Essay Writing Skills

by Connelly, Jacqueline; Forsyth, Patrick

• ISBN13: 9780749463915
• ISBN10: 0749463910
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2012-05-15
• Publisher: Kogan Page Ltd

Summary

Writing essays is a major part of many higher education courses. A well written essay can make the difference between a pass and a fail in coursework assignments, dissertations, and exams. Essay Writing Skillsoffers practical and proven ways for students to maximize their success in all aspects of essay writing. From planning a first essay to assessing primary and secondary sources, it will help the student to write in a systematic way that presents a convincing and academically sound argument. The book provides instruction and advice on good research techniques, grammar and accuracy, creating an essay plan, and correctly citing sources. Also including a range of real life example essays and insider knowledge on how essays are assessed, Essay Writing Skillsis an indespensible source of guidance for students who wish to improve the quality of their written work.

Author Biography

Patrick Forsyth is a consultant, trainer and writer. Both are authors of The Study Skills Guide (also published by Kogan Page). Mark Connelly, who wrote the foreword and contributed to the book, is Professor in Modern British History at Kent University and an author.

Table of Contents

Foreword	p. ix
Introduction: destination graduation	p. 1
New realities	p. 2
Future realities	p. 4
How to use this book	p. 5
The academic essay: its nature and role	p. 7
What is an essay?	p. 7
Essay conventions	p. 9
The essay as assessed coursework	p. 13
Developing your academic skills through essay writing	p. 16
The foundation for success	p. 21
Using clear language	p. 21
Detail that makes for good writing	p. 25
If your first language is not English	p. 37
Researching the content	p. 41
Deciding which topic to write on	p. 41
Understanding the essay title	p. 42
Gathering material and using bibliographies	p. 44
Developing your academic skills	p. 47
Making notes	p. 51
Using essay banks	p. 52
Preparing and writing	p. 54
A systematic approach	p. 54
When it all goes wrong	p. 63
The structure and detail of an essay	p. 65
The introduction: making a good start	p. 65
The central content	p. 67
Referencing	p. 68
An appropriate conclusion	p. 76
Writing essays in examinations	p. 78
The purpose and form of a dissertation	p. 81
Example essays and the art of learning from experience	p. 86
What your lecturer wants	p. 87
A checklist	p. 88
The nature of the examples	p. 89
An example of guidelines	p. 90
Examples	p. 97
Dealing with criticism	p. 117
A helping hand	p. 122
Top tips	p. 122
Looking ahead	p. 125
The immediate benefits	p. 125
The wider world	p. 126
Areas of change	p. 127
Skills with ongoing benefit	p. 128
Applications in finding work and beyond	p. 129
Written communication in the workplace	p. 131
Ongoing development	p. 131
Afterword	p. 134
And finally…	p. 134
Acknowledgements	p. 137
Index	p. 138
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