This resource covers key considerations when writing an essay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While reading a student\u2019s essay, markers will ask themselves questions such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You can use these questions to reflect on your own writing. Here are six top tips to help you address these criteria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Student essays are responses to specific questions. As an essay must address the question directly, your first step should be to analyse the question. Make sure you know exactly what is being asked of you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Generally, essay questions contain three component parts:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As you plan and prepare to write the essay, you must consider what your argument is going to be. This means taking an informed position or point of view on the topic presented in the question, then defining and presenting a specific argument.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Consider these two argument statements:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nThe architectural use of light in Gothic cathedrals physically embodied the significance of light in medieval theology.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Or:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nIn the Gothic cathedral of Cologne, light served to accentuate the authority and ritual centrality of the priest.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Statements like these define an essay\u2019s argument. They give coherence by providing an overarching theme and position towards which the entire essay is directed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
3. Use evidence, reasoning and scholarship<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
To convince your audience of your argument, you must use evidence and reasoning, which involves referring to and evaluating relevant scholarship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n
- Evidence<\/strong>\u00a0provides concrete information to support your claim. It typically consists of specific examples, facts, quotations, statistics and illustrations.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Reasoning<\/strong>\u00a0connects the evidence to your argument. Rather than citing evidence like a shopping list, you need to evaluate the evidence and show how it supports your argument.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Scholarship<\/strong>\u00a0is used to show how your argument relates to what has been written on the topic (citing specific works). Scholarship can be used as part of your evidence and reasoning to support your argument.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
4. Organise a coherent essay<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
An essay has three basic components – introduction, body and conclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n
- Introduction<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Body<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Conclusion<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
5. Write clearly<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
An essay that makes good, evidence-supported points will only receive a high grade if it is written clearly. Clarity is produced through careful revision and editing, which can turn a good essay into an excellent one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When you edit your essay, try to view it with fresh eyes \u2013 almost as if someone else had written it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ask yourself the following questions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Overall structure<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Have you clearly signposted the transitions between each of your main points for your reader?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Have you clearly stated your argument in your introduction?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Does the actual structure correspond to the \u2018road map\u2019 set out in your introduction?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Have you clearly indicated how your main points support your argument?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
This resource covers key considerations when writing an essay. While reading a student\u2019s essay, markers will ask themselves questions such<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27288","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/opskill.com\/propapers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27288","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/opskill.com\/propapers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/opskill.com\/propapers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/opskill.com\/propapers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/opskill.com\/propapers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27288"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/opskill.com\/propapers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27288\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27318,"href":"https:\/\/opskill.com\/propapers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27288\/revisions\/27318"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/opskill.com\/propapers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27288"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/opskill.com\/propapers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27288"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/opskill.com\/propapers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27288"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}