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Planning essays effectively

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Devising a plan to suit you. How to get started. What is an essay? ... Many people find it best to write the introduction last, not first. Getting started (2) ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: Planning essays effectively


1
Planning essays effectively
  • What is an essay?
  • Stages of essay planning
  • Analysing a question
  • Gathering ideas
  • Devising a plan to suit you
  • How to get started

2
What is an essay?
  • A continuous piece of writing, arranged in
    clearly demarcated paragraphs, in which an
    argument is developed
  • The argument is supplemented by evidence, which
    you are required to analyse and evaluate, before
    reaching a conclusion

3
What is an essay not?
  • An essay is not a piece of writing designed to
    reproduce information available elsewhere, but
    something new and expressive of your individual
    abilities to analyse and synthesise
  • It is not just a test of your abilities, but also
    a learning activity in itself

4
Principles of essay writing
  • Essays must be
  • Clearly and accurately written
  • Well presented
  • Relevant
  • Academically honest, avoiding plagiarism

5
Analysing a question
  • Make sure you have a question!
  • Be clear about the topic
  • Be clear about the focus of the topic
  • Be clear about your instructions what does your
    tutor want you to do?
  • Write down the title and underline key terms
    what would constitute a logical answer?

6
Common essay terms
  • Analyse
  • Assess
  • Compare/contrast
  • Criticise
  • Define
  • Describe
  • Discuss

7
More common terms
  • Evaluate
  • Examine
  • Explain
  • Illustrate
  • Justify or prove
  • Review
  • Summarise
  • To what extent

8
Relevance and logic a reminder
  • Your written answer must be wholly relevant to
    the essay title (dont include other material
    just because you can!)
  • Your answer must develop logically and have clear
    signposts from one paragraph to the next
    indicating the direction of your argument

9
Essay planning
  • An essay plan is a flexible guide for your own
    use, to help you stay focused on the question.
    Think about
  • What are the main ideas to cover?
  • How will you cover these ideas? What will your
    evidence be?
  • What are the key points you want to make?

10
Essay planning (2)
  • What examples, references, quotations will be
    useful?
  • How will you organise these?
  • What conclusions will you reach?
  • What are the theoretical/practical implications
    of your conclusions?

11
Gathering together your ideas
  • Brainstorm possible responses to the question and
    relevant ideas
  • Write a mind map, linking ideas together
  • Talk to others to clarify ideas
  • Organise your thoughts into a beginning, middle
    and end

12
Make your plan suit you
  • Remember that different learners have different
    learning styles
  • Visual learners can use pictures/
  • diagrams to plan
  • Verbal learners can use bullet pointed phrases or
    headings, put into sequence
  • Auditory learners can benefit from talking
    through the argument onto tape and listening to
    it back

13
Getting started blank page syndrome
  • Promise yourself that if you prepare (get
    paper/pens/books together) you can have a break
    before starting
  • Promise yourself that if you write the first
    twelve words you can have a break
  • Many people find it best to write the
    introduction last, not first

14
Getting started (2)
  • Have quotations/references/evidence to hand
    record them carefully
  • Think about your working environment
  • Make sure that others respect your working time
  • If you get really stuck before you start, speak
    to your tutor
  • Next week Writing excellent degree level essays
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