Social Science 378

Essay mechanics and style are a matter partly of convention, and partly of intellectual necessity. A clear, concise style is essential to a good essay, because, no matter how clever your thoughts may be, your message will not be delivered if your style is incoherent.

Regardless of your essay-writing expertise, you may find the following tips helpful.

• First, never assume that your audience has any knowledge of the subject of your essay. Try to imagine that you are writing this essay for a friend rather than for your tutor. If you assume too much knowledge on the part of your reader, you may not explain your reasoning adequately, and thus, you might use undefined or unexplained specialist language in your essay. Always define key terms and always provide appropriate examples of the concepts you are defining.
• Formulate your argument before you write. Your overall point should be reducible to a single sentence, which is known as the thesis statement. This statement should appear somewhere in your introduction and should guide your entire essay. A good essay should have a consistent theme; preparing a thesis statement and an outline based on your thesis statement should help to keep your essay on track.
• Note that every essay has three main sections: the introduction, the body, and the conclusion. The introduction should be brief; it should state concisely what your essay seeks to examine, and it should explain the approach you intend to take. A good introduction should also grab your reader's attention and focus it on the issues you wish to discuss. The body of the essay should examine, in more depth, the issues discussed in your introduction. Statements made in the body of an essay should be supported with definitions, examples, and appropriate evidence gathered from your research and your life experience. Finally, the conclusion should follow logically from the arguments presented in the body of the paper and should sum up your discussion.
• You must credit all the sources of your ideas. Doing so indicates intellectual courtesy and honesty, and it also enables the reader to pursue any reference that seems interesting. In addition, citing the sources of your evidence helps your tutor in marking your essay. If you frequently provide page numbers, your tutor can double-check the material. There are many acceptable forms for citing the material used in an essay. However, you must cite the author or authors, date of publication, and page number or numbers of a quote, paraphrase, or idea immediately following the quote, paraphrase, or idea in your essay. At the end of your paper, group all of your citations in alphabetical order under a section entitled “Bibliography” or “References.” Your bibliography must provide full-form citations.
• When you have finished the first draft of your paper, reread it carefully, revising and rewriting if necessary. You may try putting your essay away for a day or two and returning to it later. This technique will give you a fresh view of it and may help you to recognize errors, omissions, and awkwardness in content and style. You may even decide to have a friend or family member read your essay. If he or she encounters problems with it, then, in all probability, so will the marker.
• For the convenience of your tutor, please provide fairly large margins. Large margins and double-spacing facilitate the insertion of corrections and comments and make your essay easier to read. Ideal margins are 1½ inches (4 cm) at the left and 1 inch (2.5 cm) at the top, right, and bottom. Typing is preferable, but if you hand write, make sure that it is legible, double-spaced, and written in ink. Before submitting your essay, be sure to proofread it carefully to catch any spelling mistakes, typing errors, and the like.
• Last, but by no means least, make and keep a copy of your paper (at least the rough draft), just in case it should go astray. Be sure to include a an electronic or paper “Tutor-Marked Exercise” form along with your completed assignment.