The skill of good essay writing is essential if you are to achieve the kind of grades you want in the courses you are studying. This is true whether you are studying at GCSE, AS or A levels at school or college, or trying to gain a degree at university. The advice and practical guidance you receive in this book will enable you to improve your grade assessments by putting into practice some simple, but invaluable principles of essay writing. These approaches will work for you whether you are facing assessment in timed exam conditions or being judged by coursework assignments. This book will take you step by step from your opening to your closing paragraph, so that you focus your thoughts on answering the assignment appropriately and relevantly. It also contains ten sample essays and useful chapters on grammar, accuracy and spelling.

Contents: Preface; Introduction; 1. Planning Your Essay; 2. The Opening Paragraph; 3. The Body of the Essay; 4. The Closing Paragraph; 5. Summary of Essay Structure; 6. Sample Essay 1: A Discursive Essay; 7. Sample Essay 2: Literature; 8. Sample Essay 3: Writing about Poetry; 9. Sample Essay 4: Another Essay on a Poem; 10. Sample Essay 5: a Media Studies Essay; 11. Sample Essay 6: History; 12. Sample Essay 7: Writing About a Novel; 13. Sample Essay 8: Writing in Response to a Critical Thinking Task; 14. Sample Essay 9: A Film Studies Essay; 15. Sample Essay 10: A Politics Essay; 16. Grammar and Accuracy; 17. Spelling; 18. Bibliographics and Reference Lists; 19. Examinations; Answers to Practice Sections; Index.