How can I ensure I am answering the given question throughout the essay?

A common yet frustrating issue that examiners find with essays under exam conditions is that the candidate fails to answer the question to the desired level. This may be due to a misinterpretation of the question itself, or, more commonly, because of what is simple known as ‘waffling’. To avoid this when writing an English essay, there are several key tips to keep in mind.

Firstly, it is important to make a clear reference to the given question in both the introduction and conclusion. This way, the examiner can see in your introduction that you are planning on exploring the question throughout the essay with chosen evidence and that you will eventually come to a concise and supportable answer to that question in your conclusion.

Secondly, it may be useful for you to make reference to the question after every piece of evidence or paragraph you give in favour of your opinion. (i.e. “In light of the evidence presented, it could be argued that…..”.) This will make it easier for the examiner that you are staying on track.

Lastly, remember that your examiners are human and that they want to give you top marks, provided that you give succinct points that are supported with valid pieces of evidence.