English Paper 3 Essay Guide: Planning, Structure and Register

NSC English Paper 3 is a writing paper. Both Home Language and First Additional Language learners write one long essay (50 marks) and two shorter transactional pieces (25 and 30 marks respectively). It is one of the most marker-friendly papers in the NSC because you choose the topics. It is also one of the most marker-frustrating papers because most learners under-plan.

The three sections

• Section A: the essay. Choose one of about six topics: narrative, descriptive, argumentative, discursive, reflective, or pictorial. You have 50 marks.
• Section B: the longer transactional. Choose one of three topics: a friendly or formal letter, a report, a review, a speech, a magazine article, or a newspaper article. You have 30 marks.
• Section C: the shorter transactional. Choose one of three options: an email, a diary entry, a set of instructions, an invitation, an advertisement, a poster or a dialogue. You have 25 marks.

Choose the essay in Section A first, because it is worth the most and takes the longest.

The 50-mark essay: plan before you write

Spend ten minutes planning. The examiner rewards structure and originality; if you start writing without a plan, both suffer. Your plan should contain:

• Title (write one that is intriguing, not a restatement of the topic).
• Type of essay (narrative, discursive, etc.).
• The main idea in one sentence.
• Five plot points (for a narrative) or five arguments (for a discursive/argumentative).
• A closing image or sentence.

Choosing the essay type

• Narrative. Choose this only if you have a story with a clear conflict and resolution. A narrative essay without conflict is not a story.
• Descriptive. Choose this if you are strong at figurative language. You will need at least six extended metaphors or similes.
• Discursive. Present both sides of an argument and let the reader decide. Great for undecided writers.
• Argumentative. Take a clear side and defend it with evidence. Good for confident writers.
• Reflective. Personal, philosophical. Choose only if you have a clear opinion and can express it maturely.

Structure of the essay

400 to 450 words for HL, 250 to 300 words for FAL. Write in three sections:

• Introduction (about 15% of the word count) — hook, context, thesis. The hook can be a question, a startling fact or a short scene. Do not start with "In this essay I will …".
• Body (about 70%) — three or four paragraphs. Each paragraph has a topic sentence and develops one idea. Use paragraph breaks whenever the focus shifts.
• Conclusion (about 15%) — sum up in a way that resonates. Return to the hook if you can.

Register: match the genre

Register is the tone and level of formality. A magazine article for teenagers is casual and personal. A formal letter to a municipality is formal and impersonal. A speech at a school assembly is somewhere in between. The examiner marks register explicitly — mismatched register drops your score by an entire level.

The transactional pieces

Every transactional piece has a fixed layout. Memorise them.

Formal letter. Sender's address top right. Date under the address. Recipient's address top left. Salutation "Dear Sir/Madam" or a named person if given. Body in three paragraphs: introduction, main point with details, closing. Closing "Yours faithfully" if you used "Dear Sir/Madam", "Yours sincerely" if you used a name. Name printed under the signature.

Friendly letter. Sender's address top right. Date. Salutation "Dear Neo". Body in casual paragraphs. Closing "Love", "Best" or "Kind regards". First name only.

Newspaper article. Headline (short, catchy). Byline. Introduction paragraph that answers who, what, when, where. Body paragraphs developing the story. Third-person, past tense.

Magazine article. Headline. Byline. Introduction with a hook. Body paragraphs with sub-headings if space allows. First or second person, present or past tense as appropriate. Closing sentence that leaves the reader thinking.

Speech. Salutation ("Ladies and gentlemen, honoured guests, my fellow learners"). Introduction with a rhetorical device (question, quote, anecdote). Body with three main arguments. Closing that calls to action or thanks the audience.

Review. Introduction that names the film / book / event. Body that summarises briefly, then evaluates plot, characters, technical elements. Conclusion with a recommendation and a rating.

Report. Heading ("REPORT ON …"). To / From / Date. Terms of reference. Findings (numbered or bulleted). Conclusion. Recommendations. Signed.

Diary entry. Date. Dear Diary. First-person present or past. Emotional and reflective. No formal structure.

Language, spelling and punctuation

Language marks are 15 of the 50 marks on the essay and 5 of every 25 or 30 marks on the transactional pieces. Aside from grammar, learners lose these marks by:

• Never using a semicolon or colon (variety of punctuation is a marker for a higher level).
• Overusing "very" and "a lot".
• Long sentences with no full stops.
• Repeating the same sentence opener ("I", "I", "I").

Leave five minutes at the end to reread each piece and fix errors. Read it aloud in your head — you will hear the awkward sentences.

Choose bravely, plan carefully, and finish

The biggest mistake in Paper 3 is running out of time. Better a slightly rushed conclusion than no conclusion. Better a plan you deviated from than no plan at all. Choose your topic quickly, plan for ten minutes, and write.