How to write an essay

General Advice

Start early

As soon as you are given an essay question, begin your thinking. If you don't, you
might miss useful information whilst doing other research. The television and radio
often have programmes on topical issues which could be of use - if you don't already
have some ideas for your essay you could miss their usefulness. It is similar to the
process when you learn a new word: because you have actually looked it up, it then
seems to appear more often. This is because you become more sensitive to it - the
same will happen with your essay subject.

Starting early also gives you the opportunity to draft and redraft your essay, talk to
someone else about it and get it typed up and ready to hand in on time. If you do your
essay the night before it is due in, it shows!

Collecting the material

It is important to collect information that is relevant. How? It is all too easy to dash to
the library, collect a huge pile of books and then browse aimlessly. You might learn
something, but you won't get your essay done.

The best place to start is by quickly jotting down what you already know about the
question: you will probably know more than you realise. It helps to get you thinking
about the topic and may also give you some ideas to follow up.

Purposeful reading

You need to adopt a strategic method: in order to read purposefully, formulate a set of
questions before you begin reading. As you read, more specific questions will arise
and you can look for the answers to these too. It is easy to do too much research and
end up getting confused by the facts and figures. Looking for the answers to
predetermined questions helps to avoid this.

Use varied sources of information

You will usually have a book list which will list the major sources of information for your
subject. Use the bibliographies in these books to extend your reading. You can refer to
your lecture notes, but don't rely solely on these, as they are often a general overview
or could contain incorrect information if you have misunderstood something. The most
productive sources of information are often subject specific journals, the "broadsheet"
newspapers (e.g. The Guardian, The Independent, The Observer) and ever increasing
on-line resources, such as the Internet. These publications often have specific days in
the week when they focus on issues such as business, society, law and so on. They
will not only give you solid up to date information on your subject, but they will give you
an indication of the style of writing which is required at this level.

Keep a notebook, record cards or data base

Jot down ideas, discussions, quotations or examples as you come across them. If you
don't write them down, you will inevitably forget them when it comes to writing up time.
This tactic also frees your mind, because you are not trying to remember small points
which can block creative thinking. As an alternative, try using small record cards which
can be shuffled and sorted out as you plan and write up your essay. This can also be
easily done on a computer - but a computer is harder to carry around!

Record your sources

Your notebook should also be used to write down exact details of the sources of
information which you use. Failure to do this will result in wasted time relooking for
information, frustration and even information being wasted because you can't use it,
due to not being able to state the source.
Understanding the question
When tutors set an essay question, they are trying to get you to show them how
much you know about a particular aspect of a subject, and if appropriate develop a
convincing argument. You must always answer the specific question set. Many
students go wrong because they don’t answer the question; they get side-tracked and
focus on the wrong aspect of the subject, or just write "all they know" about the
subject.

Some essay briefs are more helpful than others. Some will just give a statement
followed by the word "discuss". Others give structured details which guide you step by
step through what is really required. Whichever type you find yourself tackling,
checking the assessment criteria can help you to see in what sort of depth you are
required to write. Think of your tutor as your audience, be strategic, and find out what
your tutor wants to know.

Getting down to writing

Even the most experienced writer can find a blank page daunting. The trick is to just
start writing. It doesn’t matter where you begin as long as what you write ends up in
the right place in the end. Just write, don’t worry about spelling and style. Get your first
thoughts down on paper. Once you have done this you can sort out your ideas using
your initial plan.

If you compose on a computer you can "cut and paste", moving paragraphs around to
their final place in the essay. If you prefer pen and paper, leave a line or two between
ideas so you can physically "cut and paste". Get the scissors and sticky tape out and
cut your essay up. Sitting on the floor with your work spread out around you can be
useful at this stage. As long as you end up with a beginning (the introduction), a
middle (the body of the essay), and an end (the conclusion), you won’t go far wrong.

Your essay should follow this pattern:

An introduction should contain some comment on the topic of the essay - perhaps
definitions are needed, or some explanation of what you understand by the title. This
section should also state which aspects of the topic you intend to deal with and why.
Remember you are not writing a book, so you need to select a few main arguments to
support your answer to the question. Your introduction should consist of a guide to the
essay giving the reader a clear idea of what will follow and making it clear to your tutor
that you are going to answer the question set. (See Guide 1.22)

The body of the essay will take each of these main points and develop them with
examples and illustrations, using clearly defined paragraphs. This is where you will
need to think about the structure of your essay and make sure you follow a clear path
through to your conclusion. This section is where most writers go wrong, but if you
plan carefully you should have a direction for your essay before you start writing.

Your conclusion will summarise your main ideas. It might also be appropriate to give
a firm or tentative answer to the question. Or you may have chosen a question where
you need to suggest wider implications, or future trends. You could also suggest areas
worthy of further consideration. It is in this section that you can introduce your own
views - as long as they are based on the arguments you have developed earlier.
(See Guide 1.23)

It can help to have some idea of the length of each section; the following is a very
rough guide, NOT A REGULATION.
Introduction 7 - 8% of total length
Conclusion 12 - 15% of total length
Style (See Guide 1.20)
Many students worry about their writing style but remember, your words
express your thoughts and if you've got a clear plan and a real grasp of the material,
then you will have very little trouble writing with clarity and coherence. It's much better
to use clear straightforward language, although there is a difference between written
and spoken language. Don’t use obscure or complex words or phrases for the sake of
it, but avoid slang and abbreviations. Generally, stick to shorter sentences, but
remember to vary these with some longer ones occasionally. The main objective is to
be clear and concise so that your reader can follow your argument, and is not
distracted or irritated by irrelevant padding.
Paragraphs (See Guide 1.30)
A paragraph normally deals with one topic or aspect of a central issue. Two
paragraphs may be on different topics but linked by that difference - you may have two
paragraphs dealing with cause and effect, or positive and negative aspects of one
argument, or a before and after situation. Sometimes, the first sentence of a paragraph
is the "topic sentence" - that is, it explains what the paragraph is about and gives the
main theme.
Cohesion (See Guide 1.33)
The transition from one paragraph to another often presents some difficulty - but
it is essential to maintain continuity and give verbal signposts to your reader. Some
common linking words and phrases which can help you to do this are:
but, however, on
indicate CONTRAST
the other hand, yet
for example, that
indicate ILLUSTRATION
is
similarly,
moreover, furthermore, indicate EXTENSION
in addition
 therefore,
consequently, as a indicate CONCLUSION
result, thus
then, after that, THE NEXT
indicate
ultimately STEP

Referencing (See Guide 1.13)

Referencing within your work can be done in several ways, though most people
now favour the "Author, date" or "Harvard" referencing system. To use this, when you
quote from a book or other written source or summarize information in your own
words, you must put the author's surname and the date of publication in the text like
this:
According to Barnes (1996), there is a comprehensive guide to referencing
available in the library.
or
There is a comprehensive guide to referencing available in the library (Barnes 1996).
At the end of your essay you should give a full list of the material you consulted
to complete your essay - a bibliography. If appropriate you should also list the
organisations and people you have contacted. This is useful to the reader and to you if
you should need to check back on points or take some of your ideas further.
Referencing can be tricky; ask your tutors which system they want you to use and
check with someone early on that you are doing it correctly.
Editing and proofreading (See Guide 1.36)
A review is essential even if it may not result in much rewriting. You might even
get a friend to listen while you read aloud - this can help a lot if you're worried about
clumsy sentence structure, punctuation or illogical ordering of your ideas. If you have
no willing friend, read to a tape recorder and play it back to yourself. Try to be
objective and as critical as possible. Make sure you spellcheck your work and refer to
a dictionary for words that your computer doesn't recognize as mistakes. Don't use the
grammar checker!
What have you learned from your essay?
Researching and writing your essay will have consolidated your learning of the
subject at hand. However, the feedback you get from your lecturers can be used as
further learning. They might, for example, suggest new ideas, fresh examples or
different opinions. These are really worth considering while the ideas and arguments
are still fresh in your mind.

There may be simple corrections of facts or mistakes. Note these! There may be ideas
on how you could express yourself more clearly or remarks about the detailed aspect
of the structure of your essay. Study them all carefully.
The overall comment you receive will evaluate your essay as a whole, and probably
involve some justification of the mark you receive. These comments have been
thought through carefully and are designed to help you to improve your work - use
them, don't waste them. You may get the opportunity to discuss your work with the
marker: use this as a positive opportunity, especially if you haven't done as well as you
expected, and build on what you learn.

It should be clear to you by now that essays are about a lot more than just covering a
few sides of A4 paper. They are a vital part of your learning and it is up to you to
maximise their usefulness to you.
Parts of an Essay

Introduction Paragraph

What is an introduction paragraph?

The introduction paragraph is the first paragraph of your essay.

What does it do?

It introduces the main idea of your essay. A good opening paragraph captures the
interest of your reader and tells why your topic is important.

How do I write one?

1. Write the thesis statement. The main idea of the essay is stated in a single
sentence called the thesis statement. You must limit your entire essay to the topic you
have introduced in your thesis statement.

2. Provide some background information about your topic. You can use interesting
facts, quotations, or definitions of important terms you will use later in the essay.

Example:

Hockey has been a part of life in Canada for over 120 years. It has evolved into an
extremely popular sport watched and played by millions of Canadians. The game has
gone through several changes since hockey was first played in Canada.

Supporting Paragraphs

What are supporting paragraphs?

Supporting paragraphs make up the main body of your essay.

What do they do?

They develop the main idea of your essay.
How do I write them?
1. List the points that develop the main idea of your essay.
2. Place each supporting point in its own paragraph.
3. Develop each supporting point with facts, details, and examples.
To connect your supporting paragraphs, you should use special transition words. Transition
words link your paragraphs together and make your essay easier to read. Use them at the
beginning and end of your paragraphs.
Examples of transition words that can help you to link your paragraphs together:
For listing different points

 First
 Second
 Third

For counter examples

 However
  Even though
 On the other hand
 Nevertheless

For additional ideas

 Another
 In addition to
 Related to
 Furthermore
 Also

To show cause and effect

 Therefore
 Thus
 As a result of
 Consequently

Like all good paragraphs, each supporting paragraph should have a topic sentence,
supporting sentences, and a summary sentence.

Summary Paragraph

What is a summary paragraph?

The summary paragraph comes at the end of your essay after you have finished developing
your ideas. The summary paragraph is often called a "conclusion."
What does it do?
It summarizes or restates the main idea of the essay. You want to leave the reader with a
sense that your essay is complete.
How do I write one?
1. Restate the strongest points of your essay that support your main idea.
2. Conclude your essay by restating the main idea in different words.
3. Give your personal opinion or suggest a plan for action.
Example:
Overall, the changes that occurred in hockey have helped to improve the game. Hockey is
faster and more exciting as a result of changes in the past 120 years. For these reasons,
modern hockey is a better game than hockey in the 1890s.