O-level Essay Writing Tips: How to Write a Good Hybrid Essay

By WR!TERS@WORK

Hybrid essays are something every Secondary School English student should be familiar with by now. As there are 7 different genres of essays in O Level English, namely: narrative essays, descriptive essays, expository essays, discursive essays, argumentative essays, personal reflective essays, and hybrid essays, students need to be familiar with the writing techniques associated with each genre.

Firstly, we will start by explaining what a hybrid essay is. A hybrid essay question is a unique type of essay prompt which combines elements from different essay types.

As with every essay, writing a good essay needs to have a plan. This article will share with you a 6-paragraph structure to help Singaporean O Level students master the art of writing good hybrid essays for their secondary school and O Level exams.

Breaking Down the Hybrid Essay Question

Let us begin by breaking down the hybrid essay question into its individual parts.

Sample Question (2020 O Level Paper 1): “There’s no place like home”. Is it true to you?

The student should first begin by identifying the genres featured in the hybrid essay question. In this question, it appears that “There’s no place like home” is an argumentative statement, while the question “Is it true to you?” is a personal reflective question.

The argumentative statement is designed to get the student to persuade the reader using well-reasoned arguments as to why they should agree with his/her stand. Meanwhile, the personal reflective statement is designed to get the student to write about their personal experiences and recount their memories in an authentic way.

After breaking down the question and figuring out that the hybrid essay question consists of an argumentative statement, the student can use the following 6-paragraph structure: (1) introduction, (2) supporting argument, (3) counter-argument, (4) rebuttal that weakens the counter-argument, (5) another supporting argument, (6) concluding paragraph.

1. Introduction

When a student makes an introduction, they need to outline the basic premise of the essay, which includes a directive thesis statement which shows their stand regarding the argument in the essay question. The directive thesis statement should consist of: (1) one counter-argument, (2) your stand, and (3) two supporting arguments.

The elements within the directive thesis statement will be argued and substantiated better in the essay. When writing the introduction, students may be stuck with coming up with a thesis statement on the fly. As such, they should take the time to plan their essay first, outlining the possible arguments and counter-arguments they will use, and they should think about which side they want to take in the argument. Planning your essay will make coming up with a thesis statement remarkably easier and will save you time while writing the following paragraphs.

2. Supporting Argument

The second paragraph will feature a supporting argument which backs up your stand. Students need to remember to choose the strongest arguments for their stand, as this will build up their case and make it more watertight. Imagine as though you are convincing your parents to do something you want, such as buying you something you like or bringing you somewhere fun. What would you say to them to convince them that they should do it? Obviously, children will say what they think are the strongest points, such as how much they deserve this treat.

Similarly, when writing an argumentative essay, it is important to choose the strongest argument to go first, as the explanation and elaboration for this argument will make or break your case.

There are 5 key elements to include in your supporting argument:

• The main point sentence/sentences
• Elaboration
• The example (personal or anecdotal)
• The evidence or example (generic or empirical)
• The link to the essay question or the next main point

It is important to bolster your argument with evidence. Think back to when you are convincing your parents to bring you somewhere you like or give you something you want. When you argue with them and tell them that you deserve it, you can show them evidence to support your point, like the chores you have done or the test you have scored well on. This will help convince your parents that you indeed do deserve whatever you said you wanted earlier.

Students should think about suitable evidence for their argument, as some types of evidence may be more suited to answering the question than others. Empirical evidence will include statistical studies and figures, while personal evidence comes from the student’s own perspective.

3. Counter-argument

In the third paragraph, the student should include a counter-argument to balance the hybrid essay. Some students may think that it would weaken their case to include a counter-argument, and that they should only state arguments which advance their case. However, this could not be further from the truth. By pre-emptively including the counter-argument, students show nuance in their thinking and a willingness to consider different viewpoints. By considering the arguments which could attack their case, they show critical thinking and a reasonable attitude.

Similarly, the 5 key elements in your counter-argument should include:

• The main point sentence/sentences
• Elaboration
• The example (personal or anecdotal)
• The evidence or example (generic or empirical)
• The link to the essay question or the next main point

4. Rebuttal Weakening the Counter-argument

The fourth paragraph is where students provide the rebuttal to weaken the counter-argument they have explained earlier. Now, students have the opportunity to show their argumentative and reasoning skills by coming up with an explanation for why the earlier counter-argument should not weaken their case. This rebuttal should be a strong rebuttal, and it should sway the reader to your stance even more as you have demonstrated why the counter-argument is not a good one.

Use the 5 key elements in your rebuttal as well.

• The main point sentence/sentences
• Elaboration
• The example (personal or anecdotal)
• The evidence or example (generic or empirical)
• The link to the essay question or the next main point

5. Supporting Argument

In the fifth paragraph, students should come up with a new supporting argument to advance their stand and to bolster their case. This argument should be their second-strongest argument and should be supported by the relevant elaboration.

As with all the paragraphs containing arguments, students should use the 5 key elements:

• The main point sentence/sentences
• Elaboration
• The example (personal or anecdotal)
• The evidence or example (generic or empirical)
• The link to the essay question or the next main point

Finally, after these paragraphs, we are reaching the end of the hybrid essay.

6. Concluding Paragraph

The concluding paragraph should wrap up the entire essay with a summary of the points discussed and your personal reflections. The purpose of the conclusion is to make sure the student has answered the essay question with relevant arguments. When re-reading the entire essay again, the student should be sure that they have answered the essay question properly.

As such, I hope you found this article helpful in tackling hybrid questions at the secondary school level! Remember to write your essay without grammatical, spelling or sentence structure errors which will cost you valuable marks and to use a wide range of vocabulary to show off your writing skills to the examiner.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):

1. How Do You Write an O Level Essay?

Firstly, students must know the genre of the O Level essay they are trying to write. Knowing the genre will help determine the writing techniques used in the essay. Next, students need to plan their essay and the content which will go into it. Moreover, students need a strong introduction to hook the reader into reading more of their essay and a good conclusion to finish off their essay, which summarises their points.

2. How to Get A1 for O Level English?

Getting an A1 for O Level English involves the student knowing how to communicate their ideas in a clear and concise manner when writing essays. Moreover, students must have a good understanding of the rules of grammar, a good variety of vocabulary, and flawless spelling which will show the marker that the student possesses a good command of the English language.

3. Is O Level English Hard?

O Level English can be difficult if students are not used to writing in a formal context. Students without a good command of the grammatical rules or a good sense of English vocabulary will struggle in O Level English. Moreover, students who are not comfortable writing essays of the required length will struggle in O Level English.