Essaywriting

Essay writing guide

Essay Writing Guide

Dr Jerry Ratcliffe – Dept of Criminal Justice – Temple University

1

Essay writing ‐
what is good
writing?
The Importance of Writingi
Of all areas of studying and learning, the most
challenging is writing. The reason why writing is
especially demanding is that it forces a very deep and
powerful type of learning to take place. When making
the effort to use the ideas of the subject that you are
studying and saying something for yourself, then it may
be said that you are learning. The ideas only become a
functioning part of your thought processes when you
can call on them in expressing yourself to other people.

understanding to others.
Make sure that you actually answer the question. If
you are asked to assess, or to choose, or to discuss‐‐do
it! Do not write down everything you know about the
subject: it may not all be relevant. Your lecturers are
often not looking for `correct answers'. There is no `line'
for you to follow. They are concerned with how well
you make your case. Whether they agree or disagree
with your judgment is not essential to your mark.
Disagreement does not lead to bad marks; bad essays
do.

If there are important arguments against your position,
do not ignore them; deal with them honestly. Give
those who disagree with you a fair go. Try to meet their
arguments with better ones. Scholarship is not a matter
of political point‐scoring: you must respect evidence
and superior arguments. Your argument should be
consistent, and the language used should be clear,
grammatical and precise. Furthermore, an essay is a
finished piece of work, not a draft or a series of notes.

What is an essay?

What does an essay look like?

An argument is a series of generalizations or
propositions, supported by evidence or reasoning and
connected in a logical manner, that lead to a justified
conclusion. You must sustain your argument by giving
evidence and reasons.
Assertions do not constitute an argument. You must
support your opinions with good evidence and valid
reasoning. What counts as good evidence and valid
reasoning you will learn by experience, and by
consulting your lecturers. Being critical may mean
determining whether or not the evidence available
justifies the conclusions that are drawn from it; or it
may mean uncovering and questioning the assumptions
which underlie theories.
Essays give you a chance to show what you can do: that
you understand the question asked; that you
understand the issues involved; that you have done the
appropriate amount of reading. Having got that far, you
must then show that you can communicate your

Writing tends to be a very private process. You know
what your essays look like and what comments your
lecturer returns them with, but you have very little idea
what other people’s essays are like and what comments
they receive back. One of the most valuable aids to
developing your own style and ability is to have the
opportunity to see how other students have responded
to the same task: not because you want to copy
someone else’s style, but to broaden your vision of
what is possible when you are answering an essay
question. If you are studying with other students, you
could arrange to meet from time to time to read each
other’s essays; or if you can’t meet you could exchange
essays by email.
Exchanging essays is a way of gaining insight into your
strengths and weaknesses, by comparing your approach
to that of your colleagues. It is unlikely that you could
copy someone else’s style even if you tried. Since it is
your ability that you are trying to develop, it would be
counterproductive. However; do not plagiarize. This is
a quick route to getting thrown out of University.
The idea of letting others see your work is rather
daunting at first, but once you have broken the barriers
of privacy, other students can often be at least as
helpful as a tutor in finding ways forward. All this being
said, be careful to avoid plagiarizing fellow students’
work. This can result is severe penalties.

Essay Writing Guide

You are no longer in high school, so most study at a
tertiary level requires an analytical, not a descriptive,
approach. Written work must present an argument.
Essays are generally answers to questions which ask
whether or not you agree with a certain statement, or
which ask you to discuss something critically, to assess
a statement, or to make a choice. University essays are
therefore arguments for or against certain propositions.


2

The Shotgun Technique
This is putting down everything you know about the
subject, and is a common fault. It is like firing a shotgun
and hoping that some of the many pellets hit home.
The question you are asked or the topic you are set will
be specific, and not of the form `What do you know
about X'. Some students feel that by putting down all
they know, they impress. Unfortunately it usually works
the other way round, and persuades the reader that
you are not very bright.
If you find you have a tendency to put down everything
you know, rather than answer the question, it helps to
practice making skeleton answers. When you are
actually writing an assignment, stick to the skeleton. If
you are told that your answer is unfocussed, waffle or
vague you might be suffering from this fault. In this
case, you need to focus more on the question asked
and stick to the main elements of the answer.
One rather mechanical but effective way of doing this is
to refer regularly to the words of the question as you
write. Naturally, it should not be done so often that it
jars or starts to look silly. It may not be impossible to
get side‐tracked if you keep referring to the words of
the question and dropping them into the text, but it
does require a certain talent. When you think you have
finished the essay, it is useful to read it over with the
question in large letters in front of you and keep
glancing at this. You should see if your answer is
relevant in this way. Keep asking yourself the question
`What is in, that should be reduced in importance, or
taken out?' ‐ then have the courage to do whatever is
necessary.

Getting sidetracked from the very
beginning
Never start off any assignment, be it written or oral, by
saying `Before I deal with the question set, I will....' or
`Before we can tackle this question we must....'. You
have been set a topic or question and must answer it. If
you side‐track yourself from the very beginning, you
will not impress the marker. You will probably persuade
them that either you are not very intelligent, or else
you wish a different question had been set, because
you know more about it, and therefore intend to
change the question for yourself.

Skimpy (brief) lightweight work
This results in an essay that is too short and lacks
sufficient content. If you find it is a problem of yours,
the solution is easy ‐ you need to do more work! If you
receive such a criticism, take heed. When you think that
you have finished writing the essay, you should read it
over and ask yourself `What is out that should be in?' ‐
then put it in. If you cannot answer that, then either
you have a perfect answer, or you definitely need to
read more.
Badly organized/structured work
If you find this is a problem of yours, you might find
that it helps to practice making skeleton answers using
old exam papers or questions in a textbook. You need
not write out the actual answer. When preparing the
skeleton, seek out some logical order (e.g., who was
involved, why did it happen, what were the results) and
organize your points under your main headings. You
could try several different approaches, one skeleton
answer for each. You might have to think about what to
put in and how to organize better, and you may find it
difficult, but the actual process of doing this is part of
learning and improving. Be aware that it might take
some time before your effort pays off and your work
improves. But be reassured that you will be more
effective when approaching an issue for the rest of your
life.
Too Personal Answers
This can be a problem for some. If it is, you are advised
to avoid the word Ì' and be careful not to express your
personal views too much, unless the question actually
asks what you yourself think. It is safer to keep it in
third person whenever possible. The passive tense is
often the best, although some now think this is an old
fashioned way. If you start saying Ì think' then it can
easily become too personal and it may cause you to say
what you think without sufficient evidence to back it
up. Alternatively, you might be failing to express one or
more standard explanations that others have proposed.
Using the active tense is often more vigorous in
language but can backfire. If you are not sure what is
meant by active and passive tenses, `The ball was
struck' is passive; Ì struck the ball' is active.

Essay Writing Guide

Some Common Mistakes in Essay
Writing and Paper Presentation


3

Many courses at the outset offer several topics for
essays. Choose one carefully and begin working on it
early. Fit your preparation and writing into the
framework provided by essay deadlines in other
courses. This will avoid a frantic, last‐minute rush.
Essays are often best done when the topic interests
you, but beware of becoming consumed by it: your
capacity for scholarly analysis may be impaired, or you
may neglect your other course work.

What is the question asking you to do?
Begin by carefully examining the key words and
concepts in the question. Pay particular attention to the
difference between commonly used words. For
example:
compare ‐ examine the characteristics of the objects in
question to demonstrate their similarities and
differences;
contrast ‐ examine the characteristics of the objects in
question to demonstrate their differences;
analyse ‐ consider the various components of the whole
and explain the relationships among them;
discuss ‐ present the different aspects of a question and
problem;
evaluate ‐ examine the various sides of a question to
reach a normative judgment.

Analyze the question
Once the topic has been clarified, you should break it
down into its component parts. This enables you to
decide what material is relevant to the topic. Suppose,
for example, that you chose the following question: `Is a
two party system necessary for the existence of
representative democracy?'. An appropriate answer
would focus on these components: ∙ the nature of
representative democracy; ∙ the role of political parties
in representative democracy; ∙ the characteristics of a
two party system; ∙ weakened by, a two party system; a
conclusion setting out your evaluation of these points
and their general contribution to the topic. You thus

have the basis for the next step: outlining your essay.

Outline
After analyzing the question, the components should be
organized to form an essay outline (or plan). The
outline helps to ensure that your essay has a coherent,
logical structure. It also facilitates the preparation of
your essay by guiding your reading, note‐taking and
writing. Outlines also enable you to assign relative
weighting to the different components of your answer
by differentiating which points are central, and which
peripheral. They will thus assist your research effort.
Outlines, however, are not set in concrete. Be open to
revising your outline as your research progresses, but
always check that the new outline continues to address
directly the essay topic.

Brainstorming
As you begin to consider the question in detail, you can
usefully jot down all the ideas that occur to you on a
piece of paper and maybe rough out a sort of skeleton
answer. In the first place this may be easier to do
starting with a circle in the middle of the page and
extending lines out as ideas occur to you. If you find a
more formal approach like a list works better for you,
then use that method. Once you have lots of points
jotted down, in the order they occurred to you, then
you can move to the next stage which is where you
tentatively put numbers by the points.
There will be more than one possible way and you are
seeking the one that seems best fitted to you. These
numbers will become the different paragraphs or
sections of the essay when you write it up.

Calculate the organization of your essay
Often you will be given a clear indication of the limits of
an essay. Going a long way above or under a word limit
will usually result in you being penalized. The following
example will help keep you on track and will also assist
in your planning.
Example based on a 1500 word essay;
INTRODUCTION ‐ 100 / 150 words
BODY‐ 1000 / 1300 words This maybe 3 ‐ 4
main ideas of 300 ‐ 400 words each ‐ Roughly ‐
These may then divide into 3 ‐ 4 paragraphs
per idea

Essay Writing Guide

Essay writing II ‐
Planning and
research

CONCLUSION ‐ 100 / 150 words
After doing your sums you then can start your research.
Check your lecture notes, and any other notes you may


4

already have that are relevant to the title set. Go to the
textbook (and as many other textbooks as you think
helpful) and read the relevant parts.
Wide reading is essential if you wish to submit a good
essay. Without wide reading you will not have the
breadth of knowledge necessary to evaluate the worth
of the materials and to put their themes into
perspective. Effective research depends on knowing
what to look for, so always keep your essay outline in
mind.
The reading requirements are, of course, related to the
nature of the subject and the topic. Some topics may
require a detailed analysis of a small number of texts;
yet it is rarely sufficient to read only one or two books
on a particular topic. Most lecturers issue reading lists
to help students choose material, but these should only
be considered as starting points.
Then use the library catalogue and search for anything
that might add to your knowledge, reading and noting
what you find. Further references may be compiled by
using bibliographies in textbooks; by looking at the
subject index in the library; and by consulting periodical
indexes in the library.
The following types of sources may generally be used:
•
•
•
•
•
•

General texts
Specialized texts
Journal articles
Newspapers and news periodicals
Abstracts, CD‐ROM Databases
World Wide Web (though the web should be
used cautiously and many lecturers do not
approve of Wikipedia as a source)

record its details carefully. Keep an accurate record of
the full reference. Write down the page from which you
obtain each piece of information, even though it may
not be a direct quotation. However; be careful not to
over‐quote. Quotations should be used sparingly and
not in lieu of your ideas.
Then you should go over all the notes you have taken,
read them and think about them, jotting down all your
ideas or criticisms as you read. At this stage you might
usefully add to or totally remake the initial skeleton
outline.
At this point, it is useful to discuss the issue with others
if possible. This will help you to organize your thoughts
and identify weak points in your arguments, and might
give you some new points to incorporate or help adjust
the balance of your answer. Techniques for organizing
copious notes virtually all involve effort and a bit of trial
and error of different ways of tackling the question.
Some advocate writing all the main points on small
cards and shuffling these around and comparing
outcomes. Others like to skeleton outlines, each on a
separate piece of paper.
Useful Strategies
Draft each paragraph on a separate page; one idea‐ one
paragraph, then rearrange them into a logical order.
Tackle the introduction and conclusion last.

NOTE: In all your reading, be alert for stated and
unstated assumptions which affect the character of the
argument.

Notetaking
Use your essay outline as the basis of taking notes from
your readings. Try not to photocopy large slabs of
readings: it often delays the hard work of reading and
thinking; unhappily, it sometimes substitutes for them.

Essay Writing Guide

Be organized in your note‐taking: maintain an order
that you can follow and that will be of assistance in
writing the essay. Such an order might be provided by
your essay outline. How you choose to make notes is up
to you. You may prefer connected sentences of
commentary, or point form. If there is an apt quotation
you wish to use for illustrative purposes, copy it and

5

Writing and revising
The essay should be a coherent and logical piece of
analytical prose. In the first place it should answer the
question set. In the second place it cogently argues,
carefully documents, and clearly expresses your case.
The structure of the essay has three parts: an
introduction, the body of the essay, and a conclusion.
The introduction should introduce the topic to be
discussed and prepare the reader for what is to follow;
it needs to be concise. It should summarize briefly the
overall theme or argument of the essay, indicating the
main points to be made.
The body of the essay is the place to present your
argument.
The conclusion should restate briefly the key
arguments and their implications.
In sum, the structure of your essay should follow the
rule: say what you are going to say, say it, and say what
you have said.

Utilizing reference material
You need to be aware of how much your essay is direct
quotation (where you use the words of another writer
exactly), how much is indirect quotation (where you
paraphrase or reword information gained from a
reference source), and how much is your own wording.
As a rough guide for introductory level subjects Elms
(1994, p.33) suggests “that you limit yourself to one
quarter of your essay for direct quotations, one half to
indirect quotations [paraphrasing], and the remainder
for integrating the other information.”, but I personally
feel this is a much too generous for direct quotations,
which should be more sparingly used. Some quotations
are desirable and can be insightful, but over‐
employment can lead to the impression that the writer
has nothing of any originality to say and to a lack of
critical evaluation. Don’t string together lengthy
quotations. Check with other lecturers who may differ
in their view.

The draft
You will find it helpful to write more than one draft. Use
the first draft to map out your ideas within the
framework of your essay outline. Second and
subsequent drafts must pay more attention to wording
and style.
Essays are not just exercises in research; they are also
exercises in communication.
Attention to matters of style will help to ensure that
your presentation is clear, concise and direct. Your
research efforts deserve the clearest and best
presentation possible. There are many important issues
in presentation to which you should give due attention,
but consistency is one of the most important
considerations.
One problem that worries a lot of students is how much
to include, where to draw the line, and when to stop.
Part of your learning process is to gain such skills and so
any anxiety and struggle involved is not necessarily a
bad thing as it can definitely pay off for you. You should
bear in mind there is no clear answer to such questions:
they depend on the particular approach you decide to
adopt when answering the question, as well as on
factors like how intelligent, hard working and creative
you are. If you are aiming for a bare pass or a high
distinction, the answers will again be different. Answer
the question definitely, but also consider if there are
deeper issues.

Presentation
You should if possible type or word process your
assignments, and you should double space the text.
This makes it easier to read, pleases the marker, and
allows more room for comments.
Double spacing encourages the marker to note ideas
and suggestions throughout your text, and in this way
you tend to get more written comment or response. It
is traditional to send all manuscripts to publishers and
journals in double space, so academics are used to
seeing it in this form and generally prefer it.
If you cannot type using all your fingers, you are
strongly advised to learn now. It is easy to obtain a
computer program that will teach you to type, either
through the University or cheaply through
advertisements for typing tutors in computer
magazines. Some of the packages have a fun typing
game that encourages you to practice.

Essay Writing Guide

Essay writing III ‐
Writing, revising &
presentation

Always include a title page attached to your essay. This
is a separate one to any that the university provides.


6

Always include the sources of other people's ideas or
direct quotes.
Always include a List of References on a separate page
at the end of an essay. Do not call it a bibliography.
They are References. You are advised to read the
companion referencing guide that can be found on my
web page (or wherever you got this!).
Do not separate your essay into subheadings unless you
have been instructed by your lecturer to do so
(lecturers may differ in this requirement).
Do not use first person unless you are told to do so.
This should be a formal and objective piece of writing,
so don't personalize it by saying “I think ...”. This does
not mean that you should not have an evidence‐based
opinion. Just avoid the first person when expressing it.
Do not use any colloquial phrases, work‐related jargon
or clichés. Be original and formal in your expression.
Remember who your audience is. If you want to use
abbreviations use them in full first with the
abbreviation in brackets afterwards. This is especially
true for Three Letter Abbreviations (TLA). Thereafter
you can use the TLA.
Use full sentences to communicate your ideas. Each
sentence should make sense on its own. Check your
spelling. Use a spelling checker, a Dictionary or a
Thesaurus when you are writing, but do not rely on the
spel chequer! Nothing beats proof‐reading afterwards.
Usually you will not use tables, graphs or lists of facts in
an essay, but if you do use them then use them
sparingly and always talk about what they say in the
text. Again though, it will depend on the faculty or
lecturer. Check your course requirements, unit outline,
lecturer or tutor. I do not object to these things if used
in moderation as they can be illuminating, but they are
worthless unless the text explains what is significant
about them and why they are there.

your own words. For example;
Smith (1994, p. 52) believes that scholarship is
more important than inspiration when
preparing good assignments.
It has been stated that scholarship is more
important than inspiration when preparing
good assignments (Smith 1994, p.52).
Note that neither of these are direct quotes.
Reference list at the end of the essay
This will be in the form of a Reference List – or
References (not a bibliography please), showing all the
sources that you have used in your essay
Do not include material that is not cited in the text of
your essay.
Think you have finished?
Having written an assignment put it aside for a few
days. The time lapse will allow you to develop a new
perspective on your work. You may be more objective
and pick up any obscurities or inaccuracies. It is also a
good idea to give it to a friend or partner to read and
see if it makes sense.
A Note
Do get your assignments in on time. You lose marks for
being late and in addition, once you fall behind your
study and writing schedule it will be difficult to catch
up. When this happens, everything tends to become
late.

Referencing
The most commonly used systems of referencing are
the Harvard system or APA system. You are advised to
read the accompanying reference guide.
Referencing within the text

Essay Writing Guide

Anything that is not common knowledge should be
referenced ‐ when you are using another person's ideas
or drawing conclusions based on a combination of your
ideas and those of another person's, you need to
acknowledge this by giving their name and the year of
publication.
Paraphrasing ‐ this is putting an idea from a text into

7

Instruction terms

contrast

Instruction terms are commonly used in essay and
examination questions. They suggest the approach you
should take towards the subject. The exact meaning of
these terms will vary depending upon the subject. The
following indicate what they normally mean for essays
and exam questions.

criticize

•
•

Take care
Think carefully about the meaning of these
terms in relation to the remainder of the
question.
Try to understand exactly what an instruction
is asking you to do ‐ but be reasonable.
Don't look for problems where they might not
exist.
If in doubt, ask your tutor.

Set down the precise meaning of something. Be
prepared to state the limits of the definition. Take
note of multiple meanings if they exist.
describe
Give a detailed and comprehensive account of.
discuss
Investigate and examine by careful argument.
Explore the implications and the advantages or
disadvantages. Debate the case and possibly
consider any alternatives. This is probably the most
common instruction term. It is inviting you to say
something interesting in response to the topic in
question. You can choose your own approach.

account for
Explain the reasons for, giving an indication of all
relevant circumstances. Not to be confused with
'Give an account of' which asks only for a detailed
description.

evaluate
Make an appraisal of the worth of something in the
light of its truth or utility. Emphasize the views of
authorities as well as your personal estimation.

analyse
Study in depth, identifying and describing in detail
the main characteristics.
argue
Put forward a proposition, then illustrate it, discuss
its significance, and defend it against possible
counter‐charges.
assess

explain
Make plain. Account for. Clarify, interpret, and spell
out the material you present, giving reasons for
important features or developments.
how far...
Similar to questions which begin 'To what extent...'.
You are expected to make your case or present
your argument, whilst showing an awareness that
alternate or even contradictory explanations may
exist. Careful assessment and weighing of evidence
are called for.

Examine closely, with a view to 'weighing up' a
particular situation. Consider in a balanced way the
strengths and weaknesses or points for and against
a proposition. In conclusion, state your judgment
clearly.
comment

illustrate

State clearly and in moderate fashion your opinions
on the material in question. Support your views
with reference to suitable evidence or
explanations.

Make clear and explicit by the discussion of
concrete examples.
justify
Show adequate grounds for decisions or
conclusions. Answer or refute the main objections
likely to be made against them.

compare
Look for similarities and differences between two
or more things.

Essay Writing Guide

•

Give your judgment about a statement or a body of
work; explore its implications, discussing all the
evidence which is available. Be specific in your
examination.
define

Tips:
•
•

Deliberately single out and emphasize the
differences and dissimilarities between two or
more things.


8

outline
Give the main features or the general principles of
a subject, omitting minor details and emphasizing
structure or arrangement.
relate
Show how things are connected and how they
possibly affect, cause, or resemble each other.
review
Make a survey of, examining the subject critically.
state
Present the main points in brief, clear form.
summarize
Give a concise account of the main points of a
matter, omitting details and examples.
trace
Follow the development or history of a topic from
some point of origin.


Revised from a number of previous versions by J.H.
Ratcliffe, Sept 07. Available at www.jratcliffe.net.

i

Essay Writing Guide

I'm not one to reinvent the wheel, so this guide has
been adapted from the web site of Charles Sturt
University student services
(www.csu.edu.au/division/studserv/learning/index.htm)
which in turn has drawn on material from Australian
universities and other sources for advice and examples.
Particular mention must be made of the following:
Bucknall, K.B. (1995) How to succeed as a student.
Griffith University: http:// www.gu.edu.au/gwis/ stubod
/ stuadv / stu_advice.html; Lovell, D.W. (1995) Essay
writing for students in politics and the social sciences.
Australian Defence Force Academy:
http://www.pol.adfa.oz.au/essay.intro.html; Nothedge
A. (1990) The good study guide. Open University: Milton
Keynes, U.K.


9

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