Exam Essay Skill
Department of English Language and Literature, King’s College London
English Language and Literature Guide to Writing Essays 2012-2013
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Department of English Language and Literature, King’s College London
Contents 1. What is it all about? 2. Lecturers, Academics, Professors, Writers 3. Reading English 4. Avoid pain: take charge! 5. The Essay (at last!) 6. Essay-writing activities 7. ‘Guiding’ essay-writing: from A-level to university 8. Useful terms: ‘primary’ and ‘secondary’ texts 9. Different ways of getting started 10. Getting started with your own ideas 11. Getting started with other peoples’ ideas 12. Libraries 13. Catalogues and databases 14. Finding books 15. Finding articles in journals 16. Open access online resources 17. Research reading 18. Critical reading 19. Drafting and re-drafting 20. Reading out loud 21. Cooking 22. Some handy hints 23. Comparing two primary texts 24. Word limits 25. When Things Go Wrong 26. Essay-writing and other forms of assessment 27. Feedback 28. Office Hours APPENDIX 1: Style Guide Summary APPENDIX 2: Final Draft Checklist
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Department of English Language and Literature, King’s College London
1. What is it all about?
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In the course of your time at King’s you will be asked to undertake many different forms of assessment. These include sitting examinations, creating portfolios, making oral presentations, participating in class, and writing essays. This guide focuses on writing essays because developing your skills as an essay writer also enhances your ability to succeed in other forms of assessment. But the essay is much more than a means of assessing your progress at College. It is the centrepiece of all academic work in the Arts and Humanities. And it is also a medium through which to develop a vast range of transferable vocational skills. This may not be obvious at first. The kinds of questions you will be asked to answer by means of an essay may seem esoteric, even wholly removed from everyday
English Language and Literature Guide to Writing Essays 2012-2013
0
Department of English Language and Literature, King’s College London
Contents 1. What is it all about? 2. Lecturers, Academics, Professors, Writers 3. Reading English 4. Avoid pain: take charge! 5. The Essay (at last!) 6. Essay-writing activities 7. ‘Guiding’ essay-writing: from A-level to university 8. Useful terms: ‘primary’ and ‘secondary’ texts 9. Different ways of getting started 10. Getting started with your own ideas 11. Getting started with other peoples’ ideas 12. Libraries 13. Catalogues and databases 14. Finding books 15. Finding articles in journals 16. Open access online resources 17. Research reading 18. Critical reading 19. Drafting and re-drafting 20. Reading out loud 21. Cooking 22. Some handy hints 23. Comparing two primary texts 24. Word limits 25. When Things Go Wrong 26. Essay-writing and other forms of assessment 27. Feedback 28. Office Hours APPENDIX 1: Style Guide Summary APPENDIX 2: Final Draft Checklist
1
Department of English Language and Literature, King’s College London
1. What is it all about?
^
In the course of your time at King’s you will be asked to undertake many different forms of assessment. These include sitting examinations, creating portfolios, making oral presentations, participating in class, and writing essays. This guide focuses on writing essays because developing your skills as an essay writer also enhances your ability to succeed in other forms of assessment. But the essay is much more than a means of assessing your progress at College. It is the centrepiece of all academic work in the Arts and Humanities. And it is also a medium through which to develop a vast range of transferable vocational skills. This may not be obvious at first. The kinds of questions you will be asked to answer by means of an essay may seem esoteric, even wholly removed from everyday
References: Imensa Todie, Royal Animals (Oxford: Sloan University Press, 2011), p. 33. All further references to this edition are given after quotations in the text.