Essay structure and outline and assess standards
ESSAY STRUCTURE AND OUTLINE
The structure of the essay is determined by the requirements imposed on it:
- the essay author's thoughts on the problem are stated in the form of brief theses (T).
- The thought should be supported by evidence - therefore, the thesis is followed by arguments (A).
Arguments are facts, phenomena of social life, events, life situations and life experiences, scientific evidence, references to the opinion of scientists, etc. Is ukessays reliable? It is better to give two arguments in favor of each thesis: one argument seems unconvincing, three arguments can "overload" the statement made in a genre oriented on brevity and imagery.
Thus, the essay acquires a ring structure (the number of theses and arguments depends on the topic, the chosen plan, and the logic of thought development):
- introduction
- thesis, arguments
- thesis, arguments
- Thesis, arguments
- conclusion.
When writing an essay, it is also important to consider the following points:
The introduction and conclusion should focus attention on the problem (in the introduction it is put, in the conclusion - the author's opinion is summarized).
It is necessary to highlight paragraphs, red lines, establishing a logical connection of paragraphs: this way the integrity of the work is achieved.
The type of essay for this nomination is analytical.
ASSESS STANDARDS
It is possible to identify some general signs (features) of the genre, which are usually listed in encyclopedias and dictionaries:
Small volume.
Specific topic and emphasized subjective interpretation of it.
The topic of an essay is always specific. An essay cannot contain many topics or ideas (thoughts). It reflects only one option, one thought. And develops it. It is an answer to one question.
Free composition is an important feature of an essay.
The nonchalance of the narrative. It is important for the author of an essay to establish a trusting style of communication with the reader; to be understood, he or she avoids deliberately complicated, unclear, overly strict constructions. Researchers note that a good essay can be written only by someone who is fluent in the topic, sees it from different angles and is ready to present the reader with a not exhaustive, but multidimensional view of the phenomenon that became the starting point of his thoughts.
Tendency to paradoxes. The essay is designed to surprise the reader (listener) - this, according to many researchers, is its mandatory quality. The starting point for the reflections embodied in the essay is often an aphoristic, vivid statement or paradoxical definition that literally collides seemingly indisputable, but mutually exclusive statements, characteristics, theses.
Internal semantic unity. Perhaps this is one of the paradoxes of the genre. Free in composition, focused on subjectivity, the essay at the same time has an internal semantic unity, i.e. the coherence of the key theses and statements, the internal harmony of arguments and associations, the consistency of those judgments, in which the personal position of the author is expressed.
Orientation on colloquial speech. At the same time, it is necessary to avoid the use of slang, formulaic phrases, abbreviated words, and an overly frivolous tone in essays. The language used when writing an essay should be taken seriously.
So, when writing an essay, it is important to define (grasp) its topic, determine the desired length and purpose of each paragraph.
Start with the main idea or a vivid phrase. The task is to immediately capture the attention of the reader (listener). Comparative allegory is often used here, when an unexpected fact or event is linked to the main topic of the essay.
Related Resources:
Philosophy essays
MISTAKES WHEN WRITING ESSAYS
STAGES OF WORKING ON AN ESSAY
How are essays graded?
