Controlled assessment writing tips
Before you start writing your essay, you should plan what you will write. Think about how you can break down your answer into logical paragraphs.
A good approach to begin with is to highlight any key terms in the task title which stand out for you.
In the sample controlled assessment task the key terms you must think about are 鈥楥urley ... is a danger to others鈥.
Make sure you use the key terms frequently throughout your controlled assessment response. This helps to keep your answer focused as you create your argument.
The structure of your planning (and your response) should provide evidence from the section / extract that Curley is a danger to others. Your teacher may wish you to refer to other parts of the novel. However, this is not a formal requirement.
It is also important to include comments on the effects of how Steinbeck uses language and techniques to present the character of Curley and whether he is a danger to others.
Language and stylistic devices / narrative techniques could include some of the following:
- structure of the text - for example chapters, climax, chronologicalEvents are written or spoken about in the order in which they actually happened. ordering, flashback, conclusion
- descriptive techniques - for example vocabulary choices, use of imagery and the senses
- creation of setting - for example time, place, atmosphere
- creation of character - for example through narrator鈥檚 descriptions, use of dialogue, actions
- narration - for example omniscientAll knowing - an omniscient narrator is one who knows all of the thoughts and feelings of the characters in a story. narrator, first person narration, multiple narrators鈥 use of personaThe voice adopted by an author for a particular purpose, this voice does not necessarily reflect the author's true thoughts. It can also mean a mask that someone presents to the world as their real character ('persona' is the Latin word for an actor's mask). , autobiography
- cohesiveFitting together well to form a united whole. elements - for example repetition of words or ideas, climax, suspense, sequentialHappening in a logical order. ordering
- disjunctiveLacking any clear connection or consistency. elements - for example cliffhangerA plot device featuring a character in a perilous or difficult situation, used to ensure that an audience will return to see how the situation unfolds. endings, flashbacks
- use of punctuation and other typographical effects - for example italics, capitalisation, suspension points Sometimes known as ellipses, these are usually three dots used in a sentence to indicate where a word or words have been left out, the missing words can usually be guessed from clues in in the text.
You should use short quotations from the extract / section to back up your opinions and argument. You will also be given marks for paraphraseRestating the meaning of a piece of text in your own words. parts of the book and referring to specific events, as this shows your knowledge of the text.