Essay/Assignment Writing: Planning to Editing
Date 28.12.2016 Size 10.29 Kb. #5327
Agenda 4 stages in essay writing: Preparing Planning Drafting Editing Questions for you: What makes a good essay? If you were marking an essay, what would you look for? “To essay” The verb “to essay” means “to put to the test, to attempt something difficult”. Essays give you opportunities to come to terms with new knowledge. Writing an essay helps you to measure how much you really understand. Four Stages in Writing an Essay 1. Preparing 2. Planning 3. Drafting 4. Editing Post-essay writing 5. Learning from the experience Stage 1 Preparing What question do I need to address and what does it mean? What do I know about this already? What do I need to find out? Research Analyse the question What is the subject? What are the key verb(s)? What are the key aspect(s)? Any other other significant words? Ask questions about the question Understand Key Verbs analyse compare and contrast describe discuss evaluate examine explore outline summarise Paragraphing (I) Paragraphs structure thoughts and help the reader Each paragraph should contain one clear idea support sentences Support sentences add to the topic sentence, e.g. explain ideas raised define terms more fully give supporting detail Paragraphing (II) For every paragraph, ask: Is there one main idea here? Is it stated clearly? Is it properly supported with evidence? Have I commented on the evidence? Does it link with the previous paragraph and anticipate the next? Beginning a new paragraph To mark off the introduction and the conclusion To signal a shift to a new idea To indicate an important shift in time or place To emphasise a point To highlight a contrast Stage 3 Drafting Drafting shapes the notes into an essay. How? Revise, reconsider and rewrite what you have done. Fill in any gaps. Revise plan, now you know more. Checking a Rough Draft Look for: the sequence of ideas logic paragraphing sign-posting need more information? grammar punctuation Am I answering the question? Introductions State clearly How you are going to answer the question What you are going to cover Address the question, the key idea. Define key terms. May help to write the introduction last. Should be 10% of the word count Conclusions Pull the essay together. Show where you stand in the debate (judgement). Draw conclusions or extract general principles (factual). May indicate an area for further study. Link back to the question / essay title. 10-13% of the word count Stage 4 Editing Proof read your essay. Check for mistakes: spelling grammar punctuation Check quotations, citations. Have I answered the question? Is there a logical, coherent argument? Presentation Word limit Margins Spacing Font types and sizes Legibility Does it comply with the required layout? Diagrams References Citations Examples: According to Jones (1998), …. Jones (1998) argued that …. To quote from Jones (1998), …. In name of text, Jones (1998) supported the idea of …. …. paraphrases …. ( Quotations Short quotation Jones (1999, p23) described the idea as ‘quoting a few words ’ …. Long quotation long quotes long quotes (Smith, 1999, p9) etc. etc. References Put at the end of an essay. Do not number them. Begin each source on a new line. List alphabetically by the first author’s surname. Italicise the book or journal title. Place single quotation marks around the title of an article within a journal. Examples of References A book An article in a book Tizard, B. (1991) ‘Working Mothers and the Care of Young Children’ in Woodhead, M., Light, P. and Carr, R. (eds) Growing Up in a Changing Society, Routledge. Bibliography A list of everything you read for the assignment. They need not be referred to in your writing. Listed in the same style as references. Share with your friends:
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