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Essay Writing
Essay Style and layout
At third level, the most common essay types are discursive
essays and comparative/contrastive
essays. Discursive essays are when you have to discuss a given
statement. Comparative/contrastive
essays are where you show the similarities and differences
between two items. It is essential that
you focus on the question/title of the essay. Essays are
generally presented in double spaced typing
on one side of the page only. Use an easy to read font such as
Times New Roman orAriel. Dont
forget to number the pages and justify the margins. Always check
the subject handbook and
department website for specific requirements about presentation
of essays, especially with regard
to referencing.
Essay Planning:
Think about the topic, note facts and ideas as they come to you.
It is never too early to start
making notes for your essay.
Construct and outline of your essay by arranging the facts and
ideas under various sub-
headings (Dont use headings in the finished essay).
Write the essay.
Revise the text and proofread it, paying particular attention to
spelling and punctuation. If
possible ask a friend or family member to read the essay for
you. Even if they know nothing
about the topic it should make sense to them if it has been
written in a clear and concise
style. Also they may spot spelling or grammatical errors that
you have missed.
The following diagram illustrates the structure of an essay and
what each section (introduction, body
and conclusion), represents:
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The structure of an essay
Introduction
Approximately 10% of the total length. May be oneparagraph or
several, depending on essay length.
Introduce the topic
Provide background information
Limit the scope of discussion
Define/state the topic/question
Present the your line of argument/ viewpoint
Body
Use a clear topic sentence at the start ofeach paragraph to
carry thetheme/outline/argument.
Conclusion
Sum up your argument/information withreference to the essay
question.
Perhaps mention wider implications/futuredirections.
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Essay Style
The style of your essay is how you write your sentences. Your
writing should be clear, correct,
concise and coherent. Avoid repetition of words and ideas. Avoid
mixing tenses. Each paragraph
should begin with a clear topic sentence setting up the main
point of that paragraph and end with a
strong lead in to the next paragraph. It can be useful to read
your essay out loud to check that the
meaning is clear and the writing is fluid.
Referencing
In your essays, you may want to make reference to relevant
points from your reading.
The basic components of a referencing system normally include
details such as:
Author(s)
Year of publication
Publisher
Place of publication
Page number
There are number of referencing systems, all with slight
variations in style, e.g., one system may use
the authors full name, another may use full surname followed by
initials for first names. Some place
the date of publication directly after the authors name, some
place it later in the sequence. Popular
systems used in academic assignments include the Harvard system
and the APA system. While most
academic departments expect references to appear within the body
of the text, some still use
footnotes as the main referencing method. It is vitally
important that you use the referencing system
recommended by your subject tutor as outlined in each subject
handbook. Remember that e.g., you
may use the Harvard referencing system for one subject and the
APA system for another.
Recommended reading:
Your department/subject handbook should be your first point of
information.
If you want to read more about writing, grammar, referencing
styles and presentation of
assignments the following publications are recommended:
How to Write Essays and Assignments by Kathleen McMillan &
Jonathan Weyers (2nd
edition, 2011)
Pearson, Harlow
The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr. and E.B.White
(4th
edition) Longman, New York
