Writing a Strong Essay
1. Pay attention to time. Look over the entire examination before answering any questions, read all the directions and budget your time.
2. Pace yourself – Don’t get bogged down on one section.
3. Read the question CAREFULLY. Always answer exactly the question asked. More points are lost on tests and papers by not completely answering the question asked than by giving the wrong answer. Professors go to great lengths to craft appropriate questions (and sub-questions) and expect head-on answers to exactly what they asked—rather than general surveys of an area, dumps of everything you know about the subject, or rambling garbage.
4. Examples of key words in a question and their instructions to you are:
Compare: Highlight similarities and differences.
Describe: Give an account.
Discuss: Present the different facets.
Summarize: Give the main points briefly.
Evaluate: Review the advantages and limitations.
Trace: Follow the course or development.
Interpret: Provide the meaning.
Illustrate: Use an example to explain a point.
5. When you start the essay jot down a BRIEF outline or quick notes on the inside of the cover of the blue book of every argument you want to cover in your response This outline should be a bullet-point list, containing just a couple words on each line reminding you of the larger points you want to include.
6. THEN take 3 minutes (some experts swear this just the right amount of time) to go back, look at the question and make sure you’re addressing every point it asks. What are you missing? What other works can you pull into the answer? What examples from the reading or lecture can you add? How can you make your answer/argument stronger? It’s common for students, in their rush to answer, to miss one or more pieces of the question, lurking somewhere deep in a subordinate clause.
7. Be organized! A well-organized essay will be easier for you to write and for the professor to read. Make certain to include a brief introduction and concise summary. Your thesis may simply be a variation on the exam question, or it may need to be a little more developed. Use an “hourglass” format – general (introduction – set up the essay), specific (body), general (conclusion - so what, how does it relate to other/larger topics)
8. Often you can organize your essay either by topic or work. Pick which one seems most straightforward and then go step-by-step keeping your argument clear, organized and logical.
9. Have a solid introduction. You need to define any terms and have a strong thesis statement that answers the question and/or sets up the essay. Be general; don’t spend time (or at least a great deal of time) mentioning all the names or details that you are going to talk about at length in the body. Make the intro short and to the point. Its job is to answer the main question and then set up the rest of the essay.
10. Don’t be repetitive. Don’t repeat the same idea or information needlessly. The body of the essay should expand on ideas from the introduction not repeat them with the same wording.
11. Use author’s last name. Once you have written the title of a book and its author, refer to it by the author’s last name only. This sounds more scholarly and saves time.
12. Use paragraphs. Have a paragraph (or 2) for each theme, book, movie, or person. Start with general ideas about how it is similar/different/important and then add specific details or examples at the end.
13. Provide many CONCRETE and SPECIFIC details or examples (especially strong are examples from readings or movies not discussed in class) to support your argument. The body of the essay is all about specifics. Let the reader know beyond any doubt that you read/saw, understand and have thought about the material.
14. Don’t dwell on any one example. You need to address certain ideas, terms, and examples but you don’t need to go on and on about them once you have brought them up. The professor will check for many different components of an answer but once the importance is mentioned move on, don’t linger or you won’t have time to mention other important things. Several short concise examples are much stronger than one long belabored one.
15. The time you spend on each work should be roughly proportional to the amount of time spent on it in the course (whole books should get more attention than a movie or a chapter).
16. Use bullets in the body (only) of the essay to go faster if allowed. Many professors will allow this if it is not an English class and there is time pressure.
17. NEVER leave early. Use every second of time to make your answers as detailed and thorough as possible. If you finish and there is still time, go back over your test to proofread and added details or examples where you can. Your patience and thoroughness during the test will pay back huge rewards.
18. An ideal essay:
1. Is well-organized and easy to follow.
2. Answers the exact question in an original, clear and insightful manner.
3. Supports the arguments with a wide variety of vivid details and examples from different parts of the works, including many not covered in class discussions.
4. Explains ideas completely, yet succinctly.
5. Is well-written.
2. Pace yourself – Don’t get bogged down on one section.
3. Read the question CAREFULLY. Always answer exactly the question asked. More points are lost on tests and papers by not completely answering the question asked than by giving the wrong answer. Professors go to great lengths to craft appropriate questions (and sub-questions) and expect head-on answers to exactly what they asked—rather than general surveys of an area, dumps of everything you know about the subject, or rambling garbage.
4. Examples of key words in a question and their instructions to you are:
Compare: Highlight similarities and differences.
Describe: Give an account.
Discuss: Present the different facets.
Summarize: Give the main points briefly.
Evaluate: Review the advantages and limitations.
Trace: Follow the course or development.
Interpret: Provide the meaning.
Illustrate: Use an example to explain a point.
5. When you start the essay jot down a BRIEF outline or quick notes on the inside of the cover of the blue book of every argument you want to cover in your response This outline should be a bullet-point list, containing just a couple words on each line reminding you of the larger points you want to include.
6. THEN take 3 minutes (some experts swear this just the right amount of time) to go back, look at the question and make sure you’re addressing every point it asks. What are you missing? What other works can you pull into the answer? What examples from the reading or lecture can you add? How can you make your answer/argument stronger? It’s common for students, in their rush to answer, to miss one or more pieces of the question, lurking somewhere deep in a subordinate clause.
7. Be organized! A well-organized essay will be easier for you to write and for the professor to read. Make certain to include a brief introduction and concise summary. Your thesis may simply be a variation on the exam question, or it may need to be a little more developed. Use an “hourglass” format – general (introduction – set up the essay), specific (body), general (conclusion - so what, how does it relate to other/larger topics)
8. Often you can organize your essay either by topic or work. Pick which one seems most straightforward and then go step-by-step keeping your argument clear, organized and logical.
9. Have a solid introduction. You need to define any terms and have a strong thesis statement that answers the question and/or sets up the essay. Be general; don’t spend time (or at least a great deal of time) mentioning all the names or details that you are going to talk about at length in the body. Make the intro short and to the point. Its job is to answer the main question and then set up the rest of the essay.
10. Don’t be repetitive. Don’t repeat the same idea or information needlessly. The body of the essay should expand on ideas from the introduction not repeat them with the same wording.
11. Use author’s last name. Once you have written the title of a book and its author, refer to it by the author’s last name only. This sounds more scholarly and saves time.
12. Use paragraphs. Have a paragraph (or 2) for each theme, book, movie, or person. Start with general ideas about how it is similar/different/important and then add specific details or examples at the end.
13. Provide many CONCRETE and SPECIFIC details or examples (especially strong are examples from readings or movies not discussed in class) to support your argument. The body of the essay is all about specifics. Let the reader know beyond any doubt that you read/saw, understand and have thought about the material.
14. Don’t dwell on any one example. You need to address certain ideas, terms, and examples but you don’t need to go on and on about them once you have brought them up. The professor will check for many different components of an answer but once the importance is mentioned move on, don’t linger or you won’t have time to mention other important things. Several short concise examples are much stronger than one long belabored one.
15. The time you spend on each work should be roughly proportional to the amount of time spent on it in the course (whole books should get more attention than a movie or a chapter).
16. Use bullets in the body (only) of the essay to go faster if allowed. Many professors will allow this if it is not an English class and there is time pressure.
17. NEVER leave early. Use every second of time to make your answers as detailed and thorough as possible. If you finish and there is still time, go back over your test to proofread and added details or examples where you can. Your patience and thoroughness during the test will pay back huge rewards.
18. An ideal essay:
1. Is well-organized and easy to follow.
2. Answers the exact question in an original, clear and insightful manner.
3. Supports the arguments with a wide variety of vivid details and examples from different parts of the works, including many not covered in class discussions.
4. Explains ideas completely, yet succinctly.
5. Is well-written.