How To Turn Your Essay From A First Class To An Upper First Class

From First Class To An Upper First Class

To turn your essay from a First Class to an Upper First Class essay, there are several essay components that must be reviewed and enhanced. In general terms, the difference between each of these essay standards is a relative one, marked by the essay’s degree of sophistication.

Using Rare Mastery Of Subject Matter

While a First Class essay is characterised by a clear realisation of the requirements of the essay task, an Upper First Class essay demonstrates a rare mastery of the subject matter, prompting an examiner well versed in the subject to sense a high level of clarity of understanding of the topic and its underlying principles. To attain a level of mastery of the task requirements, and thereby turn your essay from a First Class to an Upper First Class essay, wide reading on the subject must allow the writer to gain a position of breadth and depth of knowledge, as well a multi-disciplinary perspective on the subject matter. Conventional and consensus views on a given subject must be clearly grasped, but the Upper First Class essay demonstrates an awareness of nuances, contradictions among researched perspectives and new ways of synthesising the salient body of knowledge.

Using A Breadth And Depth Of Subject Knowledge

To turn the First Class Essay into an Upper First Class, the perspective of the writer must demonstrate a panoramic view of the subject, be able to place it comfortably and clearly within its appropriate context or contexts, and explain how the context shapes the subject matter. To do this, a literature review must be conducted, and wide reading must span the full range of relevant ways of understanding a given topic. Thinking about the subject matter must be both convergent and divergent, establishing a specific thesis focus that is sustained coherently throughout the essay, as well as a broad based approach, so that the essay cannot be critiqued for having an overly narrow response to a topic.

Using The Most Authoritative And Insightful Sources

To turn the First Class Essay into an Upper First Class, sources must be judiciously selected during the literature review phase of the essay’s construction. It is instructive to examine the sources relied upon by writers of exemplar essays within the field of study published for peer reviewed journals, to establish the range of publications, institutes, government organisations and university departments who have a specialty in the given field of intellectual enterprise. When pre-reading, discernment should be used to observe arguments that are more or less perceptive and which publications consistently produce work of a higher academic quality. The process of turning the First Class Essay into an Upper First Class essay involves scrutinising each source used, replacing sources that rely upon tenuous evidence or lack direct relevance to the topic at hand.

Using Exemplary Communication Skills

To turn the First Class Essay into an Upper First Class essay, the powers of written expression must be outstanding. Absolute clarity of communication of ideas is central to this task, so a re-edit will ensure that even minor impediments to clear communication of ideas are removed. Arguments that are undersold by the expression used should be more fully formed by enhancing the choice of vocabulary, the best use of syntax, punctuation and paragraph structure. Exemplary writing skills should also be utilised to bring flair to the essay, by conveying wide ranging relevant viewpoints using language which engages, provokes, informs and persuades, with the force of momentum.

By Harnessing The Power Of Structure

To turn the First Class Essay into an Upper First Class essay, the structure of the essay must show an unrelenting sense of logical order and efficient organisation of ideas. Reviewing the existing shape, size and order of the paragraphs, the writer should determine which adjustments will enhance the clarity and power of the communication. Each paragraph must equally contribute to the meaning of the whole, and be a vital subsection of the holistic response. Additionally, to turn the First Class Essay into an Upper First Class essay, the arrangement of material within each paragraph must also be scrutinised. First, the topic sentences must be succinct, incisive and directly relevant to both the question and the task of building the momentum of the argument. Second, the explanations of key points must be sharpened, removing any vagueness of expression or reliance upon over-generalisations. Every statement must hold up under close scrutiny. Third, the examples used to illustrate the main points must be well balanced, economically used and not overly familiar to an examiner. Fourth, a blend of direct citation, exemplar, case study summary or paraphrased text may be used as evidence, but the evidence when turning the First Class Essay into an Upper First Class essay must be compelling, and must buttress the main points, rather than overshadow them or act as a substitute for them. Fifthly, the use of evidence within each paragraph must show an awareness of divergent approaches to the topic, displayed by other authors, often from an array of disciplines, rather than restricting the marshalling of evidence to a single discipline. Finally, the paragraph structure must conclude with an efficient synthesis statement, which is a logical endpoint for the material presented within the paragraph, as well as serving to maintain the essay’s momentum.

By Guaranteeing Independence Of Thought

This is a challenging task given much has already been written by well-informed people in many academic fields of writing and publishing. To turn the First Class Essay into an Upper First Class essay via heightened originality, the interconnections between ideas must be managed in a thoughtful and interesting manner, causing a reader to be intellectually stimulated by the novel approach to the content. Drawing upon unusual and non-conventional sources may facilitate this process, perhaps found in emerging fields, permitting a writer to bring a fresh perspective to a well-known topic area. Alternatively, choosing to examine a text or a period in time from a non-dominant viewpoint, creates a new energy with respect to the topic and thereby, a greater independence of thought. A self-evaluation process posing questions such as “what is profound about this piece of writing?” may prompt the writer of the First Class Essay to conceive ways in which salient points can be transformed into profound insights.