How To Write Better Essays

How To Write Better Essays Today we are going to have a look at the structure of a body paragraph â€" these paragraphs make up the most substantial part of an essay, report or case study. HELPS is dedicated to providing English language and academic literacy support to UTS undergraduate and postgraduate coursework students via free con-credit programs and services. This is the third paragraph of our introduction which contains a preview of the essay. Read widely around the topic before you even start and you’re halfway there. Essays need to have a beginning, a middle and an end. The introduction should outline the problem, explain why it’s important, and briefly outline the main arguments. Don’t start with a dictionary definition â€" this is clichéd and boring. We will try to make it clearer for you by actually using a sample introduction that was written for a real-life academic essay. If it’s a ‘compare and contrast’ kind of question, you’ll need to demonstrate both sides of the argument. If it’s a ‘define and explain’ kind of question, you’ll need to show that you have a deep understanding of the topic. If it has two parts, divide your essay into two parts to answer the question. We’re located in building 1 level 3 room 8, just across from the Concourse café and the Careers Office. Please feel free to come and visit us and chat to an Advisor about receiving academic language support to complete your assesements. Now let's try and identify the essential elements to a paragraph by looking at an example taken from our assignment question. You’ll notice the first sentence is the topic sentence which clearly states the theme of the paragraph. This is followed by the explanation or argument and then substantiated through the integration of evidence and demonstration of examples. The conclusion reminds your reader of the main points made in your essay and leaves your reader with a final impression and ideas to think about later. It might seem strange to think about writing your conclusion before you write the body of your essay, but unless you know where you are going you can easily lose direction. Also, the conclusion is the last thing the reader actually reads, so it needs to be memorable. If you feel that you need more help in writing an assignment - then you can get free help at the HELPS unit. This functions as kind of map to navigate the reader. We can tell that this is a preview from the use of key words such as “this essay will focus on”. Notice that further into this paragraph, signposting language is used to designate the structure of the essay, for example phrases such as “the first, second and last section”. Notice too that even a preview into the conclusion is mentioned here. Notice that it is important to include some form of critical analysis or observation. Finally, your concluding statement should articulate your voice or opinion. In addition to commencing your paragraph with a clear topic sentence, it is important to use linking words and phrases to create cohesion within and across paragraphs in your writing. The words you see on your screen are what we call transition signals or signpost words, and they can help the reader follow the order and flow of your ideas. In a previous online tutorial video we introduced you to a real-life assignment question and talked about how to structure the introduction and conclusion to an essay. It should sum up the main arguments in the middle and finish with a conclusions that finally answers the essay question. Michael recommends that you begin writing your essay by expanding your plan. 'You may find it helpful to write the conclusion first, especially if you know exactly what it is you want to argue,' he adds. 'This can help you to clarify your ideas and also give you something to work towards. This outline of your essay will set up a sort of contract with your reader, explaining what you will deliver to them in the body of your essay. This is designed to orientate the reader and provide them with some sort of context beforehand. It is absolutely critical to prepare your reader with this type of background information-do not immediately launch into your argument. Let’s imagine then, that we have spent some time and worked on our first draft of our essay and have written the introduction to the essay question. Regardless of the topic or the task, it is very important to understand and analyse the assignment question before embarking on any assignment writing exercise. A clear interpretation of the question and a well-structured plan are essential. This may involve discussing your questions, needs and concerns with your tutor, lecturer or subject coordinator to clarify the assignment question or by speaking to a HELPS Advisor. Naturally, you will need to do some background reading to consolidate your ideas before your start planning your essay. We can analyse the text in our sample introduction and look at the elements it needs to contain. Please refer to the assignment question on the right hand side of the screen. Notice the key words which in this case they are ‘academic learning and literacy centres’. Also notice these key words ‘ the most effective approach’.