How to Write an A-Level English Literature Essay
Structure matters when writing an A-level English essay. It is the best strategy for scoring high marks. It makes the whole difference between a good and a great essay. Every student may have learned the main components of a literature essay but their main challenge is knowing what should go into each component. It might not be easy to understand how to structure an A-level English literature essay. However, our experienced team of essay writers will guide you through the process.
1. Understand The Essay Question
Before you think about how you will design your essay structure, the first thing you should think about is the essay question. The essay question creates the base for your argument. Some essay questions may not require you to have a specific argument.
For example, if you are specifically discussing a certain character in a book or movie, your focus should be on the character. You should not discuss any other characters in the book or movie. If you do, you must ensure they relate to your character on focus.
From the first line that you write, the essay question should be what guides you in every other line. Keep referring back to your thesis statement to help you stay within the essay question.
2. Write Your Introduction
It is in the essay introduction that you provide proof to the reader that you understood the essay question. You must show them that you are ready to answer it with the best arguments. Due to this, you should explain to the reader what to expect from your arguments. Note down the main points of your essay in this part.
Many students get challenged when writing their English literature thesis. It forms part of the introduction but it is the one that carries the most weight. The essay thesis provides an overview of what your literature essay is all about. It should not exceed one paragraph.
3. Write Your Body
The body of your literature essay is the main part of the essay. The essay’s main body paragraphs contain all your main arguments. Each paragraph should have an opening and a conclusion.
The opening provides an introduction to your main point or argument in the paragraph. Once you have introduced it, the next lines should provide discussions about the point. You must do thorough research to make sure you have enough evidence to back up your argument.
The conclusion of the paragraph provides information on how your argument is related to the main point in the paragraph. If you are writing four paragraphs, you require to have four main points.
4. Write Your Conclusion
Do not confuse the conclusion of your paragraphs in the essay body with the main conclusion paragraph. Your essay conclusion is what sums up your entire essay starting from the main topic, introduction, and the body.
When writing the essay conclusion, refocus on every point that you disused. Revisit the thesis statements, the introduction, and each point that you discussed in the main body. Keeping a focus on these points helps you to stay on track in your essay conclusion. It helps you not to introduce new points that can make your essay lose marks.
Focusing on the points does not mean to copy-paste them in the concluding paragraph. You need to explain them in a nice way that makes the reader see that you did your research well. You should give them a chance to think further about the topic.
Important Things To Remember
When our writers do English literature essay, they are usually have several things in mind:
- If you want your arguments to look strong, use examples wherever you can. Before you use the example read it again to ensure it is relevant to your point. For example, if you are arguing about a character in a book, the kind of examples you may use are important quotes from the character. Write about something they said to support your argument.
- It is necessary to use words and phrases correctly. You can use one word or phrase and change the entire meaning of the sentence or paragraph. Learn to refer to the dictionary any time you are not certain about a word or phrase.
Poor grammar may cause frustration to the reader which can deny you marks. Search from your dictionary to know the other words that mean the same as the vocabulary you want to use. You might get a better word that will not confuse you.
If you want to write the best A-level English literature essay, you must be ready to prove to the reader that you understand the English language including its form and structure. If English is not your first language, practice reading widely to build better grammar. Before you use any quotes, re-look them to ensure they are relevant to your points.
- Editing your English literature essay is as important as the writing process. After you are done with writing, avoid editing your essay immediately. It is best to wait until the next day if time allows.
If you are running against time, give yourself at least an hour before you begin editing. You will easily notice any grammar mistakes that you made during the writing process. Read the entire essay loudly and listen to yourself as you read. This is the best way to know whether your writing is making sense to the reader.
- The overall structure of your English literature essay must sound logical to the reader. It must show a high level of creativity and the use of persuasive language. The arguments need to be coherent with every component of the essay. It must prove to the reader that you understood the question and are skilled in writing.
