Having written your introduction it s now time to move on and look at the main body of your answer. There are two issues which will be equally important when it comes to assessing the main body of your answer, namely how your answer is structured and the quality of the content.
Structure
Any answer will involve a number of points or topics which you will discuss. While the points you use will vary depending on the subject and your memory, the way you structure them is fairly universal.
×give each point &. topic it’s own paragraph ×each point/topic will have one key idea it’s trying to communicate ×you can present that key idea either at the start or the end of paragraph ×the rest of the paragraph is intended to help explain the idea or to present any evidence there might be to support it
Transition Phrases
To avoid your essay becoming a string of unrelated points, you have to use transition phrases. These help to link paragraphs and highlight the structure of your essay, providing the elusive ‘flow’ that lecturers are always talking about.
Transition phrases are little expressions put at the start of a new paragraph which explain how the topic in the new paragraph you re starting is related to the topic in the paragraph just before it. For example, starting a paragraph with "Nevertheless it should be noted…" says that this next point is likely to take the opposite view to the one in the paragraph before. This helps your reader anticipate what is coming and keeps them on board.
Here are some examples of common transition phrases and what they mean.
Phrase &. What is means :
×further, furthermore, in addition, also, moreover, next The next point is going to be an expansion on the last point
×likewise, equally, as well, similarly, on a similar theme The next point is similar to the last one, but not exactly the same
×but, nevertheless, in contrast, on the other hand, conversely The next point is taking the opposite view to the last one.
×however, to take a different approach, on a slightly different note The next point has nothing to do with the last one
Content
For content in an essay remember your 3 R s. Relevance, Referencing &. Relating back to the question asked.
Relevance
Every point made in the essay should be relevant to the essay question as asked. You need to be wary of writing a generic answer that just talks about the topic in general terms but doesn t focus in any way on those points that are most relevant to the question asked. While there will be some general information that you will have to include in your answer (lets call it an overview ), the overview should never take up more than a third of your answer.
You should be careful about including examples from everyday life to illustrate a point. While there is a place for anecdotal evidence (information from personal experience or intuition) in an academic essay, but it should be illustrative only, the argument of the essay should not depend on it. Also, it should be integrated properly into the essay, used in some way to make a point. Don t just tell it because it s a nice story. Lastly use short examples, don t try and pad out an essay with longwinded tales.
Relating back to the question asked
It s not enough that the points you make are relevant to the topic that the question is about, you need to show how they are relevant by relating those points back to the question asked.
If you don t relate the points you are making back to the question it s very possible that one of the following might happen,
A.The examiner might not get your point. Without you there to explain it, it s possible they might not see why you included that point no matter how obvious it seems to you.
B.The examiner might not believe that you understand the relevance of your point. It is possible that you are just including lots of points at random hoping that at least some are relevant (known as the shotgun approach ). This is not the sort of impression you want to make, so make it clear you know what you are doing.
As well as these two major issues, there are some minor stylistic habits you should try to avoid is possible.
×using clichés (陈词滥调) ×using rhetorical questions ×run on sentences (sentences lasting 4 lines or more) ×using the same word repeatedly ×using more than two commas in one sentence ×your entire answer being one long paragraph (no line breaks)
The Conclusion
The conclusion of an essay is where you sum up and offer some kind of overall evaluation. Here, you show your ability not only to repeat the facts, but to use them. Like the introduction the conclusion should be short, preferably one paragraph.
You should summarise your argument concisely - it should follow from the information you have introduced throughout the essay. This is linked to the approach to the answer you mentioned in your intro. At this stage you need to evaluate the results of your approach. Again this depends on the type of question asked,
Question &. Possible evaluation :
×Some statement &. quote. Discuss ×Discuss the idea that …… ×Ultimately, is the opinion put forward in the statement or quote a valid one? Does the evidence support it?
×Evaluate the theory….. ×Critically evaluate the theory….. ×What are the strengths and weaknesses of …. ×When you weigh up what’s good and bad about the theory, which has more weight to it? Ultimately, is the theory sound or flawed?
×Compare and contrast Topic A and Topic B ×Do they compliment or contradict each-other? Could you use them both together or must you choose one or the other, but not both?
… and finally
Students should remember that this guide is not intended to be the be-all and end-all for essay writing from now on. No one guide could hope to describe exactly what you should do in every essay. As such, student should remain flexible in their approach to writing and not try to apply the guidelines suggested here too rigidly. With experience it is hoped that you will know in future situations when it s appropriate to follow the rules and when it is appropriate to bend them.