Literacy accuracy in the essay

General advice Your work should sound very academic and formal – like a text book. Use the Find button in Word/Powerpoint to find any of the errors listed in this Powerpoint Make sure you are clear in each paragraph which film you are writing about Write the BC character sections in order of what happens. For example in the Claire section, write about the car BEFORE you write about what happens to her in the library

Conventions There are conventions of soap operas, conventions of the news etc, so you cannot say: There are many conventions in Mean Girls such as high school and cliques. INSTEAD say: There are many conventions of teen movies in Mean Girls such as high school and cliques.

Capital letters For names (Bender, Claire, Mr Vernon) For titles (Mean Girls, The Breakfast Club) Do not use capitals in the middle of sentences eg There are lots of conventions of teen movies such as high school. (NOT There are lots of conventions such as High School)

Titles of films The titles of the films should always be in italics or underlined but should not have speech marks Eg The Breakfast Club or The Breakfast Club The first time that you write about the films, you should state the director and date Eg Mean Girls (Waters, 2004) ALSO – remember the capital letters in the titles

Numbers Numbers should always be written as words Write four, not 4

Weak words Avoid weak words such as Get Got Thing Nice bit

Contractions Do not use contractions in academic essays eg write do not rather than don’t write it is rather than it’s write they are rather than they’re

Sentence structure Many students struggle with punctuation of sentences. Look at this sentence: There is a lot of graffiti around the school this shows the students do not care about school. Because the second statement is a new subject (this shows) you must put a full stop first There is a lot of graffiti around the school. This shows the students do not care about school. Check your work carefully for sentences which are too long

Sentence structure 2 Sentences cannot begin with Which (except when it is a question). eg Which shows that the students don’t care about the school. You should not write and or but more than once in a sentence.

Slang/ informal language Avoid all slang/colloquial language in formal assignments eg Dad/mum Mates Gets with Ripping into posh

Use terminology Long shot Close up Medium shot Diegetic sound Montage Image Tilt pan NOTE: DO NOT define the terminology – eg don’t explain what a long shot is, or what a montage is

Apostrophe accuracy Use apostrophes to show possession Bender’s locker/ Brian’s car/ the students’ detention DO NOT use apostrophes for plurals There are lots of images (NOT There are lots of image’s) DO NOT use apostrophes for decades: This song was popular in the 1980s

Their/Their/They’re They’re = they are (they’re going on holiday) Their = belonging to them (he is their friend/ it is their school) There = a place (over there) OR to show the existence of something (there are lots of shots in the montage)

It’s/its It’s = it is Its = belonging to it (The cat licked its fur)

To/two/too To – for verbs (They want to go outside) To – as a preposition (They go to detention) Two – number (there are two people in the car) Too – too much or too many

Gives off This gives off a sense of confusion. This is a weak expression. Instead try Suggests Conveys Implies Signifies Symbolises Shows Indicates connotes Remember: This shows/ This suggests/ This implies etc must always be a NEW sentence