Writing essays
The essay is the most common type of assignment in many subjects, particularly in the humanities and social sciences. Writing an essay enables you to explore a topic in detail and demonstrate your knowledge and understanding in a piece of analytic writing.
A good essay demonstrates an ability to:
- understand the question
- select appropriate reading sources
- develop a central idea, sustaining the argument from beginning to end
- use evidence and examples to support your arguments
- synthesise and critically evaluate material from different sources
- explain issues, theories and debates
- use sources appropriately in the text and construct a list of references
- write clearly, accurately and effectively, using a good range of grammatical structures and vocabulary
- write in an academic style
