Basics Of Writing An Effective Essay

Basics Of Writing An Effective Essay The purpose of argumentative essays is to convince or persuade the reader that a claim is valid. The thesis is a succinct statement of your overall argument. If you introduction is multiple paragraphs long you have more flexibility where you place the thesis. The body of the essay consists of a number of paragraphs in which you present your main points and evidence to support them. Then, when you edit, you can make sure everything lines up correctly. Essentially, a conclusion consists of three main objectives. Firstly, it must summarise the arguments or information that has been presented in the body of the paper. The purpose of the conclusion is to consolidate or integrate the various issues or researched data that have been covered in the core of your paper. Then, it must restate the key points that have been presented â€" and reiterate the thesis statement. In a previous online tutorial video we introduced you to a real-life assignment question and talked about how to structure the introduction to an essay. Notice the keywords including academic learning and literacy centres and the most effective approach. It’s very important to ensure that you fully analyse and understand the question before you start writing. Ultimately, your conclusion must demonstrate that you have fully answered the question. Please keep in mind the keywords ‘in red’, which we will identify in our sample conclusion in a moment. The words you see on your screen are what we call transition signals or signpost words, and they can help the reader follow the order and flow of your ideas. The body of your essay will consist of paragraphs which function as building blocks in the construction of your overall paper. The body is where you demonstrate your knowledge and grasp of the material that you have read. If your essay is intended to be informative or explain , write the major categories into which information can be divided. Once you have defined the purpose of your essay, it's time to brainstorm. Take some time to consider, contrast and weight your options. Get out a piece of paper and make a list of all the different topics that fit the purpose of your essay. Always recall the essay question as you write and continually link your body paragraphs to the essay question. To ensure your writing is cohesive and coherent - use linking words. Try to synthesise your evidence into each body paragraph in order to substantiate your points. Once they're all down on paper, start by eliminating those topics that are difficult or not as relevant as others topics. Also, get rid of those topics that are too challenging or that you're just not that interested in. Pretty soon you will have whittled your list down to just a few topics and then you can make a final choice. Argumentative - These type of essays, also known as persuasive essays, make a specific claim about a topic and then provide evidence and arguments to support the claim. The claim set forth in argumentative essays may be an opinion, an evaluation, an interpretation, cause-effect statement or a policy proposal. If you have planned and prepared appropriately, writing the body of the essay should be fairly easy. It will almost be a case of expanding what you have in note form into complete sentences, adding specific details where necessary. You don’t have to stay in one place and write from beginning to end. Give yourself the freedom to write as if you’re circling around your topic rather than making a single, straightforward argument. Whenever you do use evidence you should follow the referencing guidelines that have been specified by your tutor or lecturer. Now let's try and identify the essential elements to a paragraph by looking at an example taken from our assignment question. If the purpose of your essay is to explain a process, write down each step of the process. In each smaller circle, write a main idea about your topic, or point you want to make. If this is persuasive essay, then write down your arguments. If the object of the essay is to explain a process , then write down a step in each circle. You’ll notice the first sentence is the topic sentence which clearly states the theme of the paragraph. This is followed by the explanation or argument and then substantiated through the integration of evidence and demonstration of examples. Notice that it is important to include some form of critical analysis or observation. Finally, your concluding statement should articulate your voice or opinion. In addition to commencing your paragraph with a clear topic sentence, it is important to use linking words and phrases to create cohesion within and across paragraphs in your writing.