A good essay answers the question set. For example, the argument and evidence must be relevant to the question, and is an important feature towards the overall balance. It must deal with the subject or topic posed in the question rubric. The answer should demonstrate an understanding of the question and that the writer has grasped the key terms, and followed all the instructions required. After the topic has been settled and the focus is centred on common interest, the emphasis should then go to the details of the content. All the points covered should be closely related and relevant to the focus of the topic. Any irrelevant material may distract the reader's attention and these irrelevant points may even confuse the reader's line of thought. Thus, writers need to tailor their list of points so as to reach unity and purity. If every point of fact is tightly linked with the topic, the body of the essay will not look clumsy and bulky, and together with relevant contents should lay a solid ground for a good essay. A good essay must have a clear structure. “An essay should be like a good piece of architecture – built on firm foundations to carefully made plans.” (Taylor Green, S. Pg 61) The points of the argument should be arranged both logically and persuasively. If the essay requires the writer to deal with a number of issues, the relation between them should be clearly explained. The connections between each stage of the argument and the original question should be evident throughout the essay.
The writing technique is the second major factor that makes an essay good or bad. Good writing technique leads to good presentation of the work and overall content is paramount whilst achievable. The occasional use of ‘I’ may be acceptable if an opinion has been asked for and the writer needs to keep the audience in mind. Furthermore, the essay should be grammatically correct because, poor punctuation and weak sentence construction will create a bad impression. Mixed tenses and metaphors should be avoided, whilst spelling mistakes should be corrected throughout.
A good essay demonstrates clarity of thought. This may mean organising materials into a coherent structure for the essay, thus showing that the writer is able to make important distinctions and insights. This may not come easily at first, but with practice it should be possible to gain greater clarity through discipline, selection and planning.
The content of an essay means the subject or the topic. In a good essay, the content achieves two goals; firstly to install common interest and secondly, to ensure that all the points are relevant and closely related to the topic.
There is always a centre of common interest in any topic. A good focus adds life to an essay!
Finally, a good resolution means a good conclusion. It is usually a reinforcement of the central theme of the topic, and forges an agreement between the start and the development. Usually it serves as a summary of the whole essay, helping the reader fix the established points and ideas. Whilst invites further development or thought on the highlighted ideas.
In conclusion, all of the points listed and explained above are, I feel, the most important factors that make a good essay.
Bibliography.
Dean, Kitty Chen (1998), Essentials of the Essay. New York: Allyn and Bacon,
Evans, Harold (2000), Essential English. London: Pimlico.
Fitzgerald, Sallyanne (1993), Essay Writing Simplified. London: HarperCollins.
Redman, Peter (2001), Good Essay Writing: A Social Sciences Guide. 2nd ed. London: Sage
Swetenham, Derek (2000), Writing your Dissertation. London: How to Books.
Taylor Green, Susan (2000) Essay writing for idiots. 2nd ed., Cambridge.
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