Essay Writing - Part 6 Writing an English Essay

CONCLUDING PARAGRAPH

This is what a concluding paragraph might look like. It would be worth your while going back to the economics essay an draw comparisons.

You will notice straight away, that the principles enunciated are exactly the same, though the subject matter is so different.

While it may be true that in certain moments Foulcher could be accused of teetering on the verge of the perils outlined by Geoff Page (of appearing ‘self-absorbed’, ‘mundane’ and ‘naïve’), for the most part he not only transcends those perils, but actually creates something quite original, complex and moving on a scale that far exceeds the constraints that define the self-imposed limits of an imagist poet like Robert Gray. The religious imagery, for example, to convey the dawn in ‘The Tent’ is quite stunning in its unpretentiousness and yet it is great complexity in delivered with deceptive simplicity: ‘The sun’s clear vowel/shocks the horizon./This is the eighth day.” Secularist and religious come together here on sacred ground that is common to them both. That is a great achievement. While the ‘clear vowel’ reminds us indirectly of the biblical command that there be light, it has an authenticity of its own (the ‘o’ shape of the sun, and the other vowel sounds of an awakening bird life like the ‘ahrr’ of the crows perhaps, and the image of the orb of the sun rising above the horizon line and sitting there like a note). Indeed ‘The Tent’ is a great example of the achievement of Foulcher in casting religious ideas and thoughts about death and the fear of dying in secular and everyday language accessible to all.

Essay Writing - Part 5 Writing an English Essay

Writing an English Essay (Continued):

the topic sentences that show the examiner the outline of your main arguments - in this case four reasons why Foulcher is more than an imagist.

PARAGRAPH 1:

While an imagist poet is constrained by a focus on ‘details’ even to the point of the microscopic, Foulcher throws out a very broad net taking in a variety of concerns and techniques …

PARAGRAPH 2:

Foulcher’s poetry is courageous and mature enough to admit doubt and weakness in matters of faith …

PARAGRAPH 3:

Whereas some poets hide behind the mask of a persona, Foulcher is unafraid of engaging directly with personal experience, while at the same time avoiding self-absorption, the banal, and falling into what might be perceived as naivety (ibid) …

PARAGRAPH 4:

And while some poets are caught in a monotone of emotional expression, Foulcher manages to break out of this mould and give us a dazzling display of variety …

Essay Writing - Part 4 Writing an English Essay

ENGLISH

Essay Writing:

Practical Example using Geoff Pages’s Critique on John Foulcher’s

Poetry

QUESTION:

Evaluate the poetry of John Foulcher. Why is he more than ‘imagist’?

INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH

There is nothing wrong with being an imagist – we have two poets who sit comfortably in that category, according to Geoff Page, who singles out for mention William Hart-Smith and Robert Gray. It’s that, Foulcher, he says, does ‘more’ than just “… take a single moment and transform it into a memorable image resonant with implication.” That is to say, Foulcher doesn’t stop at making meaningful imagery – and goes further than just the perception of small details of the natural world. (Geoff Page: 2009: 76) Foulcher is a poet of a different order. First, the scope of his writing is considerably broader. Second, he avoids the jarring self-confidence of fundamentalist religious poets in that he is unafraid to expose the humanness and vulnerablity of religious experiences. Third, there is his “… willingness to engage directly with the personal.” (ibid) And, finally, his ability to go beyond just one emotion, indeed, to break out into a celebration “… of the sheer physical pleasure of living.” (ibid)

Essay Writing - Part 3

3rd Speaker concluding paragraph 10-15 lines

• This paragraph does not just repeat the points you have made: this is where many students come adrift
• Rather, this is an opportunity to clinch your argument: so you want something persuasive to finish on
• My suggestion is that you bring in either a simple case study, a powerful example or, a telling quotation that encapsulates your whole argument
• These are the last arguments the examiner will read, and they will leave a lasting impression

This is what a strong conclusion might look like

In the end analysis, the question of the impact for the Australian economy of a

sustained appreciation of the Australian dollar is a somewhat ‘plastic’ scenario as it fails to take into account the interventions that are available to a modern

developing economy. Zac Miller commenting on a Financial Times findings on

the disparity between the appreciation of the Euro by 40% against the American dollar since 2002, and the gains by emerging market currencies of only 17%, has this to say: “For various technical reasons, currency appreciation is now being looked at by emerging country governments and central banks as a way to battle inflation. The article cites that last April, the Reserve Bank of India allowed the rupee to appreciate, to aid its inflation-fighting efforts, and since then, the currency has strengthened by 14 percent.”

(Zack Miller is the managing editor of Israel Newsletter.com

and a former equity analyst for a leading multinational hedgefund)

The real question, then, as Miller poignantly remarks, is “ How best to play these emerging market currencies?” (ibid)

Essay Writing - Part 2

2nd speaker body paragraph – 15-20 (25 max) lines

This paragraph fully carries your argument

• It does it through: examples, statistics, quotations and a case study (if you were to color code each body paragraph each of the four elements should be noticeable at a glance)
• Each and every body paragraph, without exception must be introduced in the very first sentence by a ‘topic sentence’ : this topic sentence will mention the key word/s stated in the question.

This is what a persuasive Body Paragraph looks like

Any advantage that an appreciation of the Australian dollar might have on foreign trade in the short term, such as the lower price of imports, higher export income, lower domestic inflation, a reduction in net foreign debt and the debt servicing ratio (ibid, 139) would soon be eroded away by a sustained currency appreciation. Riley observes that “ … an appreciation of the exchange rate reduces competitiveness of the tradable goods sector” (ibid, 139), and cites the

reduction in export income, the increase in import expenditure and a worsening current account deficit in the balance of payments as the specific consequences that might be expected from such a long period of appreciation in the exchange rate. One way that greater control can be exercised to prevent such an undesirable scenario is for the RBA to manage the economic dynamics at work through intervention. It can intervene directly as a buyer or seller.

It can intervene indirectly by changing the level of interest rates through its market operations. Also the government may change its fiscal policy to either increase or decrease the rate of economic growth (ibid, 135) and so impose the most favorable conditions for sustained economic progress. Such macro economic policies are vital for the well being of the Australian economy. The Reserve Bank Foreign Exchange Transactions and Holdings of Official Reserve Assets 2001-02 to 2007-08 reveal a pattern of intervention that confirms this

role. For instance, in the period 1999- 2001, the RBA effected a large-scale purchase of the Australian dollar to prevent excessive depreciation caused by a loss of confidence in the Australian dollar due to its being drawn into the ‘contagion effect’ of the Asian currency crisis. (ibid, 137) . Conversely, between 2002 and 2004 against the backdrop of a growing appreciation of the AUD, the Reserve Bank purchased over five billion AUD of foreign exchange annually between 2002 and 2006 in order to maintain the competitiveness of

Australian exporters.

Essay Writing - Opening Paragraph

If you've enjoyed a good debate and you know what the function of each speaker is, then you're perfectly able to follow my analogy and advice on how to write a good essay.

Question:

Discuss the impact for the Australian economy of a sustained

appreciation of the Australian dollar.

1st speaker opening paragraph – no longer than 10-15 lines

• This paragraph outlines your case (should be able to see your entire argument in miniature in this paragraph)
• This paragraph infers/suggests/declares your position/stance on the question
• An opening paragraph is not a window dressing exercise

Here is what the opening paragraph looks like for an economics essay.

With the advent of closer relations with the United States in the 1960s and the reality of US $ as an international reserve currency, the Australian dollar was pegged to the American currency. Since then, Australia has moved from a ‘crawling peg’ system with the exchange rate hooked into the TWI - Trade Weighted Index - (1978-1983) to a managed exchange rate system. (T Riley: 2008: 133). The impact under such a system of a currency appreciation is,

predictably, both positive and negative and is integrally linked with the inbuilt advantages and disadvantages of the flexible exchange rate system itself. (ibid, 129-130) These include the advantages it bestows on international trade in terms of cost benefits, the boost to the national economy in terms of slowing down inflation and the reduction of the national debt. This is offset by the negative impact of a sustained appreciation on competitiveness in trade, an increase in unemployment, and the rise in inflation. Thus, the disadvantages in the case of a sustained appreciation would appear to neutralize any advantages that might accrue in the short term.

Art and Life

I come from a line of writers. My grandfather was a doctor but also a writer. He was much loved by his readers and his patients whom he served faithfully. He died of typhoid treating his patients. His play and his writings are much revered. Then there is my great great grandfather whose 150th anniversary was celebrated a decade ago. He galvanized a nation in times of hardship, and became as famous in his country as Mark Twain in the US. Both their lives were wracked by hardship and terrible suffering, and out of that crucible emerged powerful experiences. It is in this arena that of life that their art was forged, and I am privileged to follow in their footsteps. I write screenplays, poetry, planning a novella and a drama for the stage. I have directed many stage plays, have acted and directed as well. I have a powerful Canon HD camera with which I propose to shoot some short films as a calling card.