Some Useful Connectives

In your essay writing you will need to use a range of connectives to link, develop and explain your ideas. Here are some useful connectives to use in your essay writing:

For adding information

and                                also                            as well as     

moreover                    too                              furthermore   

For sequencing ideas or events

firstly                          secondly                     then

finally                          eventually                  afterwards     

next                             meanwhile                 

whilst                          since     

 To compare

equally                        likewise                       similarly       

as with                         like                                in the same way         

To contrast

whereas                      instead of                    alternatively

otherwise                    unlike                          but        

on the other hand                                          in contrast

 To show cause and effect

because                      so                               therefore

thus                            consequently                    

 To further explain an idea

although                     however                      unless

except                        apart from                   yet

if                                 as long as

 To emphasise

above all                       in particular                 especially

significantly                 indeed                            notably

To give examples

for example                 such as                       for instance

in the case of              as revealed by

Miss Knowles’ Step by Step Guide to Writing about 4 Poems

Step 1: What is the question asking you?

Underline the key word(s) in the question. Remember that you need to compare and that you are being asked to comment on the writers’ use of linguistic and structural devices  so you need to get in the habit of underlining these words.

You must also underline the KEY WORD(S) that is unique to this question – so you know what it is you are being asked to compare e.g. ‘Compare how Duffy presents a killer’s attitude…’ Here you are being asked to compare killers’ attitudes.

Step 2: Select your poems

Read the named poem to see how it relates to the question. Which 3 other poems are you going to select?  Take time to think through which other poems will be most useful to you – don’t just select the ones you know best because you think you can say more about them.

Step 3: Plan

You should spend ten minutes planning using the key word to compare/contrast the poems you have selected. You might also want to plan out the structure of your essay – focusing on ONE key feature per paragraph.

Step 4: Write your introduction

DO NOT write ‘In this essay I am going to’ or in any way draw attention to the process of writing the essay e.g. ‘I have chosen to…’ Your introduction needs to be short and focused. If you are comparing killers’ attitudes, what are the killers’ attitudes in the poems you have selected? What similarities and differences are there in their attitudes? You DO NOT need to use evidence in your introduction.

The best introductions will clearly outline your line of argument which will be developed in the main body of your essay.

Step 5: Main body

• Use key words throughout – that means in EVERY SINGLE paragraph. You must be explicitly answering the question in EVERY SINGLE paragraph. Do not make irrelevant points because you want to show off to the examiner.
• You should have one focus for comparison in each paragraph e.g. a linguistic or structural feature. You need to develop your comments about these using P.E.E.E. For the last part, consider the impact of the language used on the reader. You might think about the connotations of particular words. As a general rule, the point should be short, the quotation short and your analysis/comment the longest part. It’s much better to compare a single detail/feature/device in depth rather than listing a range of features.
• You should comment on the poet’s intentions (the characters are not real) and therefore you should use the poets’ names. Do not confuse the speaker/character with the poet.
• If you are aiming for an A/A* you need to consider/explore alternative interpretations.  

Step 6: Conclusion

Don’t just sum up what you’ve said – this is an opportunity to explicitly demonstrate your personal response to the poems. Is there an image which has been particularly striking?