sqa national 5 english personal essay

English National 5 Essay Examples Available

The English Department have sent more resources for National 5 critical essay revision to this site for inclusion.

They take the form of exemplar timed essays on the novels studied in the course: Stone Cold, Of Mice and Men and Animal Farm.

Find them on the dedicated critical essay revision page . The PDF files are named according to: the novel they are concerned with; whether they are the first or second example (1 or 2); and each example is numbered into parts – (i) – (iv).

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Personal Essay Examples – S4 Nat 5

This one PASSED.

Type: Reflective Essay

Title: “Cowal Games”

It was a warm August morning. I had laid out my kilt and the rest of my uniform the night before. I was going to Cowal Games – to play my bagpipes. I had never been very good at getting up in the morning … except for that August day. I ran down the stairs almost tripping up on my dressing gown.

My first really important performing event! I was mentally listing all the ceilidhs and parades I had ever done, thinking how important these events had seemed to me – even the time I piped in the New Year.

I dressed, rather hurriedly, in my kilt, sporran, belt, shirt, tie, socks, flashes, shoes and finally my thick tweed jacket. I scraped my hair back, and left the house, pipes in one hand, hat in the other.

As I drew close to the rendezvous point, I noticed everyone waiting eagerly, their sky blue kilts waving in the wind. The minibus was waiting. Turned out I was late! We all scrambled on and squeezed our equipment into the back, even Billy’s Big Bass Drum.

Before we knew it, we were off. We were travelling with another pipe band who kindly paid for the ferry ride there and back. The journey went fairly smoothly except for a few minor hiccups (Billy stalling the bus). Apart from that we had to wait in a long queue before boarding the ferry. I passed the time texting furiously on my mobile. The bus finally made it to the front of the queue, but as we were leaving the pier and moving onto the ramp, the bus stalled. We all looked round at each other.

Billy restarted the engine and everyone sighed with relief as we entered the car deck of the ferry. The ferry was dazzling white and the sea choppy, so I clambered up to the top deck to see Dunoon on the horizon. The salt air whipped my face but I still watched us travel towards the horizon. My kilt was almost whipped up in the wind, but I managed to catch it in time!

We arrived at the pier at the same time as the Waverley. We stopped with a jerk. Hundreds of people, young and old, piled out onto the pier. We sped out – without stalling. Soon we stopped on a grassy verge to unload all of our equipment.

We all strolled to the largest piece of trampled grass we could find. I hid myself under my tweed jacket and hat, hoping no one would recognise me. The drummers showed off their skills and I tapped my foot to the beat. Just being there with the band as a piper was an achievement for me. The

Pipe Major made sure everything was perfect before we formed into a circle and went straight into a reel.

Quite quickly a huge crowd gathered round us. I tried to make no eye contact and stared straight into the sky so the sun was beating down on my forehead.

That was just the begining of it. Before I could take a rest, we were parading up a long road that ran through the heart of Dunoon. We played “Scotland the Brave”, which is an all-time favourite of mine. My lungs filled and deflated like bellows. I tried to ignore the audience of people around me

but – instead I crinkled my eyes to keep the sun out. People “awed” at the band’s youngest pipers,

Peter and Alan, only 8 years old.

Later on that evening after enjoying the Highland Games and talking to lots of new people, one of the pipers invited the band to a ceilidh which didn’t finish till midnight. So I danced the night away to Strip the Willow and the Dashing White Sergeant. At exactly midnight I watched the serene sky

become a huge drama of fireworks. This display ended with an enormous explosion and flash of purple with what looked like glitter or a falling star come towards me and the earth.

Finally, exhausted, and after spending about 20 minutes looking for two pipers who were found boozing at the hotel bar, we made the last ferry and the two rather drunk pipers scrambled to the front to play the Skye Boat Song with another 25 pipers and drummers.

The long drive home was made shorter by the 2 pipers playing reels and jigs non-stop all the way home. As I waved goodbye to everyone I realised how tired and exhausted I was. Back home, I launched into my bed after dumping all my gear on the floor.

Looking back now I realise how I have changed so much from one experience, which has made me so determined to go and play at even bigger events, like the Tattoo and the World Championships. It has also given me confidence to perform in front of hundreds of people.

This one FAILED.

Title: “The Big Day”

The day had arrived. I had nothing but sheer panic whizzing around my head. I had butterflies in my stomach. I couldn’t calm myself down no matter what I tried. I kept thinking to myself, would my teacher like me? I was thinking what if I don’t make any friends and what if nobody likes me? Help!

Have you thought what this dreaded day is? Yes, my first day Primary School.

When I got up that morning I remember seeing my new school uniform hanging outside my wardrobe and I felt dread in me. I would have been so much happier just to stay warm, snug in my bed with the covers over my head but I knew I couldn’t. I would have to get up and face my nightmare. My mum had made me breakfast that morning but I couldn’t eat it because of my nerves. I was looking at the clock every two seconds. It felt as though the clock was going a million times faster than it should be. I was thinking, slow down please.

As my mum pulled up outside the school I remember seeing all the children scrambling about and shouting like foghorns. This made me even more nervous. My mum took my hand and we walked through the playground. It felt as though everyone was gazing at me in wonder. I was thinking, is

there something wrong with me? Why is everybody staring? My mum said to me not to worry and to be brave, everything was going to be allright.

We slowly walked into the classroom. I saw my teacher. She looked like a witch. She had long straggly brown hair, big massive brown staring eyes and a mole on her chin. Her big eyes were looking right at me. I felt quite frightened. Once she began to talk she seemed quite nice and bubbly.

Luckily our parents were allowed to stay for half an hour or so. The time flew in and I was trying to be brave for my mum, but my tears just came bursting out and splashing down my face.

When all the parents had left, she got us to introduce ourselves. Once we had done that we were put into groups. I was thinking. What if I am put in a group full of boys, or girls who don’t like me and pick on me? That never happened though. I made a really nice friend called Hannah.

That first day I had loads of fun and was loving playing around with the play doh, sand, etc. The parents arrived back at twelve o’clock to take us home. I was having so much fun I didn’t want to leave. I couldn’t wait for the next day to come.

Thinking back now of all the things I have learned in primary school such as to read and write and have discipline are precious to me. I would go back to my primary school any day to get one more thought of the place. Now I am in High School its so much different as your treated like an adult and

its so much stricter. But I guess you just have to live with it as your much older.

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Sqa national 5 english paper 1 – may 2017.

SQA National 5 English Question Paper 1. Reference X724/75/11.

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