Structuring your Essay
An essay has a generic structure of four parts- an introduction , main body, conclusion and references, and each part has a clear role and content. You should never start to write an essay before researching, organising and outlining your ideas first.
Being Critical
Critical writing is not about being negative, rather, it is about examining arguments, ideas and concepts to show a reasoned evaluation or judgement. Writing critically involves considering all perspectives and illustrating how an idea relates to the existing knowledge base, and provides sound reasoning for reaching a conclusion.
Writing Critically
They are many ways to show criticality in your essay. Good critical writing should be clear and logically organised. Claims should be supported by evidence from the literature and all information sources should be appropriately used and acknowledged. The focus on your question needs to be maintained throughout your essay to keep your reader engaged and focused.
There should be a critical thread running throughout your essay, from the way you interpret the question, right through to writing your conclusion. Below is a list of some techniques you can use to embed criticality in your writing.
| Element | Critical Component |
|---|---|
| Task and title | Interpret what you are being asked to do and how to approach it |
| Show your evidence | All ideas or comments should be supported with good evidence |
| Use reliable sources | Ask questions about the provenance and quality of your sources. Use the CRAAP tool to evaluate sources. |
| Apply your understanding | Apply your reading to the question and don't just reiterate the information. |
| Paragraphs | Each paragraph should provide one key point, supported by evidence and analysis/synthesis. The argument should also acknowledge alternative points of view and counter-arguments. The paragraphs should provide a logical progression of your argument and show a narrative flow. |
| Introduction | Communicate your argument and how you plan to respond to the question, use a thesis statement and roadmap. |
| Conclusion | Should reinforce the response to your question. Illustrating how you have answered it. |
| Use of language | Transitional language will help demonstrate cohesion and coherence in your writing. Use signaling and sequencing vocabulary to show the progression in your argument. |
| Use of quotes | Do not over use quotes and use for key information. When using quotes always provide why and how it supports your argument. |
How to show criticality in your writing
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What is critical writing?
Thinking critically requires us to go beyond description and develop our own arguments/judgements. This means that writing needs to go beyond the descriptive too. Remember academic writing is about making an answer not finding an answer. Critical writing involves
- analysing information to understand a problem or topic from more than one perspective;
- making logical connections between ideas;
- offering your own perspective on the topic based on your evaluation of the available evidence
Differences between Descriptive and Critical Writing Descriptive Critical States what happened Identifies the significance of what has happened Explains the situation Questions explanations and examines alternatives Outlines a theory or argument Evaluates the strengthens and weaknesses of the supporting evidence Lists ideas on the topic Explains how ideas are connected to each other and the overall topic Gives options Evaluates why some options are best Aims to provide reader with an understanding of the topic Aims to provide the author's perspective and encourages reader to thin about their perspective. -
The essay structure
The structure of an essay usually comprises of an introduction, main body, conclusion and reference list.
Your assessment brief and rubric should explain how much of your word count should be dedicated to each section, and the marking weight given to each.
Your introduction should explain what the essay will be about, the main body should present your main points, the conclusion should demonstrate that your aims have been met, and your reference list should acknowledge the information sources used.
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Writing Introductions
Introductions outline what you are going to discuss and the order in which you will do so.
They should introduce the topic in an interesting way to show why it is important.
They should identify the topic, purpose and structure of the essay and address key concepts and definition of key terms.
Most introductions have a specific structure with four components:
- They start with a general statement about the topic, situating the assignment in the context of the discipline
- Then they make a slightly more specific statement related to the question, moving the focus from the discipline to the context of the essay
- Provide a thesis statement which states the intention of the assignment as a concise summary of the main point
- It will also provide us with a roadmap of how the question will be answered.
Thesis Statement Examples
There are many different ways to introduce your thesis statement, see some examples below:
- This essay will discuss...
- This essay will outline...
- This essay will describe...
- This essay will explore...
- This essay will evaluate...
- This essay will contest that...
- This essay will argue...
- This essay will suggest...
- This essay will recommend...
- This essay will suggest..
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The Main Body
The main body of an essay does what you said you were going to do in the introduction. It is used to convince the reader of the strength of your argument. It gives the line of reasoning that connects various parts of your argument, and it will contain paragraphs which contain one idea and use transitional words. In the main body we start to explore the issue and develop our argument by making logical steps supported by sources. Each paragraph should consider one point and paragraphs should be logically linked. There is no ideal length to the main body, that is dependent on the length of the essay, but it should contain the weight of your essay and word count. Refer to your module handbook for further guidance.
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Paragraph structure
What is a paragraph?
Paragraphs serve an important function in an essay. They are the building blocks of essays and help organise our thoughts into manageable chunks. A paragraph is part of a longer piece of writing, for example an essay, a chapter, a newspaper article or a thesis. The paragraph usually deals with one key topic that is important to the whole piece of writing.
Why do we need to write in paragraphs?
It is important to divide long texts into paragraphs to help your reader understand your ideas and how you have divided up your ideas. For example, if you wish to make three key points in an essay, it may be best to divide these points into three paragraphs.
How long is a paragraph?
A paragraph can consist of one or more sentences (usually more in academic writing).
There are no strict rules about how long a paragraph should be, but you should always think about your reader. Think of the spaces between paragraphs as "rests". How much information can your reader manage before he or she needs a break?
When writing paragraphs good practice includes:
- Each paragraph should focus on one theme or idea. We begin a new paragraph when we want to change gear; to introduce a new point, to contrast sides in a debate, or to convey any other kind of shift in thought or emphasis.
- Paragraphs should be evidence based and require a degree of analysis. Evidence can be quoted or paraphrased, both approaches need references.
- Sentences of a paragraph are linked together by transitional and grading language. These guide the reader through the argument. Cohesion is built by using transitional words/phrases to link paragraphs.
Paragraphs have an internal structure (PEEL= POINT EVIDENCE EXPANSION LINK):
- A topic sentence should clarify what to anticipate from the rest of the paragraph. This introductory (topic) sentence should flag your point. This is the POINT of the paragraph.
- Having introduced your point and made it, you should now present some evidence from your literature to support your point. Here we show our EVIDENCE.
- Next we provide an explanation evidence, how it supports your point. Critically analyse what would happen if the theory was or was not applied. This EXPANSION usually involves a degree of analysis.
- Lastly we link this point to the next point that you will be making in the following paragraph, or link it back to the main point. The LINK is the concluding sentences of our paragraph.
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Using Evidence
Essay writing at university requires you to read around your subject and apply your reading to the development of your argument.
Usually assessment criteria will require evidence of reading and will award marks for consulting a wide range of academic sources.
This shows your marker that:
- you have developed research skills to help you find relevant and good quality information
- that you can assess the quality of information
- that you have read around your topic
- that you can adequately provide evidence to support/refute your points
- and that you can apply the referencing style required
Referencing shows your reader what you have read by acknowledging other people's ideas. It is essential that you reference all ideas, even if you have paraphrased them into your own words.
We do not only reference direct quotes.
You do not need to reference your own ideas or common knowledge.
To get support for your referencing style or managing your references, visit the Library Here you can book a referencing or RefWorks class or refer to your School's referencing guide.
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Academic Style
In essays, you need to write in a formal, clear, cautious and balanced manner. Avoid contractions and write in the third person, passive voice.
Key Characteristics of Academic Style Convention Poor example Good alternative No contractions doesn't/couldn't/won't does not/could not/will not No colloquialisms loads of lots No clichés In this day and age Recently Use formal verbs Look up to Admire Vague language In recent times In the past decade Use Clarity As a result of this Consequently Use Caution The evidence proves The evidence suggests Avoid emotional language Life in the ghetto was awful Conditions in the ghetto were harsh Watch this short video to get an overview on academic style and tone. To show criticality in our writing we use signposting and sequencing to make your argument flow.
These transitional terms or phrases move the reader through your argument:
- In your introduction they show the reader what to expect and how you will argue
- At the beginning of each paragraph they will show the point to be made and how it sits in the argument.
- At the end of each paragraph they will link your reader back to the question, or move them on to the next point
- Within paragraphs they provide links between sentences.
For an extensive list of transitional phrases and academic vocabulary, visit the Manchester Phrase Bank.
Examples of Signposting in an Essay Signpost Function Thesis statement in your introduction The thesis statement will argue how you propose to approach the question: This essay will.... At the start of a paragraph linking to a previous paragraph. Moves argument forward by providing a challenge to the argument that has gone before. Use terms like however, consequently, subsequently etc. At the start of a paragraph showing focus Shows reader an application. Use terms like, In order to or This is evident by etc. At the end of a paragraph to move your reader on Shows reader that you are navigating to a new point. Use phrases like Having discussed X... or Let us now consider.... Throughout the essay Help navigate from idea to idea. Make sure that you are using the right transitional term in the right context. Terms like Furthermore, Alternatively, For example etc. -
Writing conclusions
Your conclusion should remind the reader of how you interpreted the essay and how you responded.
There should be no new information here and no new citations.
You should link back to the original question and show clearly how it has been answered. Check the aims of your introduction have been met.
Again, there is a standard convention which starts with a link to the original question, a summary of how your argument unfolded and any recommendations you might have, finishing with context.
Writing Introductions
A Short Guide
This short video will provide an overview to good practice when writing introductions. It will explain the required elements and provide an applied example.
Writing Paragraphs
A Short Guide
This short video will provide an overview of how to develop good paragraph structure using the PEEL template.
Writing Conclusions
A Short Guide
This short video will show good practice when structuring conclusions for your essay.
Writing Critically and Structuring Your Essay
Self Paced Guide
Aims of the guide:
- Understand how to write critically rather than descriptively.
- Know how to structure your essay and your paragraphs.
- How to use evidence appropriately.
- How to write effective sentences.
- Know how to use the correct academic style, tone and vocabulary.
Using the guide
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