This is the complete reference for WACE Year 12 ATAR English essay writing. Built from analysis of recent SCSA marking keys.
The 3 essay types
| Section | What markers reward | Length |
|---|---|---|
| Section 1 (short response) | Direct comparison of stimulus, register-aware, language analysis | 200-300 words each (15-20 min) |
| Section 2 (production) | Voice control, rhetorical structure, audience awareness | ~600-800 words (50 min) |
| Section 3 (extended response) | Argued thesis, close reading, conceptual sophistication | 800-1100 words (50-60 min) |
Section 3 (extended) structure
Introduction (5-8 sentences)
- Hook: 1 sentence framing the conceptual stakes.
- Thesis: 1-2 sentences stating your argument. Must be disagreeable. Use "less X than Y" or "not X but Y".
- Roadmap: 2-3 sentences signposting body paragraphs.
- Concept anchor: 1 sentence naming the central concept (power, identity, memory, ambition).
Body paragraph (4-move shape)
- Conceptual claim: lead sentence with the abstract argument.
- Evidence: one quotation, tightly chosen.
- Close reading: 3 sentences unpacking word choice, syntax, sound, structure.
- Tie-back: link to thesis, with conceptual elevation.
Conclusion (5-7 sentences)
- Restate thesis in slightly sharper formulation.
- Synthesise the body paragraphs.
- Elevate to the broader implications (what does this say about the world, not just the text?).
Comparative essay (Section 1 or 3)
Use interleaved structure, not block. Each paragraph compares both texts.
- Conceptual claim covering both texts.
- Evidence from text A, closely read.
- Pivot phrase to text B.
- Evidence from text B, closely read.
- Tie back to comparative thesis.
Transition phrases markers reward
- "Where Text A frames X as Y, Text B reframes it as Z."
- "This convergence belies a deeper divergence: ..."
- "Text B inverts this assumption, suggesting that ..."
- "Both texts share the surface concern with X, but the underlying question is different."
- "Text A diagnoses; Text B prescribes."
- "Crucially, this reading is complicated by ..."
- "The text destabilises this claim by ..."
- "At its most ambitious, the text is doing X."
Command word reference
| Command word | What is expected |
|---|---|
| Outline | Brief, key points only. 1 to 2 sentences per item. |
| Describe | Detailed account, including specific examples and structures. |
| Explain | Describe plus the reason or mechanism behind it. |
| Compare | Identify similarities and differences explicitly. |
| Discuss | Present multiple perspectives, weighing evidence on each side. |
| Evaluate | Make a judgment based on evidence, with reasoning. |
| Analyse | Break down into parts and examine relationships. |
| Critically discuss | Discuss plus take a position with justification. |
Conceptual vocabulary (use 3-4 per essay)
- Interrogate, destabilise, complicate, subvert, undermine
- Reify, foreground, foreshadow, prefigure, presage
- Crystallise, encapsulate, ossify, codify
- Indict, valorise, romanticise, sentimentalise
- Convergence, divergence, dialectic, synthesis
Use sparingly. One or two per paragraph. Markers reward the language but penalise overuse.
The 4 moves markers reward
- Conceptual claim before evidence. Lead with the abstract claim, prove it with the text.
- Close reading of language, not just content. "The metaphor of the gilded cage connotes wealth that imprisons" beats "The character is rich but unhappy" by a full mark band.
- Acknowledgement of complexity. The phrase "however, this reading is complicated by..." in your second-last paragraph signals nuance.
- Linkage between paragraphs. Each topic sentence references the previous paragraph's claim.
The 50-minute Section 3 timing protocol
- 5 min: planning. Write thesis, list 3 body paragraph claims with one quote each.
- 5 min: introduction.
- 30 min: 3 to 4 body paragraphs (8-10 min each).
- 5 min: conclusion.
- 5 min: re-read, fix typos, strengthen one weak topic sentence.
Print and pin this
Print this page. Stick it inside your English folder. Refer to it before every essay. For the deeper how-to on writing 18+/20 essays, see our how to write an English ATAR essay post. For comparative essay structure, see comparative essays in WACE English.
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