#NceaLevel2 English Essay EssayStructure year12 nz

[edmundstudies]

Excellence Full Planning for Level 2 English Essays

First steps: Pick ONE question you understand best. Make sure you highlight/underline two parts of the question. Write down all the points/scenes shown in your studied text based on the question you chose. For example, let's suppose you chose this question: "Analyse how language features are used to make you feel joyful and/or sorrow". The first key word is Language Features. The second part of the question is Joyful/sorrowful feeling.

So then you write out all the language features used in your text - make sure you know why they are used. Pick between 2-4 of them as your essay focus (I'd recommend picking most significant ones). If you pick 3, then you will have to go with 3 body paragraphs.

Next steps: So once you have picked the language features you want to focus on in your essay, list them down. For each of them, make sure you have them when you write your body paragraphs. Use it as a checklist. S - opening statement E - explanations E - examples P - authors/directors purpose E - effects on readers/viewers E - evaluation (is the author/director successful)

It would be good to weave throughout ur paragraph (it means provide multiple relevant evidences and explanations). When it comes down to purpose, make sure u don't just simply randomly describe it. U need to provide perceptive reasons why he/she used/shown this/that. Think outside the box too - in linkage to the world around you - how is this relevant to our world. For effects, what can readers/ viewers learn? How can this affect society (either positive/negative way)? And in your evaluation, say why/why not is author/director successful. Talking about the nature of author/director would be useful too!

Hope these helps!! :)

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[edmundstudies]

NCEA Level 2 English (2.1 Written/2.2 Visual Essay) - How to plan and write an essay? (up to an Excellence)

In Level 2 English, you would expect about 8 different questions in your essay paper. You only need to choose one. 

The question would look like: Analyse how (something) is being used to do (something). 

In this post I will be only focusing on this question: Analyse how the relationship between characters helped to illustrate one or more important themes.

How to unpack and plan a Level 2 Essay Question?

It is important to spend 5-15 minutes planning your essay first before you start writing it so you will have ideas at hand. Planning also reduces losing plot or going off tangent. Essays from Level 2 onwards are less likely to survive without planning.

An essay has 2 parts to a question. Highlight the two parts from the question. If you look closer at our focusing question, the ‘relationship between characters’ is the first part yet the ‘themes’ is the second part. Write down the relationships between characters (who and who) - this is what you are going to analyse. Then write down the themes shown - explain why these important themes are shown.

 Planning example:

Analyse: Relationship between _ and _, relationship between _ and _, and the relationship between _ and _.

Explain: Why each of these relationships show these important themes;_, _, and _.

Note: Your planning will not be marked but it’s helpful for you to structure your ideas so you can clearly see what you are going to talk about later in your essay.

You are expected to have between 2-4 body paragraphs, depending on the question and how much detail you have to talk about. As according to the planning example above, I’ve made 3 main points so I have to stick to 3 body paragraphs.

Intro:

Title, 

Author,

refer to Key words from question, 

main pOints you're focusing on supported with language features

Introduction example: 

In the film/novel titled __ by __, the relationship between characters are used to illustrate various important themes. I am going to be focusing on the relationship between _ & _, _ & _, and _ & _, shown using (dialogue?), (low-key lighting?), and (you decide...). 

Body Paragraphs:

S - Statement - Describe a main point you're going to talk about.

E - Explain - Explain what does your main point mean. Explain how language features are used to show this main point ..

X - Examples - use evidences from your text and also refer back to that language feature shown in your text. Be very specific with that language feature (e.g if you want to talk about lighting in your visual text, make sure you say what type of specific lighting - if you don't ,you can't pass).

Y - Your comments - [this part plays significant role to get M/E] - why is this main point important? What are the effects on readers/viewers? What's the author/director's purpose and why/how? What can society learn? Link it to wider world connections.

If you can, weave through your body paragraph - i.e provide more evidence and explanations (3 - maybe). Weaving means SEXEXEXY - this increases your chance in getting M/E grade.

Make sure your body paragraph answers the main point and question. Elaborate as much as possible - ask yourself why and how every time you make a sentence.

Conclusion:

Link back to your intro and briefly state what you've got so far. You may also Treat your conclusion as a reflection - Did you expect something different than what happened? What did you learn? How can this shape society?

Conclusion Example:

In summary/conclusion/to sum up the essay, the relationship between characters stated are used to show _, _ and _ because ... I did not expect this because ... I’ve learned that ... This can impact society in a way that ...

Your conclusion needs to be strong enough for M/E, but also not too much information. Please do not add anymore evidences/examples!!

Make sure your essay answers the question well, with relevant examples demonstrated. 

If you can follow this guideline, you should be getting at least Merit, or even Excellence if your argument is strong enough, or you can add more ideas to this list.

I wish you all the best in your exams.

- Edmund Liew | Year 13 Student, Naenae College

#NceaLevel2 English Essay EssayStructure year12 nz