Essays are a common form of assessment in many college disciplines. The ability to construct good essays involves understanding the process and the conventions of essay writing.

Coherence relates to the smooth transition between logical elements of your essay text, including Connectives used in and between sentences as well as those used between paragraphs.

• • Carefully use transition signals
• • Check the punctuation after introductory phrases
• • Write ‘hand-holding’ sentences

1. Begin your paragraphs with a topic sentence which summarises the main point of the paragraph.
2. Establish your central topic at the beginning of the sentence, preferably as a subject.
3. Move from old to new information.
4. Keep your topics, or the beginning of your sentences, brief and simple, and put complex or detailed information at the end of a sentence.
5. Place less important information at the start of a sentence and more important information at the end of a sentence.
6. Clearly emphasise your more important points, and de-emphasise minor supporting points.

1. Analyze the question
2. Define an argument
3. Use evidence, reasoning and prior research
4. Organize what you write