Good writer, horrible punctuation and structure.

[aiming_95]

I have been told that my writing skills are up to scratch, I definitely do not struggle expressing myself and putting all my thoughts on paper, but the reason I don't get top marks is because of my structure and punctuation.


I struggle with paragraphs, commas, full stops, structuring an essay etc
(Stuff I should've learnt years ago)

Are any of you like this ? what do you suggest I do ?

I am very worried my lack of skill in these areas will cost me the mark I am looking for next year in year 12.

[Ghost!]

Read read read.

Find someone's style you endorse or enjoy and read as much of their material as you can. In general for VCE, read as much high quality responses as possible. VCENotes is a good resource for such high quality responses, particularly with English. Given that you had identified your areas of weakness, take note of how other writers address these areas and when writing consider how they would write.

Somewhat relevant, Hunter S Thompson used to write out entire Hemingway novels because he loved his particular style of writing, with certain aspects of Hemingway's work creeping into Hunter's writing the more he copied.

[Eriny]

Well, with paragraphing, you have to remember that one paragraph represents one idea/point. A paragraph starts with a topic sentence, which pretty much summarises the contents of the whole paragraphs. Good essays will have links between paragraphs, as in, the paragraphs will be related and ordered in a logical fashion. This website might be helpful http://grammar.about.com/od/developingessays/u/paressay07.htm

Your paragraphs, and specifically the order your paragraphs are presented and the links you show between them become the basis of your structure. Sometimes it makes sense to order your essay on thematic points and it doesn't matter how they are ordered (e.g. paragraph one is on the social effects of a policy, paragraph two on the environmental effects, paragraph three on the economic effects, etc.) but sometimes the way you order it really does matter, for instance, if you want to order things chronologically, or if you need to establish one thing before you can establish something else.

[aiming_95]

Thanks a lot for the advice, hopefully I can work on my flaws over the Summer before it is too late.


Very strange how basic punctuation I have failed to learn or have passed me by from my early stages of schooling.

Edit: Thank god I found this video on commas, hopefully I can find some on full stops and maybe some videos on essay structuring.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=keZpj7PjNEo

[aiming_95]

Anyone recommend a particular textbook perhaps ?

[giveup]

I have the same problem, with the exception of punctuation. My structure is in complete disarray. I'll begin a SAC and then come to the realisation that my ideas were not in a proper order, or that a sentence should have come before the other. It's so frustrating as I feel at terms with writing but I will often take a few minutes rearranging things, which I of course can not do in a SAC/exam.

+ the structures of the resource essays I've never seen before, as he said what's a good textbook?
edit: I'm reading a text response essay and I can't decipher more than 3 topic sentences. Also the conclusion does not reiterate the points - it's all completely contradictory to what i've been taught. 

[aiming_95]

Another great vid I found on paragraphs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCuExRE6N-4&feature=relmfu