Learning Development Unit

A Little Guide
to
ESSAY WRITING

2009
Contents Page

1 What are essays? 2

2 What are essays for? 2

3 How do I start? 2
• Planning: understanding the task 2
• Gathering the information 4
• Organising the information 4

4 Writing the first draft 6

• Essay structure 6
• Essay plans and outlines 9

5 Checking the essay 11

6 References 12

The creation of the essay has been the hallmark of intellectual thought and
growth since the time of the ancient Greeks. People used to read collections
of essays as some still read collections of poems. They enjoyed the elegance
of the style and the development of the argument even if they did not agree
with the substance of the content. Modern students, struggling with the
concepts of essay writing, take their place in a line of thinkers reaching back
thousands of years.

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1 What are essays?

Write an essay on . . . Help! What is an essay?

essay?

An essay is an opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge and understanding

based on your reading of texts and journals, and the information from lectures,
and your own experience.

An essay focuses on a particular angle, argument or point of view, so you

have to be selective. Writing down everything you know is not a good idea!

2 What are essays for?

Yeah, what’s
what’s the point of writing essays?
essays?

Writing an essay is not just a sort of test; is also an important part of your
learning process. The planning and writing process helps to develop your
thinking ability and understanding of the subject. So give it plenty of time.
Make connections between the different strands of your knowledge; be critical
of what you have read, weigh up theory against practice, draw conclusions.

Remember your essay should demonstrate that you have READ WIDELY,
(proved by in-text citations and a reference list at the end) and EVALUATED
what you have read, and SELECTED appropriate material to back up all your
statements.

3 How do I start?

Planning

Divide out the time available between being given an essay title and the hand-
in date. Do not make the mistake of thinking that a 5-week gap means you do
not have to do anything for 4 weeks!

Spend time immediately thinking about the essay title. Do not underestimate
the value of thinking time!

Look at every word in the essay title. Make sure you understand the
meaning of the active verb: for example, discuss, evaluate, compare and
contrast.

Think: which is easiest? Describe the room. Discuss the room. Explain the
room.

See your Student Handbook for a full list of essay title words and their
explanations.

Or use a dictionary to enable you to complete the following exercise:

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Match the definitions in the right hand column to the academic keywords in the left-hand
column. You may use a dictionary to help you. The purpose of this task is to ensure you
understand these terms.

Account for Pick out the differences between 2 (or more)

items.
Comment on Give reasons to explain why something
happens
Compare Weigh arguments for or against something
assessing the strength of argument on both
sides
Contrast Give the main features or characteristics of…
Critically evaluate Write about the most important aspects of…;
give arguments for and against; consider the
implications of..
Define Identify and write about the main issues.
Give your reactions based on your reading or
other verifiable evidence,
Describe Put the topic under the microscope; look at it
in detail
Discuss Provide examples to make something clear
Evaluate Give evidence to back your argument;
include answers to objections that others
might have
Examine Show how 2 or more things are similar
Explain Give exact meaning of. Try to place the
definition in an appropriate context
Illustrate Give only the main points, showing the main
structure
Justify Give main features, like a list but in
sentences
Narrate Say what happened; tell it as you would a
story
Outline Pick out the order of different stages in an
event or process
State Make it clear why something happens or why
it is the way it is
Summarise Give main points only, omitting details or
examples
Trace Assess the worth, importance or usefulness
of something, using evidence

Be aware of your own reactions to the title: did your heart sink at some of the
words? How useful! This tells you that you need to research or find out more
about this area. It tells you what to put on your “must do” list. Be wary of
feeling too good about some of the words: you will be tempted to concentrate
on these aspects of the essay at the expense of others. See the section on
structure for more help on looking at titles.

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 • Read the learning outcomes. Your tutor chose the assignment to
check you could meet the learning outcomes. These will give you
insight into the real scope of the task.

• Read the assessment criteria: these will tell you what you MUST
think about to get good marks.

• Look at every word in the task. Underline key words.

• Now make a list of things to do: reading material, research,

questionnaires, revision of lecture notes: whatever!

Gathering information

Again, do not rush. Allow time to look at a range of materials. Try to read the
relevant parts of several texts, and journals. When you visit the resources
centre go armed with questions you would like answered. This will ensure
your reading is focussed.

Be sure you can give a reliable reference for the sources of all your
information. Use the Reference Record Sheet provided in the Little Guide to
Referencing to write bullet points from books, journal, and Internet sources.

Organising the information

What do I do with all these notes?

If you have gathered notes on Reference Record Sheets, try colour-coding

information on similar topics from different sources. These may then start to
form a pattern. You may find you have a lot of info on one topic. Does all this
information say the same or is some contradictory? Do not be afraid to
comment on this.

There is a lot of support for the view . . . (references); however another

point of view is . . . (reference). On balance . . .

Remember the difference between SEARCH and RESEARCH is the thinking

you do about the stuff you find, and the comments you make on it.

Look at the different themes you have found. Look for commonalities,
differences and contradictions within these themes. Base your essay round
these themes.

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Record of information search : Record of information search :
Place Date Place Date
Hackney library 19/1/06 At home 1/2/06
Text: Book/journal/website/other Origins of Text: Book/journal/website/other Music,
modern music music!
Author/editor: Surname and initial(sBloggs, J Author/editor: Surname and initial(s) Hip
Year of publication: 1997 happy music
Title of chapter or article (if applicable)/sub-title n/a Year of publication: 2006
Edition (if not 1st) (books only) n/a Title of chapter or article (if applicable)/sub-title n/a
Journals: Volume;issue;month; page numbers n/a Edition (if not 1st) (books only) n/a
Place of publication (not journals) New York Journals: Volume;issue;month; page numbers n/a
Publisher (not journals) Pratts Place of publication (not journals) on line
Web site address n/a Publisher (not journals)
Web site address
• Punk originated in USA www.hiphappymusic.co.uk

• Music first found in bars of • Punk started in UK

Manhatten
• A middle class movement
• Not popular initially
• A political statement
• Took 4 years to catch on
JMDonachie. Student Skills Support, 2004
JMDonachie. Student Skills Support, 2004
Record of information search :
Place Date Task:
Hackney library 27/1/06
Text: Book/journal/website/other History 1. look for similarities, differences and
of Music contradictions. Use colour coding to
highlight these.
Author/editor: Surname and initial(s)Smith, P
Year of publication: 2004 2. look at dates and place of
Title of chapter or article (if applicable)/sub-title publication.
Edition (if not 1st) (books only) n/a
Journals: Volume;issue;month; page numbers n/ 3. Write one or two sentences around
the different views on the origins of
London
Place of publication (not journals) Punk, bringing together these
Publisher (not journals) Pilgrove records of research, citing sources.
Web site address n/a

• Punk originated in UK

• Identified by clothes and

hair style
• Sex Pistols main group

JMDonachie.Learning Development, 2004

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Start to put the information topics in logical order.

Remember that the rules of rhetoric and persuasion suggest you should put
forward any view with which you disagree, first, and dismiss it with reasons.
Follow with your own weakest evidence and finish with your strongest. Your
reader remembers most vividly the last thing you say.

4 Writing the first draft

Now you are ready to start your first draft.

Did you say first draft? I was only going to write the essay
once!

Expect to redraft at least once. Leave time between draft 1 and draft 2 to
allow you to read your first draft “cold” and critically. Read it aloud, to
someone else or to a poster on the wall. This will help you spot gaps in the
logic, and any weak sentence structure. Your skills tutor may read the essay
with you at this stage.

Your 5 week plan:

Think Gather Sort First Second

info info draft draft

Remember: learning takes place in the thinking time between activity. Don’t
leave it to the last minute.

Essay structure

A good essay has a shape, a structure. Don’t just rabbit on as ideas come to
you!

The simplest structure is linear:

Introduction point A point B point C Conclusion

Once you are practised you can develop a more complex structure

(however) point Ai

Introduction point A So point B (despite point C) point D Conclusion

(but) point Aii

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However complex, there should be a clear argument running through the
essay.

What is an “argument”?

An argument is not a row or a fisticuffs! It is an attempt to demonstrate to the

reader, via a logical train of well evidenced thought, that they should reach a
particular conclusion. Points A, B, C and D above represent the direction of
the argument.

The introduction

The introduction should indicate the direction the argument will take.

The Introduction is important. It is like a route map enabling your reader to

see where you are going so that they can go there too. If you like, imagine a
river. The introduction is on one bank, the conclusion on the other. Your
argument, the points you make, are the stepping-stones across the river. A
bad writer may make the reader face the wrong way or take enormous leaps
from one stone to another; a good writer takes the reader gently from one
stone to the next.

The introduction says what the essay will set out to do. It defines terms and
sets parameters. It labels the stepping-stones in the correct order. It is an
important part of the essay and may take up 15% of the total words. It is the
first thing your marker reads: so give it impact, interest and ensure the English
is TOTALLY correct. First impressions are important.

Look at this possible essay title:

“Discuss the impact of recent disability legislation on music or sports or outdoor events.”

Define your terms. Which area are you going to cover?

Outdoor events? If so which “outdoor events” will you cover? (So no, we are not talking about
th
Granny’s 80 birthday picnic).

Clarify detail:
State the legislation referred to.

Set the parameters

The introduction should clarify what you will take “recent” to mean (the last 5 years? The last
50 years?). You can decide but take clues from areas covered in your lectures.

Indicate the areas covered within “impact”.

Indicate the route the essay will take

(The essay will look at the impact on marketing strategies, provision of additional facilities,
structural amendments to buildings, the need for additional staff training and overall costs. It
will also look at the impact on the lives of people hitherto barred from these activities because
of their disability and attempt to weigh up the pros and cons to the sector as a whole . . . )

This sets the pattern. The essay must now follow this pattern. You can always adjust the
introduction to suit the essay if the route does not work for you in practice…

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The paragraphs

Make it clear what the subject of the paragraph will be. If possible link back to
the title or introduction.

For example: Now to turn to point B . . .

At a very simple level each paragraph will contain a statement, evidence to

justify or support that statement, and a comment on the statement or
evidence. When you start, it can be useful to follow this pattern. Think of it as
the “academic sandwich”: Statement, (proof/evidence) Comment

The conclusion

This should mirror your introduction. It will summarise what has been said in
the essay and show the logic of the conclusion to your argument.

Having considered points A, B, C it is clear that . . .

The conclusion is the last bit of the essay the assessment marker reads. It
needs to be clear and strong. It may represent 10% of the total wording.

A simplistic model of a structured essay

Introductory paragraph: defines terms, says what the essay will be about: Points A, B, C

Point A

Proof (evidence: eg: quote, paraphrase, data all referenced to reliable source)

Comment

Link Statement to point b

Proof

Comment

Link Statement to point c

Proof

Comment

Conclusion. This essay has shown that…

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As you get more practised you will develop this pattern into a fluent and more
complex style, but it will still underlie the development of your argument.

Remember, your essay is written in the 3rd person; it is as far as possible

written in the passive voice.

Subject verb object

John swam the Channel

The subject (word governing the verb) is ACTIVE. John is doing

something.
Subject verb object
The Channel was swum by John

The subject is not doing anything: it is PASSIVE. The Channel is just

being there!
By moving the object word in front of the verb, you can often make the ACTIVE voice into a
PASSIVE voice.

There is further work on the passive voice in Little Guide to Academic Writing

Essay plans and outlines

You should always plan your essay before you start to write it. Your plan
should indicate the line of argument you will follow, or, if you like, the order in
which you will deal with themes and make your points. It will indicate the
evidence you will produce to support your points. It will show where this
evidence comes from.

So that your tutor can check that your essay is covering the right material, you
may be asked to submit a plan or outline in advance of handing in the actual
essay.

You may be given guidance as to the form this should take.

Generally speaking, a plan consists of headings which represent the themes,

followed by bullet points which represent the points you will make within each
theme. Next to each bullet point you will indicate the nature of the evidence to
support your point and its source. The plan will normally sit on one or two A4
pages.

Your plan may take on a form something like this (with the dots filled in,
briefly, of course):

Title

Introduction:
• Definition of . . .
• Brief description of . . .

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 • The essay will cover A and B (briefly), argue against C , but the bulk
will be on D

First section: A
• Definition (Bloggs, 2003) . . .
• Advantages (Bloggs, 2003) . . . (a, b, c . . .
• Shortcomings (Higgins, 2005) (I, ii, iii . . . )
• Comment on value of Higgin’s view

Second section: B
• Why some people value B. (Higgins 2005, Smith 2006)

Third Section C
• Brief description.
• Flaws in C (data from zzz)
• Analysis of flawed language, eg . . .
• Comments from Bloggs, 2003 and Smith, 2006) . . .

Fourth section, D
• Definition
• Statements showing why better than A, B, C . . .
• Quotes from Irvin (2005)
• Pull in ideas from lectures. Eg . . .
• Data from zzz

Conclusion
Obviously you will need to have done the bulk of your research before you
write your plan. But from your plan your tutor may be able to point out gaps in
this research or flaws in your argument so you must include enough detail to
make it possible for your tutor to understand how you are thinking. Ask
yourself whether YOU could mark your plan!

There are other formats possible, Of course, if the plan is purely for your own
use, it can be visual, circular, colour coded, or full of abbreviations. There are
useful ideas in Writing Essays by Kate Williams. There are several copies of
this in BUCKS library.

An outline will contain more detail than a plan; you will probably be given a
word count and may include some justification for choosing to include
particular points Quotes form XX will be included to demonstrate . . . Ideas
from YY will be mentioned but dismissed as out of date. You will probably be
asked to use sentences, not bullet points. The outline will be much closer to
the final essay but will not go into detail or include complete quotations. It
may include outline statements such as: the next paragraph will describe . . .
and then argue the case for . . .

You normally expect to get feedback on the plan or the outline before you
write the actual essay and you should treat this feedback as a valuable gift.

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Read it carefully, ask for guidance if you do not understand it, but use it to
help you write a good finished essay.

To summarise:

Why write essays?

• To prove knowledge, reading and understanding

• As a learning experience, involving wide reading and in-depth, focused

thinking

5 Checking the essay

A good essay:

• Focuses on the given question

• Explains its intention in a clear introduction

• Reads easily and follows a logical thread from one paragraph to the
next

• Demonstrates wide reading

• Uses clear evidence to support arguments

• Is structured around themes rather than read texts

• Acknowledges sources of information

• concludes with a summary of points made earlier which reflect the

intention expressed in the introduction

• Is like a good cake: the ingredients are well selected, in the right
proportions and mixed in the right order to make an easily digestible
delight

You can use this as a checklist next time you write an essay. Check also that
you have used the correct font (usually Arial 11 point), used “word count” (on
your PC) and arrived (give or take 10%) at the required number of words (see
Learning Development Unit for help in “précis skills” if it is too long), number
the pages, check you have an appropriate cover sheet, and hand it in! (ON
TIME!)

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Useful web sites:

www.leeds.ac.uk/ics/study3
www.surrey.ac.uk/skills/pack/comms

6 Reference list

Williams, K. (1995) Writing essays. Oxford: The Oxford Centre for Staff
Development.

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