1.1 Written text
Past exam questions
Exam questions from previous years
Instructions
GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS:
Write an essay on at least ONE written text that you have studied. The text(s) can be any of the following:
If you choose to write about more than one text, the texts may be:
Choose ONE of questions 1–7. Make sure your chosen question suits the text(s), and that you understand and can write about BOTH parts of the question before you start writing.
Write an essay on at least ONE written text that you have studied. The text(s) can be any of the following:
- Novel
- Non-fiction
- Print media
- Drama
- Short story
- Poetry / song lyric
- Digital / online text.
If you choose to write about more than one text, the texts may be:
- The same type (eg two poems)
- A combination of different types (“intertextual studies” – eg a poem and a short story).
Choose ONE of questions 1–7. Make sure your chosen question suits the text(s), and that you understand and can write about BOTH parts of the question before you start writing.
2011 NCEA exam
- Describe at least ONE friendship that was important in the text(s).
Explain how the friendship helped you to understand one or more characters or individuals in the text(s). - Describe at least ONE idea that was worth learning about in the text(s).
Explain why the idea was worth learning about in the text(s) as a whole. - Describe at least ONE event that was a turning point in the text(s).
Explain how the event was a turning point in the text(s). - Describe at least ONE setting that was important in the text(s).
Explain how the setting helped you to understand one or more key ideas in the text(s).
Note: Setting is the time, place, and circumstances that form the background against which characters or individuals live and act - Describe at least ONE challenge faced by a character or individual in the text(s).
Explain how the way he / she faced the challenge helped you to understand the character or individual in the text(s). - Describe at least ONE memorable use of language in the text(s).
Explain how this use of language helped you to understand one or more key ideas in the text(s).
Note: Language might include figurative language techniques, imagery, symbolism, vocabulary, or style.
2012 NCEA exam
- Describe at least ONE conflict in the written text(s).
Explain why the conflict was important to the text(s) as a whole. - Describe at least ONE character or individual who changed in the written text(s).
Explain how the change helped you to better understand the character or individual. - Describe at least ONE idea that was memorable in the written text(s).
Explain why the idea was memorable in the text(s) as a whole. - Describe at least ONE significant setting in the written text(s).
Explain how the setting helped you to understand one or more key ideas in the text(s).
Note: Setting is the time, place, and circumstances that form the background against which characters or individuals live and act. - Describe at least ONE important event in the written text(s).
Explain why the event had a positive or negative effect on one or more characters or individuals in the text(s). - Describe at least ONE use of language that made you think about one or more key ideas in the written text(s).
Explain how the language made you think about the key idea(s) in the text(s).
Note: “Use of language” might include features such as figurative language, syntax, symbolism, vocabulary, narrative point-of-view, or style. - Describe at least ONE lesson learned by a character or individual in the written text(s).
Explain why the lesson the character or individual learned was important to the text(s) as a whole.
2013 NCEA exam
- Describe a key relationship between two or more characters or individuals in the written text(s).
Explain how the relationship helped you to understand these characters / individuals. - Describe at least ONE important decision that a main character or individual had to make in the written text(s).
Explain how the decision affected the character / individual OR events throughout the text(s). - Describe at least ONE idea that is relevant to people in today’s society in the written text(s).
Explain why the idea, as shown in the text(s), is relevant to people in today’s society. - Describe at least ONE important setting in the written text(s).
Explain how the setting helped to show the writer’s idea(s).
Note: Setting is the time, place, and circumstances that form the background against which characters or individuals live and act. - Describe at least ONE event that was a turning point in the written text(s).
Explain why the turning point was important in the text(s) as a whole. - Describe at least ONE technique in the written text(s) that helped show the writer’s idea(s).
Explain how the technique showed the writer’s idea(s).
Note: Techniques could include vocabulary, imagery, style, symbolism, structure, or narrative point-of-view. - Describe at least ONE change that happened in the written text(s).
Explain how the change helped you to understand one or more key ideas in the text(s)
2014 NCEA exam
- Describe at least ONE character or individual you could relate to in the written text(s).
Explain why being able to relate to the character or individual was important to the text(s) as a whole. - Describe at least ONE method the writer used to engage the audience with the written text(s).
Explain how this method engaged the audience.
Note: Methods could include characters, events, relationships, narrative point-of-view, language techniques, style, conflicts, or structure. - Describe at least ONE important idea the writer developed throughout the written text(s).
Explain how this idea helped you to understand an important message for teenagers. - Describe at least ONE character or individual in the written text(s) that helped you to understand an important message.
Explain how the character or individual helped you to understand this message. - Describe at least ONE important setting in the written text(s).
Explain how the setting helped you to understand one or more characters or individuals in the text(s).
ote: Setting is the time, place, and circumstances that form the background against which characters or individuals live and act. - Describe at least ONE effective technique used in the written text(s).
Explain how this technique helped you to understand an important message.
Note: Techniques could include vocabulary, style, imagery, symbolism, structure, or narrative point-of-view. - Describe at least ONE important conflict in the written text(s).
Explain how this conflict helped you to understand one or more characters or individuals in the text(s)
2015 NCEA exam
- Describe at least one important relationship in the written text(s).
Explain how this relationship positively or negatively influenced one or more characters. - Describe at least one important character in the written text(s).
Explain how the character changes throughout the text(s). - Describe the ending of the written text(s).
Explain why the ending made for a satisfactory conclusion. - Describe at least one important setting in the written text(s).
Explain how the setting helped you to understand at least one idea.
Note: “Setting” may refer to physical places as well as social and historical contexts. - Describe at least one important object or symbol in the written text(s).
Explain why this object or symbol helped you to understand at least one character.
Note: A symbol could be a place, person, or thing that represents something more than itself. - Describe the structure of the written text(s).
Explain how the structure helped you to understand the writer’s purpose.
Note: “Structure” refers to the way a text is arranged. - Describe an incident that changes the course of events in the written text(s).
Explain how this change helped you to understand an important idea. - Describe at least one important technique used in the written text(s).
Explain how the use of the technique created impact.
Note: Techniques could include figures of speech, syntax, word-choice, style, symbolism, structure, or narrative point-of-view.
2016 NCEA exam
- Describe at least one important object in the written text.
Explain why that object was important. - Describe one important decision in the written text.
Explain how that decision changed at least one important relationship or character. - Describe at least one important technique used in the written text.
Explain how the technique created an emotional response in you.
Note: Techniques could include figures of speech, syntax, word-choice, style, symbolism, structure, or narrative point-of-view. - Describe the beginning of the written text.
Explain how the beginning helped you to understand at least one important aspect of the text. - Describe at least one important place in the written text.
Explain how that place helped you to understand an important message in the text - Describe an important conflict in the written text.
Explain how the conflict helped you to understand an important message. - Describe at least one important character in the written text.
Explain how this character is revealed to you throughout the text. - Describe one key moment that helped to prepare you for another moment in the written text.
Explain how the first moment prepared you for the second
2017 NCEA exam
- Describe at least one important technique used in the written text.
Explain how this technique helped you to understand one or more key ideas.
Note: Techniques could include figures of speech, syntax, word choice, style, symbolism, structure, or narrative point of view. - Describe the ending of the written text.
Explain how this part of the text was predictable or unexpected. - Describe a place or time where a main character felt very comfortable or uncomfortable in the written text.
Explain how techniques helped you to understand the character’s reaction(s).
Note: Techniques could include figures of speech, syntax, word choice, style, symbolism, structure, or narrative point of view. - Describe a key moment that shocked or surprised you in the written text.
Explain how this moment was important to the text as a whole. - Describe at least one challenge faced by a character or individual in the written text.
Explain how this challenge helped you to understand the character or individual. - Describe a character or individual that you disliked OR admired in the written text.
Explain how your feelings towards this character helped you to understand the text as a whole. - Describe at least one idea that changed your perspective (point of view) in the written text.
Explain how this idea changed your perspective.