When writing an essay your tasks are to:
Ø Answer the question!
Ø Engage your reader
Ø Use specific evidence to give a balanced critique of the subject
Ø Give your own views although if these are controversial try to avoid sounding like a raving lunatic
You will need to develop your own style and your own reliable, quick and efficient method for writing an essay
Ø Think!!! Give particular attention to elucidating what the question is asking and to how you will answer it precisely. Always address ALL aspects of the question even if you “know” relatively little about of these.
Ø Plan, plan, plan, plan, plan!!!!
Ø Give particular attention to your first sentence and to your introductory paragraph
Ø Define the central ideas which will frame the essay as precisely as possible – the vaguer these are the more difficult it will be for you to find evidence to cite in their support
Ø Organize a logical structure around the central ideas
Ø Give thought to the priorities in your structure and to which parts of the essay, and argument, are more important than others
Ø Use evidence to support your arguments – remember to use the most powerful evidence available: 5 weak pieces of evidence will not be as powerful as 1 strong piece
Ø Give your own thoughts, suitably argued and supported, and don’t hesitate to be controversial if you have evidence to support your viewpoint
Ø Your argument and structure should lead naturally to your conclusions
mjaw
7x.2001