When writing an essay, you need to bear certain things in mind to make the piece of writing formal and elegant. There are two common types of essay: argument essay and comparison essay. Usually these two types are not very lengthy but at times you may have to write a longer essay or dissertation according to the specific requirements.
Following key points must be observed when writing a long essay or dissertations:
The Title:
Mostly you will be given a title but sometimes you may have to come up with the title yourself. If you are given a title to write an essay, make sure you thoroughly understand its meaning and scope. If you have to choose the title yourself, pick out a very clear title which should have definite boundaries. When deciding on your title, ask yourself following question:
Reading and researching about your subject matter:
No matter you are an old hand of this topic, reading and researching about the title will definitely play an extremely vital role in the success of your writing. You can read books, journals or even websites, but always keep your topic in mind. Another great approach for collection of facts for your essay is the usage of questionnaire and surveys. In this case, you should closely analyze the data collected and only consider it if the results are justified. Adding outlandish results of questionnaire will devalue your essay.
Whenever you fall upon any text, you should ask yourself following questions:
Making Notes:
Whenever you find relevant information about your topic, jot it down. Your notes should be clear and must summarize the key points in the content. Furthermore, do not forget to write the full reference of the source i.e. title, volume number (in case of a book), author's name, publishing date, publisher's name, page number, complete url (in case of a website) and any other relevant info. This gen will help you when you will use and cite these sources.
After you finish making notes, you should be able to answer following question:
Planning and Organizing Your Essay:
If you are going to write a long essay or dissertation, it is wise to divide it into sections with the use of headings and subheadings. Your planning phase should help you answer the following question:
Using Other Writer's Ideas:
If you are planning to use other people's ideas in your essay, you should be able to answer the following checklist of questions.
There are two most common methods for citation: Author-Date System (also called Harvard System) and Footnote/Endnote System. Author-Date system immediately cites the sources where they occur with the author name and date of publishing in parenthesis. On the other hand, endnote system uses a subscript or superscript where the source come about and gives the details of the reference at a separate page in the end. Footnote system functions just like endnote, but references are cited on the bottom of the same page where they befall. Given below are the samples of two most common types of essays:
A comparison essay, as apparent the name, compares two dissimilar aspects. More often than not, both aspects under discussion have some benefits as well as drawbacks. Furthermore, the title is a question. To deliver the best comparison, you should carry out comprehensive research about the topic but do not hesitate to give your personal opinion.
Given below is a sample of comparison essay with discreet recommendations:
Title should be clear and should define the scope of your essay. First paragraph should introduce the topic. Second paragraph reveals the similarities. Third, fourth and fifth paragraph divulge one difference each. Last paragraph has the conclusion. |
Which One Is A Better Option - Private Schools Or State Schools?
Obviously for any parents there is nothing more important than their children's schooling. The first thing to choose from is to send the child to a state school or a private school1. State schools do not charge fee as they are funded by the government while private schools charge a considerable amount of fee to cover their expenses2. Before deciding whether to send the child to a state or private school, parents should learn the differences between these two types of schools and the aftereffects of their choice on the child's future3. Besides many differences, private and state schools have some similarities: the aim of both types of schools is to develop the knowledge, skills and character of the schoolchildren. In addition, both and private schools organize their teaching and assessment in similar passion i.e. using terms and examination at the end of the academic year. However, the differences between state and private schools outnumber the similarities. The major difference between the two is the number of courses offered. Owing to their limited budget state schools teach a largely limited range of subjects while private schools offer a wider range of courses as they have more dough to spend on equipment, staff and technology. State schools are usually crowded while private schools have fewer students, which usually leads to better discipline and students achieve higher academic standards. From above facts, it is clear that private schools offer more advantages as compared to the state schools1. However, the benefits of private schools must be balanced against their fees2. |
1- Writer catches reader's interest. 2- Sentence defines two different types of school. 3- Scope of the Essay is defined in this sentence. 1- First sentence summarizes the essay 2- Writer gives his personal recommendations. |
An argument essay entails presenting a reasoned argument on a particular issue. Obviously your arguments will be based on your research but occasionally argument essays require you to give your opinion. In any of these cases, your essay must be supported with reliable information and organized in a clear, uncluttered manner.
Given below is an argument essay with typical recommendations:
Title should be clear and should define the scope of your essay. First paragraph introduces the topic. A quotation from an expert to introduce the scope. Relevant and precise data presented to strengthen the argument. Last paragraph has the conclusion. |
Manned Space Missions Should Be Abandoned
Study of space is innately very expensive, therefore, scientists and politicians must endeavor to balance the potential research benefits with the costs involved1. A very significant question is whether the advantages of manned space missions are worth its cost2. 'Human beings don't serve any useful function in space. They radiate heat, they are very expensive to keep alive, and unlike robotic missions, they have a natural desire to come back, so that anything involving human beings is enormously expensive.' These lines were said by the Nobel Prize winner and the prominent physicist, Steven Weinberg, in 2007 while giving a lecture at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore. According to NASA, the cost for building Endeavor, a manned spaceship, was 1.7 billion USD and required 450 million USD for each launch. On the contrary, the entire mission of unmanned of space shuttle Voyager cost only 865 million USD. Unmanned space missions are not only cost-effective but also yield much greater volume of data as compared to manned space missions. Similarly, the scope of manned space missions is limited i.e. they have only managed to explore moon while unmanned missions have nearly discovered the whole universe. With men inside a spacecraft, the risk of human casualties also increases. Therefore1, take into consideration the lower costs, higher volume of data yielded and lesser risk involved, I would argue that2 unmanned missions are much more advantageous thus manned missions should be abandoned. |
1- Introduction to the top. 2 -Scope of the essay. 1- 'Therefore' introduces conclusion. 2- 'I would argue' shows user's personal view. |
