How to Write Better Essays

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12 Processing the ideas

In this chapter you will learn:

• how to improve your recall of what you read;


• how to read analytically, to take the structure out of a passage;


• how to read critically.

Ultimately, the quality of the work we produce will depend upon

the quality of our internal processing of the ideas we read. There are

‘surface-level processors’, who read passively, that is without actively

analysing and structuring what they read, and without criticising

and evaluating the arguments, evidence and ideas the author pre-

sents. In most cases this sort of student will have poor recall of what

they read, and in general they will be restricted to just ‘describing’

the ideas.

If the question asks them to ‘evaluate’, or ‘assess critically’ a certain

claim, they will, more often than not, find themselves answering the

question inappropriately, employing the lower ability range, in which

they merely ‘describe’ an argument, or ‘outline’ a particular case. As

we have seen, this is a mistake that derives from overlooking the

importance of the instructional verbs. But more often than not it has

its origin in a reading habit that drives students into the lower ability

range, when they least want to be there.

Multiple readings

To avoid this problem, and to ensure that you’re able to do ‘deep-level

processing’, it may be necessary to accept that you need to do two or

three readings of the text, particularly if it is technical and closely

argued.

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