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

The first sentence of a paragraph. It states the paragraph’s main idea.

The tools a playwright uses to create drama. Examples are setting, stage directions, dialogue and language choices.

Quotations which support your topic sentence, and that require analysis.

Quotations which support your topic sentence, but don’t require analysis.

Model responses for a ‘Leave Taking’ essay about identity and belonging

English

In 'Leave Taking: A Sense of Belonging', pupils explore the themes of immigration and identity in the play. In 'Leave Taking: The Power of Education', pupils explore how a lack of representation in literature and other educational materials negatively impacts on sense of self.

in 'Small Island', pupils explore the themes of identity, race, colonisation - shedding light on the experiences of Jamaican immigrants in post-war Britain. In 'Leave Taking: A Sense of Belonging', pupils explore the experiences of second generation immigrants and the difficulties they face in 1980's Britain.

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.

Modern text: first study

Expressions that are regarded as coarse or otherwise unacceptable, including swear words and rude words.

Discriminatory behaviour or images, whether on the grounds of race, gender, disability, religion or belief or sexual orientation, or otherwise.

Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour

Subjects which particular individuals may be sensitive to, eg, adoption, migration, bereavement or death, divorce, poverty, deprivation.

Depiction or discussion of sensitive content

They should include one to two quotations.

They should include analysis of dramatic methods.

They should develop ideas you have set out in your thesis.

When planning an essay on 'Leave Taking', you will create topic sentences. What is true of topic sentences?

A {{ }} explains the focus of an individual paragraph.

Pinnock is a playwright. When analysing her play 'Leave Taking', you will explore her dramatic methods. Which of the following are not dramatic methods?

into quotations with dramatic methods and those without dramatic methods

into quotations you will use in your topic sentence, and those you won't

into interesting quotations and simple quotations

into main quotations and supporting quotations

When collecting quotations to write an essay on 'Leave Taking', how should you divide them?

selecting your main quotations and your supporting quotations for each paragraph

Before writing an essay on 'Leave Taking', you should create a plan. What is part of the planning process?

overarching argument supported by whole text

first sentence of a paragraph, stating its main idea

the tools a playwright uses to create drama, e.g. dialogue

quotations you will analyse for their dramatic methods

quotations you will embed into analytical sentences 

Match the essay terms to their definitions.

In Scene Two of 'Leave Taking', Del accuses Enid of being blind to racial discrimination. She says, "You {{ }} see the police vans hunting us down".

A summary of the text you are writing about.

Your overarching argument for the essay, supported by the entire text.

A statement about the dramatic devices Pinnock uses.

An essay on 'Leave Taking' will start with a thesis statement. What is a thesis statement?

Winsome Pinnock wrote 'Leave Taking'. Pinnock's parents moved from Jamaica to England, which is where Pinnock was born and grew up. This makes Pinnock a {{ }} generation migrant.

They explain the focus of an individual paragraph.

They should list the dramatic devices you will explore.

When writing a 'Leave Taking' essay, you will include topic sentences. What is true of topic sentences?

In her introduction to 'Leave Taking', Pinnock describes Enid as "caught {{ }} two worlds."

In Scene Six of 'Leave Taking', Mai says to Del, "You at peace with yourself, you at home {{ }}."

Content guidance

Contains strong language

Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour

Depiction or discussion of sensitive content

Adult supervision recommended

Starter Quiz