Essay Tips

Pala!

I'm actually desperate.

I am dire at essays, actually horribly bad. Can anyone give me some tips on writing the composition.

Even on the simple titles I don't know how to go about them.

Please, anything.

haloauto

Steal ideas from video games, movies etc.
My story's going to be about 2 brothers or if I'm given the opportunity an essay on the actual english exam

MrPirate

Now this is the story all about how my life got flipped turned upside down...

^ Start it off with that.

belleray

Choosing to tell a story from an alternative perspective can work out well - as in the witness to a crime, lead it on and then reveal its the cat telling the story. Makes a change from the thousands of first person essays.

Good luck

poisonated

well I'm not sure if this is what you are looking for and I dont mean to be patronising(its kind of hard not to be when giving advice:p),but for something like an argumentative essay the format should be as follows:

intro:introduce topic,say what you are going to talk about,make your perspective clear(are you for or against it?)

4/5 key points.Each one should be unique as repetition is a very bad thing to do in an exam.For each point you should have a sentance which really draws the reader in.A key sentance if you like.

Conclusion:you should briefly summarise everything that you have said.Bring it all together with a really moving sentance which really stands for the point that you are trying to make.

It is very good to use a quote.


Please correct me if I am wrong.

Dante

Pala! wrote: »

I'm actually desperate.

I am dire at essays, actually horribly bad. Can anyone give me some tips on writing the composition.

Even on the simple titles I don't know how to go about them.

Please, anything.

Don't worry, no matter how bad you are at them, I'm worse! That should make you feel better! No matter how hard I try, I always end up with utter shít!

Pala!

Thanks for the help. Anymore would be great. Thinking of essays on the spot is just very hard for me. It really brings my grade down a lot.

On the quote thing said above, could I use a quote from the texts I am studying like MacBeth? Or would that not be allowed?

Again anymore would be unbelievably fantastic!

peanuthead

belleray wrote: »

Choosing to tell a story from an alternative perspective can work out well - as in the witness to a crime, lead it on and then reveal its the cat telling the story. Makes a change from the thousands of first person essays.

Good luck

I would actually stay away from this idea... although it would be very good, if you are as dire as you say you are at composing, well then you won't be able to pull this off. For something like this to work it has to first be not at all obvious that its the cat telling the story, until the end, or near the end. But once the reader knows its a cat, upon re-reading the essay it should become very plausable, if not obvious that it was indeed a cat. Its not common because its hard to pull off.

What would maybe suit you best is basing your story on a real life event/story, that way its sort of planned out for you. You need to be careful to create good imagery in this essay though, when the story is already clear in your head, remember the examiner is hearing it for the first time. ie:
INSTEAD OF: "It was really cold, the wind was very strong"
SAY: "The icy wind cut through the bare trees and I struggled against it as I tried to make my way up the hill"

Use all the movies, books, stories, tv shows etc.. you remember as your 'sources'

You can use a quote from Macbeth at teh start on your essay if you want.

Try googling good essay opening quotes, see what ya get

This is advice from an English teacher by the way.

Good Luck!!

OneArt

You should write a story about Sir Walter Hitchguard, a stout cherub of a man and his sweet chambermaid Emily who, one day, was cooking some meth for the orphans when her water broke...

and take it from there.

Dumb

At this stage my advice would be go to bed. Better than sitting scratching your fingers off.

MissHoneyBun

In relation to an essay style piece of creative writing, they should generally be based upon the following format:

1. Introduction: Establish the setting. Introduce 1/2 main characters. Hint at rather than reveal the plot via suggestive language. (1-3 paragraphs)

2. Plot development: Establish main characters. Reveal information regarding plot. Develop plot by increasing the complexity of the storyline via conflict, drama etc. (5-8 paragraphs)

3. Conclusion: Should be satisfactory to the reader, may offer conflict resolution. Offer outcome/result of related plot. (3/4 paragraphs)

*Watch punctuation -Full stops, capital letters, commas, quotation marks etc.

*Ensure language is appropriate to essay style eg. personal language for diary entry etc.

*Read the question -be aware if the question requires debate/speech style and format, newspaper article, short story, diary entry, formal essay and adhere to the appropriate style and tone of the piece.

Pala!

Thanks.

What exactly is a personal essay, is it a story from your life?

Do you tell it like a story?