Writing your essay

Essays consist of a three part structure:

1. The introduction
2. The main section
3. The conclusion.

1. The introduction

All essays need some form of introduction to set the scene for the reader. It will briefly state:
° what you are about to tell the reader

° why you are going to tell this to the reader

° how you will tell it.

In other words, the introduction lets your reader know the (a) content, (b) rationale and (c)
structure of your essay.

(a) Content
Your introduction will give your readers an idea of the key points or issues to be discussed in
your essay. They will then have a framework that will help them to organise and make sense of
the information as they read through the rest of the essay. By being able to select the important
details, you will also show the instructor that you have understood the question.
Some topics may necessitate a brief overview of the background or history of the subject in order
to place your discussion in context. Remember to keep this to a short summary that contains only
the essential points, otherwise you may get sidetracked into giving an overlong account of
something that is minor to your overall argument. This will result in an unbalanced account and
may mean you are unable to cover the relevant material in enough detail.
Use references in your introduction if appropriate. This will help set the tone of your essay by
indicating that you have thoroughly researched your topic. However, do not be tempted to write
a paragraph that merely contains a series of quotes. References are there to support your views
and not replace them. The instructor will want to read your thoughts and opinions on the subject.
(b) Rationale
You may also use the introduction to explain your approach to the subject matter and how you
have interpreted the question, for example the particular aspects of the problem you will focus on
and why you have taken this perspective.

(c) Structure
Giving your reader details of how the essay is structured will help to orientate them. For
instance, you may need to describe x in order to understand how y relates to z. They will then
understand when you start with a description of x before discussing the relationship between y
and z.
The introduction forms approximately 12 per cent of your essay – so in a 2000 word composition
you would plan to have an introduction of about 250 words.

Pitfalls to avoid:
° Writing an overlong introduction so that the essay becomes unbalanced.
° Repeating the title either verbatim or only slightly adapted as the opening paragraph to your
essay.
° Opting out of writing an introduction by replacing it with a quote, analogy or definition. These
devices are not meant to stand alone.
° Being unoriginal and copying another student’s ideas on the introduction – especially if the
idea to start with a standard quote is being used by several students. This is very boring for the
marker and not the best way to impress him or her!
° Starting to write the main body of the essay in the introduction.
° Writing a conclusion and not an introduction.
° Writing an introduction that bears no relation to the question or what you are about to say in the
rest of the essay.

2. The main section

The main or middle part will come after your introduction and will form the bulk of your essay.
It is here that you will demonstrate to the marker your knowledge and understanding of the
subject matter.
Structure
Your choice of structure will depend on the subject matter and the requirements given in the title.
Here is an example: take ‘Apppraising the Implementation of the Right to Reasonable
Accommodation for Persons with Visual Impairment in Ethiopia’ as the topic of your essay.
(a) ‘Illustrate what is meant by “reasonable accommodation

theme one (contents of the right)

theme two (why reasonable accommodation is necessary)

theme three (how reasonable accommodation can be implemented)

Content
Use your analysis of the title and your outline to help you judge whether your choice of material
is relevant to the question. Think about whether it is a primary point, secondary point or
supporting evidence, such as an example or reference to another source. If you can omit some
data without making a difference to your overall argument or discussion then it is likely that it is
redundant.
Constantly check back with your original plan to make sure you remain true to the question.
Check that you have answered the question as it has been asked. For example, has your answer
changed from ‘why does x cause z’ to ‘what causes z’?
Your instructor will be looking for an expression of your point of view; however, you must
support this with evidence from the literature. Make sure that you have read widely before
attempting the essay. You will then be able to discuss a range of theories and refer to information
from a number of sources. Remember to acknowledge these both in the text and by supplying a
reference list at the end of the essay.
The main part forms approximately 75 to 80 per cent of your essay – so in a 2000 word
composition you would plan to use 1500 words for the main part of the essay.

Pitfalls to avoid:
° Showing a bias by the type of information you select or the viewpoint you put across.
° Using too much of the essay to write about one or two points so that you have to skim over the
others.
° Omiting key information.
° Not bothering with a structure so that your writing is confused and jumps back and forth
between different points.
° Failing to do any background reading so that your essay presents a very narrow viewpoint.

3. The conclusion

The conclusion helps to draw your essay to a close. It will contain either a summary of the key
points, a statement of the outcome of your discussion or a resolution to your argument. Making a
reference back to your introduction or the original question brings the essay full circle and
achieves a satisfactory closure.

Some questions that might help you in writing your conclusion are:
° What are the main points of your essay?
° Is there a theme that links these main points?
° How will your essay have changed a naïve reader?
° a change in attitude
° a change in knowledge
° a change in how to apply theory to practice
° a change in awareness
° a change in understanding.

° What general application has the information in your essay?

° to improve practice
° to indicate areas for further research
° to highlight a debate or controversy.

Pitfalls to avoid
° Writing an overlong conclusion.
° Ending the essay abruptly and failing to draw together the main points.
° Including new information, an additional argument or viewpoint not mentioned in the rest of
the essay.
° Writing a conclusion that bears no relation to the question or what you have said in the rest of
the essay.
Like the introduction, the conclusion forms about 12 per cent of your essay – so in a 2000 word
composition you would plan to have a conclusion of about 250 words.

General requirements:
Citation: Oxford style as is recommended by the School;
Spacing should be 1.5; Faunt should be 12; max. page should be 12; min. page should be 8. Style
should be times new Roman