Difference between English Language and English Literature essays?

I am currently doing English Literature as an A-Level despite not having done Literature for GCSE (we didn't have the option). A teacher recently handed me back an essay saying that "you've written a very convincing arguement and you've used a lot of English Language skills, but it's not written like an English Literature essay".

My question is; what are the key differences between language and literature in terms of how the two are written and what you're supposed to write about? This is stuff I probably would've been taught in GCSE had I done it.

From what the teacher explained it's something about how Literature essays are more focused on discussing the writer's methods. But English language essays also discuss methods, don't they?

Sorry if this is a tough question, but my point is this: I know how to write an English Language essay, but I don't know how to write an English Literature essay. How does one write an English Literature essay?

(edited 4 years ago)

Reply 1

MatrixStudent

Original post by Luther*

I only went as far as gcse for english lit and lang, but, from what experienced, english lit focuses a lot less on the effect of a single technique used but more in the sense of how individual examples integrate with the writer's message and intentions across book/play/poem etc as a whole. In this sense maybe relating the effects on the reader to context might help?