Scribd
Upload
23 views2 pages

Starting Pointers For Essays

English HL, preparation of Paper 2 types of essays

Uploaded by

unamiilungile
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
23 views2 pages

Starting Pointers For Essays

English HL, preparation of Paper 2 types of essays

Uploaded by

unamiilungile
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 2

better ESSAY writing

The biggest problem teenagers have when writing essays, it to write about something
interesting / creative.
Part of the problem is, you do not always know where to start.
And the answer to this difficult problem is, start at the BEGINNING.
If your essay starts well, you are more likely to get an A for it, than when your essay ends
on a high note.
But first, what to write about: remember, we can write different types of essays, and the
trick is, is to choose the correct type of essay for the topic you have chosen.
Don’t just choose a topic that sounds interesting or catchy or easy to write about –
no, do some brainstorming first on all the topics given (even if it is just in your head).
Avoid choosing a topic of which you only have one catchy thing to say, for you will end up
repeating yourself.
Choose a topic you can DEVELOP and / or LET GROW – think of your essay in terms of a
full circle.
Write about something you feel comfortable with – an essay on your holiday at the coast
may sound mundane, but if it is well-written, you will score 80%.
Thus, it is not really about WHAT you write about, but about HOW WELL it was written,
that counts.
And try some of the following ideas:

TOPICS FOR THE NARRATIVE ESSAY


1. Choose your favourite movie / series / book / video clip / game (if you do not have
one yet, GET ONE!):
- write the story / an incident from the perspective of the good guy / bad guy /
his mother / his girlfriend / the dog / the domestic worker / his boss / teacher /
his cell phone (these stories are difficult to write, but will definitely supply you
with a better mark!);
- or tell about another incident / event other than what happened in the original
story;
- use the good guy as mentor to a young, inexperienced disciple;
- or simply rewrite the original plot.
2. Use a battle (known or top secret) as story to a Third / Fourth World War or make
up your own parallel universe with monsters and vampires (sci-fi).
3. Use a historical event / character (noble or infamous).
4. Use a current event or situation on the news as a springboard.
5. Retell a humorous incident which happened to someone you know or of which you
have heard.
6. Try writing a mystery – about a treasure, map or missing person.

TOPICS FOR AN EMOTIVE ESSAY


1. Write about your experience with (become the activist):
Vengeance, Evil, Divorce, Bickering, Anger or
Hope, Love, Faith, Greatness, Respect, Glory, Kindness, Happiness,
Friendship, Dreams and Goal setting.
2. For better marks, add a twist in the tail, an unexpected event / incident or a not so
happy, but justified ending.

1
3. You do not have to write out of your OWN PERSONAL experience, you can
imagine yourself in the shoes of such a person or situation.
4. Use all your senses – try “smelling” and “hearing” to describe things more.
5. Do not be afraid of giving a “Good Ending” or positive outcome to your story – most
teachers like a “Happy Ending”. A sad / gory ending may be strong, but if the ending
is justified – it is better.
6. Try not to be too descriptive, over-emotional or too religious – you cannot always
predict who will read your writing.
7. Do not use clichés, like “It was the most wonderful kiss” or “I have never felt so ...”
and in today’s life, refrain from writing about vampires – it has been overused.
Here are some interesting and great ways to begin your essay:

TECHNIQUES
1. Use only one word. Like, “Responsibility”. And then, either explain the term, or
give your feelings regarding the topic. Use a dictionary or ‘a friend once told me ...’
2. Use a good, authentic English dictionary and explain the term or issue, for example,
“The Collins Dictionary explains the term, altruism, as a “behaviourism where the
self is placed after any other person.” (This technique is very effective for a factual
DISCURSIVE essay, and should be avoided in a Narrative essay as it might seen
as boring.)
3. Jump immediately into the action, for example, “And there he stood, all alone in the
night, and drenched to the bone”.
4. Begin your piece with a short quote, idiom (us two which contradict one another),
joke, limerick, poem, Bible verse, an amusing fact or witty saying. Or use your
mother!
5. Use some clever FIGURES OF SPEECH, POETIC DEVICES and other
RHETORICAL STRUCTURES. Start with a rhetorical question, or make up a sharp
ALLITERATION or your own SIMILE as title to your essay. Don’t be afraid of using
ONOMATOPOEIA
6. Try using a line from a beginning of another book or magazine article.
7. Why not start with a question, negative or a question tag? Or a Rhetorical Question.
8. Do some research – read about different situations, words and ideas. Read about
the “background” to movies, books, tragedies and historical events. If you write
about something / someone in history, then this part is vital.
9. If your story is dull, change the setting of the story / change the characters / change
the objects in the story, or change its viewpoint.
10. A well-planned essay will always get good marks. Find a system that works for you.
Read your essay out loud to a friend or parent. It helps to iron out any unclear
messages and ambiguity.
11. You cannot make any grammar or spelling errors in the first paragraph! This will
immediately cost you marks.
12. Always try to interpret the topic METAPHORICALLY. Telling us what the topic is
about, e.g. ‘Every cloud has a silver lining’ does not ask for a Geography lesson.
- There will always be pictures in the exam paper – and your whole essay does not
have to be about the picture – as long as the last line makes the link, you are fine.

You might also like