Essay Structure: Remember your SEXY paragraphs! (1 Viewer)

[ballerinabarbie]

It seems simple - but if you don't have structure then no matter how good your points are you aren't going to get a band 6 for your essay.

Structure your paragraphs like this:

S- Statement/topic sentence: WHAT are you trying to argue?

E- Evidence: WHAT supports your argument

X- Explanation: HOW does your evidence support your argument

Y- Why? WHY did you include this point and HOW does it relate to your argument

OR

P- point
E- evidence
A- analysis
L- link

good luck guys!

 

[ballerinabarbie]

ok now you people are all just twisting what i say!! ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

explanation is an analysis of your example... the y is linking it back to the question... eg. Through Peter Brooks production we see that King Lear supports power structures (that was totally made up... don't use that!! hahah)

 

[Gregor Samsa]

Originally posted by ballerinabarbie
well maybe think of evidence as expanding on your topic sentence, and then example as an example of where this is shown in your text (eg. with a quote, or refering to a particular scene etc.)

Yeah.. This is the way my class got taught that system.

-What's Your Point? (Topic sentence)
-Please Explain (Expand upon point.)
-Show Me The Money (Evidence)
-But Why? (Significance/Analysis)

It's a good paragraph paradigm. (y)

 

[ashwin]

I reckon SEPL is better -

S - state ur topic sentance
E - explain ur argument
P - prove ur argument with reference to the text
L - link this back to the essay question

 

[Ziff]

Topic Question: "What would be an effective way to implement the Kyoto Protocol?"

Raise the Point
- "Cows need to be culled."

Explain the Point
- "Cows create greenhouse gasses."

Support the Point
- "The average cow produces 1,000 tonnes of CO2 per year."

Link the point to the Question
- "An effective way of reducing greenhouse gasses in Australia would be to cull cows."

 

[Dumsum]

We were taught PEER:

P - Point. Make your point.
E - Example. Provide an example.
E - Elaborate. Explain the effect.
R - Relate. Link back to question.

 

[kimmeh]

try working on getting a band 5 first

I find what helps me the most is that i take 5 mins to plan my essay (on top of what emily said above). 5 minutes of planning will save you alot of time when you are writing because it means that your ideas will flow in a logical order and that you dont waste time in trying to figure out what to say next or cross out mass sentences

 

[Wilmo]

One word... Technique

A really good thing to do is to write a really long essay with everything you know about the subject... Then refine it down to something you can write in 40 minutes. The more you do that, the more techniques you will know, and the more you will be able to ANSWER THE QUESTION no matter what it is.

In your essay use three colours:

Character Technique Effect (you can pick whatever colours you want)

That way you can see how effective your sentences are. If you only have character, then thats not really a good sentence. If you have character and technique, its better, but still not the best. If you have all 3 things, go awesome sentences that make the marker think "wow, you know whos involved, how the author shows whats happening, and the effect that has on the audience!"

 

[Sarah168]

In addition to being formulaic with technique and a answering the question, a big factor is demonstrating personal engagement with the texts AND concepts. There is no step by step formula to do this. It requires you to think. That's all I have to say really.

 

[Wilmo]

When you say: "The composer uses hindsight to convey to the audience a significant journey has taken place, and they have moved from one place to another" then you should back that up with a quote from the text.

it shows your understanding of characters, techniques, and shows you have actually read/seen the text

 

[urban-angel]

JUST REMEMBER:

S=state your point,
E=example with a quotation from text,
X=x'plain, refer back to question, justify its inclusion..

-____________-; My friend told me that haha

 

[mishka]

- - underline the key words in the question/statement and make sure you know what the question is asking.

- - make sure you are also including info on context and techniques. context and techniques are ALWAYS required in responses, sometimes they aren't specifically asked for, but it is essential in any response.

- - if the question/statement asks for "at least one related" do no less than two. the related material should demonstrate your ability to find a wide range of textual forms and link them logically.

- - think SHORT and SWEET. do not ramble on one point because you have studied it better than another. demonstrate a thorough knowledge by incorporating a range of examples, techniques and analysis.

- - REMEMBER - this is your last chance to show the markers what you have learnt!!! make the most of it, THEN and ONLY THEN may you celebrate the end of English as we know it!!

Hope that helps, just a bit of rambling i've remembered being lectured about this year!! Good luck everyone!!

 

[matt_a]

Integration is the key. You wont get band 6 unless you integrate. You can't go for example . .

This text bla bla bla
(Para)
This text bla bla bla
(Para)
Then this text bla bla bla

What I usually do, I write a huge essay say for Journeys with all my notes available to me. I usually summarise it into notes, so now I know exactly what and how to write it about each text. Then I just adapt it to the question, use some different quotes, but I know how each text relates and how I can integrate all the points together. Cause if you think about it there are only so many questions they can ask about Journeys/Transformations/Telling the Truth Topics, because there is really only one aim in each of them.
If you think about it English essays are easy, as long as you have things from each text prepared. I've prepared 6 scenes from Lear (in detail), 6 parts of Emma with the corresponding parts in Cluless, 4 Colderidge poems + 3 related + 2 BOS, and I havent really prepared any for Frontline cause it's just so easy to think of examples anyway.

Preparation is the key

(I know I just contradicted myself, there cannot be 2 keys. But you know what I mean!)

 

[withoutaface]

Be able to write fast helps, and that is the department in which I am lacking. It is very hard to answer the question in 800 words.

 

[mack]

Look through the Standards packages as well-See what makes the band 6 answers tick.



Look at the band 1 answers as well. Some of them use netspeak.


OMg King Lears love for ?cordelia is Teh RoxOr!!!!

Not to that extent, but it amuses me how people would use it in the most important exams of their life.

 

[life.like.that.]

Have a thesis which you sustain throughout the. whole. essay.

otherwise ur argument is all over the place and it makes you look smart if u come up with a good, original thesis.

 

[georgia86]

integration

it's not true that you have to integrate to get band six.

many people who have discussed each text in turn that I know have gotten in band six and my teacher says that as long as you address the question and link your ideas, your essay structure is not going to specify which band you achieve. you're more likely to get marked down for writing a memorised response that is not pertinent to the question, or by generally having poor writing skills.

 

[Brian]

The most important thing to think about is quality over quantity. It's no good writting 10 pages if it doesn't actually say anything. It's also not always what you say but how you say it, the band 6 responses will be logical and easy to follow.

The teachers are also looking for the 'whys' when they mark the tests. It's important that you say what and how but if you can say why a technique was used then you'll get a better mark.

 

[tennille]

Mine are usually about 5-6 pages. You have to make sure that you include quality information and answer the question.

To study for English, just study some quotes and know their effect. I wrote up a table incorporating techniques, examples of them, and what they convey.

I'm just freaked out about Emma and Clueless

 

[impulse_17]

oh wait, but having said that, you should link issues where it's relevant... "just as (issue) is illustrated in (text a), so too is (issue) also evident in (text b), but (text b) broadens the understanding of this issue/ conflicts with the understanding of this issue etc etc etc.

to put it simply