Writing an essay can be a difficult process, especially because the style and content of essays may change between subject and from school to university. However, there are some things you can do when writing any essay to help you succeed.
The first, and arguably most important, thing you should do when starting to write an essay is read the question carefully. Break it down into separate parts and work out exactly what the question is asking you to do. For example:
‘How important was the loss of the American colonies to the British Empire between the 1770’s and 1810’s?’
This question asks you to consider the relative impact on a specific thing (the British Empire) of a specific event (the American Revolution), in a specific period (1770-1820). You wouldn’t win any marks for going much outside this period, or considering the impact of the revolution on America itself.
Reading the question carefully can help give you clues on what to read, and how to structure the essay. For the above question, you would want to consider whether the loss of the colonies was important or not, and also why. It may be helpful to brainstorm the essay question at this point to work out what you already know.
Once you’ve read the question, you can start doing some reading around the topic to work out what your argument is. Start off with some general texts (for example, about the American revolution) and then get more specific as you begin to focus in on your argument. This way, you have a broad understanding of the topic and can be sure you are making a reasoned argument, whilst still learning the specific details needed to make your case.
Make sure to take notes whilst you read, and write down the book title and page number. This makes referencing much easier later on.
When it comes to writing your essay, keep in mind that you are meant to be making your own argument in answer to the question. This means you shouldn’t just accept the views of people you have read. If two authors disagree about certain points- highlight this, discuss why, and state why you think one is correct. Don’t be afraid to disagree.
Linked to this, a common essay pitfall is being too descriptive. An essay is not a place for listing facts and describing what the American Revolution was. Make sure each paragraph has a clear point running through it that you can summarise at the end of it. A good way of checking this is in the editing stage- read each paragraph and write a one sentence summary of what you are arguing in it at the side of the page. If you can’t find a clear answer, your argument could probably be stronger.
Most essays have a word limit or a page limit, so you can’t just write everything you know about a subject. This means you have to carefully select the information that is most pertinent to your argument and organise your points into a coherent structure.
Essays should have an introduction, a middle and a conclusion. The introduction should introduce the question and your thesis, but it shouldn’t give your entire argument away. Instead, it should summarise the points you will develop throughout your essay and set the scene. The middle paragraphs are where you develop your argument. These paragraphs can be arranged by theme or chronology depending on what suits you. The conclusion is where you should summarise the essay and strongly state your answer to the question.
Just because you’ve written your essay, it doesn’t mean your work is finished! Read through your essay, keeping in mind the essay title and what you want your argument to be. See if your essay achieves what you want it to. At this point, you may need to do extra reading, strengthen some paragraphs or restructure the essay. This is called an ‘iterative process’, where earlier stages are repeated several times over the course of your work as needed.
Once you’re happy with the content of your essay, you should proof read it for grammatical or spelling errors. It often helps to get someone else to read your work, as they may spot errors that you don’t.
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