how to write essay

How to write essay?

Here are just a few guidelines that will be helpful when it comes time to how to write essay question.

1.         Allow adequate time to answer the question. By their very design, essay questions can take a considerable amount of time to answer. Earlier in this chapter, we contrasted closed- and open-ended questions, where the nature of the response is restricted or not. Regardless of whether an essay question is closed or open ended (remember, we have to be practical), you need to tell the test taker how much time he or she has to complete the question. And how much time should that be? Keep in mind that essay questions require test lakers to think about, and then write, the response. One strategy is to encourage test takers when they are practicing to plan their response by spending 30%-40% of their time outlining or “”sketching” their response, 4O%-50% of their time writing the response, and then the last 10%-30% rereading what they have written and making any necessary changes.

2. Be sure the question is complete and dear. This one sounds simple and it may indeed be, but sometimes essay questions are not very clear in their presentation. Want to know why? Because it’s not clear what the person writing the question wants to know. For example, here’s an unclear essay question

1. Discuss the impact of the Civil War on the economy of the postwar South.

This not like this question is that poorly designed, but it sure docs not reflect a clear notion of what was learned or what is being assessed. This is the kind of a topic that some historian could write seven volumes about! Look how much more clear the following:

1. Discuss the impact of the Civil War on the economy of the postwar South, taking into account the following factors: reduction in the work force, international considerations, and the changing role of agriculture.

This second example just provides additional direction, which may be exactly what the test taker needs to answer the question more completely.

When talking to senior high school and university students, we have found that while most of them are confident about the content of their various subjects, nearly all of them are daunted by the prospect of integrating that knowledge into a well-structured essay which will do justice to their mastery of the subject. Many find essay-writing to be the most difficult aspect of their studies. Even those who are good at essay-writing (and are well advanced in university study) are keen to improve their writing skills and maximize their marks.

It is very frustrating if you have worked hard to master a subject and then find that your attempts to communicate that mastery are frustrated by your inability of good essay writing about it, to put your ideas across interestingly and compellingly and be rewarded appropriately.

Because students are invariably either studying English language and literature at school, or have done so if they have left English behind at college or university – and because it is my own discipline – many of the examples we use are drawn from the kinds of essay writing set and written for English, either at the senior secondary and matriculation level, or at college and university. However, the skills which are needed for an essay writing for English are applicable to other subjects. Also, other kinds of essay writing techniques are considered too.

The proper essay writing is fulfilled if it assists students to think logically, intelligently and even excitedly about what is required and expected in their essay-writing and to find ways of displaying their knowledge to its best advantage and adapting it to the various kinds of topics and tasks which are set for essays.