Just started Year 9 or 10 and need help with writing an English essay? Then this article is for you!
As an English tutor with 2 years of experience, and having finished Year 12 with a Band 6 in English Advanced, I have valuable pointers to share that I seriously wish I had back in junior school.
You might have some questions like:
- How do I structure an essay?
- What do I include in each paragraph?
- How do I incorporate pieces of evidence or examples?
Luckily for you, this article will cover ways to know your text back to front, how to use a TEE table, the low down on essay structure and TEEL paragraphs, and how to edit your English essay to perfection!
Step 1: Know Your Text!
Step 2: Create TEE Tables
Step 3: Understanding English Essay Structure
Step 4: Using TEEL
Step 5: Editing and Revising
Step 6: Practise, Practise, Practise!
Step 1: Know Your Text!
To write an effective English essay, you firstly need to know your text well!
Here are a few ways to really get to know your text:
- Read your text a few times and write notes within your text as you go (time allowing).
- Mind-map the main themes and ideas in your text.
- Go over your notes from English class.
- Ask for help from your teacher if you’re struggling.
- Do some online research on what other people say about your text (this can be helpful in solidifying the ideas that you’ve already brainstormed).
Step 2: Create TEE Tables
After you’ve read your text and completed a bit of research on it, it’s time to use TEE tables!
TEE stands for Technique, Example and Effect. These tables will become your go-to for studying English and writing an essay. You’ll be using your TEE table to analyse your text as well as memorise your quotes.
You want to create a TEE table for each theme in your text – which is usually around 3 themes! Then, you probably want to choose about 3-4 examples per TEE table.
To use your TEE table, firstly pick an example (E) from your text. This might be quote, a piece of dialogue, a line from a poem or even a scene from a film.
When choosing your example, try to pick something that strikes you as super interesting. By doing this, your genuine appreciation for that part of the text will shine through your writing and make explaining your point easier. For example, is there a sentence in the book that really stuck with you? Why is that?
Then, identify 1-2 techniques (T) from the example that you can discuss.
Now, analyse the example by outlining the effect (E) of said technique.
For example, how an example highlights certain ideas that you can use to back up your point and answer the question.
Do this for at least seven examples, so you are prepared to include roughly two to three pieces of evidence per body paragraph. However, it is wise to be prepared for whatever the question may throw at you, so the more the merrier!
Step 3: Understanding English Essay Structure
The next step is to understand the English essay structure.
An English essay typically consists of an introduction, three body paragraphs and a conclusion. Your teacher may like a specific type of structure and if that’s the case, go with that!
Otherwise, check out this basic structure:
| Introduction | • Briefly answer the question in your thesis statement ➡ Use keywords from the question ➡ For example, “How does your prescribed text convey the effects of loneliness in identity?” ➡ For some more info on how to construct a strong thesis statement, check out our article to writing thesis statements • Introduce your text(s) with an underline and include how they relate to the essay question • Introduce your three paragraph ideas |
| Body Paragraph 1 | • Present your first idea • Follow TEEL: Topic Sentence, Example, Explanation, Link x3 (this will be elaborated on in the next part!) |
| Body Paragraph 2 | • Present your second idea • Follow TEEL x3 |
| Body Paragraph 3 | • Present your third idea • Follow TEEL x3 |
| Conclusion | • Restate your thesis statement • Summarise your ideas • Give a concluding sentence on the essay question and text(s) |
Step 4: Using TEEL
The structure of TEEL (Topic, Evidence, Explain, Link) is used 3 times in each body paragraph, representing the 3 points and pieces of evidence that you will discuss in each paragraph.
TEEL helps structure each of your paragraphs so you’re never lost as to what you should be writing about.
Topic Sentence
Present your first idea/argument that backs up your answer to the essay question. This is called a topic sentence.
Make sure you check that you’re answering the question by using the keywords from the question.
You also want to make sure that in your topic sentence, you’re taking a stance or some point of view!
Evidence
Here is where you introduce your technique and example from your TEE table!
You can include more than one piece of evidence, typically 2-3 is effective in backing up your point.
Check that you’re using examples that are relevant to the point you are making (don’t just list out a bunch of techniques and quotes)!
Explain
Here you want to analyse and discuss why your chosen evidence (technique + example) is relevant and backs up your point.
The effect section of your TEE table will help you out with that!
Link
Finally, link back to your point and the question!
Make sure you check that you’re addressing the question and linking it back to your point introduced in this paragraph!
If you’d prefer to use a different paragraph structure, then you should check out how the PETAL paragraph structure works!
Step 5: Editing and Revising
Whether you’re preparing for an in-class English essay or writing one to hand in, it’s crucial to edit your essay.
Editing your essay means going over it with a critical eye, but it can be difficult to spot areas which need fixing!
I would recommend reading your work aloud if possible as you are more likely to pick up on any mistakes. It also helps you make sure that your English essay flows well and is easy to follow.
So, here are some things to look for when editing:
- Are there any spelling mistakes?
- Are there any sentences that are too long? See if you are able to split them into two separate sentences!
- Is there enough textual evidence (examples from your text)?
- Are there any phrases that don’t make sense?
- Are there any phrases or ideas that are repeated too often?
- Have you clearly addressed the question?
Step 6: Practice, Practice, Practice!
And last, but not least, be sure to practice and polish your English essay writing!
Just like any other skill, essay writing takes time, patience and practice to get a hang of.
It might seem like there are tons of things to do to write an essay, but take things step-by-step, practice, practice, practice and you’ll be sure to achieve your best!
Unsure which English level to pick for Year 11? See our HSC English levels guide!
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Luka Russell is an English tutor at Art of Smart Education, and graduated from UTS in 2023 with a Bachelor of Communication, majoring in Journalism. Aside from educational content, she is passionate about health and beauty journalism, having written various articles on female health topics. She also loves to draw in her spare time.
Millicent Tai hopes to one day become a full-time teacher and is currently studying a Bachelor of Education and Bachelor of Science at UNSW. She enjoys tutoring students at Art of Smart in English and Maths and has loved reading and writing for as long as she can remember. In her spare time, you can find her avidly reading Christian biographies or fishing in Animal Crossing.
