How to write a BAND 6 essay?

[Super Nanny]

You can hide this advertisement by registering.

lol, WAPTEEL. How the fuck do people come up with these things?

[cbadvanced]

Here's a good answer: you can't

unless you suck up a LOT

[davidw89]

Imagine thinking abotu sex during your exam

[cl3nta]

Originally Posted by MattBaker

A good one to follow is WAPTEEL

W - What (key point/thesis)
A - Audience (How does the audience relate)
P - Purpose (what is the purpose)
T - Technique
E - Example or Evidence
E - EFFECT (What and why)
L - Link (to the next key idea)

haha you're amazing.
my response would be to ATQ (answer the question) this is pretty much what separates a good response from the common garbage. Just relate everything you say to the question - each sentance should be aiming to further your purpose of answering the question.
In maths we all find it easy to atq, do the same in eng and you're a winner

[{~ĩåmρ¢~}]

SYTHESIS helps i guess....its easier than people make it sound. For your notes draw a BIG mindmap linking all your major points and memorise the BIG picture and stick the quotes up your wall too so you can familiarise yourself with them, you should memorise quotes that have the most versatility as opposed to one quote per - point.

Promote yourself to make your own opinion. Do you like or dislike a text?. then question why is it that you like or dislike a text? the authors expression? his/her themetic concerns? the medium of expression? and how could this be imporved. This particularly helps with personal responses and it canget you going and writng with a flow.

When writing essays on context, sythesise using values and attitudes. Link all your major points through the values of the two periods e.g discuss how money is important in Taming of the Shrew i.e. how it delivers status, then link this the Ten things...then link money to power to masculinity to femininity to family dynamics, and you can comment on each text as you go.

(sorry about the shoddy examples....im still in yr 11...so i havent done any yr 12 texts lol..this is just what i remember for my prelim.)

hope that helps....sounds like a lot of crap...

gl all

[hannahxxx]

Yeah I agree with the "answer the question" thing-it's amazing how many people don't do it.
You link the question to your paragraph topic at BEGINNING of every paragraph.
If you're comparing two texts, after you've finished comparing them in relation to a point link BACK to the q in a sentence of summation.

Oh and some teachers *rolls eyes* tell you not to "memorize essays" but they need a reality check. To write 8+ pages in 40 minutes you pretty much need to have memorized the whole thing and be able to quote it off the top of your head. I guess they say this cause some kids don't link back to the q.

You must realize that actually sitting down and WRITING a band six essay takes time( my essays took me ages). Keep taking it back to the teacher until they get annoyed with you.

Oh and handwriting- getting good at this something I never managed but it's an art in itself.

[Ida-Marie]

explain ur ideas and thoughts clearly and str8 to the point
however understand the text back to front and being able to relate to it on either a personal/physical/mental/spiritual level will totally give u a good solid amount worth of wirting, i found that if i understand the text EXCELLENTLY i can draw on aspects of the text and relate it to the question, mulnipulate my text to suit the question BUT also relating to it,

--short and simple bit-- honestly get str8 to the point, dont fill it in with un-needed details and always relate to the question

[rachelm]

Know your text very very well. Don't rely on bought cheat notes. Everyone sounds the same. Answer the question in a straightforward way. Have an opinion. Don't learn essays - learn ideas and thought threads. That way quotes are easier to remember too. Practise ways of adapting your thought threads to different questions. Always have a backup piece of additional material - one which has a different view or is a different text type.

WATEEL sounds stupid but is great. It keeps you focused. And repeat the WATEEL thing at least twice in a paragraph.

Also Hannah had good things to say, I think.

What has studying Coleridge taught you about imaginative journeys?
NOT "Coleridge's imaginative journeys convey important ideas which are interesting. His poetry is powerful and shows us that imaginative journeys are about the jurney not the destination... "
BUT "Imaginative journeys are often experienced as an emotional escape from the restrictions of reality while also providing inspiration to move forward and look at the world differently. This is especially true of Coleridge....".

[Magicana]

Originally Posted by hannahxxx

Yeah I agree with the "answer the question" thing-it's amazing how many people don't do it.
You link the question to your paragraph topic at BEGINNING of every paragraph.
If you're comparing two texts, after you've finished comparing them in relation to a point link BACK to the q in a sentence of summation.

Oh and some teachers *rolls eyes* tell you not to "memorize essays" but they need a reality check. To write 8+ pages in 40 minutes you pretty much need to have memorized the whole thing and be able to quote it off the top of your head. I guess they say this cause some kids don't link back to the q.

You must realize that actually sitting down and WRITING a band six essay takes time( my essays took me ages). Keep taking it back to the teacher until they get annoyed with you.

Oh and handwriting- getting good at this something I never managed but it's an art in itself.

Writing an essay before hand gets you locked into the question, and when you go in, it is very hard to get straight to work on it. I tried that for year 11 half yearly, and it took me a few minutes to get my head around the new question. Ended up with 13/15, but still...

Better to know your stuff and in relation to the syllabus, or be naturally good at it.

[tomsav]

My Teacher always says T.E.E:

Technique used
Example of the Technique
Explain the Technique


Tom

[hiddenagenda]

I go ruse and get good essay marks in exams by just... getting my teacher to mark a practice essay, and then editing it and gettin remark until its perfect, then memorize it word for word. likE eVERY single word loL. this way Your essay will have good style flair, stick out, since you cant write excellent structure in the pathetic time slot they give us for exams. getting used to modifying it to answer the question is the only other step. its quite easy- the english syllabus is so broad haha so i jsut ...add a few scentences onto the end of my memorized essay so that its answering the question. the...fullmarks =]

[TheBressman]

Wow, sounds like an interesting concept. And this technique works for all questions ? I have had HSC marking teachers say that those who memorise another question's essay usually get lower marks.

[*Buttercup*]

When I was studying english, I made a list of the different types of questions u can get - the topics are so broad that there's usually not too many - eg, for physical journeys u can get a question on direction, consequences, attitudes or challenges, that sort of thing. and then work out which texts u would use to answer each type of question. if u know ur texts really well u should have a couple of points that u always make about each text...

Then practise heaps of essays in time limits and get ur teachers to mark them!

[tommykins]

"This is what I think"
"This is why I think it"
"See I told you so!"

But I gotta say, the most important thing is ALWAYS (I mean ALWAYS) assume the marker has READ your text. Analyse, NEVER recount. It doesn't matter if they've read it or not, assume they have and just point out which bits in the text relate to the question.

[morganforrest]

If you want to mention a mad technique to make you sound that little bit more cluey...try anthropomorphism...don't know what that is....bit like personification, it's giving animals human traits. Used in Wind in the Willows, ie Toad representing the middle class view of journeying is highlighted through the use of anthropomorphism.

Lol...i <3 technique dumping...(but don't do it if you want a band 6...or do it cleverlerly like me )