Study Skills

Writing an essay in an exam is similar in many ways to writing an essay for an assignment: It needs to be clearly structured, and your ideas need to be linked and supported by evidence.

Essay questions in exams

• Read the question through carefully to make sure you are answering what has been asked.  Missing one part of a question can cost you a lot of marks.
• Make a quick plan of the points you want to include in your answer.
• Use essay structure: introduction, points, conclusion.  But if you run out of time, it can be a good idea to write notes.
• Get right to the point from the beginning.  Use the words from the question to write your first sentence. For example:
        Question: What do you think is the most important intercultural communication issue in New Zealand?
        First sentence: At present in New Zealand the most important intercultural communication issue is...
• Remember to include one idea per paragraph, and to begin each paragraph with a clear topic sentence.
• Make sure your writing is legible.
• Grammar, punctuation, and spelling are still important!

1. Don't use no double negatives.
2. Make each pronoun agree with their antecedents.
3. Do not split two complete sentences with a comma, it’s called a comma splice.
4. About them sentence fragments.
5. When dangling, watch your participles.
6. Verbs has got to agree with their subjects.
7. Don't write run-on sentences they are hard to read.
8. Don't use commas, which aren't necessary.
9. Try to not ever split infinitives.
10. Its important to use your apostrophe's correctly.
11. Proofread your writing to see if you any words out.
12. Correct speling is essential.
13. Eschew ostentatious erudition.
14. Avoid clichés like the plague.