Step-By-Step Guide to Essay Writing
Read the essay question carefully
- Highlight key words.
- Use the dictionary to check the meaning of any unfamiliar words.
- Identify the task words that indicate what needs to be done, eg “discuss”, “explain”, “compare”.
- Identify the topic words that indicate the particular subject of the essay, eg the character of “Juliet” in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, the “causes” of World War 1.
- Identify any limiting words that restrict the discussion to a particular area, eg in “Chapters 1-3”, during the “nineteenth century”.
Finish any necessary reading or research as background to the essay
- Be selective: use sources which are relevant and accessible.
- Write notes in your own words.
- Write down quotations that may be particularly useful, but ensure the source of these quotes is acknowledged if they’re used.
- Take note of sources so they can be provided in footnotes and the bibliography.
Brainstorm ideas in response to the question
- Jot down any relevant points.
- Make note of any relevant evidence or quotes that come to mind.
- Use a mind map to help stimulate lateral thinking.
