Essay Writing

What does a good essay need?

An academic essay aims to persuade readers of an idea based on evidence.

• An academic essay should answer a question or task.
• It should have a thesis statement (answer to the question) and an argument.
• It should try to present or discuss something: develop a thesis via a set of closely related points by reasoning and evidence.
• An academic essay should include relevant examples, supporting evidence and information from academic texts or credible sources.

Basic steps in writing an essay

Although there are some basic steps to writing an assignment, essay writing is not a linear process. You might work through the different stages a number of times in the course of writing an essay. For example, you may go back to the reading and notetaking stage if you find another useful text, or perhaps to reread to locate specific information.

A writing task exam sample

• You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
• Write about the following topic:

–Each year, the crime rate increases.

–What are the causes of crime and what could be done to prevent this rise in criminal activity?

• Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
• Write at least 250 words.

Test Tip

• Good writers often consider other arguments that are different, before presenting their own views. For example:

–Although some people would like to have a lot of children (concession),

–the cost of raising them has to be considered first (writer’s view)

• The following expressions are useful when making concessions:

–While/Although…

–It could be argued that …

–Despite the fact that …

–Admittedly / Certainly … but/ However …

–Even though …

–It may be true that …

• Your ideas will form the basis of your argument and they need to be expressed clearly and appropriately.
• Here are some expressions to help you present ideas.

–I would argue/say/agree that …

–In my view/opinion It seems (to me) that …

–I tend to think that/ I feel that …

–As far as I am concerned …

–Some/Most people argue/think/say that …

–It is understood that …

–It is generally accepted that …

–There is a tendency to believe that …

–One of the main arguments in favour of / against …

 

Ex:

Crime

  Crime is an issue of increasing concern around the world, and more money than ever before is being spent on the detection and punishment of criminal activity. The reasons why people commit crime are countless, but drugs and alcohol, social problems and poverty play a major role. To solve these problems, governments can either focus on draconian punishments, or improve employment opportunities, invest in good housing projects and tackle drug and alcohol abuse.

One of the main causes of criminality is the use, sale and trafficking of narcotics. For example, the sale of drugs is organised by armed criminal gangs who illegally traffic drugs and control their business with extreme violence. Drug-related crime does not end there; drug users often steal to fund theft habit, resulting in further acts of petty crime. The social problems connected with crime are said to be the result of single-parent families, absent role models and bad living conditions. The children from these broken families often become criminals because they feel alienated from society. Poverty is also a reason behind crime. When unskilled jobs pay so little and prices are so high, it’s easy to see why some turn to crime for an income.

Crime can of, course, be dealt with by toughening criminal laws and introducing longer custodial sentences for persistent criminals, but some of the best ways to deal with crime may be to deal with the social causes. Increasing employment opportunities in poorer areas would improve living standards, which would mean access to affordable housing and education. Government funding for drug and alcohol rehabilitation programmes would help reduce dependency on stimulants and the need for the criminal activity that surrounds them.

In conclusion, crime is a major issue, but cracking down on offenders with a harsh penal system is not the only way. These problems can be solved through the government providing jobs and funding which should raise living standards and dramatically reduce crime levels.

 

Writing

In years gone by, before the age of the telegraph or telephone, letter writing was the main means of communication for most people. Since then we have developed faster and more direct ways of contacting people, and personal mail has become relatively rare.

It is true that in many cases where our parents would have written a letter, we prefer to pick up the phone, to email or even to text instead. These are perfectly suitable ways of inviting friends to call round or exchanging news with a family member, for example, and they have the advantage that the communication is immediate and we can receive a reply very quickly. In business, too, fax and email are extremely useful.

However, in my opinion there are times when there is no alternative to a letter. Letters are generally more formal and carefully composed than emails. This makes them more suitable for occasions when they are likely to be kept and re-read, perhaps several times, by the recipient, as with formal letters of thanks or sympathy. In addition, letters provide a written record, unlike telephone calls, so they are also a better way of setting out an important or complex argument, as in official complaints or legal matters.

In conclusion, I would definitely agree that there are fewer times when we need to write letters than in the past. On the other hand, I feel there are still some important occasions when a letter is the most appropriate form of communication.