Tips on Writing Essays

Approach

Assume that your readers are intelligent people who have read the text in question.

Your job is to explain the TOPIC so that they understand.

You do this by presenting facts and drawing conclusions.

Preparation

Read and re-read the text with your essay topic in mind.

Make notes as you go. Write down as much as you can. You may find use for it later.

When you have finished reading, go through your notes and organize.

Select the examples that best relate to the topic.

Writing

Start with a brief introduction that attracts your reader’s attention, presents the topic and outlines your basic approach to it.

The Body is where you develop your ideas using examples.

Your essay needs to be minimum description and maximum analysis. Avoid plot summary

When using your quotes, you must relate them to the topic, don’t expect the reader to do it for you.

Writing

Link paragraphs together using transition sentences.

In good essays, thought flows from evenly from unit to unit.

The paragraphs build on each other, strengthening your argument with each new point.

Be sure that you remind the reader of how each paragraph relates to the topic.

Writing

You can either write your examples in the order which they happened (chronologically) or another logical order. (possibly ending with the strongest example)

Choose a method most appropriate to your topic.

Make your conclusion brief.

When finished

Give it a title that is both informative and attention grabbing.

Re-read your essay SEVERAL TIMES!Read it out loud.When you can’t find anymore changes,

get someone else to read it.

Dos and Do not dos

Do not……use “I”, “personally”, “me”.

…begin sentences with “but”, “and”, or “or”. Usually creates a sentence fragment.

…use a passive voice ex. ‘The ball was hit by the boy.’ The verb should follow the subject. ‘The boy hit the ball.’

Do…Vary the length of your sentences. Don’t

always write in short sentences because it will sound monotonous but be careful not make your sentences too complex because grammar becomes tricky.

Write in present tense. “Huck decides he will play a trick on Jim.”

Try to avoid

Using apostrophe’s incorrectly.

#1) Singular possessive nouns always end in ‘s.That is Harold’s jeep.That is Chris’s car.

#2) When a plural possessive noun ends in s, just add an apostrophe.

The boys’ hamster is a baby.The ladies’ boat will be launched on Tuesday.

#3) When a plural noun does not end in s, use ‘sThe women’s racquets don’t have strings yet.

Try to Avoid

Indefinite use of pronouns. Instead of continuously saying ‘his’ ‘he’ ‘they’ over and over, use the actual name.

Exclamation marks.Abbreviations except etc.Capitalizing things that are not Proper

Nouns, Sentence openings and Titles.

Using quotations

Quotations should be short.

Avoid ‘dropping’ quotes. Nature has an important role in Macbeth.

“A falcon tow’ring in her pride of place was by a mousing owl haw’k at and kill’d” (Shakespeare 2.4.14-15).

Using quotations

Quotes should be set up by the sentence.

Act 1 Scene 6 describes an air that “nimbly and sweetly recommend itself unto our gentle senses” (Shakespeare 1.6.3-4).

Using quotations

Multiple sourcesEnd each quote with author and page

number in (parentheses)

Example …Boo Radley” (Lee 78).Followed by the punctuation

Single SourceOnly the page number is needed.…Boo Radley” (78).

Using quotations

Your work cited page needs to be set up like this:

Author. Title. Place of publication: Publisher, year.