How to Write The Perfect Essay
If you decide to study English or any other subject in Arts and Humanities at university, it’s going to involve lots of essay writing. It’s an extremely difficult skill to master since it requires both creativity and the ability to think logically, but if you follow the following whenever you write an essay, you should be on the way to success:
1. Plan
This might sound like a time-consuming task, however, if you create a really good plan it can save you time writing your essay, because you’ll know where your answer is headed and won’t write yourself into a corner. Do not fret if you’re stuck initially, just note down some ideas, and chances are the rest will be following. I prefer to make a mind map every new bubble that I create representing one of my main paragraphs. I then write quotations which can be helpful for my study of the bubble.
As an example, suppose I were answering the question “How far is Curley’s wife portrayed as a the victim of Of Mice and Men? This might prompt me to make by drawing a mind map, which would look something like this:
It is possible to continue adding to this list, cutting bits out and linking the various bubbles when you can see links between them.Read more https://ventsmagazine.com/2022/09/02/6-best-ways-to-write-an-essay/ At website Articles Even though you won’t have time to come up with the exact plan for your examination conditions, it might be helpful just make a sketch, including a few specific words, to ensure that you aren’t frightened and get out of topic when writing your essay. If you’re not interested in the mind map style there are plenty of alternatives to pick from: It is possible to make a chart or flowchart, or simply making a list with bullet points.
2. Have a clear structure
You should think about this while you are planning. Your essay can be described as an argument or speech. It should follow a structured structure that is, all of your points are put together to address the question. Begin with the basics: It is best to pick some major points that will serve as your principal paragraphs. Three main paragraphs can be a good number to write an exam essay because you are under a lot of pressure. Your points should be organized in a sequence comprising YES (agreement of the question) – AND (another “YES” argument) but (disagreement or complication) whether you agree or disagree to the general question, or YES BUT and if you don’t agree. This will ensure that you are focused on your arguments and stay away from the topic.
For instance, you could form questions like the Of Mice and Men sample to be structured as follows:
What is the extent to which Curley’s wife portrayed as the victim in Of Mice and Men?’
- YES – details of her appearance
- And, the attitude of others toward her
- But, her position as the only female on the ranch grants her authority as she uses her femininity to benefit herself
If you’d like to write a lengthy essay You could add additional paragraphs under the ‘YES/AND’ category, for example, focusing on the ways in which Curley’s wife shares her vulnerability as well as her insecurities, and shares her hopes and fears with other characters. On the other hand, you could also lengthen your essay by having a third ‘BUT’ sentence concerning her manipulative and cruel streak.
Of course, this’s not necessarily the only right way to address this essay question: as long as you are able to back your argument with evidence from the source text, you can adopt any position that makes sense.
3. Keep your point in mind by using well-analyzed quotations
You wouldn’t compose a scientific report without presenting the evidence that supports your conclusions Why should it be any different with an essay? While you’re not obliged to back up every claim you make using an actual quote, there’s definitely no reason not to try. A careful examination of the quotations you make can help improve your understanding of what you’re asked to say as well as impress your exam takers.
When selecting the best quotations to use in your essay, be sure to look out for specific literary techniques. You could, for instance, review Curley’s wife’s use a rhetorical question when she asks, ‘What am I doin’? Here, I’m talking to some stiffs in bindle’:
The rhetorical question “An’ what is my life doing?” signifies that Curley’s wife is very insecure and is doubting her decisions in life. Additionally, the fact she doesn’t anticipate anyone to respond to her query reveals her loneliness.
Other literary strategies to keep an eye out for are:
- Tricolon is a term used to describe a group of three words or phrases put in close proximity to highlight
- Tautology uses different words that mean the same thing like ‘frightening’, for instance, and terrifying.
- Parallelism – ABAB structure. It usually signifies change from one idea to another
- Chiasmus Chiasmus ABBA structure. Draws attention to that phrase
- Polysyndeton – many words in the form of a sentence
- Asyndeton – no conjunctions It can also speed up speed of a sentence
- Polyptoton, a term that uses the same word with different meanings for emphasis, for example “done” and “doing”
- Alliteration is the repetition or repetition of the identical sound. Different kinds of alliteration can be found in assonance (similar vowel sounds), plosive alliteration (‘b'”, “d” and “p words) and sibilance (‘s’ sounds)
- Anaphora – repetition of words; commonly used to emphasize a specific point
Do not fret if you are unable to find all these literary devices within the work you’re analysing – you can talk about more obvious effects such as metaphor, simile and onomatopoeia. It’s not a problem even if you’re not able to recall all the lengthy names. It’s crucial to discuss the effects of literary techniques as well as their relevance to the subject than to employ the appropriate terminology.
4. Be original and creative all the way through
Everyone can write an essay with the above tips, but the part that makes it ‘perfect’ is your own personal perspective to the topic you’re discussing. If you’ve found something intriguing or unusual in your reading Be sure to point it out: If you like it and interesting, the reader will as well.
Writing for essays and creative writing are in more close proximity than you’d think. Keep the notion that you’re writing a speech , or an argument in mind, and you’re likely to get your readers’ focus.
It is crucial to outline your argument in your intro, explaining your main points and the general direction your essay will take, but don’t forget to keep something back for the end of your essay Also. You must briefly summarize your main points but if it’s just a repetition of the things you said in the introduction, the essay is ineffective.
Think of your final sentence as the final climax of your speech, the point all of the other stuff has been leading toward, rather than your boring plenary at end of the interesting stuff.
For those looking to go back to Of Mice and Men once more, here is an illustration of the best distinction between an introduction and a concluding sentence:
Introduction:
Within John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, Curley’s wife is presented as a confusing character. It is possible to view her as a cruel, seductive temptress or an isolated woman who is subject to her society’s opinions. Although she does appear to be a victim of sexual power, it’s evident that the wife of Curley is mostly the victim. This view is supported through Steinbeck’s descriptions of her physical appearance, people’s views, her hopes, and her evident feelings of loneliness and insecurity.
Conclusion:
Overall, it’s evident that Curley’s wife is a victim , and is portrayed as such throughout the novel, including the descriptions of her appearance, her dreams, other people’s judgemental attitudes, and her feelings of loneliness and insecurity. Yet, a character was a victim, and only one thing else could be one-dimensional which is what Curley’s spouse isn’t. While she is afflicted in a variety of ways the film shows her assert herself through the manipulation of her femininity , a tiny protest against the exploitation she experiences.
Both rely on this question, and also summarize all the major points in the essay however, the conclusion includes something entirely new to the ideas introduced in the main body of the essay but complicates the simple summary which can be found within the intro.