✍️ Leaving Cert English Paper 1
How to Write a High-Scoring Short Story
(From the perspective of an examiner 👀)
📌 What I’m Looking For
As an examiner, I don’t expect perfection — but I do expect control.
A strong short story shows:
- Clear structure 🏗️
- Engaging detail 🎯
- A focused idea 💡
If your story feels real, controlled, and purposeful, you’re already heading toward top marks.
🎬 1. Build Your Story Like a “Tension Mountain”
Your story should rise, peak, and fall — like a mountain.
🟢 Stage 1: Exposition (The Opening)
This is where you set everything up quickly and clearly.
✔ Name your main character straight away
✔ Show when and where the story happens
✔ Hook me with something interesting
💡 Examiner Tip:
If I’m confused in the first paragraph, you’ve already lost marks.
🟡 Stage 2: Rising Action (Build the Pressure)
Now introduce a problem or conflict.
✔ Something must go wrong
✔ Characters should react and develop
✔ Tension should slowly increase
💡 Think: arguments, secrets, fear, decisions, pressure.
🔴 Stage 3: Climax (The Big Moment)
This is the most important part of your story.
✔ Your character must make a difficult choice
✔ The tension should be at its highest
💡 Examiner Tip:
No big decision = no real climax = lower marks.
🔵 Stage 4: Falling Action (Aftermath)
Show what happens immediately after the big moment.
✔ Let things settle
✔ Show consequences
⚫ Stage 5: Resolution (Ending)
Finish your story properly.
You can:
- ✔ Solve everything (The Fix)
- ✔ Add a twist (The Trapdoor)
- ✔ Show change (The Shift)
💡 Examiner Tip:
A rushed ending is one of the most common mistakes.
🎨 2. Master “Show, Don’t Tell”
This is where top students stand out.
❌ Don’t Tell Me:
“She was old.”
✅ Show Me:
“Her hands trembled as she gripped the curved wooden cane, her thin, spotted skin catching the light.”
🔍 How to Do It:
✔ Use sensory details (what we see, hear, feel)
✔ Describe actions, not just facts
✔ Let the reader figure things out
💡 Examiner Tip:
If you just list adjectives, it feels lazy.
If you describe actions, it feels real.
⚠️ 3. Avoid These Common Mistakes
🚫 Melodrama
Don’t try to write a movie plot.
❌ Too much: murders, explosions, dramatic twists
✔ Better: a small, realistic moment done well
🚫 Pre-Learned Stories
I can spot these instantly.
❌ Forcing a memorised story into the title
✔ Adapting your idea to fit the question properly
🚫 Overcomplicated Plots
Keep it simple.
✔ Focus on one main idea
✔ One key conflict
✔ One clear character journey
🧠 4. Final Examiner Advice
If you remember nothing else, remember this:
✨ Clarity beats complexity
✨ Control beats chaos
✨ Detail beats generalisation
🏁 Your Goal
Write a story that feels:
- Focused 🎯
- Real 🧍♂️
- Controlled ✍️
If I enjoy reading it and can follow it easily, you’re already pushing into top marks.