These hints are lifted from Ms Sharp's websites, but apply equally to essays written for this course!
Key
to a good essay
The
structure of your essay is extremely important.
Paragraphing is important: a new paragraph usually introduces a new or
substantially different point. You
have about an hour for the exam essay. Use
five to ten minutes for planning. You
will not manage more than:
Introduction
Tells
me what you're going to do (answer the question), sets the parameters of the
essay, sets dates or identifies the significance of dates mentioned in the
question.
Main
body of the essay
About
five or six paragraphs which make a point each, then illustrate it, expand on
it, qualify it or whatever.
Reread
the question after every point to ensure that you don't stray.
Keep telling me: look, I'm answering the question.
Conclusion
This
is where you say: look: I've answered the question!
a
could be a summary of your line of argument: not bad if the topic is
complex
b
could be a summary of your points PLUS some commentary and analysis not
dealt with in the body of the essay: something which grows out of your arguments
rather than something which contradicts your line of reasoning so far
c
could be just the commentary and analysis arising out of your argument
d
could qualify the stark lines of your essay and introduce a note of
conciliation in what looks like a cut and dried case.
For example, if you have taken a rather negative line in an essay about
the achievements of the bourgeois women's' movement, you could qualify this by
making the point that not all progress can be measured in terms of laws passed
or speed of change. The women were
working in difficult circumstances to change the climate of opinion and laying
foundations for more radical changes in later years.
e
could come down clearly and strongly on one side of the argument,
especially if the essay is expecting you to weigh the merits of a point of view.
It
really will be impossible to include all that you know: you will have to make
choices. It is better to leave out
something from a well-planned essay than to bury your points under a deluge of
irrelevant material.
Relevance
Make
sure you answer the whole of the question by identifying key words before
planning the essay. Ask yourself:
what am I being asked to discuss? In an
exam, all your material must be relevant to the essay title!
Look back at the question after every paragraph.
Comment
and analysis
The
question is always asking for
analysis and comment rather than simple description of what happened.
Sometimes this is explicitly stated, shown in phrases like 'comment
critically', 'assess the effectiveness' 'to what extent' where you are being
asked to make a judgement based on your knowledge of the facts.
Ask yourself: Why is this important?
What is the significance of this? What
conclusions can we draw from this? How
does this relate to the question? Try
throwing in a 'so we see that…' sentence every so often.
·
Take
time to read the questions and chose carefully: do not choose by broad topic
alone, but ask yourself how you would answer the question.
Planning is never a waste of time.
It is up to you to make the points relevant to the question.
Use the time wisely:
If you are half-way through your essay with only ten minutes to go, write a
conclusion - do not simply allow
your essay to peter out mid-sentence. If
you think you have time, write a bald statement of the points you were planning
to make as well. You will get some
marks for content even if you lose stylistic marks.
If your time-management has broken down completely, leaving you with very
little time for the third essay, write out a detailed essay plan rather than
launching into an ill-planned essay.
DO NOT PANIC and write everything you
know. Answer the question.
Tell me that you are answering the question.
At the end, tell me that you have answered the question and draw my
attention to how cleverly and thoroughly you have done this.