quotes to use in gp essays

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Top 10 General Paper (GP) Tips for Essay

Wait, who’s mr zach & what’s zascension click here to discover, top 10 tips for gp essay – 2020.

To aid revision efforts, I have compiled the Top 10 Tips that we absolutely must know . These are carefully selected from the entire list of tips that we had for the year from our Telegram group. You may join the group here if you haven’t already done so!

I have classified the Tips based on the various components in Essay . These are the top Tips that we must remember to prepare for the A Levels, but be sure to check out the rest of the Tips . Remember that they are classified into hashtags in the Telegram group and we can use that for easy access: #Essay #Compre #Content #General

Tips for GP Essay

Tip 1 : Planning is very crucial to write a good essay because it gives a clear direction and prevents excessive cancellation. A lot of students only spend less than 5 mins on planning and rush into the writing. It’s actually recommended for you to take the time to plan (15-20 mins) and be very certain what your arguments are before you begin writing. This clarity will make your essay much more coherent 

Tip 2 : Keep in mind the scope of the topic and ensure that your examples come from a wide range to address this scope. When you mentally put all your examples together, they should have thoroughly engaged with the question. For e.g, if the question looks at Tech, you should ensure you have examples pertaining to different kinds of tech; you shouldn’t only talk about transport or medical. You can look at agricultural, communications, environmental and many more. The point is to cover enough ground and give breadth to your writing 

Brainstorming

Tip 3 : When we are stuck during our brainstorming for points, we can rely on examples. We can think of examples that intuitively appear in our minds and use those as a starting point to derive the argument. For instance, the question looks at whether music has any value in our lives. We can begin thinking about examples of music in our lives and consider how they add value to our lives, or the different functions that music could have for us. Thinking about specific songs could really help crystallise some of the points. That being said, be sure to focus on deriving the argument instead of simply making our paragraph example-driven 

Tip 4 : When it comes to writing the Hook in your intro, ensure that it has two traits: 1) It’s interesting/unique (it can be a quote, a question, some kind of commentary, or even an example) | 2) It’s relevant to the question, you have to consciously explain why the Hook is significant for the given topic rather than assume your reader will automatically get it. Many students write the Hook but do not go on to explain it, be sure you explicitly highlight how it is relevant to the question

Tip 5 : A thesis statement has two functions. Firstly, it expresses your stand. Secondly, it provides a reason for this stand. The reason, of course, comprises your arguments since they support your stand. But the way you express these arguments has some variation. You may either choose to list your arguments, or you can condense them into a single compelling idea. The latter is harder to do, but shows more critical thinking, and gives a degree of personal voice 

Topic Sentence/Point

Tip 6 : A topic sentence is not merely one single sentence. It should be 2-3 sentences because it gives an idea of what argument is being made in the rest of the paragraph. It has to provide a clear overview of the paragraph’s direction and unpack some ideas that you have introduced in the very first sentence of the paragraph 

Arguments/Elaboration

Tip 7 : Good arguments have a logical flow to them, where one idea builds on another. This logical flow needs to be carefully constructed. Many students just write what comes to mind without much thought on how it adds to the central argument of the paragraph, and it starts to feel random and incoherent. The most effective way is to plan out this logical flow before you even begin writing. For each body paragraph, think about this: what is the logic of my argument? 

Tip 8 : When it comes to writing examples, the key is to show the significance of your examples. You can think of it as: What is the larger argument made by this example? This is the critical difference between writing a descriptive example and one that is argumentative. Descriptive examples simply provide facts that can be interpreted in any way, but argumentative examples would explain why these facts matter and how they link to the question 

Tip 9 : Having a strong link in your paragraph means that you explicitly tie your point back to what the question is asking. Many students often forget to do this. An explicit link can go a long way in enhancing the clarity of your writing, especially when you directly address terms in the question. Always check to see whether you have made the link 

Answer the Question (ATQ)

Take note that ATQ needs to be in every part of the paragraph, NOT just at the end with the link!

Tip 10 : We can use the word ‘because’ when trying to check whether we have answered the question (ATQ). In essays, we can repeat the question with the word because, and then mentally fit our point into the sentence to see if it makes logical sense. For example, ‘Tech has made society more dangerous because it replaces jobs’ would not ATQ. ‘Tech has made society more dangerous because it can result in crimes with an unprecedented level of destruction’ would ATQ. In compre, we can also do this for summary and AQ. Check for ATQ before even writing out the rest of the paragraph

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You can do it!!

It’s a few days before the A Levels! The last lap can be nerve-wrecking but it can also be game-changing! I have seen many students make tremendous and miraculous improvements in the final lap. Study smart and pay attentions to all the skills in GP. Skills mean the difference between knowing how to consciously meet the requirements of GP and simply depending on luck.

That being said, good luck for the upcoming exams. Take care of yourself, be sure not to burn out in this period. Stay tune for the 2020 A Levels Questions Analysis, I will share it as soon as I can 😃

If you found this helpful, do check out our new GP Tips & Resources Telegram Channel! Click here to join . This channel is meant to act as a GP companion to share knowledge and help all students, regardless of whether they are a part of ZAscension. Everyday there will be Tips of the Day, Answers to FAQs, Articles and many more. So if you enjoyed this article, this channel will definitely be useful for you 😃

Do share this article and also the Telegram channel with everyone you know who is also studying for GP, let’s share the good stuff so that we may all learn 🙂

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Tired of using PEEL in English or General Paper (GP) ? Here are some other ways to improve your essay!

GP Media Questions from illum.e on Vimeo .

First, the PLAN

Having a clear plan before you start writing helps ensure that you don’t go out of point while writing, and you will have a clearer idea of how to structure the content of your essay. Start with finding where you stand - are you for or against the statement? What are some quotes and examples that you feel are related to the question? Then categorise them into different paragraphs; according to your stand (ie 3 for, 3 against; 4 for, 2 against etc.).  

Make sure clearly articulate your stand. This is important in showcasing to the marker that you are clear of your opinions and lets the marker have a very definite idea of what your essay will entail. Quotes and excerpts are the common way to go to bring forth certain keywords and ideas into your essay. Give a brief summary of your points according to your plan such that the marker knows what to expect in your work.

THE BODY PARAGRAPHS

Compartmentalise your points from the plan into the different categories. Arrange them in such a way that they compliment each other. i.e the first paragraph leads to the second, which leads to the third. This ensure that your essay is cohesive and the marker will be able to understand the flow of your writing. Rearticulate your stand in your body paragraphs. Ensure that the end of each paragraph lines up with the start. Strengthen your body paragraph with the examples and quotes from your research. Use evaluative techniques to widen the scope of your paragraphs.

EVALUATIVE TECHNIQUES

Such techniques will impress the marker as your essay will be at a more macro scale, which shows that you as the writer are able to think on a wider scale and has a broader view of world issues.

Some examples of Evaluative Techniques:

• Stakeholders
• Benefits vs Limitations

iii. Morality/value systems/beliefs

• Ethics/ethical obligations
• Effectiveness and limitations
• Practicality and feasibility

vii. Long run vs short run

viii. Core vs Periphery

• Surface vs Actual
• Context Characteristics

This is the wrap up of your essay. Rearticulate your stand and summarise your body paragraphs. This SHOULD NOT be a repeat of your body paragraphs. Write 1-2 lines of the aforementioned in your paragraphs. To enhance your conclusion, add in future plans or what you would expect to change in the future.

Q: To what extent can innovation alleviate global environmental problems?

Future plans: Siding with the notion that innovation can alleviate global environmental problems to a large extent, I believe that with constant improvements in technology, and if world leaders band together to regulate rules concerning global environmental issues, real change can be made to ensure a brighter future for the next generation and beyond. However, the extent of effectiveness of such methods will vastly depend on humanities will to change. I believe that as a country, a world citizen, and as a people, we have the ability to be united and to change the fate of our world, no matter how impossible it may seem.

Category - Education

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How to Write an Effective Introduction for GP Essays

Writing an impressive introduction paragraph for your GP Essays is simple.

My clear-cut, time-saving steps help you do away with the mythical "inspiration" you need to start writing.

Firstly, you need to understand:

What makes an introduction effective?

1. Good context

From the get-go, you need to demonstrate an excellent general awareness of the topic on a global level. This shows the examiner that you know what you are talking about.

Next, you also need to engage with the specific question keywords. This shows the examiner that you are immediately focused on answering the question fully.

2. A clear stand

This goes without saying. Without a clear stand, can you really persuade your examiner to buy into your argument?

Learn to use explicit keywords to indicate your position on the question. Follow the phrasing of the question and leave no room for ambiguity when it comes to your stand.

Finally, always remember to be balanced in your view. Just because you AGREE with the question, does not mean that all points for the DISAGREE camp are invalid. It just means that you have more reasons and arguments to swing to the AGREE camp. Thus, do demonstrate that you perfectly respect the validity of the opposing view, and that you have chosen your stand because it is BETTER, not because you believe it to be the only argument that is true.

3. A good overview of arguments

Like a good menu for a restaurant, your introduction must establish expectations and clearly state what you are offering your reader right from the start.

Nobody likes to be blindly led from one argument to the next, without knowing what direction they are going in or what 'surprises' are in store.

In order to allow your examiner to grade you effectively, set clear expectations. From the start, lay out all the arguments you intend to address. As they read on, they will then know what to look out for and how to evaluate your answer better.

4. Great vocabulary

At the end of the day, GP is a language paper. Many students get so stressed out and preoccupied with memorising examples and following formats, that they forget to write with enjoyment and persuasion.

Your examiner is human after all. They are not immune to the reading pleasure of a well-crafted, interesting argument. Going a step further to weave in literary references to famous works or mythology, as well as using figurative phrasing and less commonly-heard words and phrases, will help you grab their attention and appreciation. This will extraordinarily boost your language score.

Let me show you what I mean, using this step-by-step method:

1. General context.

2. Specific context.

3. It is undeniable that.. Opposing Argument 1 (OA).

4. However, Your stand

5. because Supporting Argument 1 (SA1) and because Supporting Argument 2 (SA2).

‘The mass media is to be blamed for perpetuating stereotypes.’ Do you agree?

General context: The mass media

Specific context: Is the mass media really responsible for reinforcing and spreading stereotypes that may be harmful? (*Note, 'blame' has a negative connotation. It would thus be reasonable to assume that stereotypes in this case are harmful.)

Stand: Agree to a large extent

OA: No, because increasingly, it corrects stereotypes and spreads empowering messages in society.

SA1: However, it has a long and undeniable history of playing a major role in entrenching gender stereotypes.

SA2: Additionally, it also has a significant hand in creating harmful racial bias in society.

​ Full introduction:

The mass media is a powerful and omnipresent entity, capable of communicating ideas and messages that captivate billions on an unprecedented scale in real-time. Yet, can this powerful medium really be held accountable for reinforcing and spreading stereotypes that may be harmful to society? It is undeniable that in the current epoch, traditional and new media are both beginning to correct stereotypes and spread empowering messages more and more. However , I would agree to a large extent that the mass media is still to be blamed for perpetuating stereotypes because it has a long and undeniable history of playing a major role in entrenching gender stereotypes, as well as because it has a significant hand in creating harmful racial bias in society.

Voila! These steps will help make your essay planning and writing remarkably easy and effective. Writing an introduction paragraph never needs to be painful again!