Some thoughts on essay writing.....
When choosing examples from a text, to support your argument, group them together, rather than choosing random excerpts from everywhere. For example, choose two or three key scenes or excerpts and discuss them in depth and detail. When using dialogue as evidence, find three or four examples and discuss them together.
Nobody will be crucified for using first person. However....sometimes using 'I' can lead to less sophisticated writing, for example 'I think' and 'In my opinion.' Third person is always acceptable but it does have its own problems. Sometimes the overuse of 'one' can seem clumsy and forced and students tie themselves up in knots writing convoluted phrases in an attempt to avoid saying 'I' that just end up sounding confused. The inclusive 'we' is a good compromise. It can be slipped seamlessly and unobtrusively into sentences and does not detract from the academic nature of the essay.
More to come...
Also, the thesaurus is not your friend. Maybe a little bit. Not much. In all writing you are aiming for clarity - subtle is NOT the same as obscure, and choosing 'big' words to replace the word that means exactly what you are trying to say is fraught with danger. If the connotation of your new fancy word is even slightly different from your original, you will have changed the whole meaning of your sentence. This means that the markers will have to work extra hard to figure out what you mean, and that will just make them annoyed. Nobody wants that. It also means you might sound silly and the marker will have a giggle. You want your work to inspire respect and amazement "Oh my goodness, this essay is so fantastic and insightful...' not mirth and confusion. Ask your teachers if you are not sure of the nuances of words you would like to use.
When choosing examples from a text, to support your argument, group them together, rather than choosing random excerpts from everywhere. For example, choose two or three key scenes or excerpts and discuss them in depth and detail. When using dialogue as evidence, find three or four examples and discuss them together.
Nobody will be crucified for using first person. However....sometimes using 'I' can lead to less sophisticated writing, for example 'I think' and 'In my opinion.' Third person is always acceptable but it does have its own problems. Sometimes the overuse of 'one' can seem clumsy and forced and students tie themselves up in knots writing convoluted phrases in an attempt to avoid saying 'I' that just end up sounding confused. The inclusive 'we' is a good compromise. It can be slipped seamlessly and unobtrusively into sentences and does not detract from the academic nature of the essay.
More to come...
Also, the thesaurus is not your friend. Maybe a little bit. Not much. In all writing you are aiming for clarity - subtle is NOT the same as obscure, and choosing 'big' words to replace the word that means exactly what you are trying to say is fraught with danger. If the connotation of your new fancy word is even slightly different from your original, you will have changed the whole meaning of your sentence. This means that the markers will have to work extra hard to figure out what you mean, and that will just make them annoyed. Nobody wants that. It also means you might sound silly and the marker will have a giggle. You want your work to inspire respect and amazement "Oh my goodness, this essay is so fantastic and insightful...' not mirth and confusion. Ask your teachers if you are not sure of the nuances of words you would like to use.