Composing An Essay

Composing An Essay Re-formatting your research like this, for example all information from all sources relevant to your first argument are put together , makes it much easier to write. Be prepared to go back and research further while you are writing, in order to fill gaps in your arguments. All right, so my second major guideline for writing an essay is to make it clear where you are going. The reader needs to know what you're saying and needs to be aware of the path that you are taking in the essay. So don't wait until the very end of the essay to reveal the main point that you're trying to communicate. Although it seems like an obvious point, I've read many essays where student simply don't answer the question. They'll talk about lots of things that relate to the question but they don't actually give you an answer to the question. So if the title is in the form of a question, make sure you answer the question. But what I'm going to give you today are some helpful guidelines which I hope will be useful to you as you set about the task of writing an essay. Look for evocative language that allows you to tie each section of the paper to the thesis without becoming repetitious. Provide transitions between paragraphs that indicate to the reader how each paragraph relates to your thesis. It is not necessary to begin at the beginning; you can start writing wherever you feel relatively confident. List questions or clarifications you might have, and ask them ahead of time. Meeting your professor or TA to discuss the assignment, present your outline or ideas, and brainstorm different ways to approach it, will really improve the quality of your work. Writing good essays is one of the most challenging aspects of studying in the social sciences. Before you proceed with the body of the essay, write an outline that summarizes your main supporting points. Check to make sure you are answering all parts of the question. This arises with the question “but why” with the development of your arguments. You also might need to find more supporting evidence to present a more convincing claim. Focus on clarity, conciseness, and understanding the differences between the theories. My third guideline for writing an essay is to use a plan. Once you've done all your reading, once you've done all your research you need to step back from it and decide what you're going to say. As I've said before the most important thing in an essay is to come up with a clear line of argument and it's important to tell the reader about that right at the beginning. So set out your plan for the essay at the outset and then use the rest of the essay to actually build up your argument. Build a set of concepts and questions, compare different views and arguments and their relevance and importance to your research. Instead of just listing and summarizing items, assess them, discussing their strengths and weaknesses. If you have not yet determined how you'd like to sequence them, mapping might feel more appropriate. Our expert teachers will guide you how to write an essay and give you practical feedback every step of the way! Learn more about our Year 11 English Courses now. After you read your assessment notification, you need to plan and scaffold your essay. Coherent organization is one of the most important characteristics of a good essay. You may decide to write a summary of each theory you have been discussing, or a short description of the historical or contemporary events you've been studying. As well, be aware of biases in sources, both academic and news media. You should categorize or code your research according to your different arguments and supporting evidence. You might, for example, begin by defining or explaining terms and concepts in your research question. Once you have done that, move on to another area you feel ready to discuss. Keep asking yourself what your reader will need to know, and write about that. By now you should have identified the three arguments you find most compelling in defending your thesis. If you have a pretty clear idea about the sequence in which you want to present them, an outline might be most appropriate to you.