Essay Writing:
Developing Academic Writing Skills in
English

Catherine Schwerin

Designed for use in the
obligatory academic writing courses
in the second module of studies at the

Institut für Anglistik und Amerikanistik
Universität Hamburg

Von-Melle-Park 6
20146 Hamburg
Germany
©1999 Catherine Schwerin
[email protected]

Second revision © October 2007 Essay-writing brochure © 2007 Catherine Schwerin IAA Universität Hamburg

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Contents

Simple Essay: The Importance of Television 19
Complex Essay: Violence in the Media 29
Essay-writing brochure © 2007 Catherine Schwerin IAA Universität Hamburg

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Essay Writing
Before you begin
Essays are instruments of communication. Your essay should be a structured treatment
of a particular topic, presented in a standard form and in a readable, fluent and logical
manner. Your essay is a tool that communicates your ideas (though of course you may be
talking about other people’s ideas or even quoting them) and should reflect your
interest in the topic. Being able to write essays is an essential skill in your studies and
forms the basis of all academic writing. However, to make the most of your essay, there
are some things to remember:
Check, check, and check again! Develop the text in stages of writing,
revising and rewriting. This ensures that the final version of the text flows
logically and communicatively towards its conclusion and that unintentional
hiccups and breaks in style do not occur.
Write from the perspective of the reader. In this manner, aspects of
register and style remain more consistent.
Plan well and be clear about your topic. Lay the thought basis of the
completed text in the
introduction, develop the ideas in the body and tie these
ideas together in the
conclusion.
Later you may be writing texts other than essays, so you will also have to pay
attention to additional features. Research papers, for example,
characteristically have headings, deal with many aspects of a particular theme in
some detail, and will use references, frequently in the form of footnotes or
endnotes, to relate the contents to the academic context in which the knowledge

5. Make a logical outline:
 Plan the structure of your essay, keeping in mind the main purpose. It may
help to refer to the essay outline template provided in the following
pages. Your outline will serve as a kind of check-list to consult while you
are writing.
 Note the sub-elements under each particular section heading.
 Modify the outline so that it indicates thesis statement, topic sentences
and supporting points
6. Check outline
 Check topic sentences against thesis statement
 Check supporting points against topic sentences
7. Write according to your outline:
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 At this stage you are more or less "padding out" your outline. You expand
each section heading, fill in the details, provide examples or descriptions,
connect the ideas logically.
 Who are your readers? This will influence your choice of style and your
approach.
8. Check 1st draft:
 Check against outline to ensure you have covered all points.
 Check grammar and spelling.
 Check logic (within the sentence, between the sentences, in relation to
the topic sentences, in relation to the thesis).
 Check flow (Do the ideas flow or jump around? Is it readable? Is it easy
to follow?)
 Is the style and the approach appropriate for your target group?
9. Revise draft:
 And check again!

(conclusion). The reader will be expecting this so it gives your essay a sense of
completion.
Essay-writing brochure © 2007 Catherine Schwerin IAA Universität Hamburg

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Introductions
The introduction lays the basis for the whole of the rest of the essay. It should tell
the reader about the topic and how the topic will be dealt with. However, an abrupt
statement of the topic and the controlling idea makes the readers feel uncomfortable
and does not give them time to warm up to the topic. Therefore it is best to lead in to
the topic by making a general statement about it, then narrowing the topic down before
dealing with the issue itself.
Note: Unlike the German “Aufsatz”, the English essay requires that you take a
standpoint at the beginning of the essay so that the reader knows what he is to expect.
English essays are "reader friendly" and guide the readership through the
argumentation. Do not leave the reader guessing about your opinion until the conclusion.
This gives the English-speaking reader the feeling that you weren’t sure about your own
opinion and that the essay was not sufficiently planned. This means your thesis
statement must clearly show your position on the topic.
Make a general statement about your topic
Narrow down the topic to lead towards your theme
State the issue/question you are dealing with
State your thesis/ controlling idea for the whole essay
Body
The body of the essay will contain several paragraphs, each dealing with one major idea
that supports the thesis statement. The major idea for the paragraph is given in a topic
sentence and all the other sentences in the paragraph are linked to this idea in some
form or another. The paragraphs should also contain a transition between the ideas, i.e.
moving from the introduction to the first topic sentence and between the body
paragraphs. This can be done in sentences or with individual words such as discourse

dramatic
Most to least important The readers are confronted with the
most convincing point at the outset;
memorable
Chronological Narrative effect; familiar structure,
easy to follow and remember
Reverse chronological Depending on focus, can highlight an
issue of change; contemplative
Essay-writing brochure © 2007 Catherine Schwerin IAA Universität Hamburg

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Standard Essay Outline
You can use the following as a checklist. Remember: while you are writing always
consider your
readership and your aims. In the body you will need to have a clear
organising principle.
Introduction
1. Introduce general topic
2. Narrow down topic
3. Restate question
4.
State thesis
(controlling idea)
 There are, of course other ways of approaching the lead-in to the issues in
the essay. For instance, you could start by introducing the opposite viewpoint
(e.g.
Many people believe that television is beneficial
) and arrive at your
standpoint by pointing out that you do not agree with the other view and
indicate why (

appropriately developed, and be cogent. In addition, there is a formal feature to
consider: paragraphs in printed publications or in handwritten texts generally have an
indented first line to clearly indicate where it begins (thus clearly identifying it as a
unit). In some forms of writing, for example business letters, paragraphs are indicated
by leaving a line before and after. The preferred form for academic writing is
indentation. In any case, this formal feature helps the reader identify and process the
ideas.

1. The topic sentence:
A topic sentence indicates what idea or argument the paragraph is going to deal with.
For academic writing it is most effective if the topic sentence is the first sentence of
the paragraph because it makes it easier for the reader to follow the argumentation
without having to do additional processing. If you are not yet used to writing in English
or are in general an inexperienced writer, it is better for you to place your topic
sentence at the beginning of the paragraph.

2. One paragraph, one notion:
Your paragraph should focus on the idea set out in the topic sentence. You should not
introduce other ideas or go off on a tangent. If you have finished an idea, you begin a
new paragraph. If your discussion of one idea is going to be lengthy, subdivide your
paragraph into two or more sub-notions and link them with new topic sentences / linking
sentences.

3. Sufficient development
The idea you introduce with your topic sentence should be sufficiently “fleshed out” to
get across your idea properly. The way you do this in each paragraph may vary,
depending on what you aim to achieve, for instance you might use examples, give
definitions, provide data, refer to other authors or quote them, outline causes and
effects, compare and contrast, summarise or explain.


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Sample essay on Paragraphs

An essay is an instrument of communication. It is a structured treatment of a
particular topic, presented in a standard form and in a readable, fluent and logical
manner. To write a cogent and communicative essay, you must master the structure of
its building blocks, its paragraphs. Paragraphs are expected to have certain
characteristics and the paragraphs in the different sections of an essay fulfil
particular functions to provide a well-rounded essay. Firstly, the essay begins with an
introduction, a paragraph which tells the reader what the essay is about and how the
information will be presented. Then, paragraphs which support and develop the idea
presented in the introduction form the body of the essay, and finally, the concluding
paragraph brings all these parts together again.
The introductory paragraph lays the basis for the whole of the rest of the
essay. It should tell the reader about the topic and how the topic will be dealt with.
However, an abrupt statement of the topic and the controlling idea makes the readers
feel uncomfortable and does not give them time to warm up to the topic. Therefore, it
is best to lead into the topic by making a general statement about it, then narrowing the
topic down before dealing with the issue itself. The key element in the introduction is
the thesis statement, which provides the focus for the rest of the essay and is usually
found at the end of the introduction.
The introduction is followed by the developmental paragraphs, each of which
deals with one major idea that supports the thesis statement. The major idea for the
paragraph is given in a topic sentence, which, in an academic essay, is usually at the
beginning of the paragraph. This topic sentence states the
topic
(i.e. who or what) and
indicates the
controlling idea
(i.e. how, when, where, why, etc.). All the other sentences

General indication of
line of discussion
An essay is an instrument of communication. It is a structured
treatment of a particular topic, presented in a standard form and in a
readable, fluent and logical manner.
To write a cogent and communicative
essay
,
you must master the structure of its building blocks, its
paragraphs.
Paragraphs are expected to have certain characteristics
and the paragraphs in the different sections of an essay fulfil
particular functions to provide a well-rounded essay.
Firstly, the essay
begins with an introduction, a paragraph which tells the reader what the
essay is about and how the information will be presented. Then,
paragraphs which support and develop the idea presented in the
introduction form the body of the essay, and finally, the concluding
paragraph brings all these parts together again.

First developmental
paragraph:
• Topic sentence
• Supporting ideas
(expalanation and
outline)
•
Idea linking to next
step


support the thesis presented in the introduction, you can say that
Parallel as example

the
structure of a paragraph is a mini reflection of the structure of the
essay.
3
rd
developmental
paragraph:
•
Linking word
• Topic sentence
• Explanation
Finally
, in the concluding paragraph, you draw your ideas and
observations together. You remind your reader of your aims and your
main supporting arguments, synthesising them (not repeating them
verbatim) to make your final point. What seems obvious to you may no
longer be obvious to the reader, so it is part of the task to clarify your
overall purpose here and arrive at a final conclusion.
Concluding paragraph:
•
Linking word/signpost
• Reminder of thesis
• Reference to main
points
•
Thus
, although all the paragraphs in an essay will essentially

For the sake of simplicity, let us imagine you have been asked to write in response to
the statement:
We can’t live without television.
The key words are “television” and “we” and “can’t live without it”. “Television” is the
general topic. “We” suggests it is a social phenomenon. And “can’t live without it”
suggests a dependency. The last phrase is emotive and perhaps too categoric. What are
we really talking about? Perhaps whether television is really important in our lives. What
do you think? Is television important? Is it beneficial? Or is it rather a problem?
If you are not sure yet what you would like to focus on, it would be best to brainstorm
the topic and then decide. Brainstorming is a strategy that you can use during most
steps of your writing, especially if you find your ideas running low.
If you already have an idea of where you stand, you can loosely formulate a preliminary
thesis statement, which will be your guiding thought throughout the essay. This need
not be your final thesis statement but it clarifies what you intend to show in your essay.
This is important so that you maintain a consistent line in your discussion and because it
needs to be made clear in the introduction what you intend to do in your essay. Once you
have formulated an initial thesis statement, your next step will be focused on
brainstorming the aspects of this.
We will proceed as if you were not entirely sure of your view.
Essay-writing brochure © 2007 Catherine Schwerin IAA Universität Hamburg

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TV Step 2: Brainstorming
Collecting ideas and formulating / refining a thesis
Simple example: We can’t live without television
If you are not sure yet what you would like to focus on, it is best to brainstorm the
topic to get some ideas and then decide. Brainstorming is a strategy that you can use
during most steps of your writing, especially if you find your ideas running low.
When you brainstorm an idea, you collect ALL the ideas you can think of which relate to
the topic, directly or indirectly. Let the ideas flow as rapidly and spontaneously as

Television is important for our society today.
Once you have settled on your focus, you can use the ideas you have already collected,
or brainstorm further with the focus in mind. The next step is to sort out and select
the ideas you will be using.

Essay-writing brochure © 2007 Catherine Schwerin IAA Universität Hamburg

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TV Step 3: Organising and Adapting
Selecting and Organising the relevant ideas
Simple example: We can’t live without television
Now organise and select the ideas you will use for the essay.
• Which ideas can you leave out?
• Which ideas belong together?
• Can you organise them under one heading?
• Is there more than one way to group the ideas?
In order to avoid rewriting at this point, you can use symbols or highlighter to group the
ideas:
TV guide
Entertainment
Information
Weather
Everywhere
Knowledge of the
world
Education
Instruction
Cartoons
Films
Small world

This is the point where the ideas should be organised into the final framework you will
use to guide you in your writing. You may wish to look at the
outline template
beforehand to assist you.
Here is a final overview of the ideas that will be presented in the essay. First, I
decided to leave out the paragraph on methods because it does not fit the main topic so
well. Second, I have changed the order of the ideas so that they flow more logically.
Finally, I have added the outline of an introduction and a conclusion to round off the
plan.
NOTE: As a rule, the introduction and the conclusion can only be planned AFTER you
have planned the body of the essay, since you cannot introduce the argumentation if you
have not planned it, and by the same token, you cannot conclude/draw the ideas
together if you do not know what they will be. Thus, I only made the outline of the
introduction and the conclusion after I had finished making the outline of the body. The importance of television
Introduction
• TV common in households
• Can’t imagine no TV
• TV important for us today (thesis)
• TV can serve many purposes; offers variety of valuable programmes and content
(reasons and guide to reader)
Body
1) Variety of programmes
• Weather
• Cartoons
• Films
• School programmes
• News

Addressing the reader appropriately
It is important to write your essay with your readers directly in mind. Address them with the
words you write. It will help to ask yourself the following questions before you begin:
Who are my readers?
Are they specialists or non-specialists in the subject?
What are they likely to know about the topic already?
What will they want to learn from me?
What is their attitude likely to be?
How can I maintain the attention of those who have little interest?
What aspects of the subject may be of particular importance to them?
Will it be more appropriate to be personal or impersonal in approach?
Opening
Introduce topic as if the title doesn't exist (who, what, how, when, where, why).
Try to arouse the readers' interest (e.g. question, anecdote).
Save formal introductions for long and complex reports or investigations
Main Body
Deal with each point systematically
Avoid unnecessary explanations and indirect approaches as these destroy the impact.
Be simple and direct.
Do not over-generalise. You will only undermine your own credibility.
Provide examples, descriptions, explanations, personal experiences (if appropriate).
If necessary, make footnotes or endnotes. Indicate sources (see MLA citation style
at
http://www.liunet.edu/cwis/cwp/library/workshop/citmla.htm ).
Conclusion
Recap all the main points and draw them together to support the point you wish to
make
If necessary, point out what direction your conclusions may lead for future
discussion.


1. Topic sentence (topic and controlling
idea: many programme types)
2. Supporting ideas (list some types)
3. Details (function) First of all, there are many different
types of programmes on television that
are useful. The viewer can watch a
weather report to prepare for the day.
Cartoons and sport provide relaxation and
fun. School programmes, documentaries
and the news teach us about the world.
And advertisements inform us about
products and new ideas.

Body: developmental paragraph 2
(Informative character of content)
1. Topic sentence (topic and controlling
idea: what makes content attractive)
2. Supporting ideas (realistic, etc.)
3. Details (value for viewers)

Secondly, the content is relevant
because it is realistic and up to date. As
TV is a medium that combines moving,
colour images and sound, it resembles real
life, so the viewers can identify with what
they see. Furthermore, modern technology
means that the content is up to date, for

cultures, other people, languages and
ideas. It introduces us to knowledge.

Conclusion
1. Restate thesis (controlling idea of
essay: valuable programmes, content,
purposes)
2. Restate each topic sentence from
developmental paragraphs (programme
types, character of content, what TV
offers)
3. State your opinion/ preference; give
solution; make prediction (TV vital
and integral)
4. Final statement (summing thought:
education, awareness )
As we have seen, television offers us a
wide range of valuable programmes and
content and serves many purposes in our
daily lives. Television not only provides
many types of programmes with
interesting and broad content, but also
serves to fulfil our needs in terms of
entertainment and knowledge. It is far
more than just an object we own. It is an
integral and vital medium today, which can
contribute positively to the education of
society and to people's awareness of
others.


a. Media violence is the cause of violence in society
b. Media violence is not the cause of violence in society
2. My opinion of censorship question
Now you can formulate a preliminary thesis statement. In this case, your preliminary
thesis statement may be something like the following:
There are two sides to the question of whether media violence causes
violence in society, both of which have strong arguments. However,
censorship is a dubious solution which will cause its own problems.
Once you are clear about what the question requires of you, you may begin
brainstorming your first ideas.
Essay-writing brochure © 2007 Catherine Schwerin IAA Universität Hamburg

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Media Violence Step 2: Brainstorming
Complex example: Violence in the Media
You have now identified the topic and the task you are expected to carry out: At this
stage you should write down as many ideas on the topic you can think of. Limit yourself
to 4 or 5 minutes. If you have difficulty starting, it is often helpful to start by asking
and answering the following basic questions:
What is meant
by ?
Media = TV, radio, Internet, newspapers, magazines,
books
Who Esp. children affected; programmers who decide,
What Crime, blackmail, theft, even murder, particularly gruesome
acts
How
Desensitising, bad examples,
When
Now

Lack of parental help
People can't cope
Unable to find help
Unemployment
Who should decide?
What will be censored?
What else might go?
Broadcasting controls
Change channels
Critical viewing
Education of viewers
Viewers can switch off
TV entertaining
Include all the ideas you think of even if they seem far-fetched to begin with. You may
be able to use these ideas later to give your essay an unusual perspective. Note any
examples or anecdotes which may occur to you, or even diagrams or sketches. Current
events may also provide illustration for your topic, for example, the spate of school
children running amok with weapons in the United States is a topical illustration for this
essay.
If you run out of ideas and feel what you have is not sufficient, focus on one of the
sub-points and work on from there. You can also try simple word association to set you
on track again.
Once you have gathered enough ideas, move on to step 3:
organising and adapting.
Essay-writing brochure © 2007 Catherine Schwerin IAA Universität Hamburg

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Media Violence Step 3: Organising and Adapting
Collating, selecting and organising the material
Complex example: Violence in the Media

Society to blame
Arbitrary release of
aggressive feelings
TV educational
Individualism and
materialism
Who should decide?
What will be
censored?
What else might go?
Broadcasting controls