LITERATURE ESSAY WRITING

Essay Planning Template

Before you write your essay,

1. Plan the points you want to make.

2. Find evidence to back up your ideas.

Try using P.E.E.L. to help you structure each paragraph.

- Make your POINT in a Topic Sentence–this is a statement about what point your
paragraph will make.

- EXPLANATION–this is where you demonstrate that you understand the

point made and explain how it supports your point.

- EXAMPLE–this is evidence from the book to back up your point.

- LINK–this is where you sum-up your point and link it to the question (link it to the
idea of your next paragraph or to your topic sentence.)

INTRODUCTION

- Include the TITLE of the book and the AUTHOR.

- Use a quote from the book in your introduction or provide an elaboration of the meaning of
the topic.

- Thesis statement – STATES YOUR TOPIC and States the

POINTS you aim to make in your essay.
BODY

- Each point is allocated to its own paragraph.

- Each paragraph is separated by a line.
- Each paragraph uses P.E.E.L
- Only use points that are definite, not speculative.

CONCLUSION

- Concluding paragraph should give your essay a sense of completeness.

- It lets your readers know that they have come to the end of your paper.
- Your concluding paragraph might
1. restate the thesis in different words,
 2. summarize the main points you have made or make a relevant comment about the
literary work you are analysing, but from a different perspective.

REMEMBER:

1. Structure - Need a THESIS

STATEMENT
- Quotations / Paraphrasing
- Do not separate
paragraphs under
subheadings.
- Do not write in point
form.

2. Style - MUST BE in present

tense.
- NO colloquialism (slang
words)
- Avoid Personal pronouns
(e.g. ‘I’, ‘me’, ‘we’
- NO contractions (e.g.
can’t, rather say “cannot”)
3. Process of - 10min planning
writing - Highlight key words in
statement topic.
- Brainstorm ideas that link
to these key words and
evidence
- Arrange ideas in a
chronological manner (a
way that makes sense, it
must flow)
- Write your essay in pen.
DO NOT SCRATCH OUT
WORDS
DO NOT SCRATCH OUT
PARAGRAPHS
LIMIT SPELLING ERRORS