How to Write Better Essays

✍ Scribed by Bryan Greetham

• Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic
• Year: 2023
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 337
• Series: Bloomsbury Study Skills
• Edition: 5
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

This book takes the reader carefully through each stage of the essay writing process from the interpretation of the question, to the research, planning and revision. They are shown not just how to improve their study skills such as note-taking, reading, organisation and writing, but their thinking skills too. The reader will learn how to analyse difficult concepts, criticise and evaluate arguments, use evidence and develop more ideas of their own. It provides clear and practical advice throughout and gives students the confidence they need to tackle written assignments.

New for this edition

- A new chapter on maintaining focus and gathering ideas, which will help students to switch off from distractions and create a clear space for good thinking
- A new chapter entitled 'creating your own arguments: synthesising ideas' which will show students how to go beyond recycling the arguments and ideas they read and, instead, will give them the tools to make connections, generate insights and create innovative explanations of their own.
- Chapter 36 (referencing and bibliographies) will include a new section on how to use sources more effectively
- Chapter 35 (plagiarism) will be updated to include a new section on plagiarism detection software, and will contain additional examples of plagiarism to illustrate more clearly the different forms this can take.

✦ Table of Contents

Cover
Contents
Introduction
Why Write Essays?
The Stages
Stage 1 Interpretation of the Question
Introduction
1 Revealing the Structure
2 A Practical Example
3 Learning to Analyse
4 The Three-Step Technique – Steps 1 and 2
5 Creating Your Own Concept
6 Step 3 – Test Your Concept
7 Brainstorming
8 Using the Right Ability: Instructional Verbs
9 The Abilities Essays Assess
Stage 2 Research
Introduction
10 Maintaining focus – Gathering ideas
11 Reading Purposefully
12 Processing the Ideas
13 Note-taking for Analysis and Structure
14 Remembering Your Notes
15 Note-taking for Criticism and Evaluation
16 Thinking and Reading Critically
17 Note-taking for Creativity
18 Creating Your Own Arguments – Synthesizing Ideas
Stage 3 Planning
Introduction
19 Planning: Getting the Highest Grades
20 Editing and Ordering Your Material
21 Revision: Planning for the Exam
22 Exam Technique: Planning in the Exam
Stage 4 Writing
Introduction
23 Finding Your Own Voice
24 Suspending Your Judgement
25 Introductions
26 Paragraphs – Topic Sentences
27 Paragraphs – Development and Evidence
28 Conclusions
29 Style – Simplicity 1: Sentences
30 Style – Simplicity 2: Words
31 Style – Economy
32 Style – The Dos and Don’ts
33 Working with Evidence
34 Choosing the Best Word
35 Plagiarism
36 Referencing and Bibliographies
37 Reflective Writing
Stage 5 Revision
Introduction
38 Preserving Your Best Ideas
39 Revising the Structure
Sample essay 1: Revising the Structure
40 Revising the Content
Sample essay 2: Revising the Content
41 Learning from Feedback
Conclusion
Bibliography
Index