ESSAYS

Javier Santos, EOI Valencia-Saïdia

PURPOSE
Essays most often ANALYSE a given topic providing opinions on it and support them with evidence. The aim
of the writer is to outline the main aspects of the topic and inform the reader about the different views on it
while trying to persuade them to agree with their opinion, be it a balanced argument or an opinion-led thesis
(the writer takes sides).

TONE & REGISTER

The register must be NEUTRAL or FORMAL. Therefore, you should avoid continuous use of conversational
linkers (and…, but…, so…, then…, etc.), the use of contractions, or informal idioms and phrasal verbs. Try to
avoid being too personal (continuous personal references or details from your personal life) or emotional
(moral judgments, aggressive tone, etc.) Introduce instead “distant language” and impersonal structures as
well as formal discourse markers.

STRUCTURE: Coherence- connection between the points

We need to construct a coherent argument. In order to do so, it is important to establish the connection
between the different points and LINK them together in a logical sequence. By no means should it be just a list
of random ideas and opinions. That is why it is important to use appropriate discourse markers to connect,
contrast and balance points.

As it was the case with articles, INTRODUCTION should state clearly what the aim of the essay is and should
engage the reader (e.g. a rhetorical question addressing the reader directly), giving an overall view of the topic
without actually including the specific points to be mentioned in the BODY of the text. As for CONCLUSION,
it is a summary of what has said previously and refers back to what you were asked to write about. It should
not be a repetition of your arguments, nor should it introduce new ones. It is a summary of what you believe
your arguments have proved and can, therefore include your personal opinion so far as it follows logically from
such arguments.

TYPES OF DISCURSIVE ESSAYS

There are many different sorts of essays. Mostly we could talk of narrative essays (you share a story) or the
more common discursive essays. Within the latter category, we could talk of problem-solving essays
(presents a problem for you to explore what can be done about it), balanced arguments (both sides of a
topic, situation, problem or issue are presented and evaluated, be it advantages & disadvantages, positive &
negative, in favour & against, etc.) opinion-led essays (you take a side and present an opinion or thesis,
supporting it with evidence. In these essays you usually show that you have considered the opposing
viewpoint. You will need to use phrases for giving your opinion and for introducing an opposing argument and
refuting it).
Sample structure of discursive essay (a balanced argument):
• Introduction. Try a clear introduction of the subject which engages the reader. You could end with a
question you are going to answer.
• Arguments in favour and against (use a variety of phrases to introduce arguments in favour or
against)
• Conclusion, saying whether you think the advantages outweigh the disadvantages or vice versa. A
conclusion is a summary of what you have previously said and refers back to what you were asked to
write about. It is not just a repetition of your arguments, but a restatement of your opinion and/or a
summary of what you believe your arguments have proved.

Sample structure of discursive essay (taking sides):

• An introductory paragraph where you introduce the topic and state your opinion
• Two to four paragraphs giving your reasons and supporting them with evidence. (use a variety of
phrases for giving opinions, introducing an opposing arguments, etc.)
• If relevant, a paragraph stating a common counter argument(s), and refusing it (them).
• A conclusion, stating what your arguments have shown (do not introduce new evidence).

WEBSITES to learn more about essays and useful language

If you need inspiration for academic writing, the following web pages will provide you with a great variety of
tips and guidelines on how to build a rich and effective essays, useful phrases and authentic samples of school
essays and papers.

http://esl.about.com/od/writingadvanced/a/modifyingwords.htm

http://essaytips.net/2011/06/13/start-narrative-essay-english/

http://www.britishcouncil.org/taiwan-exams-ielts-how-to-prepare-for-ielts-ielts-tips-writing-issue-4.htm

http://www.britishcouncil.org/taiwan-exams-ielts-how-to-prepare-for-ielts-ielts-tips-writing-issue-2.htm

http://www.englishonline.org.cn/en/teachers/workshops/teaching-writing/teaching-tips/discursive-writing

http://writefix.com/?page_id=1672

http://www.uefap.com/writing/writfram.htm

http://practiseenglish.blogspot.com.es/2009/03/useful-language-for-fcecaecpe-writing.html
USEFUL LANGUAGE

A. BALANCED ARGUMENTS
Expressing the main points in an argument
The greatest benefit is that… Another drawback to … is that…
First and most importantly, … Another important idea is that…
One (dis)advantage of... is that… Last (but not least), …

Adding supporting information to a main argument (defining terms and concepts, giving examples,
statistics or quotations, providing anecdotes or experiences), or introducing other related arguments
In addition, … It is arguably…. (podría decirse que…)
What is more… Take for example/ instance…
Similarly, … This is the case of…
Besides/ Moreover/ Furthermore, … An example of this can be seen in…
Not only that, but… According to…., ….
Another point in favour of…. is that… As… used to say, …
S/he argued that…
Describing cause and effect
… can result in… … As a result, …
…. can lead to… …That is the reason why…
Other problems can arise because of …Consequently/ In consequence, …
…due to/ owing to…
Contrasting (balancing contrasting points and counter-arguments)
In spite of/ Despite (the fact that) …
On the other hand, …
Even though/if…, …
While/ Whilst/ Whereas …, …
However/ Nevertheless/ Nonetheless, …
Although…, …
Weighing up arguments
On balance, …
On the whole, …
All in all, …
I understand both sides of the argument/ points of view, but on balance…

B. TAKING SIDES
Giving personal opinions
I feel/ believe that… As I see it, …
In my view/ In my opinion …, It seems to me that…
Personally, I think that… I find…. a delicate matter/problem…
As far as I am concerned, …
Expressing opposite arguments
Some people argue that… There are those who say…
It is often claimed/ said that… There is some evidence that…
It is widely believed that…
Refuting opposite arguments
This may have been true in the past, but nowadays… The fact is that…
There are a number of flaws in this argument. As a matter of fact, …
It’s worth remembering/ taking into account that… There is no doubt that…
This is simply not the case. It is undeniable that…
 ACADEMIC ESSAYS [Planning what to write]
There are a few steps involved in writing academic essays and articles:

GENERATING IDEAS AND ORGANISING THEM

1. Analyse the task, a question or situation, and define key terms

2. Research and take notes on the topic, using whatever means at hand: the Internet, journals,
books and other credible academic sources
3. Brainstorm ideas and possible content for your piece of writing. You need to generate ideas
and develop supporting arguments and organise them effectively.
o Free Association: List everything related to the topic. Once you finish, group those
concepts and ideas that you find connected one way or another
o Visual Thinking: Start with a picture, a word, a quotation, or an idea to draw branches
labelled with subtopics and supporting data. You can use free online apps for quick
drawing of mind maps (diagrams of concepts and ideas). Take for example CANVA,
MINDMEISTER, CMAPTOOLS.
o Question & Answer: Think of as many questions about the topic and think of possible
answers including relations between questions, to work out a logical structure

4. Establish your argument or point of view

5. Write your plan and organise your ideas in paragraphs: introduction, main body and
conclusion
o Make the introduction reasonably short. You could use a question which you then
answer in the article
o Two or three main paragraphs (body)to deal with the main ideas-arguments
o A concluding paragraph refers back to the question in the introduction
o There is no fixed structure for an article (more predictable in the case of an essay), but
it is important to have clear and coherent paragraphs.
o Use discourse markers to link your points or arguments and sequence them logically

WRITING AND EDITING THE PIECE

6. Write a first draft

7. After a while (to gain some distance from the piece), edit and enrich this first draft and redraft
o Avoid repetitions and very basic language. Use online collocation dictionaries and
thesaurus to find synonyms, choose the right combination of words and make your
writing more colourful and your communication more precise

http://www.ozdic.com/ (collocations)
http://thesaurus.com/ (thesaurus)
http://www.linguee.com (phrases & contexts)

o Try to spot some of your “regular mistakes” (highlighted in feedback sheets)

8. Have a friend, classmate or teacher read your text, point out mistakes and suggest ways to
improve the text
9. Prepare the final draft
10. Complete and check your references and bibliography (if applicable)

Remember that articles, unlike academic essays, do not need to include the most important points of
a given topic/ situation, but the ones that you could say something interesting about, or where you can
think of any interesting personal examples.