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HOW TO SCORE FULL MARKS IN ESSAY ENGLISH

  • 13-03-2010 05:30PM
    #1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 158 ✭✭


    Hi,
    Can anyone tell me how to score full marks in the Essay section of the junior cert paper i cant seem to get full marks only half. And what im witing is good.
    Can anybody help?,
    thanks in avance
    Chris


Comments

  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,419 ✭✭✭WanderingSoul


    In what sort of essay? There is no "essay section", do you mean the studied drama/fiction/poetry questions in paper 2?

    Also, we can't really help you if the only information you tell us is that what you are writing is good: are you using quotes, are you using the "PQE (Point Quote Explain)" layout within paragraphs, how much are you writing, how varied is your vocabulary, are you accurately using a range of punctuation, how detailed is your analysis etc.

    Maybe if you type up a paragraph or two of an essay you recently wrote and tell us what the question was we can help you, but basically we need something to work with other than "what im witing is good". :)


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 158 ✭✭schoolboy082


    okay it's Personal Writing and it's in paper 2.
    i don't know the question because i dont have the question right now but here is the 1st two paragraphs exactly as i wrote them. the title was MY GREATEST ADVENTURE


    My greatest adventure is the same as everyone else's greatest adventure which is life itself. We never truly know if we are at the start, the middle or the end of our adventure. Some people may look at life as an adventure, others may look at life as a gift, or some think they are just here to do their part for soceity. I cannot say where my adventure is at the moment, nor can anyone else.
    Right now, my adventure has come to a stop in a long windy road and as I look ahead I see a crossroads. I now have the choice to pick which way my adventure needs to go. If i take the left road, it will take me the way I need to go to do well in life but to leave all I have behind and turn a new page in a book, turn over a new leaf, start from scratch. If I go straight I continue my journey, walking on and waiting for the next crossroads, hauling my luggage behind me. If I choose the right road, It will lead me to no-man's land because it is'nt signposted, is this a chance im willing to take?, do i have to choose?, why can't I go back the road I came? I heard a saying once '' When you walk to the top of the road, it is hard to climb the hill, but if you turn back it's easy to go back down''.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 379 ✭✭Gentlemanne


    That isnt bad, but theyre looking for 1 to 1 and a half pages of your answer booklet.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 158 ✭✭schoolboy082


    I had 2 pages a4 pages altogether that just 2 paragraphs


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,849 ✭✭✭bluejay14


    I never do those kind of essays for some reason.I usually do the speeches.The one in my mock ended up being a bit of a 3 page rant.


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 158 ✭✭schoolboy082


    we never really revised speeches


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,347 ✭✭✭Closed ac


    I dunno how to score full marks, but I know that learning when is the right time to use capital letters will help. :)


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,840 ✭✭✭Luno


    Your sentences are sort of long... Dunno just a bit of a mouthful having a few long sentences after eachother...


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,419 ✭✭✭WanderingSoul


    Okay; the marks are split up as follows;

    Content..........20
    Structure........15
    Expression......30
    Mechanics........5
    Total..............70

    Content:
    Okay, so about 30% of the marks go for content which is your plot, character development etc. So in a story make sure you brainstorm for a few minutes before you start writing so you have a clear idea where you are going and you don't run out of ideas half way through. In a speech you do the same sort of thing; make sure you have an outline of what you're going to say so you aren't just rambling.

    Also, remember that everyone is getting the same titles and one examiner (for the JC) will be correcting a lot of essays, many of which will be very similar so if you can try and twist your story so it stands out and is different. That's probably the most important bit actually because that's the best way to get more marks for this section.

    Structure:
    This is worth about 20%. I think this is basically layout and order of paragraphs so it makes sense etc. but I need to check my English notebook to confirm and I amn't really bothered to walk upstairs to get it so I'll edit this later and let you know. :)

    Expression:
    This is worth the most marks at just over 40%. Basically, you get marks for good vocabulary, a wide range of punctuation and using different techniques.

    I think you personally can get a lot more marks here by just reading back over what you write and adding in more varied punctuation (you only used full stops, commas and question marks), using a thesaurus (when not in an exam obviously) to learn more words and being aware of techniques you can use.

    Try adding in:
    • punctuation such as ; : - ... ( ) !
    • more techniques such as lists (you had a couple in your extract), rhetorical questions (you had a couple in your extract), multi-clause sentences (you had a lot[maybe too much?] in your extract), single clause sentences, alliteration, similes, metaphors, adverbs/adverbial phrases . . .
    • more adjectives: "dusty crossroads" etc. which will just make it more interesting to read and make it seem more realistic/vivid for the reader.

    Also, maybe try experimenting with what style of writing you use: discursive, persuasive, action, descriptive, dialogue focused, short story etc. Different people are better at different types so maybe you haven't found your type yet.

    Mechanics:
    Basically spellings and grammar, it's only worth about 7% but there's no point in throwing away marks. That said though, they aren't really "easy marks", for example, you wouldn't be at 5/5 because "is this a chance im willing to take?, do i have to choose?," is incorrect.

    Hope that helps & let me know if I didn't explain something clearly.


  • Moderators, Category Moderators, Education Moderators Posts: 27,352 CMod ✭✭✭✭spurious


    "My greatest adventure is the same as everyone else's greatest adventure..."

    You lost me after that. I didn't want to read any further.


    You could have got the same idea across in many much more interesting ways.

    My greatest adventure? It's an adventure that will make me cry, laugh, bring me to the edge of my potential, fill me with disappointment, fill me with wonder...blah de blah.

    You want to draw the reader in.

    Best way to improve your writing is to read many different authors.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 379 ✭✭Gentlemanne


    I havent got my paper back, but I wrote about meeting pirates for my greatest adventure :cool:


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 208 ✭✭jeoun


    okay it's Personal Writing and it's in paper 2.
    i don't know the question because i dont have the question right now but here is the 1st two paragraphs exactly as i wrote them. the title was MY GREATEST ADVENTURE


    My greatest adventure is the same as everyone else's greatest adventure which is life itself. We never truly know if we are at the start, the middle or the end of our adventure. Some people may look at life as an adventure, others may look at life as a gift, or some think they are just here to do their part for soceity. I cannot say where my adventure is at the moment, nor can anyone else.
    Right now, my adventure has come to a stop in a long windy road and as I look ahead I see a crossroads. I now have the choice to pick which way my adventure needs to go. If i take the left road, it will take me the way I need to go to do well in life but to leave all I have behind and turn a new page in a book, turn over a new leaf, start from scratch. If I go straight I continue my journey, walking on and waiting for the next crossroads, hauling my luggage behind me. If I choose the right road, It will lead me to no-man's land because it is'nt signposted, is this a chance im willing to take?, do i have to choose?, why can't I go back the road I came? I heard a saying once '' When you walk to the top of the road, it is hard to climb the hill, but if you turn back it's easy to go back down''.

    Maybe using the word "adventure" five times in the opening paragraph is letting you down.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 277 ✭✭Blue_Seas


    I always seem to go off on a tangent in my essays and don't realize it until the end and have to somehow wrap it all up :D. I wrote the essay that gave you a line to insert (I think these leave a lot more room for creativity) and I wrote around 2 or 3 pages. The main problem with my essays (in my opinion) is going off the point and not having enough adjectives and metaphors/similes. I love seeing those in writing - it makes the piece entirely more interesting.

    Try describing more. I honestly gave up on your essay after seeing "adventure" repeated so many times. An examiner could get the exact same essay from so many different people and if that happened you'd all be marked down. Your grammar/punctuation could use a little work also but I cannot be a critic because for the strangest of reasons I was never taught grammar in Post-Primary school :confused:. My teacher just didn't bother to teach us (luckily I'm a bookworm and picked up my Grammar Nazism from there :P) so maybe your teacher didn't either.

    Oh look I seem to have gone off on a tangent again. Dammit.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 158 ✭✭schoolboy082


    Thats all great thanks a million and maybe if i wrote an essay next weekend or something you guys would be able to grade me?
    Thanks,
    Chris


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,419 ✭✭✭WanderingSoul


    I'll tell you how I think you did and maybe point out some things you could change or improve if you wish.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 158 ✭✭schoolboy082


    That sounds great thanks:D.


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