Essay writing guide
Elissa Nixon / June 7, 2019
To communicate a message with logic and clarity, it is usually a good idea to put your ideas into a three-part structure: introduction, development, and conclusion.
The introduction
The introduction serves as an introduction; she presents the work. It is neither a summary nor a history, let alone the first chapter of the work. This part aims to:
• Bring the subject, ie introduce the topic or theme by highlighting its relevance or interest and, where appropriate, specify the purpose of the work.
• Ask the subject, ie name the problem that is being addressed or formulate the question that is raised.
• Divide the subject, that is, briefly announce the main lines of development.
Development
Development is the body of work: all information serving the guiding idea or thesis must be found in this part. The development consists of several paragraphs and each exposes a main idea or argument.
The conclusion
The conclusion serves to review the main lines of the work. In the conclusion, you must:
• Recall the guiding idea or thesis of the work.
• Highlight the essence of development.
• Broaden the scope of the topic.
REVIEW A TEXT
Coherence of the text
It is a matter of making a single reading an overall reading of the work that is about to be handed over. The exercise provides an opportunity to review the entire text, to check the relevance of ideas, to redo, at rest, the essence of the process and the synthesis of ideas. It’s about looking at the forest as a whole rather than looking at the trees that make it up.
We make sure that we have not forgotten anything and that we respect the instructions, the organizational principles and the standards of presentation. It is also an opportunity to check one last time if the problem or the question has been answered correctly and to make some last modifications, if it is still possible.
Points to check:
• The instruction is well understood.
• Each key element of the writing topic is covered.
• Each item developed is linked to the topic of writing.
• Standards and conventions of presentation are respected.
Development
The words you have developed must be highlighted by the structure of your text. Take a last look at the general plan, the organization of the paragraphs and the links that unite the ideas between them.
Points to check:
• The text is well structured.
• Each paragraph is well constructed. Ideas are linked naturally.
• For language revision, refer to the section
How to write an argumentative text?
In an argumentative text, one essentially finds the outline of a position (argument) rationally argued about a fundamental question.
An argumentative text is an answer to a problem. To produce an argumentative text, one must first ask a question.
You must :
- Present the controversy raised by the fundamental question.
- Take a clear position, that is to say, state your thesis concerning the question asked.
- Support this position by formulating credible and relevant arguments using concepts and concepts seen in the classroom.
- Raise an objection that could be made to your thesis and explain it, then answer it.
The objection is an opposition to an argument or to the thesis itself. It must be substantiated and explained.
The answer to the objection is a way of demonstrating that your argument or thesis, as challenged in the objection, is not invalidated. There are two ways to do this: either by refuting the objection, demonstrating its invalidity (from the argumentative point of view or the content) or by conceding a part of the objection, admitting that the objection is in part well founded, but by demonstrating that your thesis or argument is not invalidated.
Recall
An argumentative text includes:
- a problematic;
- an explicit position statement (a thesis);
- an objection and a response to this objection.
The arguments must be credible, relevant and clearly expressed to support the position upheld.
Pitfalls to avoid
At the introduction
- • Use clichés such as “since the dawn of time”, “forever”, etc.
- • Neglecting to formulate the question clearly.
- • Assume that the reader knows the subject of the work.
Development
- Juxtapose ideas without making logical links (absence of relationship markers or transition sentences).
- Present ideas that are not directly related to your topic or work purpose.
- To do too much or too few paragraphs while each paragraph needs to develop a main idea or argument.
- Misuse quotes (see the Layout section, Text Quotes, Ideas Borrowing and References section).
At the conclusion
- Add new ideas or new arguments.
- Open by repeating the original question.
- Attempt to influence the marker by questioning or complimenting him / her.
