Thursday, August 16, 2012
How to write an essay
Read the question
This seems too obvious to mention. But every year some students see a word or phrase in the title and proceed to rattle off an answer prepared without regard to whether what they are writing actually addresses the question posed. This will be immediately obvious to anyone reading your essay and get a few signs. Read the question several times to make sure you understand what is being asked.
Analyze the question
After reading the question, we must then analyze. This is vital - many people do not make the distinction between what the question asks and what the issue is about. Breaking down the title in the keywords (the issue to be considered) and the words of the topic (the matter), you can ensure that they actually answer the question rather than giving a simple narrative of events.
These examples are simple enough, but you come across titles that are much more difficult to analyze in order to make a habit of it now. After analyzing the issue, you are ready to write your plan.
Planning
This is undoubtedly the most vital part of writing an essay. And 'the plan that determines which approach you take to answer the question. If you wrote the plan properly, you know exactly what your answer will be - this is not something that should be dealt with during the writing of the essay! More importantly, the plan will make sure you actually answer the question. Everything you write must be related to the issue, and without a plan is all too easy to lose focus and write nonsense irrelevant. Do not answer the question is the most common assays in the absence of level A, and there's nothing like a teacher to do more than strike out large pieces of paper with the word `irrelevant '! Writing a good plan and this will not happen to you.
Introductions
Once you have made your plan, you are ready to start. How do I start an essay? Unfortunately there is no hard and fast rule - much will depend on each individual title. However, one thing is certain: its introduction is to make a good impression. It 's the first thing that anyone will read: If the power fails, the rest of the essay should be very good to recover the situation. Ideally, your introduction should shine, leaving the impression that `Wow, this girl knows what she's talking about: I want to know more '. At a minimum must be competent. Preferably, it should also be short - if its introduction lasts more than a third of a page, you get the point. So, faced with a blank sheet of paper, what you actually write?
The Middle
The main body of the essay is where you try your case. Once you have planned your essay, this section will almost write itself. It 's just a matter of filling the gaps. You know what you are going to write paragraphs and information that you will use. However, remember that you are making an argument, do not tell a story. Have you already identified the key words in the question - now is the time to use them. Each point must refer in some way or the keywords will be irrelevant. Be ruthless - you'll have much more information than necessary and has to carefully select only what is necessary to support your argument.
However, you must also avoid an essay consisting only of topics - you should not make unsubstantiated claims. For all you say you need a fact or support for example - otherwise the paper will be just so much hot air. This balance between analysis and details of support is what makes the ability of non-fiction, and takes time to learn. Once you have done, success is yours
Quotes
After all your efforts to take notes, you will naturally want to use some of them in your essay - which is why she made them. However, you must be very careful how you use quotation marks. Can only be used in a discussion of the various historical points of view, namely `Wilkinson said .... Shennan but says ... ', Or summarize a topic that you have already demonstrated. What you absolutely 100% can not be used to prove a point. The most common use of quotes is `Wilkinson says that without more information. This does not prove your point. A quote from a historical as well respected, not a test. Wilkinson said that he said something that does not prove that what he said is true. If you plan to use a quotation must be supported with relevant facts, or examples, as if it were your words, otherwise you will not earn points for notes stored with care.
Conclusions
The conclusion is where you summarize what you said in your essay. It 'absolutely essential - never fail to write one. This is the last thing an examiner reads and counts a lot: a good essay conclusion can save an indifferent and set the seal on a good. And 'here that draws together the threads of your argument and hammer home the point, leaving the reader in doubt for your answer. Not explicitly refer to the keywords of the issue and reinforce the points you made in the main body. Above all it should contain nothing new - it is simply a restatement of his argument. If there is something that has not already said it's too late!
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