ABSOLUTELY not

When it comes to tackling essay questions, students should consider two different aspects: what the question says and of course, what you have to say. Simple enough? Yet why do students still have weak arguments? I’ll be covering two situations that can lead to weak arguments and how you can emerge victorious.

The first situation is when the question is an absolute question - where an extreme statement is made that rules out all exceptions. Oftentimes, these questions have the words “ever”, “never” or “always”. The rule of thumb here is to take the stand of the exceptions and disagree with the absolute statement. This is because an absolute statement can be defeated by any exception. Just like you can’t say you’ve never eaten fast food if you’ve eaten McDonald’s once.

In fact, a secret tip I always tell my students is to place their opposing argument first, especially for absolute questions. This is so that you address what the misconception is at the outset and then proceed to argue against it throughout the rest of your essay, ending with a strong conclusion.

So far so good? Let’s jump into the second situation.

The second situation is when students go overboard in their arguments. We get it, everyone wants to put forth a strong argument. However, a house is only as strong as its walls, even if it has scary decorations and new paint. Similarly, your arguments must be well-supported with examples and explained clearly. Writing a topic sentence that borders on extreme/ absolute but isn’t well-supported would fall flat in the face of an exception. If you can’t guarantee that things will or will not happen, avoid saying “will” or “must”. Instead, stick to “would likely”, “probably”, “usually”, “expected to”, “most of the time”, “may” and other similar wording. This way, even if an exception is raised, your argument still stands. That being said, there are situations where “will” is warranted, such as processes or obvious and inevitable consequences. Do use your discretion wisely.

At this point, you may be thinking to yourself, “this doesn’t apply to me. I don’t make these mistakes”. Oh, but are you sure? One way to reflect on this is to take your latest essay and spot words like “must”, “will”, “all”, “none”, “always” - though granted, “will” is a 50-50 situation.

Now go forth and conquer your General Paper exams!

Cheers

Jolyn