Year 12s: what will be the first way you research your future options? >>

Essay lacks clarity

Hi
my essay lacks clarity, what steps do I need to stop this from happening ?
Any tips welcomed :smile:

Before I start any essay I always do a few hours ~ couple days of research (if you're doing A Levels you won't need to do as much as this!). That way I can make myself familiar with the area and have more of an idea of the kinds of things that I can include in the essay, without having to go off and find more research half way through. Although that method works for some people, I often find that it makes my essay less clear and things don't seem to flow as well.

Next, start making essay plans if you don't already - try to make a bullet point list of every main point that you want to include, then look over it all afterwards and see if there's a clear, logical structure. Ideally every paragraph should revolve around one point or argument. Your plan doesn't have to be set in stone, but you want it to be a tool that you can refer to in order to stop you from going off into tangents which might make your essay less clear. Whilst writing, always keep the essay question in mind and check that you're answering the question as you go.

Finally, remember and accept that your first draft will usually be rubbish and will require quite a bit of work. Once you've got that first draft together, imagine that you're unfamiliar with your topic area and reading your essay for the first time - do you understand it? Can you see a clear structure? Are you convinced by your arguments? You could also get a friend to do this for you which can be even more helpful.

Hope this helps!