Welcome to the Information on Writing Academic Essay

Updated: analytical essay writing

What is an academic essay?

1. The characteristics are your own of view must emerge, not as a mere opinion but as a JUSTIFIED JUDGMENT;
2. You need to treat your subject matter as comprehensively and as precisely as essay topic demands. You must read widely and from the range of information and ideas create a unifield view. You must read carefully and do your best to make your language clarify the information and ideas you find in your books;
3. You must present your work in the appropriate fashion for academic readers. This means that you will have to learn certain CONVENTIONS of academic writing which are, at times, quite different from those you may be used to.
4. Finally, the next of your essay needs to forge a coherent unity from the many diverse elements of language and thought that go to make it. It is in many of the details of your text that your purpose is realized. An essay is not merely a vehicle for ideas; but is itself (whatever the discipline) a piece of literature.

Two Types of Academic Essays
1. Descriptive
An approach in which a writer has to list important points, e.g. your own point of view is often not required at all.
2. Argumentative
An approach in which a writer has to state his/her own point of view, and to defend it by giving supporting arguments.

A Descriptive Essay
1. An Introduction
a. What do I need to define?
Restrict yourself to defining the central point.
b. Why is the topic important?
c. How am I limiting my discussion?
Give one reason why you are limiting your discussion.
d. Can I break up the task into a number of areas?
Do not stay what each area is at this stage.

2. The Main Body of the Essay
a. Each paragraph:
• Begins with a restatement of the last sentence of your Introduction.
• States your information in detail;
• End with an example.
b. Theoretical Review
Contains only those materials relevant to the focus of discussion and becomes the basis for analyzing your data. E.g. how the theories will be used in the later sections.
c. Research Methods
Clearly indicates the strengths of your research undertakings (validity issues); how are you methods different from others-complementary to the previous or else?
d. Discussion Sections
• Presents critical accounts of all issues addressed in your research undertakings while remaining focused on the main topic being discussed.
• Contain only rational arguments; avoid emotional! Claims unsupported by data;
• Relates all discussions to the underlying theories indicated in the previous sections (but of notes on Argumentative Essay).
e. The Conclusion
You can do the following:
• Write about the future implications of what you have described; or
• Write about influence of what you have described on wider issues; or
• Suggest how the situation could be improved in some way.

An Argumentative Essay
1. The Introduction
a. Links between the topic and a recent event;
b. An issue, phrased, as a question;
c. A section containing one counter-argument to your own point of view;
d. A main idea statement, which is your own point of view.
e. An issue is question. It does not contain supporting reasons;
f. A main idea statement is a statement.
• It is the last sentence of the paragraph;
• It is does not contain any supporting reasons;
• It is the answer to the question posed by the issue;
• Most of the words in the main idea statement are the same as those in the issue.

2. The Supporting Paragraphs
a. Begin with a restatement of the main idea statement;
b. End with an example.
c. Remember; supporting paragraphs should not contain any suggestions!
3. The Concluding Paragraph
a. Should have a solution to the problem posed by your issue (a suggestion).
b. Remember; this should not simply repeat your supports as far; and
c. A conclusion is not a summary; it has to state clearly the findings.



Taken from E. Aminudin Aziz, M.A., Ph.D
Professor of Linguistics, FPBS UPI when Workshop in Galuh University.

Comments