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The key to a successful essay answer is focusing on the question. Your essay will begin with an introduction. The first sentence of your essay needs to sum up your answer to the question. Make a positive statement in relation to the question. Use key words from the question to demonstrate your understanding.

Example questions

Example question 1

Analyse how the writer uses language and structure to interest and engage readers.

Support your views with detailed reference to the text.

This is a very general question, which asks you to look at the technical aspects of the text – language and structure – to see how the writer has used them to appeal to their audience. Here you need to identify features and then explain how these features will interest and engage readers. You need to think about who the audience is, and what the purpose of the text is. As always, you will need to use quotations and examples from the text to support every point you make.

Example question 2

Read the letter from Henry to his father.

How does Henry use language to try to influence his father?

This question also looks at language use in relation to its effect on the reader, except that here the relationship between the writer and the reader is a specific one. Knowing that relationship means that you can infer more things from what the text says: can you tell what kind of a father he is? The word ‘influence’ suggests that the purpose of the text is also key: Henry is trying to achieve something.

Example question 3

How does the writer use language and structure to make his description of the lesson entertaining?

This question is asking you to focus on a specific part of the text: a description. You need to consider the technical aspects of what writers do – language and structure – to see how the writer achieves his purpose. The question highlights that there are two purposes – to describe and to entertain.

Example question 4

‘In these texts school is presented as a challenging place for the pupils.’

How far do you agree with this statement?

This question is of a different type – it makes a statement about the extracts, which has an interpretation in it. This statement is the focus of the question. You might agree or disagree with it, but must present examples from the text to support either opinion. When planning your answer, you will keep to the idea of ‘challenging place for pupils’. The word presented is important too: it signals that you need to think about all the ways the writers are showing their ideas. You will need to look at language, structure, voice, and all the other things a writer can use.