Wednesday, 14 October 2015

Essay Tips: 25 Steps To A Good Essay

English Lit Essay Writing Tips

  1. Use Succinct Point In Topic Sentence: Don't confuse the point or ramble, keep it short, concise and use your strongest point in the topic sentence. See if it makes sense on its own, outside of the essay.
  1. Refer to 'Narrator' not Rossetti: Or use 'Rossetti's 1st person persona'.
  1. Integrate Quotes: Integrate them into your sentences then link to language analysis and EFFECTS!
E.g: '...her secret “today” because “it froze”...'

  1. Always Prove Your Interpretation: Back up your personal interpretation with examples and quotes for every point. Don't make a point you cannot back-up.
  1. Use Specifics! When referring to any poem.
  1. Refer To 'Narrator's Attitudes': How does the narrator feel?
  1. Show Understanding Of Narrative/Plot.
  1. Exploratory Language, Not Explanatory: E.g: 'Possibly', 'perhaps'.
  1. CONTEXT!!!!!
  1. Don't Use Brackets.
  1. Write Poem's Title Exactly How It's Written In The Poem.
  1. Use Complex Interpretation & Vocabulary.
  1. Don't Use Colloquial Language.
  1. Use sets of 2 or 3 Descriptive/Similar Words In Topic Sentence.
  1. Don't Define Words.
  1. Don't Patronise.
  1. Connotations: If all else fails for language analysis, refer to connotations.
  1. Don't Generalise Context: E.g: Instead of saying 'not likely for a woman of the Victorian era' use 'not the stereotype' etc.
  2. Don't Make Too Many Different Points In The Same Paragraph.
  1. Don't Use Very Long Quotes.
  1. Avoid 'Positive' and 'Negative'.
  1. Avoid Repetition.
  1. Write About Complex Poetic Issues: Such as metre, rhyme and explain their effects. Why has the poet used them, link rhyme/metre to context and the question.
  1. Explore Both The Literal & Allegorical Meanings.
  1. ANSWER THE ESSAY QUESTION!!!!!!!




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