How to Write Better Essays

A clear logical structure

Now, as you move on to read the body of the essay, you’re checking

that you’ve delivered on all these promises. You must be sure that

you’ve led the reader clearly through the essay. Of course, this is helped

if you’ve organised the material in a clear, logical sequence that the

reader can follow. But it also depends on the direction signs you erect

in your essay to make sure the reader is never lost.

Keeping this at the front of your mind, in addition to checking that

there is a logical sequence in your arguments, a clear pattern to your

essay, also check your transitions and topic sentences. If your struc-

ture is clear, you won’t need transitions for every paragraph, but if in

doubt use them. They help the reader follow the route you’re taking

without getting derailed and side-tracked. The same can be said of

topic sentences – they allow the reader to see clearly what the follow-

ing paragraph is going to be about. But check that everything else in

the paragraph supports it.

Your arguments

Having checked that you have made clear the relevance of what

you’re doing through the overall structure of your essay, now look

at the content of each paragraph. Read the arguments contained

in each paragraph checking two things. First, make sure that all

the arguments bear directly on the map of the essay outlined in the

introduction. If they don’t, it will dilute the overall approach of the

essay and it will tend to confuse the reader. Secondly, check that

you have developed each argument sufficiently and that they are

clear. If there are difficult passages that could be clearer, rewrite them.

This will include most of those you identified as a problem in the first

revision.

Your evidence

As you read these arguments you should also be concerned that you’ve

supported them with enough evidence. But make sure you haven’t used

too much – remember, pruning all unnecessary detail means that what

remains stands out. It’s the art of knowing what not to say. For similar

reasons, make sure you haven’t given the reader irrelevant informa-

tion. This will blur the focus of your arguments and weaken the struc-

ture of your essay.

Now, make sure your evidence is specific. If you’re developing argu-

ments that employ generalisations, perhaps involving fairly abstract

concepts, your examples should be as specific as possible, so that they

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