Structure
Peer Academic Writing Mentor Team
Why Structure?
• You asked, here it is!
• Feedback from marked work
• Tangible thing to fix
A tutor’s opinion...
Structure is at a micro and a macro level. An essay needs an
introduction and a conclusion, but also paragraphs that link
together, so an argument is structured and therefore fluid. And
appropriate structure within each paragraph; so, one idea - one
paragraph. Sentences where they should be, those kinds of things.
That kind of micro level structure I would also comment on if it were
inappropriate, and I have seen people write one-sentence
paragraphs - bad idea - and one page paragraphs, which every now
and again might be appropriate, but that would be a huge idea and
there’s probably a way to split that down and make that easier to read.
Tutor, quoted in Writing Essays at University, 2009, p. 57.
Another tutor’s opinion...
Always keep the question in mind and think about what story
you’re telling - make it logical and linear. If you go along a
certain route make the conclusion logical to that route. It
should work as a coherent essay, rather than ‘I know I need to
throw in something about this and I need to include that’. And
sometimes that happens half-way through - you’re reading an
essay and it’s all going terribly well, and it’s like the student
suddenly thought ‘oh no, I haven’t mentioned...’ and they
just put things in.
Tutor, quoted in Writing Essays at University, 2009, p. 58.
Areas to cover today:
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Planning your essays
Micro and Macro level structure : essay structure and
paragraph structure
Introductions and conclusions
Linking paragraphs: ‘flow’
Planning afterwards (?)
Structural pointers for different types of assignments:
reports, presentations, etc.
A prefatory note
• These pointers concerning structure are
based upon our experiences from working
with students through the peer writing mentor
service.
• It is always a good idea to check with your
tutor, and consult your course handbook, if
you are unsure and to see if the structure you
have decided on is appropriate.
Do you plan your essays?
...
Some reasons to plan
• You are less likely to wander off the point…
• You can make the topic more manageable
for yourself.
• You are ensuring that you cover what you
are supposed to cover.
Macro level structure
• Introduction
• Main Body
• Conclusion
Introductions
• The introduction is not just a paragraph at the start of
your essay, it is an important framework which sets
out (to the reader) the aims of your assignment and the
arguments you will explore.
• Specifically: What does the reader need to know at the
start of your essay to enable them to become interested
in reading it and to enable them to follow your
assignment.
• The introduction will give the reader an insight to the
main body of the text.
3 key points to include within the
introduction:
1. What the question is about – explain your
interpretation of the question and what it is asking you
to do.
2. Why the question is important – put the question into
context and identify the main issues that are raised by
the question.
3. How are you going to answer it – let the reader know
what you are going to cover in your essay in order to
answer the question.
Some problems when writing the
introduction:
Your introduction might become too predictable and ‘formulawritten’ – if this is the case, it will lack a sense of enthusiasm
and commitment.
Your introduction may become too lengthy in relation to the
main body of the essay, a less concise instruction will take away
too many words from the main body of your essay.
Your introduction might become too ‘detailed’ – this may spoil
what you wish to include in the main body.
Example of a typical introduction:
Over the past twenty five years, since Australia embraced multiculturalism as a
policy, issues of intercultural communication have become more and more prominent
in the workplace. However, until relatively recently, little had been written on these
issues, and even now, many organisational managers have no training or knowledge
of how to deal with communication problems, even though most workplaces are
staffed by people of diverse cultures. Particular problem areas include the difficulties
that some non-English speakers have in understanding safety instructions (figures
produced by the ABS in 1997 show that migrant workers have a higher incidence of
accidents at the workplace); an ignorance of the different forms of non-verbal
communication used by other cultures (for example it is considered impolite in some
societies for an employee to look directly at his or her employer), which can lead to
misunderstandings and unpleasantness; and the lack of knowledge about differing
expectations. Based on interviews with managers and staff in six organisations
(public and commercial), this report examines these three problem areas, and shows
that many of the difficulties faced by both natives and migrants in the workforce are
caused by a lack of awareness of, and training in, intercultural communication.
Explanation
The example provided on the previous slide would be
suitable for a 1500-2000 word assignment.
● It explains what the question is about.
● The example then puts the question into context.
● Finally, the writer explains how s/he is going to answer
the question.
How to make the introduction more
interesting:
The introduction is the first thing your reader will see.
Your tutor has no choice whether or not to read your assignment or not,
but s/he will not take kindly to being bored from the outset, so you might
like to make your introduction more interesting by:
1. Giving one or two examples of the kind of thing you are going to
write about.
2. Beginning with a relevant quotation.
3. Making sure your grammar and word use are absolutely right.
Conclusions
The purpose of the conclusion is to tie together the
various issues covered in the main body of the
assignment, and to make comments upon the meaning
of it, including – implications resulting from your
discussion of the topic, recommendations and the
need for further research.
Key points to include within the
conclusion:
1. A brief summary of the arguments presented in the
main body and how these relate to the assignment
question.
2. A restatement of the main point/s of view presented in
the introduction in response to the topic.
3. The implications of this view or what might happen as
a result.
What not to include within the
conclusion.
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An apology, or a sentence that dwells on the incompleteness of your
argument.
For example, avoid finishing your assignment with ‘if I had more time, I would
also have covered…’
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If you wish to raise some limitations, do this in the middle of the
concluding paragraph end on a strong, positive sentence, such as ‘it
has clearly been shown that…’
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A rhetorical question – this leaves the reader unsatisfied, as they expect
you to come up with an answer to the question that you have raised.
Example of a typical conclusion.
It is clear, therefore, that not only do employees have to be trained for working in the
Australian multicultural workplace, but managers also need to be trained. Managers must
ensure that effective in-house training programs are provided for migrant workers, so that
they become more familiar with the English language, Australian communication norms and
the Australian work culture. In addition, Australian native English speakers need to be made
aware of the differing cultural values of their workmates; particularly the different forms of
non-verbal communication used by other cultures. Furthermore, all employees must be
provided with clear and detailed guidelines about company expectations. The interviews
with managers and staff reveal that a majority of managers must also have training in cross
cultural communication and in managing a culturally diverse workplace. Above all, in order
to minimise communication problems and to maintain an atmosphere of tolerance,
understanding and cooperation in the multicultural workplace, managers need to have an
effective knowledge about their employees, to understand how their social conditioning
affects their beliefs about work and to have the communication skills to develop confidence
and self-esteem among diverse work groups. The culturally diverse Australian workplace
may never be completely free of communication problems, however, further studies to
identify potential problems and solutions, as well as better training in cross cultural
communication for managers and employees, should result in a much more understanding
and cooperative environment.
Writing an interesting and
effective conclusion:
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Recommend a specific course of action.
Use an apt quotation or expert opinion to lend authority to the conclusion
you have reached.
Give a startling statistic, fact, or visual image to drive home the ultimate
point of your paper.
If your discipline encourages personal reflection, illustrate your concluding
point with a relevant narrative drawn from your own life experiences.
Return to an anecdote, example, or quotation that you introduced in your
introduction, but add further insight that derives from the body of your
essay.
In a science or social science paper, mention worthwhile avenues for
future research on your topic.
Micro level structure
• One point per paragraph
• PEEL
P
Point
1 Point per paragraph
E
Evidence
Quotation, case study...
E Explanation
How evidence relates
L
Back to Question AND
into next paragraph
Link
Retrospective Planning
• Planning afterwards (?)
• Retrospective planning allows you to see
what you have already written.
• Providing you with a removed perspective.
Process for retrospective planning
1. Number your paragraphs
2. Brief (very brief) summary of what the paragraph
contains (1 word, couple of words)
3. If you cannot summarise the paragraph, perhaps there
are too many ideas? Could you divide your paragraph
into 2 or 3?
4. Do all the paragraphs relate to the essay question?
5. Are the paragraphs in the most logical order? Do you
need to move any around?
Other types of assignment
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The pointers made in this presentation about structure are
relevant to many types of assignment, aside from essays.
For example, an assignment such as a presentation or a
critical review should still have a clearly identifiable
structure.
Assignments such as Scientific Reports should follow the
structure indicated by the discipline (for example Abstract,
Introduction, Objectives, Methodology, Results, Discussion,
Conclusion, Appendices). Even in this more define structure
type, the point concerning one point per paragraph is still
central.
Some final pointers
• Make sure you understand the question
before beginning to answer it; problems with
structure often come from misunderstandings
about what you are being asked to do.
• Allot time to check your structure.
• See structure as a tangible aspect of essay
writing.
Resources
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Writing mentor resources for students
Manchester University Phrasebank
Royal Literary Fund
Writing Essays at University (PDF Guide)
Good luck! ☺
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pick up a booking form from the library help point, or
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