How to answer essay questions

When an essay asks you to decide between two statements or asks if something is true or false.

·         Organise your answers in to paragraphs for and against the argument.

·         Try to be open minded and see things from both perspectives

·         Be objective

·         It is perfectly acceptable to conclude that both arguments are true to some extent

·         Make sure your conclusion at the end makes it clear which argument or arguments you are stating to be true but make sure it is not too subjective

Writing style

·         Use the language carefully and try not to use slang or colloquial speech

·         Do not use ‘I think’ but rather write ‘This novel is about...’

·         It is very important to link what you are writing about. It is important to look at both sides of an argument. This could be looking at similarities and differences. NEVER write about two things without linking them to each other or to the essay question.

Themes

·         Take a few minutes to look at themes. For example Romeo and Juliet clearly has the theme of love but if you look closer you can also see themes of life and death, honour, family, friendship and many others. By finding themes you can earn extra points as it shows you have looked closely at the text.

·         Themes do not have to be themes in the play/novel/poem. It is important to look at the themes of imagery, language, time, meaning i.e the ‘building blocks’ of  the piece.

Look closely at the question

·         Are you being asked to compare/contrast or are you being asked to look for something in particular? The question itself can offer clues as to how to form the structure of your essay. Always link what you are writing to the question and try to go off topic. You may have a word limit so make a point and then move to the next one; do not waste time elaborating a point that you have already made. As long as you have explained why that point is there, given an example and linked it to the question then that is fine.

Examples

·         If you are making points try to use examples from the play/novel/poem to illustrate your point. Keep the reference short and relevant and don’t forget to add the title, author and page number.