sqa higher english drama essay questions

How to study drama

Studying Drama: An Overview

• Be familiar with the entire script and not just the specific “chunks” or scenes.
• Learn about the historical or social context of the drama which can tremendously help with understanding characters’ motives and actions.

Understanding Characters

• Evaluate the narrative descriptions, dialogues, and actions of the characters to get a clear picture of them.
• Consider the playwright’s purpose for each character and their relevance to the overarching storyline.

Analysis of Dramatic Techniques

• Look at the use of dialogue and stage directions, and how they convey the atmosphere or themes.
• Notice dramatic irony where the audience knows something that a character or characters do not.
• Consider how elements such as foreshadowing and flashbacks are used.

Examining the Themes

• Identify key themes and motifs of the play and analyse their recurrence and development throughout the drama.
• Consider how these themes are dramatised and explored through plot and character development.

Appreciation of Aesthetic Elements

• Be mindful of the aesthetic elements such as costumes, settings, lighting, and sound effects, and their contribution to the drama.
• Understand how these elements enhance or contribute to the mood, atmosphere, character portrayal, and overall aesthetic quality of the drama.

Critical Evaluation

• Be able to summarise the drama concisely and accurately.
• Develop an ability to critically evaluate and analyse the drama, its themes, characters, and techniques.
• Formulate personal responses, supported by close textual analysis.

Note: bold terms are key phrases that should be remembered.

Remember, drama is both a visual and auditory art form – consider how these elements work together to create a complete dramatic experience.

SQA Higher English Past Papers

Higher English past papers and mark schemes. Download SQA Higher English past papers for exam revision and practice. 

2019 SQA Higher English Past Papers

Sqa higher english paper 1.

SQA Higher English Question Paper 1. Reference X824/76/11.

View Question Paper

View Mark Scheme

2018 SQA Higher English Past Papers

SQA Higher English Question Paper 1. Reference X724/76/11.

2017 SQA Higher English Past Papers

2016 sqa higher english past papers.

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New Higher Critical Essay Questions

Subject: English

Age range: 14-16

Resource type: Assessment and revision

Last updated

22 February 2018

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Higher English

Updates and announcements, consultation on the scottish set text list (07/03/24).

As part of our ongoing review and maintenance of National Courses, we’re running an eight-week consultation to gather feedback from teachers, lecturers and learners on the current Scottish set text list for National 5 and Higher English courses.

We plan to update the list for use in session 2025-26 onwards, so that it more fully reflects life in Scotland. There are two surveys – one for practitioners and one for learners.

Complete our practitioner survey .

Complete our learner survey .

This is the first time we’ve asked learners for their views on the content of the Scottish set text list. We’re seeking views from learners across a range of age groups – including learners in S1 to S3, those in the senior phase (S4 to S6), recent school leavers attending college and university, and those in the workplace.

Both surveys will remain open until Monday 6 May 2024 . We’ll then organise focus groups with teachers, lecturers and learners in August/September to explore the survey feedback in more detail.

We’ll publish the revised Scottish set text list in November 2024, for implementing in session 2025-26. The 2026 exams will be the first to feature content from the revised list.

View our news release on the Scottish set text consultation 

Communication and Literature units (24/08/23)

Qualification verification summary report (qvsr).

• Qualification Verification Summary Report 2022  (186 KB)

SCQF level 5

Guidance for the Communication and Introduction to Literature units (SCQF level 5) (142 KB)

• Communication - SCQF level 5
• Introduction to Literature - SCQF level 5

SCQF level 6

The following guidance details how to deliver and assess these units.

Assessment guidance valid from 2023-24 (112 KB)

Guidance for the Communication NC and Literature 1 units (SCQF level 6) (152 KB)

• Communication (NC) - SCQF level 6
• Literature 1 - SCQF level 6

Alternative certification model

The alternative certification model is how National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher courses will be resulted this year, following the cancellation of the 2021 exams. It involves five different stages.

View the alternative certification model and see what will happen at each stage.

Essential Information

Course specification ( 13/09/2023 ).

Explains the structure of the course, including its purpose and aims and information on the skills, knowledge and understanding that will be developed.

• Higher English course specification September 2023

Past Papers and Marking Instructions

Access all past papers by subject/level

Additional question papers resources

Illustrates the standard, structure and requirements of the question papers candidates will sit (includes marking instructions).

• Higher English Critical Reading Specimen Question Paper August 2023

There were no exams in 2021. The 2020-21 question paper resources are, for most subjects, modified papers which reflect the modifications put in place for session 2020-21

• Higher English Critical Reading question paper
• Higher English Reading for Understanding, Analysis and Evaluation question paper
• Higher English Reading for Understanding, Analysis and Evaluation text
• Higher English Critical Reading marking instructions
• Higher English Reading for Understanding, Analysis and Evaluation marking instructions

Coursework ( 18/1/24 )

This section provides information on marking instructions and/or the coursework assessment task(s). It includes information that centres need to administer coursework and must be read in conjunction with the course specification.

Instructions

• Instructions for the submission of National 5 and Higher English coursework January 2024
• English Coursework Template - Microsoft Word
• English Coursework Template - Google Docs
• Coursework assessment task for Higher English
• Guidance on conditions of assessment

Information on the production and submission of SQA-assessed coursework for National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher.

• Coursework for External Assessment (261 KB)

Understanding Standards ( 24/01/2024 )

• Examples of candidate evidence with commentaries

Audio Presentation

• Critical Reading- Essays 2023-2024 (16 minutes) (26.26 MB)
• Critical Reading- Scottish Text 2023-2024 (16 minutes) (27.51 MB)

Webinar (recording)

Changes to course assessment academic session 2018-19 onwards

• Download webinar (72.21 MB)

Performance - Spoken Language Understanding Standards materials

• Higher English performance - Spoken Language material . Login required Please speak to your SQA co-ordinator to access these materials.

Changes to Understanding Standards materials

• Changes to published Understanding Standards materials for all subjects

Please note: Understanding Standards materials are regularly reviewed to ensure they remain up to date.

Additional Resources session 2020-22

Further information can be found on the Understanding Standards Website.

Course reports ( 14/09/2023 )

Provides information on the performance of candidates - which is useful to teachers, lecturers and assessors in their preparation of candidates for future assessment.

Course Reports

• 2023 Higher English Course Report September 2023
• 2022 Higher English Course Report September 2022
• 2019 Higher English Course Report   September 2019
• 2018 Higher English Course Report   August 2018
• 2017 Higher English Course Report October 2017

Verification Reports

In 2019, a single qualification verification summary report replaced the verification key messages.

• English Verification Key Messages Round 1 March 2017
• English: Quality Assurance - external verification

Scottish Texts in English Courses

Scottish text list for National 5 and Higher English courses (valid from session 2018-19).

• Scottish set text list 2018-19

Ushare open learning resources

Where can you take this course?

Centre Finder

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Home of The Brave

Higher practice – prose questions.

The following exam questions have been lifted from the old Higher papers. It would be worth your while to take a look at these and practice your critical writing. Remember you must have a clear introduction that sets out what you are going to be looking at, each main paragraph must have a point which is then back up with evidence from the text (preferably a quote). You then need to analyse this evidence, how is it supporting your point? And finally how does this link back to the main argument?

>Choose a novel in which the fate of the main character is important in conveying the writer’s theme. Explain what you consider the main theme to be and discuss how effectively the fate of the character conveys it.

>Choose a novel which has one of the following as its theme: sacrifice; unrequited love; isolation. Discuss the techniques by which the novelist establishes one of these themes and go on to show how, in the end, he or she achieves a satisfactory resolution.

>Choose a novel in which the writer’s method of narration (such as first person narrative, diary form, journal…) plays a significant part. Explain briefly the method of narration and discuss its importance to your appreciation of the text.

>Choose a novel where the method of narration makes an important contribution to the success of the text. Briefly explain the method of narration used by the author and then show in more detail the ways in which it contributes to the overall theme.

>Choose a novel which seems to be bleak and pessimistic. Show how the pessimism is established and go on to discuss the extent to which the pessimism contributes to the overall theme.

>Choose a novel with dark uncertain undertones. Explain the means by which the writer has created the undertones and, in more detail, discuss their contribution to the themes as a whole.

>Choose a novel in which the novelist makes use of more than one location. Discuss how the use of different locations allows the novelist to develop the central concern(s) of the text.

>Choose a novel where characters are affected by certain external forces over which they have little control. Discuss the writer’s use of such forces – social, political, supernatural – and show the extent to which the characters have difficulty in dealing with them.

>Choose a novel in which the novelist makes use of symbols. Describe briefly what they represent and discuss how the use of these symbols helps develop the central concern(s) of the text.

>Choose a novel in which the story’s emotional twists ensure that your interest is held until the end. Briefly explain how these twists involve you in the story and then discuss how they lead to a deeper appreciation of the text as a whole.

>Choose a novel which has a theme of friendship or family relationships. Show how the novelist explores your chosen theme and discuss how this treatment enhances your appreciation of the novel as a whole.

>Choose a novel in which a character experiences a moment of revelation. Describe briefly what is revealed and discuss its significance to your understanding of the theme/s.

>Choose a novel in which a minor character plays an important part. Show how the minor character’s role is established and go on to discuss how that character contributes to either the fate of the main character or to the overall theme of the novel.

>Choose a novel which slowly reveals the strengths of the main character. Show how the writer achieves the revelation and go on to demonstrate how it contributes to the overall theme of the text.

>Choose a novel with a central character you consider to be heroic. Show how the heroic qualities are revealed and discuss how this portrayal of the character enhances your understanding of the text as a whole.

>Choose a novel where the story, interesting for its own sake, nevertheless also comments more generally on human behaviour. Show how the story itself interests you but go on to discuss how the story also has a much more universal appeal.

>Choose a novel where the ending raises more questions than answers. Explain how the novelist prepares us for the ending and go on to discuss its contribution to the novel as a whole. >Choose a novel in which one character’s loyalty or disloyalty to another proves to be decisive. Explain how this arises and go on to discuss why you think it is important to the text as a whole.

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Higher Drama

The Higher Drama Course develops skills in creating and presenting drama. Learners develop and use complex drama skills and production skills to present drama.

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• Sep 29, 2021

SQA Higher English: an expert guide to RUAE

Updated: Mar 31, 2022

Note: the techniques and approaches listed are not exhaustive and definitive. Rather, they are based on analysis of the last 7 years of SQA RUAE papers and are only suggestions.

Before beginning the questions:

Before you begin the passage, always ask yourself two questions:

· what is the passage about?

· how does the writer feel about the subject?

The answer to the first question helps you with context and answering the 5-mark question (more on that later), whilst the answer to the second question will help you identify the types of words, sentence structure, images and tone the writer will use. The italics before the passage will often offer a guide to these questions but do not always offer definitive answers.

An effective strategy is to read the last question before you begin to read the passage. You then highlight the quotations required for the last question as you read the passage thereby ensuring that you read with a purpose. It also means that you are not left in a panic with 5 minutes left as you desperately try to find quotes for the last question.

GOLDEN RULE

FIND WORDS FROM THE QUESTION IN THE PASSAGE. LOOK AROUND THEM AND YOU WILL OFTEN BE GIVEN THE ANSWER.

Types of question

Understanding questions:

For the most part, these questions involve putting information into YOUR OWN WORDS .

For a number of years this has been signposted in the question with use your own words in your answer .

Your basic approach to doing this should be:

· Find the information

· Highlight it

· Put it in your own words

How do I put things into my own words?

There are a number of strategies for this:

· Substitute one word for another

· Substitute a phrase for a word

· Ask yourself: what idea is the writer communicating?

· Interpret/ quantify numbers and dates. This is something that candidates often fail to do but it is quite simple. For example, 1920 becomes over 100 years ago and 140, 000 000 becomes an enormous number .

Variations:

Whilst the vast majority of understanding questions simply ask you to put things in your own words, occasionally the question includes the phrase, ‘ supported by the example .’ Here you are being asked to summarise the importance of the example at least partially, rather than simply substituting one word for another.

An example of this would be the 2019 Higher English paper where the question reads ‘Explain how the writer’s argument about fake news is supported by the example of the Paris attack.’ In the answer to this question, you can gain marks for substituting incredibly fast for ‘quickly’ but you can also gain marks for summarising. The passage contains the following extract: ‘during the November 2015 Paris terror attacks, rumours quickly spread on social media that the Louvre and the Pompidou Centre had been hit, and that the French president had suffered a stroke.’ Rather than attempting to find other words for ‘Paris’, ‘Louvre’, ‘president’ you should respond to the question by saying the example shows that stories can become exaggerated.

Developing an argument questions:

These questions are about how a paragraph or a sentence move the writer’s argument/ topic from one aspect of the argument/ topic to another. They seem to have replaced the Link Question which has not featured since the inception of the new Higher in 2015. They have appeared in the 2015, 2017 and 2021. You must quote and explain how the quote reveals that the writer is using it to move from one topic to the other.

Think: before and after.

Example: Explain the function of these lines in the development of the writer’s argument. You should make close reference to the passage in your answer.

Answer: ‘could the British… look like this? Signals the writer’s change of focus from the USA to the UK (1 mark).

You must do this twice. NOTE: YOU ARE NOT ANALYSING TECHNIQUES, JUST IDENTIFYING HOW THE LINE DEVELOPS THE ARGUMENT.

Analysis questions:

These questions involve looking at techniques, using quotes, and offering explanations. When answering, think:

· what does it mean?

· Why is it being used?

One quote and explanation will get you one mark unless it is imagery you have commented on. Language or style questions mean you can comment on any of the following.

Sentence Structure

Remember to be detailed - what is being emphasised? Also, you should remember to quote at all times. The underlined parts should always be used when answering these questions. Remember to quantify - ‘the amount…’ is not enough; you must say ‘the huge amount…’ etc.

Short sentence: bluntly emphasises its content, adds drama.

The short sentence ‘There is a lot to be done.’ bluntly emphasises the writer’s belief that there is much work to be completed in combating these industries.

List: emphasises variety and number of things.

The list ‘other cultures… climates’ emphasises the huge number of things that air travel allows people to experience.

Repetition: emphasise something - say what is being emphasised.

The repetition of ‘We need’ emphasises the idea that society as a whole must come together and fight these companies.

The above are the most likely features of sentence structure. Indeed, knowledge of the three techniques listed above would enable you to answer any analysis question from the past 7 years, allowing you to comment on sentence structure.

However, you might also comment on topic sentences - the first sentence in a paragraph - which might bluntly introduce the topic.

You might comment on how sentences start ‘Originally… After that’ which might communicate a sequence.

You might also be asked about parallelism - where sentences are repeatedly structured/ balanced in the same way.

Example: ‘Don’t buy a baby walker, your toddlers might brain themselves. Don’t buy plastic baby teethers, your baby might suck in harmful chemicals.’

This emphasises all the things they discourage you from buying and underscore their idea that there is threat everywhere/ everything is dangerous/ has consequences.

Word Choice:

You should try to say what the definition/ connotations of these words are and why they are used. Try to keep your quotes to 1 word if possible

Follow this structure:

2. Suggests

3. Context (he, she they, it)

4. Two connotations

‘Crammed’ suggests they were kept in claustrophobic, unpleasant conditions.

If you are dealing with imagery – usually a simile, personification or a metaphor – then there are two stages:

1. say what the connotations of the image are - give two connotations

2. say what connotations the subject shares with the image, again giving two but using different words.

‘ Just as a tumour is unhealthy, ugly and can lead to serious illness or death (stage 1) 1st mark, so too was London destructive to the country, filled with disease and unpleasant to look at. (stage 2) 2nd mark.

Punctuation:

Often a part of sentence structure but not the first thing you should look at. Look out for colons and dashes that come before an explanation - they introduce an expansion or explanation, a list or extra information. Say what it is a list of or extra info about. To find out what is being introduced, look just before the dash or colon.

Semi-colons split up a list, creating a definite break between each item. They also set up a contrast.

Inverted commas show speech. The writer might use them to show they are someone else’s words and not the writers, to show a quote, or show the writer doubts what is being said. It might also be used to mock an idea

Parenthesis is a regularly used feature - it is information contained within two rackets, two dashes, or two commas. You should say that parenthesis is used to emphasise the extra information contained within the punctuation.

Evaluation:

You should try to quote with these questions. They are similar to analysis questions but you should say how effective something is - say it is effective and why, using quotes as evidence.

Mostly, they ask you about how effective a sentence or a paragraph is as a conclusion - look for links to ideas earlier in the passage or even the title and state what they are. This gives a sense that the writer is summing up/ emphasising a point. Also look for them to drive a point home with a powerful topic sentence, an angry tone or a mocking tone, or repetition.

How effective do you find lines 36-39 as a conclusion to the writer’s condemnation of video gaming in the passage as a whole?

‘So I say now’ is effective because it is a powerful start signalling he will sum up his thoughts.

‘yank out that plug’ is effective as he commands parents to stop their children playing these games. This reinforces the point he has been making throughout, especially in the second paragraph when he commands that parents ‘just say no to Nintendo’.

‘strike a blow for literacy’ returns to the titles giving a sense of summing up and reinforcing the central idea of the passage - cutting down on gaming will improve school performance.

Last Question:

For a number of years, the last question in an RUAE paper is a 5-mark question that asks you to look at how the writers agree and/ or disagree on a topic. To get 5 marks you must find 3 areas of agreement and/ or disagreement. Most of the time the paper only asks for agreement or disagreement.

From my experience as an SQA marker, I would say that this is the question that is most poorly done, which is silly when I would consider it the easiest question to score highest in. I would recommend the following approach:

· read the last question BEFORE you read the passage

· with a specific colour, highlight the point the writer makes about the topic

· do all the questions up to the last question

· read the second passage up until you have at least three areas of agreement and/ or disagreement (if you have time, do four and use one as a back up in case one of the first three points is wrong)

· stop reading

· begin answering the question

Template for the 5-mark question:

· Point of agreement/ disagreement

· Passage one states ‘quote’ which shows ____________________- this should be a summary of how the quote links to the point of agreement/ disagreement. Try the drag it out a little/ not make it too brief or you run the risk of receiving 4 marks instead of 5.

· Passage two states ‘quote’ which shows__________________________- same as above but for passage two.

· You should do the above 3 times to receive 5 marks.

This was from a paper where the question asked about how the writers disagreed on the experience of shopping.

Passage 1 states that shopping is ‘the heroin of human happiness’ which shows she thinks it is damaging and harmful to both the individual and society.

Passage 2 states that shoppers are ‘doing something important’ which shows he thinks that it benefits both society and the individual.

Passage 1 states that ‘our needs are never satisfied’ which shows she thinks that long term happiness cannot be achieved through shopping no matter how hard we try.

Passage 2 states that ‘shopping is enormous fun and profoundly satisfying’ which shows he thinks the experience can be emotionally beneficial and bring real, lasting happiness.

Architecture

Passage 1 states that shopping has created a ‘mainstream monoculture’ which shows she thinks that the obsession with shopping means towns and city centres all look the same.

Passage 2 states that ‘malls are marble-floored temples’ which shows he thinks they are visually stunning.

_______________________________________________________________________________

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