Before we write it again

Text A: Keep the earlier attempt — an original student opinion

When our teacher asked us to rewrite an essay, I wanted a clean page. The first version contained sentences I would never choose now, and the comments seemed to cover more space than my argument. Then she asked us to compare one paragraph with something we had written six months earlier. I had remembered the old piece as better than it was. Seeing the two together made improvement visible in a way that a new score had not.

We should keep a small selection of earlier work and read it before beginning a substantial rewrite. A collection of polished final versions tells a misleading story about learning. It conceals the false starts, the examples that did not fit and the moment when a writer finally understood the question. Those are not embarrassing leftovers. They can show what changed and which change was worth making.

Looking back can also prevent us repeating an old difficulty without noticing. If every new essay is treated as an unrelated event, a teacher may write the same useful advice several times. A student who compares two introductions might recognise a habit that remains hidden inside the details of separate topics. That recognition gives the next attempt a particular aim instead of the vague instruction to do better.

I do not want a room full of folders nobody opens. Choose a few pieces, explain what they show and give students time to use them. The collection should belong to the learner, not become another display designed to prove that teaching has taken place. Its value is the conversation between attempts, not the weight of paper kept on a shelf. A brief note explaining why a piece was selected would help a future reader see the purpose of keeping it.

Text B: A fresh start can be useful — an original response from a writing tutor

Earlier work can reveal progress, but it can also hold a writer in the shape of an earlier answer. When students rewrite with the old paragraph directly beside them, they often replace a few words and preserve the same weak structure. The draft becomes a path which is difficult to leave. Sometimes I ask them to explain the argument aloud, put the original away and begin again from what they now understand.

There is another risk in compulsory collections. A student may see old work as evidence of failure rather than development, particularly if every piece is kept with its mark prominently attached. One learner enjoys seeing a sequence of drafts; another finds the growing file discouraging. We should not assume that the same ritual creates the same useful reflection for everyone.

Selection matters. An old piece written with extensive help may not be a fair comparison with a later timed response. Different questions also make different demands. If we claim improvement solely because a mark has risen, we may overlook those conditions. A thoughtful comparison asks what the writer can now do, not simply which number is larger or which page contains fewer corrections.

I would offer several ways to review. Students could identify one recurring difficulty, compare a short passage, or explain a change without retaining every full draft. They should be allowed to put an earlier version aside once it has served its purpose. Looking back is a tool, not a duty to remain surrounded by every mistake. The goal is a stronger next piece, which may require both remembering earlier choices and escaping them.

Your English class is discussing whether students should review earlier work before rewriting. Write a speech to your classmates giving your views and recommending a useful approach.

Use your own words and base your response on both sources. In your response:

• evaluate what reviewing earlier work can reveal and what it may prevent
• recommend how students should use or set aside earlier drafts when rewriting

Write about 250 to 350 words. Up to 10 marks are available for reading and up to 25 marks for writing.