Adam's English Journal

Krush’em’s crush us
We’ve all seen these fast food restaurant adverts, such as the Big Mac from Mcdonalds where the sesame seeds are perfectly separated and the two layers of beef are overflowing with delicious juices. Or the Krushem from KFC, with the large pieces of chocolate swirled perfectly within the creamy outer layer which surrounds a gooey caramel centre. But have you ever bought something which looks so ‘perfect’ or ‘beautiful’?
These adverts usually start with some cheerful music playing in the background, while the music is playing there would be a video of some very happy people with this supposedly Godly product.
Take a look at the Krushems advert, the advert is staged as a movie trailer. The trailer starts off with a woman who is talking about her ‘perfect’ man and her ‘perfect’ life, however the trailer then goes on to revealing that a white chocolate and cream mix, called a Krushem, is somehow having a secret relationship with the woman who is already engaged to her ‘perfect’ guy. This ‘trailer’ is like something to get people to watch terrible soaps such as Emmerdale, everything is exaggerated.
This is exactly the same in the advert for the ‘Small Mac’, the product is what seems to make everybody’s life absolutely perfect! The girls are all supermodels, the men are all muscular and they all have perfect teeth. However what they don’t show is that the fast food products that they’re trying to sell will probably cause exactly the opposite affect of what their advertising, such as obesity, bad health and bad breath.
However if this was in the real world, you would first actually need to go and buy this ‘amazing’ product, which would probably consist of some kind of unhygienic, spotty teenager going and making this product with his grotty unwashed hands. Then after you actually get it you would only have a few minutes of actual ‘pleasure’ from consuming this thick and creamy liquid, as the real-life container is so small.
In reality these fast food products don’t affect us anyway. Apart from making us feel full, slowly but surely turning us obese and causing large holes in our pockets. And usually the food is made from different ‘secret’ ingredients such as horse meat, and recently there have even been cases of semen being found.
Yet these adverts promote food, which doesn’t even look anything like the advertised food. Their food sometimes isn’t even what they make us think, however they’re secretly hiding the truth from us ! For example on the mcdonalds and KFC website they don’t actually mention anything about how or where their food is being manufactured or produced, however they do talk quite a bit about the the packaging, waste and their energy usage.
Have you ever had a ‘Big Mac’ which has made you have a perfect day? Or have you ever seen someone having a relationship with a food product? I think not! So next time you go to a fast food restaurant, think twice about what you’re going to eat.

Current Grade: 35/40

Bare Vexed
Even with her insulting attitude, I tend to agree with Isabelle Kerr’s argument. However the I don’t agree with the way that she express her point. For example when she describes the future of the English language she uses the word ‘bleak’ and ‘pointless’.
I agree with her, when she says that ‘these words simply promulgate an unhealthy culture obsessed with being seen in the right places and knowing who’s doing what’. This is in fact true, this can be seen throughout this younger generation’s behaviour, such as constantly uploading pictures of where they’ve been, what they’re doing and even of what they’re eating on to social websites and social networking platforms.
However, unlike Isabelle Kerr, I can say ‘As a member of the younger generation’ as I am actually part of this ‘younger generation’ and not clinging to it, like Isabelle’.
I believe that the use of these words in the real world can sometimes be a little over the top, leading to other people not understanding or for other people to think that this use of language is for ‘stupid’ people. However when online or texting, language such as yolo, or lol should be and is deemed acceptable. This is because it’s simply easier and quicker to say/type, as this kind of language has been created through the evolution of English language and the release of new technology and software which allow us to communicate more through text.
However the migration of these words and phrases from the electronical texting to the real world is where the problem begins.
Isabelle Kerr is also getting confused (which could in fact be an indicator of her old age) by the way that the current language is being used, for example ‘twerk’ & ‘twerking’ was in fact used before this huge publicity about Miley Cyrus’s twerk at the MTV video music awards. Before it was used in this sexualy provocative manor it was used to describe a repetitive movement in the hip hop culture, which in fact was quite some time before Miley Cyrus’s interpretation. ‘Twerking’ as a word, fell out of use, and has been brought back into use by our youth culture to mean a more sexualised version of what the original word meant.
As well as this Isabelle Kerr seems to clinging on to the idea that she is still part of this ‘younger generation’, she calls it ‘my younger generation’ and she also states that ‘ As a member of the younger generation, partly responsible for these linguistic climities, I can only apologise’ . All of this make me believe that, she has some how still classing herself as this youth group. Even though she has unfortunately already left it, taking all of this into consideration I believe that she is now complaining about the language because she has now left that social group and is simply just not part of it. Resulting in her feeling, left out and angry/annoyed, all of this anger is then directed to the language which she is now not using and apart of.
During Isabelle Kerr’s article, she talks about how ‘Shakespeare will be turning in his grave’ by the use of such bad language, however Shakespeare was in fact creating and using slang in his plays and even in his everyday life, examples of these words consist of ‘addiction’, ‘uncomfortable’ and even ’swagger’ which is used today by the majority of the youth generation.
However, unlike Isabelle Kerr I believe that people should decide what kind of language they would like to use. People should be able to speak however they want. As well as this I believe that the reason that MY generation is using this type of language is because they have been brought up to believe that this is how they think they should be conversing. However this subject has received a lot of publicity because it has become more socially acceptable. Let me explain; socially, it becomes more acceptable as more people use it. However, as more people use it, eventually this provokes huge responses like this one by the people who have yet not accepted it such as Isabelle Kerr. Who is very against this evolutional change of language.
Although more people are now using this type of language because they have been brought up in communities and social groups where it is necessary to talk in such a way, or they wouldn’t be socially accepted.
So in my opinion, modern slang can be full of richness. However whether it’s acceptable all depends on who uses it and how it is being used.

Writing: 33/40
Reading: 7/10

Now and Then
The moon is high, shining bright, throwing pale light over the darkened streets and roads. Joyful cheers of ‘trick or treat’ and low-pitched doorbells can be heard far and wide on this one night called hallows end.
Skeletons hanging by a hangman’s noose from the tops of trees and roofs. Bats hang from the branches and eaves waiting for the call of the night to begin. Rags roll on the rattling shutters, stained with the crimson colour of clotted blood.
As you look into the black void above, you can see the swelled super moon and distant stars hovering above your head. You can feel your shadow forming from the presence from it. It feels almost as if it’s piercing light is coming from across hundreds of different dimensions, simply to shine upon you and form this shadow on the ground.
As you walk past the abandoned mansion, you feel feeling of dread, a feeling of despair from the core of yourself. A sensation that we all know well, a sensation so primal, which we’ve known since the dawn of time. Fear.
As you watch the children mustering the courage to ask a door for ‘candy’, you ponder the point of all this, why, just why? What is the meaning of this all? How could something which is meant to celebrate the dead and the closeness of the two worlds, be turned into something which now only represents sweets?
While the sun rises in to the sky, shining a warm glow above all that the warm eye sees. This warm glow from the eye reveals all the reminisce of that which has happened the night before. The sun sees all the dead decorations, all the sticky wrappers and colourful litter, all the mess and disorder left behind, but no one is to be seen or heard from the colourful chaos below.
The streets, abandoned. The drifting toilet paper flows through the bare arms of trees and shrubs. The almost life like pumpkins now have now all but become wilted and rotten. Those that had last night seemed to sneer or smile, have now all become sloppy and sad.
As you slowly walk through the abandoned streets, you can see all the wrappers stick to the outskirt of your shoes.
The silence only disturbed by the pestering of birds and the silent roar of the rubbish men’s collecting machines. When the machines open their back hatches for the cluttered chaos, a tidal wave of mustering stench hits the very corners of your nose. While whole crews exit from the vehicles, to clean the chaos from last night’s events.
As you pass the once terrifying mansion on the hill, you can’t seem to clear your sense of a slight sadness as you see the once mighty building now crumbling to dust and rubble before your eyes, from the greatest killer, Time. Yet, now no sense of fear and terror which was once there, when you looked at the mansion remains, which now seems to all be due to the surrounding darkness, which now is light.

Current Grade: 34/40

As you might be sitting down for a calm relaxing session of watching TV, you might come across a very appetizing food advert. But just how appetizing is the food that is being advertised?
We’ve all seen these fast food restaurant adverts, such as the Big Mac from Mac Donald’s where the sesame seeds are perfectly separated and the two layers of beef is overflowing with delicious juices. Or the Krushem from KFC, with the large pieces of chocolate swirled perfectly within the creamy outer layer which surrounds a gooey caramel centre. But have you ever bought something which looks so ‘perfect’?
These adverts usually start with some cheerful music playing in the background, while the music is playing there would be a video of some very happy people with this supposedly godly product.
Take a look at the Krushems advert, the advert is staged as a movie trailer. The trailer starts off with a woman who is talking about her ‘prefect’ man and her ‘perfect’ life, however the trailer then goes on to revelling that a white chocolate and cream mix, called a Krushems, is somehow having a secret relationship with the woman who is already engaged to her ‘perfect’ guy. This ‘trailer’ is like something to get people to watch terrible soaps such as Emmerdale and Hollyoaks, everything is over exaggerated and before the problem everything is perfect.
This is exactly the same in the advert for the ‘Small Mac’, the product is what seems to make everybody’s life absurdly perfect! The girls are all supper models, the men are all muscular and they all have perfect teeth. However what they don’t show is that the fast food products that their trying to sell will probably cause exactly the opposite effect of what their advertising.
However in reality these fast food products don’t affect us anyway apart from making us feel full, slowly but surely turning us obese and cause a small hole’s in our pockets.
And yet these adverts which promote food, which doesn’t even look anything like the advertised food.
Have you ever had a ‘Big Mac’ which has made you have a perfect day? Or have you ever seen someone having a relationship with a food product? I think not!

Have a go at assessing your last Controlled Assessment against the AQA criteria

Page 25-16 : George and Lennie talk about their dreams

Page 83 : crooks ‘ your nuts’

Page 86 : crooks buys into George’s and Lennie’s dream

Page 88 : Curleys wife talks about her dream to becoming an actress

Page 89 : Curleys wife says that dreams are never realised

Page 94 : Crooks retracts his offer

Page 100 : Curleys wife talks about how she married out of desperation

1: Identify an emotion prevalent in one/both text.

Gratitude
Depressional devastation
Deranged
Anger
Affection
Fear
Dread
Satisfaction
Frustration
Hatred/loathsome
Remorse
Boredom
Shame
Revenge
Loneliness

2: List methods/techniques used to strengthen this emotion

3: provide quotations from each text to support your point

4: Explain whether these methods are the same of different between the play and the poems

Hi there my name is Adam and for my Theme study,I have chosen the theme of Deception, and seeing things as they might not actually be.

I have read the books The Redemption of Althalus, the whole series of Percy Jackson which consists of 5 books, (Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief, Last Olympian, Titan’s Curse, Sea of Monstersand The Battle of the Labyrinthand). I have also read a trilogy which starts with a book called the Magicaian’s Guild.

In The redemption of Althalus, the hero/main character of this book is a thief called Althalus. He was minding his own affairs when suddenly an old man with eye’s which seemed to be burrning gives him a very special task. During this adventure Arthalus meets the Goddess of Fertility who is also tasked with protecting the world.

In the Percy Jackson series the God’s from Ancient Greek mythology are alive and are living upon mount olympus, which has somehow moved to be above the Empire State building. At the end of WW2 all three major Gods Zeus, Poseidon and Hades made a sacred promise to never have any children. Unfortunately, Poseidon, God of the Sea has a child and his name is Percy Jackson. But as the Gods are real so are the Ancient Greek monsters…

looking like normal people, in the story there is also a mystical ‘Mist’ which stops us normal ‘mortals’ from seeing these Ancient Greek monsters.

Are there any question that the Audience has ?

So, so, now sit, and look you eat no more
Than will preserve just so much strength in us
As will revenge these bitter woes of ours.
Marcus, unknit that sorrow-wreathen knot;
Thy niece and I, poor creatures, want our hands
And cannot passionate our tenfold grief
With folded arms. This poor right hand of mine
Is left to tyrannize upon my breast,
Who, when my heart, all mad with misery,
Beats in this hollow prison of my flesh,
Then thus I thump it down.

To Lavinia.

Thou map of woe, that thus dost talk in signs!
When thy poor heart beats with outrageous beating,
Thou canst not strike it thus to make it still.
Wound it with sighing, girl, kill it with groans;
Or get some little knife between thy teeth,
And just against thy heart make thou a hole,
That all the tears that thy poor eyes let fall
May run into that sink, and soaking in,
Drown the lamenting fool in sea-salt tears.