These guidelines for writing essays for English classes apply primarily to writing answers to essay questions on literature. Most of the principles discussed, however, apply equally to essay answers in other courses and to long essays, whether written for English courses or for courses in other departments. (See a printer-friendly version at Composition Guide).

(Adapted from the abridged version of the Presbyterian College Handbook of Grammar and Usage, third revised edition, 1991, 68-83. S. Allen King wrote the original Presbyterian College Handbook of Grammar and Usage in 1984. Members of the Presbyterian College English Department revised the work in 1986, 1988, and 1991.)