To be sure, however, “In this essay I will…” is the basic point of entry, and it is best to keep in mind that there are better ways to formulate your argument. The construct is always followed by the key verb, which is then followed by the point of focus, the text, the scene, to example, etc. For the novice essayist it can be easy to lose sight of what you are actually doing, what the key function of the essay actually is this admittedly perfunctory construct at least puts us in the frame of mind to make an argument, to evaluate a text, to compare and contrast two (or more) or more texts. “In this essay I will argue…” for instance, reminds the author that he is, in fact, making an argument “In this essay I will evaluate…” likewise reminds the author that he is “evaluating” something. Elsewhere, I have examined the use of the self-reflexive construct “ In this essay I will…” in essays and argued that, at least for first year university students, it is a useful construct.
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