Writing An Essay

Writing An Essay Proofread your essay and make sure it follows any formatting requirements required by the unit. Read the paper aloud to find errors in sentence structure and word choice and refine it so there is a more natural flow. Expand on each bullet point to build paragraphs based on evidence, which will also require with citations. It is important to begin writing as soon as soon as possible â€" think of writing as a process rather than a goal. Poor spelling, reasonably or not, gives the impression of carelessness and laziness. Since your essay will be processed electronically, use the spell checker! But don’t rely on it exclusivelyâ€"proofread your essay carefully as well. You may feel that a diagram could help illustrate a point. This has the added effect of breaking up large chunks of text that can be subconsciously off-putting to the reader. Because you are learning English, you actually have an advantage. Many native speakers learned improper grammar from the start. It’s difficult to undo the damage caused by a lifetime of writing improperly. As you learn the English language, make a serious effort to practice your grammar and sentence structure. One way to spot improper grammar in your own writing is to read each sentence backwards . This way, you won’t be fooled by how the words sound when you read them in your head. Proper grammar is difficult for even the most fluent English speakers. You may return to discuss the background/context of the topic, if relevant. Tell your reader how your essay has successfully responded to the essay question. Conclusions are primarily for summing up what you have presented in the body of your essay. But beware the added complexities involved in formatting your document or the added time required to add a diagram by hand. Some versions of the software available on public machines produce graphics that cannot be printed from other machines. Give yourself time to test for potential glitches of this sort. Although there is no strict convention on layout, do consider how the essay looks on the page. Several studies have shown that presentation does have a subconscious effect on markers, even when they’re not explicitly marking on that criterion. No new information is presented in the conclusion. Use synonyms and paraphrasing so that you do not repeat all your main points word for word. Consider how you conclude your paragraph and how you might link it to the following paragraph. Integrate evidence and examples into your paragraph from your readings to support your point. Unless you are told otherwise by the course instructor, use the Departmental conventions. You should only use a quotation when you are unable to say something better, not just because you can’t be bothered to summarize a point of view! For example, if an author has summed up their argument in one pithy phrase, then it might be worth repeating. Do not simply present evidence, but analyse it at each stage, always relating it back to your assignment question. Provide an overview of some of the main points, or direction, of the essay. Respond directly to the essay question and clearly state what your essay intends to achieve. Areference list or bibliography â€" formatted according to your referencing style â€" on a separate page at the end of your essay is also usually required. Normally this is not included in the word count, but check with your lecturer or tutor to be sure. 2) report writing, which focuses primarily on reporting facts and making recommendations.