Hello Sarah. Thank you for subscribing. Yes, I am aware that Eduqas has a large tariff essay. For me, the same principles apply for all essays. The mark allocation is merely a reflection of the time allocated, and by implication the word length of the answer. I am also presuming you are referring to a pure essay, with no data reading/processing required.
I don't believe in 'skeleton' type responses, and Examiners will mark down if they suspect it. The key thing is to answer the question set, and it is highly likely that there are different perspectives to it. The student must come to his/her own view, based on their evidence and argument.
I'm so glad you have said this. I've been trying to tell my students this since I started teaching, especially those at the top end where, as an examiner myself, I expect to see a certain amount of individual flare and narrative that a template answer can't give.
Don't know when you started teaching, but the first A Level I was in charge of had a 40 mark essay (AQA 1990s), where flair/individuality was essential to get into the highest mark range.
Since 1999 and I marked for the old A Level spec so I know that essay MS! It’s a shame that only OCR truly still have a proper extended essay like that.
Thank you for the exam tips! I was wondering, in an essay conclusion, do you think it is better to write: 'I agree/disagree to a large extent' rather than 'I agree/disagree to some extent', as long as you justify why you agree/disagree to a large extent and then also provide a counterargument in another sentence?
Glad you like the Substack. As for this query, it all depends how strong the argument has been before. If you go for 'large extent' then the preceding argument should support that. It is highly unlikely there will be a 100% support in one direction though.
Interesting, so do you think it is acceptable to use 'to some extent' in a conclusion or is that too close to sitting on the fence? And, if you use 'to a large extent' in your conclusion, is it good to also include a sentence or two on a counterargument that you have made in another paragraph of your essay?
As I say, it all depends on the argument.... some, large...doesn't really matter. Why not go for a phrase such as 'overall, my argument supports the view well that.... though some may say....' or 'overall, the evidence suggests strongly that.... though some evidence points towards....' The key thing is that the conclusion matches the argument. I don't think examiners worry too much about 'some' or 'large'. They're just adjectives. If it is clear the student hasn't come to a view at all, ie 'sitting on the fence', then that is not a good look imo. and is highly unlikely in any context of a question.
I teach eduqas alevel geography, am I right in assuming the same protocols apply? They have 45 mark essays for some of the units. Thanks
Hello Sarah. Thank you for subscribing. Yes, I am aware that Eduqas has a large tariff essay. For me, the same principles apply for all essays. The mark allocation is merely a reflection of the time allocated, and by implication the word length of the answer. I am also presuming you are referring to a pure essay, with no data reading/processing required.
is there a general format you have for conclusions - like a skeleton to follow for assess questions for example?
I don't believe in 'skeleton' type responses, and Examiners will mark down if they suspect it. The key thing is to answer the question set, and it is highly likely that there are different perspectives to it. The student must come to his/her own view, based on their evidence and argument.
I'm so glad you have said this. I've been trying to tell my students this since I started teaching, especially those at the top end where, as an examiner myself, I expect to see a certain amount of individual flare and narrative that a template answer can't give.
Don't know when you started teaching, but the first A Level I was in charge of had a 40 mark essay (AQA 1990s), where flair/individuality was essential to get into the highest mark range.
Since 1999 and I marked for the old A Level spec so I know that essay MS! It’s a shame that only OCR truly still have a proper extended essay like that.
Thank you for the exam tips! I was wondering, in an essay conclusion, do you think it is better to write: 'I agree/disagree to a large extent' rather than 'I agree/disagree to some extent', as long as you justify why you agree/disagree to a large extent and then also provide a counterargument in another sentence?
Glad you like the Substack. As for this query, it all depends how strong the argument has been before. If you go for 'large extent' then the preceding argument should support that. It is highly unlikely there will be a 100% support in one direction though.
Interesting, so do you think it is acceptable to use 'to some extent' in a conclusion or is that too close to sitting on the fence? And, if you use 'to a large extent' in your conclusion, is it good to also include a sentence or two on a counterargument that you have made in another paragraph of your essay?
As I say, it all depends on the argument.... some, large...doesn't really matter. Why not go for a phrase such as 'overall, my argument supports the view well that.... though some may say....' or 'overall, the evidence suggests strongly that.... though some evidence points towards....' The key thing is that the conclusion matches the argument. I don't think examiners worry too much about 'some' or 'large'. They're just adjectives. If it is clear the student hasn't come to a view at all, ie 'sitting on the fence', then that is not a good look imo. and is highly unlikely in any context of a question.
That makes sense. Thanks very much.