4.4 Presenting your paragraphs
As you have seen so far, when writing an essay a main concern should be clarity. This is achieved by clearly introducing and structuring the paragraphs, moving from general information to specific details and dealing with only one point at a time.
In the next activity you will learn that presentation also helps to produce a clear answer that tutors can easily follow.
Activity 14
Figure 11 contains visual representations of three possible ways to present an essay (A, B, C). Match each one to the tutor feedback below.
- This is a well-presented essay. Each paragraph develops one point and is clearly separate from the others.
- This essay is difficult to follow. It develops many points but these are not easy to identify as the essay is presented as one unbroken chunk of text.
- This essay deals with several issues but only one or two sentences are used to develop each point. In some cases explanations are provided in a separate short paragraph. This makes the text difficult to read.
Note the appropriate numbers in the box below before comparing your answers with mine.
Answer
A: 2
B: 3
C: 1
Comment
The way in which an essay is presented can help readers to clearly see its organisation and identify each point easily. If all points are merged into one long paragraph or if the supporting sentences are presented separately, readers will find it very difficult to follow.