Reviews for How to write better essays

The average rating for How to write better essays based on 2 reviews is 3.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2011-04-26 00:00:00 THEOPHILUS JACKSON I have mixed thoughts about Greetham's "How to Write Better Essays": on the one hand, the book is so repetitive that reading it can be quite annoying (and now the same thing in bullet points...). On the other hand, I found some really good ideas in it, processes that will help me make my essay-writing more organized. --- The book separates essay-writing into five distinct stages, which I will now go on to describe as reminder to myself and summary for the interested. - Stage 1: Interpreting the Questions - Directly after you get the question sheet and sit down to work on your essay, start by identifying the key 'open'-concepts in the question and then analyse them by creating examples, finding the underlying principle, and finally testing it with borderline, contrasting and doubtful cases. Do this by brainstorming using a form of patterned notes (resembling a tree diagram where you start with one key idea at the top and explore splitting branches to end up with several ideas; you can also use mindmaps for this). - Stage 2: Research - The most important activities in the research stage are reading and note-taking, and they should go hand-in-hand. Don't expect to understand all texts after reading them once: read them once for comprehension, once more for analysis and structure and a third time for critical evaluation. Always define the purpose of your reading (what exactly are you looking for?). Take structured linear notes during the reading for analysis and patterned notes during the reading for evaluation. Focus on finding general exceptions that apply to the argument if you cannot find anything to criticize. One also needs to have a note-retrieval system that will ensure maximum research power. The author suggests (1) always keeping a notebook with you to be able to note down any thoughts you may have about the essay while you're not formally studying; (2) keeping an academic journal and setting aside time every week to note down the general path of one's ideas; (3) having an index-card system to file away quotes and interesting arguments for later use. This was the advise I found most helpful and I started using a computer-based index-card system just after I read it. During research, it is very important to organize your time. Get a timetable to make sure you use your time productively; never study more than six hours privately each day, always take a day off each week and plan your relaxation with the same rigour as you plan your studying. Do nothing intellectually demanding directly after a heavy lunch. Contrast relaxation and studying activities (do not read your favourite novel after having read academic journals for 5h). - Stage 3: Planning - It is useful to plan your essays so that you can rehearse the arguments, check your argumentation for logical clarity and stringency and so that you have something prepared to learn for with exams. Actually, the author advises, you can often prepare for exams by getting a list of past papers and distilling the four or five typical questions for every topic. Then, you just have to produce and learn essay plans for every typical question - often these 24 or so essay plans are a lot less than all the unreflected learning the average desperate student assumes necessary. Only remember to adapt your pre-fabricated essay plans to the actual question in the exam! Also, plan all answers to questions in an exam first and then write the actual essays, progressing from your strongest to your weakest answer; this way, your subconscious has a lot of time to deal with the weakest answer after it has been primed to do so by writing the essay plan. - Stage 4: Writing - When writing, keep your inner editor at bay. Introductions can be manufactured by the simple formula "interpretation of the question + structure of your answer". Paragraphs introducing major sections should tie in with the introduction in the topic sentence; every paragraph should start with a topic sentence that describes what you will discuss in the paragraph and why it is relevant. This is followed by the development of your line of thought and then by evidence. If you do not have any idea what to do in the topic sentence: refer back to the question; recap what you have discussed already; list what you are about to do; use any of the standard transitions like "in contrast"/"moreover" or "similiarly". In conclusions, state your opinion, summarise the essay, "let your readers participate so that they feel they have read something worthwile". Regarding style: keep it as simple as possible. Keep your sentences short, use logic-indicators. Use the active voice (except to underline an action), rely on nouns and verbs to carry the meaning. - Stage 5: Revision - Revise at least five times: Once for reassurance, once for structure, once for the details (check numbers etc.), once for style and one final time by reading out loud.

Review # 2 was written on 2020-08-01 00:00:00 SHINICHI NAKAMIZO I already knew quite a bit about writing essays, so this book didn’t expand my knowledge for the most part. But here are a few things that caught my interest in the book: INSTRUCTIONAL VERBS Analyse Separate an argument, a theory, or a claim into its elements or component parts; to trace the causes of a particular even; to reveal the general principles underlying phenomena. Compare Look for similarities and differences between two or more things, problems or arguments. Perhaps, although not always, reach a conclusion about which you think is preferable. Contrast Set in opposition to each other two or more things, problems or arguments in order to identify clearly their differences and their individual characteristics. Criticise Identify the weaknesses of certain theories, opinions or claims, and give your judgement about their merit. Support your judgments with a discussion of the evidence and the reasoning involved. Define Outline the precise meaning of a word or phrase. In some cases it may be necessary or desirable to examine different possible, or often used, definitions. Describe Give a detailed or graphic account, keeping to the facts or to the impressions that an event had upon you. In history this entails giving a narrative account of the events in the time sequence they occurred. Discuss Investigate or examine by argument; sift through the arguments and the evidence used to support them, giving reasons for and against both sides; examine the implications. It means playing devil’s advocate by arguing not just for the side of the argument that you support, but for the side with which you may have little sympathy. Evaluate Make an appraisal of the worth of something, an argument or a set of beliefs, in the light of their truth or usefulness. This does involve making your own value judgments, but not just naked opinion: they must be backed up by argument and justification. Explain Make plain; interpret and account for the occurrence of a particular event by giving the causes. Unlike the verb ‘to describe’, this does not mean that it is sufficient to describe what happened by giving a narrative of the events. To explain an event is to give the reasons why it occurred, usually involving an analysis of the causes. Illustrate Explain or clarify something by the use of diagrams, figures or concrete examples. Interpret Reveal what you believe to be the meaning or significance of something; to make sense of something that might otherwise be unclear, or about which there may be more than one opinion. So usually this involves giving your own judgement. Justify Show adequate grounds for a decision or a conclusion by supporting it with sufficient evidence and argument; answer the main objections that are likely to be made to it. Outline Give the main features or the general principles of a subject, omitting minor details and emphasizing its structure and arrangement. Relate This usually means one of two things. In some questions it means narrate a sequence of event – outline the story of a particular incident. Alternatively, it can mean show how certain things are connected or affect each other, or show to what extent they are alike. Review Examine closely a subject or a case that been put forward for a certain proposal or argument. Usually, although not always, this means concluding with your own judgement as to the strength of the case. However, if it involves examining just a subject or a topic, and not an argument or a proposal, it will mean just examining in some detail all the aspects of the topic. State Outline briefly and clearly the facts of the situation or a side of an argument. This doesn’t call for argument or discussion, just the presentation of the facts or the arguments. Equally it doesn’t call for a judgement from you, just reportage. Summarise Give a clear and concise account of the principal points of a problem or an argument, omitting the details, evidence and examples that may have been given to support the argument or illustrate the problem. Trace Outline the stages in the development of a particular issue or the history of a topic. (Greetham 56) 3 READING STRATEGIES 1. We can read carefully word-for-word when we’re reading a text or a passage we know is of central importance to our work, from which we want to extract in our notes the detailed structure of the main points and subsections. 2. In contrast, when we just want to pick up the general impression of the contents, the key ideas and the broad structure of a text or an article, then we would do better to skim it. 3. And, if we’re just looking for an answer to a specific question, say a date, a name, a set of figures, or what the writer says about a certain subject, then we need to scan it. (Greetham 80) TRAVELING WELL WITH AN IDEA “Description → Analysis → Criticism → Evidence → Evaluation” (Greetham 194) Work Cited Greetham, Bryan. How to Write Better Essays, Palgrave Macmillan, 2001.