Single text - add me as a friend on allhonours http://www.allhonours.ie/johntryan if you think the notes are of use/ need any help; also, check out my website www.ryjolc.wordpress.com for further notes/ study aids for LC English and/ or email me at ryjolc@gmail.com if you need any help!

What are you being asked to do?

The single text section provides you with a statement which you must respond to/discuss. For example:

‘Hamlet is the savior of the play.’ Discuss with reference to the text.

When writing your answer, you need to consider the PCLM marking scheme:

Clarity of Purpose: The marker will look for you to focus on and complete the task at hand, to discuss a statement about a character or thematic element of the play. For him/her, the crucial element of the task therefore is to ensure that what you write deals with the statement, and is not simply a commentary on the play. It is easy to lose focus on the statement, so whatever you write on you need to think – how does this help me answer the question?, as the marker will consistently be evaluating whether your answer and its various components comments on/ discusses the statement.

Coherence of Delivery: The marker will expect you to consistently deal with the statement, which will only be achieved if the various paragraph topics you choose all deal with statement. Once more you need to consistently be thinking – is what I am writing focusing on the statement?

Efficiency of Language Use: Here the marker will not place much emphasis on the language you use (terminology etc), but rather on the structure of your answer. As we shall look at below, your answer must respond to a statement by introducing your response, developing it in its main body, and concluding your response in its conclusion. If your answer is not presented in an organised fashion, the marker will deduct you answers. Additionally, they will expect quotes from your single text.

Accuracy of Mechanics: As you write all of this, your spelling and grammar needs to be suitable – few mistakes.

So with all this in mind, how should you structure your answer for the single text question?

Introduction

As said, your answer must respond to a statement. Your introduction should do as any introduction should, introduce what the rest of the piece will focus on. To introduce your response to the statement, you should be doing the following:

1)    respond to the statement

2)   introduce the paragraph topics you will use to develop this statement, which will later provide evidence that your response in 1) can be made to the statement

This will show the marker what the remainder of the answer will include, which shows that you are satisfying the Efficiency of Language Use, as you are beginning to respond to the statement in an organized fashion.

Main body:

Each paragraph, as said, serves the function of showing/ providing evidence that the response you make to the statement in the introduction can be made. To show this, you need to structure each paragraph in a threefold method:

1)    introduce your paragraph topic (what you will be focusing on): this serves the same function as the introduction (seen above), as your paragraph should be structured in an organized manner, and hence should firstly introduce the topic it will focus on, and indicate to the marker what the remainder of the paragraph will focus on

2)   state why your paragraph topic helps you respond to the statement as you did in your introduction. This will show the marker explicitly that your paragraph topic is relevant to responding to the statement

3)   provide examples: after you have said WHY your paragraph topic allows you to respond to your statement in the manner you did, you should use examples to provide evidence and SHOW that your paragraph topic allows you to respond to your statement as you did in your introduction

Each paragraph should be dealt this in this way, as it structures your paragraphs in an organized manner, ensures that your answer is continuously (and cohesively) responding to the statement, and therefore is completing the task at hand, satisying the Efficiency of Language Use, Clarity of Purpose and Coherence of Delivery sections of the marking scheme.

In addition, for the purposes of Coherence of Delivery, when you are providing examples in each paragraph you should link your examples with linking phrases, such as those you use in your comparative answer, such as ‘likewise’, ‘more of the same is seen’ etc – this links your various examples as all achieving the same effect, which unites your answer and thus gives your answer an easy, readable feel. This is also achieved with your various paragraphs – linking these will unite your entire answer in the same manner: for example, when you begin a new paragraph, mention your previous paragraph topic to remind the marker that this paragraph is carrying out the same function as the last, responding to the statement: e. g ‘As is the case with Hamlet’s indecisiveness, the prince’s brutal treatment of others ensures we cannot consider him a hero’ (previous paragraph – his indecisiveness, new paragraph – brutal treatment of others: both serve to show we cannot consider him a hero).

Conclusion

The conclusion concludes your response to the statement. Comment on the significance of your response and the paragraph topics you used – for example, if your response was that we cannot consider Hamlet a hero, and your various paragraph topics showed this to be possible,  you could conclude that the hero of the play is another person, such as Fortinbras.

The key question that the marker will (and you have to) ask is: does the answer deal with the statement? For this answer you need to forget about the single text as a story, and focus on its various parts, which you will use to address the statement.

Email us at ryjolc@gmail.com for notes on your single text, providing a summary of it, answer plans for characters and themes, and sample answers.