LibAnswers: Understanding your feedback

Introductions and conclusions

Academic work needs a clear introduction setting out what will be covered and a conclusion summarising the main points.

See the Writing Your Assignment Toolkit resource for further information - this includes sections on how to structure introductions and conclusions 

Structure and paragraphs

Within the main body of your assignment, bring together similar concepts or arguments, discuss them and then develop them into your next idea. In this way you can build your ideas from one to another and make connections, rather than jumping around.

Use a paragraph for each of your ideas or points: state the idea, back up your claim with evidence (usually references) and then explain its significance to your overall argument.

Transitioning and signposting from one idea to the next is essential: it explains how a piece of writing is ordered and helps the reader understand the flow of your argument. Words such as "however" or "likewise" help the reader know how your next paragraph relates to the last one.

See the Writing Your Assignment Toolkit resource for further information - this contains guidance on structuring your main body and how to write a 'signposting' sentence.

Tips

• Organise your ideas into themes: mind-mapping can be useful
• Make a plan: divide your themes and arguments into paragraphs and decide what order they should be discussed
• Review your introduction and conclusion when you have finished your final draft
• Check the focus of your paragraphs and your signposting when you are editing - good structure usually needs more than one draft.