Essay Writing Workbook - Kent
Academic Learning SupportEssay WritingWorkbook032014
The Essay StructureGeneral statements on broad topicIntroduction(10% of word count)(Definitions of important terms)Statement of the central argumentListing of main points to be coveredTopic sentenceParagraph Explanation & evidenceEvaluationConcluding sentence (Optional)LinkParagraph Body(80% of word count)Topic sentenceExplanation & evidenceEvaluationConcluding sentence (Optional)LinkParagraph Topic sentenceExplanation & evidenceEvaluationConcluding sentence (Optional)Conclusion(10% of word count)Restatement of the central argumentSummary of main points coveredFinal statements2Final statements
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The Introduction* The Introduction should generally be 1 paragraph. It should be no more than 10% of your wordcount.* Indicate the general topic or thesis: what is this essay about?* Explain your opinion of the topic: what is your central argument?* Outline the main topics you discuss: what are the main points you use to back up yourargument?* Explain any main terms you feel need defining.The Body * The essay is written as a series of paragraphs and the Body makes up roughly 80% of the wordcount. Write the body of your essay first (then the conclusion & finally the introduction).To write a paragraph:* Start with a topic sentence. This is the first sentence of a paragraph. It should outline the mainpoint discussed in that paragraph and make links to the central argument. The topic sentenceshould be in your own words.* Following the topic sentence, a paragraph is usually structured from general information tospecific details. These specific details may be statistics, quotations, theories or examples thatsupport the main point you are putting forward in that paragraph.* In an essay you must present a central argument, with several points to support your argument.Critical thinking involves thinking through both sides of an argument (this includes developing acounter argument). Thus, you will need to be aware of the exceptions to your argument, as wellas the facts that support your argument. Discussing the counter arguments or claims against yourcentral argument and explaining why they are incorrect can make your argument stronger anddemonstrate your broad understanding of the topic.* It is essential to reference carefully. In-text references should be placed immediately after allquotations and paraphrases. Always acknowledge from where your information is coming. Failureto do so is considered PLAGIARISM. The Conclusion* The Conclusion should be 1-2 paragraphs and no more than 10% of your word count.* Restate the main argument.* Summarise the main points you used to support your argument.* Make a final statement.The Reference List * Start on a new page with the heading ‘Reference list’.* Follow the Harvard Referencing System to format your reference list. You need to provide the fulldetails of all the sources you referred to within your essay. FORMATTING TIPS Headings Write the title of your essay at the top of the first page. Do not use subheadings (unless advised to in your course profile or by your tutor). Start the Reference List on a new page.Paragraphs Separate all paragraphs with a line space.4
Steps in Writing an Effective EssayThe key to writing a good essay is understanding and researching the question! Read the question carefully. Identify the directive words – these words tell you how to approach the essay, forexample, ‘analyse’, ‘compare’, ‘describe’. (See last pages for a list of definitions ofdirective words) Identify the content words – these words tell you what your essay will be about. Research the question – look for appropriate sources. Use the content words and synonyms of the content words as keywords for yoursearches. Look for suitable academic books and journals in libraries (CQUniversity Library,City of Sydney Libraries, or your local council library) and for electronic journalscontaining academic (or ‘scholarly’) articles through the Electronic Resourcessection of the Library website. Make sure you are familiar with all the resources available through the Librarywebsite by completing the Research Workshop, doing the online tutorial or makingan appointment with a librarian. List the titles of possible materials to use. Read the list carefully and cross off anything that does not look directly relevant to yourtopic. Take notes from the materials you have selected. Take care to write the full referencing details at the top of your notes. Write any copied material in inverted commas so that you know it is a quotation. Write an outline for your essay by listing the main arguments you are planning to discuss. In an essay, you must show both that you understand the topic, and demonstratethat you have analysed the topic critically. Write your essay by following the guidelines below. Many people find it easiest to write the body of the essay first. You should do whateverworks best for you! Edit your draft carefully. Is your argument logical and clear? Have you supported each of your main points with evidence from your research? Are your quotes and paraphrases correctly referenced? Have you included a list of References? Does your essay contain grammar or spelling errors?REMEMBER Quotations are not included inyour word count. You need to Having problems? Get help from the LSU.learn how to put material intoyour own words.5
Examine the Question and BrainstormExample question:Analyse the major causes of water shortage in the world today.Key Content Words:Major causes, water shortage, world todayKey Directive Words:analyseSee last pages for definitions of words commonlyused in assignment and exam questions.Analyse:Divide something into parts and then describe how the various parts are related sothat you can evaluate its importance.Major Causes: main reasons for something the outcome from an event - either due to natural causes or human activityWater shortage: an absolute, not a relative, shortage of water not enough water to meet minimum needsWorld today: not only in one country or continent, but all over the world not in the past, but now and over the past few yearsExamples: The Murray River in Australia, Aquifers all over the worldMy interpretation of the question: What are the main reasons for current water shortagesworldwide? Are the reasons due to human activity or natural causes? What evidence is there tosupport the reasons given?6
Using the Voices of Experts to Support Your OpinionOn the following pages you will find a sample essay analysing the major causes of water shortagein the world today (Dinyar 2003, cited in Brick 2006, pp. 108-111). In the side notes Brickdemonstrates how ‘voice’ is used in this essay to incorporate the opinions of experts to support thewriter’s arguments.Voice refers to whose thoughts or opinions are heard in any one part of the text – the voice of thewriter, or the voice of his or her sources. In an academic essay, both must be present. Whenwriting an essay, your voice presents the central argument or thesis, writes the topic sentences,expresses your opinions and states the final conclusions. You do not reference your own voice.The voices of your sources are used to support your argument. These voices are used to provideexpert evidence, such as expert opinion, examples, case studies, and statistics. The voices ofthese sources are always referenced. How you use the voices of others depends on how muchyou want them to dominate your essay.The direct voice of a quotation is the most intrusive voice you can use. When you use a directquote, you should bring your own voice back into the essay by commenting on the quote andexplaining why you have included it. This also demonstrates your understanding of the quotedmaterial.Less intrusive is the indirect voice, when you paraphrase the ideas of the source and refer to theauthor’s name, followed by the date of publication in parentheses. Such a reference makes theauthor’s name prominent in the sentence. Brick (2006) suggests that although not as dominant asthe direct voice, using the indirect voice too much may cause your own voice to be lost in theessay.The least intrusive use of a source is called the external voice, which allows your voice to bedominant as it paraphrases the information. You reference the source by including the author’sname and year of publication in parentheses at the end of the sentence. For example: Australianscan help reduce national greenhouse emissions by sensibly managing their household appliances(Smith 2008).A good essay should include your own voice and the use of indirect and external voices. Althoughyou can choose to use the direct voice (quotes), you should use it only occasionally as itdominates the text and removes your voice from the essay.7
A Sample Essay Demonstrating the Use of Voice(Source: Brick, J 2006, Academic culture: a student’s guide to studying at university,Macquarie University, Sydney, pp. 109-111.)8
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A Sample Essay (for Exercise 1)Title of the essayIntroductionState the maintopic.Indicate thecentral argument.Define the mainterms.List the maintopics discussed.BodyContains separateparagraphs foreach new pointyou are making.Long quotationStart on new line.Indent 1cm fromboth margins.Use smaller fontsize.A Discussion of Critical Thinking and Rote LearningThis essay contrasts the benefits of rote learning and critical thinking in thecontext of university education. It argues that although rote learning isimportant for passing exams in some subjects, the development of criticalthinking skills is far more crucial in succeeding overall within the tertiaryeducation environment. Whereas rote learning involves memorisinginformation, the central aspect of critical thinking is to ask questions and tothink independently. Critical thinking carries across to all aspects of learning,including participating actively in the classroom, selecting and reading sourcematerial carefully, and constructing logical arguments in written work. Thisessay focuses on the importance of critical thinking for assessing the validityand relevance of information and for constructing a coherent argument.Studies have indicated that critical thinking skills are more important thanmemorising information in order to perform well at university. For example, inher article, ‘Critical thinking and college success’, Jeanne Higbee (2003) writesthat ‘habits of mind’ are far more important than ‘specific content knowledge’ tosucceed at tertiary level. The skills that were found to be most crucial for studyare outlined in the following quotation:The habits of the mind include critical thinking; analytical thinking andproblem solving; an inquisitive nature and interest in taking advantage ofwhat a research university has to offer; the willingness to accept criticalfeedback and to adjust based on such feedback; openness to possiblefailures from time to time and the ability and desire to cope with frustrationand ambiguous learning tasks.(Higbee 2003, p.78)TopicsentencesStart eachparagraph with atopic sentence.This summarisesthe mainargumentcontained in thatparagraph.It should be inyour own words.CounterArgumentParaphraseWrite theinformation from asource in yourown words.Put the referenceimmediatelyfollowing thesection you haveparaphrased.Higbee’s article discusses the results of a study which identified the learningbehaviours of successful students in relation to a range of subject areasincluding Mathematics, Science and English. She concludes that those whosucceed at tertiary level are active, independent and curious learners who areable to construct logical arguments and support these with relevantinformation.Critical thinking is also vital for assessing the validity of different information. Itis important to question the arguments presented in different sources, andidentify what stance the writer is taking in relation to the material. To readcritically, it is important to determine whether the information is consistent withother sources read on the subject; what sources the writer uses to back uptheir arguments, and whether these are reliable sources; and the strengths andweaknesses of the writer’s argument.In comparison, rote learning does not develop the skills which are important foruniversity education. Although in some subjects it is necessary to memoriseinformation such as formulae used in maths, science and statistics, it is moreimportant to understand the application and relevance of these formulae. Rotelearning also does not assist students to construct valid arguments, as it fails toteach students to think independently. For example, it has been argued thatrote learners are more likely to use inductive11
Short quotationUse invertedcommas aroundthe words copiedfrom the source.commasaround theConclusionRestate the mainargument.wordscopiedSummarise themain points usedfromtheyourto supportargument.Makea finalsource.statement.fallacies, in which case their reasoning will not be sound (Sternberg 2004). Thesefallacies include the ‘ad populum’ argument in which the reason given for theconclusion is that the majority of people agree with it. Sternberg writes that ‘theessence of this fallacy lies in our need to conform to popular views andconclusions’ (2004, p. 69). Critical thinking, on the other hand, enables studentsto construct logical arguments, which is essential to all university work.In conclusion, although rote learning is necessary in some situations, it is farmore important to develop critical thinking skills in order to succeed at universitylevel. The skills involved in thinking critically and analytically can assist studentsto construct sound arguments and to assess their reading material in terms of thevalidity of its content. Whereas memorising information has limited value in termsof university education, critical thinking is one of the most crucial aspects ofuniversity study.Reference ListRefe
5 Steps in Writing an Effective Essay The key to writing a good essay is understanding and researching the question! Read the question carefully. Identify the directive words – these words tell you how to approach the essay, for example, ‘analyse’, ‘compare’, ‘describe’.
Rachel Foot, KENT STATE UNIVERSITY, rfoot@kent.edu Alicia, R. Crowe, KENT STATE UNIVERSITY, acrowe@kent.edu Karen Andrus Tollafield, KENT STATE UNIVERSITY, ktollafi@kent.edu Chad Everett Allan,KENT STATE UNIVERSITY, callan1@kent.edu Exploring Doctoral Student I
Nurse (Fridays) (253) 373-6883 Angela.Jackson@kent.k12.wa.us. Ani Nayar Ani.Nayar@kent.k12.wa.us. Special Education (253) 373-6892 . Curt Newton (253) 373. Security -6888 Curt.Newton@kent.k12.wa.us: Patrick White Counselor - Kent Youth & Family Services (KYFS) (253) 373-6891 : Patrick.White2@kent.k12.wa.us
(Disc 4) Event Essay Event Essay Ideas and Plan Checklist and Grade Sheet Choose subject and begin research for six to seven ¶ Event Essay 12 (No Disc) No Disc Work on Event Essay in class None Continue Event Essay 13 (No Disc) No Disc Work on Event Essay in class None Finish Event Essay 14 (Disc
6.2 writing the extended essay 7. formal presentation of the extended essay 7.1 the length of the extended essay 7.2 title 7.3 abstract 7.4 contents page 7.5 illustrations 7.6 bibliography 8. how the extended essay is assessed? 9. extended essay assessment criteria checklist 10. extended essay tutees and supervisors
ever taken from Kent Island is being offered to the Kent Island Heritage Society! Our archaeology partner, *Dr. Darrin Lowery, called with the news. He was contacted by James Marks of Baltimore, formerly of Kent Island, who is offering his family’s large collection of Kent Island Indian artifacts to the appropriate Kent Island organization. Dr.
Sydney Email: lead.syd@kent.edu.au Melbourne Email: lead.melb@kent.edu.au 1.2.2 Student Representative Group (SRG) kent.edu.au/SRG Kent recognises the imperative role students play in providing valuable insight into all aspects of student life. You are represented! Kent has a SRG consisting of students from both the Sydney and
essay writing. This booklet looks at ten common steps involved in essay writing. The more experience you get in writing essays, the more comfortable you will become with this genre. However, even an experienced essay writer needs to be deliberate and thorough in order to write a well-constructed essay. 1. Time managemenT
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