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analytical essay writingWhat 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 Essays1. DescriptiveAn approach in which a writer has to list important points, e.g. your own point of view is often not required at all.
2. ArgumentativeAn approach in which a writer has to state his/her own point of view, and to defend it by giving supporting arguments.
A Descriptive Essay1. An Introductiona. 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 Essaya. Each paragraph:
• Begins with a restatement of the last sentence of your Introduction.
• States your information in detail;
• End with an example.
b. Theoretical ReviewContains 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 MethodsClearly 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 ConclusionYou 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 Essay1. The Introductiona. 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 Paragraphsa. 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.
