tips on essays (1 Viewer)

[MissGiggles]

does anyone have some tips for writing essays? i'm going great in multiple choice practice (kind of) but my extended response on land rights really let me down in our trials. i just can't remember dates...but thats not my question...what will the markers be looking for?

fingers crossed one of the english extended responses is a story. my english teacher doesn't like my writing but i no i'll be writing nice and fast if i don't have to change for their text type

 

[Brontecat]

my english teacher told our class that we wont be expected to write an essay - they consider it too hard for our age - its more of a hsc thing
your likely to do a
speech
short story
editorial
exposition
newspaper or magazine article

 

[suzlee]

my english teacher told our class that we wont be expected to write an essay - they consider it too hard for our age - its more of a hsc thing
your likely to do a
speech
short story
editorial
exposition
newspaper or magazine article

I don't think she meant essays for English only, but History and Geography as well
Actually come to think of it I don't think I'd consider extended responses in his/geo SC papers as essays, really... Just a serious of events or whatever related to the question rather than a well-expressed and structured English essay -.-

 

[bored of sc]

Tell you what you are going to tell them.
Tell them.
Tell them what you told them.

 

[Naminé]

my english teacher told our class that we wont be expected to write an essay - they consider it too hard for our age - its more of a hsc thing
your likely to do a
speech
short story
editorial
exposition
newspaper or magazine article

Only in English. I'm pretty sure you'll be doing essays in the other exams heh :C

Here are some tips:
-Write as simply and concisely as you can. Learn a few very impressive words but use them really sparingly unless you have a naturally huge vocabulary.
-Make sure you're always on topic and not meandering. They hate that.
-Back it up with general knowledge if you can.
-If it's character analysis, learn a bunch of meaningful quotes from whatever you studied this year and pull them out wherever possible. Even if you can only paraphrase. Also, talk about symbolism -- even if it seems like the author didn't mean to put weird symbols there, try to think as abstractly as possible.

They're generally what I do to get through an essay with good marks.

 

[-tal-]

does anyone have some tips for writing essays? i'm going great in multiple choice practice (kind of) but my extended response on land rights really let me down in our trials. i just can't remember dates...but thats not my question...what will the markers be looking for?

fingers crossed one of the english extended responses is a story. my english teacher doesn't like my writing but i no i'll be writing nice and fast if i don't have to change for their text type

That's a sign you don't know your stuff that well. Study it more. Especially the context, significance and aftermath of the Mabo and Wik cases. Knowing the movements is also a good idea (ie protectionism, assimilation...)

They're not looking for dates, frankly, just knowing the year & month is sufficient for long responses. it's an understanding of the content and its relevance in different contexts that they're looking for.

 

[speedofsound]

Pay attention to structure too. Introduction, body, conclusion... it's all so simple, but vital for a good, logical essay.

 

[iRuler]

This is what my teacher told me, he's a HSC & SC marker for english:-

Introduction - (Introduce your writing and write down about the main points you are going to talk about, usually about 3 - 4 points)

Point 1 - (Write about the first point mentioned in the introduction, do not add too much extra information, try to stay on topic)

Point 2 - (Write about the Second point mentioned in the introduction, do not add too much extra information, try to stay on topic)

Point 3 - (Write about the Third point mentioned in the introduction, do not add too much extra information, try to stay on topic)

Conclusion - (End up your story/Essay, usualy with a personal oppinion added to it)

----------------

Just follow those steps and you should be fine, make sure that you write down the points in the order listed in the introduction or the marker will think you dont know how to write.. and try to avoid using too many big words too sound smart, because unless you know what you are saying, you'll prove that you are stupid.

Note: News paper reports do NOT have a conclusion, they usually end up with a quote.

That structure up there also goes for history

 

[Kirsty Xx]

The essay has been the subject of numerous texts and you should have the basic form well in hand. Examiners look for paragraphs that link to one another and whether your argument is logical and sustained. Make sure you use specific examples and that your dates and/or quotes (if relevant and necessary) are accurate. To ensure you respond to the question make sure you plan carefully what relevant points each paragraph is making. It is a solid technique to actually 'tie-up' each point by explicitly coming back to the question.

When composing an essay the basic conventions of the form are:
- State your argument, outline the points to be addressed and perhaps have a brief definition
- Each paragraph should be structured with topic sentence, explanation/discussion, evidence (the more the better - quotes/dates/specific incidents), relevance to question/link
- Summary of points
- Final sentence that restates your argument​

As well as the basic structure you need to focus on:
Audience - for the essay audience must be considered formal unless specifically stated otherwise. Therefore your language must reflect the audience. This gives you the opportunity to use the jargon and vocabulary that you have learnt in your subject. For the audience ensure your introduction is clear and has impact. Avoid slang or colloquial language and any contractions (like doesn't, eg., etc)

Purpose - the purpose of the essay is to answer the question given. The essay gives the examiner the chance to see how well you understand your topic and its issues and therefore how well you reach a conclusion. So remember, more than any other point, answer the question specifically and do not retell the story/event if it is not necessary. The purpose is to show analysis and this is where you earn marks.

Communication - to communicate well in an essay do not the following: story-tell, list and number points, misquote, use slang or colloquial language, be vague, use non sentences or fail to address the question. Also remember you MUST use paragraphs. The planning of the essay is also essential. If you just start to write it, it is unlikely you will be able to use the time given to show you know about the question. More likely you will include irrelevant details that do not gain you marks but waste your precious time.

my english teacher told our class that we wont be expected to write an essay - they consider it too hard for our age - its more of a hsc thing

Just a heads up, essays are not the only responses covered in the HSC. When in the HSC you could be expected to write in the form of:
- Journal/Diary entry
- Writing in a role
- Brochure/Point of view
- Radio interview
- Television interview
- Letter
- Feature article
- Speech
- Report

 

[MissGiggles]

thanks Kirsty. thats heaps helpful. and to everyone else. i know the english one's more creative, not just regurgitating facts, but im real nervous bout the history/geography parts as well. thats where dates (or just decades we've been told: no guessing) come in. you've made this much simpler