The purpose of this article is to clarify the rules of writing an essay to everyone who might be interested.
An essay is a type of essay in prose with signs of brevity and freedom of choice of topic, as well as freedom of presentation. The French thinker Michel Montaigne was the discoverer of this genre. His famous "Experiments" are written in the form of an essay.
The purpose of the essay is to convey information about something and explain the described phenomenon. Achieving the goal is carried out using direct authorial speech. There is no storyline or characters in the essay.
As a rule, the author’s point of view stated in the essay is innovative and purely personal. His opinion, in accordance with the tradition of the genre, can relate to the fields of criticism, journalism, philosophy, and also touch on popular science topics.
Modern students write compulsory essays in accordance with the requirements of the Unified State Exam (USE). Examples are works in the fields of social science, Russian and foreign languages, and literature. The student must:
- express your thoughts in writing (competently and clearly);
- demonstrate independent creative thinking.
This article provides universal rules for writing an essay regardless of its subject, as well as the rules for writing essays in social studies. Universal recommendations explain how to choose a topic and form an essay structure.
Essay Writing Rules
Topic Requirements
The purpose of the topic is a convincing invitation to the reader for reflection and controversy. It is recommended that you select a controversial statement or problematic issue and turn them into a topic. For example: “Who benefits from the Pussy Riot case?”, “Why I do not want to participate in rallies”, etc.
Structural features
- The title page is desirable. (Mandatory in student work).
- Introductory part . The meaning and foundations of the thematic wording. The main question is posed on a topic that will receive its answer in the main part (in the "body of the text"). Actual status of the topic (it is necessary to justify and prove it). Terminology with explanations.
- “ The body of the text ” (main part). Detailed answer to the main question. It is necessary to analyze the data that are at the disposal of the author and defend his point of view with arguments. It is recommended to use categorical philosophical pairs and describe the relationships: cause-effect, formal-substantive, relations of the whole and parts, etc. Paragraph rule: one paragraph - one thought.
- The final part . Combining the findings. Review of the results. A repetition of the main statements to which it is desirable to pick up a quote.
These are the rules for writing an essay on any subject. Let's move on to social science.
Social Studies Essays
Each rule of writing an essay in this area requires knowing the problems of the seven social sciences:
- philosophy,
- social Psychology,
- economy,
- sociology,
- political science,
- jurisprudence.
The composition must be creative. The author comprehends the problem situations outlined in the task and sets out his point of view on them. It is necessary to present serious arguments, to operate with social science concepts and terms, to show possession of theoretical positions. It is highly advisable to use facts based on the student’s personal or social experience.
Criteria for evaluating an essay in social studies:
- Proper use and excellent knowledge of basic social science terms.
- The ability to characterize, explain and compare many social processes and objects.
- Reliance on own illustrations to the provisions of the theory.
- The ability to personally assess social facts.
Requirements for obtaining the highest score:
- The problems of the essay are revealed at the level of theory.
- The author's position is formulated and protected.
- The opinion of the author is based on social life (the ability to analyze facts has been proved) and on his own experience of life in society.
An essay on social studies is the only part of the exam in which the choice of topics from the six available is allowed. To make this choice conscious, the student must be prepared to write an essay in accordance with the above requirements.