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Year 10 - English

Introductions and conclusions in a 'Leave Taking' essay on the character of Mai

Leave Taking: a sense of belonging

Unit Summary

In this unit, pupils start their exploration of Winsome Pinnock's play, 'Leave Taking'. They first learn about the play's context of 1980s Britain and the Windrush generation before then reading and exploring the full play. They finally explore themes and characters before working on essay writing.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to create sophisticated introductions and conclusions to an essay about the character of Mai in Winsome Pinnock's 'Leave Taking'.

Key Notes

  • An introduction and conclusion could follow a three part structure.
  • An excellent introduction could start with a general statement about the text.
  • An introduction could then have a more specific statement about the focus of the question, followed by a thesis.
  • A conclusion could consider the timeless nature of the text.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • thesis: The overarching argument to an essay, supported by the entire text.
  • theme: An idea that is explored multiple times in a text.
  • timeless: A text that remains relevant no matter the time period.
  • universal: An adjective used to describe a text which, regardless of time period or circumstance, audiences can relate to.

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • The general statement about the text in the introduction can be any fact you know about it.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

1. Explain this English learning goal in two key points.

An introduction and conclusion could follow a three part structure. An excellent introduction could start with a general statement about the text.

2. Define this language term and use it in a sentence. 'thesis'

The overarching argument to an essay, supported by the entire text.

3. Correct this common English misunderstanding.

Mistake: The general statement about the text in the introduction can be any fact you know about it. Correction: The general statement, the first sentence of your introduction, should still connect to the essay question.

More Lessons In This Unit

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