Essay Structure

Essay Structure The tutors reading and marking your essays deserve your consideration. They will be reading and marking many, many student essays. If you make your argument hard to follow, so that they need to re-read a paragraph to try to make sense of what you have written, you will cause irritation, and make their job slower. It will almost be a case of expanding what you have in note form into complete sentences, adding specific details where necessary. Essays are a common form of assessment in many tertiary-level disciplines. Realistically, it is possible that they may even decide not to make that effort. It is your task to present your argument in a way that your audience can follow; it is not your audience’s job to launch an investigation to detect the points you are trying to make. The body is where you demonstrate your knowledge and grasp of the material that you have read. It’s also where you develop a discussion or argument. Naturally, you will need to do some background reading to consolidate your ideas before your start planning your essay. It is often best to write your introduction when you have finished the main body of the essay, so that you have a good understanding to the topic area. Don't make the mistake of simply writing everything you know of a particular topic, be selective. Each paragraph in your essay should contribute to answering the essay question. A Global Structure - structure the material in a way that allows for a logical sequence of ideas. In order to substantiate your argument, you will also need to offer evidence. This could include examples or quotations from authoritative sources. This is designed to orientate the reader and provide them with some sort of context beforehand. It is absolutely critical to prepare your reader with this type of background information-do not immediately launch into your argument. Please refer to the assignment question on the right hand side of the screen. Notice the key words which in this case they are ‘academic learning and literacy centres’. The ability to construct good essays involves understanding the process and the conventions of essay writing. The more experience you get in writing essays, the more comfortable you will become with this genre. Notice that it is important to include some form of critical analysis or observation. Finally, your concluding statement should articulate your voice or opinion. The body of your essay will consist of paragraphs which function as building blocks in the construction of your overall paper. Also notice these key words ‘ the most effective approach’. Regardless of the topic or the task, it is very important to understand and analyse the assignment question before embarking on any assignment writing exercise. A clear interpretation of the question and a well-structured plan are essential. This may involve discussing your questions, needs and concerns with your tutor, lecturer or subject coordinator to clarify the assignment question or by speaking to a HELPS Advisor. Each paragraph / statement should follow sensibly from its predecessor. The introduction, main body and conclusion should all be linked. The body of the essay consists of a number of paragraphs in which you present your main points and evidence to support them. If you have planned and prepared appropriately, writing the body of the essay should be fairly easy.

Essay Structure

Essay Structure The tutors reading and marking your essays deserve your consideration. They will be reading and marking many, many student essays. If you make your argument hard to follow, so that they need to re-read a paragraph to try to make sense of what you have written, you will cause irritation, and make their job slower. It will almost be a case of expanding what you have in note form into complete sentences, adding specific details where necessary. Essays are a common form of assessment in many tertiary-level disciplines. Realistically, it is possible that they may even decide not to make that effort. It is your task to present your argument in a way that your audience can follow; it is not your audience’s job to launch an investigation to detect the points you are trying to make. The body is where you demonstrate your knowledge and grasp of the material that you have read. It’s also where you develop a discussion or argument. Naturally, you will need to do some background reading to consolidate your ideas before your start planning your essay. It is often best to write your introduction when you have finished the main body of the essay, so that you have a good understanding to the topic area. Don't make the mistake of simply writing everything you know of a particular topic, be selective. Each paragraph in your essay should contribute to answering the essay question. A Global Structure - structure the material in a way that allows for a logical sequence of ideas. In order to substantiate your argument, you will also need to offer evidence. This could include examples or quotations from authoritative sources. This is designed to orientate the reader and provide them with some sort of context beforehand. It is absolutely critical to prepare your reader with this type of background information-do not immediately launch into your argument. Please refer to the assignment question on the right hand side of the screen. Notice the key words which in this case they are ‘academic learning and literacy centres’. The ability to construct good essays involves understanding the process and the conventions of essay writing. The more experience you get in writing essays, the more comfortable you will become with this genre. Notice that it is important to include some form of critical analysis or observation. Finally, your concluding statement should articulate your voice or opinion. The body of your essay will consist of paragraphs which function as building blocks in the construction of your overall paper. Also notice these key words ‘ the most effective approach’. Regardless of the topic or the task, it is very important to understand and analyse the assignment question before embarking on any assignment writing exercise. A clear interpretation of the question and a well-structured plan are essential. This may involve discussing your questions, needs and concerns with your tutor, lecturer or subject coordinator to clarify the assignment question or by speaking to a HELPS Advisor. Each paragraph / statement should follow sensibly from its predecessor. The introduction, main body and conclusion should all be linked. The body of the essay consists of a number of paragraphs in which you present your main points and evidence to support them. If you have planned and prepared appropriately, writing the body of the essay should be fairly easy.