Topic sentences and quotes - how to write an English essay which will pass

When you write an essay on a novel or a play, you can pick up marks and help make sure you pass by using strong topic sentences and good quotes.

Topic sentences

As a tutor I see a lot of essays. I used to sit down and read the whole thing but these days I usually go straight to the first sentence of the first paragraph. Although I usually try to read the essay in full, this is the bit which attracts my attention as it often tells me whether the essay should pass or fail.

The first sentence of a paragraph is the topic sentence - it tells the person marking your essay what this paragraph will be about.

Essay question -

Choose a play involving an important theme. Show how the playwrite explores this theme using characters, key scene, symbolism or any other important feature.

Topic sentence -

The theme of love and violence is explored in the key scene when Romeo first meets Juliet in act 1, scene 5.

Right away, the marker knows this paragraph is relevant to the question -

1. it uses the word 'theme', which was in the essay question;
2. it directs the marker to one particular part of the play;
3. it uses the expression 'key scene' - this is a technique.

For a Shakespeare play, it looks better to include the act and scene you are talking about. This might not be essential for every novel or play you study.

The next paragraph might start wih the following topic sentence -

The romantic theme is introduced in the first scene of the play: Romeo misses the street brawl because he is pining over Rosalind.

Instead of 'love' I use the word 'romantic' for a bit of variety. I direct the marker to the very start of the play, and I bring in the technique of characterization. I didn't use the word characterization although I could use this in the next sentence.

Quotes

You can't pass an essay without using quotes effectively. They are the next thing I look for in an essay after the topic sentence.

Introduce your quote with -

1. who said it
2. who they said it to
3. when this happens in the story

For example, this is the quote I would use for when Romeo meets Juliet -

She doth teach the torches to burn bright

This is the way I would introduce the quote -

The theme of love and violence is explored in the key scene when Romeo first meets Juliet in act 1, scene 5. At his first sight of Juliet, Romeo seems to fall in love -

She doth teach the torches to burn bright

This hyperbole helps emphasise that Romeo is a dreamy romantic. It raises the tension in this scene because the audience will want to find out what happens next. It also suggests probably behave in a reckless way after they meet. I would therefore argue that love and violence are inextricably linked to one another in the play.

After the quote comes my analysis - I explain what this line adds to the scene.

At the end of this paragraph, I added a sentence about the theme. This reminds the marker of the essay question I am answering. I have also used a clever-sounding phrase, 'inextricably linked' which I can use in any 'Romeo and Juliet' essay.