How to Start and Conclude a GCSE English Essay Effectively

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Before you start anything, you will need to be able to identify what the question is asking you to do. There will be "trigger" words embedded in the question that should be able to point you in the right direction. They may more apparent such as describe, explain, analyse to name a few. You should also know what each of these trigger words mean. However, it will be a lot more common for questions such as "The Barn and another creates a powerful sense of place and feeling" [this is a real past question] to appear. I know that the question is asking me to compare this poem to another poem that is similar in terms of tone and style. In doing this, I will make comments on and analyse the language of one and compare it to the other. You will need to practice this so that you'll be able to do it quickly.

Writing the Introduction

The examiner is most likely to just skim and scan the essays that they mark but they may choose to read through it thoroughly if you write an effective and captivating introduction. To make your introduction as effective as possible you'll need to show the examiner that you understood the text. Make a simple and blunt comment on the style, genre, purpose or tone of the piece of writing. For example, "The biographical article about Nelson Mandela is written in a factual formal manner and mainly in an objective style." (this is a segment of a real A/A* essay by an anonymous student) You will also need to identify what the text is about and refer to the exam question: " [...] the prose is continuous and focuses on Mandela's personal journey through life, exploring his physical hardships and mental hardships". This is a brief introduction that is effective because it uses sophisticated vocabulary and showcases the student's knowledge of the piece of writing. You may also want to use some punctuation marks such as ellipses (...), semi-colons (;), colons (:) or even a dash (-). The use of these throughout can boost your grade, just make sure that you use them correctly and that you're not going over the top.

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'The Body' of the essay

Use sophisticated vocabulary, grammar and punctuation throughout and make sure that you use them properly. Using a range of words is effective because it can help to express your understanding and if you use the same words over and over again it can sound like you're repeating yourself. You may find yourself using a comma or a full stop that could be replaced with a semi-colon (;).

Analyse the language in depth. Make comments and by doing this you can identify techniques (e.g. metaphors, similes, hyperbole, imagery) that the writer uses and discuss the effect ...

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