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How To Write A Good Essay
By Alan Leach
An essential skill for many students these days is knowing how to write a good essay. The ability to write a good essay will ensure you not only sail through university with flying colours but will help you in your job search upon graduation. It is therefore essential if you are struggling with this medium that you quickly learn how to write a good essay. While essay types vary according to the course you are studying or the specific
question itself, most good essays follow the following steps.
Every good essay starts with research. Books, magazines, videos and the Internet are just some examples of where you can get information. With all of these forms, be careful about the quality of the information though. To really impress your markers with your ability to do research properly and write a good essay, use peer-reviewed articles and academic journals. Often the only difference between an average essay and a good essay is the research quality.
Another key tip for writing a good essay is to construct a skeleton outline of your essay. This need only consist of a short phrase for each paragraph.
The essential point is that good essays require good planning.
When writing a good essay, it is essential these days to do your work on a computer. An essay that has been typed rather than hand-written looks more professional and is more likely to get you a good grade. Back up your work frequently, as there is nothing more frustrating than finishing what you think is a very good essay, only for your computer to perform Hari Kiri and take your essay with it.
A good essay must also take style into consideration. An academic style that is preferred by colleges requires no slang or idiomatic language. Use a formal style but at the same time remember a good essay is a readable essay.
You must attempt to walk that fine line between readability and formality.
The introduction of your essay should explain the topic question in more detail, as well as explaining how you will answer the question. This use of signposting is another characteristic of all good essays. You allow the reader to see what you intend to talk about in later sections of your work.
Avoid answering the question in the introduction, as that is what the concluding paragraph is for. A good essay will answer the essay question in the first sentence of the last paragraph, based on your arguments that have gone before.
A good essay is divided into paragraphs, with each paragraph containing a topic sentence. This is the main point of the paragraph, and should be stated briefly and clearly. Use the rest of the paragraph to support this sentence, drawing on your research for facts and figures. Markers are looking for logical arguments, so also use the opinions of respected experts in the field to support your arguments.
At all costs, avoid using several long direct quotes from other authors.
What the person marking your work wants to know is do you understand the key concepts. Simply using other people's ideas without analysis does not show this at all. Paraphrase what experts have said, but be sure to analyze their ideas critically.
The last step in ensuring you have written a good essay is to check, check and check again. Grammar and spelling errors are common issues, so it pays to get someone else to read through your work and pick out the mistakes.
See Also:
more info on how to write a good essay
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