Essay Writing Skills

1. Essay Writing Skills PEDAL Your Way to Better Grades

2. P-E-D-A-L Paragraphs P-E-D-A-L Point – what is the point you are exploring? Example – show an example that illustrates the point Decipher – what does it mean? Analyse – the effect on the reader (Writer-Reader Relationship) Link – how does this point help to answer the essay question?

3. Make your Point • The Point is the main idea you are expressing • Eg. In ‘And Did Those Feet’ an important idea is that time heals all wounds. Sandy is an important character because he reveals how mourning the loss of a loved one can be extremely difficult and it takes time to move on.

4. Prove it! Use Examples • You need to support your points with examples from the text in order to prove that what you have said is true. • Eg. Sandy struggles in the wake of his mother’s death. The most extreme example of this is when Sandy attacks another student at school and completely loses control. He uses the metaphor of an out-of-control train when he describes himself as a “raging engine of death and destruction”.

5. Decipherit – What does it mean? • The next step is to try and work out what this ‘tells’ the reader... What can the reader work out about the author’s message and what do we read between the lines? • Eg. This reaction shows the reader how much of an impact his mother’s death has had on Sandy. He is in a position where he is no longer in charge of his emotions and he is spiralling out of control.

6. Analyse Beyond the Text • Explain and Expand the point to Analyse what is being suggested beyond the text? How does it relate to the real world? How does it tie in with the author’s message? • Eg. From Sandy’s experience we see that the death of a loved one is very difficult to move on from. At times grief can be disguised as anger or other negative, self destructive emotions. The reader can relate to Sandy as we have all experienced irrational anger at one time or another.

7. Link your response back to show how it answers the question and achieves the author’s purpose • How does the point, example, deciphering and analysis actually answer the essay question that you set out to explore? How does it alter the overall tone, mood, and atmosphere of the text? What emotions does it raise and how should the reader respond? • Eg. This event in the novel leads to Sandy being sent to stay in the country with relatives and it is only through the support he receives there and the time that passes that the reader begins to see a change in Sandy. In this way Sandy’s character highlights that you must go to a very dark place before you can move on from a death and the path to recovery is long and difficult.

8. Completed P-E-D-A-L Paragraph Sandy is an important character because he reveals how mourning the loss of a loved one can be extremely difficult and it takes time to move on. Sandy struggles in the wake of his mother’s death. The most extreme example of this is when Sandy attacks another student at school and completely loses control. He uses the metaphor of an out-of-control train when he describes himself as a “raging engine of death and destruction”. This reaction shows the reader how much of an impact his mother’s death has had on Sandy. He is in a position where he is no longer in charge of his emotions and he is spiralling out of control. From Sandy’s experience we see that the death of a loved one is very difficult to move on from. At times grief can be disguised as anger or other negative, self destructive emotions. The reader can relate to Sandy as we have all experienced irrational anger at one time or another. This event in the novel leads to Sandy being sent to stay in the country with relatives and it is only through the support he receives there and the time that passes that the reader begins to see a change in Sandy. In this way Sandy’s character highlights that you must go to a very dark place before you can move on from a death and the path to recovery is long and difficult.