Essay Essay WritingWriting

What the…!What the…!

Essay writing is like arguingEssay writing is like arguing

Then explain how evidence supports your Then explain how evidence supports your casecase

You need to make your caseYou need to make your case

Back it up with evidenceBack it up with evidence

Essay STRUCTUREEssay STRUCTURE IntroductionIntroduction

– This is what is going to be in the essay. This is what is going to be in the essay. There are no surprises in my essay There are no surprises in my essay because it is all laid out here in the because it is all laid out here in the introduction.introduction.

Paragraph 1 - 4Paragraph 1 - 4– This is me telling you the answer to the This is me telling you the answer to the

question IN DETAIL with lots of QUOTES question IN DETAIL with lots of QUOTES and EXPLANATIONS and LINKS.and EXPLANATIONS and LINKS.

ConclusionConclusion– Let me just remind you of Let me just remind you of

what I just told you in the what I just told you in the paragraphs.paragraphs.

WRITING INTRODUCTIONSWRITING INTRODUCTIONS Re-write the questionRe-write the question Mention both author and title of the bookMention both author and title of the book

– always underline the book’s titlealways underline the book’s title Give the techniques/character/setting information – depending Give the techniques/character/setting information – depending

on the questionon the question Give the message/idea/theme shown through those techniquesGive the message/idea/theme shown through those techniques Mention historical/social context – where is it set? How does that Mention historical/social context – where is it set? How does that

affect the characters in the story? What is expected of them in affect the characters in the story? What is expected of them in that context?that context?

Paragraph writing…A very simple formula that never

changes!

THE QUESTIONTHE QUESTION

Analyse how the writer Analyse how the writer used used techniquestechniques to to

surprise or surprise or engageengage you you in an extended written in an extended written

text.text.Let’s have a look at how to write a Let’s have a look at how to write a

paragraph…paragraph…

POINTPOINT Give your answer to the question. It MUST relate to the question. Give your answer to the question. It MUST relate to the question. It should It should tell us tell us the answer, not hint at it.the answer, not hint at it.First person narrative enables the reader to directly hear and experience the

events taking place in Jimmy’s household. Jimmy being brought up in a house with major parental issues causes the household environment to be negative and stressful making Jimmy nothing but a product of his environment.

Analyse how the writer used Analyse how the writer used techniquestechniques to surprise or to surprise or engageengage you you in an extended in an extended written text.written text.

EXAMPLEEXAMPLE

Give a quote to back up the Give a quote to back up the statement/point you have madestatement/point you have made

At level two you should aim to give At level two you should aim to give two quotes PER paragraphtwo quotes PER paragraph

Explain each quoteExplain each quote– What does it mean? Who said it?What does it mean? Who said it?

Explain importance to audience.Explain importance to audience. Explain what it means to the theme/ideasExplain what it means to the theme/ideas

EXPLANATIONEXPLANATION

eg. eg. ExampleExample + + ExplanationExplanation

When Jimmy explains a conversation from his mother and father Jimmy mentions her saying “If you don’t stop that I’ll kill you”. This type of verbal abuse occurring in Jimmy’s household causes it to be negative and unpleasant making it stressful for him to live in. Later on Jimmy states “I wasn’t the slightest bit surprised to hear that”. We observe Jimmy emotional shutting down from other characters due to his household environment being so negative causing him to be a product of it.

Analyse how the writer used Analyse how the writer used techniquestechniques to surprise or to surprise or engageengage you in an extended written text. you in an extended written text.

LinkLink Link back to the question using Link back to the question using KEYKEY

words from the question.words from the question. Link to the Link to the audienceaudience Link to importance socially/historicallyLink to importance socially/historically The link can occur The link can occur at the same time at the same time as as

the explanation. It does not need to be the explanation. It does not need to be separate from the explanation.separate from the explanation.

The use of first person narrative allows the reader to see and engage with the events taking place just as the character would, allowing us to interpret the issues better than a 13 year old boy (Jimmy) would as we are able to read between the lines.

First person narrative enables the reader to directly hear and experience the events taking place in Jimmy’s household. Jimmy being brought up in a house with major parental issues causes the household environment to be negative and stressful making Jimmy nothing but a product of his environment. When Jimmy explains a conversation from his mother and father Jimmy mentions her saying “If you don’t stop that I’ll kill you”. This type of verbal abuse occurring in Jimmy’s household causes it to be negative and unpleasant making it stressful for him to live in. Later on Jimmy states “I wasn’t the slightest bit surprised to hear that”. We observe Jimmy emotional shutting down from other characters due to his household environment being so negative causing him to be a product of it. The use of first person narrative allows the reader to see and engage with the events taking place just as the character would, allowing us to interpret the issues better than a 13 year old boy (Jimmy) would as we are able to read between the lines.

WRITING CONCLUSIONSWRITING CONCLUSIONS Re-write the questionRe-write the question Mention both author and title of the bookMention both author and title of the book

– always underline the book’s titlealways underline the book’s title Summarise each point you made in the paragraphsSummarise each point you made in the paragraphs Restate the theme raised through your pointsRestate the theme raised through your points Mention historical/social contextMention historical/social context DO NOT copy, word for word, the introduction, but use DO NOT copy, word for word, the introduction, but use

it to guide how you write your conclusion.it to guide how you write your conclusion.

WHAT WILL YOU NEED IN WHAT WILL YOU NEED IN ORDER TO ANSWER ANY ORDER TO ANSWER ANY

LEVEL TWO ESSAY QUESITON?LEVEL TWO ESSAY QUESITON? QUOTES/EVIDENCEQUOTES/EVIDENCE THE MAIN IDEA/MESSAGETHE MAIN IDEA/MESSAGE WHO IS THE AUDIENCEWHO IS THE AUDIENCE BACKGROUND INFORMATIONBACKGROUND INFORMATION TECHNIQUES USEDTECHNIQUES USED WHAT SOCIAL OR POLITICAL OR WHAT SOCIAL OR POLITICAL OR

HISTORICAL IMPORTANCE DOES IT HAVE TO HISTORICAL IMPORTANCE DOES IT HAVE TO YOU/THE READER?YOU/THE READER?

WARNING!WARNING! The NCEA exam writers LAST YEAR The NCEA exam writers LAST YEAR

got fed up with people writing essays got fed up with people writing essays that they had pre-learnt.that they had pre-learnt.

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN!?WHAT DOES THAT MEAN!? It means they have made the It means they have made the

questions really specific so that you questions really specific so that you cannot pre-prepare an essay. You will cannot pre-prepare an essay. You will not know before what kind of not know before what kind of question you will get!question you will get!

HOW DOES THAT AFFECT HOW DOES THAT AFFECT ME?ME?

It means that you need to understand It means that you need to understand exactly what the themes are and how exactly what the themes are and how to apply them to ANY question.to apply them to ANY question.

It means that you need to understand It means that you need to understand the characters and be able to discuss the characters and be able to discuss them in relation to personality, them in relation to personality, relationships, social context, historical relationships, social context, historical context, relevance, importance.context, relevance, importance.

It means you have to think for It means you have to think for YOURSELF!YOURSELF!

Write down the essay question Write down the essay question and plan out what you will need and plan out what you will need

to answer it.to answer it.

Analyse how the Analyse how the beginning beginning of the text of the text created a strong created a strong

impression of at least ONE impression of at least ONE character orcharacter or individualindividual..

Before you walk you must crawl, Before you walk you must crawl, before you run you must walkbefore you run you must walk