Lesson 2 Essay organization

1. This lesson will cover three important aspects of essay writing:

• what title you give your essay

• how you organise your ideas

• the style you use to write your essay.

It’s important to think about how you organise your ideas in your essay because good organisation can make your essay easier to understand and ensures that you answer the hidden question in the essay title.

We’re going to examine the writer’s ideas for an essay based on the title ‘Discuss the reasons why people choose to live in Reading’. Reading is the name of a town in the United Kingdom. It's different from the pronunciation of ‘reading’- as in ‘reading a book’- although the spelling is the same.

The ideas the writer might have had before he wrote this essay. Why do people choose to live in Reading? Well, they might choose to live there, because their family and friends live there. There are also job opportunities in Reading. Another reason is that house prices are cheaper than in London. It's also a quiet and clean environment. There are also many leisure facilities for the family, things for them to do, such as sport or shopping.

2. Essay organisation - an example

Read the essay below slowly and carefully, using your dictionary to make sure you understand the words.

Discuss the reasons why people choose to live in Reading

Reading is a large town in south-east England with a population of 147,300. It is about halfway between London and Oxford. Some people were born in Reading, and they stay because of their family and friends. Other people, however, have relocated for personal reasons; perhaps they want to take up a new job opportunity or be near their social circle. This essay will discuss two common reasons why some people choose to live in Reading: to improve the quality of their family life and to study.

Reading offers the opportunity for a good work-life balance. It is only 25 minutes from London by train, but the environment is clean, houses are cheaper and there are many leisure opportunities for families. There are parks and pools in the town and the countryside is only a short car drive away. Shopping is also a growing attraction. The number of retail outlets has increased by one third since the opening of the ‘Oracle’, a new shopping complex, in 1999. The town also has a library, many places of worship, a theatre, a concert hall, an art gallery, a museum, two cinemas, a football stadium, and many restaurants. These facilities mean that local people of all ages have places to go.

Many people also come to Reading to study at a language school or at the university. They may choose Reading because the university has an excellent reputation, a beautiful campus and offers a high level of support to its students. Alternatively, the reasons may be more practical. Transport is efficient; there is easy access to London and Heathrow Airport. Accommodation is fairly easy to find and cheaper than London. Job opportunities are also good. Many students take up part-time work, even if English is not their first language.

In conclusion, people live in Reading for their own individual reasons. For some people, Reading represents a lifestyle choice, and for others it offers opportunities to study. With its good employment prospects, ideal location, wide range of leisure facilities, interesting educational opportunities and excellent transport links, it will no doubt continue to be a popular place to live in the future.