FAQ for A Levels General Paper (GP) Essay

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This page is designed as a platform to let you ask any questions that you may have for GP. We remember how awesome it is to have genius friends who could answer any of our questions when we were studying for A Levels, and we want to offer that to you too! GP Genie is here to help!

We will try our best to address the questions posed by students. We will feature FAQs and Answers here so that it is easy to see everything on one page 😃

How to ask questions? Scroll all the way down to the ‘Comment’ Section below and ask away!

48 Important FAQs for GP (Essay Skill)

Generic Tips and Requirements for Essay

1. FAQ: Are some Essay questions easier than others? How do we tell?

Answer: Yes, the more requirements a question has, the harder it is because it means you have to address all the different requirements to comprehensively answer the question. For instance, a question that is cross-themed (having more than 1 theme) would be harder since you need examples and knowledge from both, and the context becomes much more specific and hence limited.

Other requirements include modications like absolutes, extent, comparison etc. This is why question analysis is extremely crucial and must be thoroughly done before we begin writing the Essay

2. FAQ: How many paragraphs do you recommend for essay?

Answer: I would say 4-5 body paragraphs would be ideal (that means excluding Intro + Conclusion). Out of these paragraphs, it would be good for the argument to have more paragraphs (you can have any combination but logically the argument should have more since it’s your stand). Doing a 2-2 split between both stands is also okay as long as you explain why you have chosen one stand over the other. Explain this in the intro.

Anything fewer than 4 paragraphs would be lacking in content, so do try to write at least 4. Of course, quality still matters but quantity is a necessary pre-requisite to give your essay enough scope

3. FAQ: I don’t get why I can’t just memorise essays? Why wont it work?

Answer: Memorising and regurgitating are honestly not effective for GP because subjects at the A Levels tend to value evaluation and critical thinking, especially GP. For GP, your entire essay is based on that 1 question with maybe around 7 words. It means that keywords in the question are extremely significant. Even if an exam question seems similar to the question of some model essay you memorised, they will still be important nuanced differences unique to this exam question. Arguments must suit the question requirements in order to ATQ.

Hence, the most effective way is really to have sound question analysis skills and be able to craft cogent arguments (TLDR: You can be inspired by content you read, but you need to know how to tweak it to the exam question)

4. FAQ: Should I try essay questions I’m unfamiliar with?

Answer: To do well for essays, we need to have a decent content knowledge of that specific theme so that we can provide nuanced perspectives and concrete examples. This would also help to differentiate our essay and let it stand out. Hence, it would be advisable to pick a question that we are at least somewhat familiar with, if we are talking about the exam context.

During practices, however, we can feel free to explore other unfamiliar questions. This is especially good to practice our brainstorming techniques and skills. Who knows, we may also end up enjoying some other themes that we don’t usually consider. In short, pick something familiar for the exams unless we have no choice, but feel free to experiment with other themes in practices

5. FAQ: What kind of feedback do I need to improve my essay?

Answer: This is a great question because feedback is extremely crucial to help us pinpoint our areas of improvement. GP is ultimately a skills-focused subject. We should actively seek back for our work so that we can maximise learning and know how to improve these skills.

i) Effective feedback breaks down the essay into different skills to analyse it. Breaking it down is far more useful than general feedback about whether our argument is persuasive or not. In this way, we can zoom in on specific skills to take concrete steps of improvement

ii) Effective feedback needs to diagnose the problem and explain exactly how to improve. Identifying lacking aspects is only step one. The more important step is to outline what is needed to improve. For e.g. Why is the example lacking? Why is the topic sentence not answering the question? How can scope be well addressed?

iii) Effective feedback should be tailored to our strengths, weaknesses and needs. It would be ideal for the feedback to consider how we have been progressing so that we can track our improvement and evaluate how to tweak our current studying strategies

6. FAQ: How long should each main paragraph be in my essay?

Answer: Typically, I would recommend students to look at 250-350 words. 250 is a good minimum because we do need words to sufficiently explain the logic in our argument and make it persuasive. 350 is the upper cap because we cannot write excessively such that the paragraph becomes convoluted. That being said, we must remember that quality matters. It’s not about writing random things till we hit 250 words. We would still need to ensure our argument is coherent and explicitly addresses question

7. FAQ: What should I be looking out for when my essay has been marked?

Answer: To make the fullest use of feedback and comments provided, we need to look at a few things. First, identify the different issues we are facing. Second, the more important step is to examine the WHY. Think about why these problems exist and not just what these problems are. For e.g, if we did not manage to answer the question, was it because our topic sentence was not well-elaborated enough? Third, think about what this means for the future. How can we turn this issue into an actionable? What would we need to remember and do next time? Ideally, these three aspects are already clearly stated in the feedback. Feel free to ask questions or go for consultation sessions if we need a clearer idea

8. FAQ: How long should each of my essay paragraphs be?

Answer: The good rule of thumb to follow is about 280-400 words. As much as quality matters more than quantity, we would still need sufficient words to ensure that our ideas are well elaborated and well substantiated.

The most common issue observed is the lack of explanation, where we assume some of our ideas are automatically link, or we only touch on the surface of an example but fail to show its significance to the question. Body paragraphs that are too short would likely suffer from this issue

Essay Planning & Question Analysis

1. FAQ: How do I plan for my essay? What do I have to do for my planning step?

Answer: You could plan by focusing on three things: Stand, Arguments, Examples.

Know what Stand you will pick and have a reason for why you have chosen that over the opposing stand.

Outline the Arguments and Examples for each individual paragraph. You should know very clearly how they will go from one point to another before you even start writing, so that you have a clear direction how to proceed when you begin! It shouldn’t be a vague idea. It needs to be very clear and very convincing.

In the planning stage, you could also brainstorm different points you want to write and consider whether your points have sufficiently covered the entire scope of the question, and provided enough insight

2. FAQ: How to brainstorm and think of points to write?

Answer: There are a few frameworks that I personally use and I will share a few. Firstly, you can think about the different parties involved in an issue, and think about what different perspectives they may have. From there it could help you understand some arguments for that topic.

Secondly, you can consider the tensions existing. What tensions exist? Between who? Why do they exist? How are these tensions reconciled?

Lastly, you can also try reverse brainstorming from examples. From your examples, think about what makes them significant and hence what argument are you able to construct from there. Some students find this easier because the moment they see the question some examples already come to mind

3. FAQ: Cher, I want to ask how many words I need to write per paragraph!

Answer: As I mentioned previously, quantity doesn’t guarantee quality. But writing too little would definitely compromise quality because the paragraph would lack persuasive argumentation or lack diverse examples, or maybe even lack explicit links to the question.

Hence, a rule of thumb I have is for students to write somewhere between 250-350 words. Anything below 250 is often quite lacking. Anything above 350 ends up sounding convoluted and not focused. So the sweet spot is really somewhere in this range. And it would also depend on how many paragraphs you have, if you only have 4 instead of 5 then you would definitely want paragraphs that are in the higher part of our word count range. But above all, quality is key, please ensure you’re making good arguments that are well-developed, thoughtful and nuanced

4. FAQ: Can you please outline for me what I need to do for planning my essay?

Answer: Begin by analysing the question and understanding all the various requirements. Some questions could have more requirements than others (like additional context, conditions or comparison between variables etc). Ensure you are very clear what is the assertion/claim you are addressing with your essay.

Next, think of your points. You may use some brainstorming tools at this point. The idea is to go beyond just points to also think of the logic that underpins these arguments. Elaborate on your points to make them convincing (focus on the logic). This adds depth to your arguments and yes it should be done in the planning so that the writing process can proceed smoothly later.

You may then think of your stand/thesis + reason why you chose it. Finally, think about how to structure your intro + define key terms

5. FAQ: What do I have to do when the essay question has 2 variables?

Answer: A common mistake students have is dedicating different paragraphs to different variables. For instance, if the question has ‘environment’ and ‘economy’, students may discuss environment in one paragraph and discuss environment in the next, with no overlaps.

The right approach is to actually discuss both variables in every paragraph, in every point. The question focuses on the relationship between the variables. Hence, we would have to address this comparative element consciously and consistently throughout the essay

6. FAQ: I always struggle to think of points. What methods do you suggest I can use for brainstorming?

Answer: The basic rule thumb of is: the more content knowledge we have, the easier it is for us to think of points. However, that is not to say that brainstorming has no purpose. Brainstorming is extremely important for us to ACTIVATE this latent knowledge. Regardless of whether we have a lot/a little content knowledge, brainstorming helps to turn our knowledge into essay points.

Brainstorming methods include: thinking about the tensions that exist and why they exist, considering perspectives of different parties in the issue, thinking about the positive and negative aspects, examining the significance of related examples. The bottom line is ask questions. Questions are powerful triggers to help activate our knowledge

7. FAQ: How many perspectives should we consider in an essay?

Answer: Broadly speaking, we should look at 2 views for every question: agree/disagree. However, within these 2 views, there would be different perspectives involved. For instance, attitudes towards artificial intelligence could differ between companies and governments. Even though both parties could express support for AI, their perspectives would still have a nuanced difference in terms of factors being considered when evaluating AI.

Simply put, we should consider various perspectives among both views and we should try to analyse as many as possible to provide a comprehensive discussion

8. FAQ: Is PEEL structure useful?

Answer: The PEEL structure for essay paragraphs is a good framework that explains what components exist in a paragraph. However, the more important thing is to understand what determines a strong PEEL that is done effectively and how we can achieve that.

We need to understand that PEEL is trying to build a coherent argument; they are not just separate parts. The point must be related to the example, and the explanation needs to link back to the question. A strong PEEL pays very close attention to the main argument the paragraph is trying to put forth

9. FAQ: How do we define keywords in essay questions? Is there a method we can use?

Answer: After identifying the keywords, I would suggest two methods. Method 1 involves thinking about the synonyms. Method 2 is my preferred one that considers ‘what does it look like?’. For example, what does it look like when we say tech is dangerous, what does it looks like when we say that social media can create change, or that conservation should be prioritised?

Thinking about the meaning can be more helpful than simply finding synonyms. This question helps us to critically reflect on certain key traits and aspects that the keyword entails

10. FAQ: Do we think before we write or do we write and think along the way?

Answer: Thanks for this important question. Extensive planning should be done before writing, where we think about the details of our arguments, the significance of our examples and our overall direction & scope. We need to have a clear idea how we will proceed before we start writing, in order to deliver a coherent and logical essay.

That being said, we would still need to think and analyse even while writing. We have to check whether our points are making sense, whether our language is appropriate and whether we are sticking to what the question is asking for. In other words, clearly plan the details but also actively check while writing

Essay Intro & Conclusion

1. FAQ: What do I have to write in the Thesis statement?

Answer: Simply put, Thesis should contain 2 main components: STAND + REASON. In your stand, you should explicitly answer the question and show what your view is. Try not to just repeat the question word-for-word; it’s better to vary your expression and paraphrase it.

For the Reason, you’re explaining why you have chosen your stand over the opposing stand. In other words, what makes your stand more compelling than the other stand. Reason is very important, a thesis is not simply stating your stand, you must make sure it’s an argument that seeks to persuade

2. FAQ: What is the focus or purpose of an Essay intro?

Answer: i) You are unpacking key ideas pertaining to the topic. This is important because it gives substance to your ideas. It includes defining the main keywords that you need to address

ii) You set the context of the topic, it helps your reader to be on the same page as you and hence be more convinced by your arguments

iii) You outline the arguments that you will be making so it gives the reader a clear idea of what to expect, and it will also enhance the coherence of your essay

iv) You clearly state your stand and provide a reason for it. In doing so, you’re directly answering the question

3. FAQ: What should I write in the conclusion of my essay?

Answer: The important thing about both Intro and Conclusion is how they emphasise your stand. The intro first conveys the idea and the conclusion needs to then reiterate it. There should be a clear link between the intro and conclusion. This means that we should have thought of how we want to conclude before we even begin writing.

Also, these are good areas to unpack the topic and deliver out interpretation of the topic. It is where personal voice can truly stand out, be sure to seize the chance to write something that is powerful and memorable

4. FAQ: May I know how to write an effective intro and conclusion for essay?

Answer: The intro’s purpose is to unpack some key words from the question, to help our reader understand how we understood the topic and issues involved. More importantly, the intro aims to provide an overview of the various arguments and counter-arguments we would discuss in the essay. Finally, the intro needs to provide a clear stand and be sure that this stand has to be substantiated with reason; it cannot merely be stated. Focus on these objectives to craft an effective intro.

As for the conclusion, it is a lot simpler. The only requirements are to reiterate main points that have l been raised in the question and emphasise the stand. The conclusion is much shorter than the intro.

Ideally, both the intro and conclusion have strong personal voice because we need to establish favourable first and last impressions of our writing

5. FAQ: What’s the difference between a thesis statement and a stand? Is it the same?

Answer: I would say that a thesis statement is more than a stand. Our stand states which side of the issue we are aligned with (agree or disagree with the question). But the more important question is: why? The thesis statement, therefore, combines the stand with a reason.

A compelling thesis statement should clearly express the stand and support it with justification. In doing so, it can also take the opportunity to provide an overview of key arguments that will be outlined in our essay. Essentially, it is 1-2 lines that capture the entire essence of the essay and helps reader know what to anticipate in the upcoming paragraphs

6. FAQ: What goes into a good thesis statement?

Answer: An effective thesis statement provides a stand together with a reason. This stand should clearly ATQ (many students express an ambiguous stand that don’t have much connection with the question). More importantly, there should be a compelling argument that explains why this stand is made. With that, the thesis statement should provide readers with a clear direction of how the essay would proceed

7. FAQ: What’s the difference between thesis and argument?

Answer: Our thesis statement contains our stand and the reason for our stand. We can understand it as our overall argument for the entire question. In this overall argument are different body paragraphs of supporting and counter arguments. When we put all these points together, they form a common thread that answers the question. Simply put, arguments in different paragraphs come together to form our thesis statement

8. FAQ: What do I write in my essay conclusion? Is it just repeating my points?

Answer: The conclusion serves as a nice wrap-up of all the points discussed. We shouldn’t simply repeat our points, we should strive to draw links between all the points we have raised, explaining how they relate to one another or how one point limits the validity of another.

Making these macro connections could increase the coherence of the essay. We should also use the space to reiterate our overall stand, particularly explaining why we have chosen our stand over the opposing one. Finally, we may offer some interesting insights or food for thought to end off

Essay Arguments & Elaboration

1. FAQ: What is the difference between a Counter-argument and a Rebuttal?

Answer: CA refers to the view opposite from your stand. In CA, you can discuss and explain why other people may have a different stand for the question. A Rebuttal is showing the limitations of your CA. You can also think of it as a kind of argument because in rebutting the CA, you’re building towards your main stand, just like how your arguments support your stand

2. FAQ: Should I just memorise essays? I heard that my senior did well because the essay he memorised came out for A Levels.

Answer: In general, you shouldn’t memorise the entire essay and hope to regurgitate in the exams. Questions have many variations, so if you were to simply copy-paste what you have memorised, you may not have addressed the question’s requirements. Maybe the ones you memorised are not even in the exam at all!

What is more important is for you to understand the logic behind some of the model essays you’re reading. How are the arguments constructed? This logic is the truly useful takeaway that can be applied regardless of what question appears.

That being said, of course you may memorise certain phrases or words that left an impression on you. A little bit of memory work here could help you become more confident in your writing. In short, focus on Skills and Logic instead of simply memorising

3. FAQ: Is the Rebuttal same as the Argument?

Answer: The Rebuttal (R) and your Argument (A) paragraphs are similar because they contribute to the same stand (your stand). The Counter-argument (CA) contributes to the opposing stand.

However, the R has an added requirement of responding to your CA. It is not an entirely new point; it has to address the CA and show its limitations. The A, on the other hand, can be a completely different point with no link to the CA, and simply supports your stand

4. FAQ: Because of stuff you shared on this channel, recently I went to read comments on my past essays. Can I ask what it means when my teacher say I nvr link to question? I don’t get what I’m doing wrongly.

Answer: Not ATQ is one of the most common mistakes for Essay. To ensure that you ATQ, the easiest way is to first establish what you’re answering. Which part of the question are you answering? There will always be a word/phrase that you’re responding to.

For e.g. Should we be wary or Artificial Intelligence? Wary becomes the question. Your 2 views are: Should be wary + Should not be wary. So each paragraph has to explicitly link to this requirement in order to ATQ. You cannot just discuss the pros and cons of AI. You must take it one step further and look at whether the pros/cons mean we should be wary or should not. Be very mindful about ATQ and make it a very conscious step throughout your writing

5. FAQ: How do I show balance and not contradict myself or at least not sound contradictory for my essay?

Answer: Typically, when we introduce counter-arguments we would also highlight who holds such a perspective. We would make it clear that it’s not our opinion (since it contradicts our stand), but rather it’s a possible opinion that a group of individuals could express.

It would be helpful to use terms like ‘Detractors’, ‘Realists’, ‘Critics’ to clearly indicate the people who hold this counter-argument view. Of course the word you use need to make sense in the context of your point. Just make sure your essay clearly distinguishes your arguments from your counter and not sound like you’re ambivalent or fickle

6. FAQ: For my counter argument can I write smth that is not so good? I don’t want it to weaken my stand.

Answer: The quality of your counter-argument would also contribute to the quality of your entire essay. It shows how well you understand different perspectives presented on an issue and how proficient you are at analysing the possible arguments made for an issue.

Purposely writing a weaker counter is what we call a strawman fallacy where you purposely created a weak argument just so you can refute it. It’s ok for the counter to be strong, it will not sound contradictory nor undermine your stand as long as you have a solid reason to explain why you have chosen your view. This explanation can either be in the rebuttal paragraph or in your thesis in the intro

7. FAQ: Actually how long is a topic sentence, is it just the first line I use in my paragraph?

Answer: This is an interesting question. A topic sentence (TS), contrary to its name, is actually not just one single sentence. One single sentence would have difficulties sufficiently explaining the argument. As such, the next 1-2 sentence after your TS should work on explain some ideas you have introduced in your TS. To put it simply, a well-argued TS should comprise 2-3 sentences and the goal of the TS is to give a clear idea of what argument you will be presenting in this paragraph. Also make sure that your TS directly answers whatever the question is asking, a lot of students always overlook this!

8. FAQ: Should I write my counter first, or is it something like counter, my view, counter, my view?

Answer: I usually recommend that we write our counter-arguments (CA) first because what comes after would have more impact. What comes after will have the chance to respond to what has been said. In other, writing our CA first allows us to respond to the CA and explain why we have chosen our view over the CA. This is quite important because it expresses a strong view even while we show balance.

Switching between CA and our view back and forth could make it quite confusing for readers. We could also run the risk of sounding contradictory. It’s better to separate them neatly and allow for a more coherent read. If we want to put out CA at the end, that’s alright too but we must make sure we use the right transition phrases to avoid sounding contradictory

9. FAQ: How do i elaborate more in my body paragraphs?

Answer: The first thing we should remember is that elaboration = argumentation. Our elaboration is supposed to help develop our argument by providing details to the point that we have raised. To elaborate more, we need to plan beforehand what argument we want to craft in the paragraph. Having a clear idea of the argument would give us a direction to elaborate.

Next, it’s about making our arguments persuasive. What do I have to elaborate on in order for my point to make sense and effectively persuade? What would my reader want to know? This should be the key question we keep in mind when we are writing. Also, elaborate on the significance of the examples, explain how these facts relate back to the question

10. FAQ: What are the question types for essay and which are easier?

Answer: We typically organise questions based on the themes they belong to. But we may also think along the lines of question requirements. There are mainly 4 questions requirements that could appear and take note that these are additional requirements, meaning that not all questions have them. The more requirements there are, the harder the question is. These 4 are: Absolute, Context, Extext, Variables.

In our writing, we have to show awareness of and actively address these requirements. For eg, if there are 2 variables, every paragraph needs to address BOTH variables. If there’s a context, our examples need to reflect that context. As I mentioned, the easier questions are those without these extra requirements

11. FAQ: How to be persuasive in essays?

Answer: Persuasion comes in two main forms: Logos, Pathos. In other words, Logic and Emotions. Our writing is persuasive when we provide sound logic. There needs to be a strong logic that underpins our arguments and this logic needs to be developed. Explanation is key instead of merely stating our point. Be sure to actively check the logic of our points, and plan this logic before writing.

Emotion comes in with personal voice and language. This relates more to the choice of words we use, how we describe ideas or even how we vary sentence structures. All of these contribute to the mood/feel of our writing which adds to persuasion. Pay attention to the connotation of words (whether they sound positive or negative), and use them appropriately based on the stand of the paragraph

12. FAQ: How do I practice writing topic sentences?

Answer: We would first need to know what makes an effective TS. An effective TS needs to give an idea of how the argument will be developed in the paragraph, as well as directly ATQ. ATQ is very important right from the start of the paragraph and the TS should capture that.

We can practice by writing out TS for different questions (we can skip the examples). From there we would be able to quickly practice writing multiple TS for multiple questions. After writing, proceed to check whether the TS achieves the dual purpose stated above (overview of argument + ATQ).

This process of crafting a TS and reviewing it would help us get more familiar, as well as let us practice many different questions in a short period of time

13. FAQ: Should I write my counter argument together with my rebuttal in the same paragraph?

Answer: I would usually encourage students to separate them, to increase clarity and coherence. The CA and the Rebuttal belong to different views because the latter is aligned with our supporting argument (our thesis). It is useful to clearly distinguish between them to prevent any confusion. The rebuttal should also be substantial, having its own examples to support it (just like any other body paragraph), so it would be better to put it as its own paragraph

14. FAQ: How can I give more depth to the points I write? How can I better explain?

Answer: Depth and critical thinking are indeed key aspects of persuasive argumentation in GP. We arrive at them by focusing on the idea of logic and explanation. Whenever we explain A leads to B, we need to recognise there are many steps in between the elaborate on the details to clearly outline how this relationship happens. Of course, examples would help to substantiate, but the baseline is we need to have a strong logic that underpins our claims

15. FAQ: Can I put my topic sentence at the end of my paragraph?

Answer: It would be recommended for the TS to appear at the start of a paragraph so that readers have a clear idea of how the paragraph would proceed. It also ensures that we focus on answering the question before moving on to describe examples. Putting it at the end could leave readers lost while reading the paragraph, having to decipher the main argument and maybe even missing the point. This would compromise the persuasiveness of the argument

16. FAQ: How to not sound contradictory when giving a balanced view?

Answer: Usually in essays we would clearly state what our view is (in our thesis). The opposing view would be phrased as a possible view that some individuals might have, and we could even specify these individuals. This would clearly differentiate between what views we have and what views others possibly hold. Clear transition would also ensure that we do not contradict ourselves

Essay Examples

1. FAQ: How do I find examples for my essay?

Answer: Current affairs can be your best friend. Think of significant news events around you and try to link them to a GP topic. Any event can be potentially turned into an example if you know the details and can explain why it is significant to the topic

2. FAQ: How many examples do I need to have in my essay?

Answer: In general, a stronger paragraph usually has 2 in-depth examples. If you’re going to write 4-5 body paragraphs, you would need to have 8-10 examples. Try to hit 8 examples minimally because that would help you cover the entire scope set out by the question. This is referring to examples where you really go in-depth to provide details, not those that you namedrop or briefly state. This is why it becomes important to study GP content in a focused manner (unless of course you read very very widely – and read the right stuff)

3. FAQ: I was trying to study for my examples yesterday. Actually is it okay to use stats as example for essay?

Answer: When it comes to examples, there are different types of examples (with some being more effective than others). Statistics are helpful for certain specific arguments where the numbers really matter. However, we should not overuse statistics because for any issue we can always find supporting AND conflicting statistics, which means it can end up being subjective. Numbers alone may not be the best evidence to support an argument.

Instead, effective examples tend to be case studies where there is an in-depth examination of a particular issue, be it via an individual, an event or a trend. Case studies that are significant are very effective in substantiating our arguments. A helpful indicator is whether your example has a narrative – Case studies have narratives that reveal insights to ATQ

4. FAQ: For ‘in your society’ questions, can I use examples from other countries? Or has to only be about Singapore?

Answer: ‘In your society’ essay questions have a specific focus on the local context. This means that the arguments and examples should all be relevant for the situation in Singapore. Doing well for such questions requires a very nuanced and keen understanding of Singapore, including the perspectives, the issues and the recent events relating to the topic

If we wish to bring in examples from other countries, we may only do so as a point of comparison. This is to say we shouldn’t just talk about some overseas example without relating it to Singapore. We can only use it to explain similarities or differences, and it would be best to follow-up with a corresponding local example

5. FAQ: Should I have 1 or 2 examples per paragraph?

Answer: Ideally, 2 examples substantiating a point makes our argument a lot stronger. It will also show how we are not example-driven because our arguments can be applied across different contexts. Two examples would also allow us to cover a broader scope for the question.

That being said, not every paragraph needs to have 2 examples. We need to still take into account time constraints. In cases where we only have 1 example, we must ensure that it is a substantial one that is significant enough for us to use just 1 example to craft a compelling argument. This 1 example should not just be a single statement of fact

6.FAQ: How important are examples in AQ?

Answer: I would say, just like essay, examples are crucial to support our arguments. However, arguments are still very key to deliver a strong piece. In the case of AQ, arguments refer to how we evaluate the author’s points and how we argue whether the point applies to Singapore. Essentially, the claim we are addressing is whether or not the author’s points are relevant for Singapore. We can think of examples and arguments as equally important. Take note that examples help to illustrate the unique characteristics of Singapore, which underpins our arguments

ZAscension GP Genie is a new initiative, the list will continue to expand when we receive more questions, so please feel free to ask!

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