How do you structure your essays? (1 Viewer)

[absolution*]

I do post-modernism but this question applies to all TaWoT's.
I need help because without any stanrds packages or practise essays i have nothing to base my essays on. I feel lost.

Cheers.

 

[KarmaKitten]

I think you should structure it so you have an indepth understanding of your texts, you understand their contexts, their values and how they relate to ways of thinking

the essay can ask a variety of things really.

 

[glitterfairy]

^what she said.

I'm not a huge fan of essay structure, although I suppose it can help get your thoughts together. The most important thing is to really know your texts. Once you've got that, most things will just flow

An essay is really just you saying everything you know and linking/answering the question, right? an idea is to logically think of the questions they could ask, or can ask. As an RFTG person I KNOW the only question they can ask, may not be so easy for you but try your best, and practice writing Don't fret too much about comparing sort yourself out first

Best wishes!

 

[frazzle]

is everyone integrating/structuring by ideas or text by text?

 

[glitterfairy]

Integration baby!

Actually, not true. I'm doing a combination of the two. I tend to talk about one text, then do a little integration, then go into another one. Where possible, I'll do more than "elementary integration" but I'm not quite sophisticated to pull it off throughout a whole essay without tripping up and making an absolute fool of myself. Me no Linda Thompson!

 

[miffytoki]

i'm doing I&S...we were told integration seems more sophisticated...but man is it harder to memorise! ...i think i end up structuring mine according to paradgms...but like i do talk about one text in each para....i do occasionally merge examples from text to text tho

 

[glitterfairy]

But honestly, who memorises?

I memorise my points, but I just think it's a little on the banal side to memorise essays - which is a bit hypocritical as one of my friends memorises chunks of essays and gets 20/20 for them, but anyway... Mel, you're a freak! lol.

Ideally you want to memorise your points. If you must memorise an entire essay, make sure that it's flexible enough to allow for integration and a lot of twisting/altering in order to answer the question. If a memorised essay isn't flexible, then you're in trouble - an essay's no good if it doesn't answer the question!

 

[KarmaKitten]

I'm confused, what do you mean integration?

 

[glitterfairy]

Integration means creative some flow, usually at pointing out similarities or differences between texts. for example:

"___ is evident in _____ due to the structure of the novel. In contrast, the fragmentation in ______ conveys a sense of ______. Furthermore...." etc etc

 

[KarmaKitten]

Ahhh! Seems to much like Coleridge to me.

I do that with some texts in my response, but usually not.
Depends what the question asks really

 

[frazzle]

no i refuse to memorise essays! have never done it, so i wouldn't know if it actually gets marks or not. i don't care, i refuse to memorise a whole essay!

like glitterfairy said, i memorise dot points, basically what each text says about the concept and what techniques etc, this way when you get to the exam, you can be flexible and ANSWER THE QUESTION! how are you meant to do that with a memorised essay? pray they ask you the same question?

as for intergration, i'm not too good at it, i tend to do text by text with links everywhere, so it's clear, but flowing.

the standard for extension english is so much higher than advanced. *sigh*
how many words can you write in an hour?

 

[aLeeOh!]

ive always thought that i memorise points and then plonk them in the essay..... but i recently just realised that im one of those idiots who try to memorise the whole essay.. but you know what?
i find that really works for me.
when i memorise an essay, the points are really really stuck in my head, and i have a fair idea of how im gonna write it down in words.. .so when the exam comes, i end up twisting it heaps, and adding paragraphs to synthesise..

i agree that interegrating throughout the whole thing may seem more sophisticated, but i think going text by text is fine as well. just mentioned a line here or there referring to a previous text mentioned so you really strengthen your argument and 'intergrate' the texts