Creating an essay plan
Linking different pieces of information in a structured manner is important. Your writing must be organised — each concept must flow logically from the one preceeding. There must be a clear framework of ideas.
The simplest way to ensure that your work is structured in such a way is to prepare an essay plan before you start. Many students prepare such a plan by putting down keywords and headings in a rough order and then rearranging these elements until they get the best results.
There are many other ways of preparing an essay plan. Some of them can get quite complicated. Others are fast and simple. A good example of a simple technique is the use of a 'thesis statement'. A 'thesis statement' is a short summary of the point you intend to make in your essay. Once you have written your 'thesis statement', it is a simple matter to outline the rest of your essay.
You need to find the method that works best for you. There are a number of books on essay writing in the Library catalogue. There are also many useful sites on the Web.
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Examples of different approaches to essay planning
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The ASO site contains some additional resources. These include the modules on Academic Literacy and a useful fact sheet.
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For further information on essay planning, see the following e-book: Gordon Taylor, A Student's Writing Guide : How to Plan and Write Successful Essays, Leiden, Cambridge University Press, 2009 |
