Essays allow you to demonstrate your in-depth knowledge of a topic based on research and reading. The focus of an essay is to develop an argument or analyse ideas rather than write a description.
An essay is written in paragraphs and has a set structure of an introduction, a body and a conclusion.
The introduction begins with a general statement that establishes the focus of the essay. It then outlines the main ideas of the essay and the order in which they will be discussed.
The body contains a number of paragraphs that link together to present a strong argument or analysis of the topic. There should be one main point per paragraph.
Every paragraph starts with a topic sentence which states the main idea of that paragraph. This is followed by supporting sentences that fully explain and expand on the main idea raised in the topic sentence. This explanation needs to be supported by evidence including quotes, examples or statistics. The paragraph is finished with a concluding sentence that summarises the paragraph.
The purpose of the conclusion is to summarise the main points and draw them together to make a final comment on the topic presented in the essay. Do not introduce any new information or include quotes in your conclusion.
Your reference list includes the full reference for every source cited within your essay. SIT requires APA 7th edition for referencing, so make sure all your references are formatted correctly.
For assistance with referencing check out the EndNote 20 Guide / APA Referencing Guide.
Introduction:
Each paragraph in the body should have:
Conclusion:
Video credited to University of South Australia.
University of South Australia. (2021, September 28). Study help: Essays [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLhdrbBYEuA
Video credited to University of South Australia.
University of South Australia. (2021, September 28). Study help: Report writing [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPK4w-FhgRA
