Essay Writing: The Basics

Essay writing is an essential part of almost all courses. In order to master the art of academic
writing, you need to know the basics.

A good academic essay is:

Clearly written: Use simple, effective academic language,
without jargon and waffle.
Relevant: Stick to the point and answer the question you were
set.
Honest: Only make claims that can be supported with
evidence.
Professional: Follow the formatting guidelines set in your
assignment brief, and proofread thoroughly.

The Essay Question

The first thing to consider when you approach an essay is the question. Take your time, and
make sure that you fully understand what you are being asked. Writing everything you know
about a topic, but not actually answering the question, will not give you a good mark.
An essay question can have up to four parts: Topic, Focus, Command, and Limit/Viewpoint.
When you first approach a question, it is important to take the time to analyse what you are
being asked to do:
o Identify the topic – In general terms, what the question is about?
o Identify the focus – Which part of the topic are you being asked to talk about?
o Identify the limit or specific viewpoint if there is one – Are you being asked to
consider a specific theory, time period, concept, etc.?
o Identify the command word, which often comes at the beginning of the question –
Do you understand what it means and what it requires you to do?

Sample Question

Discuss the impact of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on the economic policy of Argentina.

Command Word Focus Topic Limit

The Parts of an Essay

Broadly speaking, essays have three parts: the introduction, the body, and the conclusion.
These roughly correspond to saying what you are going to say, saying it, and saying that you
have said it. The three sections of an essay should normally contain the following
information:
Introduction:
 The context (or big picture) – don’t just jump into the focus of your topic
 A preview of the content – what are the main theories, debates, and/or studies
you’ll be using the essay?
 The thesis statement – what is the central argument of your essay? What would you
like your reader to be persuaded of by the end?
 Most importantly: the introduction shouldn’t just tell the reader what the essay is
about; it should also tell them why they should care. Make them want to read on!

Body:
 Clear arguments: Make your point at the beginning of a paragraph and then support
that point in the rest of the paragraph (see our ‘Perfect Paragraphs’ guide)
 Relevance: In any paragraph, only include information that is relevant to the
argument you made at the beginning of that paragraph
 Logical order: Make sure that your arguments follow the structure that is
appropriate to the question you are answering. Consider how you will arrive at the
point you are making with your essay

Conclusion:
 Restate your thesis – remind your reader of your central argument
 Summarise your key arguments or findings
 Bring these key arguments together, and explain why they are important and how
they relate to your essay question
 Most importantly: you cannot introduce new evidence in your conclusion! If you
haven’t discussed it in the body, do not include it here. This includes no new
references.

Editing and Proofreading

Always proofread and edit your work. Read through it several times and leave enough time
(preferably 24 hours) between finishing your writing and proofreading. There are three
areas to consider when you edit or proofread your essay:

Grammar: Have you made any spelling mistakes? Is your style clear (correct sentence
structure, punctuation) and appropriate (suitable choice of tense and vocabulary, no slang)?

Logic: Do your conclusions follow logically from your arguments? Have you supported your
arguments well enough? Have you answered the question? Is there any irrelevant material?

Plagiarism: Have you referenced all your material? Is there any chance you may have copied
sentences or parts of sentences into your essay? Have you used somebody else’s ideas
without crediting them?