When writing an essay in your Literature exam, you are writing under time constraints. Yes, write a brief plan to help your ideas flow and to get them organised into a logical order. Don’t make the plan too long though and then get straight into answering the question.
There will be no time for a lengthy general introduction. It won’t attract any marks, so there’s no point. You don’t need to give us lots of background about the plot either; just assume that your examiner has read the book/poem and seen the play.
Avoid waffling. Get straight to the point and make sure that you actually make a point in every precious sentence. Load your writing with lots of short quotes, but make sure that they back up the point you are trying to make and aren’t just randomly thrown in because you have learned them and want to use them somewhere.
Keep answering the question. Keep re-reading the question to make sure that this is what you are doing. Stay on track right until the end. There is no need, and no marks, for a general, waffly, repetitive conclusion. Let every sentence count.
There will be no time for a lengthy general introduction. It won’t attract any marks, so there’s no point. You don’t need to give us lots of background about the plot either; just assume that your examiner has read the book/poem and seen the play.
Avoid waffling. Get straight to the point and make sure that you actually make a point in every precious sentence. Load your writing with lots of short quotes, but make sure that they back up the point you are trying to make and aren’t just randomly thrown in because you have learned them and want to use them somewhere.
Keep answering the question. Keep re-reading the question to make sure that this is what you are doing. Stay on track right until the end. There is no need, and no marks, for a general, waffly, repetitive conclusion. Let every sentence count.