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ESSAY WRITING SKILLS: Help please!

I have always waffled too much in essays and I've never really had huge problems with it until now. I just started my AS levels (English lit, lang, modern history and philosophy and ethics) which are obviously all essay subjects. I get far too excited and write too much and in too much detail, which I know I can't do in the exam. In all of my essays so far I've been getting good grades, mainly A's, but there are always comments on me being too wordy. I know this could have a detrimental effect on my grades...

(See, I'm doing it there ^ with a horrendously long explanation!)

Is there anything I can do to be more concise and straight to the point? Any help would be so appreciated because I'm really scared :frown:

Reply 1

Gibber96

Original post by allypetal

I used to be like you (I'm doing A2s now) and it was really hard, but don't see too much detail as a bad thing - it isn't. I wrote horrendously detailed essays all through my history AS (typing them as my handwriting isn't great), and when it came to revision time, I had tonnes of great stuff to choose from, and the skills you've learnt over the year will help you choose the best stuff.

I wouldn't worry about timed essays until later in the course - you will be forced to be more concise and it will just happen.

In English, if you do type out your essays, then try going over them and being really brutal, cutting out everything that isn't absolutely necessary, but leave enough to show that you have a good style of writing and a strong grasp of the language.

Worked for me!