HOW TO WRITE AN ESSAY

HOW TO WRITE AN ESSAY What is an essay? The essay is a form of writing which is used when we need to give our viewpoint and to provide details to explain this view. What does an essay look like? The essay has three main parts - an introduction, body and conclusion. However, the most important thing about the essay is that it gives details. So, it is written in ‘chunks’ or paragraphs. Paragraphs are groups of sentences that state and develop a point you want to make. Analysing the Task and Planning the Essay Before you can begin to write the essay you need to analyse the question, or task, that you have been given. To do this ask yourself the following questions: • • • • • • • • What is the topic or main idea? Am I being limited in writing about this topic? Are there different parts to the question? What do I have to do with the ideas? What do I think? What is my viewpoint? What reasons do I have for thinking this? What examples or details could I give to help me explain these reasons and this viewpoint? How can I organise my ideas? How to Write an Essay 1 Exercise 1: Example Essay Topic 1: Practise Analysing the Task What is your understanding of the work a correctional officer undertakes, and what personal qualities do you think a good correctional officer needs to undertake this work? • What is the topic or main idea? To help you identify this, think about what you would say if you were speaking to friends about these essay topics. You would probably say ‘I’m doing an essay on X’. The word you use to describe your topic is usually the main idea. The topic is the work a correctional officer undertakes. • Am I being limited in writing about this topic? Which particular aspect of the topic are you being asked to focus on? Limitation: you are not being asked to write anything you want about this work. You must focus on your understanding of what the work is and the personal qualities needed to undertake the work. • Are there different parts to the question? qualities. • What do I have to do with these ideas? You are being asked to give your understanding and viewpoint about the job and the personal qualities that are needed. This could be done very briefly in a few sentences, but, because you are writing an essay, you are expected to explain yourself and give details. • What do I think? What is my viewpoint? This is often called your position, or your perspective. You might decide that there are many This question has two parts – your understanding of the work and identifying the personal How to Write an Essay 2 parts to a correctional officer’s job and she/he would need many qualities. However, you only have 40 minutes to do this task so, Think about you will need to decide on the most important ones. choosing 3 – 4 only. • What reasons do I have for thinking this? reasons down before you begin your essay. examples or explain what you mean. • What examples or details could I give to help me explain these reasons and this viewpoint? See ‘Giving Details’ section. • How can I organise my ideas? First, identify the main parts of the question. Then decide on the points you want to make about these parts. Organise them from the most to least important. Also ask yourself whether you can see a relationship between the first and second part of the question. You then have the choice of EITHER dealing with the first part and then the second part OR combining the two parts because you can see a connection between them. For example, as you identify each aspect of the work an officer undertakes, you might also explain some of the personal qualities needed to do this particular aspect. Then go on to the next aspect. Write some of these Try to add details or How to Write an Essay 3 Exercise 2: Practise analysing example topic 2 What do you see as the most powerful influences on young people growing up? Describe both the positive and negative influences. (Do your own analysis first and then go to the Answers at the end). Essay Organisation The main parts of the essay are: 1. Introduction 2. Body 3. Conclusion Introduction – 3 – 4 sentences. The purpose of the Introduction is to introduce the topic or, thinking about it in another way, it is all the decisions you have made about the essay. Questions to ask yourself are: What is the topic? What is my viewpoint? What have I decided about the question being asked? What are my main reasons? Example: A correctional officer’s work is to keep inmates safe and secure.(1) This is carried out by supervising inmates’ activities, communicating information to supervisors and doing administration tasks.(2) All of these jobs require the officer to be flexible and adaptable, fair, tolerant and observant.(3) These are the main personal qualities that are needed and without them, the officer could put other staff and inmates in danger.(4) How to Write an Essay 4 Analysis of Introduction 1. This statement introduces the topic to the readers and also contains your viewpoint about a correctional officer’s work (keep inmates safe and secure). 2. 3. 4. This tells the readers the decision you have made about your understanding of the work that the correctional officer undertakes. This sentence tells the reader another decision you have made about the question - some of the personal qualities needed. This is giving your reasons for your viewpoints. (LEAVE A LINE SPACE BETWEEN THE INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH AND THE FIRST PARAGRAPH IN THE BODY.) Body – the purpose of the Body is to take each main point that you want to make, explain what you mean and give details. organised from the most to least important ideas. questions: What are the main ideas I need to write? (There are many different ways. How will I organise them? The Body can be Ask yourself the Choose the one that suits your essay e.g. most to least important, cause and then effect, sequence of time etc). The Body must be organised in ‘chunks’, or paragraphs. Paragraphs help you to expand your ideas. Each paragraph will contain one main point or big idea that you need to write and explain. Each paragraph will have 3 – 5 sentences. Details. Conclusion – 2 – 3 sentences. This is where you give your answer to the whole question. To write the Conclusion, look at the question again and ask yourself: If I had to answer this question in 2 – 3 sentences, what would I say? The answer you write will be a summary of the whole topic. See the section below, Writing Paragraphs and Giving How to Write an Essay 5 Writing in Paragraphs and Giving Details When you write your essay, don’t assume that the readers will already know what you are writing about. They might, but they won’t know what you think. You’re not trying to change the readers’ minds. Your purpose in writing this essay is to convince the readers that you know what you are writing about. You have a viewpoint and reasons to support that viewpoint and so you must let your reader know what they are. The writing ‘tool’ that you will need to use is the paragraph. It is a chunk of 3 – 5 sentences. expand that idea. The first sentence will be your main idea and the Don’t forget to read the Department of Corrective other sentences are the details that you will need to give to explain and to Services website and its links. There is lots of information that will help you to understand the DCS workplace and the position you are applying for. To write a paragraph, ask yourself the following questions: • • • What is the point I want to make? (This is your topic sentence, or main idea.) What do I mean by this? Why? How? (Explain and expand your main idea.) So? How is this information relevant to the point I’m making or to the question? (This is like a conclusion to your paragraph.) An example of a paragraph (See below for comments on this paragraph.) One important personal quality that correctional officers need is to be able to deal with change, and therefore be open-minded and flexible (1). How to Write an Essay 6 Although each day probably has a routine, there would be times when changes need to be made, perhaps without any notice and time to prepare. (2) For example, some inmates’ behaviour would be unpredictable and they might suddenly become angry and upset.(2) Correctional officers would need to be able to think and act quickly to keep the inmate, themselves and other inmates safe.(3) 1. The topic. Notice how the sentence begins with the topic and uses words from the question (one important quality) and then detail is added (deal with change, and therefore be open-minded and flexible). 2. 3. What do I mean? Details are added and an example is also used to explain. So? How is an inmate’s behaviour relevant to the topic of personal qualities? (need to be able to think and act quickly to keep the inmate, themselves and other inmates safe) AFTER YOU HAVE FINISHED ONE PARAGRAPH LEAVE A LINE SPACE AND THEN GO ON TO THE NEXT PARAGRAPH. This will help you to separate your ideas and make the essay easier to read. How to Write an Essay 7 How To Plan Your Time You have 40 minutes for this writing task. Try not to use all this time for writing. Give yourself extra time at the end that you can use if needed, it reduces stress. A suggested plan for using your time is: • 10 minutes to analyse the task and jot down your viewpoint, the main points you want to make and any examples you could use. Have a rough plan before you begin. • • 25 minutes to write. 5 minutes to re-read and check your spelling and punctuation. What You Are Expected To Achieve in This Time Frame You are expected to: • • • • demonstrate that you understand the topic write an essay that is organised and uses paragraphs to develop ideas use language that is clear and easy to read use correct spelling and punctuation (including capital letters for sentence beginnings). How Long Should My Essay Be? For each main point you write you will have one paragraph. You will also have a paragraph for your Introduction and Conclusion. So, as a rough guide, your essay is going to be at least 2 pages long. How to Write an Essay 8 Finally …Tricks and Tips: • Repeat words - did you notice that in the example Introduction the writer used words from the question (correctional officer’s work, personal qualities)? This technique helps you to stay on the topic. • Use linking words to let your reader know what you are doing. Examples are: To add ideas – also, in addition, similarly To give sequence – one most important …, another …, finally To contrast – however, on the other hand, in contrast, To illustrate a point – one example is, for example, To conclude – so, thus, therefore Can you find some in the writing examples? • What to do if you get stuck: Focus on writing your ideas first, then edit and correct your work later. Look at the idea at the end of the previous sentence. Do you need to add details and explain it? Example: However, the most (What are paragraphs?) important thing about the essay is that it gives details. (So?) So, it is written in ‘chunks’ or paragraphs. you want to make. Go back to your topic sentence. about that point? • Make the beginnings of your paragraphs and sentences effective by checking that the ideas you want to deal with are early in the sentence. What else do you need to say Paragraphs are groups of sentences that state and develop a point How to Write an Essay 9 • Using ‘I’. Did you notice that in the examples the writer did not use ‘I’ but just stated his/her viewpoint? An example is one important personal quality that correctional officers need is to be able to deal with change, and therefore be open-minded and flexible. This is the writer’s opinion. Using ‘I’ is okay, but you don’t have to use it. Avoiding it can help your writing sound more professional. • Sentence length. and hard to read. Try to avoid long sentences - they’re confusing Each sentence should have one main idea and Check how the sentences in the usually only one other idea. examples have been constructed. Over to You Prepare for the examination by practising writing your own essay and then analysing it. Check the whole organisation, then paragraph structure and linking words. How to Write an Essay 10 ANSWERS Exercise 2: Practise analysing Option 2 essay topic What do you see as the most powerful influences on young people growing up? Describe both the positive and negative influences. • • What is the topic or main idea? Influences on young people Am I being limited in writing about this topic? You have three limitations - the most powerful influences (not every influence you can think of), young people growing up (which ages would you consider?) and positive and negative influences (not just one type). • • Are there different parts to the question? This question has two parts – the most powerful positive and negative influences. What do I have to do with the ideas? You are expected to decide what you think are the most powerful influences, why they are the most powerful and what can happen to young people as a result of these influences. • How can I organise my ideas? Probably the best way to deal with this question is to take the positive and then the negative influences one at a time. influence: a) name it b) explain what you mean c) give an example of how it can occur d) explain why it is positive or negative and the effect of this influence on the young person. So, you would have two parts in the Body of the For each essay – the positive and then the negative influences. How to Write an Essay 11