Essay writing at tertiary level is more than a test of knowledge; it is a form of intellectual identity construction, in which students learn not only to present arguments but to position themselves within academic communities that have their own conventions, expectations, and standards of evidence. Academic writing, like all forms of communication, is an act of identity: it not only conveys disciplinary “content” but also carries a representation of the writer. The notion of identity has only surfaced in writing research relatively recently, but it is increasingly seen as less a phenomenon of private experience than a desire for affiliation and recognition.
‘Cave men could do it, why can’t I?’
Communication in the written form has been around for millennia, be it on a cave wall or in the best university in the land. Man’s attempt to get across a message has truly been a constant in our lives for so very long. Essay writing, to many people, is a difficult concept to grasp. Plenty of time is taken up preparing the makeup of the essay. There are no shortcuts in a well-written essay; only time and research can bring about the results the university requires.
The plan. Where to begin? The age-old question when it comes to essay writing. How do you put that first word, then sentence, and finally paragraph together? Well, according to most of the sources that I have come across, a basic structure keeps coming up. The importance of an introduction, as well as the body and conclusion, are all key areas of an essay. Then just as you embark on your writing task, more problems are faced.
Outlined below are four key areas that I believe let students down time over time.
The Introduction
The introduction aims to identify the main issue(s), explain and justify the method(s) of analysis to be used, and assess the quality of the evidence available. This sounds straightforward enough when you start out, but without the correct introduction, the reader or audience will be lost to you. Trying to find a balance between the correct amount of information to draw the reader in, without sounding too boring or waffling, is a genuine skill. A quote or hook is one way to draw the reader in and have them wondering if the rest is as good or whether you have used up your best material. Do you agree with the question or disagree? Put together an argument that can both show your knowledge of the subject material and place it in an argumentative context.
Avoiding Plagiarism
Definition of Plagiarism, according to the Oxford English Dictionary (Vol XI, p. 947, 1989): “The action or practice of plagiarizing; the wrongful appropriation or purloining, and publication as one’s own, of the ideas, or the expression of the ideas (literary, artistic, musical, mechanical, etc.) of another.” “Plagiarius” in Latin means “kidnapper, seducer, plunderer,” a “literary thief” according to the Roman poet Martial.
Plagiarism is not simply understood. Students may deliberately choose to plagiarise their work, but others may, through other means, reach the same undesired outcome. Students from many backgrounds may not understand the reasoning behind plagiarism, which can lead to significant problems within education. Students tend to plagiarise because they do not understand how they can write in their own voice, as it can be such a daunting task. Others may not have developed the skills to accurately document their information. Still others may be struggling to learn English (Thompson).
Planning and Research
When asked to write an essay of 2,000 words, ideally the best thing you can do is always start with a plan. Planning an essay makes things much easier: it gives you the chance to organise your time so you can meet your deadlines accordingly, it helps you distribute the information in a clear way, and planning provides you with a true sense of safety, since you are already halfway done even before writing the first paragraph of the paper.
With this particular essay I find that I am in agreement with the question, as it is an extremely complex issue to organise and write. A problem faced by so many is having ideas and information floating around inside their mind, but not having the natural ability to get said material onto paper. As Northedge (1990, pp. 110–155) advises: “To form an argument: introduce the concept, talking about obvious instances first, such as size and style, talk about what they tend to involve, and answer what this provides. Give the positive and negative aspects. Then assess the perfect environment, and contrast this with a good or bad situation.”
Essay Structure
The following is the basic essay structure, which should help you plan your essay and organise your material, expanding the three elements that constitute any essay.
1. Introduction: Your introduction should (a) comment on the title or topic of the essay; (b) define or explain any difficult or ambiguous terms in the title plus keywords; (c) direct the reader by stating which aspects of the topic you intend to cover and why. The introduction should be roughly 5% of the total length of your essay, generally one paragraph.
2. Body: The main body of the essay should develop your argument or theme. Take each of your main points and support them with examples and illustrations. Break your materials down into paragraphs; one paragraph for each aspect of the topic. A paragraph may raise a particular issue or develop a particular issue. Often the first sentence is the topic sentence, explaining what the paragraph is about. Linking words are used as “signposts” to help the reader make the transition from one paragraph to the next. Common transitions include: cause and effect (therefore, consequently), positive and negative aspects (however, on the other hand), sequence (then, after that, finally), illustration (for example, for instance), and extension (furthermore, moreover, in addition).
3. Conclusion: Your conclusion should summarise your main ideas, answer any specific questions raised, draw a general conclusion from your argument, and, where appropriate, discuss the wider implications. You should not introduce any new arguments or information. The conclusion should make up about 7–8% of the total length of your essay.
It is useful to check the essay for basic errors a day or two after writing it if you have allowed time for this and you are not then tempted to start rewriting bits of it.
The purpose of the essay is the natural aim or plan of the essay itself. As the writer, it is your sole responsibility to judge what exactly you wish to accomplish with your essay once you’re done with it. A common misconception among students is that the essay’s purpose is simply to impress their teachers or professors. This is not just harmful, but frowned upon, as professors are genuinely disappointed in such efforts by students who don’t see the wider perspective of the essay (i.e. the actual target audience).
As Hyland (2019) argues in his research on academic writing and identity, the conventions of tertiary essay writing are not neutral requirements but rather disciplinary codes that students must learn to navigate, adapt, and eventually own. For international students and non-native speakers in particular, mastering these conventions involves not only linguistic competence but a degree of cultural translation, in which the student must balance their own intellectual voice with the expectations of an unfamiliar academic community. Developing an awareness of this process is itself a valuable component of higher education.
References
Hyland, K. (2019). Academic publishing and the myth of linguistic injustice. Journal of Second Language Writing, 46, 100703. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jslw.2019.100703
Norton, B. (1997). Language, identity, and the ownership of English. TESOL Quarterly, 31(3), 409–429. https://doi.org/10.2307/3587831
Northedge, A. (1990). The Good Study Guide. Open University Press.
Thompson, C. (2005). Discourses on plagiarism: To discipline and punish or to teach and learn? Bond University. Retrieved from http://www.bond.edu.au/hss/communication/ANZCA/papers/CThompsonPaper.pdf