A. Preparation of the subject (teacher guidance)
In order towrite an essay, students should be taught to carefully study the concepts and issues related to the topic. In order to understand the concepts, examples will be selected that will help to understand and reveal the subject of the essay. It is important to correctly spell the terms and names of the characters.
At the beginning of the writing of the essay, it is desirable to formulate the necessary arguments to support the ideas, and the study will be continued by reflections that the students will note in their personal agenda. In order to write the essay, they must operate with critical and theoretical concepts, writing their own speech.
Students will be warned not to come up with a borrowed idea, but a personal one. Quotes will be written between quotation marks, being accompanied by the author’s name. The essay must be a composition of ideas, not empty sentences. It is important that all knowledge be presented according to the subject, and not the subject according to the knowledge. In this context, experience, personal reflections, and ideas will be used. The subject of the essay must be coherently revealed as a whole, not as a sum of ideas put side by side.
B. Essay plan (guide for students)
Draw a plan and lay out the essay sections. Select the ideas you want to develop in each section. Note that different types of topics require plans with different structures. In general, a good plan has two, three main compartments, followed by two, three sub-points. Check if the plan deals with the whole subject and is composed in relation to other parts of the subject. A complete plan also contains secondary ideas, derived from the main ones.
C. Writing the essay
- General rules:
- Write legibly, sort your thoughts carefully, follow the paragraphs and place the material on the page;
- Observe the spelling and punctuation, according to the current linguistic norms;
- The expression must be clear;
- Don’t write endless ideas, formulate clear and concise sentences;
- After writing, read the essay again.
- Specific rules:
- Do not abuse literature quotations, avoid sentimental judgments, do not overtly emphasize personal opinion;
- Avoid overuse of the single person (me, my) For example don’t use things such as “I will write my paper based on my own opinions towards <whatver follows>.” Rather use “This paper will reflect personal opinions towards <whatever follows>.”
D. Writing the essay
- Introduce the issue
In the introduction, outline the issue and highlight its importance. Set the starting point and introduce the topic. The introduction does not have to offer solutions, but to make a hypothesis. If you start with a quote, be careful not to present it as the last word of the topic. In the introduction, it is good to put the problem in such a way to intrigue the audience into reading the next sections.
- Achieving the meaning of the essay
Follow the plan. Develop the sections according to their importance. The boundary between components and subdivisions must be clear. Structure the material so that each section “prepares the ground” for the next, establishing a bridge between them.
- Personal conclusions and reflections
The conclusion should be a summary of the paper and contain the main general ideas. The essential role of the conclusion is to reveal the solution for the problems formulated in the introduction. The conclusions should not be expressed in vague terms.
Do not draw conclusions that do not derive from the previous approach of the subject. In a paper, the conclusion must not have a closed, but an open character. The conclusion should be formulated in two, three sentences. The personal reflections must be in accordance with the subject of the essay and with the proposed arguments.
E. The manner of dealing with the subject
- General considerations
– In writing about the subject, human thinking skills must be emphasized.
– Do not reproduce a mechanically learned text; Give examples from your own experience.
- The dimensions of the essay do not always ensure its quality.
– Do not use terms and phrases whose meaning you do not know.
- Arguing the ideas
– Avoid using unfounded statements when writing the essay.
– Explain the meaning of the key terms.
– The statements must be clear; avoid the categorical and irrelevant ones.
– Make arguments in support of your views.
– Do not confuse the concepts of “affirming”, “proving”, “arguing”.
– Call for reasoning. The unity of opinion of several scholars towards a problem is not sufficient to adopt this point of view.
– A critical approach to ideas is welcome.
– Your arguments should not contain sophistry and should not appeal to the reader’s feelings.
Note: A good paper essay results from the correctness of the language, the power of analysis, the ability to argue and the ability to creatively develop others’ ideas.
