Generally fine, apart from a few stumpers in the vocabulary

Students, particularly ordinary-level students, should have had their first-day exam nerves somewhat soothed by yesterday morning's English papers. Teachers described the ordinary-level paper as straightforward, offering a good range of essays. Ms Majella Deasy, TUI subject representative, said the prose passage, which dealt with a blind woman regaining her sight, demanded an emotional response, and students enjoyed that kind of question.

Ms Sheila Parsons, ASTI subject representative, said this paper was satisfactory. She also commended the personal passage which was "very suitable" for students at this level. Ms Fiona de Buis, a teacher in Vocational School, Waterville, Co Kerry, agreed. "It was reassuringly predictable . . . a good range of compositions and the prose was very accessible." Ms de Buis, who is also a TUI subject representative, said the choice of compositions at higher level was fine; however, the other component of the morning paper, the unprescribed prose, was somewhat more difficult.

"Students were a little intimidated by some of the terminology," she said. For instance, the phrase "cultural signifiers" may have thrown some students. "I think, on the first day of the exam, it's a bit daunting to be faced with vocabulary as an obstacle to comprehension," she added, but the questions themselves were fine. Overall, higher-level students were pleased with the first paper, she said. Ms Deasy said the essays were quite abstract, particularly (a) and (d) but there was scope for imaginative response in (d) and (h) (see sample question). The prose, which dealt with how governments use symbols and ritualistic devices as propaganda tools, was challenging. "Overall the whole paper seems to have a political and historical feel to it," she added. Most of the students in St Thomas's Community College, Bray, seemed to have coped well but they found it a challenge, she said.

Ms Parsons said the higher-level essays were adequate but it was probably not the best year for choice. The prose passage was challenging and the terminology was difficult especially for weaker students. Students of history would have understood the passage more readily, she added.

The afternoon's papers also brought reasonable cheer as teachers agreed that they were very fair. Ms de Buis said both ordinary and higher-level papers were predictable. "The questions were a very good springboard for them to use whatever knowledge they had of the texts," she added.

There was a good range in the poetry questions. Some of the students particularly liked the general poetry question which stated that "good poetry, in a vivid way, makes contact with humanity's most vital experiences and interests". They could look at totally different poets within the parameters of the question, said Ms de Buis. Ms Parsons said higher-level students would have needed to stop and think before they answered questions rather than laying down all they knew. It was quite fair but not an easy paper. The compulsory Othello questions did not focus directly on theme or character. "I would see the same difficulty with some of the poetry questions," she added. In a number of questions it might have been easier to disagree with the propositions.

Ms Deasy said the questions on the higher-level paper 2 were quite focused and would require a good knowledge of the texts. Higher-level students are always under pressure with time. "But I'd be more worried about those who leave early than those who leave with writer's cramp," she said wryly.

Ms Deasy described the afternoon's ordinary-level paper as "a very nice paper indeed, with a comprehensive choice in each questions. It was quite delightful." Ms Parsons was more cautious, saying that paper 2 was not quite as easy as it looked. Memory work, learning and analysis was prioritised in the more popular questions and fewer questions could be answered from the passages.

The experience of students who, in Ms de Buis's words, left Waterville Vocational School "exhausted but quite happy . . . in good humour to watch the football match" was, hopefully, mirrored around the country as day one of the exams ended.