Essay Writing Technique

Essay Writing Technique Some topics require you to research more, some to think and analyse more. Only collect information that will be useful â€" don’t waste time compiling masses of information that will not be used. Blank sheet â€" Take a blank sheet of paper and write whatever occurs to you, anywhere on the sheet, as you think about the question. The key verbs here, need to be looked at carefully because they indicate the approach you are expected to take when you prepare and write the essay. It assumes you have already analysed the essay question, conducted your initial research, and determined your position on the topic . Thus, it will be argued that despite chocolate’s positive effect in some cases on mood and the cardiovascular system it has also been linked to addiction and obesity. Leave yourself enough time to look at your essay more than once. If you are not sure how to use a database, then book an appointment with your subject librarian at your institution. Brainstorming means producing ideas related to a theme. There is no set model for an essay, but the English for Uni website presents one popular way to do it. The following example is based around a 1000 word discussion essay. To read about essays in greater detail, download this PDF or Word document. Concluding sentenceThe Concluding Sentence should echo the main point of the paragraph and function as a bridge to the next paragraph.N.B. Paragraphs should be balanced â€" keep to the ‘no less than 3 sentences per paragraph’ rule. Elaboration and examplesElaboration of the main point should add more detailed information in relation to the topic sentence. Essays help you discover more about a topic and write a reasoned analysis of the issues in question, using a range of external sources to support your position. Often with report writing there are many tasks to be done. Henry Ford did not, which is why he is given credibility as an expert on cars, not history. For a 1,000-word essay an introduction of approximately words would be appropriate. First, analyse the question and decide what it wants you to do. Next, re-write it in an easily understandable form. Your notes will vary according to you and your style â€" make any that seem relevant to the subject area, at any time â€" put the information into a box, or special essay file. If you summarise another writer’s views, you must cite the source correctly. Academic writing must be objective in its approach; that is, students are not simply asked for opinions , but to analyse, judge and propose, using evidence. For this reason, the use of the personal pronouns (I, we, you…) should be avoided. If necessary, the term ‘the author’ may also be used. You may, however, give supported judgements which use references, including examples of data to offer perceptive comment. For a 1000 word essay you need at least three days to redraft your essay. Essays also sometimes begin with an issue, outline the scope and then move on to end the introduction with the thesis statement. Sometimes, particularly in very short essays, the essay will begin with an issue rather than a background statement. Writing your introduction last means you are more likely to have a tighter fit between the introduction, main body and conclusion because you already know what your essay will be about. Your paragraphs should be balanced â€" keep to the rule of no less than 3 sentences per paragraph. Scope â€" where you outline what exactly is going to be covered in relation to your argument.2. Main bodyEach paragraph should focus on one idea only. In group work it may be appropriate to allocate tasks between group members. Whatever the situation, try to think ahead and plan your strategy, bearing in mind the time limit that you have to work within. The last sentence is a broad statement relating to the significance of the argument. The first sentence links the conclusion to the discussion in the previous paragraph. The first two articles have been cited 90 times and 103 times respectively, suggesting that they might be good sources for your essay. The links to the right indicate that you can access the articles through your university website. The best place to start (assuming you haven’t already been given a prescribed reading list!) is by using an academic database.