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Macbeth

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  • 13-01-2014 11:21pm
    #1
    MeganB
    Registered Users Posts: 27 ✭


    Im doing higher level english and my teacher keeps telling us that our Macbeth answers have to be four A4 pages, do they?


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    #2
    jenlet
    Registered Users Posts: 5 ✭jenlet


    we've been told 4 minimum going for about 5-6 pages


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    #3
    MeganB
    Registered Users Posts: 27 ✭MeganB


    jenlet wrote: »
    we've been told 4 minimum going for about 5-6 pages

    5-6 :O I can barley write over 3 lol


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    #4
    gabsy
    Registered Users Posts: 80 ✭✭gabsy


    Weird ... We only have to write 3 because realistically you won't have time to write 6 pages . I think 3-4 is plenty to answer the question :)


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    #5
    Daniel2590
    Registered Users Posts: 1,645 ✭✭✭Daniel2590


    I haven't done a single one that's more than 4 pages.. We've been told 3.5 to 4.5 pages. It's quality that counts, not quantity. :)


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    #6
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    It's a good guideline.
    I would recommend 4 for poetry
    5 for Single Text
    6 for Comparative

    It's what I always aimed for at least.


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    #7
    Geekness1234
    Registered Users Posts: 1,358 ✭✭✭Geekness1234


    MeganB wrote: »
    Im doing higher level english and my teacher keeps telling us that our Macbeth answers have to be four A4 pages, do they?

    We've been instructed to write four to five, exam paper booklet pages. It's worth your while getting used to writing on exam paper, so that sizing will be slightly easier in the Mocks/real thing.


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    #8
    Calvin
    Registered Users Posts: 6,222 ✭✭✭Calvin


    Jeez, I'm barely scraping 3.5 pages. Poetry I can just about make it to 3.5 and with comparative that I'm doing now, I could just about make it over 5.


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    #9
    Geekness1234
    Registered Users Posts: 1,358 ✭✭✭Geekness1234


    Calvin Leong wrote: »
    Jeez, I'm barely scraping 3.5 pages. Poetry I can just about make it to 3.5 and with comparative that I'm doing now, I could just about make it over 5.

    3.5 Pages of A4 will translate to roughly four and a bit pages of exam booklet, the ideal size really. Also you could probably fluff out a tad (too much and it'll be blatant padding) with block quotations, lines between paragraphs etc.
    3.5 pages of well thought out, fluid and relevant material will beat 5/6 pages of waffle. As long as you avoid the "unfocused narrative", that the Chief Examiner's report highlights as a problem, your 3.5 pages is grand.


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    #10
    randylonghorn
    Moderators, Education Moderators Posts: 29,509 Mod ✭✭✭✭randylonghorn


    As Geekness basically just said, quality is far more important than quantity.

    Also remember that people have different size handwriting, and that one person's 4 pages could be another person's 6 ... so comparisons are loose at best, and certainly over the 'net when you've never seen the other person's writing.


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    #11
    EliteC
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 49 ✭EliteC


    Also you could probably fluff out a tad (too much and it'll be blatant padding) with block quotations, lines between paragraphs etc.

    NO NO NO!! Never leave lines between paragraphs. Examiners are ruthless when it comes to paragraphs. They'll slaughter you on the Mechanics!!


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    #12
    peekachoo
    Registered Users Posts: 11,971 ✭✭✭✭peekachoo


    EliteC wrote: »
    NO NO NO!! Never leave lines between paragraphs. Examiners are ruthless when it comes to paragraphs. They'll slaughter you on the Mechanics!!

    I've never been docked marks for leaving lines between paragraphs? And I've always done it. :confused:
    actually in my mocks last year I didn't leave a line because I was kinda running out of room and the examiner wrote in that there wasnt enough distinction between paragraphs :pac:


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    #13
    Shane15
    Registered Users Posts: 221 ✭✭Shane15


    EliteC wrote: »
    NO NO NO!! Never leave lines between paragraphs. Examiners are ruthless when it comes to paragraphs. They'll slaughter you on the Mechanics!!

    You say lines meaning more than one? So, is one line okay? Because that's what I usually do. :confused:


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    #14
    Geekness1234
    Registered Users Posts: 1,358 ✭✭✭Geekness1234


    EliteC wrote: »
    NO NO NO!! Never leave lines between paragraphs. Examiners are ruthless when it comes to paragraphs. They'll slaughter you on the Mechanics!!

    How would they possibly be justifying crucifying me, if I made sure my paragraphs were neat, as a result of adequate spacing? :S


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    #15
    thelad95
    Registered Users Posts: 7,812 ✭✭✭thelad95


    You shouldn't start waffling just so it looks like you have written more. 3 pages of focused writing with the question being precisely answered could get you an A whereas if you padded this out with bull***t just to get it up to four pages you wil risk loosing marks in the purpose and coherence.


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    #16
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    Geekness1234 wrote: »
    How would they possibly be justifying crucifying me, if I made sure my paragraphs were neat, as a result of adequate spacing? :S

    I think it's because a paragraph is usually shown just by going to the next line and then indenting. This new method of leaving a line between them and not indenting seems to be more commonly used on computers.
    Now I don't know about 'slaughtering' but I never understood why people would never just do the 'traditional' way and it looks just as good.


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    #17
    Geekness1234
    Registered Users Posts: 1,358 ✭✭✭Geekness1234


    Just so you guys know, according to the Chief Examiners Report, the main problem with students' answers is "unfocused narrative", i.e not being able to make their answer question orientated. This should be your main worry, not essay length (unless it's ridiculously short) in my opinion.


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    #18
    spurious
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Education Moderators Posts: 27,139 CMod ✭✭✭✭spurious


    Geekness1234 wrote: »
    Just so you guys know, according to the Chief Examiners Report, the main problem with students' answers is "unfocused narrative", i.e not being able to make their answer question orientated. This should be your main worry, not essay length (unless it's ridiculously short) in my opinion.

    This happens with learned off junk.
    If you address the question on the day, it's much less likely to be an issue.


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    #19
    thelad95
    Registered Users Posts: 7,812 ✭✭✭thelad95


    Geekness1234 wrote: »
    Just so you guys know, according to the Chief Examiners Report, the main problem with students' answers is "unfocused narrative", i.e not being able to make their answer question orientated. This should be your main worry, not essay length (unless it's ridiculously short) in my opinion.

    As a rule of thumb make sure the first and last sentence in every paragraph is relevant to the question. This way your likely to stay focused on the question. Even if you stray slightly, your answer will still seem relevant this way.


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