It is about the time of that term that students are preparing the first round of assignments. So here are some things to remember when writing essays. Good writing is simple. By understanding word choice and structure you can get your point across in a clear concise manner. This guide address both the artistic side and the structural side of preparing a quality essay.
The artistic side of preparing an essay involves the words within. Words have literal and emotional impacts on the reader, certain words invoke varying emotions, and hence choosing the right word in context will increase the impact of your argument on the reader. As with a lot of things, less is more when it comes to using this high impact vocabulary. Good writers learn strategic word placement in two ways, through reading and through practice.
The other basis for a good writing is structure. An essay with no structure is like a human body without a skeleton. The organization of sentences and paragraphs within an essay makes an enormous difference to how well your point gets across. A typical Paragraph contains a single main idea about a topic. The first sentence is the topic sentence and should outline the primary thought throughout the paragraph. The following sentences provide supporting details and arguments. The last sentence concludes the paragraph and provides a smooth transition into the following paragraph.
The artistic side of preparing an essay involves the words within. Words have literal and emotional impacts on the reader, certain words invoke varying emotions, and hence choosing the right word in context will increase the impact of your argument on the reader. As with a lot of things, less is more when it comes to using this high impact vocabulary. Good writers learn strategic word placement in two ways, through reading and through practice.
The other basis for a good writing is structure. An essay with no structure is like a human body without a skeleton. The organization of sentences and paragraphs within an essay makes an enormous difference to how well your point gets across. A typical Paragraph contains a single main idea about a topic. The first sentence is the topic sentence and should outline the primary thought throughout the paragraph. The following sentences provide supporting details and arguments. The last sentence concludes the paragraph and provides a smooth transition into the following paragraph.
All essays contain the primary structure including an introduction, main body and conclusion. These can be thought of as in terms of future, present and past. The introduction (future) is a condensed version of the whole essay, and should include the hypothesis of the essay and outline what you will talk about. The main body (present) of the essay is where it all happens. It is where you should expand, develop and support your thesis. The conclusion (past) is reflective on what has been outlined. It is used to restate the hypothesis and suggest any further research.
The order in which you make your points will effect which points carry more impact. Chronological events should be set out chronologically; otherwise the weakest points should be made first while the strongest points should be made towards the end increasing the chance that the reader will remember them. As students get older they will be confronted with longer assignments however all of these rules must still apply, with the level of detail increasing.
Planning the structure and determining topic sentences and supporting details for each of your points prior to writing any paragraphs will go a long way to providing a solid foundation for your essay. You will find that the writing will come much easier. Once prepared, dedicate a block of time to write the draft avoid stopping and starting. Then let it sit for a day or so, read it, then let it sit again. This process gives your brain time to reflect on what you have already written. Then review the essay in two stages. Firstly, review it focusing on overall ideas, arguments and evidence and the overall flow. Secondly, focus on word choice, spelling, grammar and punctuation. Time permitting, lastly review your transitions between paragraphs if need be rearrange paragraphs to ensure the flow from one paragraphs topic to the next is as logical a progression as possible.
Writing an essay can be as simple or as hard as you make it, having the right process in place to provide a solid structure to the essay. Identifying and preparing primary ideas and conducting focused research into each idea will help your writing stay focused. Tutors can be a great way to help yourself or your children learn the art of a well structured essay. The more you practice using these techniques the faster they become.
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