Essay guides (books)

[Voltman]

Hi everybody! I'm not sure whether my idea of an essay structure is accurate, so I've recently been interested in reading a few essay guides. What are your experiences with essay guides? Are they a real help? Can reading essays help with your own essay writing? If in book form, do you have any recommendations?

The reason for me bringing this up is because at my school we rarely do any essay writing. I feel that because of this I will be severely disadvantaged during  my VCE next year. I would be glad to hear any responses regarding essay guides and any recommendations of essay guides or just general feedback and advice in improving essay writing.


Thanks

[squance]

Heys.
Last year I remember reading some essay guides for 1984 and The Quiet American.
They were okay but it didn't really help me with my essay writing because I still got pretty average marks...but that could be due to the bias that my English teacher had...she tended to give the best marks  to the students she favoured!!! GRR!!!

I think the essay guides i read were from "Insight" but I'm not 100% sure because I borrowed these essay guides from my teacher.

[Voltman]

Last year I remember reading some essay guides for 1984 and The Quiet American.

That sounds very interesting. In fact, a few days ago I reserved 1984 from the library and am still waiting for it. Do you know where I can get these essay guides?

[squance]

You can buy them from bookshops that sell high school books I guess.

http://www.linkeducational.com.au/

This shop definitely should definitely sell them

[Voltman]

Well, I would rather buy an essay guide as a last result. Would it be possible to borrow it from a library somewhere? I don't want to go all the way over there knowing it wasn't for me.

[squance]

Hmm..I have no idea then. I don't think you can borrow them from libraries.
Maybe try your teacher?

[shinny]

I find the commercial essays pretty horrible. Insight has no sense of structure whatsoever in half of their essays and they often slip into colloquial language. The most I'd use them for is just to get ideas for points, but don't learn how to write straight off them. Perhaps just write essays here and getting people to correct them would be your best option.

[xox.happy1.xox]

I find the commercial essays pretty horrible. Insight has no sense of structure whatsoever in half of their essays and they often slip into colloquial language. The most I'd use them for is just to get ideas for points, but don't learn how to write straight off them. Perhaps just write essays here and getting people to correct them would be your best option.

Seconded!

[Voltman]

Perhaps just write essays here and getting people to correct them would be your best option.

Alright, I may just do that. I need all the help I can get with English.

[squance]

I just had a look at my old english stuff and I found a photocopied page with one sample essay for 1984. If you want it just PM me your email address.

But yeah. As I said before, them guides did not help me much.