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A Guide to Essay Writing

Institute of Lifelong Learning



Why write essays?

Essay writing can help you to:

• Organise your thinking

•Develop your own point of view on an issue

• Get to grips with new information, ideas andexperiences

• Practise expressing your own ideas andarguments

• Get feedback from your tutor/supervisor about howmuch you have understood and how well you areable to communicate this



Course requirements

Read your course handbook carefully and followinstructions regarding written work.

Check out any particular requirements such as:

• Length or word limit

• Whether scripts must be typed

• How references should be presented

• Format



1 Thinking about the essay question or title

•

Should you use your ownexperiences and opinions aswell as referring to thework/theories of others?Consider the appropriatebalance.

• How many parts are there tothe question? How muchweight should you give toeach part?

• Underline the key words• Check that you understand

the main Directive words, e.g.

Criticise, Discuss, Justify,Review.

• Define the key concepts.

•

Examine the precisewording of the title so thatyou can decide exactlywhat you are being askedto do. Identify the keywords.

• Consider the assumptionsbehind the question andthe implications that arise.

• Does the topic requiregeneral treatment orspecific reference tocertain aspects?

• What sort of evidence orillustrations/examples willyou need to back up yourargument?



2 Collecting the material

• Make notes under separateheadings - adding your ownviews about how theories can becomplementary - or oppositeapproaches.

• Follow up further sources and

make use of journals, research

papers, encyclopaedias,

dictionaries, etc.

• Record all the sources at the

time you use them, including

page numbers, ready for yourList of References. (Researchers

and postgraduates may find a

PC bibliography package, such

as Papyrus, useful.)

• Brainstorm. Having examined the titlethoroughly, write down all the thoughtsand ideas that come into your mind at thisstage. Decide what information you need.

• Start researching early to takeadvantage of relevant and useful ideasthat come up in lectures, seminars,

discussions or general reading.• Start focussed reading. On some

courses you will be given booklists whichwill provide the main source of ideas andinformation - otherwise access the Librarycatalogue for relevant material.

• Read selectively and purposefully. (You don't have to read books from cover

to cover.) As you read, begin to formulatequestions. How will this be relevant to theessay? Will this support my argument - orcause me to change my views?

http://www.rdg.ac.uk/studyskills/study_resources/study_guides/note-taking%202.htm

http://www.rdg.ac.uk/studyskills/study_resources/study_guides/note-taking%202.htm



3 Thinking creatively • Consider why you are writing this essay and why you are taking this approach.

• What is your personal angle or "spin"?

• Keeping this in mind, from reading and notes choose your main themes and

arguments.

• Put them into order - so that they will flow.

• Sort out the evidence - references, examples, illustrations to back up your

specific points.

•

Try to argue from the opposite point of view. Is there evidence for this?

• Find the balance and some new conclusions.

• Can this be developed further?



4 Planning the essay

All essays should conform to the basic

structure of :

• Introduction

• Main body of essay

• Conclusion



Introduction

• Open up the subject and prepare the ground.

• Explain how you understand the title.

• Say why you have chosen this topic and this

(these) particular aspect(s).• Define parameters. (Say what areas you will

include and, if appropriate, acknowledge the

limits.)

• Include definitions where necessary.

• Give an outline of how you will be dealing with

the topic and what you will be discussing.



Main body

• Develop your ideas and arguments.

• Each paragraph should have one main

point, backed up by evidence e.g.references, examples, illustrations,

quotations, etc.

• Keep in touch with the title by referring

back from time to time.



Conclusion

• Should not contain new material.

• Summarise main ideas and arguments.

• State conclusions or balance of argument.

• Suggest wider implications or future trends

and research.

• Before writing, check that the planned essay will:

Answer the question that was set

Cover the main aspects



5 Writing the essay

• Each paragraph should linknaturally with preceding andfollowing paragraphs.

• Leave the first draft for a dayso that when you return you willlook at it more objectively. Makesure that your plan is coherent.

Change paragraph order wherenecessary. Add what is missingand delete the irrelevant.

• Edit the paragraphs, checkingfor ambiguity. Change wording;correct grammar and spelling.

• Make sure that you have

acknowledged all sources in theBibliography/List of References.

• Write a first draft just as theideas come. Don't worry aboutprecise wording.

• You don't have to startwriting at the beginning. Beginwith the section that you feel willbe the easiest.

• Write in as clear a style aspossible so that your reader canunderstand you. Avoidabbreviations and slang.

• Write in paragraphs. The firstsentence will introduce the topicor theme - as a sign-post of whatis to follow. Then develop theidea or argument and back it upwith the evidence. The finalsentence in a paragraph maysummarise the point and/or referback to the essay title - unlessthe following paragraph iscontinuing on to develop thesame ideas.



Final checklist

•

Have I answered the question that was set?• Have I covered the main aspects?

• Is the content relevant and accurate?

•

Is the material arranged logically?• Does the essay move smoothly from paragraph

to paragraph?

• Is each main point supported by examples and

argument?

• Have I acknowledged all sources and

references?



Institute of Lifelong Learning

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