Structuring your essays

Dr Peter Levin

(Teaching and Learning Centre, LSE)

http://learning.lse.ac.uk/studyskills.asp
When I sit down to write an
essay I find it very difficult to
get started. I can sit and
stare at the screen for days,
or I keep feeling I have to do
more reading before I can
start. What’s wrong with
me?
I’ve been told that a good
way to start an essay is with
a quotation. Is that right?
Our teachers keep telling us
they want to see a ‘strong
argument’. What does that
mean? What exactly do they
expect?
‘In this book, “to give an
argument” means to offer a
set of reasons or evidence in
support of a conclusion.’

Anthony Weston, A Rulebook for

Arguments (3rd edition, Hackett 2000)
Is it a good idea to back up
my argument with evidence?
Two kinds of writing
Writing as thinking
(usually slow, sporadic, not systematic;
done for your private use only)
Writing for presentation
(involves assembling material that you
already have to hand; can be quite
quick; results are for others to see)
Keep these kinds of writing separate!
Writing an essay

First draft – thinking

Final draft – ‘assembly job’

Why have a structure?

A good structure will help you

to ‘assemble’ – put together –
your essay in such a way that
it is logically ordered and the
reader finds it easy to follow
your reasoning.
But …

Before you can structure your

essay, you have to structure
your thoughts.
Structuring your thoughts
- Overview (background/context)
- Interpretation of the topic
- Methodology (how to answer the question/
test the proposition)
- Materials (e.g. ‘raw’ data, extracts
from the literature)
- ‘In this essay I shall ...’
You now have a basis for your introduction!
Overview (background/context)
Is the subject a phenomenon? a theme?
an issue?
What makes the subject interesting?
Is there currently a debate taking place?
Are you dealing with the real world or the
world of writings? Or both?
Interpretation of the topic
Examinations nowadays are a test not
only of your knowledge of the subject
but of your ability to interpret the topic
(i.e. the question or proposition).

If you want to do well in LSE

exams you must bear this in mind!
Interpretation of the topic:
1. Instructions
Discuss!
Consider the view that ...!
Evaluate!
Critically evaluate!
Account for ...!
Explain ...!

What exactly am I expected to do?

Interpretation of the topic:
2. Language
Look for (and translate when necessary)
Technical terms, ‘academic-speak’
Metaphors and colloquial language
Facts, assumptions, reasoning
Generalizations, hidden questions
‘Judgmental’ words
Interpretation of the topic:
3. Misleading v straightforward questions
Misleading:
What is globalization?
Straightforward:
What is meant by ‘globalization’?
Methodology
For a question: ‘How can I tell
(discover, find out) what the
answer is?’

For a proposition (statement):

‘How can I tell (discover, find out)
whether the proposition is
valid or not?’
Materials
What information sources are
available that would be useful
to me?
(1) ‘Raw’ data: empirical evidence
(e.g. from case-studies), public
records, official statistics, etc.
(2) Academic writings: commentary,
criticism, debate, etc.
Applying methodology to materials generates
- findings: description, evidence, facts
- reasoning: analysis, synthesis
- results: association, correlation, identification
of mechanisms at work, etc.
- discussion and conclusions: re reliability of
results, inferences as to cause and effect, likely
outcomes, value judgments (good/bad),
validity of views found in literature, etc.

This sequence provides a logical basis

for structuring your essay.
Some other structures (1)

Introduction
Main body
Conclusion
Some other structures (2)

Beginning
Middle
End
Some other structures (3)

Points for
Points against
Summary
An all-purpose essay plan
1 Introduction
2 Methodology
3 Materials used
4 Findings/Reasoning/
Results
5 Discussion
6 Conclusions
1. Introduction

> Context/background
> Interpretation of topic/question
> Methodology (very brief)
> Materials used (very brief)
> Outline of following sections
2. Methodology
> Analytical perspectives
> Data processing
> Testing against evidence
> Logical testing
> Comparing and contrasting
> Synthesizing
> Evaluating
3. Materials used

> ‘Raw’ material

> Case studies/research reports
> Reference materials
> Academic writings/debate
> Other literature
4. Findings/Reasoning/Results

> Findings: taken directly from

materials
> Reasoning (applying
methodology to materials)
> Results (what you get from
applying reasoning/analysis)
5. Discussion
> Validity of your results
> Implications of your results
> Comments on literature
> Judgments arrived at
> Answer to the question (including
conditions/qualifications/
limitations)
6. Conclusions

> Briefest possible summary of

Discussion
> ‘Revisit’ your starting point
 Advertisement

Write Great Essays!

Reading and Essay Writing for
Undergraduates and Taught
Postgraduates
by

Peter Levin
(Open University Press 2004, price £7.99)