Essays

The first thing you should do is read any guidance your School has provided and make sure you understand how your essay will be assessed.

Ensure you read the marking criteria or assessment objectives, as these can be really helpful in the planning stages of your essay.

Once you have done this, work through the following stages:

• Make sure you have read and fully understood the question. Pay attention to the instruction verbs and highlight any key words. The ‘ITAR’ acronym can be useful for breaking down and understanding a question (see video below).
• If you have been asked to create your own question about a given topic, it might be useful to: consider which aspects of the topic you are most interested in, read around the topic and identify potential gaps or areas of contention, and speak to your tutor before you finalise your question.
• Before you begin, it is useful to consult any previous feedback you have received, to remind yourself of any areas for development or targets.
• Depending on the length of the essay, you may want to create a writing schedule. A writing schedule can help you plan your time and includes milestones for each of the main stages of the essay writing process.

Watch: Using ITAR for essay and exam questions

• Note down any initial ideas you may have in response to the question. It can be useful to establish what you do know (from reading, lectures, or seminars) and what you don’t know about the given topic. Some students find mind-mapping useful at this stage.
• As you carry out your wider reading and research, make a note of any key information which could be relevant for your essay. You should also make sure to note down key bibliographic details (author, date, page number) so that you can keep track of your references. Advice about effective reading and research strategies.
• As you read, your ideas and arguments will develop and may even change.
• Your reading and planning may overlap, and this can be helpful. Your reading can inform your plan, but your plan can also inform what you read.
• Planning is important as it helps you refine and narrow down your ideas, provides you with a structure and helps you to stay focused on your question.

• Your introduction should directly address the question and identify the focus area of the essay.
• Your introduction should also briefly explain how you will explore the topic (for instance, by applying a certain theory, methodology or process).
• Depending on the type of essay you are writing, your introduction might also include a thesis statement which concisely summarises your stance.
• It can be helpful to think of your introduction as approximately 10% of your total word count.

• The paragraphs in the main body develop your argument or response to the essay question, using relevant and carefully chosen evidence to support or illustrate your points.
• Using the PEEL acronym can be really helpful when it comes to structuring your paragraphs.
• Think carefully about how each paragraph connects to one another. It can be helpful to number your paragraphs in the planning stages to help decide on a logical sequence.
• Use clear connecting words or signposting phrases to link your paragraphs together and indicate the direction of your argument.
• In some departments, you may be encouraged to use sub-headings for the different sections, but check this with your assignment guidelines or tutors. 

Watch: Using PEEL for Arts and Humanities

Explore signposting further

• The conclusion is where you summarise the significance of the key arguments and evidence you have discussed.
• Try not to include any new ideas in your conclusion.
• Though it is not always essential or indeed possible to arrive at a definitive conclusion, try not to leave your essay entirely open ended.
• Depending on your subject and the criteria set by the essay question, your conclusion may: make recommendations based on the evidence explored, suggest further areas of investigation, or put your narrow essay topic into the wider context.
• It can be helpful to think of conclusions as forming approximately 10% of your total word count.

• Be prepared to revise and redraft certain parts of your essay. This may occur during the drafting process or as a result of proof-reading.
• Where possible, give yourself time to put the essay aside for a day or two and come back to it. Having a short break and returning to your work can help you spot mistakes or areas for development.
• Check your in-text citations and reference list to make sure they are complete, accurate, and conform to the appropriate style as set out by your school or department.
• Many students prefer proof-reading from the printed page, though do consider using technology to help you to proof-read your work. Text-to-speech software such as TextHelp Read and Write can read text aloud to you, highlighting each word as it reads and is available through the University of Nottingham network.
• Running grammar and spell checkers are a great way to proof-read for grammatical and spelling errors, though they won’t necessarily catch all errors.
• Look out for common mistakes, these include:
  • Incomplete sentences
  • Missing or mis-used punctuation 
  • Commonly misused words (Their or there? Effect or affect?)
  • Incorrect use of possessives (The dog's bone or the two dogs' bone)
  • Matching verbs and subjects (plural or singular)

For further information and support with Editing and proof-reading.

When finishing an essay, you should check it against the marking criteria provided by your school. Here are some useful questions to ask yourself:

• Have you focused on the essay question throughout, without digression?
• Did you explore the topic in appropriate depth and detail?
• Is your argument clear and well developed?
• Did you support all of your arguments with relevant evidence or examples?
• Do you critically evaluate the ideas of others? Do you consider counter arguments?
• Have you acknowledged all of your source material with appropriate referencing?
• Does the essay have a coherent and logical structure, with each paragraph clearly connecting to the next? Does your writing flow?