Essay Writing
From the Latin
Exagium…weighing
Getting your thoughts on paper
PROBLEMS, PROBLEMS, PROBLEMS…
‘I start a sentence, cross it out,
start it again, cross it out, throw
the paper away, start again,
cross it out…’
‘I just see the essay title and
panic. I think ‘I don’t know
anything about that.’
‘I can’t get down to it – I keep
putting it off and then I ‘m in a
huge rush to finish it.’
‘Some people just write out an
assignment in a night – I have “Writing is a skill. It takes time
and practice to develop”
to write it over and over again.’
OVERVIEW
1. Basic structure
2. Cottrell’s seven point procedure
3. Planning trees
4. Title
5. Introductions
6. Paragraphs
7. Sub-headings
8. Conclusions
9. Quotations
10. Layout & presentation
11. Plagiarism
12. Facts, opinions & arguments
13. Critical thinking
14. Writing tips
Exercises>>>
BASIC STRUCTURE: EXAMPLE #1
TITLE
The whole of the essay must focus on the title and answer the question
INTRODUCTION (10%)
Explain how you interpret the question
Identify issues that you are going to explore
Give a brief outline of how you will deal with each issue and in which order
ANALYSIS (80%)
Contains well-structured and topic-based paragraphs
CONCLUSION (10%)
Contains no new material
Summarise your argument and the main themes
State your general conclusions
Make it clear why those conclusions are significant
In the final sentence, sum up your argument and relate it to the title
REFERENCES
List all the books, articles and other materials you have referred to in the essay
BASIC STRUCTURE EXAMPLE #2
COTTRELL’S SEVEN POINT PROCEDURE
1. Clarify the task
2. Collect and record information
3. Organise and plan
4. Reflect and evaluate
5. Write an outline plan and first draft
6. Work on your first draft
7. Final draft
1. CLARIFY THE TASK
• Examine the title and
course notes very
carefully.
• What exactly is
required?
• If you are unsure ask
your tutor
• Write one line to sum up
your argument
• Adapt it as you proceed
• Brainstorm or make
pattern notes to record
what you know
• Identify what you need
to know or find out
2. COLLECT & RECORD INFORMATION
• Be selective: you can’t Be aware of:
use everything •Types of material
• Write yourself a set of •Sources
questions to guide your
•Methods
research and look for
answers •Recording
• Check the word limit:
see how many words
you need to use for
each point
• Keep a notebook to jot
down ideas
3. ORGANISE & PLAN
• Organise your work
as you go along
• Link ideas and
details
• Make an outline plan
early
• Avoid repetition
• Think clearly
• Avoid poor planning!
4. REFLECT & EVALUATE
• What have you Reflection is a messy
discovered? process!
• Has your viewpoint
changed?
• Have you clarified your
argument?
• Have you enough
evidence and
examples?
• What arguments
oppose your view?
• Is it clear to you why
this task was set?
5. WRITE AN OUTLINE PLAN & FIRST DRAFT
• Work out the order to
introduce your ideas
• Work out how many
points you can write on
each point
• Write a quick first draft.
• Start with whatever
seems easiest
• Just keep going: don’t
worry about style at first
• State things simply and
clearly in short
sentences
6. WORK ON YOUR FIRST DRAFT
• Rewrite your first draft
• Adapt the structure
• Organise into
paragraphs
• Make sure your
argument is clear
• Check evidence and
examples
• Check references
7. FINAL DRAFT
• Edit and check your
final draft
• Enjoy fine-tuning your
writing
• Read it aloud or ask
someone else to read it
• Keep redrafting until you
are happy
PLANNING TREES
TITLES
• Avoid long, complex titles
• Avoid using several
questions within the title
• If you use a quotation,
keep it short and follow it
with a typical assignment
question
• To check whether your
title is clear, ask a non-
expert whether or not
they understand it
INTRODUCTIONS
• Define the keywords and ideas to be used in the
essay. Avoid long-winded definitions
• Explain clearly how you have interpreted the
question
• State which aspects of the topic you intend to
deal with and why…justify your selected focus
• Say how you intend to tackle the question, the
structure and order of your essay
• Aim to be bright, crisp and make the reader want
to read on…No more than half a page…
PARAGRAPHS: EXAMPLE #1
Topic Sentence:
A topic sentence usually comes at the beginning of a
paragraph, that is, it is usually the first sentence in a
formal academic paragraph
Supporting Sentences:
They are called "supporting" because they "support," or
explain, the idea expressed in the topic sentence
Concluding Sentence:
In formal paragraphs you will sometimes see a sentence at
the end of the paragraph which summarises the
information that has been presented. This is the
concluding sentence
PARAGRAPHS: EXAMPLE #2
SUB-HEADINGS
Sub-headings enable your
readers to find detailed
information quickly. They:
• Indicate overall structure
• Signpost to specific
content
• Give the reader an idea
of how deeply a topic is
covered
CONCLUSIONS
• Pull the assignment
together
• Answer the assignment
question
• Summarise your main
points
• Indicate areas for further
research
• Include your personal views
• Do not end abruptly
• End on a crisp, pertinent
point
QUOTATIONS
Quotations are useful in illustrating or supporting a point in your
argument. Short quotations will fit into your text and should indicated
with quotation marks. Longer quotations should be separated by your
own work by:
• Using a colon to introduce the quote
• Adding a space above and below the quotation
• Indenting the quotation
• Using single line spacing when the rest is double-spaced
„That was one of the best
Pizzas I have ever eaten in
my life. The cheese was so
good it made me faint.‟
Elvis Aaron Presley
LAYOUT & PRESENTATION
• Use A4 paper (297 x 210 mm)
• Use an appropriate font (Arial,
Helvetica)
• Use an appropriate point size
(11 or 12)
• Leave wide margins (top,
bottom, left and right)
• Create double or 1.5 line
spacing
• Always create a cover sheet
• Keep a copy for yourself
PLAGIARISM
REPORT STRUCTURE
1. Title page
2. Acknowledgements
3. Contents
4. Abstract
5. Aims & objectives
6. Literature review
7. Methodology
8. Statement of results
9. Analysis & discussion
10. Summary & Conclusion
11. References
12. Appendices
FACTS, OPINIONS & ARGUMENTS
Opinions are personal beliefs: „I think there should
be fewer adverts on TV.‟
Facts can be usually checked against evidence:
„There was an average of 35 adverts per hour
on Channel 615 on the 25th of July 2007.‟
Arguments are reasons given to support a point of
view: „Adverts for toys should not be shown on
TV because research by Mehan (1998)
suggests that they…‟
CRITICAL THINKING
• Be clear what your conclusions
are
• Show a clear line of reasoning
• Present evidence to support
your reasoning
• Read your sources and writing
critically
• View your subject from
multiple perspectives
• Write in a critical, analytical
style rather than in a
descriptive, personal or
journalistic style
GLASER & CRITICAL THINKING
Glaser (1941) emphasises the
importance of:
• Persistence: considering an
issue carefully and more than
once
• Evidence: evaluating the
evidence put forward in
support of the viewpoint
• Implications: considering
where the viewpoint leads
CRITICAL THINKING QUESTIONS
Why?
How far?
How much?
How often?
To what extent?
How doe we know this is true?
How reliable is this source?
What do we not know about this?
Which is preferable?
For what reasons?
DESCRIPTIVE V. CRITICAL WRITING
DESCRIPTIVE CRITICAL
States what happened Identifies the significance
States what something is like Evaluates strengths and weaknesses
Gives the story so far Weighs one piece of information against another
States the order in which things happened Makes reasoned judgements
Says how to do something Argues a case according to the evidence
Explains what a theory says Shows why something is relevant or suitable
Explains how something works Indicates why something wil work best
Notes the methods used Identifies whether something is appropriate or suitable
Says when something occurred Weighs up the importance of component parts
States the different components Gives reasons for selecting each option
TIPS #1: OVERCOMING WRITER’S BLOCK
• Scribble: scribble ideas fast, in any order
• ‘It’s only a draft’: think of each piece of writing as
something you will develop over several drafts
• Experiment: try different starting methods
• Start anywhere: write in an order that suits you
• Take one step at a time: break the task into manageable
tasks
• Brainstorm on a PC: collect headings and ideas, typing
them quickly onto the screen
• Rest and relax: if your mind goes blank, you may be tired
or stressed – take a break
TIPS #2: TRICKS FOR GETTING STARTED
• Question banks: who? what? why? where? when? how?
• Summarising
• Word processing
• Listing
• Brainstorming
• Pattern notes
• Free association
• Free writing
• Wheel diagrams
• Talking
EXERCISES
EXERCISES #1
Exercise 1:
Jot down five words you like the sound of
Write a short piece which includes all those words
Be as crazy as you like
Exercise 2:
Choose any subject
Write for five minutes on that subject
Don’t stop to think
Write as much as you can
EXERCISES #2
Exercise 3:
Give yourself a minute to write about one of the
following:
1. The worst thing I ever ate
2. The most embarrassing thing that ever
happened to me
3. I am lucky because…
4. What gets on my nerves is…
5. Anything other thing you like
EXERCISES #3
Exercise 4:
Dame Violet Dickson’s Obituary-
1. Summarise factual information from the
obituary
2. Summarise the writer’s opinion from the
obituary
Exercise 5:
Approaching a writing task
EXERCISES #4
Exercise 6:
What do you think are the weaknesses in the following titles:
1. Reptiles.
2. ‘ The world is a safer place today than it has ever been.’ J.K.
Moody (2003). Is this really true?
3. What are the main changes in the use of technology within the
British home during the twentieth century? What was the incentive
behind innovation? Who promoted change? Did these affect
women differently from men? What forces have hindered change?
4. The negative effects of violence on TV?
5. Describe how placebos work.