Read lots of great essays. I’m planning to make a video a week with a new essay or top mark answer between November and June. So, it will be easy for you to learn what a great essay looks like.
But, what if you just had a checklist of the skills of every essay? You could then assess yourself, not just with a level, but with a clear plan of what writing skills you need to improve.
I’m also going to release the text of the essay and the examiner commentary to paid subscribers - one top grade answer every week. But how much should I charge per month? Let me know in the comments.
What the Levels Mean
Level 6 : Convincing, critical analysis and exploration
Level 5 : Thoughtful, developed consideration
Level 4 : Clear understanding and explanation
Level 3 : Some explained, structured comments
Level 2 : Some supported, relevant comments
Level 1 : Simple, explicit comments
What the Assessment Objectives Mean
Use this as a checklist of what you must learn to do in your essay writing:
Literature Essay Writing Checklist
AO1: Read, understand and respond to texts:
1. maintain a critical style by using words like however, although, perhaps, may, might, could
2. develop an informed personal response by using words like implies, suggests, emphasises, reveals, therefore, consequently
3. use textual references
4. quote
5. embed quotations
6. use these to offer interpretations
7. write about the whole text in the essay
8. write the essay as an argument
9. introduce the argument with a thesis statement
10. answer the question with a range of ideas
AO2: Analyse
1. language by interpreting why particular words are chosen
2. deal with form by referring to the effect of being written as a play, novel, poem
3. or by writing about what we would expect from the genre, and whether this text follows that expectation
4. deal with structure by saying why events are placed in particular parts of the text
5. write about meanings by looking at the author’s viewpoint or context
6. use relevant subject terminology – any words you will need to describe a text or the imagery in it.
AO3: Understand Context
1. show that texts respond to the contexts and society in which they were written.
2. show the writer’s viewpoint based on their context
3. show the audience’s viewpoint based on their context
The only way to test if you can actually do these things is to label your essay, or this essay, or other essays, with these skills. If you are not sure, that is a sign that you need more practice at that technique.
Here is what it looks like as a printout:
You can download it here.
As a teacher of English for the last eleven years, I have bought lots of your texts (on TES and on Amazon) which I have found incredibly useful. I have found your resources to be well priced and worth it, especially ad I am using my own money and not the school budget. Please continue to make your resources affordable. They are always excellent and I am happy to buy them from you. Keep up the good work and thank you for this success criteria.
£20-30 a year?