If you’re at high school, college or university, you’ll almost certainly need to write essays. More and more students are being asked to produce written assignments, even in physics and mathematics.

Writing an essay means more than finding and recording facts. It means thinking critically: analysing material and reaching a conclusion. It means showing that you understand the material you’ve been studying. Above all, it means presenting a coherent argument.

Learning to write essays also prepares us for life beyond college. In the real world, more and more of us need to be able to express ideas clearly, with good grammar and a flexible style. Essay writing gives us the skills to become more effective citizens.

And yet, all too often, students are not offered the skills and techniques to write effective essays.

How do you start? What kind of words should you use? Are you entitled to offer your own views on a subject?

How to Write an Essay will make life easier for you. It will help you produce an essay that your tutor will appreciate, and that will do you credit.