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Writing Essays

a. The importance of writing

 Your success in reading is invisible to others

unless you also know how to write!!!
b. Four basic principles

Discuss each of these basic claims:

1.Writing means construction
2.Writing involves a constant process
of reconstruction
3.Writing is a way of thinking
4.Writing is different from talking

c. The purpose of writing essays

Essays in literary studies generally require you to carry out two

related tasks:
1. They invite you to show that you are familiar with the material which
makes up the subject
2. They invite you to argue a case

Arguing a case involves the following four stages:

1. Identifying a problem or issue in a given area;
2. establishing competing points of view associated with the issue
identified;
3. presenting evidence in support of and against various positions
which might be taken up with regard to the issue;
4. reaching a conclusion consistent with the evidence and arguments
you have presented.

Some pieces of guidance:

 Use the introductory paragraph as an opportunity to translate

the question into your own words. But don’t use the same
wording as in the question and don’t translate “word for word”;
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reformulation and reorganization will force you to understand
the question and show your examiner that you do. Translate
technical words into ordinary language wherever possible.

 Where a question seems broad or general, explain how you are

interpreting it in order to make it more manageable.

 The question may not tell you to give examples, but you
should, and you should show how the examples relate to your
answer.

 The question may not directly ask you for a conclusion, but
give one anyway.

 Don’t talk about yourself or comment on the exam unless you

are explicitly asked to.

e. Writing the Essay

The first paragraph:

1. It tells your reader what your essay will be about.
2. As it was said before, it can reformulate the question to
demonstrate that you have understood it and can develop
arguments from it
3. It should also explain your essay’s organization
4. Do not make lists of topics but show your reader the
relationship between topics.
5. A helpful first paragraph, then, offers your reader a “menu” of
what will follow, while at the same time already beginning on
the argument of the essay.

The last paragraph:

1. It brings to a suitable conclusion the various different

arguments you have made.
2. It might include an evaluation or assessment of the qualities of
a work or writer based on arguments presented in the essay or
3. an indication of what consequences follow from what you have
shown in your essay.
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The body:

1. It is divided into paragraphs.

2. Each paragraph deals with a different topic.
3. The first sentence (topic sentence) makes the main claim of
the paragraph and tries to relate what comes next to the last
point you have made and to the structure of the essay as a
whole.
4. The subsequent sentences justify or illustrate the claim
5. The final sentence sums up the paragraph and perhaps tries
also to link the paragraph with what will come next.

Quotation and paraphrase:

1. A paraphrase usually substantially changes the language of the

original, because all that matters is that the idea is conveyed.
2. If the language of the original is itself important you should use
a quotation.
3. Add a commentary or gloss, clarifying the relevance of the
quotation to your argument. Since quoted material can be read
in many different ways, you need to ensure that the particular
contribution the quotation makes to your argument is made
explicit.
4. Avoid using long quotations unless really necessary.
5. Rewrite thoroughly or quote exactly. In between , you are in
danger of plagiarism.

Signposting and connectives:

1. Paragraphs are not only held together by topic sentences which

signal the directions in which the essay is progressing. There
are also explicit ways of linking sentences and paragraphs.
2. Formal markers bind a piece of writing together as a single
unity and they signal specific, often logical relationships
between one sentence and another.
3. Use cohesive markers but don’t expect them to create
connections between unconnectable material.

Adapted from: Fabb, N. and Durant, A (1994), How to Write Essays, Dissertations
and Theses in Literary Studies. Longman