CONTENTS

Contents

This Guide

Brief Overview

Before You Begin

So How Do You Go About Planning This Essay

Writing Your Essay: Introduction

Writing Your Essay: Main Body

Writing Your Essay: Conclusion

Helpful Tips For Writing Essays

Common Misspelled Words

10

IB Grading Criteria

11

MYP Grading Criteria

12

Language Issues

13

Tone

14

Linking Words

14

Excellent Essay Writing

15

What Does This Text Appeal To?

15

Paragraphing

16

Literary/Poetic Devices

17

Synonyms

19

Ideas For Literary Analysis

20

Reading and Analysing Fiction

21

Reading and Analysing Poetry

22

Bibliography and Referencing

23

Internet Research Validity

26

Checklist For Effective Writing

27

Proofreading Checklist

28

Graphic Organisers

29-36

Useful Sources and Essay Guides

29
2

THIS GUIDE
This guide has been written to help students, plan, write and organise their
essays, with an emphasis on IB literature based responses. It has been written
using a variety of sources as well as first hand experience from problems Anglo
students have encountered and errors they have repeatedly made. Do not be put
off by its length, this is valuable information that, if followed, will have an
immediate effect on your grades. Good luck.

BRIEF OVERVIEW
A very basic pattern for writing an essay is to
follow the simple strategy of:
Introduction Say what you are going to say
Main Body Say it
Conclusion Say what youve said
Of course that is a very simplistic way of writing
an essay, but it does illustrate the basic essay
format.

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

Always begin with an essay plan. You will find that this really helps to organise
your thoughts. This should include your initial reaction to the essay title, your
basic ideas and thoughts and some quotations you want to use. You may find
that you do not stick completely to your plan and this is okay, as the more you
think about an essay your ideas will evolve and change. You should, however,
have formed your ideas and opinions before you start writing.
In planning your essay it is important to have done preliminary reading. This may
involve surfing the web and checking out relevant sites or it may involve reading
your novel/text to hunt out some quotations to justify your argument. Whichever it
involves, MAKE SURE you write down the sources of this information for your
referencing and bibliography. There is no avoiding the fact that you cannot write
a good essay without first having done the research, just as a lawyer will NEVER
go into court and try a case without having done substantial research and
preparation. Imagine going into court and just making it all up on the spot, how
embarrassing would it be? That is what it is sometimes like reading badly written
essays at this school: embarrassing!

SO HOW DO YOU GO ABOUT PLANNING AN ESSAY?

1. Preliminary reading
a. Use the internet to begin your investigations. Try to use academic
websites and not blogs or blatantly subjective writing. This is a
disadvantage of the internet; not all sources are reliable. With over 550
billion websites how many can really be reliable academic sources?
b. Do not merely use google, MSN or Ask Jeeves as a search engine.
Try also using specifically academic search engines such as
Beaucoup, Lookoff, Virtual Free Sites, Freeality, Searchbug,
Collegebot, Turbo10, Colossus or Lincon.
c. Look at the web address of the site you are using as this domain
type indicates a possible bias and the information may therefore be
unreliable. For example a .org website may be an animal rights
websites with subjective, persuasive arguments. (Johnson)
d. Do not just use the internet. Go to a library and see what resources
are available there. The Anglo now has an agreement with The Luis
Angel Arango Library, (one of the biggest and best libraries in
South America) and so any of the texts, readings, journals,
periodicals etc that they have in store is available to you. This is a
wonderful resource and a fantastic opportunity for you to be able to
produce excellent, well researched work. Use it!
2. When you have done your research and collected a variety of sources
carefully plan the direction of your essay.
a. Establish your opinion. Do you agree with the essay title? Do you
disagree? How will you answer it? What is your stance?
b. What proof and evidence (sources and quotations etc) do you have
to justify your point of view? Have you got all the necessary
information for the referencing and bibliography?
c. Try brainstorming all of your ideas on the topic, or try using a
graphic organiser to help you in this stage of the planning.
3. Write your essays outline.
a. Draft a quick step by step outline of your essay.
b. Ensure the most valid and important points are raised at the
beginning.
c. The more complete the outline, the easier it will be to write the
essay, but remember it is not set in stone and can change.
Check out some of the graphic organisers at the end of this booklet to see if any
of them could help you focus your initial ideas and planning.
Ensure you have written the title of your essay at the top of
your question paper. This helps you focus your ideas from
the beginning. Make sure you copy down the question exactly
and do not change it in any way.
Planning in advance saves you from last minute panics!
4

WRITING YOUR ESSAY

INTRODUCTION
Answer the Question!
Do not answer what you want the question to be or do not change the question
slightly to fit your pre-planned essay, but answer the EXACT question. It is amazing
how regularly students do not follow this very basic rule. It is simple: if you answer a
different question, you WILL NOT get a good grade. Try this technique: start by
underlining key words in the questions/essay title.
A tip on how to stay on track and not wander off the topic is to regularly refer back to
title at the beginning or end of a paragraph. If helps keep your focus.
Your introduction should be a brief statement outlining the aims of the essay. In it
you must address the question directly in the opening paragraph. DO NOT just give
background to the text or title i.e. do not give an overview of euthanasia, a history of
capital punishment, a summary of the role of women in Greek Society. Euch.
It is important that you impress your examiner in your opening paragraph.
Remember that they will be reading anywhere between 20 and 200 essay papers on
the same topic! This can become very monotonous and you want your paper to
stand out and impress at the beginning: first impressions last a long time. So if the
principle goal of your introduction is to grab the reader'
s attention, how do you go
about achieving this? Why not try including one of the following suggestions

An interesting fact

A surprising piece of information

An exciting quotation

An intriguing paradox

An explanation of an odd term

A short narrative/anecdote (not fiction)

A provocative question

The entire introduction should lead toward the presentation of your arguable
assertion, or thesis, whereby you take a stand on the issue you are discussing.
Deliver your thesis at the end of the introduction so that your reader knows what
general position you will take in your essay. You don'
t need to spell out all the
details of your thesis in the introduction, particularly if it would be bulky and
unintelligible to the reader who lacks all the ensuing reference and context, but
you should give the reader a good idea of what your argument is. (Johnson)
So, in summary: Do not make your introduction too long, too short or too obvious.
The point of the introduction is simply to introduce the examiner to your point of
view and tell them the direction your essay will take.
5

MAIN BODY
Your Main Body should address each point of the essay one paragraph at a time.
Try following the simple pattern of:

Statement

Quotation

Analysis

Begin a paragraph by making a

statement, back that up with a
relevant quotation from your text and
then analyse it. Using the
quotations from the text is like
evidence; you cannot win a court
case without relevant and convincing
evidence to prove you are right, and
writing an essay is no different in
that respect. But you will also not
win your court case without
explaining the relevance of the
evidence, and so it is with your
quotations, you must go on to
analyse them.
This is rather like a hamburger! Each
paragraph is a hamburger with the
quotations being sandwiched
between a statement and its
analysis. The Analysis should be
more detailed than the other sections of the paragraph just think
about your hamburger again: if the bread on the bottom is too weak the whole thing
falls apart.
Each paragraph should have a clear, singular focus to it. If there is an overriding
error students make in writing essays, it is shifting topics within the same paragraph,
rather than continuing to develop the same idea they began with. A paragraph is a
discrete unit of thought that expands one specific idea, not three or four. If you find
yourself shifting gears to start a new topic, begin a new paragraph instead.
(Johnson)
Do NOT summarise plot! This is one of the worst things you can do in an essay!
Too many students try to fill up word counts by explaining what happens in the
novel do not go down this path. Your examiner/teacher has read the text and does
NOT want to simply reread a summary. Students that do this will not receive good
grades.

If there is an opposing view to the discussion make sure you address this and do not
think that by ignoring it, it will go away. Every argument has two sides to it and these
need to be addressed if you are to give a thoughtful, well rounded argument to your
essay.
Ensure that you are always analysing the effect on the reader.
How is the reader being involved and drawn into the text?
What literary devices is the author using to communicate with the reader?
How is the reader being emotionally involved with the text?
Is the author creating any sympathy or empathy with any of the characters? If
so, how?
If you are not evaluating these ideas in your essay you will not be scoring a high
grade. You should probably be referring to the effect on the reader/audience every
paragraph.

CONCLUSION
The conclusion should be a brief summary
of the most salient points, if appropriate
with personal evaluation.
Your conclusion should not be overly long,
after all, you are summarising what you have
already said and you want to avoid repetition.
Make sure that your conclusion is not a
total surprise for the reader! You will not
score a high mark if your essay comes to
a conclusion that contradicts the general
flow of the essay. This will almost certainly
have come about through poor planning.
Even though your conclusion is a
summary of your essay, if you simply
recap what you have already written
the ending will be drab and dull. You
must avoid this as the examiner is
about to grade your work, so you want
to leave them thinking highly of you!
You need to say something that impresses
the examiner and results in your work
standing out above the rest.

Try one of the following ideas to impress

the reader
Giving a thought-provoking quotation
Describing a powerful image
Talking about consequences or implications
Stating what action needs to be done
Ending on an interesting twist of thought
Explaining why the topic is important
You should not introduce any totally new ideas in the conclusion; however, you
should not merely repeat your thesis either. This situation -- not presenting
anything new, and neither just sticking with the old at first seems to be a
paradox. However, with a little effort, one of the above six methods will usually
result in a memorable, stinging or impressive end to your essay. (Johnson)

HELPFUL TIPS FOR WRITING ESSAYS

Always use 3rd person. Never write, I think, I believe, I feel
Instead try using ...
The reader can see the use of imagery
The importance of _____ must be considered
The inevitable conclusion, therefore, is that
The authors purpose here is to
Be affirmative in statements you make. i.e. dont use maybe, probably etc. You
should be convincing the marker of your position.
If studying a play use the word play.
If studying a novel use the word novel.
If studying a poem use the word poem.
A viable alternative is to use the word text.
NEVER use the term book.
Pay attention to the register that you use in your essay. Avoid slang; avoid
colloquialisms; avoid chatty language and avoid swear words! Keep your
language formal and use your language to impress the examiner with your level
of English. Do NOT use contradictions such as dont or werent.
Avoid long sentences. The average length of a sentence in English is 17 words; if
you find your sentence running long, simply break it up into two separate ones.
Reread your work once you have finished. In doing this you will notice spelling
mistakes/grammatical errors and will be able to correct them. If possible, try
reading your essay out loud to yourself. In hearing the written word aloud you
often detect grammatical and contextual inconsistencies more easily than by
reading it in your head.
8

Include a word count. You should be able to cover all aspects of the essay in
1500 words or less (unless instructed otherwise), so do not waffle.
When writing the title of the text put it in inverted commas, in italics or underline
it; for example, The Great Gatsby or The Great Gatsby or The Great Gatsby. It
is very important that you do this, especially when the title of a text is the name of
one of the protagonists. When studying the play Othello with the protagonist
Othello for example, the italics (or the inverted commas or underline) differentiate
between the title and the character. Below there is a substantial explanation of
how to source, reference and bibliography texts using the MLA style. If you use
this style of referencing you should be underlining the text name, as opposed to
using one of the other options.
Dont make paragraphs too long, particularly in the introduction/conclusion. When
you make a new point, start a new paragraph. The introduction and the
conclusion can normally be written in one paragraph.
Always refer to literature in the present tense. Do not write, Holden went to a bar
on page 12, but instead write, Holden goes to a bar on page 12. And
remember to stick to this tense throughout the essay do not changed it as this
heavily affecting the flow. (See!)
Avoid writing etc in an essay. It shows that you cannot be bothered to complete
the thought or sentence. Either finish the thought/list or write a synonym of etc
such as and so on.
In the other hand is not a phrase you should be using in an essay (unless it is a
creative piece and you wish to write something along the lines of In the other
hand she was holding a poor little bird that fallen from its nest). The phrase you
should be using in On the other hand Get it right!
A novel is written by an author
A play is written by a playwright (note the spelling)
A poem is written by a poet
A reader reads a novel
An audience sees a play
An audience hears a poem

COMMON MISPELLED MISSPELLED WORDS

By making common spelling errors you are throwing away grades. This is
careless and you should ensure that you do not let yourself down here.
Watch out for the following
These / those
This / that
Were / where / which
Beginning
Conscious
Receive, perceive, believe, etc
Writing, writer, written
Disappear
Recommend
Caffeine
Accommodate
Autumn
Committee
Imitation

Disappoint
Weird
Loneliness
Embarrassed
Occasion
A lot it is always two words!
Acceptable
Mayor / Major
Immediate
Approximately
Separate
Library
Whether / weather
Patience

Whilst there are many more commonly misspelled words than are on this short
list, these examples have all been made recently by Anglo students and as such
should be paid special attention.

MYP & IB GRADING CRITERIA

IB A2 Essay Paper 2 Criteria
In the IB A2 language course your essay (paper 2) is worth 25% of your overall
grade. All of the information in this guide is pertinent to that exam. Much of this
information can also be used in your paper 1 commentary (also worth 25%) and
both of your written assignment pieces (worth 20%). So if you have paid careful
attention to this guidebook you will find 70% of your IB A2 course significantly
easier.
When writing your essays you should finish the process with self evaluation.
Read your essay through carefully, checking it against the following criteria
depending on whether you are taking the IB or the MYP. Are you consistently
reaching the highest levels of achievement? If not, why not? How can you edit
your work to ensure the top grade? Be tough on yourself, your examiner almost
certainly will be!

10

The IB A2 (H) essay is graded on the following criteria

Note that whilst this is for A2H it is very similar to the criteria for Standard Level
Criterion A: Response to the Question

Criterion B: Presentation

Criterion C: Language

To what extent has the candidate

understood the implications of the question?
How relevant and focused are the
candidates ideas to the argument?
Is there evidence of critical thinking?
Are the ideas supported by well-chosen
examples?

How organized and

persuasive is the essay?
How coherent is the essay
structure?
Are examples well integrated
into the essay?

How fluent, varied and accurate is the language

used by the candidate?
How appropriate to the essay is the candidates
choice of register and style? (Register and style
include the selection of appropriate vocabulary,
structure, tone, etc)

Level 1 is not achieved

Level 1 is not achieved

Level 1 is not achieved

1-2 The candidate has little awareness of

the implications of the question
Ideas are frequently irrelevant and/or
repetitive
There is little analysis of the subject matter
Ideas are not supported by examples

1-2 Little organization is

apparent
The essay has little structure
Supporting examples are not
integrated into the essay

1-2 The language lacks fluency and

appropriateness
There are many basic errors in grammar,
spelling and sentence construction
There is little sense of register and style
There is little variety in vocabulary and idiom

3-4 The candidate has a superficial

awareness of the implications of the
question
Some ideas are relevant
There is some analysis of the subject matter
Ideas are occasionally supported by
examples

3-4 Some organization is

apparent
The essay has some
structure
Supporting examples are
sometimes integrated into
the essay

3-4 The language sometimes lacks fluency and

appropriateness
Grammar, spelling and sentence construction
are sometimes accurate, although errors and
inconsistencies are apparent
The register and style are to some extent
appropriate to the task
The range of vocabulary and idiom is fairly
limited

5-6 The candidate has an adequate

understanding of the implications of the
question
Ideas are generally relevant and focused
There is evidence of critical thinking
Ideas are generally supported by examples

5-6 The essay is organized

The essay structure is mostly
coherent
Supporting examples are
generally well integrated into
the essay

5-6 The language is mostly fluent and

appropriate
There is an adequate degree of accuracy in
grammar, spelling and sentence construction,
although some minor errors and inconsistencies
are apparent
The register and style are mostly appropriate to
the task
Vocabulary and idiom are mostly varied and
appropriate to the task

7-8 The candidate has a good

understanding of the implications of the
question
Ideas are mostly relevant and focused
A good degree of critical thinking is shown
Ideas are mostly supported by well-chosen
examples

7-8 The essay is well

organized and persuasive
The essay structure is mostly
coherent and effective
Supporting examples are
mostly well integrated into
the essay

7-8 The language is fluent and appropriate

There is a good degree of accuracy in grammar,
spelling and sentence construction, although the
essay is not necessarily free from error
The register and style are effective and
appropriate to the task
Vocabulary and idiom are varied and appropriate
to the task

9-10 The candidate has a thorough

understanding of the implications of the
question
Ideas are relevant and focused
A high degree of critical thinking is shown
Ideas are fully supported by well-chosen
examples

9-10 The essay is well

organized and very
persuasive
The essay structure is
coherent and effective
Supporting examples are
well integrated into the
essay

9-10 The language is fluent and entirely

appropriate
There is a high degree of accuracy in grammar,
spelling and sentence construction, although the
essay is not necessarily free from error
The register and style are consistently effective
and appropriate to the task
Vocabulary and idiom are varied and highly
appropriate to the task

11

MYP Criterion A: Content

Maximum 10
This criterion refers to the students ability to
demonstrate: an awareness of the function of
language A through critical and creative writing;
an understanding of the
works studied; and an effective response to
literature.

MYP Criterion B:
Organization

MYP Criterion C: Style

and Language Usage

Maximum 10
This criterion covers the students ability
to: express ideas with clarity and
coherence; structure arguments in a
sustained and logical fashion; and support
these arguments with relevant examples.

Maximum 10
This criterion refers to the students ability
to use language for a variety of purposes,
including description, analysis and
persuasion. Appropriate register and
language should be chosen, according to
intention and audience.

9-10 The student demonstrates a

perceptive understanding of the relevant
aspects of the topic or theme. The work
consistently displays illustrative detail,
development and support. Creative pieces
reflect a high degree of imagination and
sensitivity. The students response to
literature demonstrates a sophisticated
analysis of the authors intention and
techniques.

9-10 The students work is

consistently well organized, clear and
coherent, and arguments are
presented in a perceptive and
persuasive manner. Paragraph
structure and transitions effectively
develop and substantiate the ideas
being expressed. When such devices
are required, critical conventions and
apparatus are used in a sophisticated
manner.

9-10 The students use of vocabulary

is always appropriate and greatly
varied with very infrequent errors in
spelling, pronunciation, punctuation
and syntax. The student has
mastered the use of a register
suitable to intention and audience.

7-8 The student demonstrates a good

understanding of the relevant aspects of
the topic or theme. The work displays
substantial detail, development and
support. Creative pieces reflect substantial
imagination and sensitivity. The students
response to literature
demonstrates a good appreciation of the
authors intention and techniques.

7-8 The students work is usually well

organized, clear and coherent, and
arguments are presented in a
thoughtful, logical manner. Paragraph
structure and transitions help to
develop the ideas. When such
devices are required, sufficient
attention is paid to critical apparatus.

7-8 The students use of vocabulary

is appropriate and varied. Occasional
errors in spelling, pronunciation,
punctuation and syntax rarely hinder
communication. The student
consistently uses a register suitable
to intention and audience.

5-6 The student demonstrates a sufficient

understanding of the relevant aspects of
the topic or theme. The work displays
adequate detail, development and support.
Creative pieces reflect a degree of
imagination and sensitivity. The students
response to literature demonstrates an
awareness of the authors intention and
techniques.

5-6 The students work is basically

organized, clear and coherent, and
arguments are presented in a logical
manner. Paragraph structure and
transitions are apparent. When such
devices are required, some attention
is paid to critical apparatus

5-6 The students use of vocabulary

is usually appropriate and generally
varied. Some errors in spelling,
pronunciation, punctuation and
syntax sometimes hinder
communication. The student often
uses a register suitable to intention
and audience.

3-4 The student demonstrates a limited

understanding of the relevant aspects of
the topic or theme. The work displays
insufficient detail, development and
support. Creative pieces reflect limited
imagination and sensitivity. The students
response to literature sometimes
demonstrates an awareness of the authors
intention and techniques.

3-4 The students work shows the

beginnings of organization, but
lacks significant logical order.
Paragraphs and transitions are weak.
When such devices are required, little
attention is paid to critical apparatus

3-4 The students use of vocabulary

is sometimes inappropriate and
somewhat varied. Regular errors in
spelling, pronunciation, punctuation
and syntax hinder communication.
The student attempts to use a
register suitable to intention and
audience.

1-2 The student demonstrates very limited

understanding of the topic or theme. The
work lacks detail, development and
support. Creative pieces do not reflect
imagination and sensitivity. The students
response to literature demonstrates little or
no awareness of the authors intention or
techniques.

1-2 The students work is generally

disorganized and confused, and
arguments are not presented in a
logical manner. Paragraph structure
and transitions are very weak. When
such devices are required, no
attention is paid to critical apparatus.

1-2 The students use of vocabulary

is often inappropriate and limited.
Very frequent errors in spelling,
pronunciation, punctuation and
syntax persistently hinder
communication. Little attempt has
been made to use a register suitable
to the intention and audience.

0 The student does not reach a standard

described by any of the
descriptors given above.

0 The student does not reach a

standard described by any of the
descriptors given above.

0 The student does not reach a

standard described by any of the
descriptors given above.

12

LANGUAGE ISSUES
Clarity and expressiveness of language is obviously particularly important in
essays on literature, and the development of an accurate and engaging writing
style is one of the aims of a degree in English Literature. A satirical checklist of
common errors that should be avoided is reproduced below:
1. Verbs has to agree with their subjects.
2. Prepositions are not words to end sentences with.
3. And do not start a sentence with a conjunction. (exceptions can be made)
4. It is wrong to ever split an infinitive.
5. Avoid clichs like the plague.
6. Also, always avoid annoying alliteration.
7. Be more or less specific.
8. Parenthetical remarks (however relevant) are (usually) unnecessary.
9. No sentence fragments.
10. Contractions aren'
t necessary and shouldn'
t be used.
11. One should never generalise.
12. Don'
t use no double negatives.
13. Eschew ampersands & abbreviations etc.
14. Eliminate commas, that are, not necessary.
15. Never use a big word when a diminutive one would suffice.
16. Kill all exclamation marks!!!
17. Use words correctly, irregardless of how others use them.
18. Use the apostrophe in it'
s proper place and omit when its not needed.
19. Puns are for children, not groan readers.
20. Proofread carefully to see if you any words out.
(Guidelines for essay writing)

13

TONE
When analysing literature be sure to carefully study the tone that is being used.
You can often ascertain the appropriate tone by looking at the language and any
repetitions in the lexical field. When describing the tone be sure to use a variety
of synonyms to demonstrate your extensive vocabulary and to avoid repeating
yourself.
Use the synonym checklist below to help you:
jubilant, joyful, exuberant, excited, enthusiastic, dramatic
dark, sombre, melancholy, gloomy, bleak, solemn, earnest, serious
light, playful, flippant, tongue-in-cheek, good-humoured, whimsical, humorous
satirical, mocking, sarcastic, ironic, cynical, irreverent
angry, bitter, harsh, assertive, dogmatic
impersonal, detached, dispassionate, clinical, cold
personal, intimate, emotional, lyrical, poignant, sentimental, warm
calm, philosophical, reflective, gentle, mellow, tranquil, tender
self-mocking
conversational, matter-of-fact
formal, stately
LINKING WORDS
It is important to use a variety of linking words and phrases to demonstrate your
versatility in writing. If every paragraph/sentence begins with the word then, you
will NOT score well. Do not force the use of the following phrases, but include them
in your writing where appropriate to help the flow.
Additionally
The effect on the reader is
The writer utilises this because
Obviously this shows that
Following this
Penultimately
On the other hand
In comparison

Introduction:
Firstly
Primarily
Chiefly
Importantly
The writer/author/poet/playwright
introduces
Main Body
The reason for this is
Secondly. Thirdly etc
Moving on
The reader can see from this that
The author writes because
Another/ Also/ Therefore/ Then/ Next
Significantly
The writer then moves on to
This literary technique is significant
because

Conclusion
In summary
In conclusion
It is important to conclude with
Weighing up the evidence
Finally,
Lastly,
The message conveyed is therefore
To summarise
14

EXCELLENT ESSAY WRITING

A good literary essay will present a series of logically ordered points, each substantial
with close textual reference and/or quotation, each clearly linked to the essay question
or topic. By the end of the essay, it will draw to a general conclusion. However, there
is a gear shift between a good literary essay and an excellent one.
An excellent essay will present a conceptualised argument. Instead of drawing
towards some conclusions through the process of discussing relevant points, the
excellent essay will present a clear case from the start. It will start with the key
concept or idea that study of the text(s) has generated and then prove this with close
analysis of the textual evidence. Its conclusion is likely to move beyond the individual
text(s) to draw out the wider issues of significance.
In this sense, the excellent essay is perhaps more like a legal argument than a
straightforward presentation. This requires careful critical thinking about the
relationship between ideas. Exploring this kind of structure will help you understand
how to produce a more sophisticated essay, as well as giving you important practice in
the critical analysis of argument. (Teachit (UK) Ltd 2005
www.teachit.co.uk/attachments/4014.pdf 6/11/07)
WHAT DOES THE TEXT APPEAL TO?
The text that you are studying may appeal to a variety of human emotions and senses
and it is important to analyse this and include your assertions in your response.
Does the text appeal to
Ethos (morals)
Logos (reason or rationality)
Pathos (pity or compassion)
Mythos (spirituality or beliefs)
The Senses
o Sight (visual/ocular)
o Hearing (auditory)
o Taste (gustatory)
o Touch (tactile)
o Smell (olfactory)
Having identified any of the above you MUST go
on to analyse the effect on the reader of such
literary devices.

15

What is the
effect on the
reader of
appealing to
the senses?

PARAGRAPHING
Paragraphs form the bulk and heart of your essay and, as such, it is vital that they are
organised and ordered correctly and that they flow smoothly. Just like sentences, it is
advisable to vary the lengths of your paragraphs, but similarly do not include
ridiculously loooong paragraphs.
You should start a new paragraph when there is a shift or a change in your essay.
Such changes are called paragraph shifts and can take place for any of the following
reasons: to introduce a new main point, to shift emphasis, or to indicate a change in
place and time.
It is also important that your paragraphs are arranged in the best possible way by
order of importance, by classification, by time and so on. These paragraphs should
flow clearly and smoothly from one to the next. In order to achieve this flow, the first
sentences in each new paragraph should somehow be linked to the proceeding one.
Transitions or linking words are often used for this purpose. (Kemper, Sebranek, and
Meyer)
Begin each paragraph with a direct and focused sentence that immediately tells the
reader the direction and purpose of this particular paragraph.
Often Anglo students write lengthy sentences (I recently read a sentence that was 218
words long!) and this must be avoided. The interesting diagram below illustrates the
different styles between various language bases. As you can see, English writing
should be direct and to the point.

Whereas the English paragraph tends, for example, to follow a direct line of
development, the Oriental paragraph tends to develop thought in a more circular
pattern. Romance languages and Russian tend to prize digressions, while Semitic
paragraphs often value parallel lines in development. (Guildford College)

16

LITERARY/POETIC DEVICES
Listed below is a list of just a few literary (poetic) devices. It is very important that
when analyzing literature you can identify these. However, identification is just half
of the job, you MUST go on to analyse their importance within the text and their
effect on the reader/audience. It is no good, for example, to write: In line three of
the text we can see an example of personification. You must include the authors
intention of including this literary device, for example, The importance in line three
of personification is to create a deep bond between the protagonist and his
surroundings.
Simile
A comparison using "as" or "like"
He is as fast as a cheetah
Her smile is as bright as the sun
Metaphor
A direct comparison NOT using "as" or "like" when one thing is said to be another
The Internet is an information superhighway
There is a fire in my heart
Alliteration
The deliberate repetition of consonant sounds
The green grass grew
The bright blue bicycle
Assonance
The deliberate repetition of identical or similar vowel sounds
Adam Ant ambles along
night-tide, I lie down by the side
Onomatopoeia
Use of words resembling the sound they mean
Boom!
Smash!
Crash!
Moo
Rhyme
Repetition of the same sounds
The small girl smiles. One eyelid flickers.
She whips a pistol from her knickers.
She aims it at the creature'
s head,
And bang bang bang, she shoots him dead.

Oink
Baa

(A)
(A)
(B)
(B)

Rhythm
The internal feel of beat and metre, better perceived when poetry is read aloud
The - small - girl - smiles. - One - eye-lid - fli-ckers
(9)
She - whips - a - pis-tol - from - her - kni-ckers.
(9)
She - aims - it - at - the - crea-ture'
s - head,
(8)
And - bang - bang - bang, - she - shoots - him - dead. (8)
17

Hyperbole
Exaggeration for dramatic effect
Ive eaten so much I could burst
Ive told you a million times already
Oxymoron
A seeming contradiction in two words put together
The living dead

The Peace Force

A pair of plastic glasses

Pretty ugly
A work party
Head butt

Paradox
A statement or concept that contains conflicting ideas, but that may yet have some
truth in it
When you increase your knowledge, you see how little you know.
A man says that he is lying. Is what he says true or false?
Personification
Attribution of human personality or behaviour to an impersonal thing
The wind moaned and screeched.
The tropical storm slept for two days
Anaphora
The repetition of the same word/group of words at the beginning of several
consecutive sentences or verses to emphasize an image or a concept
We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing
grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight
in the hills. (Churchill)
I have a dream speech (Luther King)
Foreshadowing
The giving of hints or clues of what is to come later in the plot.
And more
Check out these other literary terms and/or poetic devices and where appropriate
a. understand their definition and purpose
b. come up with examples for them
c. use them in an essay or creative writing piece

Allegory
Irony
o dramatic
o verbal
o situational
Malapropism
Parody
Pathetic fallacy
18

Pseudonym
Satire
Stream of consciousness
Tragic hero
Caesura
Enjambment
Refrain

SYNONYMS
You are not showing off your linguistic abilities if you use basic primary school
words in your essays. Therefore, words such as good, bad and nice should all
be avoided. In using these words to analyse literature you are severely
hampering yourself as it shows a lack of thought on your part. When looking up
synonyms in www.dictionary.com I found 477 synonyms for the word good, 324
possibilities for the word bad and 84 entries for the word nice. There are no
excuses for using these limited words. Below are just a few examples
Good: high-quality, first-class, first-rate, superior, fine, excellent, skillful, able,
proficient, accomplished, talented, expert, skilled, capable, clever, competent
decent, respectable, moral, upright, virtuous, noble, worthy, blameless,
wholesome beneficial, sound, safe, advantageous, reliable, trustworthy, useful,
fine, clear, mild, pleasant, fair, sunny, well-behaved, well-mannered, polite.
(Encarta)
Bad: poor, inferior, deficient, flawed, faulty, defective, substandard, imperfect,
abysmal, awful, terrible, dreadful, appalling, shocking, ghastly, horrific,
unpleasant, evil, wicked, corrupt, immoral, depraved, debauched, unscrupulous,
ruthless, merciless, cruel, base, shameless, naughty, disobedient, badly
behaved, unhealthy, damaging, injurious, ruinous, dangerous, prejudicial,
harmful, rotten, off, decayed, decaying, decomposing, putrid, moldy, sour, stale,
rancid, regretful, penitent, remorseful, ashamed, apologetic, contrite, guilty,
repentant, (Encarta)
Activity
How many synonyms can you think of for the word nice? Write ten sentences
with the word good in it. Now substitute the word good for a more appropriate
synonym. Repeat this exercise for the words bad and nice.

19

IDEAS FOR LITERARY ANALYSIS

Theme
1. Does the author seem to be saying something about ambition courage
greed jealousy happiness?
2. Does the selection show you what it is like to experience racism, loneliness,
and so on?
3. Does the author have a point to make about a specific historical event?
4. How do the themes engage with the reader/audience?
Characters
5. How does the main character change or develop as the text progresses?
6. What forces or circumstances make the characters act in a certain way?
(Consider the setting, the conflict, other characters, etc.)
7. What are the most revealing aspects of the characters? (Consider his or her
thoughts, words and actions.)
8. Do the characters actions seem believable within the story?
9. Does the main character have a confidant? How important/reliable is this
person?
10. Consider the role of the antagonist and how they relate to the protagonist.
11. What is the role of the subsidiary characters?
12. Is the audience/reader able to identify with the protagonist? How? And Why?
Plot
13. What external or internal conflict(s) affect the main character?
14. How is suspense built and maintained in the story?
15. Are there examples of foreshadowing that hint at the storys resolution?
16. How does the climax come about and how does it change the story?
17. Are there any twists in the plot? (What do they add to the story?)
Setting
18. What effect does the setting have on the characters?
19. Does the setting expand your understanding of a specific time and place?
Style
20. How does the writing descriptive phrases, images and so on create an
overall feeling or tone in the selection?
21. Is dialogue or description used effectively? (Give examples)
22. Is there an important symbol that adds meaning to the text? (How is this
symbol represented in different parts of the story?)
23. Are there key figures of speech such as metaphors and similes? (What do
these add to the writing?)
24. Are there any other examples of literary/poetic devices? What effect do these
have on the reader?
25. Is the structure noteworthy or unique? How does the structure add to the
overall impact of the text?
26. Analyse the title of the text. Does the title hint at or suggest anything?
Adapted from Kemper, Sebranek, and Meyer, Writers Inc p231

20

READING AND ANALYSING FICTION

The following notes are intended to be used as a guide to help you get the most out
of fiction whilst you are reading. Try to follow the recommended steps as you read
and your literary analysis will improve.
Before You Read
Learn something about the author and his or her works. What were the major
influences on their writing?
React thoughtfully to the title and the impact of the opening pages.
As You Read
Identify the following story elements: setting, tone, main characters, theme,
and central conflict.
Think about the plot and try to predict what will happen next.
Record your thoughts (or draw/mind map/list) in a reading journal as you go.
Think about the characters and the things they do.
o What motivates the characters?
o Do they relate to other characters in literature? Are they based on real
life people?
o Have I faced situations similar to the ones faced by the main
characters? (Whilst you may not include this in your literary analysis of
the text, it will help you gauge the effect of the writing on the
audience/reader, ie you!)
o Would I have reacted in the same way?
Think about how the time and place in which the author lives (or lived) may
have influenced the story.
Notice the authors style and word choice.
o How effectively has the author used literary devices?
o Why did the author use a particular word or phrase?
Discuss the story with others who are reading it. Their insights may
complement your own.
After You Read
Think about the development of the main
character/s. How do they change and why?
Decide what you think the storys message
or main theme is, then decide how good a
job the author did in getting that message
across to the reader.
Adapted from Kemper, Sebranek, and Meyer,
riters Inc p365

21

READING AND ANALYSING POETRY

Whilst reading and analysing poetry employs some of the same skills as reading
fiction, it is also distinct. Use the recommendations below when you are reading
poetry.
First Reading
Read the poem all the way through at your normal reading speed to gain an
overall impression of the poem.
Jot down your immediate reaction to the poem.
Second Reading
Read the poem again out loud if possible. Pay attention to the sound of
the poem.
Read slowly and carefully word by word, syllable by syllable observing the
punctuation, spacing, and special treatment of words and syllables.
Not the examples of sound devices in the poem alliteration, assonance,
rhyme, rhythm.
Think about what the poem is saying.
Third Reading
Try to identify the type of poem you are reading. Does this poem follow the
usual pattern of that particular type? If not, why not?
Determine the literal sense of the poem. What is the poem about? What does
the poem seem to say about its subject?
Look carefully for figurative language in the poem. How does this language
metaphors, similes, personification, symbols support the literal meaning of
the poem?
Take note of the structure of the poem. How does the structure complement
the themes or the message?
Having noticed all these different devices, you MUST then go on to analyse their
effect on the reader!

Adapted from Kemper, Sebranek, and Meyer, Writers Inc p366

22

BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCING

You must include ALL references in your essay and you must
finish your essay with a bibliography. By including this
information you are telling the reader where you got your
sources of information from. Without including this you could
be accused of plagiarism so, it very important that you do it. If
you are caught having plagiarised by the Anglo your case is handed to the
disciplinary committee and generally results in a suspension. If you are caught
having plagiarised by the MYP/IB then you will be disqualified from that subject,
you will not receive your certificate/diploma and all your years of hard work will
be in vain. Dont do it.
The following information is a simplified version of MLA (Modern Language
Association) Referencing. Consult the internet for a more detailed guide. In
writing this guide the textbook Writers INC was used. It comes highly
recommended and its specific details are included below.
In-Text Citations
Because Internet sources typically have no page or paragraph numbers, and
Web sites often list no author, people are often confused about how to refer to
these sources within their papers. The answer is to cite the author'
s name
whenever possible, and use the sources title otherwise (or a shortened version
of the title). Keep in mind that the primary purpose of an in-text citation is simply
to point readers to the correct entry in the Bibliography at the end of document.
Along with the author also include the page number.
If you are going to include a direct quotation from the text and include it in the
main body of your essay it must be under four lines long. If the quotation you
wish to use is longer, you have two options. A) split it into two using an ellipsis at
an appropriate point () . Be careful that by leaving out material you are not
changing the meaning of the text. Or B) keep the full quotation, but set off the
quotation by indenting each line by 10 spaces. In an essay with a word limit, be
careful about using lengthy quotations as it will limit the ideas you can write.
See the following for examples and use these formats in your work
When using an exact quotation e.g.: Holden Caulfield continually uses a
quotidian and colloquial language in his narration. He gave her every single
goddam play in the whole game Im not kidding. (Salinger, 85). This device is
used in order to build up a more convincing rapport with the reader.
OR
When paraphrasing an idea from elsewhere (an introduction, a textbook, the
internet, a research paper etc) you MUST still give the source, e.g.: Weather is
very important in Shakespeares plays. You can generally predict that something
important or tragic is going to happen if there is a storm or rain during a scene
(Thompson, 34).
23

If, when discussing literature, you wish to add in to your response specific words
used repeatedly by a character in the novel, you do not have to reference the
page number exactly as it appears in many places. e.g.: Holden Caulfield grabs
the readers attention through continual the use of goddam profanities. This
especially appeals to an adolescent readership who feel as though they can
identify with old Holden.
Dont forget that you need not mention the authors name twice. So if you have
written his name in the text as part of your sentence, you do not need to write his
name in parenthesis at the end of the sentence. If however, you choose not to
write the authors name in the main body of your essay, you must write it in the
brackets at the end of the sentence.
If in your Bibliography you have listed two (or more) works by the same author
you need to give more than just the name in the parenthetical citation. So as well
as including the authors name you should also give the title, or a shortened
version of the title, and the page reference. e.g.: Kerouacs life was very similar
to that of Sal Paradise; it was fuelled by drink, drugs, and a search for his true
identity through his nomadic travelling across the United States (Chatwin, The
Life of Jack, 221).
If you cite an indirect source (someones remarks published second hand) write
qtd. in (quoted in) before you reference the source. e.g.: Gandhi, in discussing
the idea of Biblical retribution said, An eye for an eye makes the whole world
blind (qtd in Hamlin, 153)
When citing a piece of literature prose that has more than one publisher or
edition, be sure to give more than just a page number. After the page reference
add either the part, chapter or section, in abbreviated form after a semicolon.
e.g.: In A Handmaids Tale, Atwood portrays a society in which women have
become little more than transportable wombs. If they fail to become pregnant
they are expelled to certain death in the colonies. Pregnancy therefore becomes
their one and only goal. Each month I watch for blood, fearfully, for when it
comes it means failure (83; ch13).
Bibliography
Study the following to see how to correctly format your bibliography. Note that
when the entry spills over the first line onto a second or a third that you must
indent the subsequent lines by 10 spaces.
For a Book entry
Authors last name, First name. Book Title. City: Publisher, date.
e.g.: Cisneros, Sandra. The House on Mango Street. New York: Vintage, 1991

24

For a Periodical entry

Authors last name, First name. Article. Periodical Title date: page nos.
e.g.: Johnson, Hugh. Life in the cold of Antarctica. National Geographic 15 Nov.
2001: 116-127
For an On-Line entry
Authors last name, First name. Title. Information on print version (if any). Site
title. Date posted or last updated. Sponsor. Date accessed <Electronic
address>
e.g.: Douthat, Ross. SparkNote on Agamemnon. Barnes and Noble. 25 Oct.
2007 <http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/agamemnon/>.
For a Translated work
Authors last name, First name. Book Title. Trans. Translators First name Last
name. City: Publisher, date
e.g.: Mishima, Yukio. The Sound of Waves. Trans. Meredith Weatherby. New
York: Vintage International, 1994
There are of course many other types of text that you could use to obtain
information (eg anthologies, pamphlets, texts with multiple authors, newspapers,
interviews etc) but to list them all here is unnecessary. For a fill list either consult
Writers INC or the Internet. The following website was useful in writing this guide
and may help you too: http://www.aresearchguide.com/8firstfo.html
Abbreviations
Take note of (and use!) some of the following abbreviations when writing papers.
ch.
chapter(s)
ed.
editor(s), edition(s), or edited by
et al.
and others
illus.
illustrator, illustration, illustrated by
n.d.
no date given
no.
number (s)
n.p.
no place of publication or no publisher
given
n. pag.
no page numbers
p.
page
pp.
pages
qtd.
quoted
rpt.
reprinted
sec.
sections
vol.
volume

25

INTERNET RESEARCH VALIDITY

There is a great deal of information available to you on the Internet. Before you
use that information, you need to ask yourself whether or not your sources are
trustworthy. These questions can help you judge them:
Is the source a primary or secondary source? Facts from a primary or
firsthand source are often more trustworthy than secondhand information.
Is the source an expert on the subject? An expert is someone who is
respected in the field and considered an authority.
Is the information complete? Is information presented on all sides of an
issue, not just facts that support the authors opinion?
Is the information current? Generally, you want the very latest information.
Is the source biased? A biased source is one that favors one side or opinion
over the others. Because of this, a biased source is not always a reliable
source of information
http://www.thewritesource.com/eval.htm

26

Checklist for Effective Writing

Stimulating Ideas
Presents interesting and valuable information
Maintains a clear, specific focus or purpose
Grabs the reader'
s attention and holds it
Answers the question!
Does NOT add unnecceasy information
Does NOT retell plot
Logical Organisation
Has a direct, engaging introduction
The main body is well organised and links together well to flow smoothly
The conclusion is an effective and challenging summary
The essay provides correctly referenced quotations to justify the ideas
Engaging Voice
The voice used is engaging and appropriate to the task
Language
Contains an appropriate level of language
Contains a variety of language, vocabulary and idiom
The sentence & paragraph beginnings are varied and help the essay flow
Contains a variety of sentence lengths
Verb tense is correct and maintained throughout
Formatting
Word Count included
27

Proofreading Checklist
Sentence Structure
Did I write clear and complete sentences?
Do my sentences flow smoothly?
Did I vary sentence length?
Do my sentences begin with a variety of linking words and phrases?
Word Choice and Usage
Did I avoid unnecessary repetition?
Did I use the correct word (their, there, they'
re)?
Did I use specific nouns, vivid verbs and descriptive adjectives/adverbs?
Punctuation
Does each sentence have the correct end punctuation?
Did I use commas and apostrophes correctly?
Did I punctuate dialogue correctly?
If I use the title of a book (Othello for example) have I underlined it?
Capitalisation
Did I start all of my sentences with capital letters?
Did I capitalise the proper names of people, places, things and ideas?
Grammar
Do the subjects and verbs agree in all my sentences?
Did I use the correct verb tenses and do all the verb tenses all agree?
Spelling
Did I check for spelling errors?
28

GRAPHIC ORGANISERS
Graphic organisers can often help you to clarify your thoughts and plan your
essay before you write it. Have at the look at the following examples and try
implementing them in your essay writing.
USEFUL SOURCES AND ESSAY GUIDES
The following two sources (one textbook, one website) have been invaluable in
the writing of this document. Various sections have been copied, others
paraphrased, I hope that all have been appropriately referenced. They both come
highly recommended if you require additional information on essay writing.
Kemper, Sebranek, and Meyer. Writers INC. Wilmington, MA: Houghton Mifflin, 2001
Johnson, Tom. Ten Steps to Writing an Essay. August 2004. The American
University in Cairo. 14th Nov 07
http://www1.aucegypt.edu/academic/writers/introduction.htm
Other useful sources
Guidelines for Essay Writing. The University if Edinburgh. 14th Nov 07

http://www.englit.ed.ac.uk/studying/undergrd/english_lit_1/Common/essay_guidance.htm

Organisation. Guilford College. 15th Nov 07

http://www.guilford.edu/about_guilford/services_and_administration/writing/organization/index.html
15th Nov 07 www.cartoonstock.com

29

30

31

32

33

34

35

36