas,TS Eliot, WB Yeats, Patricia Beer,	A- Poem :A REMOVAL FROM TERRY STREET Douglas Dunn . B: Prescribed Poetry, Patrick Kavanagh. D.H. Lawrence ,Michael Longley , Denise Levertov.

Paper Layout

Paper 1

Marks: 200

Time Allocated: 2 hours 50 minutes

Students must attempt the following :

Section I Comprehension

There are 100 marks awarded for this section and students should spend 85 minutes on this section.

There are three pieces of text and students must answer a Question A on one text and a Question B on a different text. Students must answer only one Question A and only one Question B.

N.B. Students may NOT answer a Question A and a Question B on the same text

You will be asked questions on three pieces of text about a certain theme. When answering the questions associated with the texts you should make sure to:

Answer the question you are asked.
Make valid points and support your answer.
Where relevant, when answering you should show your awareness of the audience/ topic, and make sure your answer is clear, precise and confident. Students are asked two questions on each piece of text.

Section 2 Composition

There are 100 marks awarded for this section and students should spend 85 minutes on this section. Students must write on one of the compositions 1 – 7.

When writing the essay bear in mind to use persuasive language, ensure your ideas are clear and precise; use descriptive language and imagery (where relevant).

Paper 2

Marks: 200

Time Allocated: 3 hours 30 minutes

Students must attempt the following :

ONE question from SECTION I

The Single Text (60 marks awarded for this question students should spend 60 minutes on this)

ONE question from SECTION II

The Comparative Study (70 marks awarded for this question students should spend 70 minutes on this)

ONE question on the Unseen Poem from SECTION III

Poetry (35 marks awarded for this question students should spend 35 minutes on this)

ONE question on Prescribed Poetry from SECTION III

Poetry (35 marks awarded for this question students should spend 35 minutes on this)

You will be examined on the Single text, the comparative study and poetry. You are required to answer one question on a Shakespearean play e.g. Hamlet. When answering the questions on the single text you should make sure to display a good knowledge of the text and characters and support your answer with references. For the comparative text, you should make sure to sustain comparisons throughout your answer. In Section III Poetry, in answering you should try and show a good understanding of the poem and support your answer with quotes.

Download Past Papers

Paper 1 HL
2011
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Paper 2 HL
2011
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Paper 1 OL
2011
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Paper 2 OL
2011
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