This author is currently on hiatus for the ignoble cause of mugging. The public is advised to remain calm, as this routine protocol has been shown to have no effect on one's violent tendencies in 96% of cases.
| Thursday, October 05, 2006 |
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How do I score well for English? Thus, due to this (relatively) popular demand, ive decided to post a few tips on essay writing, based on my own experience. But a couple of things which i would like to say first: 1. You should not mug for composition exams. You are better off spending your time reading and digesting this guide than trying to memorise Longman's Dictionary of Contemporary English. 2. In case you need it, the format for formal letter writing can be found here. Thanks to Ben for scanning in the notes! Although i think the date can be written in short form (e.g. "11 Sept 06"). But that's just minor formatting issues which you probably won't be penalized for. And of course, the usual... DISCLAIMER: The writer of this guide will not be held responsible should any of the tips provided fail to improve your writing, for you apply them at your own risk. Although the writer has done up this guide in the sincere wish that it will help readers in their essays, he acknowledges that each person has his own unique style of writing, and thus some of the tips may not work for some people. AMATEURS GUIDE TO ENGLISH ESSAY WRITING Tip #1: Mind Your Language This is the most basic, yet most often neglected, rule. It means that, in addition to paying attention to your grammar and spelling, you should also choose your words carefully. Use the appropriate words in the appropriate context. For example, one would not expect to see colloquial slang terms in a formal letter. However, if there is a real need to use them in your essay (perhaps to add local flavour), rmb to italicize them or put them in "quotes", and explain their meaning either in footnotes, or through the context. Needless to say, vulgarities are a definite no-no in your essay. Rmb that it will be marked by your teacher, so use them at your own peril. However, if there is an extreme need to use them (e.g. to show that someone is angry through his dialogue), then try to replace them with milder words like "brat" or "hooligan". Words like "b*stard", or worse still, "f***", will warrant you an almost-immediate fail from the marker. It is better to have no expression errors than to use bombastic words but have many errors in langauge use, for the latter gives the marker the bad impression that you are a "smart aleck". Structurally sound sentences, even if they are not outstanding, should be able to get you at least 70% - 80% of the score for language. Tip #2: It's the Content that Matters This is especially so for expository essays, although it applies to other types like narratives as well. As long as your essay has a logical flow and the points are clearly stated, you will be able to score well, even if the langauge you use may be rather normal. This is one reason why I score quite well for my essays. The language I use is down-to-earth and rarely contain any cheem phrases, but this allows my points to be easily understood, and I also make sure they are clear, logical and persuasive. Of course, if you have a wide vocabulary of words and can write amazing sentences that YYY on top of good content (like YYY), that's an even bigger bonus. ;) Tip #3: Visualize Try to put yourself in your protagonist's shoes. Visualize the situation, and think about what it is like in the story. This helps you to come up with realistic and convincing content and not some off-shoot points. This is really not easy, especially of the limited time, but if you are able to do it well, you will score highly for content. For example, let's say you are doing functional writing on a formal complaint letter. Imagine that you are the one being affected and is really writing a complaint letter to whoever it may concern. You sincerely want them to act on your complaint. Think up what the situation may be like and what you would want done. Then translate that into your essay. Tip #4: Plan Most of your teachers would probably have reminded you countless times about the importance of this b4. However, some of you might think that spending 5-10 mins on planning beforehand wastes precious time. I shall reiterate here: It is not so. In fact, writing it out will help you to structure your essay along your points/plot you have thought up, and also prevents you from forgetting them midway through the essay. Also, having thought up feasible points beforehand prevents you from thinking up crappy points on the spot and wasting even more time by writing invalid or unnecessary stuff. Tip #5: Write your True Opinions This applies very much for expository essays. As much as possible, try to write about what you truly feel about an issue, and avoid using points just because they are politically correct. If you do so BUT do not really feel that way, the points you raise in your essay will be cliche and dry, and it will be just another ordinary piece to the marker which he/she has already seen thousands of times b4. Unless you are able to distinguish yourself from the rest through your vocabulary, then don't do this. Writing about your true thoughts will allow you to raise unique and interesting points, allowing the marker to take more interest in your essay. However, do take caution when doing this. Do not let your emotions stray too far and write until you veer away from the issue. Remind yourself to stick to the given question and you will be fine. Tip #6: Practice, Practice, Practice Take writing practices seriously and use every chance to write to hone your writing skills. For me, I think blogging is a great way to improve your writing. I feel I'm writing a full-length essay every time I write a blog post like this, and it does help me think up points clearer and faster. Even if you do not have the time to write such long posts, shorter (and less formal) ones will still help. It is still, after all, a piece of writing practice. Unless of course, you only post stuff like "2dae go makt lol gt fish lol...", which isn't even semi-proper English in the first place and thus will probably not help you improve very much. Hope this little guide will be of use, and good luck to all iSpark Sec 2 for your English papers tmr! =) |
'Twas teh winnar at 5:36 pm.
