Is anyone using already prepared essays? (1 Viewer)

jackie07

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Just wondering.. Is anyone using already prepared and memorised to thier best, essays for paper one and two?

I know people who are and just adapting it to any question.

Any thoughts?
 

sonyaleeisapixi

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Not in the sense that Ive memorised an essay

I have a standard, interchangable introduction, and malleable techniques and themes.
 

wLym

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youre gonna end up using the same points anyway,so memorise those. Plus, youre gonna have to adapt to the question anyway on the day, at least memorise something, anything beforehand.
 

Euphory

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Yes, because nearly any question can be answered with a set, prepared essay.
 

sirfeathers

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King Lear and In The Wild questions have become more specific in recent years I have noticed.
 

old.skool.kid

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It would be so hard to finish the whole paper, especially number 2, without having prepared essays. I think it would be way too hard to jus make it up as you go.
 

Shan4curry

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The only thing I'm preparing for is the Writing Task in the English exam on Friday.
I did (surprisingly) well in the Trials for all the essays so I'll use those responses in conjunction with my Trial study notes for revision.
 

jackie07

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yeah. I have a memorised a thesis, themes, quotes and devices.
which i feel confident about but i know people who have memorised from start to finish of thier essay's.
 

sonyaleeisapixi

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Of course theres memorisation involved - techniques, themes, composers, effects - but when you say prepared essays, I imagine someone attempting to memorise a whole generic essay and regurgitate it in the exam.
 

Just.Snaz

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jackie07 said:
Can you remember it all?
Yes. Maybe not the exact wording of every single sentence but definitely all my techniques, my points and my quotes. Memorised essays help when you look at the question and think shit :/ cause at least you've already got something to write.

Lately, I've been practising how to adapt my essays. I also make additional notes and know my texts well, just in case there's a strong point that could answer the question but I haven't mentioned in my already planned essay.
 

diametric

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Me too.
@ sirfeathers, last years was pretty specific for in the wild, 2 differences, but everything prior has still been pretty general. Hoping for the same sort of thing this time.

and, gah, Module B: Citizen Kane, same sort of thing, I thought last yr's question (ONE INTENSE RELATIONSHIP) was alright, but I do see where they say, 2 scenes etc, yeah, I get what you mean.

Hopefully, since it's the last yr for many of these texts, it's an easy paper :)

Also: I've memorised all my essays, word for word.
And I think that if you're able to adapt your essays to all of the past yr's questions as well as your trials. You should be fine.
 
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jackie07

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yep thats pretty much what a group of about 5 people i know of are doing.
They have written them and memorised them for 1hour every day for the past 2 months. seems carzy to me but they assure me they'll do better than me.
 

diametric

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Well, I think the top 5 ranks in my school have done that.
And I'm ranked first, so, God-willing, we'll ALL do well.
 

danz90

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sonyaleeisapixi said:
Not in the sense that Ive memorised an essay

I have a standard, interchangable introduction, and malleable techniques and themes.
Same as me...

Memorising generic essays and trying to adapt it to the question will most likely end up in you not answering/addressing the question as specifically as you should to get a good mark.

Threading in question's key words, and using SPECIFIC examples that directly address the question is essential in getting good marks. You could regurgitate excellent analysis of quotes etc etc.. but if they don't address the question, what's the point?

I, like sonya lee, have a set introduction structure and a good outline of techniques used associated with particular quotes... but I will use my methodical way of structuring each body paragraph to write my essay.

Memorising just isn't the way in my opinion.
 

u-borat

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tell that to the majority of state rankers who memorise generic essays then adapt to question.

going to put it out this way.

even if you write a generic essay. and mention the question in intro and conc. you're going to get a high band 5/lowband 6 if your essay is good.

in contrast, walk into the exam, waste 15 minutes or so trying to structure ur essay mid-exam, and end up with less content/unfinished essays and you're pushing a band 5 if your lucky.
 

Kujah

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Yeah, got my prepared essay and some examples in case the question goes awry. Just a matter of continuously linking each and every of my paragraphs to the question given.
 

lionking1191

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Euphory said:
Yes, because nearly any question can be answered with a set, prepared essay.
true. i managed to turn my prepared essay into a debate with minimum stress.

u-borat said:
tell that to the majority of state rankers who memorise generic essays then adapt to question.

going to put it out this way.

even if you write a generic essay. and mention the question in intro and conc. you're going to get a high band 5/lowband 6 if your essay is good.

in contrast, walk into the exam, waste 15 minutes or so trying to structure ur essay mid-exam, and end up with less content/unfinished essays and you're pushing a band 5 if your lucky.

lol our teachers told us that a prepared response with cursory acknowledgment of the question (i.e. top and tail) will receive a maximum of 16/20
 

friction

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I have what i call naked essays or base essays for everything. They are all the points i am goign to make and i just add a line at the start and a line at the end to relate to the question and then there is my essays. These base essays i know every one of them off by heart.
 

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