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Friday Lessons with Uncle Jay
What is good writing?
This is not an easy question to answer.
Many very different kinds of writing are considered “good” and for many different reasons.
There is no formula or programme for writing well.
However, there are certain qualities that most examples of good writing share.
While reading a student’s essay, markers will ask themselves questions such as:
1. Does this essay directly address the set task?
2. Does it present a strong, supported position?
3. Does it use relevant sources appropriately?
4. Is the expression clear, and the style appropriate?
5. Is the essay organised coherently?
Is there a clear introduction, body and conclusion?
You can use these questions to reflect on your own writing.
Here are top tips to help you address these criteria.
The qualities described here are especially important for academic and expository writing.
Define your argument
As you plan and prepare to write the essay, you must consider what your argument is going to be.
This means taking an informed position or point of view on the topic presented in the question, then defining and presenting a specific argument.
Focus
An essay should have a single clear central idea.
Each paragraph should have a clear main point or topic sentence.
Development
Each paragraph should support or expand the central idea of the paper.
The idea of each paragraph should be explained and illustrated through examples, details, and descriptions.
Unity
Every paragraph in an essay should be related to the main idea.
Each paragraph should stick to its main point.
Coherence
An essay or paper should be organised logically, flow smoothly, and “stick” together.
In other words, everything in the writing should make sense to:
Correctness
A paper should be written in generally correct standard English, with complete sentences, and be relatively error-free.
Creativity
The best writing carries some of the personality and individuality of its author.
Follow the above guidelines, but always work to make your writing uniquely your own.
Remember that an essay is a story, so even though it is non-fiction, it will benefit from the elements of a story: characters, plot, setting, dialogue, point of view, and tone.
Is your story funny, sad, contemplative, nostalgic, magical, or a combination of these?
Your job as a writer is to help the reader imagine what you see in your mind’s eye.
That requires sensory detail.
Be sure to write about sounds, sights, smells, textures, and tastes.
Remember, too, that your work will be read by a wide audience, so you need to determine how much of yourself and your intimate experience you are comfortable sharing. — pwrites.princeton.edu.
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