Posts by Bedlam

Bedlam

Jan 23, 2011

Undergraduate / (potential to study for an Access course) Writing Exercise - Formal Tone/Narrative? [4]

Susan, I thank you ever so much for that vital tip about the leadoff sentence to every paragraph. I'm told to use no less than 250 words but to keep it relatively short (I have two sides of an A4 sheet of paper to fill), my biggest probelm is that I'm almost at that word count already and all I've done is come up with an intro and conclusion.

Could I ask you to please cast your eyes over the structure I have come up with and what I have written so far? Does the tone of that essay seem befitting? Could I manage by cutting out one of the paragraphs or merging two of the subjects?

Just want to sign my initials for fear of any repurcussions
- JM

Bedlam

Jan 20, 2011

Undergraduate / (potential to study for an Access course) Writing Exercise - Formal Tone/Narrative? [4]

How would you interpret the following?
*Describe a challenging experience in your life and explain the impact this had on you

Because it has been so long, I can't remember the formalities of it. Would you say that I needed to write a narrative, or take a more formal approach?

I've read a few sample "Personal Experience" essays but they vary so much in style and prose that I'm confused as to which I should be aiming for. For example, George Orwell's "The Hanging" doesn't have an introduction as such; it starts and reads like a narrative. On the other hand, I have read sample essays based on personal experience and they are very formal in tone with introduction paragraphs main bodies and conclusions.

I suppose what I'm asking is: is it a creative writing exercise, or should I stear clear from using informal prose such as "It was in Burma, a sodden morning of the rains. A sickly light, like yellow tinfoil, was slanting over the high walls into the jail yard."?

-- BTW it's for an application to start adult education so it's quite important to me.