This is an indispensable companion for students studying sociology and related disciplines, such as politics and human geography, as well as courses which draw upon sociological writing, such as nursing, social psychology or health studies. It demystifies the process of constructing coherent and powerful arguments, starting from an essay's opening paragraphs, building evidence and sequencing key points in the middle, through to pulling together a punchy conclusion. It gives a clear and helpful overview of the most important grammatical rules in English, and provides advice on how to solve common problems experienced in writing, including getting rid of waffle, overcoming writer's block and cutting an essay down to its required length. Using examples from essays written by sociology students at leading universities, the book shows what they have done well, what could be done better and how to improve their work using the techniques reviewed.
Author(s): Andrew Balmer, Anne Murcott
Edition: 1
Publisher: Manchester University Press
Year: 2017
Language: English
Pages: 216
Front matter
Contents
Preface and acknowledgements
Introduction to the book
Part I Principles and practices of writing and argumentation
Reading critically and making notes
Making an argument
Beginnings in detail
Middles in detail
Endings in detail
Editing and proof-reading
Detailed case studies of student examples
Writing a dissertation
Part II Tips and techniques
Choosing an essay question
How to decide what to read
How to get past writer’s block
Rhetorical questions: should I use them?
How to cut your essay down to length
Making use of feedback
Part III Spelling, grammar and punctuation
The basics of spelling, grammar and punctuation
Common spelling and vocabulary mistakes
Appendix: further reading
References
Index
