8 TH CLASS ENGLISH Of Mice & Men Sample Answers Examination Technique Junior Certificate 2007 Other Sample Answers A novel that you would A book review of “Good Night Junior Certificate 2011 recommend... Mister Tom” A brief episode... A character that impressed you... A book review of “Of Mice and 1 © Cian Hogan English Notes 2011 Junior Certificate 2010 Junior Certificate 2006 Men” Your favorite section of the novel Setting and place... © Cian Hogan English Notes 2011 Table of Contents ESSAY WRITING GUIDELINES 3- 4 GRADE PROFILES 4-5 Sample answer 2011 6-7 Sample answer 2006 14 Sample answer 2009 20 Book Review Good Night ... 16 Book Review Of Mice & Men 17 2 © Cian Hogan English Notes 2011 Junior Certificate English Studied Fiction 30 Marks Examination Technique and Sample Answers December 2011 According to the Chief-Examiner for “Your answer will be marked under English there are five different levels the headings of content a n d of answering: presentation. Content equates to TECHNIQUE your ideas and how you support them. Presentation involves the Candidates who simply expression and organisation of restate the question and add your ideas.” some randomly chosen text Evaluation - where the from the given extract – very candidate analyses and EXAMINATION EXAMINATION low level of response. offers opinion/evaluation of the text. O p i n i o n i s Summary/paraphrase - appropriately supported. – where the candidate gives very good level of response. only the ‘story’ of the novel/ play/etc., even though the Synthesis - where, having q u e s t i o n l o o k s f o r thoroughly analysed and discussion. – low level of e v a l u a t e d t h e t e x t , response candidates are at ease in Analysis - where the assimilating it into their own candidate is able to analyse personal production. – the text with some insight. – excellent level of response. good level of response The Key to success is hard work and preparation. 3 © Cian Hogan English Notes 2011 “Your answer needs to be well thought out. You must use paragraphs, support what you December 2011 are saying with quotation from the text and above all answer the question asked.” TECHNIQUE EXAMINATION EXAMINATION Junior Cert English Examination Technique Grade Profiles & Essay Writing Advice GRADES PROFILE suggesting a lack of application rather than of ability. E-grade: Usually brief insufficient answers. Typically, some sections not D-grade: O v e r - d e p e n d e n c e o n attempted. Summary often takes the summary! Summary of texts will be place of discussion, and will be of offered for its own sake rather than as poor quality. Reference to the question support for a discussion point. may be tagged on to start or end of Summary will be poorly focused. answer. Expression may be very Quotations may be used but will often laboured though in some other cases it be poorly chosen or poorly presented. may be adequate or even good, 4 © Cian Hogan English Notes 2011 Junior Cert English Examination Technique Grade Profiles & Essay Writing Advice tightly answered, although the answer CONTENT 50% of Marks may be brief and without any special 1 December 2011 insight. Where summary is used it will IDEAS generally illustrate a point – summary Relevance with a purpose. Quality of expression Insight MONTHLY will be good, but not exceptional. Range & depth Personal Response B-grade: Quotations and other FASHION reference will be of a higher standard SUPPORT than C-grade and answers will focus From texts, etc. clearly on the question asked. There Relevant? will be little rambling. Expression will Well chosen? be good, perhaps very good. There Furthers argument? will be evidence of good learning. There may, however, be a feeling that the candidate is expressing limited personal response. The script will be PRESENTATION 50% of Marks impressive but will lack the spark and impact of an A-grade. EXPRESSION A-grade: An A-script will be fluent, Choice of word / phrase coherent, structured, supported. A Sentence good grasp of text will be obvious as Paragraph will insight / personal response. Grammar and syntax Answers will tend to be fuller than Accurate use of conventions those of other grades. Some Fluent / articulate? candidates will be quite terse but highly accurate in responses. ORGANISATION Expression will generally be very good. Well organised? Rambling? A-grades at the very top of the mark Development of points range will exhibit mature thinking, Sequence of ideas. deep insight, sharp focus and accomplished expression. 5 © Cian Hogan English Notes 2011 Junior Certificate English Sample Answers | Marking Schemes. 2011 Observations 30 MARKS 1. (a) Identify a brief episode or moment from a short story or novel you have studied that you found particularly moving. Describe the effect this episode or moment had on you. Candidates should identify a moving episode and explain what effect the episode had on them. Allow for a broad interpretation of ‘moving’. Answers should be well developed with supporting reference to the text. marking: imp. ex 15 (b) Explain how the author made the episode or moment so moving. In your answer you may wish to refer to some of the following: the action in the story or novel, the characters, the author’s use of language, imagery, symbolism etc. Candidates should explain how the author made the chosen episode so moving. Answers should be well developed with supporting reference to the text. marking: imp. ex 15 6 © Cian Hogan English Notes 2011 Observations The novel that I have studied is of ‘Of Mice And Men’ by John Steinbeck. While the novel contains many moving episodes, to my mind the final episode of the novel is the most moving. In the closing moments of the novel, Lennie has fled to a prearranged meeting point in the undergrowth. He has done this because he has just inadvertently killed Curly’s wife. As the sun sets, Lennie sits and waits for George. He is proud that that he has managed to remember his friend’s instructions: "I di'n't forget, you bet, God damn. Hide in the brush an' wait for George." Meanwhile, in the distance an angry hunting party is closing in on Lennie. When George arrives, Lennie is surprised to find that he is not angry with him for having killed Curley’s wife. Although Lennie finds it impossible to understand the full extent of his crime, he is aware that he has ‘done a bad thing’. George sits down beside Lennie and attempts to reassure him that he will not leave him. The scene has been played out before in the novel. The way in which George has previously comforted and helped Lennie adds to our sense of deep shock at what comes next. George has Lennie recount to him the details of their shared dream of a small plot of land. As in previous episodes in the novel, Lennie is unable to complete the story without his friend’s help. George relents and in a ‘monotonous’ tone of voice he adds familiar details to the description of what life will be like together once they realise their shared dream of buying a farm. As George reaches the emotional, final part of his monologue, Lennie joins in with ‘triumph’: "An' I got you. We got each other, that's what, that gives a hoot in hell about us," George removes the Luger that he had been concealing and places it close to the base of Lennie’s skull. Before he pulls trigger, he reminds Lennie one last time that, ‘ Everybody [is] gonna be nice to [him]’ and that he was never really mad with him. The shot rings out and ‘Lennie jarred, and then settled slowly forward to the sand, and he lay without quivering’. It is difficult not to be moved by this shocking turn of events. As Lennie lies dead on the ground, we realise that by killing him George has made the ultimate 7 © Cian Hogan English Notes 2011 sacrifice for his friend. Finally, the reader is reminded of the significance of the novel’s title. Lennies death confirms the undeniable truth that “The best laid plans of mice and men often go astray.” Of ‘Mice and Men’ is a parable of commitment, loneliness, hope and inevitably loss. In my opinion, the final episode of the novel presents with an unforgettably moving depiction of friendship. If the novel gives a voice to the lonely and dispossessed, then this final episode helps us not only to understand the full strength of George’s commitment to Lennie but also the utter futility of their shared hope “to live off the fatta the lan’”. 2011 Observations Q.1 Select a novel or short story you have studied which you would recommend to your own age group and explain why you would recommend it. Candidates should answer on one text only, either a novel or a short story. Candidates must give the title and author’s name of their chosen novel or short story. The Chief Examiner told correctors to look out for the following: 1. Dramatic, exciting story 2. Interesting, appealing characters 3. Engaging themes and emotions 4. Imaginative setting 5. Good lesson to be learned from story Etc. 8 © Cian Hogan English Notes 2011 Marking: Imp. ex 30 expecting a clear well argued recommendation supported by reference to the chosen text. The novel that I have studied which I would recommend to my own age group is of “Mice and Men” by John Steinbeck. Steinbeck’s novel presents the Observations compelling story of two outsiders striving to find their place in an unforgiving world.