remember to analyse the effectiveness of your linguistic/structural choices in you commentary as well as just identifying them and linking them to genre/audience/purpose.
Pretty obvious I know, but just make sure you're doing it all.
Loads of quotes, loads of terms.
Cram the analysis in.
You can do it!
Thursday, 22 June 2017
COMPONENT 3 - EXTREMELY IMPORTANT!!!
This post is going to outline how you should go about writing your pieces, what you should put into them, and what you need to talk about in your commentary. Essentially, this will be your guidebook for the component!
Genre
So, firstly you need to take genre into account. We have no idea what genres it is going to ask you to write. It could be anything really. However, what you will need to do is to decide on about five CLEAR conventions that should be present in whatever genre it asks you to write, and make sure you put these conventions into your writing. Again, you need to be confident with these, stay calm, and make effective decisions. I WILL MAKE MULTIPLE BLOG POSTS SUGGESTING CONVENTIONS FOR LOTS OF GENRES.
Here is an example:
If it asks you to write an extract from a short story, make sure you put in FIVE conventions of short stories. Eg, make sure you use highly descriptive language, use subtle details to characterise your protagonist, use aptronyms (names which mean something), make sure you have a strong plot arc, make sure that you use setting to affect mood (pathetic fallacy etc).
These are not the only conventions of short stories. They are just the FIVE that I came up with on the spot. It doesn't matter if you decide on five totally different things. That is just you showing your skill as a writer. These conventions will help you to shape and craft your writing rather than staring at a blank page for ten minutes.
Here is another example:
If it asks you to write a monologue, put in conventions like this: A strong personal/realistic voice for the character (idiolect/sociolect, some non-verbal features), stage directions at start of monologue, a 'fade to black', embedded stage directions, an honest and confessional tone.
Again, I just thought of those on the spot, but they are very definitely things that we find in monologues. You MUST be brave and ensure that you make decisions about what needs to go into your writing, and use these conventions as a frame-work.
Nobody is expecting you to write a prize-winning piece of writing. They just want you to look like you know what you are doing, follow specific rules and conventions, and then point out what you have done in your commentary.
Audience and Purposes/Attitudes
As well as the conventions of the GENRE, you also need a strong sense of AUDIENCE and PURPOSE in your writing. All this means is that, you should have a specific audience in mind when you start writing, and you should put a few things in there which will appeal to that specific audience. Additionally, you should have one or two specific purposes within your writing, and you should write to these purposes.
If you do all of the above, your commentary will be very straightforward.
Like so: (No intro)
Paragraph 1 - Talk about how you have met the conventions of the genre (mention all the individual things you have done, and analyse their effectiveness using terms)
Paragraph 2 - Talk about the purposes/attitudes you set out to achieve. Provide quotes to show how you have done this and analyse their effectiveness using terms.
Paragraph 3 - Talk about what specific audience you set out to appeal to. Provide quotes to show how you have done this and analyse their effectiveness using terms.
You probably will not have much more time to do anything else. If you do, then simply continue to add points analysing what you have done. DO NOT WRITE AN INTRO FOR YOUR COMMENTARY. GET STRAIGHT INTO THE ANALYSIS.
Genre
So, firstly you need to take genre into account. We have no idea what genres it is going to ask you to write. It could be anything really. However, what you will need to do is to decide on about five CLEAR conventions that should be present in whatever genre it asks you to write, and make sure you put these conventions into your writing. Again, you need to be confident with these, stay calm, and make effective decisions. I WILL MAKE MULTIPLE BLOG POSTS SUGGESTING CONVENTIONS FOR LOTS OF GENRES.
Here is an example:
If it asks you to write an extract from a short story, make sure you put in FIVE conventions of short stories. Eg, make sure you use highly descriptive language, use subtle details to characterise your protagonist, use aptronyms (names which mean something), make sure you have a strong plot arc, make sure that you use setting to affect mood (pathetic fallacy etc).
These are not the only conventions of short stories. They are just the FIVE that I came up with on the spot. It doesn't matter if you decide on five totally different things. That is just you showing your skill as a writer. These conventions will help you to shape and craft your writing rather than staring at a blank page for ten minutes.
Here is another example:
If it asks you to write a monologue, put in conventions like this: A strong personal/realistic voice for the character (idiolect/sociolect, some non-verbal features), stage directions at start of monologue, a 'fade to black', embedded stage directions, an honest and confessional tone.
Again, I just thought of those on the spot, but they are very definitely things that we find in monologues. You MUST be brave and ensure that you make decisions about what needs to go into your writing, and use these conventions as a frame-work.
Nobody is expecting you to write a prize-winning piece of writing. They just want you to look like you know what you are doing, follow specific rules and conventions, and then point out what you have done in your commentary.
Audience and Purposes/Attitudes
As well as the conventions of the GENRE, you also need a strong sense of AUDIENCE and PURPOSE in your writing. All this means is that, you should have a specific audience in mind when you start writing, and you should put a few things in there which will appeal to that specific audience. Additionally, you should have one or two specific purposes within your writing, and you should write to these purposes.
If you do all of the above, your commentary will be very straightforward.
Like so: (No intro)
Paragraph 1 - Talk about how you have met the conventions of the genre (mention all the individual things you have done, and analyse their effectiveness using terms)
Paragraph 2 - Talk about the purposes/attitudes you set out to achieve. Provide quotes to show how you have done this and analyse their effectiveness using terms.
Paragraph 3 - Talk about what specific audience you set out to appeal to. Provide quotes to show how you have done this and analyse their effectiveness using terms.
You probably will not have much more time to do anything else. If you do, then simply continue to add points analysing what you have done. DO NOT WRITE AN INTRO FOR YOUR COMMENTARY. GET STRAIGHT INTO THE ANALYSIS.
Wednesday, 21 June 2017
COMPONENT 3 - CONVENTIONS OF GENRES
On this post, I will list as many genres as I can think of with sensible conventions that you should try to include if these genres come up. I will keep adding to this post as I think of different genres, so check back regularly.
Short stories
Clear plot arc; characterisation of protagonists/antagonists through adverb/movement/adjectives; aptronyms; symbolic use of setting; descriptive language and modifiers throughout; multisensory descriptions; feelings/emotions; Third person may be simpler as a narrative style.
Monologues
Clear individual voice for character; stage directions to set scene; embedded stage directions to add tone; setting may be important; honest and confessional tone; some non-fluency features for effect; aptronyms; fade to black/scene change. movements and actions denoted by minor stage directions.
Reviews
Opinionated and decisive tone; likens product to other products to show experience; use of humour; uses statistics to support opinions; mixed register (sometimes very formal, followed by very informal for comic effect); hyperbole and exaggeration; very descriptive; does not give things away that could ruin the subject; gives ratings.
Guide to a place
Sometimes imperative tone 'take a walk along the sandy beach and enjoy...'; sometimes interrogative to show choice, 'why not try one of our local...?'; uses proper nouns and place names to help show you around; makes suggestions and gives options; informs about the place giving factual information; provides historical facts where relevant; separates text into sections which all deal with a different practical element, 'what to do', 'how to find us', etc.
Guide to a product
Imperative tone; technical information about product; hyperbole and exaggeration to describe features; excited mood throughout and a suggestion the product will improve your quality of life; direct address; helplines/customer service information etc.
Magazine articles
Catchy headline, sometimes using puns/rhymes or maybe even just a sensationalist 'my babysitter ran off with my dog' type declarative; subheading to add more context and information to the piece; opening paragraphs will hint at issue but not give too much away as readers will then be encouraged to read on; paragraphs often topped with their own subheading such as 'the truth behind the lies' or 'the grim reality' or 'life after the surgery'; will contain an exaggerated and hyperbolic narrative style, and incorporate quotations from people concerned with the story. DO NOT PUT PICTURES IN OR WRITE IN COLUMNS.
Travel writing
Written in present tense, e.g. 'As we approach the pyramid itself, I am filled with a sense of wonder.' You must maintain tense throughout; gives factual and historical information (make this up, obviously); lots of descriptive detail; reflective and emotive account, often reflecting the idea that the experience has affected the writer somehow; an honest summary, often mixing negative and positive aspects of the experience; multisensory and emotive descriptions; NOT written to persuade - focus is on reflection, informing and entertainment.
Persuasive leaflet
Lots of emotive language; use of anecdote for one paragraph to illustrate point or need for support 'take poor Timmy for example...'; lots of direct address and rhetorical questions; lots of descriptive detail; clear suggestions of how your support will help; cloaked and polite imperatives; will cater to negative face needs of reader.
Newspaper article
In all seriousness, go and have a look at a few and see how they look. Catchy/entertaining headline; subheading which expands slightly on the story at hand; opening paragraph or two which outline the main basic facts of the story to entice the reader, but without giving any complex details away; a formal account of how the events unfolded; responses from public; quotes from witnesses and experts; writer's name at end of article.
Blog
Informal tone; a sense that this is one post in an ongoing work - may refer to previous posts 'as I've stated before' or future posts 'in tomorrow's section, I will..'; speaks to'followers' and 'friends' directly; informative and entertaining; uses of humour whilst still conveying information; each individual blog post has its own title and a date stamp.
Dramatic script
Very similar to blog conventions except each individual speaker should have their name written in capitals in the left hand margin; speakers rarely overlap unless to show tension; stage directions at start of scene should outline who is present and where they are/what they are doing; will often start relaxed and build in tension as scenes progress; tension hinted at through structure of dialogue and subtle embedded stage directions.
Radio drama
A very unusual genre but it is exactly what it sounds like - a drama for radio airing. Because of this, you'll need to ensure ALL stage directions are SOUND BASED. 'Sounds of typing, traffic coming through an open window, the sound of glasses clinking together' etc. Put them at the start of each scene AND embed them wherever necessary. Remember, the audience can't see ANYTHING. This must be reflected in your writing. Often scenes will be much faster moving than a stage drama to keep the interest of listeners, so scene breaks will be short and frequent, demarcates by their own set of brief opening stage directions. Other than this, follow conventions of a dramatic script.
Podcast
Another very unusual genre. A podcast is a downloadable short broadcast which informs on a particular topic in an entertaining way; often take the form of a scripted conversation where two speakers pretend to be spontaneous, but without the stutters and interruptions; speakers will often have hilariously contrasting personalities e.g. One may be immature and act a bit bored or impatient, asking lots of questions about the issue whereas the other one may be sensible and informative. By using this structure, the writer is able to deliver specific information on a topic by entertaining the listening audience through a manufactured conversation. If you want to see a good scripted example, look at the UFO podcast on this link...
https://issuu.com/marshdalek/docs/gce-langlit-voices-anthology
Diary entry
Very personal tone; first person perspective; written in immediate past tense; confessional and reflective content; will catalogue events in chronological order using adverbials; lots of descriptive detail; feelings and emotions included; critical voice; written not be read by others; date at the top of each individual entry; will talk about effect of experiences.
Letter
Writer's name and address in top right; start with 'Dear Sir/ Madam' unless you know their name; sign off with 'yours sincerely' if you know their name or 'yours faithfully' if you don't; separate paragraphs by topic or subject.
Remember these basic rules...
We don't know that the above genres will come up, but similar ones will. Whatever happens, remember three basic rules: remain calm, be sensible and be decisive.
And READ THE TASK CAREFULLY! You can throw away marks on this by not doing exactly what it asks. If it tells you to write an INTRO write and intro, not a whole story. If it says to write a SERIES of diary entries, then write a series, not just one. Fairly simple, but an easy way to mess it up.
Be careful and good luck!
Nick
Short stories
Clear plot arc; characterisation of protagonists/antagonists through adverb/movement/adjectives; aptronyms; symbolic use of setting; descriptive language and modifiers throughout; multisensory descriptions; feelings/emotions; Third person may be simpler as a narrative style.
Monologues
Clear individual voice for character; stage directions to set scene; embedded stage directions to add tone; setting may be important; honest and confessional tone; some non-fluency features for effect; aptronyms; fade to black/scene change. movements and actions denoted by minor stage directions.
Reviews
Opinionated and decisive tone; likens product to other products to show experience; use of humour; uses statistics to support opinions; mixed register (sometimes very formal, followed by very informal for comic effect); hyperbole and exaggeration; very descriptive; does not give things away that could ruin the subject; gives ratings.
Guide to a place
Sometimes imperative tone 'take a walk along the sandy beach and enjoy...'; sometimes interrogative to show choice, 'why not try one of our local...?'; uses proper nouns and place names to help show you around; makes suggestions and gives options; informs about the place giving factual information; provides historical facts where relevant; separates text into sections which all deal with a different practical element, 'what to do', 'how to find us', etc.
Guide to a product
Imperative tone; technical information about product; hyperbole and exaggeration to describe features; excited mood throughout and a suggestion the product will improve your quality of life; direct address; helplines/customer service information etc.
Magazine articles
Catchy headline, sometimes using puns/rhymes or maybe even just a sensationalist 'my babysitter ran off with my dog' type declarative; subheading to add more context and information to the piece; opening paragraphs will hint at issue but not give too much away as readers will then be encouraged to read on; paragraphs often topped with their own subheading such as 'the truth behind the lies' or 'the grim reality' or 'life after the surgery'; will contain an exaggerated and hyperbolic narrative style, and incorporate quotations from people concerned with the story. DO NOT PUT PICTURES IN OR WRITE IN COLUMNS.
Travel writing
Written in present tense, e.g. 'As we approach the pyramid itself, I am filled with a sense of wonder.' You must maintain tense throughout; gives factual and historical information (make this up, obviously); lots of descriptive detail; reflective and emotive account, often reflecting the idea that the experience has affected the writer somehow; an honest summary, often mixing negative and positive aspects of the experience; multisensory and emotive descriptions; NOT written to persuade - focus is on reflection, informing and entertainment.
Persuasive leaflet
Lots of emotive language; use of anecdote for one paragraph to illustrate point or need for support 'take poor Timmy for example...'; lots of direct address and rhetorical questions; lots of descriptive detail; clear suggestions of how your support will help; cloaked and polite imperatives; will cater to negative face needs of reader.
Newspaper article
In all seriousness, go and have a look at a few and see how they look. Catchy/entertaining headline; subheading which expands slightly on the story at hand; opening paragraph or two which outline the main basic facts of the story to entice the reader, but without giving any complex details away; a formal account of how the events unfolded; responses from public; quotes from witnesses and experts; writer's name at end of article.
Blog
Informal tone; a sense that this is one post in an ongoing work - may refer to previous posts 'as I've stated before' or future posts 'in tomorrow's section, I will..'; speaks to'followers' and 'friends' directly; informative and entertaining; uses of humour whilst still conveying information; each individual blog post has its own title and a date stamp.
Dramatic script
Very similar to blog conventions except each individual speaker should have their name written in capitals in the left hand margin; speakers rarely overlap unless to show tension; stage directions at start of scene should outline who is present and where they are/what they are doing; will often start relaxed and build in tension as scenes progress; tension hinted at through structure of dialogue and subtle embedded stage directions.
Radio drama
A very unusual genre but it is exactly what it sounds like - a drama for radio airing. Because of this, you'll need to ensure ALL stage directions are SOUND BASED. 'Sounds of typing, traffic coming through an open window, the sound of glasses clinking together' etc. Put them at the start of each scene AND embed them wherever necessary. Remember, the audience can't see ANYTHING. This must be reflected in your writing. Often scenes will be much faster moving than a stage drama to keep the interest of listeners, so scene breaks will be short and frequent, demarcates by their own set of brief opening stage directions. Other than this, follow conventions of a dramatic script.
Podcast
Another very unusual genre. A podcast is a downloadable short broadcast which informs on a particular topic in an entertaining way; often take the form of a scripted conversation where two speakers pretend to be spontaneous, but without the stutters and interruptions; speakers will often have hilariously contrasting personalities e.g. One may be immature and act a bit bored or impatient, asking lots of questions about the issue whereas the other one may be sensible and informative. By using this structure, the writer is able to deliver specific information on a topic by entertaining the listening audience through a manufactured conversation. If you want to see a good scripted example, look at the UFO podcast on this link...
https://issuu.com/marshdalek/docs/gce-langlit-voices-anthology
Diary entry
Very personal tone; first person perspective; written in immediate past tense; confessional and reflective content; will catalogue events in chronological order using adverbials; lots of descriptive detail; feelings and emotions included; critical voice; written not be read by others; date at the top of each individual entry; will talk about effect of experiences.
Letter
Writer's name and address in top right; start with 'Dear Sir/ Madam' unless you know their name; sign off with 'yours sincerely' if you know their name or 'yours faithfully' if you don't; separate paragraphs by topic or subject.
Remember these basic rules...
We don't know that the above genres will come up, but similar ones will. Whatever happens, remember three basic rules: remain calm, be sensible and be decisive.
And READ THE TASK CAREFULLY! You can throw away marks on this by not doing exactly what it asks. If it tells you to write an INTRO write and intro, not a whole story. If it says to write a SERIES of diary entries, then write a series, not just one. Fairly simple, but an easy way to mess it up.
Be careful and good luck!
Nick
COMPONENT 3 - What if we get an odd genre?
I am going to provide you with some resources which outline suggested conventions of some of the more likely genres. However, it is possible they might throw you a bit of a 'curve ball' and give you a genre that makes you think, 'What the heck is that?' or 'How the flip am I supposed to know what the conventions of that are?'
Again, remember our number one rule - REMAIN CALM.
If this happens, it is likely they are testing your common sense. It is also likely that everyone up and down the country is feeling the same as you. So, the best thing you can do is to think it through logically, be decisive, and come up with your conventions anyway.
One example question in the SAMS says, 'Write the opening to a murder mystery novel...'
Being totally honest with you, I have never read a murder mystery novel. I'm assuming most of you have not either.
Does this mean we panic? cry? throw up? No! Of course not - because most people reading the question will not have read one either.
What we do is stay calm, and decide what FOUR/FIVE likely conventions of the genre will be.
So how do we work this out?
Well, firstly, are you familiar with any similar genres? Yes - short stories! So we can borrow at least a couple of conventions from there.
Aside from that, just use your common sense.
*It is likely to be quite mysterious, so my first convention will be to use a semantic field of mystery in my writing.
*There will be a detective of some sort, who will be a strong character, so I will characterise him or her as strong, inquisitive and decisive.
*The setting will be important - usually (I imagine) these novels will be set somewhere very atmospheric like a castle or stately home, so I'll set it there.
*There will normally be lots of foreshadowing that something bad will happen (remember it is the START of the story, so the murder might not have taken place yet). So I'll use pathetic fallacy (mist/ thunder and lightning), sounds and descriptions to add tension.
And there we have it - the conventions of a murder mystery! And I've never read one! But I can guarantee my suggestions will be as valid as anybody else answering the exam.
All you need to do, whatever the genre, is stay calm, and be decisive. You can't go wrong if you do that.
Nick
Again, remember our number one rule - REMAIN CALM.
If this happens, it is likely they are testing your common sense. It is also likely that everyone up and down the country is feeling the same as you. So, the best thing you can do is to think it through logically, be decisive, and come up with your conventions anyway.
One example question in the SAMS says, 'Write the opening to a murder mystery novel...'
Being totally honest with you, I have never read a murder mystery novel. I'm assuming most of you have not either.
Does this mean we panic? cry? throw up? No! Of course not - because most people reading the question will not have read one either.
What we do is stay calm, and decide what FOUR/FIVE likely conventions of the genre will be.
So how do we work this out?
Well, firstly, are you familiar with any similar genres? Yes - short stories! So we can borrow at least a couple of conventions from there.
Aside from that, just use your common sense.
*It is likely to be quite mysterious, so my first convention will be to use a semantic field of mystery in my writing.
*There will be a detective of some sort, who will be a strong character, so I will characterise him or her as strong, inquisitive and decisive.
*The setting will be important - usually (I imagine) these novels will be set somewhere very atmospheric like a castle or stately home, so I'll set it there.
*There will normally be lots of foreshadowing that something bad will happen (remember it is the START of the story, so the murder might not have taken place yet). So I'll use pathetic fallacy (mist/ thunder and lightning), sounds and descriptions to add tension.
And there we have it - the conventions of a murder mystery! And I've never read one! But I can guarantee my suggestions will be as valid as anybody else answering the exam.
All you need to do, whatever the genre, is stay calm, and be decisive. You can't go wrong if you do that.
Nick
COMPONENT 3 - EXTREMELY IMPORTANT!!
This post is going to outline how you should go about writing your pieces, what you should put into them, and what you need to talk about in your commentary. Essentially, this will be your guidebook for the component!
Genre
So, firstly you need to take genre into account. We have no idea what genres it is going to ask you to write. It could be anything really. However, what you will need to do is to decide on about five CLEAR conventions that should be present in whatever genre it asks you to write, and make sure you put these conventions into your writing. Again, you need to be confident with these, stay calm, and make effective decisions. I WILL MAKE MULTIPLE BLOG POSTS SUGGESTING CONVENTIONS FOR LOTS OF GENRES.
Here is an example:
If it asks you to write an extract from a short story, make sure you put in FIVE conventions of short stories. Eg, make sure you use highly descriptive language, use subtle details to characterise your protagonist, use aptronyms (names which mean something), make sure you have a strong plot arc, make sure that you use setting to affect mood (pathetic fallacy etc).
These are not the only conventions of short stories. They are just the FIVE that I came up with on the spot. It doesn't matter if you decide on five totally different things. That is just you showing your skill as a writer. These conventions will help you to shape and craft your writing rather than staring at a blank page for ten minutes.
Here is another example:
If it asks you to write a monologue, put in conventions like this: A strong personal/realistic voice for the character (idiolect/sociolect, some non-verbal features), stage directions at start of monologue, a 'fade to black', embedded stage directions, an honest and confessional tone.
Again, I just thought of those on the spot, but they are very definitely things that we find in monologues. You MUST be brave and ensure that you make decisions about what needs to go into your writing, and use these conventions as a frame-work.
Nobody is expecting you to write a prize-winning piece of writing. They just want you to look like you know what you are doing, follow specific rules and conventions, and then point out what you have done in your commentary.
Audience and Purposes/Attitudes
As well as the conventions of the GENRE, you also need a strong sense of AUDIENCE and PURPOSE in your writing. All this means is that, you should have a specific audience in mind when you start writing, and you should put a few things in there which will appeal to that specific audience. Additionally, you should have one or two specific purposes within your writing, and you should write to these purposes.
If you do all of the above, your commentary will be very straightforward.
Like so: (No intro)
Paragraph 1 - Talk about how you have met the conventions of the genre (mention all the individual things you have done, and analyse their effectiveness using terms)
Paragraph 2 - Talk about the purposes/attitudes you set out to achieve. Provide quotes to show how you have done this and analyse their effectiveness using terms.
Paragraph 3 - Talk about what specific audience you set out to appeal to. Provide quotes to show how you have done this and analyse their effectiveness using terms.
You probably will not have much more time to do anything else. If you do, then simply continue to add points analysing what you have done. DO NOT WRITE AN INTRO FOR YOUR COMMENTARY. GET STRAIGHT INTO THE ANALYSIS.
Genre
So, firstly you need to take genre into account. We have no idea what genres it is going to ask you to write. It could be anything really. However, what you will need to do is to decide on about five CLEAR conventions that should be present in whatever genre it asks you to write, and make sure you put these conventions into your writing. Again, you need to be confident with these, stay calm, and make effective decisions. I WILL MAKE MULTIPLE BLOG POSTS SUGGESTING CONVENTIONS FOR LOTS OF GENRES.
Here is an example:
If it asks you to write an extract from a short story, make sure you put in FIVE conventions of short stories. Eg, make sure you use highly descriptive language, use subtle details to characterise your protagonist, use aptronyms (names which mean something), make sure you have a strong plot arc, make sure that you use setting to affect mood (pathetic fallacy etc).
These are not the only conventions of short stories. They are just the FIVE that I came up with on the spot. It doesn't matter if you decide on five totally different things. That is just you showing your skill as a writer. These conventions will help you to shape and craft your writing rather than staring at a blank page for ten minutes.
Here is another example:
If it asks you to write a monologue, put in conventions like this: A strong personal/realistic voice for the character (idiolect/sociolect, some non-verbal features), stage directions at start of monologue, a 'fade to black', embedded stage directions, an honest and confessional tone.
Again, I just thought of those on the spot, but they are very definitely things that we find in monologues. You MUST be brave and ensure that you make decisions about what needs to go into your writing, and use these conventions as a frame-work.
Nobody is expecting you to write a prize-winning piece of writing. They just want you to look like you know what you are doing, follow specific rules and conventions, and then point out what you have done in your commentary.
Audience and Purposes/Attitudes
As well as the conventions of the GENRE, you also need a strong sense of AUDIENCE and PURPOSE in your writing. All this means is that, you should have a specific audience in mind when you start writing, and you should put a few things in there which will appeal to that specific audience. Additionally, you should have one or two specific purposes within your writing, and you should write to these purposes.
If you do all of the above, your commentary will be very straightforward.
Like so: (No intro)
Paragraph 1 - Talk about how you have met the conventions of the genre (mention all the individual things you have done, and analyse their effectiveness using terms)
Paragraph 2 - Talk about the purposes/attitudes you set out to achieve. Provide quotes to show how you have done this and analyse their effectiveness using terms.
Paragraph 3 - Talk about what specific audience you set out to appeal to. Provide quotes to show how you have done this and analyse their effectiveness using terms.
You probably will not have much more time to do anything else. If you do, then simply continue to add points analysing what you have done. DO NOT WRITE AN INTRO FOR YOUR COMMENTARY. GET STRAIGHT INTO THE ANALYSIS.
COMPONENT 3 - USING THE STIMULUS
So, within each question, there will be a stimulus text which will inform your writing to some degree.
What will the stimulus texts be?
Well, so far, the SAMS have given us a short extract from a novel, and a string of trip advisor reviews for a caravan site. So, its safe to say that it will be hard to predict what comes up. However, this should not panic you at all. The stimulus text is there to help you, not constrain you. Just be prepared for all kinds of fiction and non-fiction texts, and make sure you choose the question (1 or 2) which suits your ability the best.
To what extent do we need to use or incorporate the stimulus in our work?
I have read the exam board guidance very closely in order to give you the best possible answer to this. Essentially, it depends largely on the wording of each individual task. For example, in the example exam, you are given an extract from a novel where a character called Mrs Reed sits in a room, reflecting on here life.
Task A asks you to write "an extract from a story where a room is the backdrop to an event in the life of the main character".
Task B asks you to "Write a dramatic monologue where Mrs Reed reflects on her life".
By using common sense, you can see here that task B requires far more focus on the stimulus than task A.
Task B is asking you to write about the life of Mrs Reed - so you will need to take inspiration from the stimulus in order to know anything about her. You may wish to drop in events in your monologue which are mentioned in the stimulus, or you may wish to use key terms to characterise her in a particular way. Either way, you will be using the stimulus material to a reasonable degree.
The mark scheme for this says, "Candidates should select some details from the stimulus material, but may select others if they wish."
Task A, on the other hand, merely asks you to write about 'a room'. At no point does the question suggest that this room or character has to have anything to do with the room or character in the stimulus. So you have far more freedom here.
The mark scheme for this says, "Candidates are likely to make little use of the content of the stimulus material."
So, as you can see, you need to read and understand the question carefully to know how much inspiration you should take from the stimulus.
That said, there is no SPECIFIC objective on the mark scheme for how well you use the stimulus. It will just form a more general part of how effectively your text is constructed for purpose.
What will the stimulus texts be?
Well, so far, the SAMS have given us a short extract from a novel, and a string of trip advisor reviews for a caravan site. So, its safe to say that it will be hard to predict what comes up. However, this should not panic you at all. The stimulus text is there to help you, not constrain you. Just be prepared for all kinds of fiction and non-fiction texts, and make sure you choose the question (1 or 2) which suits your ability the best.
To what extent do we need to use or incorporate the stimulus in our work?
I have read the exam board guidance very closely in order to give you the best possible answer to this. Essentially, it depends largely on the wording of each individual task. For example, in the example exam, you are given an extract from a novel where a character called Mrs Reed sits in a room, reflecting on here life.
Task A asks you to write "an extract from a story where a room is the backdrop to an event in the life of the main character".
Task B asks you to "Write a dramatic monologue where Mrs Reed reflects on her life".
By using common sense, you can see here that task B requires far more focus on the stimulus than task A.
Task B is asking you to write about the life of Mrs Reed - so you will need to take inspiration from the stimulus in order to know anything about her. You may wish to drop in events in your monologue which are mentioned in the stimulus, or you may wish to use key terms to characterise her in a particular way. Either way, you will be using the stimulus material to a reasonable degree.
The mark scheme for this says, "Candidates should select some details from the stimulus material, but may select others if they wish."
Task A, on the other hand, merely asks you to write about 'a room'. At no point does the question suggest that this room or character has to have anything to do with the room or character in the stimulus. So you have far more freedom here.
The mark scheme for this says, "Candidates are likely to make little use of the content of the stimulus material."
So, as you can see, you need to read and understand the question carefully to know how much inspiration you should take from the stimulus.
That said, there is no SPECIFIC objective on the mark scheme for how well you use the stimulus. It will just form a more general part of how effectively your text is constructed for purpose.
COMPONENT 3 - So what do we do? Simple version
I can sum it up very simply, as this is a very straightforward exam:
You write TWO short pieces of creative writing based loosely on a stimulus text, then you write a short commentary explaining your language choices in ONE of the texts.
Sounds very simple doesn't it?
Well it is. But I am still going to give you lots of information which will hopefully give you access to the high end of the mark scheme, because there are ways of doing this extremely well, and ways of doing it not so extremely well.
You will not be able to write much AT ALL - You are advised to write about 300 words each for the creative tasks, which means that your commentary certainly will not be much more than this (it should be easier and faster to write the commentary because you are not having to invent it as you go along).
I will discuss the stimulus and mark scheme on the following posts.
You write TWO short pieces of creative writing based loosely on a stimulus text, then you write a short commentary explaining your language choices in ONE of the texts.
Sounds very simple doesn't it?
Well it is. But I am still going to give you lots of information which will hopefully give you access to the high end of the mark scheme, because there are ways of doing this extremely well, and ways of doing it not so extremely well.
You will not be able to write much AT ALL - You are advised to write about 300 words each for the creative tasks, which means that your commentary certainly will not be much more than this (it should be easier and faster to write the commentary because you are not having to invent it as you go along).
I will discuss the stimulus and mark scheme on the following posts.
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