Essay Writing:
Developing Academic Writing Skills in
English

Catherine Schwerin

Designed for use in the
obligatory academic writing courses
in the second module of studies at the

Institut für Anglistik und Amerikanistik
Universität Hamburg

Von-Melle-Park 6
20146 Hamburg
Germany



©1999 Catherine Schwerin


Second revision © October 2007


Essay-writing brochure © 2007 Catherine Schwerin IAA Universität Hamburg

1
Contents

Contents 1
Essay Checklists 1
Sample Essays 1
Before you begin 2
Parts of an Essay 5
Introductions 6
Body 6
Conclusions 7
Organising Principle 7
Developing a Paragraph 9
TV Step 1: Preparing 13
TV Step 2: Brainstorming 14
TV Step 3: Organising and Adapting 15
TV Step 4: Final Plan 16
Media Violence Step 1: Preparing 21
Media Violence Step 2: Brainstorming 22
Media Violence Step 3: Organising and Adapting 24
Media Violence Step 4: Final Plan 26

Essay Checklists

Checklist: Procedure 3
Standard Essay Outline 8
Readership, content and style 18
Some Useful Links 32

Sample Essays

Sample essay on Paragraphs 11
Sample Essay on Paragraphs: examination of structure 12

Simple Essay: The Importance of Television 19
Complex Essay: Violence in the Media 29
Essay-writing brochure © 2007 Catherine Schwerin IAA Universität Hamburg

2
Essay Writing
Before you begin
Essays are instruments of communication. Your essay should be a structured treatment
of a particular topic, presented in a standard form and in a readable, fluent and logical
manner. Your essay is a tool that communicates your ideas (though of course you may be
talking about other people’s ideas or even quoting them) and should reflect your
interest in the topic. Being able to write essays is an essential skill in your studies and
forms the basis of all academic writing. However, to make the most of your essay, there
are some things to remember:
Check, check, and check again! Develop the text in stages of writing,
revising and rewriting. This ensures that the final version of the text flows
logically and communicatively towards its conclusion and that unintentional
hiccups and breaks in style do not occur.
Write from the perspective of the reader. In this manner, aspects of
register and style remain more consistent.
Plan well and be clear about your topic. Lay the thought basis of the
completed text in the
introduction, develop the ideas in the body and tie these
ideas together in the
conclusion.
Later you may be writing texts other than essays, so you will also have to pay
attention to additional features. Research papers, for example,
characteristically have headings, deal with many aspects of a particular theme in
some detail, and will use references, frequently in the form of footnotes or
endnotes, to relate the contents to the academic context in which the knowledge

has evolved. For this sort of writing you will also need to consult a style manual
such as the
MLA Style Manual to help you.
Let's begin now by looking at a checklist of the general procedure for planning and
writing an essay. Then we will examine the different parts of an essay before turning to
look at how to write one in more detail.
Essay-writing brochure © 2007 Catherine Schwerin IAA Universität Hamburg

3
Checklist: Procedure
Taking a systematic approach to essay writing ensures that you thoroughly develop the
necessary skills for a meaningful and well-balanced piece of writing. Practise following
the steps outlined here. Examples will be provided in the following sections.
1. Preparing:
 What is the general subject?
 What is the specific purpose of the essay?
 Formulate a preliminary thesis statement if possible at this stage
2. Brainstorming:
 Write down all the ideas related to your topic, including seemingly bizarre
or outlandish ones.
 Allow your thoughts free range - you can include sketches, diagrams,
tables if necessary.
3. Organising and adapting:
 Choose the elements relevant to the specific purpose of your essay and
arrange them in thematic groups and these in turn in logical steps.
Discard those ideas which do not relate to your purpose.
 Adapt the subject to your own sphere of interest and knowledge.
4. Gather material:
 Information on your subject.
 Quotes, examples that illustrate certain points, references.

5. Make a logical outline:
 Plan the structure of your essay, keeping in mind the main purpose. It may
help to refer to the essay outline template provided in the following
pages. Your outline will serve as a kind of check-list to consult while you
are writing.
 Note the sub-elements under each particular section heading.
 Modify the outline so that it indicates thesis statement, topic sentences
and supporting points
6. Check outline
 Check topic sentences against thesis statement
 Check supporting points against topic sentences
7. Write according to your outline:
Essay-writing brochure © 2007 Catherine Schwerin IAA Universität Hamburg

4
 At this stage you are more or less "padding out" your outline. You expand
each section heading, fill in the details, provide examples or descriptions,
connect the ideas logically.
 Who are your readers? This will influence your choice of style and your
approach.
8. Check 1st draft:
 Check against outline to ensure you have covered all points.
 Check grammar and spelling.
 Check logic (within the sentence, between the sentences, in relation to
the topic sentences, in relation to the thesis).
 Check flow (Do the ideas flow or jump around? Is it readable? Is it easy
to follow?)
 Is the style and the approach appropriate for your target group?
9. Revise draft:
 And check again!

10. Write the final version.



Essay-writing brochure © 2007 Catherine Schwerin IAA Universität Hamburg

5
Parts of an Essay
Essentially an essay consists of three major parts:
the introduction
the main body
the conclusion
Each of these parts has a function.
The introduction is intended to lead the reader into the topic and clarify what
the essay will specifically deal with. It usually consists of one paragraph, but this
depends on the length of the essay and the amount of background information
the context requires. The introduction will contain a key sentence (or, if
necessary, more than one) that represents the thread running through the whole
essay. This sentence is called the thesis statement.
The main body deals with the major ideas that support the thesis statement.
Each main idea is presented in a separate paragraph (“one notion, one paragraph”)
and developed with supporting ideas in the form of explanations, definitions, or
similar, and illustrated with examples where appropriate or necessary.
The conclusion brings the reader back to the purpose of the essay and draws all
the points together before making a final comment on the result of the
discussion/argument. Often this final comment will point towards some
consequence the discussion may have for the future or make some observation
about what the discussion has revealed on a general level.
Ultimately an essay will show a progression from a general level (in the introduction)
down to the specific (thesis statement and body) and back up to the general level again

(conclusion). The reader will be expecting this so it gives your essay a sense of
completion.
Essay-writing brochure © 2007 Catherine Schwerin IAA Universität Hamburg

6
Introductions
The introduction lays the basis for the whole of the rest of the essay. It should tell
the reader about the topic and how the topic will be dealt with. However, an abrupt
statement of the topic and the controlling idea makes the readers feel uncomfortable
and does not give them time to warm up to the topic. Therefore it is best to lead in to
the topic by making a general statement about it, then narrowing the topic down before
dealing with the issue itself.
Note: Unlike the German “Aufsatz”, the English essay requires that you take a
standpoint at the beginning of the essay so that the reader knows what he is to expect.
English essays are "reader friendly" and guide the readership through the
argumentation. Do not leave the reader guessing about your opinion until the conclusion.
This gives the English-speaking reader the feeling that you weren’t sure about your own
opinion and that the essay was not sufficiently planned. This means your thesis
statement must clearly show your position on the topic.
Make a general statement about your topic
Narrow down the topic to lead towards your theme
State the issue/question you are dealing with
State your thesis/ controlling idea for the whole essay
Body
The body of the essay will contain several paragraphs, each dealing with one major idea
that supports the thesis statement. The major idea for the paragraph is given in a topic
sentence and all the other sentences in the paragraph are linked to this idea in some
form or another. The paragraphs should also contain a transition between the ideas, i.e.
moving from the introduction to the first topic sentence and between the body
paragraphs. This can be done in sentences or with individual words such as discourse

markers (“linking words”).
Topic sentence
Supporting ideas
Examples
Essay-writing brochure © 2007 Catherine Schwerin IAA Universität Hamburg

7
Conclusions
In the conclusion you are drawing your ideas and observations together to make your
final point. Do not be afraid if it seems like you are repeating your ideas. It is part of
the task to remind the reader of your aims and your main discussion points. This
clarifies your purpose. However, do not just repeat word-for-word what you have said
before. Contextualise what you are saying.
Remind the reader of your topic and intention
Show the reader how the discussion has underlined this aim (in a way you are
summarising the topic sentences of the developmental paragraphs here)
State your perspective as a result of the discussion
Sum up the whole concept, e.g. by stating what this may mean for the future

Organising Principle
You can use the standard outline on the following page as a framework when preparing
for most kinds of essays. It may have to be varied according to the organising principle
and the aim involved, but serves as a solid basis.
The organising principle is the logic according to which you put together your ideas.
Your choice of organising principle will depend on the effect you want to achieve and
the expectations of your readership. For instance:
Organising principle Possible effect
Least important to most
important point
Climb in tension to “climax”;

dramatic
Most to least important The readers are confronted with the
most convincing point at the outset;
memorable
Chronological Narrative effect; familiar structure,
easy to follow and remember
Reverse chronological Depending on focus, can highlight an
issue of change; contemplative
Essay-writing brochure © 2007 Catherine Schwerin IAA Universität Hamburg

8
Standard Essay Outline
You can use the following as a checklist. Remember: while you are writing always
consider your
readership and your aims. In the body you will need to have a clear
organising principle.
Introduction
1. Introduce general topic
2. Narrow down topic
3. Restate question
4.
State thesis
(controlling idea)
 There are, of course other ways of approaching the lead-in to the issues in
the essay. For instance, you could start by introducing the opposite viewpoint
(e.g.
Many people believe that television is beneficial
) and arrive at your
standpoint by pointing out that you do not agree with the other view and
indicate why (

However, the harmful effects of television far outweigh its
benefits
), which is then expanded in the essay.
Body (consisting of several developmental paragraphs)
Each paragraph consists of:
1. Topic sentence (topic and controlling idea)
2. Supporting ideas
3. Details
 Facts, data, quotes
 Examples
 Description
 Explanation
 Comparison, etc.
Conclusion
1. Restate thesis (topic focus and controlling idea of essay)
2. Synthesise the main ideas of the developmental paragraphs (restate topic
sentences)
3. State your opinion/ preference; give solution; make prediction
4. Final statement (summing thought). This rounds off the essay and brings it back
to a general level.
Essay-writing brochure © 2007 Catherine Schwerin IAA Universität Hamburg

9
Developing a Paragraph

Your essay will consist of a series of paragraphs. Each paragraph is made up of a set of
related sentences all connected with a single idea and (apart from the introduction and
conclusion, because their purpose is slightly different) is constructed according to
similar principles. In order to effectively convey your ideas, each paragraph should
contain certain features. It should have a topic sentence, follow a single idea, be

appropriately developed, and be cogent. In addition, there is a formal feature to
consider: paragraphs in printed publications or in handwritten texts generally have an
indented first line to clearly indicate where it begins (thus clearly identifying it as a
unit). In some forms of writing, for example business letters, paragraphs are indicated
by leaving a line before and after. The preferred form for academic writing is
indentation. In any case, this formal feature helps the reader identify and process the
ideas.

1. The topic sentence:
A topic sentence indicates what idea or argument the paragraph is going to deal with.
For academic writing it is most effective if the topic sentence is the first sentence of
the paragraph because it makes it easier for the reader to follow the argumentation
without having to do additional processing. If you are not yet used to writing in English
or are in general an inexperienced writer, it is better for you to place your topic
sentence at the beginning of the paragraph.

2. One paragraph, one notion:
Your paragraph should focus on the idea set out in the topic sentence. You should not
introduce other ideas or go off on a tangent. If you have finished an idea, you begin a
new paragraph. If your discussion of one idea is going to be lengthy, subdivide your
paragraph into two or more sub-notions and link them with new topic sentences / linking
sentences.

3. Sufficient development
The idea you introduce with your topic sentence should be sufficiently “fleshed out” to
get across your idea properly. The way you do this in each paragraph may vary,
depending on what you aim to achieve, for instance you might use examples, give
definitions, provide data, refer to other authors or quote them, outline causes and
effects, compare and contrast, summarise or explain.


4. Cogency:
This refers to clarity of thought and argumentation. It is the result of writing
coherently and cohesively. It makes the paragraph fluent, logical, and easily
understandable. This means putting the ideas in a logical order and using strategies of
linking them up. You can do this using:
logical bridges:
• The same idea of a topic is carried over from sentence to sentence
• An idea is built on from one sentence to the next
Essay-writing brochure © 2007 Catherine Schwerin IAA Universität Hamburg

10
grammatical structures:
• Successive sentences can be constructed in parallel form
• Successive sentences can be constructed inversely.
linguistic bridges:
• Repetition of key words over several sentences
• Use of synonyms throughout the paragraph
• Pronouns and deictic terms to refer back (or forward) to nouns or whole ideas in
other sentences
• Lexical phrases and conjunctions can be used to link ideas from different
sentences or indicate attitude


On the following pages you will see an example of an essay based on some of the
information you have been given so far - an essay about essays. This is followed by an
analysis of its structure. Then I lead you through two essay-writing tasks, one on the
importance of television and the other on violence in the media, which both conclude
with sample essays.
Essay-writing brochure © 2007 Catherine Schwerin IAA Universität Hamburg


11
Sample essay on Paragraphs

An essay is an instrument of communication. It is a structured treatment of a
particular topic, presented in a standard form and in a readable, fluent and logical
manner. To write a cogent and communicative essay, you must master the structure of
its building blocks, its paragraphs. Paragraphs are expected to have certain
characteristics and the paragraphs in the different sections of an essay fulfil
particular functions to provide a well-rounded essay. Firstly, the essay begins with an
introduction, a paragraph which tells the reader what the essay is about and how the
information will be presented. Then, paragraphs which support and develop the idea
presented in the introduction form the body of the essay, and finally, the concluding
paragraph brings all these parts together again.
The introductory paragraph lays the basis for the whole of the rest of the
essay. It should tell the reader about the topic and how the topic will be dealt with.
However, an abrupt statement of the topic and the controlling idea makes the readers
feel uncomfortable and does not give them time to warm up to the topic. Therefore, it
is best to lead into the topic by making a general statement about it, then narrowing the
topic down before dealing with the issue itself. The key element in the introduction is
the thesis statement, which provides the focus for the rest of the essay and is usually
found at the end of the introduction.
The introduction is followed by the developmental paragraphs, each of which
deals with one major idea that supports the thesis statement. The major idea for the
paragraph is given in a topic sentence, which, in an academic essay, is usually at the
beginning of the paragraph. This topic sentence states the
topic
(i.e. who or what) and
indicates the
controlling idea
(i.e. how, when, where, why, etc.). All the other sentences

in the paragraph are linked to this idea in some form or another. Since all the
paragraphs (specifically, the topic sentences) in an essay should support the thesis
presented in the introduction, you can say that the structure of a paragraph is a mini
reflection of the structure of the essay.
Finally, in the concluding paragraph, you draw your ideas and observations
together. You remind your reader of your aims and your main supporting arguments,
synthesising them (not repeating them verbatim) to make your final point. What seems
obvious to you may no longer be obvious to the reader, so it is part of the task to
clarify your overall purpose here and arrive at a final conclusion.
Thus, although all the paragraphs in an essay will essentially follow the “one
notion, one paragraph” principle, they will vary in character according to the function
they serve, i.e. whether they are introductory, developmental or concluding paragraphs.
They will also share the character of linking the ideas within and between them. And
when the paragraphs fulfil the requirement of supporting the thesis as they should, you
will find you have a readable, clear and well-rounded essay.

Essay-writing brochure © 2007 Catherine Schwerin IAA Universität Hamburg

12
Sample Essay on Paragraphs: examination of structure
Introductory paragraph:
• General lead-in to
topic
•
•
Particular issue
Narrowing focus
• Thesis (claim)
•


General indication of
line of discussion
An essay is an instrument of communication. It is a structured
treatment of a particular topic, presented in a standard form and in a
readable, fluent and logical manner.
To write a cogent and communicative
essay
,
you must master the structure of its building blocks, its
paragraphs.
Paragraphs are expected to have certain characteristics
and the paragraphs in the different sections of an essay fulfil
particular functions to provide a well-rounded essay.
Firstly, the essay
begins with an introduction, a paragraph which tells the reader what the
essay is about and how the information will be presented. Then,
paragraphs which support and develop the idea presented in the
introduction form the body of the essay, and finally, the concluding
paragraph brings all these parts together again.

First developmental
paragraph:
• Topic sentence
• Supporting ideas
(expalanation and
outline)
•
Idea linking to next
step


The introductory paragraph lays the basis for the whole of
the rest of the essay. It should tell the reader about the topic and how
the topic will be dealt with. However, an abrupt statement of the topic
and the controlling idea makes the readers feel uncomfortable and does
not give them time to warm up to the topic. Therefore, it is best to lead
into the topic by making a general statement about it, then narrowing the
topic down before dealing with the issue itself. The key element in the
introduction is the thesis statement, which provides the
focus for the
rest
of the essay and is usually found at the end of the introduction.
2
nd
developmental
•
Phrase linking to
previous paragraph
• Topic sentence
• Supporting ideas
(details of features)
•
The introduction is followed by
the developmental paragraphs,
each of which deals with one major idea that supports the thesis
statement. The major idea for the paragraph is given in a topic sentence,
which, in an academic essay, is usually at the beginning of the paragraph.
This topic sentence states the topic (i.e. who or what) and indicates the
controlling idea (i.e. how, when, where, why, etc.). All the other sentences
in the paragraph are linked to this idea in some form or another. Since all
the paragraphs (specifically, the topic sentences) in an essay should

support the thesis presented in the introduction, you can say that
Parallel as example

the
structure of a paragraph is a mini reflection of the structure of the
essay.
3
rd
developmental
paragraph:
•
Linking word
• Topic sentence
• Explanation
Finally
, in the concluding paragraph, you draw your ideas and
observations together. You remind your reader of your aims and your
main supporting arguments, synthesising them (not repeating them
verbatim) to make your final point. What seems obvious to you may no
longer be obvious to the reader, so it is part of the task to clarify your
overall purpose here and arrive at a final conclusion.
Concluding paragraph:
•
Linking word/signpost
• Reminder of thesis
• Reference to main
points
•
Thus
, although all the paragraphs in an essay will essentially

follow the “one notion, one paragraph” principle, they will vary in
character according to the function they serve, i.e. whether they
are introductory, developmental or concluding paragraphs. They will
also share the character of linking the ideas within and between them.
Bringing reader back
up to general level of
the topic and context
concluding remark

And when the paragraphs fulfil the requirement of supporting the thesis
as they should, you will find you have a readable, clear and well-rounded
essay.

Essay-writing brochure © 2007 Catherine Schwerin IAA Universität Hamburg

13

TV Step 1: Preparing
Deciding on your thesis and approach
Simple example: We can’t live without television
Very often the topic you will be writing on is already set, in which case the approach is
relatively clear. However, sometimes you most respond to a question or a statement.
This means you have to examine the question or statement carefully.
What are the key words?
What is the general topic area?
What issue/problem is it focusing on?
Is it formulated in a provocative way? Will I have to relativise it or put it into
perspective?
What is my view of the topic? Do I agree or disagree with the view
presented? To what extent?

For the sake of simplicity, let us imagine you have been asked to write in response to
the statement:
We can’t live without television.
The key words are “television” and “we” and “can’t live without it”. “Television” is the
general topic. “We” suggests it is a social phenomenon. And “can’t live without it”
suggests a dependency. The last phrase is emotive and perhaps too categoric. What are
we really talking about? Perhaps whether television is really important in our lives. What
do you think? Is television important? Is it beneficial? Or is it rather a problem?
If you are not sure yet what you would like to focus on, it would be best to brainstorm
the topic and then decide. Brainstorming is a strategy that you can use during most
steps of your writing, especially if you find your ideas running low.
If you already have an idea of where you stand, you can loosely formulate a preliminary
thesis statement, which will be your guiding thought throughout the essay. This need
not be your final thesis statement but it clarifies what you intend to show in your essay.
This is important so that you maintain a consistent line in your discussion and because it
needs to be made clear in the introduction what you intend to do in your essay. Once you
have formulated an initial thesis statement, your next step will be focused on
brainstorming the aspects of this.
We will proceed as if you were not entirely sure of your view.
Essay-writing brochure © 2007 Catherine Schwerin IAA Universität Hamburg

14
TV Step 2: Brainstorming
Collecting ideas and formulating / refining a thesis
Simple example: We can’t live without television
If you are not sure yet what you would like to focus on, it is best to brainstorm the
topic to get some ideas and then decide. Brainstorming is a strategy that you can use
during most steps of your writing, especially if you find your ideas running low.
When you brainstorm an idea, you collect ALL the ideas you can think of which relate to
the topic, directly or indirectly. Let the ideas flow as rapidly and spontaneously as

possible, and do not worry about the order or the value of the ideas. Our example will
remain with the subject of television:
TV guide
Entertainment
Information
Weather
Everywhere
Education
Instruction
Cartoons
Films
Small world
News
Documentaries
Sports
Violence
Colour
Advertisements
Up-to-date
Technology
Sound
Picture
There are two main groupings we can identify: types of programmes (sports, news,
films ) and what TV can offer (entertainment, education ). A focus you could choose
based on the latter grouping would be:
How big a role television plays in our daily lives.
Now it is time to formulate a preliminary thesis statement, that is, a statement
outlining what you want to show in your essay. This statement clarifies what you intend
to show in your essay. For this topic your preliminary thesis statement could be
something like the following:

Television is important for our society today.
Once you have settled on your focus, you can use the ideas you have already collected,
or brainstorm further with the focus in mind. The next step is to sort out and select
the ideas you will be using.

Essay-writing brochure © 2007 Catherine Schwerin IAA Universität Hamburg

15
TV Step 3: Organising and Adapting
Selecting and Organising the relevant ideas
Simple example: We can’t live without television
Now organise and select the ideas you will use for the essay.
• Which ideas can you leave out?
• Which ideas belong together?
• Can you organise them under one heading?
• Is there more than one way to group the ideas?
In order to avoid rewriting at this point, you can use symbols or highlighter to group the
ideas:
TV guide
Entertainment
Information
Weather
Everywhere
Knowledge of the
world
Education
Instruction
Cartoons
Films
Small world

School
programmes
News
Documentaries
Sports
Violence
Colour
Vivid images
Advertisements
Up-to-date
Technology
Sound
Picture
Realism
The symbols stand for the following ideas:
What TV offers
Types of programmes
Method
Character of content
Ideas I think I don’t need
Now you can decide on the
structure

your essay will take.
Essay-writing brochure © 2007 Catherine Schwerin IAA Universität Hamburg

16
TV Step 4: Final Plan
Devising a final outline of the structure
Simple example: We can’t live without television

This is the point where the ideas should be organised into the final framework you will
use to guide you in your writing. You may wish to look at the
outline template
beforehand to assist you.
Here is a final overview of the ideas that will be presented in the essay. First, I
decided to leave out the paragraph on methods because it does not fit the main topic so
well. Second, I have changed the order of the ideas so that they flow more logically.
Finally, I have added the outline of an introduction and a conclusion to round off the
plan.
NOTE: As a rule, the introduction and the conclusion can only be planned AFTER you
have planned the body of the essay, since you cannot introduce the argumentation if you
have not planned it, and by the same token, you cannot conclude/draw the ideas
together if you do not know what they will be. Thus, I only made the outline of the
introduction and the conclusion after I had finished making the outline of the body.


The importance of television
Introduction
• TV common in households
• Can’t imagine no TV
• TV important for us today (thesis)
• TV can serve many purposes; offers variety of valuable programmes and content
(reasons and guide to reader)
Body
1) Variety of programmes
• Weather
• Cartoons
• Films
• School programmes
• News

• Documentaries
• Sports
• Advertisements
Essay-writing brochure © 2007 Catherine Schwerin IAA Universität Hamburg

17
2) Informative content
• Up-to-date
• Realism
• Accessible (Everywhere)
3) TV offers us other benefits
• Entertainment
• Information
• Education
• Instruction
• Knowledge of the world
Conclusion
• Value of range and form of TV content, many purposes
• Types of programmes, character of content, what TV offers
• TV is an integral and vital medium today
• TV can contribute positively to society in education and awareness
Now you can begin writing the essay following your outline. Look at the comments on
readership before you begin. If you like, you can look at another, more complex example
first in the sections following
Sample Essay 1, focusing on the topic Violence in the
Media.
Essay-writing brochure © 2007 Catherine Schwerin IAA Universität Hamburg

18
Readership, content and style

Addressing the reader appropriately
It is important to write your essay with your readers directly in mind. Address them with the
words you write. It will help to ask yourself the following questions before you begin:
Who are my readers?
Are they specialists or non-specialists in the subject?
What are they likely to know about the topic already?
What will they want to learn from me?
What is their attitude likely to be?
How can I maintain the attention of those who have little interest?
What aspects of the subject may be of particular importance to them?
Will it be more appropriate to be personal or impersonal in approach?
Opening
Introduce topic as if the title doesn't exist (who, what, how, when, where, why).
Try to arouse the readers' interest (e.g. question, anecdote).
Save formal introductions for long and complex reports or investigations
Main Body
Deal with each point systematically
Avoid unnecessary explanations and indirect approaches as these destroy the impact.
Be simple and direct.
Do not over-generalise. You will only undermine your own credibility.
Provide examples, descriptions, explanations, personal experiences (if appropriate).
If necessary, make footnotes or endnotes. Indicate sources (see MLA citation style
at
).
Conclusion
Recap all the main points and draw them together to support the point you wish to
make
If necessary, point out what direction your conclusions may lead for future
discussion.


Essay-writing brochure © 2007 Catherine Schwerin IAA Universität Hamburg

19
Simple Essay
The Importance of Television
To show how the outline fits with the essay itself, I have placed each paragraph next to
a basic general outline. The points follow in the same order.
Outline Essay
Introduction
1. Introduce general topic (TV)
2. Narrow down topic (household without
TV?)
3. Focus on thesis (TV important)
4. Reasons and reader guide (valuable
programmes, content, purposes)

Today it is very common in
industrialised countries for a household to
have at least one television. In fact, it is
so common that it is difficult to imagine a
household without TV. This shows just
how significant television is to us, but we
can see that its importance is far greater
than just being an object we own if we
look at the variety of programmes and
valuable content it offers and the
purposes it serves in daily life.

Body: developmental paragraph 1 (Variety
of programmes)

1. Topic sentence (topic and controlling
idea: many programme types)
2. Supporting ideas (list some types)
3. Details (function)


First of all, there are many different
types of programmes on television that
are useful. The viewer can watch a
weather report to prepare for the day.
Cartoons and sport provide relaxation and
fun. School programmes, documentaries
and the news teach us about the world.
And advertisements inform us about
products and new ideas.

Body: developmental paragraph 2
(Informative character of content)
1. Topic sentence (topic and controlling
idea: what makes content attractive)
2. Supporting ideas (realistic, etc.)
3. Details (value for viewers)

Secondly, the content is relevant
because it is realistic and up to date. As
TV is a medium that combines moving,
colour images and sound, it resembles real
life, so the viewers can identify with what
they see. Furthermore, modern technology
means that the content is up to date, for

example, news reports can be broadcast
live and from all over the world. This
means that information is available almost
anywhere at any time.

Body: developmental paragraph 3 (serves
many beneficial purposes in daily life)
1. Topic sentence (topic and controlling
Finally, TV can be used to enhance
many important aspects of everyday life.
People seek entertainment and
distraction, and TV can give us that in the
Essay-writing brochure © 2007 Catherine Schwerin IAA Universität Hamburg

20
idea: how does TV meet peoples needs)
2. Supporting ideas (people’s needs)
3. Details (specific functions)

form of films or cartoons. People want
education, information and instruction
because they are inquisitive and like to
learn. TV gives us these in documentaries
or educational programmes, in reports or
cultural magazines. People enjoy
creativity, and TV gives us that in the
work of all the people involved in creating
clever film scripts, effective scenery,
witty dialogues or magnificent camera
shots. TV gives us the world, other

cultures, other people, languages and
ideas. It introduces us to knowledge.

Conclusion
1. Restate thesis (controlling idea of
essay: valuable programmes, content,
purposes)
2. Restate each topic sentence from
developmental paragraphs (programme
types, character of content, what TV
offers)
3. State your opinion/ preference; give
solution; make prediction (TV vital
and integral)
4. Final statement (summing thought:
education, awareness )
As we have seen, television offers us a
wide range of valuable programmes and
content and serves many purposes in our
daily lives. Television not only provides
many types of programmes with
interesting and broad content, but also
serves to fulfil our needs in terms of
entertainment and knowledge. It is far
more than just an object we own. It is an
integral and vital medium today, which can
contribute positively to the education of
society and to people's awareness of
others.



Essay-writing brochure © 2007 Catherine Schwerin IAA Universität Hamburg

21

Media Violence Step 1: Preparing
Identifying the topic and the task
Complex example: Violence in the Media
Most of the time your essay will be based on a prescribed topic. If you have a question
or a statement requiring a response, you will need to read the question carefully and ask
yourself 2 main questions:
What is it about?
What am I expected to do?
To ensure you identify the whole task, underline the key elements and, if necessary,
number them. Look at the following task, which is based on a past TOEFL writing test
question:
Task:
Violence in the media has been blamed for the rising incidence of
crime in our (western) society. However, many people disagree that
violence in society can be related to violence in the media. Discuss the
possible reasons for
both points of view and give your own opinion as to
whether or not violent programs should be
censored
So proceeding step by step we ask ourselves:
.
What is it about?
The question is about VIOLENCE IN THE MEDIA.
What am I expected to do?
1. Discuss reasons for both points of view.

a. Media violence is the cause of violence in society
b. Media violence is not the cause of violence in society
2. My opinion of censorship question
Now you can formulate a preliminary thesis statement. In this case, your preliminary
thesis statement may be something like the following:
There are two sides to the question of whether media violence causes
violence in society, both of which have strong arguments. However,
censorship is a dubious solution which will cause its own problems.
Once you are clear about what the question requires of you, you may begin
brainstorming your first ideas.
Essay-writing brochure © 2007 Catherine Schwerin IAA Universität Hamburg

22
Media Violence Step 2: Brainstorming
Complex example: Violence in the Media
You have now identified the topic and the task you are expected to carry out: At this
stage you should write down as many ideas on the topic you can think of. Limit yourself
to 4 or 5 minutes. If you have difficulty starting, it is often helpful to start by asking
and answering the following basic questions:
What is meant
by ?
Media = TV, radio, Internet, newspapers, magazines,
books
Who Esp. children affected; programmers who decide,
What Crime, blackmail, theft, even murder, particularly gruesome
acts
How
Desensitising, bad examples,
When
Now

Where Europe, America
Why Shown as normal, social problems, children copy 'heroes',
TV ubiquitous
This will help us think of concrete examples and reasons when we are developing our
essay, and provide a basis for more encompassing comments.
In addition in this case, as the question already indicates three major areas, it will help
if we collect the ideas under each area:
Essay-writing brochure © 2007 Catherine Schwerin IAA Universität Hamburg

23

Media cause of violence Media NOT cause of
violence
Censorship
Accent on violence in
news
Children copy
Violent cartoons
Heroes violent
Heroes outsiders
Ideas for crime
Lack of positive example
Lower threshold
Sensationalism
Social pressures
Arbitrary release of
aggressive feelings
TV educational
Individualism and
materialism

Lack of parental help
People can't cope
Unable to find help
Unemployment
Who should decide?
What will be censored?
What else might go?
Broadcasting controls
Change channels
Critical viewing
Education of viewers
Viewers can switch off
TV entertaining
Include all the ideas you think of even if they seem far-fetched to begin with. You may
be able to use these ideas later to give your essay an unusual perspective. Note any
examples or anecdotes which may occur to you, or even diagrams or sketches. Current
events may also provide illustration for your topic, for example, the spate of school
children running amok with weapons in the United States is a topical illustration for this
essay.
If you run out of ideas and feel what you have is not sufficient, focus on one of the
sub-points and work on from there. You can also try simple word association to set you
on track again.
Once you have gathered enough ideas, move on to step 3:
organising and adapting.
Essay-writing brochure © 2007 Catherine Schwerin IAA Universität Hamburg

24
Media Violence Step 3: Organising and Adapting
Collating, selecting and organising the material
Complex example: Violence in the Media

Please note, the time you spend on planning and the amount of detail you include will of
course depend on constraints such as time or space placed on the essay. This essay is
being planned in greater detail than you may be required to use. However the
framework of your essay will emerge from the time you allot to your planning. Our 2
nd

sample essay here consists of a relatively high degree of detail since we are moving
step by step through the task. To begin with we have our topic and task:
VIOLENCE IN THE MEDIA
1. Discuss reasons for both points of view.
a. Media violence is the cause of violence in
society
b. Media violence is not the cause of violence
in society
2. My opinion of censorship question

I have gathered a number of ideas in table form since a general grouping was apparent
from the start. Now organise and select the ideas to be used for the essay.
• Which ideas can you discard?
• Which ideas belong together?
• Can you organise them under one heading?
• Is there more than one way to group the ideas?
A Media cause of violence B Media NOT cause of
violence
C Censorship
Accent on violence in
news
Children copy
Violent cartoons
Heroes violent

Society to blame
Arbitrary release of
aggressive feelings
TV educational
Individualism and
materialism
Who should decide?
What will be
censored?
What else might go?
Broadcasting controls