Writing essays: general–specific texts

The types of text that you read at university and the types that you are expected to write are often very different. Why? Because as a student, your purpose for writing is usually different from the purpose of many of the texts that you read. For example, as a student, you are not likely to write a textbook. Whatever type of text you are asked to write, you need to ask yourself: In this chapter we will examine the features of an essay. We will use Text 26—the essay on the causes of the worldwide water crisis that we looked at in Chapter 12. The essay argues that the major causes of the crisis are the mismanagement and wasteful use of water, and the pollution of water sources.