HOW TO WRITE ESSAYS More related titles from How To Books Quick Solutions to Common Errors in English An A–Z guide to spelling, punctuation and grammar Angela Burt Critical Thinking for Students Learn the skills of critical assessment and effective argument Roy van den Brink-Budgen Writing an Assignment Proven techniques from a chief examiner that really get results Pauline Smith A Practical Guide To Research Methods A user-friendly guide to mastering research techniques Dr Catherine Dawson The Mature Student’s Study Guide Essential skills for those returning to education or distance learning Dr Catherine Dawson howtobooks Please send for a free copy of the latest catalogue: How To Books Spring Hill House, Spring Hill Road, Begbroke, Oxford OX5 1RX, United Kingdom [email protected] www.howtobooks.co.uk HOW TO WRITE ESSAYS A step-by-step guide for all levels, with sample essays Don Shiach howtobooks ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The author and publishers are grateful to Nicholas Murray and the Rack Press, Kinnerton, Presteigne, Powys LD8 PF for permission to reproduce History from Nicholas Murray’s collection ‘The Narrators’. Published by How To Content, A division of How To Books Ltd, Spring Hill House, Spring Hill Road, Begbroke, Oxford 0X5 1RX. United Kingdom. Tel: (01865) 375794. Fax: (01865) 379162. email: [email protected] http://www.howtobooks.co.uk All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or stored in an information retrieval system (other than for purposes of review) without the express permission of the publisher in writing. The right of Don Shiach to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. Text © Don Shiach 2007 First published in paperback 2007 First published in electronic form 2007 ISBN: 978 1 84803 056 5 Produced for How To Books by Deer Park Productions, Tavistock, Devon, UK Typeset by specialist publishing services ltd, Montgomery, UK Cartoons by Phill Burrows Cover design by Baseline Arts Ltd, Oxford, UK NOTE: The material contained in this book is set out in good faith for general guidance and no liability can be accepted for loss or expense incurred as a result of relying in particular circumstances on statements made in the book. The laws and regulations are complex and liable to change, and readers should check the current position with the relevant authorities before making personal arrangements. CONTENTS Preface vii Introduction ix 1 Planning Your Essay 1 What are you being asked to do? 1 Making a plan 6 2 The Opening Paragraph 11 ‘Waffle’ 12 The length of the opening paragraph 15 Useful phrases 16 More opening paragraphs 18 3 The Body of the Essay 26 Paragraphs 26 More examples of paragraphs 30 Continuity 34 The use of close references 38 More about the body of the essay 41 4 The Closing Paragraph 43 Final sentence 45 Further examples of closing paragraphs 45 5 Summary of Essay Structure 50 6 Sample Essay 1: A Discursive Essay 52 v HOWTOWRITEESSAYS 7 Sample Essay 2: Literature 61 Essays on literature in examinations 61 8 Sample Essay 3: Writing about Poetry 71 9 Sample Essay 4: Another Essay on a Poem 77 10 Sample Essay 5: A Media Studies Essay 83 11 Sample Essay 6: History 91 12 Sample Essay 7: Writing About a Novel 97 13 Sample Essay 8: Writing in Response to a Critical Thinking Task 108 14 Sample Essay 9: A Film Studies Essay 115 15 Sample Essay 10: A Politics Essay 124 16 Grammar and Accuracy 133 Writing in sentences 134 Punctuation 138 The use of the apostrophe 141 17 Spelling 145 Their/there/they’re 145 Were/where/we’re 146 18 Bibliographies and Reference Lists 151 19 Examinations 154 Answers to Practice Sections 157 Index 161 vi PREFACE I strongly recommend readers to study and absorb the first five sections of the book before turning to the ten sample essays that have been provided. These sample essays are presented as models of good practice and each is followed by a detailed analysis or questions that are intended to focus your attention on key essay-writing skills that you should have learnt from the first five sections. You will benefit if you study these sample essays in tandem with the analysis that follows. Only with this kind of close attention to structure and detail can you hope you to improve your essay-writing skills. Don Shiach vii TThhiiss ppaaggee iinntteennttiioonnaallllyy lleefftt bbllaannkk INTRODUCTION The skill of writing essays is an essential tool if you are to achieve the kind of grade you want in the courses you are studying. This is true whether you are studying at GCSE, AS or A levels at school or college, or trying to gain a degree at university. There is no single, foolproof method of successful essay-writing. However, the advice and the practical guidance you will receive in this book will provide you with all you need to know about how to improve your grade assessments by putting into practice some simple, but invaluable, principles of essay writing. These approaches will work for you whether you are facing assessment in timed examinations and/or being judged by coursework assignments. In essence, the principles of essay-writing apply to both situations: when you are under the pressure of an examination room, or, at home or in college with more time to produce your assignment essay. There is no doubt at all that the people who do best in assessments of all kinds are those who understand exactly what is required of them and who manage to deliver exactly that. In other words, it is not just what you know, but how you apply that knowledge when you are being assessed that finally counts. In the case of examinations, you have to be effective at sitting ix