Our guides provide help with a very wide range of topics on the essay writing and dissertation writing process, from planning to polishing your work. You can find additional guides in our ‘info and guides‘ section.
Definition Adjectives are words that describe nouns or pronouns. They may come before the word they describe (That is a cute puppy.) or they may follow the word they describe (That puppy is cute.). Adverbs are words that modify everything but nouns and pronouns. They modify adjectives, verbs, and other adverbs. A word is an adverb if it … Read more
The quality of the marketing dissertation you produce reflects your acquired knowledge and understanding of the marketing concepts. It is a chance to demonstrate you creativity, organizational and analytical skills and an opportunity to incorporate those skills to a specific marketing issue or a problem. A marketing dissertation requires you to understand, evaluate and analyze a specific marketing concept. … Read more
Strong Link between the Research Proposal and the Education Field The education research proposal will demonstrate how you will focus on a particular field of intellectual endeavour, such as special needs education, innovation in education, differentiation in education, technology in education and so on and how your field of inquiry relates to its broader intellectual … Read more
Writing a law thesis is a challenge. But get it right, and you could be laying the foundations for recognition as an expert in your field. So you’ll want to be certain you’ve delivered your best effort. This guide contains all the information you need to produce an outstanding law thesis and impress your examiners. Preliminary Stages You’ll have … Read more
The difference between fact and opinion is not always easy to recognise in academic writing. Academic writing outside the pure sciences often includes opinion supported by argument to strengthen the claim being made. Sometimes factual data (e.g. statistics) are used in support of opinion but data of this kind may also be subject to different … Read more
Purpose Writing a business research proposal is a useful exercise, which can help students develop critical thinking skills and enhance their career opportunities. The proposal is the first attempt to tackle the issue interesting to the writer and/or the business community. The business research proposal serves as a mean to introduce the concern and as … Read more
Basic Rule The basic rule states that a singular subject takes a singular verb while a plural subject takes a plural verb. The trick is in knowing whether the subject is singular or plural. The next trick is recognizing a singular or plural verb. Hint: Verbs do not form their plurals by adding an s as nouns do. In order … Read more
You need to reference all of your sources for your dissertation properly. Before we talk about referencing, let’s talk plagiarism. To “plagiarise”, according to the dictionary, means 1. to steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one’s own 2. to use (another’s production) without crediting the source 3. to commit literary theft … Read more
A review essay examines a piece of writing, a film or some other form of art, but it differs from a literary essay in a couple of key ways. A review essay is evaluative. That means that its purpose is to tell the reader whether the work is good or not and whether the work … Read more
Purpose Response essays are typically assigned as a precursor to a evaluative essay or to a critique. These papers are typically written in response to a short literary passage, an editorial, a speech, or an artistic work. The response essay is useful because it gives students the opportunity to express their opinions in a professional manner but … Read more
A guide to writing effective research proposals This article explains how to write a research proposal, including the purpose of the proposal, what to include, the structure and common problems that are encountered by students as they research or write their proposal. Purpose of the research proposal A research proposal may have several purposes, including to receive … Read more
In a literary essay, a writer analyzes some aspect of a piece of literature. Topic Literature is made up of elements such as character, symbolism, theme, language and structure. The best way to approach a literary analysis is to choose an element of the story, poem or novel to focus on and think about what … Read more
What is the extended essay? The extended essay is an independent research project on a topic chosen by the student working in collaboration with their supervisor. The extended essay puts forward a well-reasoned argument in relation to a research question. This essay is a formally presented scholarly paper that should not exceed 4000 words (approximately … Read more
Purpose The purpose of the deductive essay is to guide students in the process of using deductive reasoning. In Western countries, deductive reasoning is the most commonly used method to arrive at a valid conclusion. Deductive reasoning uses facts to draw a conclusion. For example, a simple deductive argument might be “Only depressive students exhibit the following … Read more
Purpose The exploratory essay is designed to research a topic, and to present that research. This paper does not draw conclusions or make recommendations. Because the exploratory essay asks students to gather information about a topic without synthesizing the sources in a sophisticated manner, such as the traditional argumentative paper, instructors often assign this paper as … Read more
The familiar essay is a type of essay that has fallen by the wayside in most primary and secondary school curricula because it is difficult to write. The familiar essay is a personal reflection on an elevated topic, such as “people worth knowing,” or “How religion informs morality.” It is similar to a personal essay because the observations are unique … Read more
Purpose An illustration essay is the simplest form of argumentative essay. The point of an illustration essay is to prove that something exists. For example, a topic of an illustration essay might be sexism in the workplace. The main argument would be that sexism exists in the workplace, and illustrative examples are offered as evidence. Topics Choosing a … Read more
An informal essay, unlike most formal academic essays, puts the writer and maybe even the audience front and center. An informal essay can cover a variety of topics, and it may overlap with other essay types such as the persuasive. How the informal essay is approached will depend on the topic. Informal Essay Topics Informal … Read more
Purpose The personal statement is usually used as part of the criteria for admission into a graduate program. There are often dozens of applications for one spot in a graduate program, and the personal statement helps the graduate school admissions counselors determine which students are most suitable for the program. Criteria Universities rarely offer concrete prompts or … Read more
In persuasive writing, the author is trying to convince the audience to agree with a point of view. Persuasive essay writing differs from an academic argument in that an academic argument uses reason and logic to persuade its readers while a persuasive paper may rely on other techniques such as emotion. Persuasive writing examples can be found … Read more
A process essay explains how something is done. It gives the reader specific instructions. Topic One key to a successful process essay is to choose a task that has the appropriate level of difficulty for the length of the essay. A writer may struggle to fill three pages with directions for making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, but … Read more
What is a report? In writing, a report is a document that is both systematic and defines or analyzes the subject matter. Systematic is relative to the content, which should be written in such a way that the data is presented in the correct order, making the document very readable. A report can be an … Read more
A research essay combines many of the skills learned from writing other types of essays. In a research essay, the writer must incorporate the ideas of others, analyzing and integrating information. A research essay may overlap with other essay types such as the literary analysis, the persuasive essay or the cause and effect essay, or it may … Read more
The Purpose of The Scholarship Essay Many scholarships awarded by private schools, universities, and private organizations require that applicants write a scholarship essay as part of the application process. The purpose of this essay is to get a better sense of who the applicant is as a person. The theme of the essay is often designed to … Read more
A routine or formula can make writing a simple essay relatively painless. There are many types of essay formats, such as narrative, analysis, argumentative, or comparison and contrast. Familiarizing yourself with these different conceptual frameworks can improve and enrich your writing. But for a simple essay, all you really need to know is the basic Five Paragraph Essay format. Pick a Topic It may sound … Read more
In a descriptive essay, the writer uses the five senses to describe something as vividly as possible for the reader. A descriptive essay may describe an object or it may overlap with another type of essay. For example, a descriptive essay may also be a narrative essay in which description is used in telling a story. Vivid … Read more
A thesis is the final research project conducted as the capstone to a postgraduate degree. In the United States, a thesis refers to the final project for a master’s degree; only the final project for a doctoral degree is called a dissertation. In the United Kingdom, however, the term “thesis” is not widely used. The term “dissertation” is … Read more
Purpose The purpose of an evaluative essay is to teach students how to think critically and how to use examples to support their points. This essay is relatively simple and often enjoyable to write because everyone likes to give their opinions. As a result, professors and instructors often make the evaluative essay the first essay they assign … Read more
The exemplification essay is a type of argumentative essay. The purpose of an exemplification essay is to prove a point through the use of examples. Instead of using scholarly sources to support the main point, the writer makes use of examples. These examples may be hypothetical, or they could be real examples pulled from the news or from … Read more
An expository essay provides information for the reader. It is objectively written and usually research-based. Examples include an essay for a history class on the Vietnam War or a biographical study of an author for a literature class. An expository essay may also overlap with other essay types such as cause and effect or the process essay. Thesis and Main … Read more
An analytical essay requires that the writer go beyond simply describing or reporting on something. For example, an analytical essay on the Great Depression might look at the main underlying reasons for the economic collapse, might examine its social ramifications or might discuss how it influenced the entry of the United States into World War II. Unlike … Read more
In a definition essay, the writer defines a word. A definition essay must go beyond a dry dictionary interpretation, however. It can look at the word in different contexts, examine varying meanings of the word and compare and contrast it to similar words. Choice of Word The best choice for a definition essay is either a word that … Read more
A critical essay may examine the work of another writer, artist or creator and judges how successful that work is in achieving its aims. Alternatively it may be based around a quote, piece of legislation or some other particular topic and require the student to examine that critically. It is similar in some ways to both a … Read more
For a compare and contrast essay, the writer looks at two things and the ways in which they are similar and different. Thesis A strong thesis statement for a compare and contrast essay names the things that are being compared and contrasted and the aspects of those things that are being compared and contrasted. Here’s an … Read more
In real life, students are often called upon to classify and divide categories of items. Whether they are classifying and dividing types of jeans for a display at their job, or if they are sorting their expenses into categories for a spreadsheet or for tax purposes, knowing how to classify and divide is an essential … Read more
Purpose The classification essay is designed to get students to think creatively. In a classification essay, a student defines categories within a broader definition. For example, students might classify modern types of government. Because the student must give examples and explain how the examples are classified as well as provide the criteria for classification, this essay is … Read more
A cause and effect essay is one in which the writer makes a claim for why something happens (the cause) or what the result of something is (the effects). The essay may also deal with both causes and effects. Choosing a topic Some may find it helpful to do some pre-writing exercises before beginning a cause and effect … Read more
What is an argumentative essay? An argumentative essay is an essay in which the author researches a controversial topic, takes a stance, and attempts to persuade the audience to agree with his or her position based on the evidence he or she has uncovered. This type of essay is carefully planned and usually takes several days of … Read more
Purpose The purpose of an admissions essay is to help level the playing field between students applying to college who have different educational backgrounds. In addition, it helps schools identify students who have the capability to do well at the college or university who did not have a remarkable record in high school. Topics The … Read more
The Purpose Instructors and professors often assign a five paragraph essay to their beginning composition students. The five paragraph essay is a useful assignment because the rigid structure helps students get a good grasp on how to organize an argumentative essay, allowing them to continue on to write longer and more sophisticated essays. Basics of … Read more
The abstract is a summary, usually of approximately 150-300 words, of what the reader can expect to find in the dissertation. Be concise and don’t reference or use quotes in this part. Your dissertation abstract is a highly condensed version of a longer piece of writing that highlights the major points covered. The abstract concisely describes the … Read more
The dialectic essay is typically used in philosophy to explore the whole range of perspectives about a philosophical stance. Students often tend to endorse one opinion without being able to see the merits of the opposition’s point point of view. For example, if the student is against abortion, he or she may be unable to understand why … Read more
What is the table of contents? The table of contents is an index of everything in the dissertation – it should not include the title and contents page! A table of contents, TOC for short, lists in order the varying chapters of your dissertation all the way through to the bibliography and appendices. This allows the reader of the document … Read more
Notes: A standard research paper proposal should not in general be longer than ten per cent of the total length of your planned paper. For example, if the required word limit for your research paper cannot exceed ten thousand words, the proposal should be approximately one thousand words in total. A standard research paper proposal contains: the … Read more
The following will be a guide to writing an effective and legally sound legal opinion. It will begin by discussing the qualities of good writing which is central to writing a successful legal opinion. It will then move on to discussing the formulation of the legal opinion itself. Finally it will discuss the use of law in … Read more
Writing an evaluation requires thorough knowledge of the texts and/or topics which you are being asked to evaluate. You need to provide an overview of the texts and/or topics and then provide detailed discussion resulting in a balanced presentation supplemented by evidence correctly referenced according to the style required by your school, college or university. Writing … Read more
Report and essay writing requires a clear and sustained focus of information that directly supports the central topic or argument. In many cases, however, the research project will yield much more information. The problem with this bulk of material is where to include it. If it is only loosely related to the topic, adding it to the … Read more
A discursive essay thoroughly investigates an argument by offering two opposing perspectives. It’s a practical method of establishing the writer’s opinion on a topic and persuading one’s stance by exploring the reasons why each view may or may not be valid. The author usually maintains a calm and neutral stance throughout the text to establish an unbiased … Read more
Abstract There are many different ways to write a paper, this is a research paper on how to write an APA formatted paper. The objective is after a person reads this paper they will have no questions on how to write a proper APA paper. Some key points contained in this paper are how to … Read more
The first essay outline for your course has been handed to you and you don’t have a clue regarding what to do. Here are some tips on how to write a great essay and save yourself the stress or panic. The first thing you will need to do is read the essay question carefully. Go … Read more
Reading and using a guide before and during the essay writing process can be extremely beneficial for students. A guide can provide students with the necessary information and guidance needed to write an effective essay. It can also help the student to become familiar with the essay writing process, develop their writing skills, and ensure the essay is well-written and structurally sound.
When a student reads and uses a guide before beginning the essay writing process, it can help them to set realistic expectations for their essay. A guide can provide information about the structure and format of an essay, what should and should not be included, and the most important elements to consider when writing. This information can help the student to plan their essay, decide on the topic, and determine what information they need to include and how they should go about researching it.
Using a guide during the essay writing process can be beneficial in many ways. For example, a guide can help the student to identify logical errors in their essay and provide advice on how to correct them. A guide can also help the student to develop their writing skills, offering tips and advice on how to improve their essay. A guide can also provide useful information on how to cite sources and how to structure an argument.
Using a guide can also help the student to better understand the importance of editing and proofreading. A guide can provide advice on the best techniques to use when editing and proofreading, as well as the importance of ensuring the essay is free from errors and typos. This can help the student to create a well-written and structurally sound essay.
Finally, using a guide can help the student to become familiar with the essay writing process. A guide can provide detailed information on the different stages of the essay writing process, such as brainstorming, researching, writing, and editing. This can help the student to become more confident and comfortable with the essay writing process.
In conclusion, reading and using a guide before and during the essay writing process can be extremely beneficial for students. A guide can provide students with the necessary information and guidance needed to write an effective essay. It can also help the student to become familiar with the essay writing process, develop their writing skills, and ensure the essay is well-written and structurally sound.
