essay writing

alwaysonthego_2

I am in my second year of an educational degree and I am doing well get high 60s and low 70s in my assignments.

I have recieved feedback which says I should not use future tense in the introduction of my essays where I signpost what the issues that the essay is going to tackle. I have always used the same formula for my intros and this has never been raised before.

I am going to book a tutorial, but what do you guy think. I would find it hard to signpost what I am going to talk about without putting in future tense i.e this essay is going to tackle ................., Thanks x

bestpud

I think it depends on the lecturer as we have one who actively encourages this and one who says it is a waste of words.

Most don't mind either way, I think.

I tend to give a glimpse of the conclusion within the introduction but I don't say how I will do it as such.

Is it just the one lecturer?

Oldernotwiser

alwaysonthego wrote: »

I am in my second year of an educational degree and I am doing well get high 60s and low 70s in my assignments.

I have recieved feedback which says I should not use future tense in the introduction of my essays where I signpost what the issues that the essay is going to tackle. I have always used the same formula for my intros and this has never been raised before.

I am going to book a tutorial, but what do you guy think. I would find it hard to signpost what I am going to talk about without putting in future tense i.e this essay is going to tackle ................., Thanks x

Not difficult: "This essay looks at the relationship between......"

alwaysonthego_2

bestpud wrote: »

I think it depends on the lecturer as we have one who actively encourages this and one who says it is a waste of words.

Most don't mind either way, I don't think.

I tend to give a glimpse of the conclusion within the introduction but I don't say how I will do it as such.

Is it just the one lecturer?

Yes it is one lecturer and she is not my lecturer, someone who has helped my usual tutor to mark his work. I always have used future tense from doing the access course and it has never been brought to my attention before, it could be the preference of that lecturer. Most tutors asks us to use signposts in our essays.

Oldernotwiser

I think that the present tense is much better stylistically in the introduction and you've obviously got a tutor who wants it done properly, which is quite laudable in this day and age.

Perhaps it sounds a bit odd to you if you haven't used it before but I'm sure you'll get used to it. I imagine the idea is that the essay is already in existence and therefore the future tense implies your intention rather than stating what the essay actually does.

If you imagine a book or film review it would start "This book/film analyses/looks at/ discovers" rather than "will analyse/look at/discover"; it's much the same thing.

I'm not sure whether I've made myself clear or not. Sorry, if not.

Wicked_witch

This is what we have been told at third year level, as well as not to use the first person, no 'I will be discussing' etc. As ONW says, it is easy once you get the hang of it :-)

Oldernotwiser

Wicked_witch wrote: »

This is what we have been told at third year level, as well as not to use the first person, no 'I will be discussing' etc. As ONW says, it is easy once you get the hang of it :-)

Are you allowed to use the first person in the first and second years? Good grief!

aurora_borealis_2

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

Not difficult: "This essay looks at the relationship between......"

Correctamundo.

And no first person unless you're doing a PhD :cool:

alwaysonthego_2

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

Are you allowed to use the first person in the second and third years? Good grief!

We are not allowed to use first or second person at all!

bestpud

Definitely no first person at my uni, or Access course before it.

I suppose, if you think about it, it is odd to change the tense within an essay.

I know where you are coming from though, as we were taught to do that on my Access course.

aurora_borealis_2

... and definitely not, 'the author ....'

Very Poor.