Free Writing Guides

Academic Writing Resources

Plain-English guides to the papers students actually have to write — clear structures, step-by-step methods and worked examples. No fluff, just the load lifted.

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How to use these guides

Each guide breaks a paper type into a structure, a method and the mistakes that cost marks. Pair them with our citation guides to get the referencing right too — and if you'd rather hand it over, an expert can write a model paper to follow.

Essays & Arguments

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Essay
Argumentative Essay
Build a debatable thesis, order your reasons, and rebut the other side — with a reusable outline.
ThesisStructureEvidence
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Essay
Persuasive Essay
Win the reader over with the three rhetorical appeals, balanced evidence and a clear call to action.
RhetoricAudience
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Essay
Analytical Essay
Break a subject down and interpret it — an analytical thesis, evidence and the all-important "so what?".
InterpretationClose reading
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Essay
Expository Essay
Explain or inform clearly and objectively — the expository types, a logical structure and a neutral voice.
ExplainClarity
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Essay
Compare & Contrast Essay
Set two subjects side by side to make a point — a basis for comparison, block vs point-by-point, strong transitions.
BasisStructure
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Personal & Reflective

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Essay
Narrative Essay
Tell a true story with a point — choosing the moment, finding the theme, and showing rather than telling.
Story arcTheme
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Essay
Reflective Essay
Turn experience into analysis with Gibbs' cycle, a clear structure, and a link from what happened to what you learned.
Gibbs' cycleLearning
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Critical
Book Review
Summarise and critically evaluate a book — its argument, evidence and contribution — and reach a reasoned verdict.
EvaluationJudgement
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Research & Long-Form

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Paper
Research Paper
From a focused question to IMRaD structure and synthesising sources into a real argument.
IMRaDSources
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Planning
Research Proposal
A persuasive plan — a researchable question, a justified method and a realistic timeline that gets approved.
AimsMethod
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Research
Literature Review
Synthesise sources by theme, surface the debate, and end on the gap your work will fill.
SynthesisThemes
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Research
Annotated Bibliography
Summarise, evaluate and reflect on each source — descriptive vs critical annotations, with APA and MLA formatting.
AnnotationsSources
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Long-Form
Thesis
Form a research question, plan your chapters, and manage the project from proposal to submission.
QuestionChapters
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Long-Form
Dissertation
A chapter-by-chapter walkthrough — literature review, methodology, findings and discussion.
MethodologyFindings
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Reports & Analysis

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Analysis
Case Study
Frame the problem, analyse with a framework, and make recommendations that follow the evidence.
FrameworkAnalysis
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Science
Lab Report
Write a reproducible report — IMRaD sections, past-tense methods, results without interpretation, and a strong discussion.
MethodsResults
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