Open University tutor Rosie Wright says that using PEAs to structure your essay can help you attain those hard-to-reach top marks.
Obviously we're not talking about tiny green vegetables here!
PEA stands for
P - Point
E - Evidence
A - Analysis
P
Each paragraph should contain a different point to support your main argument. So, for example your point may be "It is illegal to drive while using a telephone"
E
Evidence. I have lost count of how many times my tutor has told me "I don't care what you think!" She's not being rude, it's just that your tutor really doesn't want your opinion, they want facts, with evidence to back it up. Evidence could be a quotation from a person or a book, a relevant article or paper, or a statistic.
For example "according to the Road Vehicles Regulations 2003" .
A
Analysis
This is the most difficult skill to master and the part that will get you the most marks. Basically it means evaluating the point you have just made and the evidence that supports it. Always try and link each paragraph back to the original question your essay is looking at to make sure you're staying on track!
Follow Rosie's advice and you'll be a straight A student in no time!
