Download - ESSAY WRITING A SIMPLE 8 STEP GUIDE
ESSAY WRITING
A SIMPLE 8 STEP GUIDE
The structure is like a hamburger
Conclusion
Introduction
Main body
You don’t necessarily eat a
burger for the buns, but they hold
the burger together……in the same way the
introduction and conclusion are not the most important part but they hold your essay together and stop it being messy!
INTRODUCTION
CONCLUSION
KEY IDEA ONE
KEY IDEA TWO
KEY IDEA THREE
Always leave a
line between
paragraphs
Read all the questions
1
Re-read the question you
choose
2
Underline the
keywords
3
Plan your key ideas
4
Plan your evidence
5
Write the introduction
6
Write the main body
7
Write your conclusion
8
Read all the questions1
You need to read all the questions on offer. Reading all the possibilities allows you to make an informed choice. Some questions you will recognise, some you will not.
There will usually be a question on each aspect
below:•Character
•Issues/ideas•Setting
•Structure (opening/incident/ending)•Feelings and emotions
Re-read the question you
choose2
Once you have made a decision on the question you should re-read this question. This is to ensure that you under stand all parts of the question. If there are any words you do not understand then choose another question.
Underline the keywords3
This is to ensure that you are focused on the important parts of the
question
For example:Describe an important character and explain why they are important.
Becomes:Describe an important character and explain why they are important.
You should keep repeating those
keywords throughout your essay…
Plan your key ideas4
This is the time that you decide how to answer the question. Usually the answers can be found from the box below. Just relate these to the question asked.
KEY IDEAS SHOULD COVER POINTS ON:
1. Plot2. Characters3. Setting4. Themes5. Feelings6. Style
7. Language8. Symbolism9. Genre10. Author11. Society’s
views12. Comparisons
For example:
Describe an important character and explain why they are important.
Possible answers:• Plot – they are involved in key moments which
can create suspense or moments of conflicts• Characters – they help us to better understand
other characters• Setting – they help us to appreciate the setting
more• Theme – the character helps reveal the theme• Feelings – through the actions and dialogue of
the character they cause us to feel particular emotions
Plan your evidence5
At this point you need to be able to back up your key ideas. To do this you must provide detailed and specific information from the text.
EVIDENCE MEANS:
EVENTSQUOTESACTIONS
ANECDOTES
Write the introduction6
INTRODUCTION
You should keep this paragraph as short and to the point as possible. You need only include the following.1. The name of the text and the author2. Clearly answer the question using
key words3. List your key ideas
An important character in I Am Not Esther by Fleur Beale is Kirby. She is important because she reveals the themes the theme of personal identity, provokes an emotional response for the reader and is involved in moments of tension.
Uses key words
Gives Title – and
underlines it!!!
Names author –
uses capital
letters!!!
Answers question
Lists 3 key
ideas
1
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Let’s look at another question:
Describe an interesting idea and explain why it
is interesting.
An interesting idea in How Dare You by Jane Westaway is family violence. This is interesting because it makes the reader feel both sad and angry, gives the reader an insight into a world they may not experience themselves and provides moments of suspense in the text.
Names author –
using capital
letters!!!
Answers question
Uses key words
Gives title – and
underlines it!!!
Lists 3 key
ideas
12
3
Write the Main Body of you essay
For each key idea you have you need to write one paragraph. These paragraphs all follow the same format:
1. A topic sentence stating your key idea2. Evidence from the text to support your key idea3. An explanation linking your evidence back to the question clearly answering
it
MAIN BODY
7
• state your key idea• use the keywords from the
question• should be short and to the point• are like a signpost indicating
what your paragraph is about
TOPIC SENTENCES:
Firstly, an important character in the text is Esther.
Uses key words
The key idea here is that Esther is the important
characterShort and to
the point
Esther is important because she reveals a theme.
Uses key wordsThe key idea here is that
Esther is an important character because we learn about a theme
through her
Again, short and to the
point
• Can be quotes, examples, actions details
• Quotes should only be 5-6 words long
• You must use “ ’’ around them• They must be embedded
EVIDENCE:
This idea is shown when Mr Poata says “It’s private, isn’t it?” when she asks for help.
Uses quote marks
Short quote
The quote is embedded: words
before and after it to explain the context.
I felt sorry for the Grandmother as she was described as being “frail with age”, lived in a “shabby room” and only has one “good brown dress”.
Uses quote marks
short quotes
short quotes
The quotes are embedded: they flow into a sentence which
is easy to read and clear.
• Should refer back and answer the question
• Can include some personal response
• Will usually answer the second half of the question
EXPLANATION
This idea is important because it makes the reader aware of how we need to take action if we suspect violence even if it is in people’s homes.
Uses key words from
questonDoesn’t use I but uses ‘the
reader’ instead
Answers the second half of the question:
Why is the idea important?
This character is interesting because he reveals the idea of how people are too scared to interfere in domestic violence.
Uses key words from
question
Relates back to the ideas of the story
Answers the second half of the question:
Why is the character intersting?
Write your conclusion8
Once again this should be kept simple and to the point. You need only include the following1. Clearly answer the question once again2. State your key ideas again3. Include a personal response
In conclusion, Kirby is an interesting character in I Am Not Esther. She was interesting because through her the themes of courage and personal identity were raised. Finally she was interesting because she provoked an emotional response from the readers. I admired the way she dealt with the obstacles and hoped she would be able to sort her problems out.
Uses the key
words
Uses the key
wordsUses the key
words
Clearly answers
the question.
Includes a
personal response
Clearly outlines the key ideas
again.
32
1
And it’s that simple!