GCE: Some don’ts in essay part (2)
Last week, we began reviewing how NOT to try the upcoming General Certificate of Education essay section (GCE). It was emphasized that you shouldn’t choose a topic until you’ve examined all the options provided. You should create an outline prior to composing the essay, just as you must compose a title or heading in the correct format prior to constructing the essay’s body. Today we will end the lesson. Obviously, the difficulties stated are pertinent to other exams of a similar nature.
Do not confuse the introduction.
After providing the essay’s title, the next step is to introduce it in the first paragraph. Your essay’s success or failure begins with the introduction. Ensure you do not jumble it up in order to avoid making a mess of it. Regardless of the style of essay you choose to write, you must introduce it in a sharp, clear, and succinct manner and inform the reader/marker of the essay’s topic, as this is the essence of the opening paragraph. Remember that it should not be overly lengthy. Even if you take a dramatic approach, your introduction must pass the clarity and brevity test. Note, also, that you should not stray from the topic you promised to explore in the opening.
Do not include more than one point per paragraph.
Following the opening, develop your article using well-organized paragraphs. Especially for themes that require listing and discussing points, factors, causes, and effects, etc., describe each point in a separate paragraph. Explain the point and provide examples if appropriate. Do not draw out the paragraph, and do not split a single point into two paragraphs. Good paragraphing contributes to clarity, reduces grammatical errors, and ensures high marks in the organization and language categories of the marking system.
Do not let the content of your writing overshadow your style.
Numerous applicants become so engrossed in the narrative they are relating that they disregard how they organize the content and the words they employ to accomplish so. This is suicidal because they end up scoring poorly because they lose points in both the language and organization categories, which have the largest point allocations. Ensure that you have control over every word, phrase, and clause you use by ensuring that they are as accurate as possible. Be wary of all types of grammatical errors, including punctuation, article, tense, number, and collocation, among others. Keep in mind that any grammatical error will be penalized by the “wicked” tag.
Don’t combine the formats of the different essay genres.
Regardless of how similar some of the categories may appear to be, each has unique stylistic or grammatical characteristics. The argumentative and discussion, for instance, entail argument and persuasion. However, they differ on a technological level. In debates, you greet the chairman and any other dignitaries present, but in argumentative essays, you do not. Also, an expository essay or a discussion may rely mostly on the present tense, whereas a narrative is intended to be a recounting of an experience and hence frequently uses the past tense. Thus, it is your obligation to define the style of essay you intend to create and adhere to the appropriate linguistic aspects.
Avoid leaving a negative impression with your ending.
In the final paragraph, you are supposed to summarize your essay. It concludes everything you have said or written, either by summarizing the points, highlighting them, or emphasizing the purpose of the piece. While the first paragraph leaves a lasting impact, the conclusion is the final stage that reaffirms the reader’s impression of the article. Note that it should not be excessively long and should not contradict what you have laboriously written.
Do not submit your work until you have thoroughly reviewed it.
This is yet another extremely vital point. You should not be in a rush to submit, since you must read what you have written prior to passing it on. By doing so, you will be able to repair some or most of your errors, meaning the examiner will have little or no grounds to remove points from your grade. The implication is that you must organize your work such that you do not spend all of your time writing and no time reading.
(The End.)
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