Like every teacher, I will urge you to analyse and explain rather than describe and tell the story (the posh word is the “narrative”)
Here are different approaches to writing an essay and what you can expect from them:
Describe and tell the story well and pass
Describe and tell the story very well and get an ok pass
Analyse and explain weakly and get a pass
Analyse and explain ok and get a good pass
Analyse and explain well and get a very good pass
Analyse and explain very well and get a great pass
Now let’s pause – If you describe and tell the story very well you get a good pass: very well = good. Doesn’t seem fair. Whereas if you analyse and explain ok you get a good pass too. And if you analyse and explain well you get a very good pass: well = very good. That seems better! And that very well = great, that seems , well, great!
Seems to be, then, that analysing and explaining is the way to go, especially when even if your analysis and explanation is quite weak, you will most likely get a pass. Pause and take note: weak = pass!
So my question to you is: Durh, why not analyse and explain?
Do it for two years and you have to be better at the end of your course that when you started. Am I right, or am I right?