Starter quiz
- What is the 'argument' in your essay?
- the quotations you have chosen to use
- the main idea in your essay ✓
- the key characters and moments in the essay
- the context you link to your analysis
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- Which of the following is NOT a feature of a good essay?
- interwoven analysis of language, form and structure
- integrated context
- an introduction with an interesting, critical thesis
- a conclusion that introduces a new idea ✓
- a consistent argument
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- How should quotations be presented in essays?
- introduced with a bit of context about where they are from ✓
- not introduced - the reader should know where in the text the quotation is from
- embedded within the sentence ✓
- not embedded - introduced with 'Dickens writes'
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- What are connotations?
- information about a writer or their time period
- ideas we form about a text
- images or ideas that a certain word evokes ✓
- a summary of one's main argument
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- Which of the following might be examples of subject terminology?
- character ✓
- selfish
- Malthusian
- simile ✓
- Dickens
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- Which of the following is an example of an embedded quotation?
- The girl's long and blonde hair was "flowing in the wind." ✓
- The writer states: "he had always been angry for as long as he could remember."
- The novella opens with the phrase: "Marley was dead; to begin with."
- The novella's concluding statement that 'peace had finally been restored...' ✓
- Life was always hard for Jessica. We know that: "Jessica had struggled."
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Exit quiz
- Which of the following question words explicitly asks you to focus keenly on the writer's methods?
- what
- when
- how ✓
- why
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- What can subject terminology help with in your essay? Choose the most appropriate response.
- showing your knowledge of the text
- giving a holistic view of the text
- being very specific and precise ✓
- introduce context meaningfully
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- After every idea you discuss in an analytical essay, what do you need to do?
- give a personal response
- link back to the question ✓
- give context about the writer or the period in which they were writing
- give a counter argument to show you are presenting a balanced viewpoint
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- Which of these best describes a conceptual response?
- applies the same appraoch or idea to each paragraph ✓
- discusses every section of the text
- takes into consideration multiple characters
- focuses predominantly on the context of the text
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- Complete the sentence: Your analysis should be explorative and clear - you should explain the ______ of the writer’s methods - not just identify them.
- 'effects' ✓
- Which of the following ideas would you not include in a conceptualised response to the question: 'In 'A Christmas Carol', how does Dickens present Scrooge?'
- Scrooge as a miser in Stave 1
- Scrooge's fear of poverty and how this informs his behaviour
- Fred as the antithesis of Scrooge ✓
- Scrooge's metamorphosis in Stave 5
- Scrooge learns to empathise with himself and others in Staves 3 and 4
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Worksheet
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Lesson Details
Key learning points
- When given a question that asks you ‘how’ something is done, your primary aim is to examine the writer’s use of methods.
- You should always link your ideas back to the question focus and explain how your ideas support your argument.
- Your analysis should be explorative - you should explain the effects of the writer’s methods - not just identify them.
- Your essay should be precise and specific.
- Using subject terminology and key vocabulary can help make your writing clearer and more specific.
Common misconception
Students think they should present lots of different ideas in an essay.
Whilst you should present lots of different knowledge, the knowledge should all form part of the same idea or argument.
Keywords
Conceptualised - A conceptualised essay has an ideas-based argument that informs each paragraph or section.
To evaluate - To evaluate something means to weigh up its success against its key purpose and aims.
Social responsibility - Somebody who believes in social responsibility invests in their community and supports those in need.
Subject terminology - Subject terminology is related to words that are specifically relevant to the study of English. For example 'simile' or 'personification'.
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