Do you lose marks if you don't write a conclusion? (Advanced Paper 2) (1 Viewer)

[anton93]

When I finished my last body paragraph for Module B - Speeches, I had 28 minutes left so I didn't write a conclusion because my school teachers said that HSC markers don't care about your conclusion unless its adding to your essay (ie if you just write Ultimately/In Conclusion then repeat the question then you won't gain marks or lose marks for not having one) but I heard some students saying that you 100% NEED a conclusion even if its just a restatement of the question otherwise you will lose marks. I felt like my essay was otherwise pretty good and answered the question well, but hearing this makes me worried. Will I lose marks?
Can anyone comment/share experiences of not writing a conclusion?
Thanks!!

 

[Microsoft Word]

100% yes u need a conclusion. It shows to the marker that you've followed the structure of the text type the question's asking u for. It's like being asked to draw a triangle, leaving 1 side out and calling it a triangle.

Don't worry though, at most you'll probs only lose 1 mark.

 

[jazz519]

Yeah its important to have a conclusion as your essay needs to have structure. In terms of losing marks at most I would say that would cost you 1-2 marks (probably 1 as its not as important as like a body paragraph)

 

[The Doozy]

Yeah you definitely need a conclusion teeb. It essentially signifies to the marker that you were able to finish your response in the time frame as well as draw your essay to a close. In terms of mark value maybe 1-2 at most, potentially no deduction if the marker is generous.

 

[Cena123]

My friend who didn't write a conclusion in trials got a higher mark than me, even though I finished my essay.

 

[jazz519]

My friend who didn't write a conclusion in trials got a higher mark than me, even though I finished my essay.

Yeah that can happen, but in terms of comparing just their own work with a conclusion and not, the same piece with a conclusion would score probably 1 higher

 

[anton93]

Yeah you definitely need a conclusion teeb. It essentially signifies to the marker that you were able to finish your response in the time frame as well as draw your essay to a close. In terms of mark value maybe 1-2 at most, potentially no deduction if the marker is generous.

Yeah, one of my friends got 20/20 without writing a conclusion for Mod A but that was trials not sure what HSC markers think (though some of my school teachers are HSC markers). The consensus seems to be that a mark or less likely 2 marks might be taken off. Rip oh well

 

[Robbie M]

My friend who is predicted to state rank in English never writes conclusions as he considered them a luxury and doesn't lose marks for it.

 

[Jakulore]

Sorry to say, but yeah. Proper essay structure will require a conclusion. If someone doesn't lose marks for it internally then that is likely to be a result of the school's own discretionary powers. But yeah, in general you would need a conclusion. Of course, if the essay is still really solid it wouldn't cost you a great deal of marks.

 

[trea99]

Oh well It's over,
BUT I asked my tutor this after my trials (she's a HSC marker) because I didn't write a conclusion for one of my essays. She said that in the HSC most of the time you are not deducted marks for anything unless you write things that are straight up wrong/contradicts your argument, so you can only gain marks from writing a conclusion if it adds some value to your essay but you won't necessarily lose marks for not writing one (basically, the only thing you have to lose is if your conclusion would have elevated your answer).
So say the question was on speeches using this year's q as an example (this is what I took from her saying you can only gain not lose marks so this may or may not be the actual way essays are marked)
If your essay was a 15/20 (at the end of your body paragraphs) and in your conclusion you wrote "In conclusion, Sadat's use of powerful rhetoric does/does not come at the expense of substance while Speech 2 does/does not come at the expense of substance" you will not raise your essay to a 16 or higher. If however your include a discussion in your conclusion "Ultimately, while both speeches use powerful rhetoric to manipulate their audience's perspective on -----, Sadat's use of powerful rhetoric comes at the expense of substance as his speech fails to address -----. ----- on the other hand ----- so on".
So to me at least, it seems that if your essay up till the point where your conclusion would have been warrants you an 18/20, you will not be booted down to a 16 or a 17 simply because you failed to spit out the question once more writing in conclusion before it. You might, however, raise your answer to a 19 or a 20 (Imo unlikely unless your conclusion presents points not raised already or you answer the question in your conclusion while you didn't previously in which case you probably wouldn't be getting an 18), if your conclusion is not a mere regurgitation of the question. I think you won't lose marks, I've heard of people not losing marks for not writing a conclusion. In my trial I ended up with a 19/20 and the comment said "Your discussion shows a very authentic engagement with the question. Discussion seems a bit unbalanced with less focus given to related. A pleasure to read". It's hard to tell given so many people are saying you MUST have one. I disagree. Who knows
Good luck!

 

[Jakulore]

I've been told by my tutor and teacher that the sole purpose of a conclusion is to merely show the examiner that you didn't run out of time. Your conclusions only need to be about 1 sentence long, max 2 sentences. Because the reality is they're worth about 1 mark.

Exactly this. I am pretty sure that there is nothing in the marking guidelines that would be like "deduct marks for no conclusion" but typically a marker would look at an essay without one as unfinished, thus they would probably in their head reduce the mark. I don't think you need discussion in a conclusion, especially if you are brining in anything unsaid in your essay, but I think it is always important to have one. I understand if you "don't have time" and obviously there is nothing you can do about it now, however, an essay without a conclusion is still an unfinished essay, so it is more likely than not that you would lose marks for it, or at the very least, your mark would not be as high when the marker considers the whole essay. Of course, who cares? The exam is over and done with now so there is no point stressing about it. Just make sure to try to get a conclusion out for other essay subjects e.g Ancient/Modern History, Legal Studies, Business (?) etc.