Episode 004 - Essay writing: questioning the question
Welcome to the LSE LIFE podcast series! I'm Helen Green, and I’ll be sharing some ideas on one aspect of studying at LSE.
An essay is an answer to a question, and answering a question seems quite straightforward. However, one common observation that markers make about weaker essays is that the writer talked about the topic, but did not sufficiently address the question.
This podcast will describe ways you can “question” your essay question. By questioning, I mean analysing the language of the question carefully and interpreting it, in order to make the question meaningful to you. This will help prepare you to write an essay that addresses the question thoroughly. Clarifying your essay question involves at least three things: understanding the terms of the question, understanding what you are being asked to do, and taking a stand.
Related documentation
Episode 004 - Podcast transcript
Episode 004 - Key points
Episode 004 - Further resources
Episode 004 - Worksheet
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Would you like to see other topics covered? This selection of episodes in the 2015-16 series was shaped by students’ feedback and comments about their experience. We will be creating a new, updated series soon and invite your feedback on these episodes and your ideas for future episodes. Please get in touch, via e-mail to lselife@lse.ac.uk, or by using the feedback form below.