As such, it is important that you provide evidence (a credible citation) when you are making a statement of fact, or drawing on arguments, frameworks, and theories presented by other academics. These, in turn, should support the overarching novel argument that you yourself are making.
Can great essay writing really be condensed down into just 8 steps? Well, whilst it's true that there is a lot that goes into academic writing of any kind, these top takeaways are a great place to start if you want to improve your essay writing.
How you present your argument is nearly as important as the argument itself, which is why it is imperative that your essay follows a logical structure. A classic piece of advice is to "tell them what you are going to tell them, then tell them, and tell them what you told them". This, in essence, summarises the core introduction, main body, and conclusion structure of your essay.
In essence, the wording of the essay question will tell you how the essay should be written. It will indicate where the focus of your essay should lie as you research and write.
5. Structure, flow and focus
In case you are unsure about the difference between quoting and paraphrasing, we’ve included an example below:
Writing may be the core task, but reading is equally important. Before you start writing your essay, you should conduct a broad search for relevant literature. Learning how to sift through a large amount of data is an important academic skill. You should start by searching through databases – Google Scholar is a great tool for this – using key words related to your research topic. Once you find an article that sounds promising, read through the abstract to ensure that it’s relevant.
If you are asked to evaluate the usefulness of something, however, you don’t necessarily need to go into as much critical depth. Yes, you should still acknowledge alternative approaches, and yes, you should still note some strengths and weaknesses – but the bulk of the work must emphasise the concepts practical usefulness. Perhaps the best approach is to find one, or a few, case studies where the theory has been used – what was the outcome of this? Does the application of the theory reveal any particular shortcomings, or strengths?
When drawing on other authors it is important to understand the distinction between quoting and paraphrasing. The general rule of thumb is that you should paraphrase wherever possible, and quote only when necessary or if it clarifies the point you are making. That said, paraphrasing can be difficult without losing the inherit value of the argument presented.
Next, pop straight over to the opposing view and deal with that point, again using clear examples and linking to the question. Repeat this ‘back and forth’ technique until you have covered all the points and evidence in your plan.
‘Victorian governments in the years 1867 to 1886 had little interest in social reform.’ Explain why you agree or disagree with this view.
At the end of the essay your conclusion should sum up all the main points of argument and then should reach a judgement. Don’t sit on the fence, no matter how tempting it is. You need to make a judgement. The conclusion should mirror your introduction and the main points of argument in the body of the essay, so the work ends up as a coherent, clear argument from introduction to conclusion.
For AQA History, at both AS and A level, you need to know how to write two types of essay – a block essay and a point-by-point essay. To be able to structure AQA history essays you’ll need to know these essay styles and where to use them.
Point-by-point essays
To do this really well it is usually better to put up the side of your argument that you will oppose first. You outline the ‘other’ side of the argument and show that you understand the opposing view. Then you switch over to the other side of the hypothesis, i.e. ‘your’ argument, and use powerful evidence to back it up. Remember this is all about argument and analysis.
Remember there should be no surprises for your marker or examiner in history. You are not writing a best seller where you build up the tension and then do a dramatic ‘ta da’ reveal. That will only confuse your examiner and lose you marks – potentially a lot of marks. What we want is a nice, clear format where we can see exactly what you are arguing, exactly what evidence you are using, and exactly what you have concluded. Importantly, we want to know this at the start of the essay. If you make your marker or examiner keep stopping, re-reading chunks, and going back and forth to try and understand your argument, you’ll just end up with an unhappy and frustrated reader. And this is the person who is going to award your marks! Be clear. Be concise. Get to the point quickly. Give evidence to back up your points. Reach a judgement.
By the way, when we talk about blocks it does not mean you have to cram everything into one enormous paragraph. If you have plenty to say (and hopefully you will) you should use a sensible paragraph structure. The reason it is called a block essay is that you deal with one section completely, in this case each source, before moving on to the next section.
You don’t really need an introduction for the source questions. In the exam you will be pressed for time so it is sensible to just start with your analysis of extract A. However, for the essay questions you will need a short, clear introduction that references the question and states your line of argument.
- P: Make your POINT
- E: EXPLAIN it
- E: Support it with EVIDENCE
- L: Make sure it LINKS in
A good essay isn't one that just puts your argument across but one which also counters any opposing views. Think of possible counter arguments that may be leveled and anticipate them with well thought out responses or rebuttals.
The conclusion shouldn't really be a one or two line afterthought. Instead it should link directly back to all of your previous writing, referencing key points and arguments (but not just repeating them) and ultimately end right back to the original essay topic with an answer to the question that was posed.
Essay writing takes a leap at A-level and many aren't quite prepared for it: Here are 7 ways to get you on your way to a killer essay.
Learn to PEEL and not PEE
YAY for acronyms! Here's one you want to make sure you get right: The main body of essay should consist of what can be referred to as 'PEEL' paragraphs:
Begin with a strong introduction which should establish the topic of your essay, give the reader a concise overview of what it will be about and inform them of what can be expected in the main body.
While your essay should follow a good structure at the same time you don't want to come across as just another bland by-the-numbers piece of writing.
ANY good essay should have a good, solid structure: A clear beginning, middle and end, just like any other piece of writing.
It goes without saying that there is a big number of possible topics for writing a level English coursework, for instance. Nevertheless, there is an algorithm that can assist you in making such an important decision.
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How to write English coursework a level? That is the question students constantly ask. It is time to answer it and decide once and for all how to implement such an academic assignment.
A level coursework essay writing process
According to the general rules of writing a level coursework essay should consist of three elements: introduction, main body, and conclusion. Each section should be informative and logically built. The introduction should be catchy and briefly explain the goal and problems of the investigation. The main body should be large and illustrate all the problems and ideas of the investigation. The conclusion— the last but not the less important part should be short and summarize the results of the essay.
As a rule, students are frustrated and powerless in front of such task as they require a lot of time and effort. We are here to prove you the opposite. Below you can find the article that could be your best guide that will show you the correct direction while writing a level coursework. Still not interested? Our coursework help service will help you write a level coursework essay with just a few clicks.
Now it is time to consider the key rules that will lead you creating a high-quality coursework essay.
While your essay should follow a good structure at the same time you don't want to come across as just another bland by-the-numbers piece of writing.
Many students struggle to get top marks because they end up PEE-ing, writing some good arguments but ones that fail to link into either one another or the main essay topic.
YAY for acronyms! Here's one you want to make sure you get right: The main body of essay should consist of what can be referred to as 'PEEL' paragraphs:
A good essay isn't one that just puts your argument across but one which also counters any opposing views. Think of possible counter arguments that may be leveled and anticipate them with well thought out responses or rebuttals.
See it from both sides
For example, ditch the cliche introduction of "In my essay I will be writing about. " and get a bit more inventive and creative.
ANY good essay should have a good, solid structure: A clear beginning, middle and end, just like any other piece of writing.
Begin with a strong introduction which should establish the topic of your essay, give the reader a concise overview of what it will be about and inform them of what can be expected in the main body.