Thursday 23 June 2011

WRITING STYLE AND PRESENTATION IN GENERAL


Good academic style is direct and unpretentious.  Aim for simplicity and clarity, and avoid wordiness (do not use three words when one will do). You should also avoid using slang, colloquialisms, and abbreviations wherever this is possible.  Also avoid the use of sub-headings and numbering in an English essay.

Use the simple present tense for academic essay-writing in English (i.e. “the speaker suggests that…”; “this conveys a feeling of…”).  This makes your argument more immediate in tone and impact, and avoids complicated tense changes and sequences.

It is acceptable to use the pronoun “I” when writing an academic argument, although it is preferable to use the more formal “one,” or even to remove the first-person position from your writing altogether, and make use of the third person.  An individual tutor may have preferences in this regard too, and you can easily check this with him or her before you begin writing your essay.


Present your written work in a professional manner.  An essay which is carelessly presented may be returned for rewriting.  Essays should be neatly typed or word-processed; the line spacing should be 1.5 spaced, and the font size should be 12 point.  There should be a margin of 3 cm down the left-hand side of the page.  If you are using a word-processor, learn to use it properly: make use, for example, of the spelling checks and word counting facilities. However, spelling checks are not always reliable and it is recommended that you read through your essay yourself and check spelling with a dictionary in hand. If you do not understand what terms like “font size” (referred to above) or “indentation” (see the item on the use of long quotations from another text in section 5 below) mean, ask for assistance.  Your tutor is likely to be able to help; otherwise, ask another appropriate person, such as someone giving assistance or training to users of the computers in the university labs, such as HUMARGA, situated on the 3rd floor of the Arts Building.

If you are unsure of what format to use download this essay writing template.

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