How to write an essay

1. An essay is about a text and should not include a summary of the text. 2. An essay consists of an introduction, an exposition(see below) and a conclusion. 3. The introduction is either * A statement which catches the reader’s attention and elegantly states the main point in your essay. * Or : a ‘funnel’ (tragt) introduction in which the reader is guided towards the main theme of your essay. * Or : A really striking quotation from the text with your comment, which also points to the main theme of the essay. 4. The exposition is the part where you write about 3 to 5 points (‘pinde’) in which you interpret the text. A point could be a characterization of the main character and his/her relationship to the other characters, the themes of the text, the ending, the title, point of view, the language, the setting or other issues. 5. The conclusion rounds off the essay. You may relate it to the introduction, but it is not a rule. 6. In your essay you should bring two to four quotations from the text and state which page and line they are from. (It may be done in a footnote or in the text). Your quotations must be integrated into the text. 7. In your exposition you should strive to write elegant transitions (overgange) from one point to the other. 8. You are allowed to express your own opinion in an essay. However, you should not write ‘I’ more than a couple of times. Use instead a passive: ‘Other opinions have been raised…’ ‘The issue is debated…’. Or you can write: ‘The question may be seen as…‘ or ‘It can be argued that….’ You can also avoid the ‘I’ by writing: ‘It raises the question whether…’ ‘On the other hand you can