*Introduction:The introduction to your essay is probably the most important part of your text. It gives your reader an indication of what to expectin terms of quality, substance and interest.-ChallengesMany students find that writing an introduction is often the mostdifficult part of the essay because of:The importance of the introduction to the essay's structure.The difficulty of "getting started", a phenomenon.experienced by most writers
*Tip: The introduction two-step
Your introduction will probably go through numerous rewrites. Forconvenience this can be considered as a two-stage process, theintroduction two-step:a 'draft introduction' (in use while you are working throughthe various drafts of your essay)a 'polished introduction' (written once the body of youressay and its conclusion has been completed)This will enable you to:tailor your 'final introduction' to the actual directionthat your essay has taken.make minor adjustments to the text of the body andconclusion of your essay.-FeaturesBoth introductions will have the same basic features, thoughthe 'polished introduction' should exhibit these in a much moreclearly and effectively than the 'draft introduction'.There are a number of features that should form part of any goodintroduction:A strong opening sentence thatprovokes your reader's interestcaptures your reader's attentionsets the stage for you to get quickly to the point of youressay.Sometimes this can be achieved by using a provocative quotation or arelevant anecdote. At other times an unexpected or provocative claimcould be put forward to focus your reader's attention.Appropriate explanatory information where you discussbrieflybackground context of your essay in which you note thesignificance of your topicyour key terms or concepts (this might also involve anoutline of your conceptual framework)the limits of your discussion where you specify theintellectual boundaries of your essayA statement of the aims of the essay in which you specify assuccinctly as possiblethe problems or issues your essay discussesthe point of your essay (This should not be a restatement ofthe essay question or topic)While your statement of aims or purposes should certainly berelevant to the topic as set they should nevertheless arise from,and be clearly linked to, the content of your essayAn overview of the essay discussionProvide a brief outline of the key points to be covered by yourdiscussion. This gives your reader a preview of where you are goingto take them. This also enables you to show the reader that youressay is structured logically and that it has a thematic unity.Note that some aspects or even all of the explanatory information(noted earlier) might be included as part of your overview of theessay discussion.
-Example of introduction:# Essay Topic 1:"Critically discuss Karl Marx's claim that socialism is anhistorical inevitability".-Statement of essay aim/purpose:The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate that Marx was wrongabout the inevitability of socialism. In addition, it will bedemonstrated that Marx's method was inadequate to the task he sethimself.-An Alternative StatementIt will be argued that the sense in which Marx argued about thehistorical inevitability of socialism retains some contemporaryrelevance. However, it will also be shown that his approach needssome renovation to take account of more recent developments.
*Essay Body:The essay body contains your discussion in which you present themain points of your argument. Like the introduction and conclusion,the essay body is divided into paragraphs. Paragraphs enable you toorganise your ideas and key points. They also help you to developyour points so that they are linked in such a way as to ensurelogical and thematic continuity.
* Tips: Using paragraphsEach paragraph should develop one major point, or a series ofclosely related minor points that together support a major point.Each point that you develop should be directly relevant to yourtopic as set by your lecturer. Each one should contribute to yourtask of answering the question.The first sentence of a paragraph, the topic sentence, should statethe point to be developed in the paragraph. The rest of thesentences, the supporting sentences, provide the relevantinformation and evidence to support the main point. The supportingsentences:explain the point being covered.provide the details needed to understand your point.include the examples, illustrations or quotations needed tosubstantiate your point. Make sure that your example, illustrationof quote is directly relevant to the point being made.
-Paragraph size:Check that there is a reasonable balance between each paragraph interms of length. This does not mean that each and every paragraphmust be exactly the same length. Rather, your aim should be toensure that the amount of discussion devoted to each point is inproportion to that point's importance for the essay as a whole. Donot use one-sentence paragraphs.Review your writingAfter you have written a draft of your essay it will be necessary toreview what you have achieved. An effective method is to readthrough each paragraph in the order that they appear in your draft.Write a one sentence (only one sentence) summary of each paragraph.Compare each summary with what you intended (from your essayplan) to say.If there is a discrepancy then a rewrite of the paragraph might beneeded.Read each summary sentence, one after the other.If there is no logical connection or continuity between each summarysentence then a rewrite or reordering of the paragraphs might beneeded. This might also be needed if there is no thematic continuitybetween them.
*Conclusion: The conclusion ties together the main threads of your argument. Itshould not be used for introducing new information. The point of aconclusion is to provide a sense of closure for your essay.However, depending on the topic and/or subject area, you can use theconclusion to reflect on future developments in the field or theramifications that your findings might have for future research inthe area.While there should be a reasonable consistency, logically andthematically, between the conclusion and the introduction, therewill probably be some differences between them. If the conclusiondoes not appear to answer the question then it will be necessary toretrace your thought process as it has developed through the body ofthe essay to the conclusion. If the conclusion provides a summaryanswer to the question as set then you can rewrite the introductionaccordingly.In essence, the conclusion sums up your main ideas. It reasserts theaims of your essay. Fundamentally, it should leave the reader in nodoubt that you have demonstrated what you set out to do.
*Tip: The introduction two-step
Your introduction will probably go through numerous rewrites. Forconvenience this can be considered as a two-stage process, theintroduction two-step:a 'draft introduction' (in use while you are working throughthe various drafts of your essay)a 'polished introduction' (written once the body of youressay and its conclusion has been completed)This will enable you to:tailor your 'final introduction' to the actual directionthat your essay has taken.make minor adjustments to the text of the body andconclusion of your essay.-FeaturesBoth introductions will have the same basic features, thoughthe 'polished introduction' should exhibit these in a much moreclearly and effectively than the 'draft introduction'.There are a number of features that should form part of any goodintroduction:A strong opening sentence thatprovokes your reader's interestcaptures your reader's attentionsets the stage for you to get quickly to the point of youressay.Sometimes this can be achieved by using a provocative quotation or arelevant anecdote. At other times an unexpected or provocative claimcould be put forward to focus your reader's attention.Appropriate explanatory information where you discussbrieflybackground context of your essay in which you note thesignificance of your topicyour key terms or concepts (this might also involve anoutline of your conceptual framework)the limits of your discussion where you specify theintellectual boundaries of your essayA statement of the aims of the essay in which you specify assuccinctly as possiblethe problems or issues your essay discussesthe point of your essay (This should not be a restatement ofthe essay question or topic)While your statement of aims or purposes should certainly berelevant to the topic as set they should nevertheless arise from,and be clearly linked to, the content of your essayAn overview of the essay discussionProvide a brief outline of the key points to be covered by yourdiscussion. This gives your reader a preview of where you are goingto take them. This also enables you to show the reader that youressay is structured logically and that it has a thematic unity.Note that some aspects or even all of the explanatory information(noted earlier) might be included as part of your overview of theessay discussion.
-Example of introduction:# Essay Topic 1:"Critically discuss Karl Marx's claim that socialism is anhistorical inevitability".-Statement of essay aim/purpose:The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate that Marx was wrongabout the inevitability of socialism. In addition, it will bedemonstrated that Marx's method was inadequate to the task he sethimself.-An Alternative StatementIt will be argued that the sense in which Marx argued about thehistorical inevitability of socialism retains some contemporaryrelevance. However, it will also be shown that his approach needssome renovation to take account of more recent developments.
*Essay Body:The essay body contains your discussion in which you present themain points of your argument. Like the introduction and conclusion,the essay body is divided into paragraphs. Paragraphs enable you toorganise your ideas and key points. They also help you to developyour points so that they are linked in such a way as to ensurelogical and thematic continuity.
* Tips: Using paragraphsEach paragraph should develop one major point, or a series ofclosely related minor points that together support a major point.Each point that you develop should be directly relevant to yourtopic as set by your lecturer. Each one should contribute to yourtask of answering the question.The first sentence of a paragraph, the topic sentence, should statethe point to be developed in the paragraph. The rest of thesentences, the supporting sentences, provide the relevantinformation and evidence to support the main point. The supportingsentences:explain the point being covered.provide the details needed to understand your point.include the examples, illustrations or quotations needed tosubstantiate your point. Make sure that your example, illustrationof quote is directly relevant to the point being made.
-Paragraph size:Check that there is a reasonable balance between each paragraph interms of length. This does not mean that each and every paragraphmust be exactly the same length. Rather, your aim should be toensure that the amount of discussion devoted to each point is inproportion to that point's importance for the essay as a whole. Donot use one-sentence paragraphs.Review your writingAfter you have written a draft of your essay it will be necessary toreview what you have achieved. An effective method is to readthrough each paragraph in the order that they appear in your draft.Write a one sentence (only one sentence) summary of each paragraph.Compare each summary with what you intended (from your essayplan) to say.If there is a discrepancy then a rewrite of the paragraph might beneeded.Read each summary sentence, one after the other.If there is no logical connection or continuity between each summarysentence then a rewrite or reordering of the paragraphs might beneeded. This might also be needed if there is no thematic continuitybetween them.
*Conclusion: The conclusion ties together the main threads of your argument. Itshould not be used for introducing new information. The point of aconclusion is to provide a sense of closure for your essay.However, depending on the topic and/or subject area, you can use theconclusion to reflect on future developments in the field or theramifications that your findings might have for future research inthe area.While there should be a reasonable consistency, logically andthematically, between the conclusion and the introduction, therewill probably be some differences between them. If the conclusiondoes not appear to answer the question then it will be necessary toretrace your thought process as it has developed through the body ofthe essay to the conclusion. If the conclusion provides a summaryanswer to the question as set then you can rewrite the introductionaccordingly.In essence, the conclusion sums up your main ideas. It reasserts theaims of your essay. Fundamentally, it should leave the reader in nodoubt that you have demonstrated what you set out to do.
