Essay preview
Writing Skills
Seminar
Dr Cliona Kelly
Cardiff Law School
13th February 2013
Overview
Focusing on writing skills, not research skills
Applicable to writing assignments and in
exams
Some general tips
A bit of grammar!
Any questions?
Keep it simple!
Keep sentences short.
Don’t use big words if they are unnecessary.
Don’t add extra words into sentences if they
are unnecessary.
Say what you mean!
“My aim is to put down on paper what I see
and what I feel in the best and simplest
way.”
Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961)
Use plain English!!
www.plainenglish.co.uk/
“The modern day society has fully utilised
the steadfast evolution of technology, in
scheme of digital communications and
internet by using the online space to
perform multiple tasks in their daily lives
which include online shopping.”
“Consumers frequently use the internet to
perform daily tasks such as online
shopping.”
“Today, consumers frequently shop on the
internet.”
“Therefore, protocol 14 has made great
strides in improving the efficiency and the
running of the Council of Europe’s incredibly
important and salubrious Court in
Strasbourg against a background of
increasing numbers of cases coming before
the European Court of Human Rights.”
“Given the Strasbourg Court’s backlog,
Protocol 14 has helped increase the
efficiency of the complaints system.”
“Consequent upon a comprehensive
consideration of all relevant circumstances,
it is argued that the additional endeavours
by the plaintiff were otiose.”
“If everything is taken into account, the
plaintiff’s extra work was needless.”
Keep it clear!
Avoid vague sentences.
Be precise.
“Retention of title clauses give some legal
rights to sellers of goods.”
“Retention of title clauses allow the seller of
goods to retain ownership of the goods sold
until the price is paid.”
“The Distance Selling Directive gives lots of
rights to consumers.”
“Article 6 of the Distance Selling Directive
provides consumers w...