Essay Writing Help (1 Viewer)

[bujolover]

Hi guys,

I have two questions:

• With our current module, our teacher says our essay question (unknown until the day of the exam) is going to have an unknown extract from our text in it, because that's what the HSC exam will be like. How do we prepare for a question like this, since it's harder to adapt an essay to? And how much should we refer to the extract in our essay?
• Speaking of adapting essays, could someone please explain how we go about doing this? This is the first time this year that we don't have a very clear idea of what the essay question will be, and hence, I need to learn how to tackle this. What I mean is, how are "base essays" created, especially considering that we need to use an unknown extract in the actual question? How do we practise adapting our essays to different questions, and should we always time writing them when adapting? Like, please explain this entire "memorising and adapting" process, because, although people keep saying we should do that, I don't really get how, if that makes sense.

Please help!

 

[jazz519]

To be able to incorporate the extract in your essay you have to be able to analyse a quote and time techniques in the spot. I would try to mention the extract at least once or twice in every paragraph.

It is harder to prepare for an essay like that so you have to be able to judge on the day which pieces of your memorised essay you will switch for the extract analysis, so that you don't have too many words to write that you can't finish in time.

To create a base essay choose a generic question and write paragraphs that directly links to different parts of the rubric. To practice with adapting I guess you could go through past papers and try the Qs but you won't really have anyone to mark all those essays so that's a problem.

 

[bujolover]

To be able to incorporate the extract in your essay you have to be able to analyse a quote and time techniques in the spot. I would try to mention the extract at least once or twice in every paragraph.

It is harder to prepare for an essay like that so you have to be able to judge on the day which pieces of your memorised essay you will switch for the extract analysis, so that you don't have too many words to write that you can't finish in time.

To create a base essay choose a generic question and write paragraphs that directly links to different parts of the rubric. To practice with adapting I guess you could go through past papers and try the Qs but you won't really have anyone to mark all those essays so that's a problem.

Oh, and that's the other thing, actually. How should I use the rubric in my essays (in general)? Like, what parts should I use, should I be subtle about it or just copy parts of it where appropriate, and where in my essay is it most important?

 

[jazz519]

Oh, and that's the other thing, actually. How should I use the rubric in my essays (in general)? Like, what parts should I use, should I be subtle about it or just copy parts of it where appropriate, and where in my essay is it most important?

Do a bit of both. Like you should have stuff from the rubric but you need to try expand on it by saying something insightful about it