What are the key elements of a good essay?
You’ll probably have to write some essays while you’re at uni. While you may already have an idea of what an essay is and how to write one, it’s important to keep improving your approach to research, writing and essay structure.
Here, we’ve recapped in brief some essay basics, as well as things that your assessor will be looking for.
Essay basics
An essay is a piece of writing where you present your position (sometimes referred to as your contention or thesis statement). Your position is like an opinion, but it is backed up by evidence, in response to a topic.
There are many different types of essays, but they have several common features you should follow and include to help you plan and complete them:
- your point of view, supported by ideas, arguments and evidence
- the summary and analysis of other writers’ research and opinions
- a clear structure, including an introduction, body paragraphs and a conclusion
- a reference list.
Time management
Be generous to yourself by making sure you have enough time to prepare for your essay. Remember that there is more to writing an essay than just writing the essay; you will also need to complete the required reading and any necessary additional research (both from your classes and wider sources), brainstorm keywords and concepts, decide on your point of view and draft an outline of the contents of your paragraphs.
When it comes to essays, many people may find themselves procrastinating or ‘leaving it to the last minute’. While these can be difficult to avoid, Deakin has some advice and resources to help.
What your assessor is looking for
Ultimately, your success (and results) in your essay will be judged by how well you can meet the task instructions and assessment rubric given to you. So read these carefully and make sure you have a firm understanding of what you are being asked to do before you start your essay. If you have any uncertainties at all, then check with your teaching staff member.
Most commonly, these are the elements that your assessor will be looking for you to have demonstrated when they mark your essay:
- You have completed the set and recommended readings.
- You have discussed and analysed sources, and formatted them in the required referencing style.
- You have planned your essay so that is readable, clear and logically sequenced, with a distinct introduction, body and conclusion.
- You have answered the essay question directly.
- You have met the assignment criteria.
- You have provided a position on the topic and shown your understanding of it.
- You have drawn on readings and discussions from your weekly seminars and classes (your unit’s weekly topics should be your guide for all your assessments).
- You have kept within the set word limit.
By following these guidelines, you will set yourself up to achieve the best that you can.
Could you use some help?
This is just a taste of the Academic Skills Guide to Essay Writing. It contains information and resources on how to write an essay, including a guide to paragraph structure and a handy explanation of the steps of the writing process. Have a read if you’re looking for detailed guidance about an aspect of essay writing, or about essays more generally.
We also have Academic Skills Guides about researching, referencing, oral presentations and preparing for End of Unit assessments.
And, if you’ve got more questions, chat to a Writing Mentor, make an appointment with a Language and Learning Adviser or check out Deakin’s online tutoring service Smarthinking. The Study Support team love chatting about essays and they are ready to help you out.