Study Skills Writing Guide
The basics There are many things that your lecturer will expect from you in an assignment – ideas, understanding, research and good grammar to name a few. One thing you must always do, regardless of content or style, is make sure you have formatted your document correctly. To ensure you do this there are a few key standards you must meet which are covered in this guide. Font size Most lecturers will specify that your font is no less than 12pt. The reason for this is that your font must not be so small that it is difficult to read, but neither should it be so large that your essay is pages and pages long.
Font type The type of font you use is also important, you may think a font looks good for a number of reasons but choosing something that looks like:
will make it difficult for anyone to read your assignment. It is best to check with your lecturer for their preferences but selecting fonts like:
is a good idea because they are clear and easy to read. Your lecturer may specify that you use a sans-serif font; these are types of font which do not have a serif, or projection, on the edges of each letter. You can see the difference between arial which is a sans-serif font and times new roman which has serifs below:
Margins When writing any assignment it is also important that you consider the size of your margins. If you are using Microsoft Word it will usually automatically set the margin of your page to normal, leaving roughly an inch of space on all sides of your document. However, there are other settings you can use so it’s important to check with your lecturer in case they have any particular layouts they would like you to use. You can find the margin settings by clicking on the Page Layout tab in Word. The reason margins are important is that lecturers will often use them to make notes about your work when they are marking it.
This not only gives them a good idea of how to grade your assignment but it allows you to see feedback throughout your assignment.
Line spacing Much like margins, line spacing also gives your lecturer more space to comment on your work which is why you will usually be asked to double space your lines. In Microsoft Word you can do this by selecting the Page Layout tab and then the Paragraph link. A pop-up window appears which lets you change the line spacing.
Headers and Footers Headers and footers are the place to put any details you may need which are not part of the body of your assignment, for instance page numbers, your name and student ID number etc. Always ask your tutor what they want you to include on your headers or footers. You can insert them by selecting the Insert tab in Microsoft Word and clicking on the Header or Footer links.
Answering the question The most important thing you need to do when completing any assignment is answer the question. You could write a brilliant piece of work but if you haven’t answered the question properly you will miss out on those vital top marks.
What is the key subject? To correctly answer the question you need to identify certain words or phrases. The first thing you need to look for is the key subject or topic; this is the subject matter of the essay. Ask yourself: what is the essay about? Once you have identified this it will help you to limit your research to a particular topic and ensure all of your reading is relevant. For instance, in the question Assess the main causes of the First World War the key topic is the First World War. What are limiting words? Once you have established what the main subject is you will need to look for limiting words, these are the words that focus your discussion in the main body of your essay. They help you to select which information you should and should not include. For example, in the previous question – Assess the main causes of the First World War - the limiting words are ‘main causes’.
By stating the student needs to discuss the main causes and not all of the causes of the First World War, the lecturer is asking the student to identify a few major reasons why that war took place. It is up to the student to decide what should be included, but using the clues from reading and lessons would help with this. The lecturer would have spent more time on any reasons which could be considered ‘major’. What are the direction words? The final thing to look for when you are reading your assignment title/question is one or more direction words. These are the words which tell you what to do, or how to answer the question. In the example that has been used previously this word would be identify, this means that the student needs to recognise or distinguish certain features from others. In this case the student would distinguish the ‘main’ causes from other less significant causes of the First World War. Following this section there is a glossary of common direction words with a short explanation of what that word means when used in an assignment title.
Glossary of key words A glossary of key words can be found below. Please be aware that the list does not include all direction words, just some of the most common ones. You may come across words not listed here, if you are unsure what these words mean always check with your lecturer or a member of the Learning Hub Team.
Writing in the 3rd Person and using the passive voice Certain types of essays will require you to write in the 1st person, this means that you can refer to yourself by using the words ‘I’ or ‘me’ in your assignment. The types of assignments in which it would be acceptable to do this are reflective pieces, like journals, and creative pieces, like stories. In other assignments, for instance most exams, essays and reports, you will be expected you use the 3rd person. This means that instead of using ‘I’ you would use words like ‘it’ and ‘the’. It is also worthwhile to remember that writing in the 3rd person requires that you use the passive voice. The passive voice is led by the action (something/someone else was doing it) and the active voice is led by you. The 3rd person will always use the passive voice as it is not possible to use an active voice when writing in the 3rd person.
The following examples demonstrate this clearly. For instance, in a science report, you might use the 3rd person to say ‘The experiment was carried out in a laboratory’. You would not use ‘I carried out the experiment in a laboratory’ which is in the 1st person and the active voice. Or, in an essay on the American Civil War you might write ‘It could be argued that the War was fought over slavery’ in the 3rd person and the passive voice. You would not use ‘I believe that the War was fought over slavery’ which is in the 1st person and the active voice. It is also worth remembering that in most assignments you would be expected to write in the past tense and that you should use formal, professional sounding language. Good grammar and punctuation are also important so make sure you proofread carefully! It is often a good idea to get someone else to proofread your work for you, as they might spot mistakes which you don’t see. Also, reading your work aloud is a good way to identify typing errors and to hear how well constructed your work is. As with all of the tips in this guide, make sure you check with your lecturer if they want you to write in the 3rd person or not.
Informed opinions We all have opinions on many things but when you are writing assignments your lecturer will be looking for you to demonstrate an informed opinion. This means the statements and arguments you make are not just what you think but can be backed up with evidence. You need to research carefully before you write your assignments and then the information that you source through your research and reading should be used to illustrate your point. Quite often you will show your reader where your source came from by referencing. If you need further information please consult our Referencing Guide; you can find copies in the Learning Hubs or on Moodle.
Word count For most assignments you will be given a word count or limit, this is to make sure that you are able to keep your arguments concise and relevant, and also that you have done enough research to fill the count with informed arguments and not waffle. You will be expected to write as close as possible to the word count set, whether this is 500 words or 5,000 words. There are sometimes things which you do not include in the count, for instance the title and, in some instances, quotes. Always ask your lecturer exactly what should be included in your word count. If you are using Microsoft Word you can find your word count in the bottom left-hand corner of the page.
10% guideline There is an unwritten guideline that is acceptable to go either 10% above or below your word limit. This is considered to be close enough to the limit set that it would not affect the overall impression of your assignment. For instance, if you had an essay to write with a limit of 2,000 words and you wrote between 1,800 and 2,200 it should not affect your grade. However, as this is more of an unwritten guideline than a rule, you must check with your lecturer to ensure that they find this acceptable.
Introduction To produce a well written piece of work you should always include some kind of introduction to the subject you are writing about. If this is an essay or report, you will usually be expected to write an introductory paragraph or section, but even in short answer questions and exams it is good practice to write at least a sentence to give your reader some information about how you’re going to answer the question. As a guideline your introduction should make up roughly 10% of your word count. Remember it is the part of your assignment when you hook the reader in and make them want to read more, so try to make it as interesting as possible! A plan of your essay structure Your introduction should read like a preview of your assignment, allowing your reader to understand exactly the main point of your assignment. It should include a summary of the key arguments you will be using and the evidence you will use to back them up. Also, if you have carried out research yourself you should outline any methodologies you have used in your introduction. Each of the points you cover in the introduction should be in the same order in the assignment, this will allow you to link each point to the next one and show that your assignment has a coherent structure and the writing flows well. Where you might devote an entire section or paragraph to each point in the main body of your assignment, in your introduction one or two well written sentences should be enough. Defining your terms One of the most important things you can do in an introductory section is define any of the key terms you will be using throughout the assignment; these are often in the title. For instance in the question How can power be understood through Marxist theory? you might want to describe both the word power and the term Marxist. The best way to do this is to find a definition in either the books you are using for your research, a dictionary, or a specialist dictionary if necessary. You can then use the definitions you find to tell your reader exactly what is meant by certain terms in your assignment, and give them a clear understanding of your meaning. Make sure you put any definitions into your own words, as using a direct quote from a dictionary can sometimes sound superficial or curt, and this may seem unprofessional to your reader. Sometimes a well referenced quote will be sufficient to
illustrate your point but remember your lecturers will be looking for your own understanding so it is usually best to put the definition into your own words as this shows you have really understood what you have read. In most cases, you will still need to reference your source material so make sure you do even if you’ve used your own words. Outlining your argument In addition to defining any key terms, your introduction should also be used to outline your argument. By the time you come to writing your assignment you should have a definite idea of how you intend to answer the question, your introduction should be used to briefly summarise what your main argument will be. Don’t be afraid of answering the question in your introduction, you will show how you reached your conclusion throughout the main body of your essay and it will help your reader to have a definite idea of the direction you are taking. Overview of the literature You should also include references to any key ideas you are going to be using which you found in your reading and research. Make sure that you only introduce the work briefly and only in relation to your key points, otherwise your introduction could become overly lengthy. If you have been asked to reference by your lecturer make sure that you do so correctly. Referencing can be tricky so if you find you are unsure how to do it either ask your lecturer or a member of Learning Hub staff for help, and whatever you do, be consistent as this will show that you are making an effort to get it right. Remember, your introduction should make up around 10% of your total word count.
Main body The main body of your assignment should follow on from your introduction. You should go through each of your intended points in more detail by demonstrating your knowledge, and backing this up with evidence from your research. You might do this under individual subheadings, for instance in a report you will have a section devoted to your methodologies and another for a discussion of your findings etc., or paragraph by paragraph as you would for a standard essay. Remember that it is important to try and balance your argument as much as possible to show that you have read and researched both sides of any argument; this will stop your assignment from becoming too one-sided. If your argument is balanced it will help your reader to assess how well you have researched your assignment and how carefully you have developed your opinions.
Opening sentences Each paragraph in the main body, or in each subsection of a report, should contain no more than one point. The opening sentence of each paragraph should help to organise the ideas and arguments you are going to present, this is similar to how an introduction is used to organise the entire assignment. The first sentence of a paragraph, sometimes called a topic sentence, should state clearly the point you are making in that paragraph and each following sentence should relate to this in some way. This helps to keep the content of your writing coherent, as it stops you from moving too far away from the point you are making. Ordering arguments If you have planned your assignment carefully your arguments will be ordered in a very specific way. Each point should be designed to drive your argument forward from the question you have been asked, to the answer you want to give your reader. Your research will have allowed you to go from having a general understanding of your topic, to very specific points which have directly informed your argument. The points in your assignment should be ordered in this way as this will show how you came to your conclusions from your research, by discussing the broadest arguments first and becoming more focussed as you go along. This helps to show your reader the logic behind your argument. Using references For most pieces of College work you will be expected to reference any sources you have used. You must make sure that you do so every time you refer to an idea or a piece of work that was written by another person. This applies to direct quotes and paraphrases, which is when you write someone else’s ideas down in your own words. If you have been asked to reference you will also be expected to produce a bibliography or reference list, which is a list of sources that is attached to the end of your essay. The example below shows you how you would reference a book in a bibliography or reference list. Information needed: Author’s Surname, Initials., year published. Book title. ed. Place of Publication: Publisher. Referencing Example: Dummett, M., 1994. Electoral reform. 2nd ed. Oxford: Oxford University Your sources should be used to illustrate the point you are making which means the quotes you select should be reputable and reliable. If your sources are well selected they will improve the strength of your argument, so it is also important that you make sure they are written by acknowledged experts. A good way to be sure you are using good sources is using the library resources at College.
Be careful not to use too many quotes as your assignments should feel like they are written in your own ‘voice’. We all sound different when we are speaking and it is the same when we write, so you must take care that your assignments read in your ‘voice’. This is particularly important when you are paraphrasing, as changing a few words might make a sentence seem different but that doesn’t mean it reflects your own style of writing. Learning to summarise well can help to avoid this because it means your notes will all be written in your style, so when you come to use that information in your assignment you won’t have to try to change the wording. When you do use quotes make sure that they are really strengthening your argument, when you feel it’s something you couldn’t have written as well in your own words or it paints a particularly vivid picture for your reader. For information please consult our Referencing Guide or speak to your lecturer. Linking sentences It is very important you provide links in your writing; in a paragraph your topic sentences will tell your reader about the argument you are going to make. Following this, your argument will be backed up with sources and references which tell your reader why you are making that argument and how it is important. The next thing you need to do, to make sure your writing flows well, is link that argument to the next one. You have to show your reader how the point you have just made can be connected to the point you are about to make. For example, if you followed an argument that illustrated the strength of Barrack Obama’s economic policies with the weaknesses you might write: ‘It can be seen that many Americans support the liberalism of Obama’s economic policies, however there are others who criticise him on this point.’ This sentence would allow you to move into this next paragraph with a counter argument because it sets you up to move into your topic sentence easily. Connecting sentences and paragraphs, or sub-sections, can be made easier with the use of linking words or phrases. In the sentence above, the two points are linked together using the word ‘however’, and also by referring to the key subject ‘economic policies’. These simple techniques help to maintain the coherence of the writing by telling the reader why the points are connected. More examples of linking words can be found on the following pages, you will see that the word or phrase you select give the link a certain direction so it is important that you choose the right one for your sentence.
Linking words and phrases
Please be aware that this list does not include all linking words and phrases, just some of the most common ones. You may want to use words not listed here; if you are unsure if you are using them correctly always check with your lecturer. Subheadings When writing the main body of your assignment you may be expected to use subheadings to indicate different sections, this will depend on the type or length of the assignment. For standard length essays, you will not usually need subheadings but in reports and extended essays you very often will. If you are writing an extended essay your subheadings will usually indicate the beginning of a new chapter. You will mostly be expected to decide for yourself where to begin and end a chapter. However, if you are writing a report there are standard sections which you will be expected to include.
The most commonly used subheadings are: Discussion/Findings: this is a section of your report in which you would write about the things you have found out from your research. Methods: if you have carried out an experiment you will have to use methodologies specific to your area of study. In this section write about the systems, tools or set of rules you followed for your experiment. Results: if you carried out an experiment you will have generated results. The results may come in a variety of forms from quotes and conversation to data and statistics, this section is the place where you would write up those results so that your reader can understand them. If you are unsure on which sections to use, check with your lecturer how they want you to format your assignment. For further information on this see the Assignment Structures section at the end of this guide.
Conclusions The purpose of a conclusion is to pull together all the information you have covered in your assignment. Much the same as an introduction, it should be used to directly address the question you have been asked and it should be no more than roughly 10% of your overall word count. Your reader should be able to look at your conclusion on its own and get a good impression of what the content of your essay is and why the argument you are making is a valid one. It is also the last thing they will read if they look at the entire document, so it is important you make it well written and memorable. Summarise your points If we consider the introduction of an assignment as being a preview of what is to come, the conclusion could be considered a review of what has been written. You should use it to show how you have covered each of your arguments and why you did so, backing this up with the evidence you used and demonstrating how this links to your own point of view on the subject. Don’t just repeat what you have already written but show your reader how your points link together and why they lead you to the conclusions you have reached. Answer the question As simple as it may sound, in your conclusion you will be expected to answer the question. Even if your assignment question asks you to compare and contrast, you have to offer an opinion on the validity of the evidence, deciding which arguments you think are strongest and telling your reader why you have come to that decision. The conclusion is likely to be the part of your essay that your reader remembers, so it should be strong, direct, and also interesting. Try to avoid using clichéd language like ‘It can be concluded that’, as this will not strike your reader as something that is worth remembering – they are looking for your ‘voice’ and your opinion.
The “so what?” question One way to make sure that your reader is interested by your conclusion is to answer the ‘so what?’ question. You can do this in a few different ways, by demonstrating that your argument is:
contrary to the popular view
by offering solutions for a particular problem by making suggestions for further research by showing that there is still a question that cannot be answered by the research that is currently available
The best way to write a strong conclusion is to make sure your reader knows why your argument is an important one. If you can do that they will not be left thinking ‘so what?’, and you will have made a strong impression.
Assignments structures The following section deals with the technical elements of writing assignments in different formats. It should be used to give you an idea of the layout and any key points which need to be included in each section. Always ask your lecturer exactly what format your assignment should take, they may have their own preferences regarding what they would like you to include or exclude, and this guide will only provide you with general information. This section will offer guidance on a number of different assignment forms. Each format will be provided as a visual aid to structuring assignments, containing hints, tips and guidance on the different elements of the structure. Please bear in mind that there are other types of assignments which may not be covered in this guide, but your lecturer will always give you instructions on how to carry them out.
Essay Structure
Business style report
Scientific style report
Short answer questions
Reflective assignments
Top tips for assignment writing This guide should give you the information you need to be able to construct well-formatted and academic assignments. However, there is a huge amount of information to remember so here are some of our top tips:
Always use a clear, easy to read font which is sized to at least 12pt Set your margins to normal in Microsoft Word and try to double space your lines Use headers and footers to add your details to an assignment before submission so your lecturer knows it belongs to you
Read the question carefully and make sure you understand any key words
For most assignments you will be expected to write in the 3rd person using the passive voice
Your opinions and arguments should be informed; this means you need to use your reading to show how you came to your conclusions. Sometimes you will be asked to reference your work to demonstrate this, do so carefully and use our Referencing Guide for support
Your assignments should always have a clear introduction outlining what you plan to write Your main body should contain the detail of your argument, it may contain a few different sections, so make sure you ask your lecturer what they want you to include and if you need to use subheadings
In your conclusion you should sum up your arguments and make sure you explicitly answer the question
If in doubt, ask! Your lecturers and the Learning Hub team are here to help.
