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Idea: How to Keep Your Essay Relevant to the Question

hannah smith almost 3 years ago

One of the most frequent mistakes in student essay writing and academic essay writing, whether you are tackling a weekly essay or an undergraduate dissertation, is a habit of drifting away from the question. You can write a brilliant, carefully argued essay and still get low marks if it is not altogether in every part relevant to the question.

Some assignment writers make a strong start when they essay write, but begin to wander away from the question, whilst others tend to allow their argument to veer off in completely the wrong direction altogether.

When looking at students' essay examples, you can see that most essay writers deserve much higher grades for their essay writing and undergraduate dissertations, but are simply being marked down for the failure to show strong connections between their essay and the original question, not because their essay writing is deserving of low grades at all.

Below you will find a comprehensive list of tricks to ensure that your academic writing is always on target, and avoid losing those crucial extra marks for good!

Essay writing: planning

One very successful method to make sure you will stick to the question throughout your task is to write a clear, comprehensive plan before you commence writing and then make sure you stick to it.

Map out your four or five central points and underneath each jot down the arguments you will use to convey them. Then read through each section and ask yourself whether it answers the question directly. Get rid of any points that aren't relevant, and make sure that you stick firmly to your plan when essay writing.

Essay writing: referring back to the question

This is a simple method that can really make a huge difference. Use a signpost sentence when you begin each new essay paragraph or idea, which connects it strongly to the question and proves to the marker its relevance to the overall topic.

Don't be afraid to use the wording of the question itself in your essay writing - as long as it's not too repetitive it will greatly enhance the sense of cohesion and relevance of your argument when the marker subjects it to essay analysis.

Essay writing: developing your argument

Often students start out with a very clear introductory discussion that addresses the question, but when their essay develops to branch out into more detailed or tangential lines of debate they fail to prove that they are still focusing on the main topic with which the question is concerned.

One clear way of creating this focus is to make the relationship between the various parts of your essay argument clear using attention grabbing separators like 'firstly' and 'secondly' or 'conversely' and 'furthermore' in your essay writing. This might sound easy but it really does encourage the essay marker to link your different ideas together and see how they all fit into the overall argument instead of disregarding one of your paragraphs as irrelevant to the question.

Essay writing: conclusions

The most successful essays always have one thing in common: a strong, clear conclusion to provide a clear summary of your essay argument. You can use this essay paragraph to really prove to the marker why each paragraph of your essay was relevant to the question.

In your essay conclusion, refer back to the topic, even quoting the question itself to make it really clear, and briefly mention each of your main essay paragraphs in concluding your argument. This essay writing technique will ensure the reader is reminded at the end of your essay that everything you have written was contributing (and relevant) to your answer to the essay question.

Final essay writing top tip

As you are writing your assignment, constantly remind yourself of the question. Simply re-reading it as you write should really help you to keep on track and make sure that your essay stays relevant to the exact topic you should be focusing on.

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Idea: How to Write an Essay for College or University

hannah smith almost 3 years ago

If you don't know how to write an essay, going back to college or starting a university course can be a daunting prospect. If it is years since you have done any type of studying, let alone essay writing, don't worry - most colleges, including online universities - have study skills information, including homework study tips and essay writing guides.

So if you are concerned about your writing skills, consider getting some help with things like paragraph structure, punctuation and grammar and spelling. Most colleges provide this free and you will also be able to find many free resources online. The first thing you need to be clear about before you start your essay is the type of essay you will be writing.

There are many different essay styles and it is crucial to know what is expected of you. Universities, colleges and individual tutors will tend to have their own preferences and so it's important to make sure you know the right formula for your course. You can find a lot of information to help you online, but do check everything with your tutor or writing support tutor before you go ahead with writing your essay.

Types of Essay

There are many different types of essay and the names may vary according to where you live. These include argumentative essays, academic essays, cause and effect essays, descriptive essays and narrative essays. You might also have to write an admissions essay if you are applying for a place at university or you could be asked to write an essay for a scholarship. Other types of essay include comparison essays and research essays. Knowing the type of essay expected will help you to come up with the best format. If you are new to essay writing, ask your tutor to explain.

Understanding the Essay Title

This is one of the most important aspects of essay writing. You can write a brilliant essay, but will get very low marks and probably fail your assignment if you have not answered the question which was asked. So before you put pen to paper make sure you have interpreted the title correctly. If you are asked to choose your own essay title, it is a good idea to check with your tutor that it is suitable.

Brainstorming Once you have a firm essay title and are clear what it means, you can have a brainstorming session to come up with as made ideas as you can which relate to your essay title. If you have a lot of ideas, the next stage is to narrow them down to the most important and most relevant points.

Research

Depending on the topic of your essay, you may need to do some background research. This could be to find evidence to support your point of view or argument or to find out what people who are experts in the field thing about a particular subject. Or it could be to find scientific or historical facts or statistical data.

You will need to keep a record of your sources so that you can include them in your bibliography. So when you find useful information which you might use, write down the name of the book or journal, the edition, page number, author, date of publication and publisher

Or the website, with the exact URL and the date on which you accessed it. If you do this as you are doing your research, it will save you a lot of time later. It's very annoying and time consuming if you find you have a wonderful piece of information or a great quotation and you can't remember where you found

Planning Your Essay

Planning your essay involves organizing your ideas into a logical order. You can do this by creating a mind map or by making a list of headings with bullet points under each. Your essay needs to be well structured

Essay Structure

Before you begin, make sure you know the word limit for your essay. You will usually be given a definite number eg 1500 words or 2000- 2500 words. If you are given a fixed number, it is usually acceptable to write 10% fewer or 10% more words. If you are given a range, try to stay within that range. However, check this with your tutor as you don't want to be penalized.

You will need to write an introduction which explains what you are writing about, introduces your central idea and the point of view you plan to support.

Then you will go through each of the relevant points, linking them in a way that flows and makes sense of the topic.

Finally, you will write a short conclusion which reminds readers of your main argument and summarizes the way in which you have supported that argument, adding strength to your position. In some essays you will include additional material to the conclusion, for example pointing out areas which still require research or the limits of your own research, but this is something to discuss with your tutor or study skill support staff who are teaching you how to write an essay.

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Idea: Student Essay Types

hannah smith almost 3 years ago

A great essay topic idea is only the beginning; before you write a word, you need to choose what type of essay you're going to write. There are 9 essay types, each with certain benefits that will show off your topic in a certain way.

Argumentative essay

Argumentative essays persuade the reader toward a certain point-of-view using facts and research. They are also called "persuasive essays."

Examples:

Why is the death penalty unconstitutional?
Why should religion be taught in schools?

Cause-and-effect

Cause and effect essays describe an event and explain why it occurs. You can approach the topic from either the cause (what will happen if...) or the effect (why did something happen?).

Examples:

What causes global warming?
How does smoking cigarettes negatively affect your health?

Compare/Contrast

A comparison essay analyzes the similarities and differences between two objects or ideas. Comparison essays may include an opinion, if the facts show that on object or idea is superior to another.

Examples:

Compare and contrast two political systems
Compare and contrast two political candidates
Compare and contrast two books by the same author

Literary

Literary essays discuss and interpret a written work, with particular attention given to literary elements and the theme of the work.

Examples:

"The Wizard of Oz" as an allegory for economics
Symbolism in the works of William Shakespeare

Classification

A classification essay categorizes objects or ideas and explains how they are different. This type of essay is popular in science and history classes.

Examples:

Types of animals
Styles of poetry

Definition

Like a dictionary, a definition essay explains the meaning of something, and provides additional information to help the reader distinguish the object from similar things.

Examples:

What is a parable?
What is classical music?

Narrative

A narrative essay tells the story of an event. It is usually told from the author's point of view, but it can also be told from a different perspective.

Examples:

First day of school
Summer vacation

Expository

Expository essays explain an event or idea in an informative, fact-based way. Expository essays can include other approaches, such as classification or cause-and-effect.

Examples:

Major Revolutionary War battles
Historical treatments of personality disorders

Reflective

A reflective essay shares a personal story from your life and explains how it has shaped who you are. These are popular with school entrance and exit exams, as they require the student to think introspectively about their life experiences.

Examples:

Graduation
Death of a loved one

The type of essay you choose will depend on your assignment and your topic. Although it is possible to write nearly any type of essay for any topic, your professor may require a certain approach.

For example, if you are writing about abortion, you could write it as an argumentative essay - explaining why you are pro-choice or pro-life - as a cause and effect essay - explaining the effect of abortion on society - as a classification essay - explaining the different methods of abortion - or as a personal essay, such as a narrative or reflective essay.

The approach you take is up to you; just be sure to choose the essay type that best represents what you want to tell your audience.

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Idea: Fundamental Requirements For A Good College Essay

hannah smith almost 3 years ago

There are quite a number of writing styles, subjects and topics that exist; therefore, it can be a challenging task trying to evaluate a college essay. Per contra, when evaluating, there are certain fundamental requirements that these essays need to fulfill. When you are grading one, it is important that you read particular points, inclusive of grammar, style, content and structure. Additionally, you need to take your time. It is quite easy to read through a college essay and not pay attention to what you are doing; however, in order to evaluate these essays properly, you need to read through them very carefully.

Choose a Concept - You will have more freedom in deciding what you should write about, if the instructor has not assigned a concept. When you are selecting a subject, it is very important that you choose one that is relevant to the course that you need to write the college essay for, and you should also ensure that it brings out some of the strong points that you have discussed in your class. You can use examples as guides to help you write the perfect essay.

Create an Outline for Your Essay - The introduction, body and conclusion need to be included in the outline for your paper. The introduction must include a short definition of the concept you chose, any additions you have made to the definition, a thesis statement and thorough description of what else will be presented in the essay. The body of your college essay must include compare and contrast, definitions and cause and effect examples, so that persons reading your essay will be better able to understand your concept. The conclusion must include a summary of the major aspects of your essay, and you should also restate your thesis. Access college essay samples to see how others have created outlines for their essays.

Each Section of Your Essay Should be Attacked One at a Time - By doing this, you will be able to break down your essay into fragments that will be easier to manage. At all times, your thesis statement should be in your mind when writing your college essay. Keep in mind that your essay should not be persuasive, but descriptive and informative.

Revise and Edit Your Essay - The first things that you should look for are continuations of your thesis statement and any contradictions that may be present in your essay. You can deal with the grammatical errors when you have created your last draft. It is always helpful when you allow several persons to read your college essay and give their feedback.

Read Through Your Essay Once - Read through your essay once, and on a separate piece of paper you should jot down any points that stand out to you. At this point you should not read anything specific; rather, you should just get a feel of what is being conveyed in the essay, and whether or not it is being down in a persuasive manner. Look at college essay samples, so that you get a feel of other writers' writing strength.

Read Through Your Essay Again - Carefully read through your essay a second time and pay close attention to the individual sections (introduction, body and conclusion). Look at college essay examples and see if the grammar style used is the same or similar to what you have used in your essay.

Check Your Sources - Ensure that your college essay has the correct citations and includes the right references. Ensure that the information is not taken word for word from one of your sources, so that you will not get penalized for plagiarism. When in doubt, you can always check your references on the Internet, or you can do it manually.

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Idea: College and Post-Graduate Admission Test Scores and Admission Essays

hannah smith almost 3 years ago

The rapid advancement in modern technology has led to stiffer competition in our lives, especially in the area of job opportunities. Many companies today are no longer satisfied with a college-degreed applicant. They also look for people who are computer literate and even holders of multiple degrees or specialized certifications. This is why college and post-graduate admissions is more competitive than ever. Getting into the school or program of your choice is itself highly challenging. Besides the routine standardized tests and GPA, you have a tool you can use to make yourself stand out from the rest of the pack. This is where an applicant's college admission essay or graduate school admission essay, including MBA essay, becomes important. A College Admission Essay or graduate school admission essay, including MBA essay, is an essentially prosaic version of your personality profile. Often, this is the same area of concern discussed in job application exams.

Needless to say, a college degree in today's employment market is imperative. However, entry to many colleges and universities today have also risen to such competitive levels that admission to such requires extensive preparation, especially in taking the entrance exams, including the writing of an Admission Essay or graduate school admission essay, including MBA essay.

While a significant part of the admission process to college and graduate schools are admission exams (of standardized tests such as the SAT, LSAT, MCAT, MBA), equally important are is the admission essay or graduate school admission essay, including MBA essay. Many applicants, particularly those with high test scores often overlook the importance of this portion of the application process. Yet, this is actually the one part that could spell the difference between acceptance and rejection.

While test scores do play a most essential role, admissions officials recognize that it does not tell the complete story of a candidate's life. With the tight competition in the quest for higher education, schools are now looking for people who not only perform well in entrance tests or achieve high grade point average, but they look for applicants who are interesting, diverse, and articulate as well. This will usually be reflected by a well-crafted Admission Essay or graduate school admission essay, including MBA essay.

So how do admission officers determine who these applicants are? Answer: By analyzing an applicant's college admission essay or graduate school admission essay, including MBA essay.

The College Admission Essay, or graduate school admission essay, including MBA essay is essentially the human side of a candidate's test scores. Many school officials do not limit their knowledge of an applicant to his/her admissions test performance or GPA. They are also interested to know more about his ambitions, goals, preferences, interests, and backgrounds. They already have a measure of his intelligence. The next thing they want to gain is an insight into his persona. This is where the admission essay comes in.

When writing college admission essays or graduate school admission essays including MBA essays, it is important to keep in mind that what you are writing is about yourself. Focus then on giving a clear and definite description of who you are, but giving stress to your strengths rather than on your weaknesses.

Also, give explicit samples of what you are like: what you prefer to do on a lazy day, how you view the world, what things annoy you most. Cite a favorite book, movie or incident that helped you become the person that you are now. This can serve as your essay introduction, which, if written effectively, can grab an admissions officer's attention. An eye-catching introduction will inspire them to read on. Remember, an admissions official probably may read hundreds, if not thousands of college admission essays. Make yours memorable and eye-catching from the get-go.

Write a positive and confident college admission essay or graduate school admission essay, including MBA essay, as the case may be. Do not generalize, especially when listing down your accomplishments in school. Cite specific instances in your class which show you at your best, giving extra attention to subject areas considered as one of your fields of concentration. Preferably, the sample that should be given is one wherein you obtained an excellent grade, as this will reinforce the presumption that you excel in your chosen field of interest.

Additionally, your college admission essay or graduate school admission essay, including MBA essay, should also include a listing of the extracurricular activities that you engaged in. Give detailed information and if possible, state a particular case where you were able to accomplish a goal or a project, either by yourself or as part of a group.
Of course, it goes without saying that the activities you will list down in your college admission essay or graduate school admission essay, including MBA essay, should be those that are directly related to the course you are presently seeking. For instance, a candidate wishing to gain access to medical school could cite his involvement as a volunteer in the relief mission for famine-torn Ethiopia in 1984. This will give more life to his resolve to acquire a medical degree. But if you have any other activities that present you in a positive personal light - emphasize those also, such as volunteering at your church every Saturday to help with special-needs children. This "humanizes" you and shows that you are not just about grades or school.

Often, many applicants make the mistake of writing their college admission essay or graduate school admission essay, including MBA essay, with a sweeping generalization of all their achievements in their respective fields, trusting that their excellent school records will breeze them through the admissions process. Unfortunately, such a scenario does not always come to pass. Nowadays, school administrators are more critical and scrutinizing. They want to look for something, more than just numbers. They also consider a person's experiences, and not just general experiences, but actual and detailed accounts where an applicant was able to showcase his innate abilities in areas that are of special interest to him. This is perhaps one major reason there are instances of two candidates having similar entrance test scores as well as school grades but one of them does not get admitted to the same school that the two of them are applying to. Their respective admissions essay or graduate school admission essay, including MBA essay may have determined their fates.

So if you are dreaming of entering Harvard or of getting admitted to Oxford, then make serious preparations. Check out their websites for details on their admission requirements, including possible topics for college admission essays. Get hold of your old books to review past lessons. And more importantly, take time to produce a well-writtenCollege Admission Essay or graduate school admission essay, including MBA essay.

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Idea: Top 7 Tips to Write a Brilliant Essay

hannah smith almost 3 years ago

To know how to write an essay first and foremost you should identify the type of essay you are about to write. When we talk about the essay types, in most cases we deal with the following: "For and Against" Essays, Opinion Essays, Providing Solutions to Problems and Letters to the Editor. Though each type of an essay has its own style and writing technique, at the same time all of them have lots of common features and one writing scheme. Before getting started to write your piece of writing, study the major features of essay types writing style.

When you have already identified the type of essay you will write, it is time to get to work. To help you to cope with it successfully we suggest that you read and take advantage of the following tips:

1. Identify the type of essay you are about to write.

Read about the common features of the essay writing style as well as learn the peculiarities of the essay type you should write. Write out the scheme of your essay type writing and follow it when writing an essay. Identify the style, the structure, the linking words used in this type of essay writing.

2. Brainstorm for the ideas to be used in your essay.

Do not be afraid to start writing an essay. Take your time with the ideas that you want to imply in your piece of writing. Have your ideas first in your head without putting them down on the paper. When you feel like writing them down, take notes on every idea, word and phrase that comes to your head and relates to the topic of your essay.

3. Make the backbone for your essay.

It is a high time to group all the ideas that you came up with. Cross out any irrelevant ones and make your best to put them into a logical order.

4. Plan the layout of your essay.

When ready with your ideas, organise them into separate paragraphs. Keep in mind the following layout of writing: an introduction, a main body and a conclusion.

Remember that the introduction denotes the first paragraph of your essay that should be a short paragraph in which you should develop the points related to the subject of your essay. It should make the reader interested in having a further look at your piece of writing.

Do not forget that the main body of your essay should contain two or more paragraphs where you should develop all the points related to the subject of your essay.

In the conclusion of your essay you are to summarise the major idea of the subject and make general comments to your piece of writing.

5. Choose your writing technique.

A successful choice of writing technique guarantees your success in getting A for effort for your essay. The technique you choose will make your essay even more interesting to the reader. Think how you may start your essay, develop your ideas and make a bright end to it. You can use direct speech or rhetorical question or address the reader directly to begin and end your essay.

6. Make your essay beautiful and easy to understand.

The beauty of your essay is in the wide usage of linking words and phrases to make your essay more interesting to the reader and easier to understand. Avoid repetition of the same words and phrases, look for the synonyms and synonymous expressions. You can also use a variety of adjectives, adverbs and verbs to make your essay more attractive to the reader.

7. Edit your essay.

Before hanging your essay in do not forget to edit your piece of writing, look through it over and over again. Pay attention to the correct word order, grammar used in the sentences, proper spelling of the separate words and word combinations. Check the punctuation: commas, full stops, question marks etc. Verify if you have made all the necessary paragraphs of your essay. Avoid repetition, try to use synonyms to denote the same words, expressions, phrases etc. It's better if you scan your ready-made essay two or three times before having a final go.

In conclusion, we want to advise you to never have doubts in your ability to write brilliant essays. When you follow these top 7 tips, you will have no troubles with essay writing

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Idea: How to Keep Your Essay Relevant to the Question

Idea: How to Write an Essay for College or University

Idea: Student Essay Types

Idea: Fundamental Requirements For A Good College Essay

Idea: College and Post-Graduate Admission Test Scores and Admission Essays

Idea: Top 7 Tips to Write a Brilliant Essay

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