Writing Essays

Writing Essays If you are writing a longer paper, this could be its own section. Mainly it addresses the main arguments and debates in the literature on your topic and how your line of argument is consistent or different from those. The main point of an introduction is to capture the attention of the reader and draw them in. This is why your first sentences should be well thought-out to engage and interest the reader. Always think of an introduction as an upside down triangle. It should start broad and become more narrow and specific. There are different things to include in your introduction, depending on the size of your paper. As with creative writing, it is better to show than to tell. Quote from your sources and, if they are visual, provide photocopies. Use evidence to support the topic sentence of each paragraph. And back up generalities with specific examples, the more vivid, the better. Your examples should support your topic sentences by making them convincing, while your topic sentences should explain the significance of your examples. When these movements become second nature, they can be repeated naturally in the context of the game, or in our case, the writing of the essay. But, putting the hours in alone will not be enough to attain the highest levels in essay writing. This will help guide them in structuring their research and, later, the essay they will write itself. When writing an essay in an exam context, this may be the only ‘research’ the student will be able to undertake prior to the writing, so practicing this will be even more important. In this article we will drill down to some of the aspects that will assist students in taking their essay writing skills up a notch. Here is a very usefulhandouton paragraphs and transition. The size and detail of this depends on the size of the paper. Many of the ideas and activities can be integrated into broader lesson plans based on essay writing. Often, though, they will work effectively in isolation - just as athletes isolate physical movements to drill that are relevant to their sport. Since many students are confused about what an introduction should include, here is a general guideline to get you started. Also accept that if you write your introduction first, you will probably have to re-write it or at least tweak it depending on how the rest of your paper turns out. It will help you to pick up contradictions and weaknesses in your arguments before you start writing and it keeps you from going off-track. This is also a good stage to check with your professor or TA. There are important stylistic guidelines you should follow in the body of your paragraph. For example, you should try and use the same terminology as you find in the literature in order to sound more professional and scholarly. You should also ensure that there is transition and flow between each paragraph and between each argument. Try to explain specifically and clearly how each argument relates to your thesis to make sure your essay sounds more cohesive. Also remember that paragraphs are limited to one idea and should also make a clear point that connects to your argument and thesis. You can meet with them in person or e-mail them your outline and thesis to get feedback. Check out thisoutline handoutfrom the Writing Centre. Students also tend to fall in the two categories of doing too much research or too little research. Doing too much research can definitely give you a better understanding of the broader issue of your topic, and this can be noticed in your writing. However, you can fall into the trap of adding things that are not necessarily relevant to your topic, resulting in a larger paper then the assignment requires. Doing too little research on the other hand, might not give you enough information on the topic and make for a shorter paper. Also remember, that not all sources you read will be useful, it takes time to find really good sources you can use for your paper. For a social science paper between 6-8 pages you generally should read at least 10 relatively good sources.