The most important part of your essay is planning – students should have a rough outline of the points they are going to make in their essay and any counter arguments. Structuring your essay will help you see if you have met the requirements of the question. There is nothing worse than writing your essay only to find out that you have missed crucial paragraphs and points – it is difficult to go back and insert it, especially when you are panicking. Students can also outline the rough introduction and conclusion of the essay in the structure.
The bulk of your essay will consist of analysis – students cannot make points which do not conform to the question. If the question asks you to evaluate the impact of social media on youths, you need to address the target demographic – do not start talking about adults or the elderly, because you will be going on an irrelevant tangent. Do not repeat your points over and over again – repetition does not convince your audience of your arguments. Try to keep one paragraph to the one point that you are trying to make. When you conduct analysis, make sure to bolster your arguments with elaboration and substantiate any points you make.
You need to conclude your essay in a meaningful way. At the rudimentary level, a conclusion involves a summing up of your points and a reiteration of your stance – the main argument/thesis statement of an essay. A higher level conclusion which scores more marks will involve some form of synthesis – some new insight or another perspective of looking at the question which you can bring to the table. Knowing how to synthesise information is a valuable skill – however, the information in your conclusion must be relevant to the topic.
Proofreading is a highly important step that comes after the entire essay has been written. Students should check that their arguments have been sufficiently bolstered with the right evidence. Moreover, students should do minor checks for grammatical and spelling errors, along with inconsistencies in sentence structure. It is important to show the examiner that you have an excellent command of the English language and that you have taken the time to check your work. After proofreading, get someone to read your essay and give feedback.
Here at WRITERS AT WORK, our dedicated team of teachers will help you prepare for your O Level English exams! Are you struggling with figuring out the different types of essays and how to answer these questions? Are you tired of receiving feedback on your essays and not knowing what they mean? WRITERS AT WORK is here to help! With our relevant curriculum and discerning, attentive teachers, you will improve your proficiency in English in no time!
English is a compulsory subject which all students must undertake. However, mastering the English language is not something which happens overnight – it takes consistent practice and effort to learn the nuances of the language. Students must read more and practice writing to gradually improve. Cramming for a language subject nearer to the exams is an impossible feat. After all, Rome was not built in a day! Attaining such a skill will have positive implications for not only your child’s education in school, but also employment prospects in future.
Creative writing is good for children as it teaches them how to use their imagination. Children have a vivid imagination and will enjoy coming up with different storylines and characters. Through the use of creative writing, children can express themselves using the English language, which is also good for their emotional development and maturity.
A good start is to write about what you know. Students can start by writing about things that are familiar to them, such as school or family. Then, students can move on to more complex topics, requiring them to use their imagination about events which would be unlikely to happen in real life, such as a fairytale or an adventure story. Older students can write descriptive essays about being in a situation or about more abstract concepts, such as regret.
A good story should have just the right amount of exposition to illuminate the setting and the characters for the reader without giving away the entire plot. The story should begin where it is relevant, and the general gist of the situation should be outlined. The writer should know how to move the plot along from where they start easily, and the story should flow logically.
A good first step would be to plan out the story – it is important that the story follows a Plot Curve which has a logical sequence of events and a clear conclusion. The main and supporting characters should be clear – there should not be a whole village of characters – just enough to further the plot. Moreover, the central conflict of the story should be clear.
