Completing the First Draft of the Essay
Communicating with your audience
Writing, like speech, is a form of communication which involves an audience. In the case of a
university essay this is most likely to be your tutor or lecturer. You should, therefore, bear this in mind
as you write. Do not, however, make the mistake of assuming that because your tutor or lecturer knows
about the topic on which you are writing that you do not need to explain your ideas, or to support them
with evidence. Your task is to show that you not only understand what you are writing about, but that
you can also present your ideas in a clear and coherent manner. If your tutor or lecturer cannot
understand the point you are making, or cannot read your essay without getting lost in a sea of detail,
then you will have failed to communicate effectively with your audience. Consequently, it is unlikely
that they will be convinced or impressed by what you have to say.
Developing a structural framework
To communicate effectively with your audience or reader, and to convince them that what you are
saying has merit, you will need to pay close attention to the structure of your essay. A typical
academic essay has three parts: an introduction, a body and a conclusion. These parts have their
own special functions, but also work together to form a unified whole.
The introduction
The introduction to your essay is extremely important, and has two main functions: to capture the
reader’s interest, and to serve as a guide to the rest of the essay. Your introduction should, therefore:
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indicate how you intend to respond to the question that has been set;
state the central idea or thesis of your essay;
show how the central idea is part of a broader topic or relates to a larger problem or issue;
indicate the scope of your essay;
explain anything else the reader needs to understand before proceeding any further.
Below is a possible introduction to the essay question that was used for the sample outline.
Example of an introduction
The importance of regular exercise is well attested. In 1996 a major US
government publication, the US Surgeon General’s report, warned that lack
of physical activity was a health hazard, and stated as one of its key
recommendations that people should engage in at least 30 minutes of
moderate physical activity on most days of the week. Numerous research
studies have also concluded that regular exercise is beneficial to health.
The question of how beneficial, however, is difficult to answer since much
of the evidence that has been presented is inconclusive. This essay will
review the various claims that have been made about the health benefits of
exercise, and will attempt to assess their validity. In particular, it will focus
on those studies which are concerned with the physiological benefits of
exercise and which postulate a link between exercise and a reduced risk of
disease.
Wider context
Thesis statement
Nature of response
Scope of essay
The length of your introduction, and the way you combine the various elements in it may differ from
the above example, and are likely to depend not only on the type of question that has been set, but also
on your response to it. Be careful, however, to avoid including a lot of unnecessary background detail
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in your introduction as this will distract the reader, and prevent you from accomplishing your main
task, which is to set the scene for what is to follow.
The body of the essay
This section of the essay contains your discussion of the issues raised by the question to which you are
responding, and the evidence you have selected as relevant to this discussion. In a student essay the
discussion will normally take the form of an extended argument in support of the thesis being
presented. How you structure your argument, however, will be determined by the question, and by the
nature of your thesis.
Some possible organisational frameworks
Cause and effect: an example would be an essay which, after examining the causes of workplace
stress, went on to look at the potential consequences for the organisation being studied. Another
example would be an essay which looked at the effects of smoking and then proceeded to examine
the various causes.
Problem and solution: this type of organisational framework might be appropriate for an essay on
tourist crime in which you looked at the causes of this type of crime and then examined some
possible solutions.
Comparison and contrast: this type of framework might be used in an essay discussing children’s
participation in sport and in which the similarities and differences in the attitudes of two groups of
children were examined.
Argument and counter argument: the sample outline provides an example of this type of
structure. If the outline were developed into an essay, part of the body would consist of arguments
and evidence which support the view that exercise promotes good health, and part would deal with
evidence which is less conclusive, and which indicates that such a view cannot be accepted without
some qualification.
Classification: this type of structure divides a large subject or issue into a number of smaller
components. Attitudes to sport, for example, could be classified in a number of ways ie. according
to age, to gender, or to ethnicity. Similarly, the subject ‘crime’ could be broken down into different
types of crime. These types might then be treated in order of importance, or in the order in which
they first became significant, or were first identified.
The conclusion
A good conclusion is just as important as a good introduction. Without a conclusion your essay would
be incomplete, and would have no ending. The purpose of the conclusion is to:
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draw together the different strands of your discussion;
summarise the main points of the essay;
restate your thesis;
bring the essay to a close.
No new information should be introduced in the conclusion. However, you might use your conclusion
to make predictions, or to indicate what further investigation needs to take place. An example of a
conclusion follows. Note how it relates to the sample introduction and essay outline that have been
provided.
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Example of a conclusion
While it is important to be aware of the risk factors involved in
exercise, such factors are not sufficient to outweigh the many
benefits. Reported benefits include loss of excess body fat,
stronger heart muscle, lower blood pressure and cholesterol
levels, and alleviation of stress and anxiety. A number of
research studies have also shown that regular exercise can offer
protection against osteoporosis and some types of cancer. What
is not clear, however, is the role that physical activity plays in
reducing the risk of death from all causes, and, more
particularly, from coronary and cardiovascular disease. The
results of studies which have examined these issues are
problematic since they do not distinguish exercise from other
factors such as diet and genetic predisposition. Until further
research has been carried out, therefore, the extent to which
exercise can be said to promote good health must remain
uncertain.
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Draws together and summarises
main points
Restatement of thesis
Closing remark – suggests need
for further research