Documenti di Didattica
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Introduction
The introduction should attract the reader's attention and give them an idea of the essay's
focus. It is useful to start the introduction with an “attention grabber”, or memorable
statement. You could use:
SA startling fact or statistic
SAn anecdote or story that illustrates a point.
SA relevant quote
SAn unanswered question or puzzle
Conclusion
You need a tight, powerful conclusion that is the logical consequence of everything that has
gone before. A good essay has developed a number of related strands, which the
conclusion ties together. The conclusion brings closure to the reader, summing up your
points or providing a final perspective on your topic.
SDo not merely present a summary statement.
SDo not introduce new ideas.
SContent will depend on nature of essay
SAim to leave a lasting impression of your topic in the reader's mind.
Bibliography/reference list
The last section of your essay will be the reference list. It contains an alphabetical list of all
references cited in your essay.
Stay on track
A major failing of essay writers is to lose their way and answer a question they weren’t
asked. Answer the question, and only the question. And keep checking that you are
remaining on track throughout the essay. A good habit is to constantly refer back to the
task or question you are answering and to ask "am I still on track?". If you’ve gone off on a
tangent, get back on track. If there’s something interesting that you want to include, but
which is of dubious relevance to the main argument or theme of the essay, cut it out or put
it in an Appendix.
Don’t rush
You might remember that you ‘did all right’ last time you stayed up all night on caffeine, the
day before the deadline, to research and write an essay. But this most likely means that you
would have done much better if you had started reading and researching, and then writing,
days or weeks before that. It is always obvious to your tutors when an essay is rushed.