Coherence – Have you organised your essay well? Is there a logical order to your paragraphs? Is the language appropriate throughout the composition? (30%of your overall mark for the composition)
The personal essay
Whatever approach you take to the personal essay, it is essential to keep the word ‘personal’ in mind throughout. Your experiences and your refl ections on them distinguish you from the rest of your classmates. Use this to your advantage; draw the reader in and make him or her care about you and relate to your life.
• Use a story or stories from your own life to illustrate the topic.
• Moving from childhood to your current age can be helpful when structuring narrative compositions. If the title asked you to write about the importance of music in your life, you might talk start by exploring your earliest musical memories and then trace your changes in taste, the role music played in each stage of your life and how you view it now. Alternatively, you might decide to choose one key moment in your life that taught you the value of music. Another approach would be to trace the associations you have with various pieces of music. Think of your summer holidays. Is there a song you associate with a particular place, year or person? What sort of feelings and memories do songs evoke in you? Do you feel a little embarrassed now when you remember your love for certain pieces of music? What about music in your home? You can discuss whether you like or dislike your family’s taste in music, etc.
• Whatever approach you choose, you should show the examiner that you can look back on moments in your life, refl ect on them and explain their signifi cance.
