To write an essay that stands out you must:
- articulate as clearly as possible Billy Wilder’s views, values and key ideas. I see a lot of very vague and meaningless statements.
- try to build an essay – show a progression of ideas. Each paragraph should build and show depth of ideas. I see a lot of essays that don’t have a logical and clear progression. They might end up with Norma’s entrance in the final body paragraph and Joe’s death in the first one.
- crunch your main points: A lot of essay-writers take 10 sentences to describe Norma’s “museum”.
- make sure that each paragraph has a different and clear focus. A lot of essays circle around the same point in each essay.
This is the only workbook which walks you through how to write an A+ essay; with 8 sample essay plans.
To order: The English Works guide
Make sure you practice writing complete essays, even if the paragraphs are short. I see a lot of single paragraphs with lots of ticks. Yes, they might be good on their own, but when you write the essay, they never form one typical paragraph. You must always have a good grasp of how you are going to develop your ideas and which evidence and points you’ll include in each paragraph.
An essay shell
Practice writing three short paragraphs. Then use these key ideas to determine your film techniques. Weave through your techniques and contextualise your evidence.
Practice writing lots of “shells” – this will help you work out which evidence is key to a good essay.