Integrated or Block Essays? (1 Viewer)

[Chevalier]

So in regards to essay writing, I've written all my essays in block format (that is, talk about each idea + text in a different paragraph) and I've been getting 18/20 for most of them, as well as B's and B + 's but apparently that isn't sophisticated enough for the HSC questions where an integrated response is needed. For people who've only started writing integrated essays for the first time (ie, me) should it be a habit to write all your essays as integrated responses or just stick to the format you're more familiar with? For generic style questions, should you still write an integrated response or just stick with the block style response?

 

[student6625]

I think integrated essays are better since you waste less time repeating yourself and it's clearer for the markers. By linking different texts under the same idea, you can practically just have a generic essay prepared and adapt it to any question (But I think this only works with the modules, not 'belonging'). Having an essay divided into texts rather than ideas probably means you have to change your entire essay every time depending on what the exam question is.

However, it's still better to do what you do best, so if you think block essays work for you then just work on improving that. It is recommended that you do integrated essays in the HSC but many people don't and they still consistently get nineteens and twenties out of twenty in my class.

So yes, have a generic essay that's integrated and it'll be a lot easier trying to respond to different questions. Are you referring to module essays or 'belonging'? Because I don't really think ONE generic essay is enough to cover every exam questions since it's just so broad. For 'belonging', you MUST have an integrated response if you want to get a high mark but you should probably just work on developing your ideas and selecting quotes which you can slot under them. There's not that much point in preparing a generic essay for 'belonging'. For the modules, I think you can do a block essay as long as the analysis is good enough.

 

[Aerath]

It's up to you. I did an essay text by text and did fairly well in the HSC. That being said, integrated essays tend to be more 'sophisticated' and be written with more flair. Although there's no point in aiming for a sophisticated essay if you don't have the basics down.

 

[Chevalier]

Thanks guys, I'll probably be uploading my practice essay on conflicting perspectives, so if you want to have a look at it and provide some feedback that'd be appreciated

 

[Chevalier]

My english teachers are always saying integrated are where the higher marks are at- essentially 'block' essays are much easier, its easy to get your ideas across than in an integrated response. But a well written block essay is going to be better than a messy integrated one. If you can do integrated, you're more likely to get full marks if you do it well, but if you do it badly the essay as a whole will end up messy and you're not likely to get all your points in clearly, like you would have been able to if you stuck to your block essay.

My teachers always say you will not get full marks for a block essay, but you can get high marks (like the ones you are getting), but to push into a band 6 you will need to do a well structured integrated response.

The hsc markers at my school say that integrated essays are only essential for belonging questions, but with module C (conflicting perspectives, history and memory) the only other module where u need related texts block essays will still work fine, though I agree with you that if you do well structured integrated responses, that's where the highest marks are, yet if you're not comfortable doing them, then just stick with the block essays

 

[supercalamari]

I always try and do integrated, BUT you can do well with both. See what suits you best.

 

[Tacitus]

Do you mean the integrated response in Part III of the Area of Study? A thing a lot of people miss is drawing links between the texts themselves to make their argument more solid. It's actually in the marking criteria.

If you mean integration in the general sense, you don't need to keep your texts separate from each other. If a quote from King Lear matches your topic sentence just as well as a cinematic from Frontline, then put them both in the same paragraph.

It's not a hard and fast rule, but you're best served by ordering paragraphs by topic sentences related to your thesis (IE, your actual answer to the question) rather than texts themselves (saying 'I will now analyse Text 3'). The idea is not 'analysing the text' so much as using material from the text to answer the question.

But otherwise, the quality of your linkage largely determines your mark. If you can interpret enough techniques (from quotes) to actually answer a question about the text, you're golden.

 

[gesh17]

Belonging - BLOCK essays --> full marks
Modules - Probably integrated essays are ideal