How do I structure a good exam essay?
The best way to structure an essay is by using PQA - Point, Quote, Analysis. Use this structure and 5 minuntes to plan your essay. Whilst this is annoying it will make for a better essay in the long run. (Remember, quality not quantity!).
Once you have your main points you can get to writing. A big tip is to write your introduction last, as an essay in exam conditions can take many twists. Your introduction should guide the reader. They should know what your essay is going to argue and what themes you are going to use to do so.
A good revision technique is practicing essay questions in timed conditions. A shorther activity is using PQA on a quote. Ask yourself, what point is the quote making? What literary techniques can I point to to exemplify the point that is being made? How can think point be linked to a literary or historical context?
Master this and your essay should slot into place with ease!
10546 Views
See similar English Literature A Level tutorsRelated English Literature A Level answers
All answers ▸What is the difference between form and structure?
By comparing the presentation of characters, in “A Streetcar Named Desire” and “The Catcher in the Rye”, explore how writers present characters struggling with the loss of innocence in post-war America.
‘Othello’ – William Shakespeare ‘Ultimately it is hard to see Emilia as anything other than a tragic victim of male power and malice.’ To what extent do you agree with this view? [...] comment on Shakespeare’s dramatic methods.
In what ways does ‘Dr Faustus’ raise the problems of writing a play about knowledge? How does Marlowe attempt to come to terms with these problems?