Essay Writing

Essay Style and layout At third level, the most common essay types are discursive essays and comparative/contrastive essays. Discursive essays are when you have to discuss a given statement. Comparative/contrastive essays are where you show the similarities and differences between two items. It is essential that you focus on the question/title of the essay. Essays are generally presented in double spaced typing on one side of the page only. Use an easy to read font such as Times New Roman or Ariel. Dont forget to number the pages and justify the margins. Always check the subject handbook and department website for specific requirements about presentation of essays, especially with regard to referencing.

Essay Planning: Think about the topic, note facts and ideas as they come to you. It is never too early to start making notes for your essay. Construct and outline of your essay by arranging the facts and ideas under various subheadings (Dont use headings in the finished essay). Write the essay. Revise the text and proofread it, paying particular attention to spelling and punctuation. If possible ask a friend or family member to read the essay for you. Even if they know nothing about the topic it should make sense to them if it has been written in a clear and concise style. Also they may spot spelling or grammatical errors that you have missed.

The following diagram illustrates the structure of an essay and what each section (introduction, body and conclusion), represents:

The structure of an essay

Introduction Approximately 10% of the total length. May be one paragraph or several, depending on essay length. Introduce the topic Provide background information Limit the scope of discussion Define/state the topic/question Present the your line of argument/ viewpoint

Body Use a clear topic sentence at the start of each paragraph to carry the theme/outline/argument.

Conclusion Sum up your argument/information with reference to the essay question. Perhaps mention wider implications/future directions.

Essay Style The style of your essay is how you write your sentences. Your writing should be clear, correct, concise and coherent. Avoid repetition of words and ideas. Avoid mixing tenses. Each paragraph should begin with a clear topic sentence setting up the main point of that paragraph and end with a strong lead in to the next paragraph. It can be useful to read your essay out loud to check that the meaning is clear and the writing is fluid.

Referencing In your essays, you may want to make reference to relevant points from your reading. The basic components of a referencing system normally include details such as: Author(s) Year of publication Publisher Place of publication Page number There are number of referencing systems, all with slight variations in style, e.g., one system may use the authors full name, another may use full surname followed by initials for first names. Some place the date of publication directly after the authors name, some place it later in the sequence. Popular systems used in academic assignments include the Harvard system and the APA system. While most academic departments expect references to appear within the body of the text, some still use footnotes as the main referencing method. It is vitally important that you use the referencing system recommended by your subject tutor as outlined in each subject handbook. Remember that e.g., you may use the Harvard referencing system for one subject and the APA system for another.

Recommended reading: Your department/subject handbook should be your first point of information. If you want to read more about writing, grammar, referencing styles and presentation of assignments the following publications are recommended: How to Write Essays and Assignments by Kathleen McMillan & Jonathan Weyers (2nd edition, 2011) Pearson, Harlow The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr. and E.B.White (4th edition) Longman, New York