Why do I need to know how to write an HSC essay? Well, it is impossible to go through Year 11 and 12 without writing one. In fact, it is pretty much impossible to go through without writing at least four of them! I personally had to write 8 of them across my subjects, and I was math/science oriented. If you are HSIE focused – Well, you would know all too well that essays can be nasty.
The thing is, essay writing is one of the skills we struggle with most as students. I hated it, especially in Year 11. I could argue a point and give examples, but I just couldn’t wrap my head around essay structure. I had absolutely no idea what a Thesis even was, let alone how to make a good one and link it to the question.
Thankfully, this is a skill that can be learned. I had awesome teachers and I stuck at it, and I got there in the end. The thing is, teachers almost never give this super important subject the time it deserves. Essay writing is a skill, just like differentiation in math, notating a rhythm in music, or citing a case in Legal Studies. It is one of the most important skills you’ll ever develop.
Before I start, I wanted to make sure you guys all knew about our FREE HSC Tutoring Threads. These are a great way to ask follow up questions on these articles and get help with anything you need, fast!
I wanted to write this guide as my break down for How to Write a HSC Essay. For any subject. In any scenario. Although every subject is slightly different, every essay has an almost identical backbone. It is this backbone that I had so much trouble with, and that is why I wrote this.
What is the Purpose of an Essay?
An essay, generally, is an academic piece of work that presents the argument of the author. This is a very vague definition, but it pretty much hits the nail on the head as to what any HSC essay is for. You are presenting your argument. This could take the form of analysis of a text for English, personal opinion on a contemporary legal issue for Legal Studies. All slightly different, but the same in that it is your thoughts on paper.
When presenting your argument, as it were, you need a structure. An essay is the standard format (at least for HSC purposes) for presenting arguments. This serves two purposes. One, it organises your argument into logical sections (Intro, Body, Conclusion), which adds to its weight and sophistication (as opposed to, say, a free form extended response). Second, it provides a standardised format, so that academics can read outside of their subject area and still engage with the text, because they are used to the structure. It is kind of like driving in Melbourne versus Sydney: Yeah, there are differences, but the set structure is the same.
As a side note, what is with the right turns from the left hand lane in Melbourne? Ridiculous. Anyway…
So, you need a structure. It can be broken down into three parts.
Thesis Paragraph (Introduction)
Your Thesis paragraph is first. The first question to ask (and I asked a LOT before I finally understood) is, what is a Thesis? Put simply, a Thesis is a statement, a premise, an opinion, etc., put forward to the reader to be proved. For example, a Thesis statement from Legal Studies:
Domestic violence, despite a somewhat effective response from domestic measures, remains an example of how the NSW Legal System is failing to protect victims of relationship breakdown.
As a side note, if you are a legal student and want help writing a Thesis like this, jump over to my Guide to Writing a Legal Studies Thesis!
This is the idea put forward, and as you may guess, is the focus of the essay. The Thesis is the most important part of a HSC essay. It must be sophisticated, it must address the question, and it must give you a chance to show what you know about the question.
To structure your Thesis Paragraph, follow the TALK scaffold:
Thesis: Your thesis statement, as outlined above. This is where you, immediately, put forward what you will be discussing in your essay. It may contain an opinion, it may not, but either way it is what you will be proving in your essay. This can be one or two sentences, depending on how complicated you want it to be.
Amplify: Some extra details with regard to your Thesis. This is where you link the idea to the question. For example, your Thesis might discuss how composers draw on their own experiences to create more powerful texts. You amplify by identifying the texts you have been asked to talk about. In general, the Thesis should stand alone from the question, and you then tie them together in the AMPLIFY section.
List your Arguments: This is where you list the mini-arguments you will use throughout your essay. The topics of your body paragraphs. Don’t start giving examples/evidence yet. You are only getting the reader ready for what is to come.
Key Statement: I liked to call the last sentence of the Thesis a key statement because it should be powerful. It should state definitely where you stand on the Thesis, in a way which ties the previous parts together. So, for an English essay, a very simple version would be something like:
Thus, it is clear how [COMPOSER A] and [COMPOSER B] have used [LISTED ARGUMENT #1], [LISTED ARGUMENT #2], and [LISTED ARGUMENT #3] to achieve [THESIS].
You can sort of see how it ties the arguments you listed, with the composers in the amplification, with your Thesis. It is important to get this bit right!
Body Paragraphs
So, your intro is done. It sets up the argument of your essay. Now, we get into the meat of it. The body. This is where you actually present your points and back them up with evidence.
You should aim for 3 body paragraphs. 3 is generally how many are required to get a good level of detail and explanation.
To structure each of your Body Paragraphs, follow the MAPLE scaffold. This is very similar to the MATES scaffold, but I wanted something more general, and the PEEL scaffold is too general. I use MAPLE, and I personally love it.
Motherhood Statement: This is your topic sentence. It should directly link to one of the arguments you listed in your Thesis paragraph. Besides this, it simply sets up what this paragraph is about.
Amplification: Again, the AMPLIFY section is for any extra detail required. Definitions, further explanation, anything you feel is necessary. It is also the first chance for you to summarise the link between the Motherhood Statement and your Thesis. Say, in simple terms before you get in to the thick of it, why what you will talk about right now is relevant to the big picture. Why is talking about the theme of personal fear and confusion, for example, relevant to the over-arching idea of barriers to discovery?
Points and Links: Now, to your points. Discuss what you think is necessary to discuss. Techniques, explanations, context, laws, case studies, Bible quotes… All that jazz. Do your thing! The thing that is different that I like to emphasise here is Links. Be sure to constantly link to the motherhood statement or your Thesis throughout your body paragraph. The golden rule is to never bring up a point without saying why it is relevant, either to your Motherhood Statement, or the Thesis. What this does is makes sure you stay on track.
Now, this is really tricky, and it is sometimes impossible, but it is a trick that really worked for me, and so maybe it will help you guys too! I was always a massive rambler/waffler, and this helps massively in avoiding that.
End (Conclusion): Okay, so maybe I just used End because MAPLC isn’t a word, but the meaning is the same. Wrap up your paragraph. Say that your point is proven and you are moving on. Hence, it is clear how Rowling has used literary techniques to present the universal theme of love in the Harry Potter series. Reading your conclusion should remind the reader what the point of the paragraph was, and give them a sense of closure before moving on to the next argument.
Conclusion
I was always a little more free-form with my conclusions. This is partially because I sometimes only had a chance to write two sentences, so I had to be flexible.
My only two tips for a great conclusion are these.
One – Follow the TALK scaffold again. Restate your Thesis. Amplify and link it to the question. List what you discussed. Then say, in your key statement, that you have now proven your point and you are leaving to go have coffee and eat food. There should be no questions at the end. “Thus, it is obvious that ______.” Done and dusted.
Secondly, and this is a lesson I’ve learnt the hard way: Don’t skimp on it. The conclusion is just as important as any other part of your essay. Do not just write a sentence. Give your essay a good solid ending. Remember that amazing movie with the awesome acting and an amazing story, but it had that crappy ending? You know, a character dies for no good reason, there are plot holes, etc. Remember the dissatisfaction? Yeah, don’t make that your essay.
So this is my breakdown of how to write a HSC essay! It is by no means perfect, and you may totally disagree with how I approach it. Totally cool. Essay writing is something which everyone puts their little spin on. This is mine, and I hope it is helpful in some small way.
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