Organising the Main Body

This and the next two units deal with the organisation of the main body, the introduction and the conclusion. In the case of longer assignments it is often better to write the main body before the introduction. With shorter essays, for example in exams, this is impractical, and the introduction has to be written first.

1. The structure of the main body depends on the length of the essay and the subject of study.

Longer essays may include the following sections:

Experimental set-up – a technical description of the organisation of an experiment

Methods – how the research was carried out

Findings/results – what was discovered by the research/experiment

Case study – a description of an example of the topic being researched

Discussion – an examination of the issues and the writer’s verdict

2. The sections below comprise the main body of an essay titled ‘Studying abroad: an analysis of costs and benefits’. Decide on the heading of each section and the best order for them.

a) Comparisons of the advantages and disadvantages that students mentioned about study abroad and an attempt to decide if most students benefited from the experience.

b) Detailed description of the survey carried out by the researcher.

c) An extensive study of two students (from different cultures) studying in Britain who were interviewed by the researcher.

d) A report of what the survey found, with statistical analysis.

3. Shorter essays (in exams, for example) tend to have simpler structures:

Description/development A → B → C → D

For and against X Y or X Y

X1 Y1 X1 Y1

X2 Y2 X2 Y2

Comparison/evaluation J K L

J1 K1 L1

J2 K2 L2

Match the examples of plans for main bodies below to the structures above.

a) Prisons make criminals worse, and should be abolished – Discuss.

i) benefit of prisons – deterrence

ii) benefit of prisons – removes dangerous people from society

iii) drawback of prisons – prisoners lose contact with non-criminal society

iv) drawback of prisons – prisoners become bitter and learn criminal techniques

b) In the UK, radio is gaining audience while TV is losing viewers. Consider possible reasons.

i) radio can be listened to in many situations

ii) radio offers a wide variety of programme types

iii) radio does not demand full attention, e.g. background music

iv) TV lacks flexibility, needs full attention

v) economic factors: TV more expensive to buy/programmes more expensive to make

vi) high production costs may result in poor quality of programmes

4. Inside the main body, ideas need to be presented in the most logical fashion, linked together to form a coherent argument.

Re-organise the notes below to achieve the best structure.

a) Trace the development of the factory system and evaluate its social impact.

workers forced to adopt a regular timetable to maintain production

first factories employed unskilled workers; often women and children

early employers enforced strict codes of discipline

factories originally sited to make use of water power (in 18th C.)

later some employers offered social benefits, e.g. housing/education

in nineteenth century factories built near canals/railways for access to markets

b) Lowering the minimum school leaving age to 14 would allow teachers to focus on

teaching the students who wanted to be in school – Discuss.

if they left at 14, students would be unlikely to find proper jobs

some students more suited to work that doesn’t require qualifications

problem students waste everybody’s time, including their own

effort should be made in primary schools to prevent pupils falling behind

many older students have lost interest in learning and disrupt classes

in future, almost all jobs will demand academic skills