After today’s lesson where you worked hard – and all got to Merit-Land – you learned about a phrase that I didn’t hear about until university. I think that you should be stretching yourselves as much as possible and I think National 5 English is a fantastic opportunity for you to spread your wings.

Exploring and analysing your own language can sometimes be a bit like learning a new language entirely; it feels difficult and clunky but eventually, the more you practise, it just clicks. So here’s a wee refresher on the term we learned about today:

In medias res: Taken from Latin and it literally means ‘into the middle of things’. We know that our story opens in medias res because Marian is sitting her second test and a lot depends on her passing the test. 

It’s not just limited to books. Have a think about other examples: computer games have it too – Final Fantasy X is a great example! Can you think of any?

In medias res is used all around you and I suppose my point is that I want you to be ambitious and not be frightened of it. Don’t think that because it’s in Latin that you can’t learn it – I bet you never thought you could understand photosynthesis or Pythagoras (Greek by the way!) when you first heard those words, but you did!

Great effort today,

Miss Purdon