A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO PREPARING TO WRITE YOUR COURSEWORK...

The hourglass approach to how much time you spend on planning, writing, editing your essay... Planning Writing Editing

STEP 1: Assemble your tools. These are: Your brain Pens and highlighters Your targets from previous essays The text/s Your notes Previous essays Grids Worksheets These are: Your brain Pens and highlighters Your targets from previous essays The text/s Your notes Previous essays Grids Worksheets

‘In ADH and SV women are presented as dependent on men and ultimately powerless.’ How far would you agree? How the writer uses language, structure and form AO2 Directive: argue AO1/3 Are they powerless at the end as well as the beginning? AO2: structure What about the men? Might they be powerless too? Could bring in AO4 here In what way are they powerless? Could bring in AO4 here as well as AO2 STEP 2: QUESTION THE QUESTION

Step 3: Mindmap your thoughts. Vomit out your ideas. Click this link for a guide on how to mindmap Click this link for a guide on how to mindmap See next slide for an example of a mindmap

First mindmap

HAVE A BREAK!!!

Step 4: Pick out the carrots Select and reject: using highlighters, select points to be included and group them by colour Assemble them into a new, more organised mindmap. See example on next slide... Select and reject: using highlighters, select points to be included and group them by colour Assemble them into a new, more organised mindmap. See example on next slide...

Second mindmap

Step 5: Now you have done the thinking, rework the question into your thesis ASK YOURSELF: Which arguments resonate with you best? Which ones can you argue the most effectively? Can you use one as a main argument and the others as alternative interpretations? ASK YOURSELF: Which arguments resonate with you best? Which ones can you argue the most effectively? Can you use one as a main argument and the others as alternative interpretations? In the opening scenes ADH and SV the women are presented as powerless and dependent on their men, however... Some of the women in ADH and SV are depicted both as dependent and powerless throughout both plays, however... The women in ADH and SV are depicted both as dependent and powerless throughout both plays, however...

Step 6: Write your topic sentences Don’t forget to check that they: – Answer the question – Don’t repeat the same point – Aren’t evidence rather than a point – Give you a chance to compare similarities and differences between the plays – Allow you to cover the AOs Don’t forget to check that they: – Answer the question – Don’t repeat the same point – Aren’t evidence rather than a point – Give you a chance to compare similarities and differences between the plays – Allow you to cover the AOs Click here for an explanation of a topic sentence Click here for an explanation of a topic sentence

HAVE A BREAK!!!

Step 7: assemble the quotes to match your topic sentences “Home life ceases to be free and beautiful as soon as it is founded on borrowing and debt.” “Our house has never been anything but a playroom. I have been your doll wife, just as at home I was Daddy's doll child. And the children in turn have been my dolls. I thought it was fun when you came and played with me, just as they thought it was fun when I went and played with them. That's been our marriage, Torvald.” “Marriage is like the Middle East, isn't it? There's no solution.” “I've allowed myself to lead this little life, when inside me there was so much more.”

Step 8: Start writing!

Step 9: Edit your work Have you: – Covered all the AOs? – Evaluated your points? – Used short, precise quotes? – Embedded and introduced your quotes? – Used academic language? – Used correct literary terminology? – Addressed your argument throughout the essay? – Checked your spellings? – Included a bibliography? – Presented your essay as per my instructions? – Checked for unintentional plagiarism? – Asked your parents/carers/friends to read it for sense?

Step 10: Make yourself a cup of tea and relax...