Academic Essay Writing

Introduction

All assignments at university are designed to challenge you to write in different forms. The purpose of them is to give you an opportunity to demonstrate several things:

• Your knowledge and understanding of a topic;
• Your ability to research a specific aspect of the topic set in the assignment; and
• Your ability to organise supporting information and evidence within a structured piece of academic writing

What is an essay?

An essay is a specific argument which has a theme, logically expressed from start to finish. It tests your knowledge and understanding of a topic, supported by research. An essay is also an exercise to develop and handle relevant ideas, construct a clearly expressed argument and refer to the arguments made by academics. An essay is a powerful learning tool that will help to develop your understanding of a subject.