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How to Write an Essay Introduction | 4 Steps & Examples

Published on February 4, 2019 by Shona McCombes . Revised on July 23, 2023.

A good introduction paragraph is an essential part of any academic essay . It sets up your argument and tells the reader what to expect.

The main goals of an introduction are to:

• Catch your reader’s attention.
• Give background on your topic.
• Present your thesis statement —the central point of your essay.

This introduction example is taken from our interactive essay example on the history of Braille.

The invention of Braille was a major turning point in the history of disability. The writing system of raised dots used by visually impaired people was developed by Louis Braille in nineteenth-century France. In a society that did not value disabled people in general, blindness was particularly stigmatized, and lack of access to reading and writing was a significant barrier to social participation. The idea of tactile reading was not entirely new, but existing methods based on sighted systems were difficult to learn and use. As the first writing system designed for blind people’s needs, Braille was a groundbreaking new accessibility tool. It not only provided practical benefits, but also helped change the cultural status of blindness. This essay begins by discussing the situation of blind people in nineteenth-century Europe. It then describes the invention of Braille and the gradual process of its acceptance within blind education. Subsequently, it explores the wide-ranging effects of this invention on blind people’s social and cultural lives.

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Table of contents

Step 1: hook your reader, step 2: give background information, step 3: present your thesis statement, step 4: map your essay’s structure, step 5: check and revise, more examples of essay introductions, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about the essay introduction.

Your first sentence sets the tone for the whole essay, so spend some time on writing an effective hook.

Avoid long, dense sentences—start with something clear, concise and catchy that will spark your reader’s curiosity.

The hook should lead the reader into your essay, giving a sense of the topic you’re writing about and why it’s interesting. Avoid overly broad claims or plain statements of fact.

Examples: Writing a good hook

Take a look at these examples of weak hooks and learn how to improve them.

• Braille was an extremely important invention.
• The invention of Braille was a major turning point in the history of disability.

The first sentence is a dry fact; the second sentence is more interesting, making a bold claim about exactly  why the topic is important.

• The internet is defined as “a global computer network providing a variety of information and communication facilities.”
• The spread of the internet has had a world-changing effect, not least on the world of education.

Avoid using a dictionary definition as your hook, especially if it’s an obvious term that everyone knows. The improved example here is still broad, but it gives us a much clearer sense of what the essay will be about.

• Mary Shelley’s  Frankenstein is a famous book from the nineteenth century.
• Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is often read as a crude cautionary tale about the dangers of scientific advancement.

Instead of just stating a fact that the reader already knows, the improved hook here tells us about the mainstream interpretation of the book, implying that this essay will offer a different interpretation.

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Next, give your reader the context they need to understand your topic and argument. Depending on the subject of your essay, this might include:

• Historical, geographical, or social context
• An outline of the debate you’re addressing
• A summary of relevant theories or research about the topic
• Definitions of key terms

The information here should be broad but clearly focused and relevant to your argument. Don’t give too much detail—you can mention points that you will return to later, but save your evidence and interpretation for the main body of the essay.

How much space you need for background depends on your topic and the scope of your essay. In our Braille example, we take a few sentences to introduce the topic and sketch the social context that the essay will address:

Now it’s time to narrow your focus and show exactly what you want to say about the topic. This is your thesis statement —a sentence or two that sums up your overall argument.

This is the most important part of your introduction. A  good thesis isn’t just a statement of fact, but a claim that requires evidence and explanation.

The goal is to clearly convey your own position in a debate or your central point about a topic.

Particularly in longer essays, it’s helpful to end the introduction by signposting what will be covered in each part. Keep it concise and give your reader a clear sense of the direction your argument will take.

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As you research and write, your argument might change focus or direction as you learn more.

For this reason, it’s often a good idea to wait until later in the writing process before you write the introduction paragraph—it can even be the very last thing you write.

When you’ve finished writing the essay body and conclusion , you should return to the introduction and check that it matches the content of the essay.

It’s especially important to make sure your thesis statement accurately represents what you do in the essay. If your argument has gone in a different direction than planned, tweak your thesis statement to match what you actually say.

To polish your writing, you can use something like a paraphrasing tool .

You can use the checklist below to make sure your introduction does everything it’s supposed to.

Checklist: Essay introduction

My first sentence is engaging and relevant.

I have introduced the topic with necessary background information.

I have defined any important terms.

My thesis statement clearly presents my main point or argument.

Everything in the introduction is relevant to the main body of the essay.

You have a strong introduction - now make sure the rest of your essay is just as good.

• Argumentative
• Literary analysis

This introduction to an argumentative essay sets up the debate about the internet and education, and then clearly states the position the essay will argue for.

The spread of the internet has had a world-changing effect, not least on the world of education. The use of the internet in academic contexts is on the rise, and its role in learning is hotly debated. For many teachers who did not grow up with this technology, its effects seem alarming and potentially harmful. This concern, while understandable, is misguided. The negatives of internet use are outweighed by its critical benefits for students and educators—as a uniquely comprehensive and accessible information source; a means of exposure to and engagement with different perspectives; and a highly flexible learning environment.

This introduction to a short expository essay leads into the topic (the invention of the printing press) and states the main point the essay will explain (the effect of this invention on European society).

In many ways, the invention of the printing press marked the end of the Middle Ages. The medieval period in Europe is often remembered as a time of intellectual and political stagnation. Prior to the Renaissance, the average person had very limited access to books and was unlikely to be literate. The invention of the printing press in the 15th century allowed for much less restricted circulation of information in Europe, paving the way for the Reformation.

This introduction to a literary analysis essay , about Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein , starts by describing a simplistic popular view of the story, and then states how the author will give a more complex analysis of the text’s literary devices.

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is often read as a crude cautionary tale. Arguably the first science fiction novel, its plot can be read as a warning about the dangers of scientific advancement unrestrained by ethical considerations. In this reading, and in popular culture representations of the character as a “mad scientist”, Victor Frankenstein represents the callous, arrogant ambition of modern science. However, far from providing a stable image of the character, Shelley uses shifting narrative perspectives to gradually transform our impression of Frankenstein, portraying him in an increasingly negative light as the novel goes on. While he initially appears to be a naive but sympathetic idealist, after the creature’s narrative Frankenstein begins to resemble—even in his own telling—the thoughtlessly cruel figure the creature represents him as.

If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

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Your essay introduction should include three main things, in this order:

• An opening hook to catch the reader’s attention.
• Relevant background information that the reader needs to know.
• A thesis statement that presents your main point or argument.

The length of each part depends on the length and complexity of your essay .

The “hook” is the first sentence of your essay introduction . It should lead the reader into your essay, giving a sense of why it’s interesting.

To write a good hook, avoid overly broad statements or long, dense sentences. Try to start with something clear, concise and catchy that will spark your reader’s curiosity.

A thesis statement is a sentence that sums up the central point of your paper or essay . Everything else you write should relate to this key idea.

The thesis statement is essential in any academic essay or research paper for two main reasons:

• It gives your writing direction and focus.
• It gives the reader a concise summary of your main point.

Without a clear thesis statement, an essay can end up rambling and unfocused, leaving your reader unsure of exactly what you want to say.

The structure of an essay is divided into an introduction that presents your topic and thesis statement , a body containing your in-depth analysis and arguments, and a conclusion wrapping up your ideas.

The structure of the body is flexible, but you should always spend some time thinking about how you can organize your essay to best serve your ideas.

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Writing an introduction to an English Literature essay

Writing an introduction to a literature essay can be a daunting task. You don't want to duplicate the comments you will be making elsewhere in your essay and you don't want to merely copy down the question in a slightly different format. So what should a good introduction do, and what does this look like?

An introduction to an essay should:

• address the question - what have you understood the question to be asking you, and how will you tackle this topic? This may require you to define your terms;
• introduce your argument - most exam questions give you a really broad topic; the best essays - and therefore introductions - will focus on a narrowed down aspect of this topic;
• be explanatory - no analysis is needed here;
• include any contextual links - if you intend to talk about context in your essay, you should know what elements you will discuss before you start writing, and therefore should be able to include them in your introduction. 

Below are four example introductions that respond to a range of past papers from EDUQAS and AQA   (sources at bottom of page) .

1 - EDUQAS - Romeo and Juliet - ‘Write about Tybalt and how he is presented at different points in the play.’

Thought process: Tybalt is a fiery character. He dies in act 3, scene 1. He is generally the catalyst for the violence in the play. Even Capulet seems to think Tybalt is too keen for violence. The tragic outcome of the entire plot is arguably as a result of Tybalt's actions. Juliet thinks she sees his ghost in the family tomb - it is as if he is inviting her to death. He is the most destructive character.

Introduction: Throughout  Romeo and Juliet,  the character of Tybalt serves one core function: he is the catalyst for the violence in the play and ultimately for the tragic ending. Even in death, Tybalt's character operates as a mechanism for moving the plot - and tragedy - forward, as it is Paris' recognition of Romeo as Tybalt's murderer that leads to his confrontation, and the Capulets believe that Juliet died as a result of mourning Tybalt's loss, so the anger, tension and violence therefore continue through to the end. Anecdotally, Tybalt serves as a reminder to modern audiences of the commonplace nature of street fighting in the Elizabethan era. More importantly, through Tybalt, Shakespeare explores the importance and impacts of family loyalty.

2 - EDUQAS - Macbeth - ‘Read the extract on the opposite page. Then answer the following question: Look at how Macbeth and Lady Macbeth speak and behave here. How do you think an audience might respond to this part of the play? Refer closely to details from the extract to support your answer.’

Thought process:   Lady Macbeth has vastly longer turns than Macbeth suggesting she has the power in this exchange. Macbeth goes from using exclamations to questions to statements, suggesting his thoughts are unstable but that by listening to his wife he has calmed down and found the resolve to kill King Duncan again - also implies he was in control to begin with, but the power dynamic has shifted in her favour. This extract perhaps shows Lady Macbeth at her most persuasive. She guilt trips and emasculates Macbeth. References to children very subtly suggest a tenderness in their relationship and perhaps hints at a deceased child or inability to have children - this is an unexpectedly emotive contrast to the aggressive imagery of death.

Introduction:  This extract is pivotal in the plot of  Macbeth as it not only secures Lady Macbeth as a powerful and dominant character, but it shows the moment at which Macbeth resolves to murder King Duncan. Whilst a Jacobean audience may have been surprised by Lady Macbeth's more masculine behaviours in this extract, a modern audience would be more likely to admire her strength. Regardless of context, audiences are likely to see this exchange as a pivotal moment in the play, in which Macbeth transitions from merely ambitious to truly evil. 

3 - AQA -  An Inspector Calls - ‘How far does Priestley present Mrs Birling as an unlikeable character?’

Thought process: Mrs Birling is perhaps the least likeable character. Mr Birling is unpleasant because he is judgmental, selfish and pompous; Mrs Birling is somehow worse as she behaves in a superior manner to Mr Birling. Because she is upper class, she acts as if she is above everything, including every other character in the play. She is condescending, lacks compassion, and refuses to acknowledge any responsibility for the impact of her actions. When she condemns the 'young man' that made Eva Smith pregnant, the dramatic irony is painfully pleasurable for the audience as we know she is talking about her son, but she doesn't. 

Introduction: Throughout  An Inspector Calls , Mrs Birling is presented as one of the least likeable characters as she is condescending, lacks compassion and refuses to take responsibility for her actions. Priestly may well have characterised her in such a way as her character is inextricably linked to the wealth and attitudes of the upper class of the time, and therefore by presenting her in this way, Priestly is openly making a criticism of the behaviour of this group of people. 

4 - AQA -  Blood Brothers - ‘What kind of mother does Russell show Mrs Johnstone to be in Blood Brothers?’

Thought process: Mrs Johnstone is ruined by the politics and class system of 1980s Britain. She cares about her children and does the best she can for them. She is helpless in some ways which is why she succumbs to Mrs Lyon's suggestion that she takes one of the twins. The relationship between these two women epitomises the ways in which the working classes were exploited by wealthier classes during this time - payday loans are just one example of how this is still happening now. Mrs Johnstone is almost like the working class 'every woman' - she is easy to sympathise with because she tries her best but things still go wrong. She is trapped in a system that will always put her at a loss. 

Introduction: Russell consistently presents Mrs Johnstone as a woman trapped in an oppressive class system in which she is destined to fail. From the beginning of the play we see how she is exploited by wealthier characters and unfair political systems, and by the end we understand how devastating these impacts can be. By using the moment of the twins' death and Mrs Johnston's reaction to this at the opening and ending of the play, Russell uses Mrs Johnston as an emblem for the working classes; no matter the choices you make, how much you care, how hard you try, as a working class woman in 1980s Britain, you will fail. The cyclical nature of Mrs Johnston's story exemplifies that the political state of things at the time Russell was writing was repeatedly damaging a large section of society. The character of Mrs Johnson is one who demands an audience's sympathy and in turn, sympathy for the working classes is demanded of the audience too. 

Eduqas GCSE English Literature:

• ‘Write about Tybalt and how he is presented at different points in the play.’
• ‘Read the extract on the opposite page. Then answer the following question: Look at how Macbeth and Lady Macbeth speak and behave here. How do you think an audience might respond to this part of the play? Refer closely to details from the extract to support your answer.’

Both: https://revisionworld.com/sites/revisionworld.com/files/imce/s18-5720-01.pdf

AQA   GCSE English Literature:

• ‘How far does Priestley present Mrs Birling as an unlikeable character?’
• ‘What kind of mother does Russell show Mrs Johnstone to be in Blood Brothers?’

Both: https://filestore.aqa.org.uk/sample-papers-and-mark-schemes/2017/june/AQA-87022-QP-JUN17.PDF

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How to Write a Good English Literature Essay

By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)

How do you write a good English Literature essay? Although to an extent this depends on the particular subject you’re writing about, and on the nature of the question your essay is attempting to answer, there are a few general guidelines for how to write a convincing essay – just as there are a few guidelines for writing well in any field.

We at Interesting Literature  call them ‘guidelines’ because we hesitate to use the word ‘rules’, which seems too programmatic. And as the writing habits of successful authors demonstrate, there is no  one way to become a good writer – of essays, novels, poems, or whatever it is you’re setting out to write. The French writer Colette liked to begin her writing day by picking the fleas off her cat.

Edith Sitwell, by all accounts, liked to lie in an open coffin before she began her day’s writing. Friedrich von Schiller kept rotten apples in his desk, claiming he needed the scent of their decay to help him write. (For most student essay-writers, such an aroma is probably allowed to arise in the writing-room more organically, over time.)

We will address our suggestions for successful essay-writing to the average student of English Literature, whether at university or school level. There are many ways to approach the task of essay-writing, and these are just a few pointers for how to write a better English essay – and some of these pointers may also work for other disciplines and subjects, too.

Of course, these guidelines are designed to be of interest to the non-essay-writer too – people who have an interest in the craft of writing in general. If this describes you, we hope you enjoy the list as well. Remember, though, everyone can find writing difficult: as Thomas Mann memorably put it, ‘A writer is someone for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people.’ Nora Ephron was briefer: ‘I think the hardest thing about writing is writing.’ So, the guidelines for successful essay-writing:

1. Planning is important, but don’t spend too long perfecting a structure that might end up changing.

This may seem like odd advice to kick off with, but the truth is that different approaches work for different students and essayists. You need to find out which method works best for you.

It’s not a bad idea, regardless of whether you’re a big planner or not, to sketch out perhaps a few points on a sheet of paper before you start, but don’t be surprised if you end up moving away from it slightly – or considerably – when you start to write.

Often the most extensively planned essays are the most mechanistic and dull in execution, precisely because the writer has drawn up a plan and refused to deviate from it. What  is a more valuable skill is to be able to sense when your argument may be starting to go off-topic, or your point is getting out of hand,  as you write . (For help on this, see point 5 below.)

We might even say that when it comes to knowing how to write a good English Literature essay,  practising  is more important than planning.

2. Make room for close analysis of the text, or texts.

Whilst it’s true that some first-class or A-grade essays will be impressive without containing any close reading as such, most of the highest-scoring and most sophisticated essays tend to zoom in on the text and examine its language and imagery closely in the course of the argument. (Close reading of literary texts arises from theology and the analysis of holy scripture, but really became a ‘thing’ in literary criticism in the early twentieth century, when T. S. Eliot, F. R. Leavis, William Empson, and other influential essayists started to subject the poem or novel to close scrutiny.)

Close reading has two distinct advantages: it increases the specificity of your argument (so you can’t be so easily accused of generalising a point), and it improves your chances of pointing up something about the text which none of the other essays your marker is reading will have said. For instance, take In Memoriam  (1850), which is a long Victorian poem by the poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson about his grief following the death of his close friend, Arthur Hallam, in the early 1830s.

When answering a question about the representation of religious faith in Tennyson’s poem  In Memoriam  (1850), how might you write a particularly brilliant essay about this theme? Anyone can make a general point about the poet’s crisis of faith; but to look closely at the language used gives you the chance to show  how the poet portrays this.

For instance, consider this stanza, which conveys the poet’s doubt:

A solid and perfectly competent essay might cite this stanza in support of the claim that Tennyson is finding it increasingly difficult to have faith in God (following the untimely and senseless death of his friend, Arthur Hallam). But there are several ways of then doing something more with it. For instance, you might get close to the poem’s imagery, and show how Tennyson conveys this idea, through the image of the ‘altar-stairs’ associated with religious worship and the idea of the stairs leading ‘thro’ darkness’ towards God.

In other words, Tennyson sees faith as a matter of groping through the darkness, trusting in God without having evidence that he is there. If you like, it’s a matter of ‘blind faith’. That would be a good reading. Now, here’s how to make a good English essay on this subject even better: one might look at how the word ‘falter’ – which encapsulates Tennyson’s stumbling faith – disperses into ‘falling’ and ‘altar’ in the succeeding lines. The word ‘falter’, we might say, itself falters or falls apart.

That is doing more than just interpreting the words: it’s being a highly careful reader of the poetry and showing how attentive to the language of the poetry you can be – all the while answering the question, about how the poem portrays the idea of faith. So, read and then reread the text you’re writing about – and be sensitive to such nuances of language and style.

The best way to  become attuned to such nuances is revealed in point 5. We might summarise this point as follows: when it comes to knowing how to write a persuasive English Literature essay, it’s one thing to have a broad and overarching argument, but don’t be afraid to use the  microscope as well as the telescope.

3. Provide several pieces of evidence where possible.

Many essays have a point to make and make it, tacking on a single piece of evidence from the text (or from beyond the text, e.g. a critical, historical, or biographical source) in the hope that this will be enough to make the point convincing.

‘State, quote, explain’ is the Holy Trinity of the Paragraph for many. What’s wrong with it? For one thing, this approach is too formulaic and basic for many arguments. Is one quotation enough to support a point? It’s often a matter of degree, and although one piece of evidence is better than none, two or three pieces will be even more persuasive.

After all, in a court of law a single eyewitness account won’t be enough to convict the accused of the crime, and even a confession from the accused would carry more weight if it comes supported by other, objective evidence (e.g. DNA, fingerprints, and so on).

Let’s go back to the example about Tennyson’s faith in his poem  In Memoriam  mentioned above. Perhaps you don’t find the end of the poem convincing – when the poet claims to have rediscovered his Christian faith and to have overcome his grief at the loss of his friend.

You can find examples from the end of the poem to suggest your reading of the poet’s insincerity may have validity, but looking at sources beyond the poem – e.g. a good edition of the text, which will contain biographical and critical information – may help you to find a clinching piece of evidence to support your reading.

And, sure enough, Tennyson is reported to have said of  In Memoriam : ‘It’s too hopeful, this poem, more than I am myself.’ And there we have it: much more convincing than simply positing your reading of the poem with a few ambiguous quotations from the poem itself.

Of course, this rule also works in reverse: if you want to argue, for instance, that T. S. Eliot’s  The Waste Land is overwhelmingly inspired by the poet’s unhappy marriage to his first wife, then using a decent biographical source makes sense – but if you didn’t show evidence for this idea from the poem itself (see point 2), all you’ve got is a vague, general link between the poet’s life and his work.

Show  how the poet’s marriage is reflected in the work, e.g. through men and women’s relationships throughout the poem being shown as empty, soulless, and unhappy. In other words, when setting out to write a good English essay about any text, don’t be afraid to  pile on  the evidence – though be sensible, a handful of quotations or examples should be more than enough to make your point convincing.

4. Avoid tentative or speculative phrasing.

Many essays tend to suffer from the above problem of a lack of evidence, so the point fails to convince. This has a knock-on effect: often the student making the point doesn’t sound especially convinced by it either. This leaks out in the telling use of, and reliance on, certain uncertain  phrases: ‘Tennyson might have’ or ‘perhaps Harper Lee wrote this to portray’ or ‘it can be argued that’.

An English university professor used to write in the margins of an essay which used this last phrase, ‘What  can’t be argued?’

This is a fair criticism: anything can be argued (badly), but it depends on what evidence you can bring to bear on it (point 3) as to whether it will be a persuasive argument. (Arguing that the plays of Shakespeare were written by a Martian who came down to Earth and ingratiated himself with the world of Elizabethan theatre is a theory that can be argued, though few would take it seriously. We wish we could say ‘none’, but that’s a story for another day.)

Many essay-writers, because they’re aware that texts are often open-ended and invite multiple interpretations (as almost all great works of literature invariably do), think that writing ‘it can be argued’ acknowledges the text’s rich layering of meaning and is therefore valid.

Whilst this is certainly a fact – texts are open-ended and can be read in wildly different ways – the phrase ‘it can be argued’ is best used sparingly if at all. It should be taken as true that your interpretation is, at bottom, probably unprovable. What would it mean to ‘prove’ a reading as correct, anyway? Because you found evidence that the author intended the same thing as you’ve argued of their text? Tennyson wrote in a letter, ‘I wrote In Memoriam  because…’?

But the author might have lied about it (e.g. in an attempt to dissuade people from looking too much into their private life), or they might have changed their mind (to go back to the example of  The Waste Land : T. S. Eliot championed the idea of poetic impersonality in an essay of 1919, but years later he described  The Waste Land as ‘only the relief of a personal and wholly insignificant grouse against life’ – hardly impersonal, then).

Texts – and their writers – can often be contradictory, or cagey about their meaning. But we as critics have to act responsibly when writing about literary texts in any good English essay or exam answer. We need to argue honestly, and sincerely – and not use what Wikipedia calls ‘weasel words’ or hedging expressions.

So, if nothing is utterly provable, all that remains is to make the strongest possible case you can with the evidence available. You do this, not only through marshalling the evidence in an effective way, but by writing in a confident voice when making your case. Fundamentally, ‘There is evidence to suggest that’ says more or less the same thing as ‘It can be argued’, but it foregrounds the  evidence rather than the argument, so is preferable as a phrase.

This point might be summarised by saying: the best way to write a good English Literature essay is to be honest about the reading you’re putting forward, so you can be confident in your interpretation and use clear, bold language. (‘Bold’ is good, but don’t get too cocky, of course…)

5. Read the work of other critics.

This might be viewed as the Holy Grail of good essay-writing tips, since it is perhaps the single most effective way to improve your own writing. Even if you’re writing an essay as part of school coursework rather than a university degree, and don’t need to research other critics for your essay, it’s worth finding a good writer of literary criticism and reading their work. Why is this worth doing?

Published criticism has at least one thing in its favour, at least if it’s published by an academic press or has appeared in an academic journal, and that is that it’s most probably been peer-reviewed, meaning that other academics have read it, closely studied its argument, checked it for errors or inaccuracies, and helped to ensure that it is expressed in a fluent, clear, and effective way.

If you’re serious about finding out how to write a better English essay, then you need to study how successful writers in the genre do it. And essay-writing is a genre, the same as novel-writing or poetry. But why will reading criticism help you? Because the critics you read can show you how to do all of the above: how to present a close reading of a poem, how to advance an argument that is not speculative or tentative yet not over-confident, how to use evidence from the text to make your argument more persuasive.

And, the more you read of other critics – a page a night, say, over a few months – the better you’ll get. It’s like textual osmosis: a little bit of their style will rub off on you, and every writer learns by the examples of other writers.

As T. S. Eliot himself said, ‘The poem which is absolutely original is absolutely bad.’ Don’t get precious about your own distinctive writing style and become afraid you’ll lose it. You can’t  gain a truly original style before you’ve looked at other people’s and worked out what you like and what you can ‘steal’ for your own ends.

We say ‘steal’, but this is not the same as saying that plagiarism is okay, of course. But consider this example. You read an accessible book on Shakespeare’s language and the author makes a point about rhymes in Shakespeare. When you’re working on your essay on the poetry of Christina Rossetti, you notice a similar use of rhyme, and remember the point made by the Shakespeare critic.

This is not plagiarising a point but applying it independently to another writer. It shows independent interpretive skills and an ability to understand and apply what you have read. This is another of the advantages of reading critics, so this would be our final piece of advice for learning how to write a good English essay: find a critic whose style you like, and study their craft.

If you’re looking for suggestions, we can recommend a few favourites: Christopher Ricks, whose  The Force of Poetry is a tour de force; Jonathan Bate, whose  The Genius of Shakespeare , although written for a general rather than academic audience, is written by a leading Shakespeare scholar and academic; and Helen Gardner, whose  The Art of T. S. Eliot , whilst dated (it came out in 1949), is a wonderfully lucid and articulate analysis of Eliot’s poetry.

James Wood’s How Fiction Works  is also a fine example of lucid prose and how to close-read literary texts. Doubtless readers of  Interesting Literature will have their own favourites to suggest in the comments, so do check those out, as these are just three personal favourites. What’s your favourite work of literary scholarship/criticism? Suggestions please.

Much of all this may strike you as common sense, but even the most commonsensical advice can go out of your mind when you have a piece of coursework to write, or an exam to revise for. We hope these suggestions help to remind you of some of the key tenets of good essay-writing practice – though remember, these aren’t so much commandments as recommendations. No one can ‘tell’ you how to write a good English Literature essay as such.

But it can be learned. And remember, be interesting – find the things in the poems or plays or novels which really ignite your enthusiasm. As John Mortimer said, ‘The only rule I have found to have any validity in writing is not to bore yourself.’

Finally, good luck – and happy writing!

And if you enjoyed these tips for how to write a persuasive English essay, check out our advice for how to remember things for exams  and our tips for becoming a better close reader of poetry .

30 thoughts on “How to Write a Good English Literature Essay”

You must have taken AP Literature. I’m always saying these same points to my students.

I also think a crucial part of excellent essay writing that too many students do not realize is that not every point or interpretation needs to be addressed. When offered the chance to write your interpretation of a work of literature, it is important to note that there of course are many but your essay should choose one and focus evidence on this one view rather than attempting to include all views and evidence to back up each view.

Reblogged this on SocioTech'nowledge .

Not a bad effort…not at all! (Did you intend “subject” instead of “object” in numbered paragraph two, line seven?”

Oops! I did indeed – many thanks for spotting. Duly corrected ;)

That’s what comes of writing about philosophy and the subject/object for another post at the same time!

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Great post on essay writing! I’ve shared a post about this and about the blog site in general which you can look at here: http://writeoutloudblog.com/2015/01/13/recommended-resource-interesting-literature-com-how-to-write-an-essay/

All of these are very good points – especially I like 2 and 5. I’d like to read the essay on the Martian who wrote Shakespeare’s plays).

Reblogged this on Uniqely Mustered and commented: Dedicate this to all upcoming writers and lovers of Writing!

I shall take this as my New Year boost in Writing Essays. Please try to visit often for corrections,advise and criticisms.

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All very good points, but numbers 2 and 4 are especially interesting.

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Great post. Interesting infographic how to write an argumentative essay http://www.essay-profy.com/blog/how-to-write-an-essay-writing-an-argumentative-essay/

Reblogged this on DISTINCT CHARACTER and commented: Good Tips

Reblogged this on quirkywritingcorner and commented: This could be applied to novel or short story writing as well.

Reblogged this on rosetech67 and commented: Useful, albeit maybe a bit late for me :-)

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such a nice pieace of content you shared in this write up about “How to Write a Good English Essay” going to share on another useful resource that is

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A well rounded summary on all steps to keep in mind while starting on writing. There are many new avenues available though. Benefit from the writing options of the 21st century from here, i loved it! http://authenticwritingservices.com

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Perfecting The Introduction: How to Write Every GCSE English Literature Introduction

If you enjoy this blog post, then you’ll love my new book Experiencing English Literature . With dedicated chapters on teaching novels, plays and poetry as well as teaching generative writing, sentence-stems and essay structure, it is filled with actionable strategies ready for the classroom.

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I like to spend a lot of time explicitly teaching, modelling, and rehearsing with students finely crafted introductions. I do this for each of the questions we face as part of AQA GCSE English Literature. By the time of the exam, students should be able to produce a really precise and confident introduction for any question they are asked, which then sets up the rest of the essay. But their ability to do this is the product of a lot of guidance and explicit instruction.

In this post, I’ll take you through each of these introductions, what they look like, and how they work. But, first, a question: Why place such a high premium on writing essay introductions?

Why Focus on Introductions?

1. Introductions create the argumentative groove for the whole essay. As such, they are vital. Here’s how I explain this to students. I ask them to imagine writing an essay is like bowling (bear with me). We want to release the ball with precision and force. It should carry itself along a planned trajectory, not deviating from this track. As it rolls, it should gather momentum until, with a satisfying thwack, it smashes into the pins. If we release too early or if we release in a clumsy fashion, none of this will happen. The ball will skittle off into the gutter. Our introduction is that moment of releasing the ball and if we get it just right then the ball will hurtle towards a strike. The argument we craft is the route that the ball takes, always deliberate, carrying itself to exactly where we want it to land. The introduction, I say, is the crucial moment that determines the future success of our essay before we have even written it.

2. Getting the introduction right with lots of modelling and scaffolding also serves, I’ve found, a psychological function. Exams, understandably, can be very stressful experiences. Getting into the ‘zone’ if you are already stressed can be even more difficult. I’ve found those first 5 minutes of any new essay to be absolutely central to settling students into the rhythm of the exam. Once they start writing often everything becomes a lot easier. So, helping students to take care of that first 5 minutes of writing (in other words the introduction) can have a significant benefit to the rest of the essay. My aim is for each student to have a clear and well-rehearsed schematic for how to approach the introduction for each question so that those first 5 minutes of writing are as seamless and easy as possible. But, of course getting to that point doesn’t happen by accident or automatically.

3. Finally, there is another psychological benefit, but this time to the examiner. A typical examiner might have 300 scripts to mark in one examination cycle, which, if AQA, means 600 essays for Paper 1 or, if Paper 2, 900 essays. That’s a lot of essays! As such, they are incentivised to mark quickly. The introduction of any essay is going to shape their initial view of the kind of essay they are reading. Of course, they’ll continue to read and form a judgement about the whole piece, but, nonetheless, the introduction is going to help to establish an anticipated horizon of likelihood. If the introduction is amazing an assumption will be made they are reading a good essay. The rest of the essay now just needs to justify that first impression. However, if it’s a bad introduction the rest of the essay has a uphill battle of dislodging the first impression. Up hill is harder than down hill. We want down hill. We want the examiner to arrive at the end of the introduction thinking this is an excellent essay and then the essay can flow forwards from that initial presumption.

So there we have it: why spending time really rehearsing the introduction can pay dividends. But, what do they actually look like?

An Inspector Calls or The Modern Text

For this question, I follow a tripartite structure that looks like this:

1. All the characters are constructs that serve a function

2. How so, related to the question?

3. The text warns/challenges/subverts/attacks/critiques, as relevant to the question

I’ve yet to find a question where this basic structure doesn’t work perfectly.

Here’s an example:

How does Priestley explore the importance of social class in An Inspector Calls?

When considering the ways in which Priestley explores the importance of social class in An Inspector Calls, it is important first of all to stress all characters within the play are dramatic vehicles, representing the damage entranced social divisions can bring about. Mrs Birling, for example, is used to represents the kind of heinous class prejudice that might have been typical of Edwardian society whilst the Inspector, Priestley’s mouthpiece, embodies an emphatic rejection of this mentality. In this, Priestley seeks to pit one ideology against another, underlining the urgent need for equity and the dismantling of social barriers.

Whilst, as we’ll see in a moment, I do have other basic structures for the other questions, this one can also be used for most of the other questions, or at least the Shakespeare play and the nineteenth-century novel. It offers a really flexible and robust opening to any essay and can be pretty much endlessly recycled.

The Anthology Poetry

Again, we follow a tripartite structure, which looks like this:

1. Specify the chosen poem

2. Thematic similarity

3. Thematic difference

This is very straightforward but works excellently: name the second poem and then bring them together to offer one point of thematic similarity and one point of thematic difference.

Compare how poets present attitudes towards a broken relationship in Neutral Tones and one other poem

When considering how Hardy presents a broken relationship in Neutral Tones one also immediately think of Sheers’ Winter Swans. Both poems depict the deep pain that a broken relationship can cause, reflecting on the difficulties and emotional hardship this can create. However, whilst Hardy’s poem maintains a bitter tone throughout, Sheers concludes his with a sense of reconciliation, suggesting a broken relationship can be overcome.

The key thing here, I feel is to include no language analysis and to maintain a purely thematic overview. This instantly places the essay in the realm of the conceptual, offering an idea or point of view that will then help to drive the analysis forward.

Unseen Poetry

This one is a little bit cheating to include, since it doesn’t, by design, really have an introduction. Or, rather the introduction is a single sentence beginning with ‘Thematically speaking…’.

Here’s what it looks like in answer to this question about Island Man, how does the poet present the speaker’s feelings about home:

Thematically speaking, the poet presents the speaker’s feelings about his home as a vehicle through which to explore the way in which it shapes one’s identity and its deep emotional significance.

For this question, I used to recommend to students they they just dive straight in with an analysis of the poem. However, what I noticied is that the ensuing analysis seemed unmoored. It didn’t have any thematic direction. So, I tried to fix this by asking students to begin by explicitly addressing in the opening sentence their conceptual stance in regards to the question. This then provides a cue for the analysis itself, helping to ensure it is pinned to a wider understanding of the text.

The ‘thematically speaking’ element doesn’t really need to be there to achieve this, but it offers a useful prompt to help remind students the point of their introductory sentence is to root their response and subsequent analysis within a consideration of bigger ideas. Like all good sentence stems, it helps to cue up the thinking that is about to take place.

Macbeth and the Nineteenth-Century Novel

I’ve included these in the same section because I use exactly the same format for both introductions, given they both involve responding to an extract.

First, it’s useful to understand how I ask students to think about this question more generally. I explain whatever extract they’re given will be in some manner an important moment in the play. We need to think about this moment not in isolation but as a kind of pivot onto which the wider play, in some fashion, balances. We might think about how events in the play lead up to this moment or how subsequent events develop. But, the extract becomes a way into the play as a whole.

Here’s a graphic representation of this same idea that I use with when explaining this:

With this in mind, I introduction I advocate follows this format:

1. Express that the given extract is a pivotal moment within the wider play

2. How so? Does it instigate a chain of events within the play or is it the culmination of a chain of events?

3. How is this chain of events relevant to the question being posed?

And, here’s an example from Macbeth:

When considering how Shakespeare presents the character of Macbeth as ambitious one recognises this extract is a pivotal moment in the play. This is largely because the scene is the culmination of a chain of events in which Macbeth has increasingly displayed his almost aggressive ambition, leading to the murder of Banquo. Here, Macbeth is responding to the sight of Banquo at the banquet, suggestive of the violent consequences of his ambition and how it will haunt him.

This is a great way not only to write an introduction but also, more broadly, to encourage students to think about the relationship between the extract and the wider text for this kind of question.

I should also add, though, that the AIC style introduction does still work very well for this question too. And so if, for whatever reason, we wanted to avoid the chain of events style introduction, students could very easily repurpose the AIC one with still excellent results.

I suppose for a post on the introduction I could just leave it there. Who cares about conclusions, anyway?! Well, there is maybe ever so slightly some truth to this. Realistically, in the midst of a time-pressured and tiring exam, the conclusion will naturally get less attention. It also suffers from the law of diminishing returns where, in all likelihood, your mark has been more or less decided before we arrive at the conclusion. It probably isn’t going to add much. So, I do definitely spend less time rehearsing the conclusion.

Still, like now, there needs to be something. As a personal stylistic quirk, I suggest students conclude with the word ‘fundamentally’ (probably to do with that satisfying thwack I’m hoping to see) and that they cycle back to the initial claim they made. This will usually involve some variance of reiterating what the text is doing, whether warning, celebrating, challenging, admonishing, and so on.

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2 thoughts on “ perfecting the introduction: how to write every gcse english literature introduction ”.

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thank you so much for making this it ha helped me so much your structure is incredible x

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• Literary Terms

Essay Introduction

I. what is an introduction.

An introduction is the opening of an essay. Its purpose is to inform your audience about the topic of your essay, and to state your opinion or stance (if any) about the stated topic. Your introduction is your essay’s ‘first impression’ on your audience, and as such, it is very important!

II. Examples of Introductions

This section provides three models of successful introductions. We will be using these models to provide examples of the parts of an introduction, which are defined in section III.

We all have had enough of environmental disasters. From oil spills to coal mine explosions, our use of fossil fuels has cost us and our natural world too much. Fortunately, many companies are turning to other energy sources. I support this trend whole-heartedly because I know that using solar, wind, or tidal power instead of fossil fuels means we will have a cleaner environment. However, I am concerned that people are putting too much hope in one of these sources: solar energy. The fact is, solar energy is too slow and too unpredictable to do what many people think it can do. After examining its drawbacks, I am sure you will agree that solar power is not the answer to our energy needs.

There I was, an ant among elephants, knowing I was about to be stepped on. It was August, 2015, and I was at my first day of high school football tryouts. I was a skinny freshman about to take my first run through a line of enormous varsity players. I knew I was small, but I was also fast and I like to win. The next two weeks were the hardest of my life, but when they were over every player on the team knew my name.

Choosing the right source of clean energy is essential for every large business in the 21 st century. Many companies are investing in other energy sources in order to minimize their impact on the environment. Investing in new sources of energy can cost millions of dollars; it is therefore essential that business owners choose the right kind of energy for their companies. Currently, the best choices are solar, wind, and tidal energy. In order to choose the best energy source, a company must compare the benefits and costs for each of these energy sources. Knowing the right source of energy means more money saved and less impact on the environment.

III. Parts of Introduction

Sometimes known as a ‘hook’ or a ‘lead’, the purpose of an opening is to get your reader’s interest and have them connect to the content of the essay. A strong opening may be surprising, vivid, or thought-provoking. It’s really important because it helps the audience decide whether they want to keep reading. In most cases, the more interesting or relatable the opening is, the more likely the rest of your essay will be read, so make it good!

Example 1 (model 1)

“We all have had enough of environmental disasters.”

This is a successful opening because it makes a statement that is easy for readers to connect to.

Example 2 (model 2)

“There I was, an ant among elephants, knowing I was about to be stepped on.”

This opening is effective because it creates a vivid image through use of a metaphor. By comparing himself to an ant, the narrator helps the audience imagine his experience, which also helps the audience connect to the essay.

b. Statement of topic

An essential job of the introduction is to identify the topic for the reader. The topic may be a single sentence or a clause in a larger sentence.

“Fortunately, many companies are turning to other energy sources.”

The topic here is clearly stated for the reader. The reader can expect to read more about companies switching to other energy sources.

“I was at my first day of high school football tryouts.”

This example lets the reader know that the topic of the narrative is the writer’s experience at football tryouts.

c. Thesis (opinion or stance)

The thesis is a statement that is supported or proven in the body of the essay. An introduction must include a thesis. It is often placed at the beginning or end of the introduction.

“I am sure you will agree that solar power is not the answer to our energy needs.”

The thesis statement here makes it clear that the writer is taking a stance against solar power. It is placed at the end of the introduction after the writer has given the audience “context” for the essay (explained below).

Example 2 (model 3)

“Choosing the right source of clean energy is essential for every large business in the 21 st century.”

This thesis lets the reader know that the author believes that businesses need to choose their sources of energy carefully. Placed at the beginning of the introduction, this thesis informs readers what the opinion is right from the start.

d. Context or purpose

An introduction needs to help the reader understand why the topic is important.  The introduction must give enough information for the audience to make a connection and create interest.

“From oil spills to coal mine explosions, our use of fossil fuels has cost us and our natural world too much. [. . . ] I know that using solar, wind, or tidal power instead of fossil fuels means we will have a cleaner environment.”

This introduction puts the topic of energy sources in the context of safety and environmental protection. Safety and environmental protection are interesting to most people, and something that connects to nearly everyone’s lives.

“In order to choose the best energy source, a company must compare the benefits and costs for each of these energy sources. Knowing the right source of energy means more money saved and less impact on the environment.”

The context in this introduction lets business owners know that the topic involves profit (money earned) and minimizing the effects or harm to the environment – two reasons for the audience to be interested in the essay.

e. Identification of Main Points

A detailed introduction will include information that helps the reader anticipate or predict the main ideas in the essay. This is often accomplished by listing subtopics, reasons, or evidence that will be explained in the body paragraphs.

Example (model 1)

“The fact is, solar energy is too slow and too unpredictable to do what many people think it can do.”

Based on this information in the introduction, the reader can expect the essay’s main points to discuss why solar energy is too slow and unpredictable.

Example (model 3)

“Currently, the best choices are solar, wind, and tidal energy.”

This example is a simple list that introduces three kinds of energy sources. Readers can expect to find details about these three main ideas in the body of the essay.

IV. How to Write an Introduction

Know your topic.

You must do adequate research before writing your introduction. Organize your thoughts until you have a detailed picture of what you want to write about. You need to know enough about your topic for you to define it clearly for your audience.

Set the tone

The tone of a piece sets how formal or informal it will be.

• If you are introducing formal writing (such as for academics, business, or law), the tone should be polite and unemotional. Information is the focus, not emotion. Careful attention to grammar and writing conventions is essential.
• On the other hand, If you are writing an introduction for an informal piece (such as for friends, a personal blog, or a journal entry), the tone will have more emotion. You may use fewer ‘fancy’ words, and choose slang or figures of speech instead.

The tone of an introduction also shows the kind of relationship between the writer and the reader. If the writer and the reader know each other personally, an informal tone works well. However, if the writer is not already on close terms with the reader, then an informal tone is best.

For example, model 3 has a formal tone. The introduction is focused on determining facts. In contrast, Model 1 has informal tone. The introduction focuses on the emotions of the author and the audience.

State your purpose and provide context

A strong introduction provides context and direction for the reader. It must include why you are writing about the topic, and what you are going to focus on. Provide information that tells the reader why the essay is important or interesting enough to read.

Take a clear point of view

An introduction must express the relationship between you (the writer) and the topic. You must state what you think, or how you feel about the topic. A clear introduction does this in a single sentence: the thesis. (See section III, part 3). It’s a good idea to put your thesis statement at either the beginning or the end of the introduction; readers tend to focus on these parts of a paragraph.

Lead the reader

Let the reader know what to expect in the body of your essay. State your main ideas in the introduction so that the reader can look for them in your following paragraphs. You may also encourage them to agree with your point of view.

List of Terms

• Alliteration
• Amplification
• Anachronism
• Anthropomorphism
• Antonomasia
• APA Citation
• Aposiopesis
• Autobiography
• Bildungsroman
• Characterization
• Circumlocution
• Cliffhanger
• Comic Relief
• Connotation
• Deus ex machina
• Deuteragonist
• Doppelganger
• Double Entendre
• Dramatic irony
• Equivocation
• Extended Metaphor
• Figures of Speech
• Flash-forward
• Foreshadowing
• Intertextuality
• Juxtaposition
• Literary Device
• Malapropism
• Onomatopoeia
• Parallelism
• Pathetic Fallacy
• Personification
• Point of View
• Polysyndeton
• Protagonist
• Red Herring
• Rhetorical Device
• Rhetorical Question
• Science Fiction
• Self-Fulfilling Prophecy
• Synesthesia
• Turning Point
• Understatement
• Urban Legend
• Verisimilitude
• Essay Guide
• Cite This Website

Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts

Introduction

Welcome to the Purdue OWL

This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice.

Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

This handout provides examples and description about writing papers in literature. It discusses research topics, how to begin to research, how to use information, and formatting.

What Makes a Good Literature Paper?

An argument.

When you write an extended literary essay, often one requiring research, you are essentially making an argument. You are arguing that your perspective-an interpretation, an evaluative judgment, or a critical evaluation-is a valid one.

A debatable thesis statement

Like any argument paper you have ever written for a first-year composition course, you must have a specific, detailed thesis statement that reveals your perspective, and, like any good argument, your perspective must be one which is debatable.

You would not want to make an argument of this sort:

Shakespeare's Hamlet is a play about a young man who seeks revenge. That doesn't say anything-it's basically just a summary and is hardly debatable.

A better thesis would be this:

Hamlet experiences internal conflict because he is in love with his mother. That is debatable, controversial even. The rest of a paper with this argument as its thesis will be an attempt to show, using specific examples from the text and evidence from scholars, (1) how Hamlet is in love with his mother, (2) why he's in love with her, and (3) what implications there are for reading the play in this manner.

You also want to avoid a thesis statement like this:

Spirituality means different things to different people. King Lear , The Book of Romans , and Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance each view the spirit differently. Again, that says nothing that's not already self-evident. Why bother writing a paper about that? You're not writing an essay to list works that have nothing in common other than a general topic like "spirituality." You want to find certain works or authors that, while they may have several differences, do have some specific, unifying point. That point is your thesis.

Lear , Romans , and Zen each view the soul as the center of human personality. Then you prove it, using examples from the texts that show that the soul is the center of personality.

How to Write an English Literature Essay?

In A-Level , GCSE by Think Student Editor August 26, 2022 Leave a Comment

Writing an English literature essay can be very stressful, especially if you have never had to write an essay for this subject before. The many steps and parts can be hard to understand, making the whole process feel overwhelming before you even start. As an English literature student, I have written many essays before, and remember how hard it felt at the start. However, I can assure you that this gets far easier with practice, and it even becomes fun! In this article, I will give you tips and tricks to write the best essay you can. As well as a simple step-by-step guide to writing one that will simplify the process.

Writing an English literature essay has 3 main parts: planning, writing and editing. Planning is the most important, as it allows you to clearly structure your essay so that it makes logical sense. After you have planned, write the essay, including an introduction, 3-4 main points/paragraphs, and a conclusion. Then check through the spelling and grammar of your essay to ensure it is readable and has hit all of your assessment objectives.

While this short explanation of the process should have given you an idea of how to write your essay, for key tips and tricks specific to English literature please read on!

Table of Contents

How to plan an English literature essay?

The most important thing in any English essay is the structure. The best way to get a logical and clear structure which flows throughout the essay is to plan before you start . A plan should include your thesis statement, 3-4 main paragraph points, key context and quotes to relate to.

A common way of structuring a plan is in the TIPE method. This involves planning each of your main points and sections on a few lines, in the structure of the main essay, making it easy to write out. Always highlight the key word in the question before you start planning, then also annotate any given extracts for ideas. If you have an extract, the main focus of your essay should be on that.

Planning should take around 10-15 minutes of your exam time for essay questions. This sounds like a lot, but it saves you time later on in writing, making it well worth the effort at the start of an exam.

Start each plan with a mind map of your key moments, quotes, context and ideas about the exam question theme, character, or statement. This helps you get all of your ideas down and figure out which are best. It also creates a bank to come back to later if you have extra time and want to write more.

Once you have created your mind map, find a thesis statement related to the question that you have 3-4 main points to support. It can be tempting to write lots of points, but remember, quality is always better than quantity in English Literature essays.

A useful method to help you plan is by creating a TIPE plan. With the following bullet points, you can now begin your own TIPE plan.

• Introduction
• Points – you should have 3-4 key paragraphs in your essay, including relevant quotes with analysis (and techniques the author is using) and context for each point
• Ending – conclusion

How to write an English literature essay introduction?

Depending on what level of literature essay you are writing, you will need different parts and depths of content . However, one thing that stays fairly consistent is the introduction. Introductions should hook the reader , literally “introducing” them to your essay and writing style, while also keeping them interested in reading on.

Some people find it difficult to write introductions, often because they have not already got into the feeling of the essay. For this, leaving space at the top of the page to write the introduction after you finish the rest of the essay is a great way to ensure your introduction is top quality. Writing essays out of order is ok, as long as you can still make them flow in a logical way.

The first line of any introduction should provide the focus for the whole essay. This is called a thesis statement and defines to the examiner exactly what you will “prove” throughout your essay, using quotes and other evidence. This thesis statement should always include the focus word from the question, linked to the view you will be arguing.

For example, “Throughout Macbeth, Power is presented by Shakespeare as a dangerously addictive quality.” This statement includes the play (or book/poem) title, the theme (or other element, such as the name of a character) stated in the question, and the focus (addiction to power). These qualities clearly show the examiner what to expect, as well as helping you structure your essay.

The rest of the introduction should include a brief note on some context related to the theme or character in question, as well as a very brief summary of your main paragraph points, of which there should be 3-4. This is unique to each essay and text and should be brief points that you elaborate on later.

How to structure an English literature essay?

As already discussed, the plan is the most important part of writing an English literature essay. However, once you start writing, the structure of your essay is key to a succinct and successful argument.

All essays should have an introduction with a thesis statement, 3-4 main points, and a conclusion.

The main part of your essay, and the most important, is the 3-4 main points you use to support your thesis. These should each form one paragraph, with an opening and a conclusion, almost like a mini essay within the main one. These paragraphs can be hard to structure, so many students choose to use the PETAL method.

PETAL paragraphs involve all of the key elements you need to get top marks in any English literature essay: Point, Evidence, Techniques, Analysis and Link.

The point should be the opening of the paragraph, stating what you are looking at within that section, related to your thesis, for example, “Shakespeare uses metaphors to show how the pursuit of power makes Macbeth obsessive and tyrannical”. Then, use a key moment in the play to illustrate the point, with a quote.

Choosing quotes is hard, but remember, quotes that are short and directly related to your thesis are best. Once you have chosen a quote, analyse it in relation to your point, then link to the question. You should also include some context and, at A-Level, different viewpoints or critics.

After these points, you should always include a conclusion. Restate your thesis, introduction and each point, but do not introduce new ideas. Explain and link these points by summarising them, then give your overall idea on the question.

If you have time, including a final sentence about wider social impacts or an overarching moral from the book is a good way to show a deep and relevant understanding of the text, impressing the examiner.

How to write an English literature essay for GCSE?

Marking for GCSE English Literature essays is done based on 4 assessment objectives. These are outlined in the table below. These are the same across all exam boards.

If you follow the structure outlined above, you should easily hit all of these AOs. The first two are the most important, and carry the most points in exams, however the others are what will bring your grade up to the best you can, so remember to include them too.

Context, or AO3, should be used whenever it is relevant to your argument. However, it is always better to include less context points on this than to try and add random bits everywhere, as this will break the flow of your essay, removing AO1 marks. For more information about the assessment objectives for GCSE English Literature, check out this governmental guide .

For more information on GCSEs, and whether you have to take English literature, please read this Think Student guide.

How do you write an English literature essay for A-Level?

Similarly, to GCSE, all A-Level papers are marked on a set of assessment objectives which are also set by Ofqual, so are the same for all exam boards. There are more than at GCSE, as A-Level essays must be in greater depth, and as such have more criteria to mark on. The table below shows the assessment objectives.

AO1 and AO2 are very similar to GCSE, however the writing needed to achieve top marks in them is much harder to reach. It must be very detailed and have a clear, distinct style to reach high marks. These skills are developed through practice, so writing lots of essays over your course will help you to gain the highest marks you can here.

AO3 and AO4 often go together, as literary and historical contexts. AO3 is again similar to GCSE, but in more depth. However, AO4 is new, and involves wider reading around your texts. Links to texts from the same author, time period, or genre make good comparisons, and you only need to make one or two to get the marks in this section.

AO5 is also one of the harder sections, which involves considering interpretations of the text that may not have been your first thought, and that you may not agree with. This can elevate your essay to much higher marks if you can achieve them.

One of the best ways to get AO5 marks is to look at critics of the book you are studying. These are academic views, and to remember quotes from them to put in when they are relevant. For more information about the assessment objectives for A-Level English Literature, check out this guide by AQA.

Which GCSE and A-Level English Literature papers have essay questions?

All GCSE and A-Level English Literature papers will have at least one essay question. Essay questions are usually the longest answers in the paper. However, sometimes other questions may require an essay style format but shorter. The exact structure of the exam paper and where essay questions are will depend on which exam board your GCSE or A-Level qualification is with .

GCSE English Literature paper 1 usually requires 2 essays . Each question in this paper is an essay, and each has an extract to be based around, so focussing your analysis on that extract is the easiest way to get marks.

The marks for these essays vary depending on exam board . However, as they are assessed on the objectives above, you don’t need to think too much about the marks, as it does not work in the same way as other subjects with a mark per point made. Instead, essays are marked cumulatively based on the general level of discussion achieved.

GCSE English Literature paper 2 usually requires 3 essays , one in each section. Sections A and B are an essay each, without an extract, then section C involves a shorter essay on unseen poetry and a short answer question. This type of question is harder, as you have to really know the book you are studying in order to get a good mark and include enough quotes.

A-Level English Literature is based entirely on essay questions. The questions are based on poetry, novels and plays, some seen and some unseen. About half of the essays have an accompanying extract, however you are expected to have very good knowledge of your texts even for extract questions, so do not rely on extracts for quotes and marks.

The information above is mainly based of the AQA exam papers, which you can find the specifications to for GCSE and A-Level by clicking here and here respectively. While this is mainly based of AQA, the exam boards all have rather similar structures and so you will still be able to use this information to get a rough idea.

Top tips for writing the best essay you can in English literature

This section will provide you with some tips to help you with your English literature essay writing. I recommend you also check out this Think Student article on how to revise for English literature. Now without further hesitation, lets jump into them.

Focus on the structure of your English literature essay

A logical and clear structure is key to allowing your essay to stand out to an examiner. They read hundreds of essays, so a good structure will let your creative analysis shine in a way that makes sense and is clear, as well as not confusing them.

The arguments you make in the essay should be coherent, directly linked to the question, and to each other. The easiest way to do this is to ensure you properly plan before you start writing , and to use the acronyms above to make the process as easy as possible in the exam.

Always use examples and quotes in your English literature essay

For every paragraph you need to have at least 1, if not more quotes and references to sections of the text . Ensure that every example you use is directly relevant to your point and to the question. For example, if you have a question about a character in the play, you should use quotes from or about them, rather than quotes about other things.

These quotes should always be analysed in detail, however, so do not use more than you can really look at within the time limit. Always aim for quality over quantity.

Leave time to edit and re-read your English literature essay

After you are finished writing, go back and re-read your essay from start to finish as many times as you can within the exam time limit. Focus first on grammar and spelling mistakes, then on general flow and coherency. If you notice that you have gone off topic, remove the sentence if you can, or edit it to be relevant.

Remember, the most important thing in the exam is that your text makes sense to the reader , so use concise, subject specific terminology, but not unnecessarily. You do not need to memorise big technical words to get good marks, as long as you can say what you mean.

Read other people’s English literature essays

One of the least understood tips for getting good marks at GCSE, A-Level and beyond is to read other people’s essays . Some students feel like reading exemplar essays or essays their classmates have written is cheating, or that it would be stealing their ideas to read their essay. However, this is not the case.

Reading someone else’s essay is a great way to begin to evaluate your own writing. By marking essays or reading others and making mental notes about them, you can begin to apply the same principals to your own essays, as well as improving your writing overall.

Look at how they use quotes, their structure, their main points and their thesis, and compare them to how you write, and to the assessment objectives. Look at their analysis and whether their writing makes sense. This sort of analysis does not involve stealing ideas, but instead learning how best to structure your writing and create an individual style , learning from both good and bad essays.

You should also read widely around your texts in general. Read as much as you can, both texts related and unrelated to the ones you read in class, to gain a wide picture of literature. This will help you in unseen prose, but also widen your vocabulary overall, which in turn will improve your essays.

For more information on why reading is so important for students, please read this Think Student guide.

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• A-Level English Literature

How to Write an A-Level English Literature Essay

Writing an A-level English Literature essay is like creating a masterpiece. It’s a skill that can make a big difference in your academic adventure. 

In this article, we will explore the world of literary analysis in an easy-to-follow way. We’ll show you how to organise your thoughts, analyse texts, and make strong arguments. 

The Basics of Crafting A-Level English Literature Essays

Understanding the Assignment: Decoding Essay Prompts

Writing begins with understanding. When faced with an essay prompt, dissect it carefully. Identify keywords and phrases to grasp what’s expected. Pay attention to verbs like “analyse,” “discuss,” or “evaluate.” These guide your approach. For instance, if asked to analyse, delve into the how and why of a literary element.

Essay Structure: Building a Solid Foundation

The structure is the backbone of a great essay. Start with a clear introduction that introduces your topic and thesis. The body paragraphs should each focus on a specific aspect, supporting your thesis. Don’t forget topic sentences—they guide readers. Finally, wrap it up with a concise conclusion that reinforces your main points.

Thesis Statements: Crafting Clear and Powerful Arguments

Your thesis is your essay’s compass. Craft a brief statement conveying your main argument. It should be specific, not vague. Use it as a roadmap for your essay, ensuring every paragraph aligns with and supports it. A strong thesis sets the tone for an impactful essay, giving your reader a clear sense of what to expect.

Exploring PEDAL for Better A-Level English Essays

Going beyond PEE to PEDAL ensures a holistic approach, hitting the additional elements crucial for A-Level success. This structure delves into close analysis, explains both the device and the quote, and concludes with a contextual link. 

Below are some examples to illustrate how PEDAL can enhance your essay:

Clearly state your main idea.

Example: “In this paragraph, we explore the central theme of love in Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet.'”

Pull relevant quotes from the text.

Example: “Citing Juliet’s line, ‘My only love sprung from my only hate,’ highlights the conflict between love and family loyalty.”

Identify a literary technique in the evidence.

Example: “Analysing the metaphor of ‘love sprung from hate,’ we unveil Shakespeare’s use of contrast to emphasise the intensity of emotions.”

Break down the meaning of the evidence.

Example: “Zooming in on the words ‘love’ and ‘hate,’ we dissect their individual meanings, emphasising the emotional complexity of the characters.”

Link to Context:

Connect your point to broader contexts.

Example: “Linking this theme to the societal norms of the Elizabethan era adds depth, revealing how Shakespeare challenges prevailing beliefs about love and family.”

Navigating the World of Literary Analysis

Breaking Down Literary Elements: Characters, Plot, and Themes

Literary analysis is about dissecting a text’s components. Characters, plot, and themes are key players. Explore how characters develop, influence the narrative, and represent broader ideas. Map out the plot’s structure—introduction, rising action, climax, and resolution. Themes, the underlying messages, offer insight into the author’s intent. Pinpointing these elements enriches your analysis.

Effective Text Analysis: Uncovering Hidden Meanings

Go beyond the surface. Effective analysis uncovers hidden layers. Consider symbolism, metaphors, and imagery. Ask questions: What does a symbol represent? How does a metaphor enhance meaning? Why was a particular image chosen? Context is crucial. Connect these literary devices to the broader narrative, revealing the author’s nuanced intentions.

Incorporating Critical Perspectives: Adding Depth to Your Essays

Elevate your analysis by considering various perspectives. Literary criticism opens new doors. Explore historical, cultural, or feminist viewpoints. Delve into how different critics interpret the text. This depth showcases a nuanced understanding, demonstrating your engagement with broader conversations in the literary realm. Incorporating these perspectives enriches your analysis, setting your essay apart.

Secrets to Compelling Essays

Structuring your ideas: creating coherent and flowing essays.

Structure is the roadmap readers follow. Start with a captivating introduction that sets the stage. Each paragraph should have a clear focus, connected by smooth transitions. Use topic sentences to guide readers through your ideas. Aim for coherence—each sentence should logically follow the previous one. This ensures your essay flows seamlessly, making it engaging and easy to follow.

Presenting Compelling Arguments: Backing Up Your Points

Compelling arguments rest on solid evidence. Support your ideas with examples from the text. Quote relevant passages to reinforce your points. Be specific—show how the evidence directly relates to your argument. Avoid generalisations. Strong arguments convince the reader of your perspective, making your essay persuasive and impactful.

The Power of Language: Writing with Clarity and Precision

Clarity is key in essay writing. Choose words carefully to convey your ideas precisely. Avoid unnecessary complexity—simple language is often more effective. Proofread to eliminate ambiguity and ensure clarity. Precision in language enhances the reader’s understanding and allows your ideas to shine. Crafting your essay with care elevates the overall quality, leaving a lasting impression.

Mastering A-level English Literature essays unlocks academic success. Armed with a solid structure, nuanced literary analysis, and compelling arguments, your essays will stand out. Transform your writing from good to exceptional. 

For personalised guidance, join Study Mind’s A-Level English Literature tutors . Elevate your understanding and excel in your literary pursuits. Enrich your learning journey today!

How long should my A-level English Literature essay be, and does word count matter?

While word count can vary, aim for quality over quantity. Typically, essays range from 1,200 to 1,500 words. Focus on expressing your ideas coherently rather than meeting a specific word count. Ensure each word contributes meaningfully to your analysis for a concise and impactful essay.

Is it acceptable to include personal opinions in my literature essay?

While it’s essential to express your viewpoint, prioritise textual evidence over personal opinions. Support your arguments with examples from the text to maintain objectivity. Balance your insights with the author’s intent, ensuring a nuanced and well-supported analysis.

Can I use quotes from literary critics in my essay, and how do I integrate them effectively?

Yes, incorporating quotes from critics can add depth. Introduce the critic’s perspective and relate it to your argument. Analyse the quote’s relevance and discuss its impact on your interpretation. This demonstrates a broader engagement with literary conversations.

How do I avoid sounding repetitive in my essay?

Vary your language and sentence structure. Instead of repeating phrases, use synonyms and explore different ways to express the same idea. Ensure each paragraph introduces new insights, contributing to the overall development of your analysis. This keeps your essay engaging and avoids monotony.

Is it necessary to memorise quotes, or can I refer to the text during exams?

While memorising key quotes is beneficial for a closed text exam, you can refer to the text during open text exams. However, it’s crucial to be selective. Memorise quotes that align with common themes and characters, allowing you to recall them quickly and use them effectively in your essay under time constraints.

How can I improve my essay writing under time pressure during exams?

Practise timed writing regularly to enhance your speed and efficiency. Prioritise planning—allocate a few minutes to outline your essay before starting. Focus on concise yet impactful analysis. Develop a systematic approach to time management to ensure each section of your essay receives adequate attention within the given timeframe.

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A Level Literature Ideas – #1: Writing Introductions

Introductions and conclusions always seem like quite abstract things, threatening to book end an essay with vague statements and ‘summing up’. However, done right, an introduction serves as the perfect vanguard of a well crafted argument.

There are tons of different ways to teach introduction writing, but the most successful in my experience is ‘Discuss, Define, Refine’ (DDR). Here is a brief outline:

Discuss: Introduce the key terms of the question, showing that you are fully aware of the given theme/issue/area. Often constitutes a simple re-wording of the question. e.g. “Madness is a topic which clearly fascinates writers across all of literature.”

Define: Define the key terms in the question, showing that you appreciate a range of ways to interpret the topic. e.g. “‘Madness’ could refer to a range of human emotion and conditions, such as the brief madness caused by grief, the intoxicating madness of love, or the tragic madness of severe mental illness.”

Refine: State clearly how YOU are interpreting the question/terms for this particular essay, bringing the question to your specific text(s). Ensure that the final sentence of the introduction firmly establishes your key argument. e.g. “Perhaps the most significant presentation of madness in literature is that of King Lear as he succumbs to old age, confusion, anger and dementia, destroying his family and, for a time, losing his humanity. In Lear, Shakespeare presents a king who loses his mind, his country and his children; this is not a play about greed or evil, but about a frail and vulnerable man in the throes of mental instability.”

This structure effectively ensures that students begin with a very wide concept, and then narrow this concept down to their own specific argument. I use an upside-down triangle to show my students how this works:

Intro Slide

The other very pleasing thing about the triangle shape is that we could see it as an arrow, literally pointing towards the rest of the essay…

line of argument slide

The resource below is a writing frame using the triangle/chevron shape, which students can use to plan their introduction. The shape is really helpful in emphasising the fact that students have to start in general terms, and gradually become more specific, ending in a final, very clear, narrow focus for their argument.

The finished introduction is here:

“How do writers present male dominance in Victorian literature? Consider one prose and one drama text.

Male dominance pervades Victorian literature in everything from plot to setting to characterization. The writing community itself was almost all male, with only a handful of notable female writers to create any sense of balance. Male dominance could refer to depictions of powerful men and domestic hierarchies which were typical of the period. It could also refer to the way in which masculinity and misogyny are ingrained in the very fabric of novels, plays and poetry.  The most potent example of male dominance in these texts is the very real and oppressive way in which characters such as Torvald Helmer and Lord Henry control and manipulate those around them. These writers present their male oppressors as villains who exemplify all that is wrong in a male dominated society.”

I’d be really interested to hear other A Level intro structures you have used or developed @FunkyPedagogy

My next post on the A Level Literature Ideas series will be on essay planning…

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• Introductions: HL Essay
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Effective introductions are typically another hallmark of stronger essays. From the first sentence, examiners will be given a strong clue as to how perceptive the essay is going to be, and how confident the student seems to be with the presentation of his or her ideas.As we have seen on other pages, the HL essay needs to make its focus clear and ideally narrow. With only 1500 words to use, a student cannot make much...

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How to Craft an Introduction for Literature Essay

Table of Contents

Since the introduction is the first thing the reader sees, it must be simple and concise. Analyzing a literary work’s theme, motif, character development, or style necessitates tracking its evolution.

A well-constructed introduction will encourage a reader to take what you say seriously. In contrast, a meaningless opening that detracts from the essay’s thesis will leave an unfavorable impression on the reader.

Let’s start with the concept of literature essays before we dig into how to craft a proper introduction.

What is a Literature Essay?

A literature essay is a written piece that focuses on an individual piece of literature or literary character. It usually takes an in-depth perspective on original texts and analyzes how literature has affected the individual.

Most often, the focus is on an author who will serve as an essay example. An example of a literature essay focus would be analyzing the dystopian novella: The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood.

A literature essay can focus on a single literary piece or can be concerned with a theme. It can also be based on a book review or alternate thesis essay.

Now we know what Literature essays are. Let’s look at how to write a brilliant introduction !

Literature Essay: How to Craft an Appealing Intro

1. introduce your theme.

Introduce your essay’s unifying theme after you’ve listed and developed your key arguments. Doing so will assist you in grasping what those points have in common.

If you like to outline your essay thoroughly before starting to write, you can do so and then go right into writing the introduction.

2. Hook the reader

The second step is to hook the reader with an attention-getting opening immediately . A short quote highlighting the central theme is a good grabber for a literary analysis essay.

In addition, author quotations that are directly pertinent to your paper’s topic or your interpretation of the text are surefire attention-getters.

This quotation should be the first sentence of the introduction paragraph and should be enclosed in quotation marks.

In the next statement, you should state who said the quote, where it was said, and how it pertains to your literary study.

3. Main body of your introduction

You should have a brief main body of your introduction. There should be between eight and twelve sentences in a paragraph while writing a literary analysis essay.

Write three to four sentences outlining your paper’s topic and explaining why it’s relevant to the book you read. These few sentences will serve as the meat of your first paragraph. These lines should summarize the main points you’ll explore in the essay’s body.

4. Thesis statement

Put your thesis statement at the end of your introductory paragraph. The thesis statement expresses the overall argument of your paper. It should be the last sentence of the opening paragraph and can be one or two lines.

When writing an advanced literary analysis essay, it’s not required to list each body paragraph’s essential points in your thesis statement. Instead, focus on describing, in a single sentence, the paper’s fundamental objective.

Wrapping Up

Writing the rest of the paper, including the conclusion, before writing the introduction can be helpful. However, you may not always have time to plan everything out.

Sometimes, it can be helpful to break this process down into smaller steps. Doing so will make it easier for you to think about what exactly the introduction needs to say and what the paper is about.

Abir Ghenaiet

Abir is a data analyst and researcher. Among her interests are artificial intelligence, machine learning, and natural language processing. As a humanitarian and educator, she actively supports women in tech and promotes diversity.

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IB English HLE Explained

Free introductory guide to IB English Higher Level Essay (HLE) by IB44 and IB45 graduates Lareina Shen and Saesha Grover.

In this guide, LitLearn students (and 2022 IB grads!)  Lareina Shen and Saesha Grover share their wisdom on how to conquer the IB English Higher Level Essay (HLE).

Lareina achieved an IB44, and Saesha achieved an IB45 as well as the coveted IB7 in IB English Literature HL, so you are in safe hands.

Meet your instructor Jackson Huang, Founder of LitLearn. His mission is to make IB English as pain-free as possible with fun, practical lessons. Jackson scored an IB45 and was accepted to Harvard, Amherst, Williams Colleges, and full scholarships to University of Melbourne & Queensland.

What is IB English HLE?

The HL Essay (HLE) is a 1200-1500 word essay about a text studied in the IB English course. For Lang Lit, the work you choose to analyze can be literary or non-literary, but for IB English Literature the text must be literary.

The HLE will make up  25% of your final IB English HL grade , and it is graded externally. You must choose your own line of inquiry   (i.e. a question that you will answer in your HLE–more on this later).

How do I choose my text for HLE?

Do NOT choose the “easiest” text. Life is always better when you do things you're interested in, and that advice applies to the HLE, too. Choose the literary / non-literary work that interests  you the most, so that you can (semi?)-enjoy the HLE planning and writing process.

You could start by thinking of a theme that you find particularly interesting and determining which text studied in class demonstrates this theme well.

How do I choose my line of inquiry for HLE?

The line of inquiry is the core question that you will answer in your essay. A quick example might be:

"To what extent is masculinity undermined by the characterisation of Little Thomas?"

Now, it's your job to forge your destiny and come up with your own line of inquiry. But it's not a complete free-for all! There are rules. The main rule is that your line of inquiry must fall under one of the 7 main concepts of IB English (see below for a quick summary).

This summary is vague, so let's go in-depth on a couple of these concepts to really show you what you should be doing in the HLE.

Identity is what makes you, YOU. Here are some questions the concern your own personal identity:

• What is your favourite colour? And why is it your favourite?
• What makes you different from others? Why do you think these qualities came to be?
• How would someone describe you in three words?

Now apply this same logic to characters within your text.

• How would you describe this character in three words?
• How do their actions within a text influence your view of their identity?
• How has the author crafted this character to make you view the character in a certain way?

Let's take a look at a concrete example of how we might choose evidence and quotes for a HLE on cultural identity. This example is based on a Vietnamese work in translation “Ru” by author Kim Thúy. For context, “Ru” is an autobiographical fictional account which explores Kim Thúy's move from Vietnam to Canada as an immigrant and her consequent struggles. The structure of her novel is largely lyrical and poetic.

Let's look at a section from her novel that may help us come up with an essay idea based on the concept of Identity. When she returns to Vietnam, she attends a restaurant, however this becomes a major awakening for her in terms of how she views her own personal identity. Kim narrates within her novel:

The first time I carried a briefcase, the first time I went to a restaurant school for young adults in Hanoi, wearing heels and a straight skirt, the waiter for my table didn't understand why I was speaking Vietnamese with him. Page 77, Rú

This is a perfect quote for the Identity concept. Can you see why? Let's think through it together…

Why would the waiter be confused if Kim, a “briefcase”-carrying individual in “heels” and a “straight skirt”, was speaking Vietnamese with him?

What does being “Vietnamese” look like to the waiter? Why does Kim not conform to his expectation? Was it perhaps due to what she was wearing?

Now, if we look at the section which follows this in the novel, we are able to see the impact this had on the character of Kim's sense of identity.

the young waiter reminded me that I couldn't have everything, that I no longer had the right to declare I was Vietnamese because I no longer had their fragility, their uncertainty, their fears. And he was right to remind me. Page 77, Rú

Here, we can clearly see that this character is now questioning her Vietnamese cultural identity. This is just one example that demonstrates the concept of Identity.

Culture seems to be this confusing thing.  Does it have to do with religion? Race? Beliefs? What does it mean? Does the monster from Frankenstein fit into a certain culture?

The easiest way to put it is this:  Culture is the way someone lives. It is their “way of life.” Think of it as an umbrella term. “Culture” can include so many different things; the list just goes on, for example religion, values, customs, beliefs, cuisine, etc.

Now think, how would I form an essay from this concept?

• When you read a text in class, you will notice that authors let you form an opinion on the culture of certain characters or groups within a text, but how is this done?
• How does the author represent the culture of a certain community?
• What types of patterns in daily routines are discussed?

It seems odd writing an essay about “creativity” because… like… how can anyone definitively say what ‘counts' as being creative–or not? When I say the word creativity , I think of new inventions, or maybe those weird and wacky art installations living inside those ‘modern art' museums. But hey, what's creative to me might not be creative to you!

When formulating a HLE on the concept of creativity we have two main pointers for you. Look for:

• Interesting + Unique techniques or literary devices used within a text by the author. You can learn more in the  Learn Analysis section of LitLearn.
• Recurring stylistic choices by the author

Now, for this concept, let's look at how we might select supportive evidence and quotations for a HLE on creativity within the narrative style of author Mary Shelley in “Frankenstein”. The narrative style uses  epistolary narration . This is a narrative technique in which a story is told through letters. This was something that I found both interesting and recurring within Frankenstein, which I believe worked to create a personal touch within the novel.

Additionally, Mary Shelley allows different characters to narrate Frankenstein during different volumes. Let's investigate this! I have written out different character profiles of the narrators below:

These 3 characters, each relate a part of the novel Frankenstein. This is an example of a creative authorial choice that allows us, as readers to explore different points of view within the text. This is just one example of a creative aspect of a text which you can analyze for your HLE.

Representation

Representation is all about how something is  portrayed, conveyed, shown, described, illustrated, depicted . There are many different things that can be ‘represented' within a text, and it doesn't have to be tangible.

For instance, you can look at how a belief, idea or attitude is depicted within a text through different characters or devices.

Again, let's explore a concrete example to make things clear: this time the graphic novel “Persepolis”. We'll consider an HLE on how a text  represents the  impact of political turmoil on society .

Chapter 10 of “Persepolis” highlights societal changes occurring due to the Iranian Revolution. The panels below list the authorial choices relevant to the negative representation of political change in a society. When looking at the techniques highlighted in the slides below, think about how you feel when you look at the panels below. Can you sense a more positive or negative feeling?

Cool, but what do we do to turn all this into an actual HL essay? Here is a sample response. The introduction might begin like this:

In the captivating graphic novel “Persepolis,” the author Marjane Satrapi explores the social and political impacts of the Iranian revolution. In particular, Satrapi conveys a disapproving viewpoint on political turmoil within the text. Throughout the graphic novel, Satrapi carefully represents how social isolation, hypocrisy and confusion is experienced by a young girl living in Tehran, as a result of political turmoil.  Example HLE Introduction

Then, in a body paragraph, on one of the key ideas mentioned above, we could analyze the different literary techniques. For example, Panel 1 is a great representation of the experience of confusion in the midst of political turmoil:

Marji is the younger girl pictured in the panels above. While her parents appear quite concerned by the news on the TV, she appears to not be in full comprehension of the cause for their distress. This is demonstrated by the visual imagery and dialogue, in panel 7, for instance, if you observe the facial expressions by each of the characters. Example of analysis in body paragraph

This is just a short example from one particular text. To help you unpack any text, try look for the following when analyzing chapter to chapter:

• What is the main idea of the chapter?
• Why did the author write it? What purpose does it serve?
• What do you believe is the overarching importance of the passage?

Brainstorming Tips

If you're having trouble picking your text and line of inquiry, then use this simple 20-minute process to brainstorm potential questions for your HLE:

• For each text / non-literary work, go through each concept in the table below.
• Write down a question for each of the two prompts for each category.
• Repeat for all of your texts.
• Pick the question-text combination that has the greatest potential for strong analysis.

How do I ensure my HLE question has a good scope?

Choosing a question with good scope is extremely   important, and it's one of the biggest challenges in the HLE. Here's why:

• If your scope is too broad , you may have too much to write about in order to answer the question, and therefore you won't be able to write deep analysis (which is super important–more on this later…)
• If your scope is too narrow , you may not have enough to write about and end up overanalyzing unnecessary and obscure details. Also something to avoid!

So, to help you get the balance just right , here are three examples of HLE questions, specifically for the concept of  Identity which we mentioned in the table above (by the way, the example is a made-up novel for illustration purposes).

• Too broad: “How does Irene Majov in her novel  Deadly Men effectively make her narrator a powerful mouthpiece?”
• Too narrow: “How does Irene Majov in her novel  Deadly Men effectively make her narrator a powerful mouthpiece for the concerns of Asian-Americans toward discrimination in the workforce in the 21st century?”
• Just right: “How does Irene Majov in her novel  Deadly Men effectively make her narrator a powerful mouthpiece for the concerns of Asian-Americans in the 21st century?”

How to get a 7 on IB English HLE

There are many things that contribute to a 7 in your HLE and your IB English grade overall. But if we had to boil it down to one secret, one essential fact… then it'd have to be this: Get really good at analysis .

Analysis is the key to a 7 in IB English. It doesn't matter if it's Paper 1, Paper 2, HLE, IO… You must learn how to analyze quotes at a deep level, and structure your analysis in a way that flows and delights your teachers and examiners.

Start with the basics

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Finding Quotes

Also, you'll need to find good quotes for your text. Some good sources where you can find relevant quotes include  Goodreads , SparkNotes ,  LitCharts , and Cliffnotes . Of course, you could just find quotes yourself directly–this will ensure your quotes are unique.

Understanding the IB English HLE rubric

An essential step to getting a high mark on the HL Essay is understanding the rubric! It is SO important that you know what IB English examiners are looking for when grading your essay, as this helps you to shape the content of your essay to match (or even exceed) their expectations.

The IB English HL Essay is graded out of 20 marks . There are 4 criteria, each worth 5 marks.

Use the checklist below to make sure you're not making simple mistakes! Note that this is not the official marking criteria, and I strongly recommend that you reading the official rubric provided by your teacher.

Criterion A: Knowledge, understanding, and interpretation

• Accurate summary of text in introduction
• Focused and informative thesis statement
• Effective and relevant quotes
• Relevant and effective summary and ending statement in conclusion

Criterion B: Analysis and evaluation

• Relevant analysis of a variety of stylistic features 
• Relevant analysis of tone and/or atmosphere
• Relevant analysis of broader authorial choices i.e. characterization, point of view, syntax, irony, etc.

Criterion C: Focus, organization, and development

• Introduction, body paragraphs, conclusion
• Organized body paragraphs – topic sentence, evidence, concluding statement/link to question
• Appropriate progression of ideas and arguments in which evidence (i.e. quotes) are effectively implemented

Criterion D: Language

• Use expansions (e.g. “do not”) instead of contractions (e.g. “don't”)
• Use of a variety of connecting phrases e.g. “furthermore”, “nonetheless”, “however”, etc.
• Complete sentence structures and subject-verb agreement
• Correct usage of punctuation
• Appropriate register – no slang
• Historic present tense : the use of present tense when recounting past events. For example, we want to write “In  The Hunger Games , Peeta and Katniss work   together to win as a district” instead of using the word “worked”.
• Avoid flowery/dictionary language just to sound smart; it is distracting and difficult to read. As long as you concisely communicate your message using appropriate language, you will score a high mark under this criterion.

Here's everything we discussed:

• IB English HLE is tough work! Start early.
• Brainstorm using the table of concepts to come up with a strong HLE question. Don't give up on this!
• Analysis is the key to a 7 in IB English HLE (and in fact all IB English assessment). Check out LitLearn's course  Learn Analysis for IB English   for immediate help on the exact steps to improve in IB English analysis.

Good luck, and may the odds be ever in your favor 💪

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