essay writing nz

How to structure an essay

It is important to present your ideas in the correct essay structure which consists of: Essay topic (or title or question), introduction, body, conclusion, references.

Basic structure of an academic essay (PDF)
Example of an essay outline (PDF) “Discuss the effects of the unemployment benefit system on the New Zealand economy.”
Essay title
Introduction
Body paragraphs

A good introduction paragraph:

Provides background or scope context to your essay.
Introduces the essay topic.
States the main point of your essay in a thesis statement in one or two sentences.
Shows in the last one or two sentences what you plan to cover in the body paragraphs.

A – Broad statement(s) consisting of general information relating to the topic. B – Narrower, specific statement(s), closing in on the main focus of the topic (includes thesis). C – Even narrower, statement(s), identifying key issues.

Learn more about writing essay introductions in the Essay writing resource website. The body paragraphs address each of the main points (or sub-topics) of your essay in the same order they were mentioned in your essay introduction. Each paragraph will be related to your essay’s central focus and thesis.

Before you start to write, draw a map of your ideas for the different paragraphs which support the thesis statement.
After you have made your map, write each body paragraph with a clear structure to describe, discuss and develop your topic.

Learn more about writing good essay body paragraphs from the Essay writing resource website. The conclusion paragraph is your last chance to impress your reader. You can either:

Start your conclusion with a phrase such as “In conclusion” or “To sum up” as this will indicate to your reader that you are finishing your essay.
Immediately begin with a summary of the main points, and then write an end statement. In this statement you can restate the thesis, make final comments that could be evaluative, or refer to the larger issues related to the larger context or background.

Learn more about writing good essay conclusions from the Essay writing resource website. You will need to provide a full list of references at the end of your essay. These will demonstrate that the opinions you expressed in your essay were informed from your reading. Make sure you acknowledge your sources using the correct referencing style.

What are common essay types?

At university you have to demonstrate the ability to write different types of essays. While all academic essays have the same basic structure (introduction, body paragraphs, conclusion), the purpose, style of delivery, and organisation of the ideas may vary.

Examples of common essay types

“A discussion essay discusses a range of evidence, views, theories, findings or approaches on a topic to develop a position through the essay. The conclusion usually states this position” Academic Writing at Auckland (AWA) .

See the discussion essay examples on the AWA site.

“An Analysis Essay critically analyses an object of study (a book extract, artwork, film, article, cultural artefact, event, example, situation…) through the lens of broader concepts (theories, themes, values, systems, processes…). It builds and supports a position and argument through this critical analysis and demonstrates understanding of both the object and the broader concepts” Academic Writing at Auckland (AWA) .

See the analysis essay examples on the AWA site.

Additional resources

The following resources provide you further information about essay writing and examples of essays in different disciplines:

write@uni: Examples of student writing
Academic Writing at Auckland

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Forms of writing

Essay writing.

Report writing
Reflective writing
Writing for business contexts
Writing a memorandum
Email etiquette
Producing Word documents and GoogleDocs

Essays are often used to demonstrate in-depth understanding of a particular topic. There are two main types of essays:

Descriptive – when you give a thorough description of a particular topic
Persuasive – when you present an argument and demonstrate that you have at least looked at both sides

1. Plan your essay

Deconstruct the question

A crucial first step is to understand exactly what the question requires of you. View the deconstructing a question resources .

Brainstorm an essay map

You will be asked to write an essay based on content you have learnt in class. Once you know exactly what the question is asking of you, do a quick brainstorm to map what you already know about the topic and what you need to find out.

Find and review information sources

Your lecturer will likely ask you to include course readings and to refer to additional readings. A good place to start is to refer to your course readings, revise these and see who the authors refer to in their reference list. You will also need to conduct a focused search for further information. View resources on finding quality sources of information .

Start writing

2. Write your essay

The Introduction

The Introduction sets the scene for the essay and gives the reader a clear idea of what they can expect. A good introduction briefly introduces the topic and gives signposts to the main points that the essay will address.

The Body consists of paragraphs that address your essay topic. Paragraphs should focus on one theme and they should be structured in a logical manner. View resources on writing paragraphs .

The Conclusion

The Conclusion summarises key points of the essay. A good conclusion doesn’t simply regurgitate content, rather it gives the reader a concise summary of the key points and a clear idea of your stance on the topic. The conclusion should not contain any new information.

3. Revise, edit and refine your essay

Check the essay question – does your essay address the question?
Check the marking criteria in the assignment rubric – if the lecturer wants you to address specific points, make sure you do so
Read it out loud – by reading your work out loud, you get a better sense of how the reader will interpret your work
Give it to someone to check for flow and to proof-read. If you’ve written a good essay it will make sense to someone who has no previous knowledge of the topic. This shows that your essay is clear and is structured in a way that develops understanding for the reader
Proof-read your work – make sure you proof-read your work to identify spelling and grammar errors
Check your referencing – make sure your work adheres to APA referencing standards

Further information

Massey University’s assignment planner will map a timeline to complete key essay writing steps
Use this list of linking words to help you link paragraphs and/or sentences within paragraphs
Refer to examples of essays on AWA .
Our resources on paraphrasing will help you incorporate evidence into your writing
Our resources on grammar will help you edit and refine your essay

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Introduction.

Academic Style
E-portfolios
Grammar and Punctuation
Paraphrasing
Presentations
Proofreading and Editing
Referencing and Plagiarism
Reflective Writing
Academic Writing Guide - Logic and Flow Improve your paragraphs with the words and phrases (discourse markers) in this guide
Academic Writing Guide - Passive Voice Learn the difference between active and passive voice and when you might use passive structures in academic writing
APA Style Guide - Italics, Bold, Headings Use this guide for examples of when to use italic and bold styles for text, and how to format headings in APA style
APA Style Guide - Formatting Use this guide as a reference for font size, line spacing, margins, page numbers, and more in APA style
APA Style Guide - Abbreviations Use this guide for examples of how to correctly shorten words, terms, and more.
APA Style Guide - Numbers and Units Use this guide for examples of how to correctly express numbers and units in APA style

An academic essay is a form of writing that often contains an answer to a question and usually contains an argument. Making an argument means taking a position on a topic and critically analysing information and ideas that are relevant to that topic. An essay should both inform the reader about the topic and convince the reader that the writer's argument is valid. Writing essays helps develop critical thinking skills as the writer organises ideas into paragraphs and an orderly sequence of points.

Essay Structure

To be convincing and to make sense, an essay needs to be presented as a well-structured piece of writing. The general framework of an academic essay consists of the following:

Example structure of an essay:

Introduction (10% of total essay length)
Paragraph 1: First supporting statement, Definition, Explanation, Evidence
Paragraph 2: Second Supporting Statement, Definition, Explanation, Evidence
Paragraph 3: Third Supporting Statement, Definition, Explanation, Evidence
Conclusion (10% of total essay length)

Example for a 2,000-word essay:

200-word introduction
1600-word body
200-word conclusion

The introduction opens your essay and introduces the reader to the main argument and points which you will discuss and develop in your essay. An introduction can be broken into three parts:

General statement(s)
Indication of essay structure
Thesis statement

The body is the place to fully develop the argument that you outlined in the introduction. Each paragraph within the body discusses one major point in the development of the overall argument. Each main point needs to be clearly stated in the form of a topic sentence, which is then supported with evidence.

There are four types of paragraphs:

Narrative – Tells a story
Persuasive – Convinces the reader
Descriptive – Describes something
Explanatory – Gives information/explains something

Each paragraph should explain one major point and can be laid out in the following format:

Define – Describe the main idea of the paragraph
Explain – Clearly outline the main idea of the argument and link to research
Evidence – Use research and examples to support your main idea

The conclusion is where you wrap up the essay. You should restate the main argument or thesis and reinforce the most important evidence supporting the argument.

You can break up a conclusion into three parts:

Restate your thesis statement
Summarise key points in your essay

Since the conclusion is the last opportunity to convince the reader to accept your argument, ensure you end on a strong note.

Check out the Academic Style section of our Study Toolbox for information on the type of style used in academic essays (e.g. formal language, avoiding cliches). Also, see the writing guides in the Guides box on this page for helpful information relevant to essay writing and formatting.

Transitions and Links

Paragraphs focus on one main point, but all individual paragraphs should link together as a whole. There are plenty of words and phrases that can be useful to help link together paragraphs. These transitions can also be used to link ideas within paragraphs. Below are some examples:

Adding to a point or introducing a new point:

Also; further; in addition; following this; subsequently; in regards to.

To reinforce a point:

With this in mind; in other words; that is to say.

Identifying a stage in process:

First; second; third; in addition; consequently; next; following this.

Explaining or introducing an example:

For example; such as; for instance; namely.

Showing cause and effect:

As a result; it is evident; hence; for this reason; this suggests that.

Showing concession:

After all; granted; however; in any case; admittedly.

Showing conditions:

In these circumstances; provided that; even if; unless; although; despite.

Compare/Contrast:

In comparison; on the one hand; on the other hand; on the contrary; alternatively; otherwise.

Adding emphasis:

Evidently; conceivably; conclusively; undoubtedly; unfortunately.

Summing up/concluding:

To sum up; in conclusion; to summarise; therefore; to sum up.

Essay checklist

Have you proofread your essay for spelling and grammatical errors?
Does your essay answer the essay question?
Have you gone in-depth and backed up evidence with research?
Are your discussion points relevant to the essay question?
Is your introduction clear and concise, giving the reader a preview of what your essay is about?
Do your paragraphs link to each other? Are they concise and clear?
Does your conclusion sum up the key points in your essay?
Have you adhered to the word count limit?
Do you have a reference list and have you checked your citations?
Have you used the correct referencing style?

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Last Updated: Feb 1, 2024 11:14 AM
URL: https://library.manukau.ac.nz/Writing

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Essay structure.

Having a structure to your essay makes sure that each main idea is presented logically and cohesively.

Click on the purple plus signs within the image for more details about each part of the essay structure.

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6 Step Guide to Writing a Killer Essay

Written by studytimenz

At high school, particularly here in new zealand, ideas are always assessed in the form of essays..

With so many rules surrounding ‘proper’ essay form, it’s easy for ideas to get lost to the format, or for you to lose sight of what they’re arguing for in the first place.

Sadly, this means that students often can’t get their thoughts across effectively, and are marked down for things that have no bearing on their ideas or intelligence.

However frustrating they might be, research has shown that learning how to compile an argument in written form is a skill that does great things for your grades, employability and general life-confidence.

As a soon-to-be graduate of high school – whatever you choose to do – the importance of strong communication skills cannot be understated.

If you choose to head straight into the workforce, you’ll be expected to demonstrate this skill in your cover letters and CV’s during job applications, and at University, essays are pretty much the stock standard assignment in most courses (otherwise there are always reports, reviews and reflections).

Writing skills will even get you further in your travels: Visas can involve lengthy letters and application processes, and administrators are always impressed by a well-written application.

Considering all the evidence, it’s a smart move to get a good feel for essay writing now – the seeds you plant now will help you out big-time in the long run.

How can I write a good essay then?

Contrary to popular opinion, anyone can write a good essay. It’s a skill, not a trait, and like any other skill, it only improves with practice. The tricky thing is getting your head around all the niggly bits, like structure, and themes, and ideas, and topic sentences, and punctuation, and clarity, blah blah blah, etc. That’s what we’re here for.

This guide will help you to break through the sludge of essay writing and help you to get to the heart of their purpose: communicating an idea. We’ll decipher the intimidating jargon and wordy standards for you, and give you solid, smooth steps to follow so you can smash an essay for every topic, any time. The guide will cover:

Deciding on an “idea”

Planning your argument

Essay structure

Introduction

Body paragraphs

Proofreading

THE BIG “IDEA” AND WHY IT MATTERS

The term ‘idea’ in the context of essay-writing causes a lot of confusion – and rightly so – it’s unfairly vague!

Simply put, an idea is the argument you’re making in your essay. While definitions may vary across standards and subjects (“hypothesis”; “argument”; “thesis statement”; “theme” etc.) your idea is your overarching claim that the rest of your essay will prove or justify .

An idea could be anything from “ Romeo and Juliet’s relationship demonstrates the difficulty of defying familial expectations ” to “ The use of guerilla warfare helped the Viet Cong to defeat America in the in the Vietnam war .”

Ideas can be universal, personal, fundamental, controversial or challenging. They don’t necessarily have to be ‘good’ or ‘moral.’ Writing an essay isn’t about agreeing with the message of the text, or the topic you’ve been asked to engage with. Teachers are more concerned with your ability to look at a topic or text critically, interpret it, and relate that interpretation to the outside world in one way or another.

The idea is the spine of your essay. The rest of it will work towards demonstrating how and why you’re arguing for this claim. So before you start writing an essay, it’s smart to get a firm grip on your idea first.

Brainstorming is a good start. On a piece of paper, jot down all the observations you’ve made about your essay topic. You’ll usually have a question or a demand in the guidelines to narrow things down. If you can’t think of any ideas, do some extra revision!

Once you’ve done this, try to think of one connection to bind your ideas about the text/topic/event together. Then make it into a statement – e.g: “ In Bend it Like Beckham , Jesminder’s character explores the tension between cultural expectations and social belonging .” Make sure you’ve got a good amount of supporting points to bolster whatever your claim says.

Pro tips: Don’t overcomplicate it! Fancy wording doesn’t matter. It’s more about the insight of your claim, and showing that you can develop a perceptive opinion on something.

Don’t fall into the trap of the one-word-idea. “Love” is not an idea. Instead, your idea should take the form of a firm statement about love.

If your essay is given to you in the form of a question, think of the idea as an answer to that question.

Example question: “ Should the Hunger Games be considered a feminist text ?”

Idea/claim/argument/thesis: “ Despite The Hunger Games having a female protagonist, the character of Katniss reinforces masculine notions of strength, therefore it should not be considered a feminist text.

Your idea should show some critical thinking. For example: “ The Hunger Games should not be considered a feminist text ” is not a strong enough observation – you need some substance behind it.

If you’re too vague or short with your idea, your supporting evidence will lose structure, and could go on forever. Think about your idea as if you were explaining the main point of your essay to another person.

If you read your idea aloud – ask yourself: Does it make sense? Does it answer the question or fulfill the demand? Does it summarise most of your essay’s argument?

If the answer is no to any of these three questions, refine and try again.

2. GET PLANNING

Essays almost always follow the same linear structure:

Introduction.
Body Paragraphs
Conclusion.

We’ll break down the anatomy behind each element later on – but for now – it’s useful to know how they work together to make an essay. The introduction is the clincher: its job is to contextualise your argument, interest the reader, briefly explain your argument and of course, introduce the idea . The body paragraphs are the supporting points to hold up your main idea, with evidence from the text . The conclusion brings together everything you’ve argued in a neat summary , reinforcing the idea one more time.

Whether you’re writing under time pressure or doing a take-home assignment, it’s important to know (at least in part) where your argument is going to go. Planning is a sure way to do this – and it doesn’t have to be boring. While ‘fluking it’ might work for some people, having no plan makes it easy to get lost in your own train of thought and go off on long tangents. There are loads of different ways to plan, and you should give yourself enough flexibility so that you have the freedom to incorporate new points or ideas as you’re writing.

A great, easy and flexible way to plan is the Box Plan. This plan can be adapted for a range of subjects; it’s a neat and easy visualisation of your essay’s skeleton and key points; and also serves as a great resource for revision – because who wants to spend hours rewriting the same essay over and over?

See the table below for an easy template of the Box Plan. Feel free to print it out, and if you’re feeling extra-motivated for revision, spend some time making it colour co-ordinated or adding some visual doodles to help memorise the content and make things fun.

DIY BOX PLAN

Introduction :

Clearly state your main IDEA .

What are the THREE MAIN POINTS that you will use to support this idea?

Body Paragraph One :

Clearly state the main POINT you will discuss in this paragraph.

Record all of the EVIDENCE you will use to prove this point.

Connect this evidence back to the MAIN IDEA or the OUTSIDE world.

Body Paragraph Two :

Body Paragraph Three :

Conclusion :

Clearly state the main ARGUMENT you have made or IDEA you have explored.

Review how all of your points have supported this IDEA .

3. ANATOMY OF AN INTRO

There’s lots of advice out there that tells you an introduction is the least important part of an essay, something you can rush over to get to the ‘good stuff’. They’re wrong.

Writing a killer introduction is the magic ticket to an excellent essay. A great intro lays out your ideas concisely and persuasively, and can provide focus and momentum for the rest of the essay. Plus having something concrete to come back to can be really helpful when you’re feeling stuck or lost – and remind you of your overarching argument or idea. Our best advice for nailing the intro is to start broad and then narrow down.

Here’s a quick formula to follow for writing an introduction that’ll blow your teacher out of the water.

Pro tip: Get a hook, start broad and narrow down. Finish on by going SUPER broad (society/the world/the universe) to be extra fancy.

Hook (rhetoric question/quotation/exclamation to engage the reader)
Context (the boring but important contextual bits like the author/director/poet/setting/title/characters/etc.)
Idea (see our first chapter for a definition)
Brief explanation of how you’ll prove this idea (whatever points/evidence you’re putting in your body paragraphs)
For extra points, round up your intro by making a connection to the outside world (some profound and relevant moral lesson about society usually works)

Here’s an example of a great introduction for a basic English text analysis essay. Each colour in the paragraph corresponds with the formula above (Hook = purple; Context = red; and so on).

Why do bad things happen to good people? The majority of society believes that there are no logical answers to this question. Terrible things can happen to the best of us, for no particular reason. However, in William Shakespeare’s “King Lear”, the main character, King Lear, who claims to be “a man more sinned against than sinning”, is fully responsible for his own downfall. In fact, the sins committed against King Lear are a result of his personal faults of rashness, blindness, and foolishness. Though a good king, Lear’s actions cause his family and kingdom to fall apart. Furthermore, he is personally punished for disrupting the natural order, with his poor decision-making. King Lear’s downfall demonstrates how good people can still make terrible decisions – inviting the reader to consider the complex nature of humans, and emphasising the importance of taking responsibility for your own actions.

4. BREAKING DOWN THE BODY PARAGRAPH

The body paragraph makes up the “flesh” of the essay “skeleton” you have at the moment. Three body paragraphs is enough for a strong essay, however you can add as many more as you need to strengthen or fully unpack your overall argument (provided you’re not ranting). It’s important that each body paragraph is sharp and clean, and backed up by some relevant evidence. The point of a paragraph is to indicate a break – so make sure that each paragraph has only ONE predominant focus. If you find yourself going off topic from your original focus, consider making a new self-contained paragraph to explore that idea in full depth.

WHAT’S THE POINT?

Your main point should be introduced at the beginning of your body paragraph, and take form in what the experts call a “topic sentence”. This is similar to your big idea, but it’s a bit more specific. Similarly, it should make some sort of definitive claim about the text or topic, and help to support your main idea. If your main idea is the spine of your essay, your topic sentence is the spine of your body paragraph.

Let’s have a look at F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby for some ideas:

Main Essay Idea:

“ Through the use of motifs and symbolism, The Great Gatsby explores the disintegration of the American dream in 1920’s America. ”

Point of Body Paragraph 1:

“Geography is used as a motif to illustrate the different classes of the decaying nation, and their clashing social values.”

Point of Body Paragraph 2:

“The distant Green Light is used to symbolise the ideal of the American Dream – relentlessly pursued but never realised up close.”

Focus of Body Paragraph 3:

“The Valley of the Ashes symbolises the moral and social decay of the nation, figured literally by its desolation and pollution, but also by the poor citizens who live there.”

SHOW ME THE EVIDENCE

It’s all very well and good to be able to make big claims – but you have to be able to back them up, otherwise for all we know, you’re just peddling conspiracies.

The evidence is all the stuff you need to show your reader that your argument has some validity to it. The evidence can be a quote, technique, event, plot point, character, excerpt, symbol, motif, etc. – so long as it’s relevant to the point you’re making and taken directly from whatever your essay is about.

Remember that it has to be factually correct too, don’t ever think you can get away with making up a quote! Your marker knows more than you think, and chances are they’ll sense something fishy and look it up.

ROUND IT UP

To finish your body paragraph in style, throw in one or two sentences that link back to the main idea of your essay. Better yet, reflect on something bigger to show your ability engage critically with the world around you. This final element is your chance to give an opinion on something, it can be as abstract or far-fetched as you like, provided your body paragraph is strong enough to support the claim.

Connecting your essay to wider forces in the world shows that you’re thinking about what you’re writing, rather than simply regurgitating content you’ve learned in class.

Markers love this part – especially in NCEA – and it often makes the difference between a Merit and an Excellence essay.

Here’s a quick table showing the anatomy of a body paragraph:

Focus of Body Paragraph One:

“Geography is used as a motif to illustrate the different classes of the decaying nation, and their clashing social values”

“ I lived at West Egg, the – well, the least fashionable of the two, though this is a most superficial tag to express the bizarre and not a little sinister contrast between them[…]Across the courtesy bay the white palaces of fashionable East Egg glittered along the water, and the history of the summer really begins on the evening I drove over there to have dinner with the Tom Buchanans .” (1.14)

Explanation :

This quote from Nick demonstrates how he envisions class distinctions geographically – drawing a literal and figurative contrast between the two sides of the lake and economic status.

Reflection :

The geographic illustration of class in The Great Gatsby mirrors the growing disparity between rich and poor that was taking place in America in the 1920’s.

5. CONCLUSIONS – MAKING A LASTING IMPRESSION

By the time you’ve made it here, you’re probably sick to death of your topic.

At this point, it’s tempting to just spurt out whatever your mind can muster, and hope that the rest of your essay holds you afloat when it comes to marking.

Avoid thinking like this! Your conclusion is the your final chance to leave an impression on your reader.

If anything, it’s a golden opportunity to boost the quality of your essay by tying it all together with a sparkly bow.

This doesn’t mean the conclusion has to be a difficult or particularly long process. All the work is pretty much done for you, now it’s a matter of selecting the most important points to drive home.

At bare minimum, your conclusion must accomplish three things:

Restate the main idea of your essay.
Summarize the three points in your body paragraphs.
Leave the reader with an interesting final thought or impression.

Excellent conclusions will convey a sense of closure while also providing scope for other trains of thought – like an appetizer of a main dish at a different restaurant.

This is a tricky balance to strike, but it makes a world of difference.

6. PROOFREADING – YOUR FINAL SAFETY NET

At this point, after so much energy has been spent dutifully perfecting your work, it’s probably likely that the sentences in your essay are looking less and less like words and more like meaningless drivel on a page.

You might be itching to hand it in so that you can treat yourself to a well-deserved Big Mac Combo and never ever look at The Great Gatsby again in your life.

This is why proofreading is so crucial. When you’ve spent a while writing something, it’s really difficult to pick up on the mistakes you may have made during the process.

You may feel attached to certain parts that took you ages to spit out, when really, they’re unnecessary waffling.

Your mind may have convinced itself that some sentences are elegant masterpieces, but when you get your marks back, you realise they made no sense at all.

We all know too well the shameful feeling of getting an essay back and realising all the obvious errors you failed to pick up on in your frenzied state.

BUT, a great essay riddled with linguistic and grammatical errors will instantly make your ideas seem less valid than they are.

That’s why it’s really important to allow yourself time for proofreading, and even better, for reading it over with fresh eyes.

If you’re writing from home – take a break! Go for a walk, get some food, try a guided meditation, watch an episode of GoT, whatever – but come back to the essay later.

It’s amazing what a short break can do for your detection of mistakes. Even if you’re really strapped for time and you’re pulling an all nighter, go to sleep now and wake-up a bit earlier to proofread.

If you’re writing under pressure in an exam environment, make sure to plan for 5-10 minutes of proofreading. When you’ve finished the writing, go to another question or take a very short breather to clear your mind.

One great way to ensure your essay is pristine for hand-in is to run through this mental checklist for each individual sentence of your essay:

Read the sentence aloud (or at least in your head). Does it make full sense when you hear it?
Can it stand in isolation and still hold up as a sentence?
Does it support the point that you’re making, or is it waffling to fill up space?
Could it be articulated in a clearer way?
Do the commas, full-stops and speech-marks “flow” properly when read aloud?
Does it repeat a point that you’ve already made?
Does it go on for too long? Could it be split into two separate sentences?
Does it begin with a capital letter? Does it end with correct punctuation?

Next time you’re assigned an essay for an internal or exam, don’t put it off until the night before and put yourself through a half-hearted, exhausting, unproductive all nighter.

Bookmark this page, breathe, and walk through the guide step-by-step. You might even enjoy the process.

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Aotearoa New Zealand Writing Courses – in-person and online

See nzsa’s learning hub for details of nzsa’s web workshop programme, writer toolkit modules and nzsa roadshows..

NZSA Writer Toolkit – The NZSA Writer Toolkit is our professional development offering, with multiple modules released. Our Writer Toolkit is an online learning platform that offers writers a wide range of low-cost or free modules on writing and the writing life by our leading authors and industry professionals. All sessions comprise of static content you can work through alone, or with your writing group or regional hub meeting. Each module contains notes, exercises, and suggestions for further reading on the topics. New Writer Toolkits are produced each year. Some modules are free to all, and members receive a free Writer Toolkit voucher with annual membership renewals.

NZSA Web Workshops – – a series of webinars to enable ongoing professional development. Online Two-hour interactive masterclasses. See the link for the latest workshops on offer. they fwriters and industry professionals offering virtual workshops on topics such as self-publishing, romance writing, poetry, structure, short stories, pitching, contract advice, dystopian writing and the business of writing. All NZSA Webworkshops are hosted on Zoom.

NZSA Roadshows – Regional Roadshows brings professional development to the regions. Each one-day conference offers local writers access to professional development, masterclasses, workshops and panel discussions taught by experienced writers from across Aotearoa. These events are organised in partnership with local NZSA branches to build collegiality, connection and new opportunities for professional development in local settings. The events are lively, inclusive, stimulating, and practical and offer something for writers across the spectrum. Sessions cover craft, publishing, marketing, and much more!

NZSA annual Mentorship and Assessment Programmes – Each year Creative NZ supports NZSA to run four mentorship and assessment programmes: The NZSA Mentor Programme , Complete MS Assessment programme, the NZSA Youth Mentorship programme and Startwrite quick assessment programme.

Te Papa Tupu – Māori Literature Trust – Te Papa Tupu is a highly contested writers incubator designed specifically for emerging Māori writers. Every two years, six writers are given the opportunity to be mentored by acclaimed authors and editors. Throughout the course of the programme, writers work with their mentors to develop their manuscripts for publication.

IPED – The Institute of Professional Editors Limited (IPEd) is the professional association for Australian and New Zealand editors. It exists to advance the profession of editing and to support and promote Australian and New Zealand editors.

Massey University – this university offers diverse 1-2 semester courses in writing which can be taken individually, or as part of a degree. Subjects include journalism, poetry, travel, creative and media script writing. Following this, the Masters in Creative Writing is available online with tutorage from established authors. It allows writers to focus on their own work, while improving their craft skills.

NZ Writers’ College – offers a variety of online writing courses with one-on-one tutoring from established writers. Courses cover journalism, creative writing, business and specialist areas such as editing and blogs.

NorthTec – offers three diploma levels online. Level 5 covers every genre of fiction or non-fiction writing you can think of, including writing for children in both Te Reo Maori and English, and also an editing paper for writers. Level 6 takes the student’s choice of genre to the next level, be it poetry, short stories, romance writing, science fiction, fantasy, women’s fiction, non-fiction, literary fiction, memoir or scripts, and includes business skills, epublishing and professional editing. Level 7 allows students to focus on their own work, improving their craft skills with mentorship from established authors. Previous students have completed graphic novels, novels, memoirs, family histories, Maori legends, historical fiction, short stories, travel pieces, and an interactive game.

The Creative Hub – Taught by some of New Zealand’s leading writers, most of the courses are venue only, but the two-month Introduction to Creative Writing has an online option.

The School for Young Writers – offers a wide range of correspondence courses and mentor programmes for writers 8-19 yrs.

Waiariki Institute of Technology – offers a range of courses from one semester to one year including business, Maori, scriptwriting, travel and a diverse selection of fiction options. There are also courses covering marketing, publishing and writing for the web.

Whitireia – offers courses in creative writing, journalism, publishing, and editing from diploma to bachelor level. Some can be completed part time. In 2023 they have added Micro-credentials in editing.

Write – Short, introductory level courses in grammar and general clarity for business situations

NorthTec – offers three diploma levels online. Level 5 covers every genre of fiction or non-fiction writing you can think of, including writing for children in both Te Reo Maori and English, and also an editing paper for writers. Level 6 takes the student’s choice of genre to the next level, be it poetry, short stories, romance writing, science fiction, fantasy, women’s fiction, non-fiction, literary fiction, memoir or scripts, and includes business skills, epublishing and professional editing. Level 7 allows students to focus on their own work, improving their craft skill with mentorship from established authors. Previous students have completed graphic novels, novels, memoirs, family histories, Maori legends, historical fiction, short stories, travel pieces and an interactive game.

AUT – Auckland University of Technology – provides a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing which explores a variety of genres, and also a Masters in either Creative Writing or Screenwriting. Tutors and mentors include James George and Siobhan Harvey.

Massey University – this university offers diverse 1-2 semester courses in writing which can be taken individually, or as part of a degree. Subjects include journalism, poetry, travel, creative and media script writing. The courses vary from campus to campus, but are all available online. This includes the Master in Creative Writing, which allows writers to focus on their own work, blending literature studies and craft skills with tutorage from established authors.

The Creative Hub – offers a range of writing related courses, from half day through to a thirty week course involving master classes from established writers. Courses include creative writing, self-publishing and fiction/memoirs.

University of Auckland – offers a range of English, drama, screen and creative writing courses. The Masters of Creative Writing, taught by Paula Morris, runs for a full university year during which writers work intensively on their own project. Limited to twelve participants, the MCW includes craft skills and exercises, weekly critique workshops, masterclasses with visiting established writers (previously including Eleanor Catton and Ben Okri), and seminars with representatives from the writing industry.

University of Waikato – has a range of writing major papers which include academic and creative writing with additional screen, media and theatre studies also available.

Waikato Institute of Technology (Wintec) – offers a range of writing papers at degree and postgraduate level. Level 6 and 7 papers can be taken as part of a Communications degree, or as a separate Certificate of Proficiency. These include: Creative Writing Workshop, Writing Project (both taught in evening), Screenwriting, Advanced Screenwriting, Feature Writing and Professional and Technical Communication (online). Wintec also offers the Level 5 National Diploma in Journalism, a Graduate Diploma in Communication (with a major in Professional Writing), and post-graduate Honours and Masters qualifications with an emphasis on research and generation of a major piece of work. Post-graduate publications have included edited creative anthologies, plays, memoir and family histories.

Central Districts

Massey University – this university offers diverse 1-2 semester courses in writing which can be taken individually, or as part of a degree. Subjects include journalism, poetry, travel, creative and media script writing. The courses vary from campus to campus, but are all available online. This includes the Master in Creative Writing, which allows writers to focus on their own specific project, whilst blending literature studies and craft skills with tutorage from established authors.

Western Institute of Technology – is situated in Taranaki and offers a National Diploma in Journalism.

Victoria University Wellington – this university has an established creative writing programme (Institute of Modern Letters) with a diverse selection of writing courses, from undergraduate level to PhD. Courses include poetry, short fiction, writing for children and Iowa workshops in poetry and prose. Tutors include Emily Perkins, Hinemoana Baker, David Armstrong and Ashleigh Young, among others.

Whitireia Community Polytechnic – has a range of full and part time courses in creative writing, also English skills and its National Diploma in Journalism. Writing for radio is included the Radio Journalism diploma. Write – has a variety of one-off writing workshops designed to help with writing for business, blogs and websites.

The School for Young Writers – offers a wide range of courses and programmes for writers 8-19 yrs. The school holds weekend, after school, and in school classes.

University of Canterbury – in addition to a range of courses in journalism, and a selection of creative writing papers (not available every year), this university has the Master in Fine Arts – Creative Writing. Here, writers undertake a single larger project as well as a substantial essay and oral exam.

Hagley Writers’ Institute – based in Christchurch, this offers a part-time year-long course for writers, working in both prose and poetry, with a portfolio submitted at the end of the year. Working in groups of ten, the classes meet on Saturdays for support, advice and critiquing with their tutor.

The Poetry Class – regular and bespoke short poetry classes in Christchurch and greater Canterbury, taught by Joanna Preston.

Otago/Southland

Otago University – A number of semester-long classes at undergraduate level are offered in Creative Writing.

Creative Writing Dunedin – a range of courses taught in small classes in Dunedin, from one-day Saturday courses to 8 to 10 week courses in Memoir, Fiction, Poetry and completing a Manuscript.

The Wanaka Autumn Art School – a 5-day annual writing course for beginner to more advanced fiction writers, currently tutored by Jillian Sullivan.

Online Courses (Australia)

OpenColleges – Providing specialised writing, editing and media-related training to aspiring authors, editors and journalists for more than a quarter of a century, the Australian College of Journalism can deliver the expert tuition required to polish your skills and acquire the commercial savvy you need to succeed.

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Developing good writing skills comes with practice. Good writing skills include flow, and paragraph and sentence structure. For your assessments you also need to write in an academic style.

This page has some information on academic writing and some tips to help you with your assessment writing skills.

Tip – Different subjects may have different writing requirements. Check your course page or assessment instructions to see what style is needed for your course. If you’re not sure contact your course leader.

Academic writing

Academic writing is different to everyday writing. It’s more formal, objective and structured. Academic writing has:

a formal tone
uses third person rather than first person perspective* – for example, ‘they’ rather than ‘I’ or ‘me’.
(*exception – personal reflections)
follows a specific theme or answers a specific question, using a logical argument.

Academic writing should also:

be well organised with a recognised structure
be concise and specific
show you have thought about and understood the topic
show evidence of your research including referencing (acknowledging other writers and sources).

Commonly used words

Often the words used in academic English aren't the same as the words used in everyday spoken or written English. The website below has some useful words and phrases to help you write academically.

The academic phrasebank – University of Manchester

Writing tips

Be clear and concise.

Good academic writing is clear and concise. This means writing that is straight to the point and trying not to use:

more words than you need to
complex language and sentences
ambiguous words.

Here's an example of how a complex sentence has been edited to be clearer and more concise:

T aking a different point of view, there is now new research which shows that for a business to be successful there are three essential factors that the business owner needs to have. Smith et al. (2020) describe these as vision, resilience and adaptability.

In contrast, Smith et al. (2020) suggest that business success is dependent on three factors, vision, resilience and adaptability.

Tips on editing to reduce wordiness - English Spoken Here video

Make your writing flow

Good writing reads well or has flow. This is when the ideas that are being presented move smoothly from one to the other and make sense to the reader.

If you aren’t sure if your writing flows well, try reading it aloud. Does it sound OK? Does it make sense? Does one idea connect well to the next?

To ensure your writing flows well you need to plan the structure of your assessment. As you start writing, follow the plan, but don’t be afraid to move things around so your ideas follow on from each other in a logical way.

Assessment planning

Use transitions and linking words

To help make your writing flow, use transition and linking words or phrases. These can:

connect words, sentences and paragraphs
show the relationship between ideas
show the order of things and their relative importance
indicate when something new is coming
signal to readers how an idea fits in and where it's going
introduce a summary or a conclusion.

Check out the list of transition words in the Strategies section of the references page:

Good paragraphs are another important part of strong academic writing. A good paragraph:

has a single idea or topic. If you start a new topic, start a new paragraph
includes a topic sentence, which usually starts the paragraph. The rest of the paragraph tells the reader more about the topic. It develops the idea by adding information, explanations, and/or examples
builds on the previous paragraph and leads on to the next (if relevant).

A paragraph also needs to be clear, logical and easy to understand. This means it needs to flow well. Each sentence should link to the sentence before and lead on to the next sentence or idea.

Topic sentences

The key to writing a good paragraph is to write a good topic sentence. Good topic sentences:

tell the reader what the paragraph is about (the main idea or topic)
help to answer the assessment question by referring directly or indirectly to it. This focusses the essay and keeps it on track.

Writing topic sentences – Scribbr video

Sentences, punctuation and grammar

Correct sentences tend to follow certain basic conventions. The most basic sentence includes a subject (who or what is doing the action) and a verb (the action).

Punctuation

Correct punctuation is important because it helps make your meaning clear and your writing read well.

Here's an example of a sentence where the meaning changes depending on its punctuation. A group of learners were asked to punctuate the words: A woman without her man is nothing. 

Some wrote: ‘A woman, without her man, is nothing.’
Others wrote: ‘A woman: without her, man is nothing.’

Brief overview of punctuation – Purdue University

Tip – If you aren’t sure if you have the punctuation right, try reading the sentence aloud to see how it sounds. This can help you work out if you have things in the right place.

Grammar is also an important part of ensuring your writing makes sense. Grammar is:

the way words are used to make sentences and paragraphs
the words we use
the order we use to place our words.

Revising your work

Good writing takes a few goes. Draft, revise, edit and when you think it’s right, leave it for a while and revise again.

Revise the content to make sure you have answered the assessment question and have everything you need.
Check the structure and make sure it flows well.
Edit and proofread for errors and presentation.

Tip – MS Word and other software have built-in spelling and grammar checkers to help you with this. But they don’t pick up everything. So, it’s important that you read your work through too.

Remember – The more you write, the better your writing skills will become!

Got a question?

If you want to talk with someone about writing for your assessments, contact The Library and Learning Centre | Te Whare Pukapuka Wāhanga Whakapakari Ako.

Contact the Library and Learning Centre

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How to succeed at essay writing

It’s the moment every parent dreads: when your child sits there, glum-faced, looking at a blank piece of paper in front of them. They have a rapidly-approaching deadline for their essay, and nothing, but nothing you do as a parent seems to help them get any closer to completion. What can you do to help? The answer is: quite a lot.

Producing a successful essay can be one of the most arduous parts of the schooling process, and yet, the need to write an essay is everywhere: from English literature, to economics, to physics, geography, classical studies, music, and history. To succeed, at high school and in tertiary study you must master essay writing.

Getting students over this barrier was one of the reasons I put pen to paper four years ago and produced a book called ‘Write That Essay!’ At that stage, I was a senior academic at Auckland University and a university examiner. For nearly 20 years, in both course work and examinations, I had counselled everyone from 17-year-old ‘newbies’ to 40-year-old career changers with their essay writing. Often, the difference between a student who might achieve a B-Grade and the A-Grade student was just some well-placed advice and direction.

In this article I am going to deal with some things you can do as a parent to help your child succeed at essay writing. If you’d like more detailed advice, drop in on my website www.writethatessay.org or grab a copy of the books. Because writing great essays is well within every child’s grasp.

Tips for essay writing success:

1. it’s an argument.

Remember that an essay is an argument: the task in an essay is not to write a story or to recount a plot. The teacher knows all of this information. In an essay your child’s job is to present a compelling argument—using specific evidence—for the point they are trying to make.

2. Write a plan: you’ll be pleased that you did

Get your child to write a brief list-plan of the topics that their essay needs to cover. Even a short plan is better than no plan at all, and will start to give the writer a feeling that completing an essay on that topic is well within their grasp.

If your child is a visual learner, move away from the desk and go to a neutral space. Grab a large sheet of blank A3 paper and some coloured pens, and brainstorm a mind map or sketch plan of what the essay should contain. Using pictures, lines, circles, and arrows will all help the visual learner grasp the task at hand and help them see what they have to do.

3. Getting Started

A challenge many kids (and adults) face writing essays is getting started. The person sits there waiting for inspiration to hit them like a lightening bolt and it never happens. What can you as a parent do to help?

Encourage them with the thought that great essays are never written the first time over. Get them to view essay writing as a three-part process. The first draft is only to get out the ideas and words in rough form. In the second and third effort, they will add to their essay where there are blanks, clarify ideas, and give it a final polish. Realising that an essay isn’t supposed to be perfect the first time you write it, really helps some people.

4. Having enough to say

If your child is still stuck, find out if they have read up enough on the topic. Some inertia with writing can be due to lack of knowledge. They will find writing so much easier if they spend another day or two reading more on the topic and gleaning some additional ideas.

5. Try using a neutral sentence

Suggest starting the essay with a neutral sentence: a sentence that merely states an interesting fact on the topic being written about. Here’s one: ‘Mozart was one of the most important Austrian composers of the eighteenth century.’ First sentences in essays don’t need to be stellar – you just need to start!

Now, go write that essay!

Dr Ian Hunter is a former Associate Professor at Auckland University and has been a leading New Zealand academic for 20 years. He is the author of over 50 publications, including a dozen books, and his work on education, innovation, business history, and entrepreneurship has been published internationally. He is a regular conference speaker and media commentator and lives in Auckland with his wife Debra and their five children. In 2010 he stepped aside from university life to concentrate full-time on writing and publishing.

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To get the quality task on time, the firm which you are going to hire should have best reviews so that when you read pro essay reviews, you can know how you can get your work done on time. It should not be like you hire them and they provide you the so-so work. Be sure that your firm has best review rating.

My pleasure Angela – all the very best!

Hi my son is having problems with essay writing He is in year 10 and recieved non achieved for his persuasive essay writng Last year in year 9 he achieved but only at level 4 he is suppose to be level 5 . He got mixed up setting it out Do you think lots of writing and trying to remember how to set tunes our will help . Any advice will be really appreciated . Thanks Kind regards Angela

Hi Angela, the real key to persuasive writing is structuring your ideas. You have to come up with a position that you’re going to argue and then develop several points to support your argument. For each of these points, you need to provide a point, explanation and (if relevant) example. Once your son can structure his essay, he’ll be well on the way to achieving. There are some good tips here: http://www.studyit.org.nz/subjects/english/english1/5/ and here: http://www.wikihow.com/Write-a-Persuasive-Essay Good luck!

Hi Ian.My name is Patirisia and a second language learner.I have 4 kids ,two of whom are in high school and 2 are still in primary school.I am really concerned about my son who is in year 8 because his writing is not what a high school teacher would expect.I am trying to find out strategies that could help him as both my husband and I are also not that good enough with our English.How can we help our son?Thanks

Hi Patirisia,

Thanks for your message. There are several nationwide organisations that provide this kind of tutoring for students. These include: http://www.kipmcgrath.co.nz/ and http://www.numberworks.co.nz/ . You will probably find that there are local companies that can help you in this area. Alternatively, if you ask at your local high school, there may be a senior student who can provide tutoring for your son. Good luck with this! Rochelle

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Assignments vary in their requirements for formatting and layout. Check for formatting requirements in your course materials or with your course coordinator. Aim for consistency in your formatting. Most assignments are now submitted electronically and formatted as follows:

Use a clearly legible font and font size (Times New Roman is the most common font and 12 point is the most common size).
Set page margins to around 1 inch/2.5cm.
Use 1.5 or double line spacing.
Keep the space between paragraphs consistent. Two styles are:
Do not indent paragraphs and leave a blank line between paragraphs. (This is the most common style.)
Indent the first line of each paragraph, but leave no spaces between paragraphs.
Ensure text alignment is consistent throughout the document. Assignment guidelines and style guides vary when it comes to text alignment . If you are following APA style , then align text left (also see the annotated sample APA student assignment ).
For help with formatting in Microsoft Word see Basic formatting .

Always double-check for the formatting requirements of your individual course.

Cover sheet

Assignments that are submitted electronically via Stream will not usually require a cover sheet. If you have been asked to include a cover sheet, then refer to your assignment guidelines, which should detail what is to be included. If in doubt, contact your lecturer or course coordinator directly for clarification.

Most assignments do not require a title page. Usually, it is sufficient to include the assignment title or question at the top of the first page and to place other details (name, student ID number, and course number) in a header . If a cover sheet is included, all the necessary information is already included on the cover sheet. However, title pages are sometimes needed for longer assignments, postgraduate assignments, or certain types of report.

The format of these title pages varies according to the specific requirements of the assignment, but typically contain:

The title, centred, in the upper half of the page (e.g., about 3 or 4 lines down from the top margin of the page). Your title should be concise and, ideally, no more than a single line. If you have a subtitle, it can be separated from the main title with a blank, double-spaced line. The title should be in bold font and in title case (i.e., the first word of major words over three letters is capitalised). The title font is the same style and size and the rest of the cover page details (e.g., Times New Roman or Calibri, 12pt). Note: According to the 7th edition of the APA style guide, the title (in bold, centred, and title case) should appear on the first line of the first page of text. This may not be necessary, however, and you should ask your lecturer or course coordinator for clarification.
The author's name and ID number. Use one blank double-spaced line between the assignment title and your centred name and ID. Write your name in full rather than using initials. Your name should be non-bold and the same size and font as the rest of the cover page. Omit all titles, degrees or licenses (e.g., Dr, Ms, Mr, PhD, RN). Multiple authors should be given alphabetically. The lecturer’s name and title (e.g., Dr.). The lecturer’s name should follow a blank, double-spaced line after the class code and name, and be non-bold and the same size and font as the rest of the cover page.
The due date of the assignment. The due date should follow a blank, double-spaced line after the lecturer’s name, and be non-bold and the same size and font as the rest of the cover page.

If you've been asked to format your title page using APA style, see here for formatting guidelines. See here for an example of a title page formatted according to APA 7th edition guidelines.

Some assignment types require headings and sub-headings, whereas others do not use any.

Essays , for example, do not usually use sub-headings unless you have specific instructions that they can be included. The only sub-heading common in essays is References, for the reference list. Instead of headings, the first sentence of each paragraph should signal the topic to the reader (see essay body paragraphs for more on this).

Reports , on the other hand, often require specific headings, such as Introduction, Discussion, and so forth.

If you are unsure whether to use headings or not, ask your course coordinator for clarification. If you do use headings and sub-headings, keep the style consistent throughout the assignment. If you are using APA style , see here for advice about formatting headings.

Tables and figures

Most assignments do not use appendices, but sometimes you need to include additional information, transcripts, questionnaire details, or raw data. These should go in an appendix.

If there is only one appendix, it is given the title “Appendix”. If there are several appendices, each is given a letter (follow the same order that they are mentioned in the body of the assignment): “Appendix A”, “Appendix B”, “Appendix C”, etc.

The title is used to refer to the appendix in the body of the assignment:

The analysis shows that the mean was well above expected (see Appendix B for details).

Style guides differ on whether the appendices should come before or after the reference list / bibliography.

APA style (the style most commonly used at Massey University) and Massey University's Thesis Presentation Guide put the appendices after the reference list / bibliography.

Page authorised by Director - Centre for Learner Success Last updated on 28 April, 2021

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Formatting and layout
Use one blank double-spaced line between the assignment title and your centred name and ID. Write your name in full rather than using initials. Your name should be non-bold and the same size and font as the rest of the cover page. Omit all titles, degrees or licenses (e.g., Dr, Ms, Mr, PhD, RN).