Every essay has:

- Topic: The general topic of the essay, VERY GENERAL

- Question: Your essay must always be a question, and if it is not, you must convert it.

- Position: Is the answer of the question, you must: Read the relevant texts, think carefully about questions and texts, and decide on your answer to the question

 

Example: 

- Essay’s question: What were the causes of the 2008 financial crash?

- Topic: The 2008 financial crash

- Position:

       Strong position: The 2008 financial crash was caused by the financial deregulation programmes of the 1980s

       Cautious position: The causes of the 2008 financial crash have not yet been conclusively determined.

 | First word of the thesis statement: However, | Last word of the thesis statement: dubious

2. According to this introduction, the author will support his / her position by discussing two arguments. What are these two arguments? 

 | First argument: the exploitation of workers

| Second argument: the ‘homogenization’ of culture are not necessarily valid.  

3. In the author’s view, are these arguments strong or weak? Write ‘strong’ or ‘weak’ in each of the boxes below.

 | First argument – strong or weak? Strong

 | Second argument – strong or weak? Weak

 | First word of the thesis statement: However, | Last word of the thesis statement: dubious

2. According to this introduction, the author will support his / her position by discussing two arguments. What are these two arguments? 

 | First argument: the exploitation of workers

| Second argument: the ‘homogenization’ of culture are not necessarily valid.  

3. In the author’s view, are these arguments strong or weak? Write ‘strong’ or ‘weak’ in each of the boxes below.

 | First argument – strong or weak? Strong

 | Second argument – strong or weak? Weak

a) First = "However"

b) Last = "dubious"

Topic: What about is the assay?

Question: What am I trying to answer?, every assay starts with a question, TIP: convert the tittle as a question to do not focus on the topic only.

Position: The answer to the question 

 

Topic 

Let’s imagine we’re writing an essay with this tittle: 

What were the causes of the 2008 financial crash? 

 

What is the topic of this essay? 

The 2008 financial crash 

 

Question 

Sometimes the essay title is a question, with a question mark(?) at the end: 

 

What were the causes of the 2008 financial crash? 

 

Sometimes the essay title is not a question: 

Discuss the causes of the 2008 financial crash. 

 

But every essay starts with a question. 

 

If your essay title is not a question. ‘convert’ it:  

Discuss the causes of the 2008 financial crash.  

-> What were the causes of the 2008financial crash? 

 

But, when you actually write your essay, write the title exactly as your tutor gave it to you! 

 

Topic and Question 

The writer’s task is to answer the question! One common problem: 

 

Question -> X topic  

What were the causes of the 2008 financial crash? -> X The 2008 financial crash 

 

Position 

When you’re working on an essay, you need to: 

 

The answer to the question is called your position. 

 

Question: What were the causes of the 2008 financial crash? 

 

‘Strong’ position: The 2008 financial crash was caused by the financial deregulation programmes of the 1980s. 

 

‘Cautions’ position: The causes of the 2008 financial crash have not yet been conclusively determined. 

 

“Do I need to take a strong position in my essay?” 

No! 

To what extent can Big Brands be called evil? 

 

2: What is the topic of the essay? 

Big Brands 

 

3: What is the question? 

Can Big Brands be called evil? 

 

4: What is the author’s position? 

It is unfair to characterize big brands as evil as they bring many advantages to the countries in which they trade, especially developing countries, although some of their practices are certainly dubious. 

 

 

For example: Discuss the cause of 2008 financial crush. There’s no question here, but I have to convert this sentence into a question, like this: What were the causes of 2008 financial crush? Even if I don’t write this question on the essay, I have to remember the question all the time because it will help to write the thesis statement.

 

Sometimes the writer focus on the topic more than on the question. This could cause a problem because the writer might not answer the question of the essay.

 

The writer has a position all the time. This position is called the Thesis statement.

The writer’s position can be strong or cautious. Both positions are correct and the writer is the one who will defend this position.

First word of the thesis statement: However 

Last word of the thesis statement:
dubious 

 

2. According to this introduction, the author will support his / her position by discussing two arguments. What are these two arguments?  

First argument: 

It is unfair to characterize big brands as evil as they bring many advantages to the countries in which they trade, especially developing countries. 

 

Second argument: 

Some of the big brand practices are certainly dubious. 

 

3. In the author’s view, are these arguments strong or weak? Write ‘strong’ or ‘weak’ in each of the boxes below. 

First argument – strong or weak? 

strong 

 

Second argument – strong or weak? 

weak 

 

 …dubious.

2. According to this introduction, the author will support his / her position by discussing two arguments. What are these two arguments? 

First argument:

The exploitation of workers is not necessarily valid. 
Second argument:

The ‘homogenization’ of culture is not necessarily valid. 

3. In the author’s view, are these arguments strong or weak? Write ‘strong’ or ‘weak’ in each of the boxes below.

First argument – strong or weak?

Weak 
Second argument – strong or weak?

Weak 

To what extent can Big Brands be called evil?  

 
2: What is the topic of the essay?
The characterization of “big brands”.  

 
3: What is the question?
To what extent can Big Brands be called evil?  

 
4: What is the author’s position?
“…it is unfair to characterize big brands as evil as they bring many advantages to the countries in which they trade, especially developing countries, although some of their practices are certainly dubious.”  

- First word of the thesis statement: “However… ”
- Last word of the thesis statement: “… dubious.”

 
2. According to this introduction, the author will support his / her position by discussing two arguments. What are these two arguments? 

- First argument: “…it will be shown that accusations made against big brands regarding firstly, the exploitation of workers and secondly, the ‘homogenization’ of culture are not necessarily valid.”

 - Second argument: “…some of the benefits brought by ‘big brands’ will also be discussed.”

 
3. In the author’s view, are these arguments strong or weak?

- First argument: Weak

- Second argument: Strong