Writing an essay - University of Bristol

Writing an essay

Look back

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If this is not your first essay, take a look at your previous one. Did your tutor make any suggestions

that you need to bear in mind for this essay? Did you learn anything else about essay writing?

Read the question

This seems obvious - but it is surprising how many people don't really do this.

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Identify the process or 'command' words like compare, discuss, evaluate. These tell you how you

have to answer the question. An appendix of such words and their definitions is at the end of this

handout.

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Identify the 'content' words. These tell you what you have to write about.

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Think about the question. What exactly is it asking you to do? What do think the person who framed it

expects from you? Are there any unclear terms that will need defining at the beginning of the essay?

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Let's consider the question: "Relative decline severely undermined the ability of British governments to

tackle the economic shocks of the 1970s". Discuss.

'Discuss' is the command word. It implies that you have to explore the evidence for and against the

statement. The content words are 'severely undermined' and 'ability ¡­ to tackle. So, the evidence that

you need to explore should focus on whether or not relative decline restricted the ability of government

to respond to shocks, and you need to ask what 'severely undermined' might mean in this context.

You would also be well advised to discuss the nature of both relative decline and the economic

shocks referred to.

Identify the relevant material

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Establish your secondary reading list: identify items you have already read which contain material that

is relevant to the question; look at other reading lists relevant to the unit and see if there is anything

that looks promising; browse the library shelves; follow up citations in the material you read that looks

relevant to your topic; conduct searches in bibliographical databases (for more on this see my

Research Resources page).

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Identify relevant primary sources that might be used to inform your analysis.

Do your research

Read your secondary sources and conduct necessary primary research, making notes on points made

that are relevant to your topic. Be an active reader: use the contents pages and index pages of books to

identify relevant material; skip read, lingering only on relevant passages; think always in your note taking

about the argument that the writer is making; make sure to record bibliographical information and,

especially, relevant page references against your notes to be used in footnotes if you end up making use

of that material

Don¡¯t ignore material that doesn¡¯t suit your argument. If you disagree with a writer, you need to

demonstrate their error in your essay, not just pretend they don¡¯t exist. (This is the difference between

producing an analysis and producing a polemic).

Organise your material

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Options include 'brainstorming' your ideas for the essay on paper - jotting down a list of questions and

issues prompted by the essay question, all the relevant examples you can think of and any other

related evidence. Re-check your notes and add missing material. Then link connected ideas and

points.

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Collate and write out these points in a way that you can easily move them about. You might like to do

this in an electronic document, but I think it is quite effective to liberate yourself from technology and

do it on separate sheets of paper, on 'post-it' notes, or on index cards (there¡¯s something about the

low-tech process that seems to liberate the imagination).

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Shuffle these until you have them in a logical order. This is effectively your essay plan. But I

suggest that you write yourself a one page summary with all your key points listed in the order you will

tackle them. Each key point will then have a paragraph to expand it. Don't forget to plan an

introduction and conclusion.

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It can be a good idea to discuss your plan with a friend or with your tutor.

Ideas may come to you at unexpected moments - keep a notebook handy and jot them down.

First draft to final version

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Before you start, are you sure what your conclusion is going to be? You must know this now if your

essay is to focus on answering the question. Never start an essay without knowing exactly where it is

going to end up ¨C to do this is to ensure a rambling and poorly focused essay that fails fully (even,

perhaps, fails at all) to answer the question.

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Now, working from your essay plan, begin to write your first draft.

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Do the best you can but remember that this is only the first draft. It can be amended to improve it.

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Consider the signposts which will be needed to help a reader to follow your argument. It is good

practice to set out in your introduction the bare outlines of your essay¡¯s structure, but I suggest you

also succinctly say what you conclusion will be (a sentence will suffice). This helps your reader, but it

also helps you because it establishes a sort of contract between the two of you that you have to

deliver on, and thus helps prevent wandering off the point. Provide links between key sections in your

argument using phrases such as - 'Although it is true that the ¡®winter of discontent¡¯ played an

important part in Labour¡¯s defeat in the 1979 general election there are also other factors involved.'

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In the essay, make it clear whether you are citing evidence, drawing a reasoned conclusion or putting

a counter-argument. Use such phrases as:

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'This clearly demonstrates that ¡­..'

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'It has been argued that ¡­..'

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'On the other hand ¡­..'

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'However, this view conflicts with that of ¡­..'

When you have finished your first draft you can amend it for style, etc. But do not immediately

submit it. Instead, put it in a drawer for a day or two to let the dust settle, or show it to a friend for

feedback.

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Having let the draft 'mature' for a couple of days, re-read the question and the essay itself. Its

strengths and weaknesses should now be much clearer to you.

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Now you can write your definitive answer. Now is the time to check detailed issues of spelling,

grammar, sentence structure, footnoting, bibliography, etc. and to check for clarity of expression.

When you have finished writing, use your PC's spell and grammar check (I know this sounds

obvious, but I am perpetually amazed at how many students don¡¯t do this) but make sure it is set up to

use British English not U.S. English. Don't rely on it entirely - it won't, for example, detect homonyms

(e.g. distinguish 'there' from 'their'), nor will it detect correctly spelled but inappropriate words.

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Have a last read through just to check everything really is ok (again, leaving it to mature for a couple

of days will help you here). Now (at last!) submit the essay, then sit back and await my comments

with quiet confidence.

My top tip

Don¡¯t, whatever you do, leave it all to the last few days / hours before the deadline. You are being asked to

think deeply about a question and to deliver a considered answer that embodies a clear analysis and

logical argument. Nobody delivers this in a rush. Also, because so many people do leave it all until the last

few days, to do so is to ensure that the books you are going to need are out on loan to the better

organised. So give yourself time. Set a personal deadline that allows the necessary time for reading,

reflection, and maturation of your essay. Just because you have been set a final deadline for submission

doesn¡¯t mean that this has to be your own deadline.

Dr Hugh Pemberton

Department of Historical Studies, University of Bristol, Jan 2013.

Appendix: process and command words in essay questions

Account for

Explain, clarify, give reasons for.

Analyse

Resolve into its component parts. Examine critically or minutely.

Assess

Determine the value of, weigh up (see also 'evaluate').

Compare

Look for similarities and differences between. Reach conclusions about which is

preferable and justify this clearly. If you cannot choose between them, clearly explain

why not.

Contrast

Set in opposition in order to bring out the differences sharply.

Compare and

Find some points of common ground between x and y and show where or how they

contrast

differ.

Criticise

Make a judgement (backed by a discussion of the evidence or reasoning involved)

about the merit of theories or opinions or about the truth of facts.

Define

State the exact meaning of a word or phase. In some cases it may be necessary or

desirable to examine different possible or often used definitions.

Describe

Give a detailed account of ...

Discuss

Explain, then give two sides of the issue and any implications

Distinguish or

Look for differences between ...

differentiate

between

Evaluate

Make an appraisal of the worth / validity / effectiveness of something in the light of its

truth or usefulness (see also 'assess').

Examine the

Look in detail at this line of argument.

argument that ...

Explain

Give details about how and why it ...

How far ...

To what extent ... Usually involves looking at evidence / arguments for and against

and weighing them up.

Illustrate

Make clear and explicit. Usually requires the use of carefully chosen examples.

Justify

Show adequate grounds for decisions or conclusions, answer the main objections

likely to be made about them.

Outline

Give the main features or general principles of a subject, omitting minor details and

emphasising structures, processes, and arrangements.

State

Present in a brief and clear way.

Summarise

Give a concise, clear explanation or account of ... presenting the chief factors and

omitting minor details and examples (see also 'outline').

What arguments

Look at both sides of this argument.

can be made for

and against the

view that ...

Source: Redman, P. et al (1998) Good essay writing: a social sciences guide (Milton Keynes: Open

University Press), pp. 66-67.

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