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other aspects, such as the role of salary, group cohesion, or leadership. 
Eric: I would say I’m interested in group cohesion—that is, how people interact in the 
workplace. 
Ms Harris: Well, that’s a start, but you can’t then just write planlessly, without defining 
exactly what you intend to do within the area you’ve chosen. You’ll have to think of 
a Q23 thesis, and this statement could be of several types. 
Eric: Such as what? 
Ms Harris: Oh, you could argue a point, something that you believe in; or discuss an 
issue, looking at its various perspectives; or critique the opinions of others, pointing out 
the pitfalls and flaws. The thesis statement will make that very clear because it will say, 
in simple terms, what you intend to achieve in your essay. 
Eric: I see. And then I can just begin writing, right? 
Ms Harris: Wrong! [Uh?] If your essay is going to be clear, it needs to be logical and 
organised, and this means you’ll need an Q24 outline. This could be written as a 
flowchart, or spider graph — that is, a series of connected lines, but whatever shape the 
outline takes, there must be a sense of Q25 progress, in, more or less, a straight line, 
towards a goal. 
Eric: And then my essay will be good? 
Ms Harris: With such progression, definitely—as long as you do achieve everything that 
you set out to do, as specified in the beginning, okay? 
Eric: Well, Ms Harris, your advice about essay writing all sounds very useful: solid, and 
step by step, so I’ll certainly follow that. But can you tell me in more general terms, what 
constitutes the best essay? 
Ms Harris: Oh, there are many Q26 aspects to consider, but one of the most important is 
certainly, original thinking. The best essays are written by people who think for 
themselves, and not just copy or imitate established views. 
Eric: I think I can do that. 
Ms Harris: But remember, you can’t just give a list of unsupported assertions. There 
needs to be support as well — a chain of logic linking each step in your argument. 

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