Brilliant Essays

Contents
List of ‘have a go’ exercises
Acknowledgements
Introduction: The Challenge of Writing Brilliant Essays
	How to read this book
	Top Ten Pitfalls in Essay Writing
CHAPTER
1: Examining Assumptions in Questions
	Finding an assumption lurking beneath the surface
	Chapter 1 Exercises
		Examining assumptions in questions
CHAPTER
2: Finding Comparator Classes in Questions
	Emphasizing words to find comparators
	Chapter 2 Exercises Finding comparator classes in questions
		Chapter 2 Exercises Finding comparator classes in questions
CHAPTER
3: Interrogating Tensions in Questions
	BUT: Are your propositions complementary or in tension?
	OR: Are your options mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive?
	Why questions
	‘How’, ‘what’ and ‘when’ questions
	Chapter 3 Exercises Interrogating tensions in questions
		Chapter 3 Exercises Interrogating tensions in questions
Chapter
4: The Introduction Scale
	Level 1 introductions identify a question
	Level 2 introductions offer a bare ‘agree’ or ‘disagree’
	Level 3 introductions present the author’s view
	Level 4 introductions explain the author’s view
	Chapter 4 Exercises The introduction scale
		Chapter 4 Exercises The introduction scale
CHAPTER
5: Controlling Your Argument
	Be ruthless
	Avoid the voyage of discovery
	Don’t move off-piste
	Spill the beans
	Chapter 5 Exercises Controlling your argument
		Chapter 5 Exercises Controlling your argument
CHAPTER
6: Writing Elegantly
	Excessive signposting
	Compulsive hedging
	Writing about academia versus writing about the subject matter
	Avoid slipping between empirical and emotional statements
	Why get rid of hedging and signposting?
	Chapter 6 Exercises Writing elegantly
		Chapter 6 Exercises Writing elegantly
CHAPTER
7: Using Empirical Evidence Effectively
	Be systematic in your approach
	Of what is this a case? Compared with what?
	Typical and telling cases
	Hard and easy cases
	Chapter 7 Exercises Using empirical evidence effectively
		Chapter 7 Exercises Using empirical evidence effectively
CHAPTER
8: Syllogisms and Summaries
	Summarizing effectively by paraphrasing an argument
	Using syllogisms to boost the power of your arguments
	Using syllogisms to problematize a question
	Chapter 8 Exercises Syllogisms and summaries
		Chapter 8 Exercises Syllogisms and summaries
CHAPTER
9: Losing the Training Wheels
	Training wheel #1: The pro–con procedure
	Training wheel #2: Eliminating all uses of the word ‘I’
	Training wheel #3: Defining your terms and moving on
	Getting rid of tired old formulas for essay writing
	Chapter 9 Exercises Losing the training wheels
		Chapter 9 Exercises Losing the training wheels
CHAPTER
10: Reading Critically
	Active reading
	Note-taking
	Questions to ask yourself as you read
	Mapping out causal mechanisms and arguments as diagrams
	Chapter 10 Exercises Reading critically
		Chapter 10 Exercises Reading critically
CHAPTER
11: Examination Preparation
	Prioritizing thinking time and avoiding word wastage
	Revising well
	Handwritten essays
	Chapter 11 Exercises Examination preparation
		Chapter 11 Exercises Examination preparation
CHAPTER
12: Frequently Asked Questions
	General questions
	Questions about reading
	Questions about evidence
	Questions about examinations
	Questions about anxiety and confidence
Conclusion: Techniques for Writing Brilliant Essays
Answers to Chapter 1 Exercises
	Have a go at finding hidden assumptions
Answers to Chapter 2 Exercises
	Have a go at finding different comparator classes
Answers to Chapter 3 Exercises
	Have a go at uncovering false dichotomies (or trichotomies)
	Have a go at identifying assumptions in ‘how’, ‘when’ and ‘why’ questions
Answers to Chapter 4 Exercises
	Have a go at deducing the question from the introductory paragraphs
	Have a go at identifying the question steer
	Have a go at identifying a logical essay structure
Answers to Chapter 5 Exercises
	Have a go at cutting basic background information
	Have a go at staying on-piste
	Have a go at spilling the beans
Answers to Chapter 6 Exercises
	Have a go at avoiding excessive signposting
	Have a go at avoiding compulsive hedging
	Have a go at identifying the world of studying and the world of ideas
	Have a go at separating empirical and emotional statements
Answers to Chapter 7 Exercises
	Have a go at identifying core empirical cases and data
	Have a go at situating an example within different comparator classes
	Have a go at identifying hard and easy cases
Answers to Chapter 8 Exercises
	Have a go at moving from general theme to proposition
	Have a go at paraphrasing
	Have a go at writing an argument as a syllogism
Answers to Chapter 9 Exercises
	Have a go at responding to counter-arguments
	Have a go at identifying appropriate uses of ‘I’, ‘me’, ‘my’ and the passive voice
	Have a go at identifying different definitions
Answers to Chapter 10 Exercises
	Have a go at rewriting definitions in your own words
	Have a go at joining up the dots
Answers to Chapter 11 Exercises
	Have a go at avoiding word wastage
	Have a go at rote learning for examinations
	Have a go at examination planning
Answers to Chapter Exercises
	End of Chapter 1 Exercises: Examining assumptions in questions
	End of Chapter 2 Exercises: Finding comparator classes in questions
	End of Chapter 3 Exercises: Interrogating tensions in questions
	End of Chapter 4 Exercises: The introduction scale
	End of Chapter 5 Exercises: Controlling your argument
	End of Chapter 6 Exercises: Writing elegantly
	End of Chapter 7 Exercises: Using empirical evidence effectively
	End of Chapter 8 Exercises: Syllogisms and summaries
	End of Chapter 9 Exercises: Losing the training wheels
	End of Chapter 10 Exercises: Reading critically
	End of Chapter 11 Exercises: Examination preparation
References
Index