im bad at essays, really bad. last year i got 5/20 in an end of year english exam and i know that im going to have to be good at essays for year 11 and 12 otherwise im going fail horribly so? does anyone have any tips or ways to practice? id really appriciate the help
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tips for writing essays? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter e__llie
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Nailgun
Cole World
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don't be a dick
okay, in all honestly if you are struggling to that degree then before anything else you should look at structure
an essay that vaguely answers the question, but is well structured and ordered is pretty much guaranteed 12/20 imo (prolly bit more tbh)
stick with the basics; if you have two texts use 4 paragraphs and 2 concepts. lets say we're talking about control and power as 'themes' for our essay
we'd structure it like
Paragraph 1: Text A - Control
Paragraph 2: Text B - Control
Paragraph 3: Text A - Power
Paragraph 4: Text B - Power
In the paragraphs themselves, use the paragraph structure like this
1. Topic sentence
2. Statement #1
3. Backed up with QTE (Quote, Technique, Effect)
4. Statement #2
5. Backed up with QTE (Quote, Technique, Effect)
6. Statement #3
7. Backed up with QTE (Quote, Technique, Effect)
8. Link back to the question.
Do this for every paragraph.
For the intro, have a thesis statement (a big overarching argument), and introduce your texts. Mention both your themes (control, power in this case) and how they relate to the thesis. Avoid mentioning the plot of either texts as much as possible.
Reword the intro and use it as a conclusion.
That's about this gist of it, if want me to try explain something more specific, feel free to ask.
EarthSci34
Good grief.
Hi e__llie
It's really confronting to write essays, considering how there's a certain expectation to use "big words" and fancy sentence structures in order to get good marks. Let me tell you now that although it will help, it is certainly not only the way to get 80+ for your HSC marks. At its core, an essay is simply a sustained and logical argument about your point of view. It's not really hard to write as long as you have an idea on how to FORMAT your work as well as knowing your CONTENT.
There's 3 parts of a good essay: the INTRODUCTION, the BODY PARAGRAPHS and the CONCLUSION.
Here's a couple of quick tips about each part of the essay:
Introduction: Like the name implies, this is where you basically introduce your texts and tell us readers about what you're going to be arguing in your essay (your thesis). The first sentence introduces the overarching topic that you've studied, followed by your argument (thesis statement). Your third sentence introduces your texts and the last sentence of your introduction sums your argument up. This is a very quick rundown and will be easier to see once you practice writing.
Body paragraph: In your essay sandwich, this is the meat of your work
There's heaps of structures you can follow like PEEL (point, evidence, explanation, link) or SEXY (statement, explanation, eXplanation and Why this is relevant to your argument). As you can see from the examples I've provided, both follow a logical flow of ideas. You tell the reader what point/ argument you're trying to make about a text (your thesis). Then, you cite some examples (like quotes and techniques) from your chosen text and then explain the relevance of these techniques to your idea. Finally, you link it back to the question as if to remind the person you're talking to about the point you made in the first place. Conclusion: This is where you summarise your argument and tell readers about your overall understanding of what you've just stated. This involves 2-4 sentences of rewording the thesis, linking back to your texts and ending your analysis with a didactic or illuminated understanding of question you've answered. It's a bit tricky, but honestly I think a good conclusion really brings home a good essay.
Essay writing is an art. It takes a lot of time and practice to perfect, so don't get discouraged by your poor results. It's all part of your learning process!
best of luck and message me if you need some help or just someone to talk to about your worries 
authenticity
Povo Child
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Make sure you've gotten the whole "writing essay" essence down before chucking in the fancy words. If you don't, you'll only end up with a convoluted essay that will ruin the argument you're attempting to convey. Also, try avoiding excessively long sentences. They only confuse the marker and weaken your argument.
Just try more practice and read more it's can help to improve your writing skills,if you need a good marks, now there are a lot of writing service which can help you to improve your essay
One of the most important things in an essay is the structure:
Introduction paragraph
- Thesis (introduces your overall argument/idea)
- Introduce your text/s, including title and author
- briefly explain how these texts reflect your argument as seen in thesis
Body paragraphs:
- topic sentence (should have some relation to thesis, like a more specific idea)
- evidence, such as quotes or scenes if your text is a film + technique + effect/reason (link back to your topic sentence)
- a new body paragraph should be made if you are introducing a slightly different idea, though it should still come under your thesis
Conclusion:
- summarise argument. I tend to reword my thesis statement and link back to my texts
- can be short (roughly 2-3 sentences)
Good essays are often concise and conceptual, which makes them extremely difficult to write (I know many people have difficulty, including me!), so practising can help improve your essay writing skills. If you can ask your teacher for examples of essays that would be extremely helpful. Good luck!
Introduction paragraph
- Thesis (introduces your overall argument/idea)
- Introduce your text/s, including title and author
- briefly explain how these texts reflect your argument as seen in thesis
Body paragraphs:
- topic sentence (should have some relation to thesis, like a more specific idea)
- evidence, such as quotes or scenes if your text is a film + technique + effect/reason (link back to your topic sentence)
- a new body paragraph should be made if you are introducing a slightly different idea, though it should still come under your thesis
Conclusion:
- summarise argument. I tend to reword my thesis statement and link back to my texts
- can be short (roughly 2-3 sentences)
Good essays are often concise and conceptual, which makes them extremely difficult to write (I know many people have difficulty, including me!), so practising can help improve your essay writing skills. If you can ask your teacher for examples of essays that would be extremely helpful. Good luck!
There is a definite structure. And there are a lot of information available online.
Here are some tips:
1. Read – write – read – write – read – write – read – write – read – write – read
2. Don’t be smart, be clear – select your best idea
3. Write about what you know – relax about ideas
4. Examples are easier to write than explanations
5. Don’t write too much – the examiner is paid by the minute
6. Writer – know yourself
7.See the whole essay in your head before you start writing
8. Focus on the backbone of your essay
9. Don’t just practice whole essays
10. Focus on the question and refocus on the question
Good luck with your assignments!
Here are some tips:
1. Read – write – read – write – read – write – read – write – read – write – read
2. Don’t be smart, be clear – select your best idea
3. Write about what you know – relax about ideas
4. Examples are easier to write than explanations
5. Don’t write too much – the examiner is paid by the minute
6. Writer – know yourself
7.See the whole essay in your head before you start writing
8. Focus on the backbone of your essay
9. Don’t just practice whole essays
10. Focus on the question and refocus on the question
Good luck with your assignments!
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