Workbook 4
Practice Essay
What am I learning here?
This activity is designed to help you scaffold your understanding of the studied film into a Level 2
analytical essay. It will help you select and break down a question, plan out your points and
paragraphs, select appropriate evidence and construct your essay as a whole.
Selecting a Question
● Level 2 essay questions all begin with the key word ‘analyse’. This is asking you to examine how a
creator has crafted a certain effect for the reader or audience.
● Choose a question that includes an aspect we have focused on during our film study - visual language,
character, themes or setting.
● Read and select your question carefully - eg if it says ‘an idea’ or ‘one or more’ - make sure you are fully
answering the question.
Task 1: Choose ONE of the following questions to develop your practice essay.
1. Analyse how the director uses visual language features to develop the main idea in the text.
2. Analyse how a character’s experiences helped you to understand the purpose of the text.
3. Analyse how a theme is developed throughout the text.
4. Analyse how a director uses a setting to create meaning in the text.
Developing an Argument
● Once you have selected your question, you need to identify the key parts that you will need to develop
your argument
● For example, if the question asks “Analyse how an important relationship is used to develop a main idea
in the text” you will need:
○ Identify the aspect: The important relationship between X and Y
○ Identify what the aspect is being used to prove: The main idea (theme) in the text
○ Three ways this is shown in the text - these will become the topics of your three body
paragraphs
● Write this down as a thesis statement - once you have broken down the aspects of the question, you
need to state clearly what you are going to prove in your essay.
● This can be written as (The author) uses (X) to demonstrate (Y).
Task 2: Identify the key parts of your argument and plan out your response below:
Question:
Aspect: Aspect used to prove
Three points Explanation Evidence (2 techniques) Director’s Purpose
Point 1:
Point 2:
Point 3:
Task 3: Draft your essay. You need to include an INTRODUCTION, 3 BODY PARAGRAPHS and a CONCLUSION. See
end of document for suggestions on paragraph structures.
Paragraph Structures
Introduction
Neutral Sentence - a sentence about the topic or aspect focus of the question.
Context Sentence - introduce the title of the text and the author.
Thesis Sentence - introduce the thesis you have developed.
Argument Sentence - a sentence listing the main three points you will focus on.
Sum up - a brief, punchy sentence that leads into your essay. Think Neutral combined with Thesis.
Body Paragraph - repeat x 3
Topic Sentence - introduces the focus of your paragraph (should be from your Argument Sentence)
Explanation - explains how this point proves your thesis - how does this example support your thesis?
Technique - specific technique from the text.
Link - explain how this quote demonstrates your interpretation of the director’s meaning.
Technique - specific technique from the text.
Link - explain how this quote demonstrates your interpretation of the director’s meaning.
Explanation - explain how these points prove your thesis.
Relate it Back - link your ideas in the paragraph beyond the text, to yourself and/or wider society.
Conclusion
Link - connect back to the words of the question
Purpose - sum up how you have explained the Author/Director’s purpose
Restate Argument - briefly sum up the three points you made
Restate Thesis - briefly sum up your thesis sentence
End Well - a brief sentence that combines Neutral Sentence with Thesis Sentence
