WRITING THE EXAM Maru
HOW TO QUOTE Quotations of a single word, or a few words should be included in the body of your sentence. e.q. Why did Moleka see Ranko's words as a declaration of war? Never misspell the names of the characters! Sometimes names such as Moleka or Dikeledi may be quite difficult. Learn them! Avoid long quotations in literary essays. You will waste space. Never misquote! Rather paraphrase in your own words if you cannot remember accurately.
HOW TO ANSWER CONTEXTUAL QUESTIONS If there is no mark allocation, answer as fully as possible. If a mark allocation has been provided follow the guidelines below: Answers to questions worth one or two marks should be as brief as possible. .For questions worth three or more marks. use the following technique: Give your response in your own words. Explain your statement.
HOW TO ANSWER CONTEXTUAL QUESTIONS Substantiate your answer. Either by quoting from the text or by giving a clear reference to the text. Remember to use quotation marks when you quote from the novel. Ensure that you give one good point for each mark. Attempt to answer all the questions. (You never know what you can do until you try).
Some tips on answering contextual questions Read the passage through carefully to ensure you understand where in the novel it occurs and what is happening. (Not all the questions will relate directly to the passage. Some may ask for your understanding of the novel as a whole.) Now read the questions. Underline the question word as you go so that you know what to focus on in your answer. Question words are words such as examine, explain. justify, discuss. name. as well as the more obvious ones like why, when. where. etc.
Some tips on answering contextual questions Reread the passage. (If you do not have time to do this in an exam. read the questions first. Then as you read through the passage. you will be focusing on the specific information you will need to answer the questions) After you have answered all the questions reread your answers to check for careless spelling errors and to see that you have written enough to justify the mark allocated.
HOW TO WRITE A LITERATURE ESSAY Writing a literature essay or long paragraph - What's your verdict? Writing an essay in an examination requires many skills. You need to carefully plan and construct an argument, justify your argument by providing evidence (at times in the form of quotes), and formulate a logical conclusion. Some tips before you begin: Focus on the question word and the task you are asked to do. ~ Brainstorm around the question word/task.
Plan your argument by listing the points you would like to make Plan your argument by listing the points you would like to make. This will focus Your ideas in paragraphs. Write a rough draft. Reread the essay and edit if necessary. Write the essay neatly.
A model essay Answer the question below, and then assess your answer against the one provided (page 38). An essay brainstorm (mind-map) has also been included. Maru and Moleka are both royalty in Dilepe, but they are very different personalities. Compare and contrast the characters of Maru and Moleka Your answer should be approximately 400-500 words.
Planning an essay Step 1: Find the question words and focus on the task. Introduce Maru and Moleka. Examine Maru's character. Examine Moleka's character. Show how Maru and Moleka's characters contrast.
Step 2: Brainstorm (This may be done in any form Step 2: Brainstorm (This may be done in any form. A mind-map has been used here.) You should have many more points than those given here. Also include quotes on your mind-map
Step 3: Plan the argument in point form. Define royalty in Dilepe - introduction. Describe Maru's character. Define his dreams and visions. Describe Moleka's character. Focus on his tribalism. Conclusion.
Step 4: Write a first draft. See page 38 for an example of what your essay could look like. Remember, however, that there is always more than one correct answer. You may have many different points, and arrive at different conclusions. You cannot be marked wrong, as long as you have given a logical argument that has been well substantiated through references to the text and/or quotes.