What are the key elements of a good essay? (2024)

What are the key elements of a good essay? (1)

19 August 2022

It’s likely you’ll have to write many essays throughout your time at uni. While you may know generally what an essay is and how to write one, it’s important to keep improving your approach to research, writing and essay structure. There’s always areas in which you can improve.

Here, we’ve recapped some essay basics, as well as things that your assessor will be looking for.

Essay basics

An essay is a piece of writing where you present your opinion, backed up by evidence, in response to a topic. This opinion is referred to as ‘your contention, position or thesis statement’. There are many different types of essays, but they have several common features to help you plan and complete them ­– if you follow these guidelines!

Essays commonly contain the following:

  • your point of view, supported by ideas, arguments and evidence
  • the summary and analysis of other writers’ research and opinions
  • a clear structure, including an introduction, body paragraphs and a conclusion
  • a reference list.

Always leave enough time to prepare for writing an essay: you will need to complete the required reading (both from your classes and wider sources), brainstorm keywords and concepts, decide on your point of view, and draft an outline of the contents of your paragraphs.

What your assessor is looking for

Always follow your specific task instructions and check your assessment rubric to confirm exactly what you are being asked to do. Most commonly, these are the elements that your assessor will be looking for when they mark your essay.

  • You have answered the essay question directly.
  • You have met the assignment criteria.
  • You have drawn on readings and discussions from your weekly seminars and classes (your unit’s weekly topics should be your guide for all of your assessments).
  • You have provided a position on the topic and shown your understanding of it.
  • You have completed the set and recommended readings.
  • You have discussed and analysed sources, and formatted them in the required referencing style.
  • You have planned your essay so that is readable, clear and logically sequenced, with a distinct introduction, body and conclusion.
  • You have kept within the set word limit.

By following these guidelines, you will set yourself up to achieve the best that you can.

Could you use some help?

This is just a taste of theAcademic Skills Guide to Essay Writing. It contains information and resources on how to write an essay, including aguide to paragraph structure, aparagraph plannerand a handy explanation of the steps of the writing process. Have a read if you’re looking for detailed guidance about an aspect of essay writing, or about essays more generally.

We also haveAcademic Skills Guidesabout researching, referencing, oral presentations and preparing for End of Unit assessments.

And, if you’ve got more questions,chat to a Writing Mentor,make an appointment with a Language and Learning Adviseror check outDeakin’s online tutoring service Smarthinking. The Study Support team love chatting about essays and they are ready to help you out.

What are the key elements of a good essay? (2024)

FAQs

What is the element of a good essay? ›

Good essays have a clear introduction, thesis, and conclusion. Body paragraphs in the essay connect back to the thesis. In college, we are no longer tied to a five-paragraph essay (unless an instructor specifically asks for this). Our essays in college can range in length.

What are the keys to a good essay? ›

Essays commonly contain the following:
  • your point of view, supported by ideas, arguments and evidence.
  • the summary and analysis of other writers' research and opinions.
  • a clear structure, including an introduction, body paragraphs and a conclusion.
  • a reference list.
Aug 19, 2022

What are the 5 parts of an essay? ›

The five-paragraph essay structure consists of, in order: one introductory paragraph that introduces the main topic and states a thesis, three body paragraphs to support the thesis, and one concluding paragraph to wrap up the points made in the essay.

What are the 4 elements of an essay? ›

To achieve these ends, an essay must incorporate four elements: an appropriate tone, a clear thesis, a coherent structure, and ample, appropriate evidence.

What defines a good essay? ›

An essay or paper should be organized logically, flow smoothly, and "stick" together. In other words, everything in the writing should make sense to a reader. A paper should be written in generally correct standard English, with complete sentences, and be relatively error-free.

What are the good qualities of a good essay? ›

The following is a brief description of five qualities of good writing: focus, development, unity, coherence, and correctness. The qualities described here are especially important for academic and expository writing. An essay should have a single clear central idea.

What are the 5 C's in an essay? ›

To introduce you to this world of academic writing, in this chapter I suggest that you should focus on five hierarchical characteristics of good writing, or the “5 Cs” of good academic writing, which include Clarity, Cogency, Conventionality, Completeness, and Concision.

How do you structure a good essay? ›

The main body is framed by an introduction that sets out your argument and a conclusion that recaps your argument and restates your thesis. The paragraphs in the main body each take a step forward in order to progress the argument. For more in-depth information on structuring each section, click on the tabs below.

What are the four 4 basic parts of an essay? ›

An academic essay should always include an Introduction, Body, Conclusion and a Bibliography. These four sections are essential to any good essay and can help keep your thoughts and arguments organized and concise. With these four sections, you can be sure to create a compelling academic essay.

What are the main points of an essay? ›

A basic essay consists of three main parts: introduction, body, and conclusion. Following this format will help you write and organize an essay. However, flexibility is important. While keeping this basic essay format in mind, let the topic and specific assignment guide the writing and organization.

What are the five 5 basic steps to writing an essay? ›

For essay writing, we recommend this five-step writing process:
  1. 1 Brainstorming. It always helps to collect your thoughts before you begin writing by brainstorming. ...
  2. 2 Preparing. The preparation phase consists of both outlining your essay and collecting resources for evidence. ...
  3. 3 Drafting. ...
  4. 4 Revising. ...
  5. 5 Proofreading.
Jan 16, 2024

What is the 5 point structure to an essay? ›

The five-paragraph essay consists of one introduction paragraph (with the thesis at its end), three body paragraphs (each beginning with one of three main points) and one last paragraph—the conclusion. 1-3-1. Once you have this outline, you have the basic template for most academic writing.

How to write a perfect essay? ›

Writing a great essay
  1. Analyse the question.
  2. Define your argument.
  3. Use evidence, reasoning and scholarship.
  4. Organise a coherent essay.
  5. Write clearly.
  6. Cite sources and evidence.

What are the four aspects of a good essay? ›

The introduction provides your topic and thesis statement. The body presents your evidence and arguments. The conclusion summarizes your argument and emphasizes its importance.

What elements should be in an essay? ›

The main parts (or sections) to an essay are the intro, body, and conclusion. In a standard short essay, five paragraphs can provide the reader with enough information in a short amount of space.

What are the 3 4 elements of a strong argument essay? ›

Information is used, but it is organized based on these major components of an argument: claim, reason, evidence, counter-claim, and rebuttal.

What are the 4 elements of a good paragraph? ›

There are four essential elements that an effective paragraph should consistently contain: unity, coherence, a topic sentence, and sufficient development. In order for a paragraph to maintain a sense of unity, the paragraph must focus solely on a single idea, point, or argument that is being discussed.

What are the elements of a good personal essay? ›

Personal essays can take on a number of forms, but there are typically five elements to them. The five elements of a personal essay are a strong opening hook, interesting story, interesting characters, absorbing setting, and an ultimate point or conclusion.

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