how to write a first class honours essay

Albert Dorman Honors College

Tips for Writing an Honors College Essay

Writing an Honors College Essay (Max. 400 words)

A college essay is a chance for you to tell us what all your records cannot: who you really are, how you think, and how well you write. It is not an invitation to tell a story, write a novel, or write about other people's experiences. The main point of your essay is to tell us what you have to offer and how you will take advantage of what we have to offer .

• Write an essay that addresses the topic specified  on the application form. A general essay about yourself or an experience you had is not acceptable.
• Do not write your essay as if it were a novel. "The baby cried until it had to be comforted by its mother;" "I could not believe as I walked into my first class that this was the beginning of my engineering career." These tell us nothing about yourself. Regardless of what you may have been told in school, write a straightforward descriptive essay that directly addresses the question asked.
• Avoid clichéd, generic, and predictable writing, such as "I want to help people." This is particularly applicable to essays for accelerated program candidates.
• Do not quote our own description of our program. We know what we have to offer; we are interested in knowing what you have to offer and how you will use what we offer . Tell us about your interests and why the Albert Dorman Honors College is the right place for you.

Tips for writing a first-class essay

• Tuesday, April 13, 2021
• Undergraduate

Chloe Softly

• United Kingdom
• minute read

As a final year student, I have noticed huge developments in my academic writing and ultimately would like to share a few wise words on what I think has helped me to achieve first-class essay marks.

Firstly, how will we ever get a first without being aware of what is expected? We need to get to know the mark scheme. A great way of guaranteeing we are achieving all the key elements of the mark scheme, is to align our initial plan with each point of the criteria and keep checking throughout our essay writing to assure all areas are being covered.

Another BIG thing is always to make sure you understand the question. Now I hope this doesn’t sound patronising, but it is so important to read, read and read the question again to fully understand. A main part of understanding fully includes evaluating the action phrase in the question, so make sure you know what is required when you see phrases such as ‘Describe’ and ‘Critically Analyse’.

Along with understanding the question, we need to be able to answer it effectively, and the best way to do this is through the structure. Within academic writing it is vital to frame your argument coherently so the essay flows from paragraph to paragraph. A massive factor in enabling this stems from our essay structure outlined in the introduction. A thing I like to do after finishing my essay is putting a tick next to each paragraph if it matches with this initial outlined structure to guarantee that the essay flows.

The final tip I have is to make sure your references reflect the depth of your knowledge. I always include references from the core and further reading lists, but also carry out additional reading to provide my markers with new perceptions. They want to learn from us! In order to find new sources, I make sure to use the University of Manchester Library, to certify these sources are credible (Peer-Reviewed). With some essays you may end up having a multitude of sources that can be difficult to organise, so one way that I handle this is by creating a table that consists of three columns: one for the main argument, one for the supporting evidence, and one for the source citation. This presents me with a simple method of creating a bibliography, without adding extra pressure to myself.

Although these tips may be useful, we cannot ignore the abundance of resources that are available to assist us. One great resource is the ‘Academic Phrasebank’, a document put together by Dr. John Morley at the University of Manchester, that provides insights into how to succeed within your academic writing. From providing notes on essay structure, grammar, and most essential key phrases, this document has become an indispensable guide to me. All in all, from mark schemes to structure to sources, these are just a few tips that will hopefully help. It’s time to go get that first!

I am Chloe Softly, follow my blogs for an insight into life as an Undergraduate student at Alliance MBS.

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Honors Theses

What this handout is about.

Writing a senior honors thesis, or any major research essay, can seem daunting at first. A thesis requires a reflective, multi-stage writing process. This handout will walk you through those stages. It is targeted at students in the humanities and social sciences, since their theses tend to involve more writing than projects in the hard sciences. Yet all thesis writers may find the organizational strategies helpful.

Introduction

What is an honors thesis.

That depends quite a bit on your field of study. However, all honors theses have at least two things in common:

• They are based on students’ original research.
• They take the form of a written manuscript, which presents the findings of that research. In the humanities, theses average 50-75 pages in length and consist of two or more chapters. In the social sciences, the manuscript may be shorter, depending on whether the project involves more quantitative than qualitative research. In the hard sciences, the manuscript may be shorter still, often taking the form of a sophisticated laboratory report.

Who can write an honors thesis?

In general, students who are at the end of their junior year, have an overall 3.2 GPA, and meet their departmental requirements can write a senior thesis. For information about your eligibility, contact:

• UNC Honors Program
• Your departmental administrators of undergraduate studies/honors

Why write an honors thesis?

Satisfy your intellectual curiosity This is the most compelling reason to write a thesis. Whether it’s the short stories of Flannery O’Connor or the challenges of urban poverty, you’ve studied topics in college that really piqued your interest. Now’s your chance to follow your passions, explore further, and contribute some original ideas and research in your field.

Develop transferable skills Whether you choose to stay in your field of study or not, the process of developing and crafting a feasible research project will hone skills that will serve you well in almost any future job. After all, most jobs require some form of problem solving and oral and written communication. Writing an honors thesis requires that you:

• ask smart questions
• acquire the investigative instincts needed to find answers
• navigate libraries, laboratories, archives, databases, and other research venues
• develop the flexibility to redirect your research if your initial plan flops
• master the art of time management
• hone your argumentation skills
• organize a lengthy piece of writing
• polish your oral communication skills by presenting and defending your project to faculty and peers

Work closely with faculty mentors At large research universities like Carolina, you’ve likely taken classes where you barely got to know your instructor. Writing a thesis offers the opportunity to work one-on-one with a with faculty adviser. Such mentors can enrich your intellectual development and later serve as invaluable references for graduate school and employment.

Open windows into future professions An honors thesis will give you a taste of what it’s like to do research in your field. Even if you’re a sociology major, you may not really know what it’s like to be a sociologist. Writing a sociology thesis would open a window into that world. It also might help you decide whether to pursue that field in graduate school or in your future career.

How do you write an honors thesis?

Get an idea of what’s expected.

It’s a good idea to review some of the honors theses other students have submitted to get a sense of what an honors thesis might look like and what kinds of things might be appropriate topics. Look for examples from the previous year in the Carolina Digital Repository. You may also be able to find past theses collected in your major department or at the North Carolina Collection in Wilson Library. Pay special attention to theses written by students who share your major.

Choose a topic

Ideally, you should start thinking about topics early in your junior year, so you can begin your research and writing quickly during your senior year. (Many departments require that you submit a proposal for an honors thesis project during the spring of your junior year.)

How should you choose a topic?

• Read widely in the fields that interest you. Make a habit of browsing professional journals to survey the “hot” areas of research and to familiarize yourself with your field’s stylistic conventions. (You’ll find the most recent issues of the major professional journals in the periodicals reading room on the first floor of Davis Library).
• Set up appointments to talk with faculty in your field. This is a good idea, since you’ll eventually need to select an advisor and a second reader. Faculty also can help you start narrowing down potential topics.
• Look at honors theses from the past. The North Carolina Collection in Wilson Library holds UNC honors theses. To get a sense of the typical scope of a thesis, take a look at a sampling from your field.

What makes a good topic?

• It’s fascinating. Above all, choose something that grips your imagination. If you don’t, the chances are good that you’ll struggle to finish.
• It’s doable. Even if a topic interests you, it won’t work out unless you have access to the materials you need to research it. Also be sure that your topic is narrow enough. Let’s take an example: Say you’re interested in the efforts to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment in the 1970s and early 1980s. That’s a big topic that probably can’t be adequately covered in a single thesis. You need to find a case study within that larger topic. For example, maybe you’re particularly interested in the states that did not ratify the ERA. Of those states, perhaps you’ll select North Carolina, since you’ll have ready access to local research materials. And maybe you want to focus primarily on the ERA’s opponents. Beyond that, maybe you’re particularly interested in female opponents of the ERA. Now you’ve got a much more manageable topic: Women in North Carolina Who Opposed the ERA in the 1970s and 1980s.
• It contains a question. There’s a big difference between having a topic and having a guiding research question. Taking the above topic, perhaps your main question is: Why did some women in North Carolina oppose the ERA? You will, of course, generate other questions: Who were the most outspoken opponents? White women? Middle-class women? How did they oppose the ERA? Public protests? Legislative petitions? etc. etc. Yet it’s good to start with a guiding question that will focus your research.

Goal-setting and time management

The senior year is an exceptionally busy time for college students. In addition to the usual load of courses and jobs, seniors have the daunting task of applying for jobs and/or graduate school. These demands are angst producing and time consuming If that scenario sounds familiar, don’t panic! Do start strategizing about how to make a time for your thesis. You may need to take a lighter course load or eliminate extracurricular activities. Even if the thesis is the only thing on your plate, you still need to make a systematic schedule for yourself. Most departments require that you take a class that guides you through the honors project, so deadlines likely will be set for you. Still, you should set your own goals for meeting those deadlines. Here are a few suggestions for goal setting and time management:

Start early. Keep in mind that many departments will require that you turn in your thesis sometime in early April, so don’t count on having the entire spring semester to finish your work. Ideally, you’ll start the research process the semester or summer before your senior year so that the writing process can begin early in the fall. Some goal-setting will be done for you if you are taking a required class that guides you through the honors project. But any substantive research project requires a clear timetable.

Set clear goals in making a timetable. Find out the final deadline for turning in your project to your department. Working backwards from that deadline, figure out how much time you can allow for the various stages of production.

Here is a sample timetable. Use it, however, with two caveats in mind:

• The timetable for your thesis might look very different depending on your departmental requirements.
• You may not wish to proceed through these stages in a linear fashion. You may want to revise chapter one before you write chapter two. Or you might want to write your introduction last, not first. This sample is designed simply to help you start thinking about how to customize your own schedule.

Sample timetable

Avoid falling into the trap of procrastination. Once you’ve set goals for yourself, stick to them! For some tips on how to do this, see our handout on procrastination .

Consistent production

It’s a good idea to try to squeeze in a bit of thesis work every day—even if it’s just fifteen minutes of journaling or brainstorming about your topic. Or maybe you’ll spend that fifteen minutes taking notes on a book. The important thing is to accomplish a bit of active production (i.e., putting words on paper) for your thesis every day. That way, you develop good writing habits that will help you keep your project moving forward.

Make yourself accountable to someone other than yourself

Since most of you will be taking a required thesis seminar, you will have deadlines. Yet you might want to form a writing group or enlist a peer reader, some person or people who can help you stick to your goals. Moreover, if your advisor encourages you to work mostly independently, don’t be afraid to ask them to set up periodic meetings at which you’ll turn in installments of your project.

Brainstorming and freewriting

One of the biggest challenges of a lengthy writing project is keeping the creative juices flowing. Here’s where freewriting can help. Try keeping a small notebook handy where you jot down stray ideas that pop into your head. Or schedule time to freewrite. You may find that such exercises “free” you up to articulate your argument and generate new ideas. Here are some questions to stimulate freewriting.

Questions for basic brainstorming at the beginning of your project:

• What do I already know about this topic?
• Why do I care about this topic?
• Why is this topic important to people other than myself
• What more do I want to learn about this topic?
• What is the main question that I am trying to answer?
• Where can I look for additional information?
• Who is my audience and how can I reach them?
• How will my work inform my larger field of study?
• What’s the main goal of my research project?

Questions for reflection throughout your project:

• What’s my main argument? How has it changed since I began the project?
• What’s the most important evidence that I have in support of my “big point”?
• What questions do my sources not answer?
• How does my case study inform or challenge my field writ large?
• Does my project reinforce or contradict noted scholars in my field? How?
• What is the most surprising finding of my research?
• What is the most frustrating part of this project?
• What is the most rewarding part of this project?
• What will be my work’s most important contribution?

Research and note-taking

In conducting research, you will need to find both primary sources (“firsthand” sources that come directly from the period/events/people you are studying) and secondary sources (“secondhand” sources that are filtered through the interpretations of experts in your field.) The nature of your research will vary tremendously, depending on what field you’re in. For some general suggestions on finding sources, consult the UNC Libraries tutorials . Whatever the exact nature of the research you’re conducting, you’ll be taking lots of notes and should reflect critically on how you do that. Too often it’s assumed that the research phase of a project involves very little substantive writing (i.e., writing that involves thinking). We sit down with our research materials and plunder them for basic facts and useful quotations. That mechanical type of information-recording is important. But a more thoughtful type of writing and analytical thinking is also essential at this stage. Some general guidelines for note-taking:

First of all, develop a research system. There are lots of ways to take and organize your notes. Whether you choose to use note cards, computer databases, or notebooks, follow two cardinal rules:

• Make careful distinctions between direct quotations and your paraphrasing! This is critical if you want to be sure to avoid accidentally plagiarizing someone else’s work. For more on this, see our handout on plagiarism .
• Record full citations for each source. Don’t get lazy here! It will be far more difficult to find the proper citation later than to write it down now.

Keeping those rules in mind, here’s a template for the types of information that your note cards/legal pad sheets/computer files should include for each of your sources:

Abbreviated subject heading: Include two or three words to remind you of what this sources is about (this shorthand categorization is essential for the later sorting of your sources).

Complete bibliographic citation:

• author, title, publisher, copyright date, and page numbers for published works
• box and folder numbers and document descriptions for archival sources
• complete web page title, author, address, and date accessed for online sources

Notes on facts, quotations, and arguments: Depending on the type of source you’re using, the content of your notes will vary. If, for example, you’re using US Census data, then you’ll mainly be writing down statistics and numbers. If you’re looking at someone else’s diary, you might jot down a number of quotations that illustrate the subject’s feelings and perspectives. If you’re looking at a secondary source, you’ll want to make note not just of factual information provided by the author but also of their key arguments.

Your interpretation of the source: This is the most important part of note-taking. Don’t just record facts. Go ahead and take a stab at interpreting them. As historians Jacques Barzun and Henry F. Graff insist, “A note is a thought.” So what do these thoughts entail? Ask yourself questions about the context and significance of each source.

Interpreting the context of a source:

• Who wrote/created the source?
• When, and under what circumstances, was it written/created?
• Why was it written/created? What was the agenda behind the source?
• How was it written/created?
• If using a secondary source: How does it speak to other scholarship in the field?

Interpreting the significance of a source:

• How does this source answer (or complicate) my guiding research questions?
• Does it pose new questions for my project? What are they?
• Does it challenge my fundamental argument? If so, how?
• Given the source’s context, how reliable is it?

You don’t need to answer all of these questions for each source, but you should set a goal of engaging in at least one or two sentences of thoughtful, interpretative writing for each source. If you do so, you’ll make much easier the next task that awaits you: drafting.

The dread of drafting

Why do we often dread drafting? We dread drafting because it requires synthesis, one of the more difficult forms of thinking and interpretation. If you’ve been free-writing and taking thoughtful notes during the research phase of your project, then the drafting should be far less painful. Here are some tips on how to get started:

Sort your “evidence” or research into analytical categories:

• Some people file note cards into categories.
• The technologically-oriented among us take notes using computer database programs that have built-in sorting mechanisms.
• Others cut and paste evidence into detailed outlines on their computer.
• Still others stack books, notes, and photocopies into topically-arranged piles.There is not a single right way, but this step—in some form or fashion—is essential!

If you’ve been forcing yourself to put subject headings on your notes as you go along, you’ll have generated a number of important analytical categories. Now, you need to refine those categories and sort your evidence. Everyone has a different “sorting style.”

Formulate working arguments for your entire thesis and individual chapters. Once you’ve sorted your evidence, you need to spend some time thinking about your project’s “big picture.” You need to be able to answer two questions in specific terms:

• What is the overall argument of my thesis?
• What are the sub-arguments of each chapter and how do they relate to my main argument?

Keep in mind that “working arguments” may change after you start writing. But a senior thesis is big and potentially unwieldy. If you leave this business of argument to chance, you may end up with a tangle of ideas. See our handout on arguments and handout on thesis statements for some general advice on formulating arguments.

Divide your thesis into manageable chunks. The surest road to frustration at this stage is getting obsessed with the big picture. What? Didn’t we just say that you needed to focus on the big picture? Yes, by all means, yes. You do need to focus on the big picture in order to get a conceptual handle on your project, but you also need to break your thesis down into manageable chunks of writing. For example, take a small stack of note cards and flesh them out on paper. Or write through one point on a chapter outline. Those small bits of prose will add up quickly.

Just start! Even if it’s not at the beginning. Are you having trouble writing those first few pages of your chapter? Sometimes the introduction is the toughest place to start. You should have a rough idea of your overall argument before you begin writing one of the main chapters, but you might find it easier to start writing in the middle of a chapter of somewhere other than word one. Grab hold where you evidence is strongest and your ideas are clearest.

Keep up the momentum! Assuming the first draft won’t be your last draft, try to get your thoughts on paper without spending too much time fussing over minor stylistic concerns. At the drafting stage, it’s all about getting those ideas on paper. Once that task is done, you can turn your attention to revising.

Peter Elbow, in Writing With Power, suggests that writing is difficult because it requires two conflicting tasks: creating and criticizing. While these two tasks are intimately intertwined, the drafting stage focuses on creating, while revising requires criticizing. If you leave your revising to the last minute, then you’ve left out a crucial stage of the writing process. See our handout for some general tips on revising . The challenges of revising an honors thesis may include:

Juggling feedback from multiple readers

A senior thesis may mark the first time that you have had to juggle feedback from a wide range of readers:

• your adviser
• a second (and sometimes third) faculty reader
• the professor and students in your honors thesis seminar

You may feel overwhelmed by the prospect of incorporating all this advice. Keep in mind that some advice is better than others. You will probably want to take most seriously the advice of your adviser since they carry the most weight in giving your project a stamp of approval. But sometimes your adviser may give you more advice than you can digest. If so, don’t be afraid to approach them—in a polite and cooperative spirit, of course—and ask for some help in prioritizing that advice. See our handout for some tips on getting and receiving feedback .

Refining your argument

It’s especially easy in writing a lengthy work to lose sight of your main ideas. So spend some time after you’ve drafted to go back and clarify your overall argument and the individual chapter arguments and make sure they match the evidence you present.

Organizing and reorganizing

Again, in writing a 50-75 page thesis, things can get jumbled. You may find it particularly helpful to make a “reverse outline” of each of your chapters. That will help you to see the big sections in your work and move things around so there’s a logical flow of ideas. See our handout on  organization  for more organizational suggestions and tips on making a reverse outline

Plugging in holes in your evidence

It’s unlikely that you anticipated everything you needed to look up before you drafted your thesis. Save some time at the revising stage to plug in the holes in your research. Make sure that you have both primary and secondary evidence to support and contextualize your main ideas.

Saving time for the small stuff

Even though your argument, evidence, and organization are most important, leave plenty of time to polish your prose. At this point, you’ve spent a very long time on your thesis. Don’t let minor blemishes (misspellings and incorrect grammar) distract your readers!

Formatting and final touches

You’re almost done! You’ve researched, drafted, and revised your thesis; now you need to take care of those pesky little formatting matters. An honors thesis should replicate—on a smaller scale—the appearance of a dissertation or master’s thesis. So, you need to include the “trappings” of a formal piece of academic work. For specific questions on formatting matters, check with your department to see if it has a style guide that you should use. For general formatting guidelines, consult the Graduate School’s Guide to Dissertations and Theses . Keeping in mind the caveat that you should always check with your department first about its stylistic guidelines, here’s a brief overview of the final “finishing touches” that you’ll need to put on your honors thesis:

• Honors Thesis
• Name of Department
• University of North Carolina
• These parts of the thesis will vary in format depending on whether your discipline uses MLA, APA, CBE, or Chicago (also known in its shortened version as Turabian) style. Whichever style you’re using, stick to the rules and be consistent. It might be helpful to buy an appropriate style guide. Or consult the UNC LibrariesYear Citations/footnotes and works cited/reference pages  citation tutorial
• In addition, in the bottom left corner, you need to leave space for your adviser and faculty readers to sign their names. For example:

Approved by: _____________________

Adviser: Prof. Jane Doe

• This is not a required component of an honors thesis. However, if you want to thank particular librarians, archivists, interviewees, and advisers, here’s the place to do it. You should include an acknowledgments page if you received a grant from the university or an outside agency that supported your research. It’s a good idea to acknowledge folks who helped you with a major project, but do not feel the need to go overboard with copious and flowery expressions of gratitude. You can—and should—always write additional thank-you notes to people who gave you assistance.
• Formatted much like the table of contents.
• You’ll need to save this until the end, because it needs to reflect your final pagination. Once you’ve made all changes to the body of the thesis, then type up your table of contents with the titles of each section aligned on the left and the page numbers on which those sections begin flush right.
• Each page of your thesis needs a number, although not all page numbers are displayed. All pages that precede the first page of the main text (i.e., your introduction or chapter one) are numbered with small roman numerals (i, ii, iii, iv, v, etc.). All pages thereafter use Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, etc.).
• Your text should be double spaced (except, in some cases, long excerpts of quoted material), in a 12 point font and a standard font style (e.g., Times New Roman). An honors thesis isn’t the place to experiment with funky fonts—they won’t enhance your work, they’ll only distract your readers.
• In general, leave a one-inch inch margin on all sides. However, for the copy of your thesis that will be bound by the library, you need to leave a 1.25-inch margin on the left.

How do I defend my honors thesis?

Graciously, enthusiastically, and confidently. The term defense is scary and misleading—it conjures up images of a military exercise or an athletic maneuver. An academic defense ideally shouldn’t be a combative scene but a congenial conversation about the work’s merits and weaknesses. That said, the defense probably won’t be like the average conversation that you have with your friends. You’ll be the center of attention. And you may get some challenging questions. Thus, it’s a good idea to spend some time preparing yourself. First of all, you’ll want to prepare 5-10 minutes of opening comments. Here’s a good time to preempt some criticisms by frankly acknowledging what you think your work’s greatest strengths and weaknesses are. Then you may be asked some typical questions:

• What is the main argument of your thesis?
• How does it fit in with the work of Ms. Famous Scholar?
• Have you read the work of Mr. Important Author?

NOTE: Don’t get too flustered if you haven’t! Most scholars have their favorite authors and books and may bring one or more of them up, even if the person or book is only tangentially related to the topic at hand. Should you get this question, answer honestly and simply jot down the title or the author’s name for future reference. No one expects you to have read everything that’s out there.

• Why did you choose this particular case study to explore your topic?
• If you were to expand this project in graduate school, how would you do so?

Should you get some biting criticism of your work, try not to get defensive. Yes, this is a defense, but you’ll probably only fan the flames if you lose your cool. Keep in mind that all academic work has flaws or weaknesses, and you can be sure that your professors have received criticisms of their own work. It’s part of the academic enterprise. Accept criticism graciously and learn from it. If you receive criticism that is unfair, stand up for yourself confidently, but in a good spirit. Above all, try to have fun! A defense is a rare opportunity to have eminent scholars in your field focus on YOU and your ideas and work. And the defense marks the end of a long and arduous journey. You have every right to be proud of your accomplishments!

Works consulted

We consulted these works while writing this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find additional publications. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial . We revise these tips periodically and welcome feedback.

Atchity, Kenneth. 1986. A Writer’s Time: A Guide to the Creative Process from Vision Through Revision . New York: W.W. Norton.

Barzun, Jacques, and Henry F. Graff. 2012. The Modern Researcher , 6th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.

Elbow, Peter. 1998. Writing With Power: Techniques for Mastering the Writing Process . New York: Oxford University Press.

Graff, Gerald, and Cathy Birkenstein. 2014. “They Say/I Say”: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing , 3rd ed. New York: W.W. Norton and Company.

Lamott, Anne. 1994. Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life . New York: Pantheon.

Lasch, Christopher. 2002. Plain Style: A Guide to Written English. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press.

Turabian, Kate. 2018. A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, Dissertations , 9th ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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How does one mention “first class honors” and GPA correctly on a résumé?

On my résumé, I have the following:

-----Bachelor of ABC, Institute of XYZ, Country----- "first class honors" and GPA

I can't construct this line in a way that sounds completely correct. Which of the following is the right way?

• Graduated with First Class Honors and a GPA of X.
• Graduated First Class Honors with a GPA of X.
• Graduated with First Class Honors with a GPA of X.

Also, should it be capitalized first-class , First-class , or First Class ?

• grammaticality
• capitalization

• I guess this is for the US market? The UK would be very different. –  Andrew Leach ♦ Commented Oct 26, 2013 at 9:11
• @AndrewLeach Yeah. How would it be in the UK though? –  Anirudh Ramanathan Commented Oct 26, 2013 at 9:28
• In a CV/resume, something like "University of Surrey, UK: BSc(Hons) Civil Engineering, 1987." The date, degree and institution might appear in a different order depending on style within the CV. Definitely no mention of honours grade or GPA, though. –  Andrew Leach ♦ Commented Oct 26, 2013 at 10:02
• Maybe transform it to latin to make something like Magna cum laude (GPA X) –  Vilmar Commented Oct 31, 2013 at 10:10
• @Vilmar Not an option. The transcript must say the same. –  Anirudh Ramanathan Commented Oct 31, 2013 at 10:46

3 Answers 3

Your first suggestion, Graduated with First Class Honors and a GPA of X, not only seems legit (as another user said); it is absolutely correct.

There are a few different ways to format education on a resume, and in part it depends on how much you have or want to list.

Honors can also be listed as:

• Cum Laude: with honor
• Magna Cum Laude: with great honor
• Summa Cum Laude: with highest honor

University -- Campus, City Degree name (cum laude), month year -- other awards, GPA: x.x 1.

List the honors separately:

List item 1 years List item 2 years 2.

Bachelor of XX, Major month year Minor: minor University, campus, city GPA x.x, Cum Laude Honors

The Harvard Law School Advises:

You should include two separate subsections for each educational degree: "Honors" and "Activities." 3.

UNIVERSITY Degree XX with Honors in XYZ and ZYX, month year Honours: details here

Activities: details here

References:

Put Your Education to Work on Your Resume By Kim Isaacs, Monster Resume Expert

Format: Résumé Honors / Awards

• Resume Layout Guidance Harvard Law School
• 1 Awarded bounty for the amazing set of links and references. Thanks :) –  Anirudh Ramanathan Commented Nov 3, 2013 at 18:16
• Thank you! I forgot about this, a nice surprise to wake up to. And good luck! –  user163849 Commented Nov 3, 2013 at 20:53

Your first construction seems legit. You can add: Graduated with.....and an overall GPA of X.

You might also put it like this:

Awarded First-class Honours(or Honors) for an overall GPA of X.

Edit: and its First-class( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Class_Honours#First-class_honours )

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How to Write a First-Class Honours Degree on Your CV (The Proper Way)

In General , University by Think Student Editor February 9, 2022 Leave a Comment

Achieving a first-class honours degree is a hugely admirable achievement. It is an essential element to include when piecing together your CV. However, the question lies in how to do this properly? Ensuring it is written on your CV the correct way would make sure employers do not look down on you if you made an accidental error. It also makes sure that your fantastic degree is recognised!

There are many variations and abbreviations of the words ‘first-class,’ however, the way we recommend is writing simply ‘1st’ or ‘first’. Contrastingly, ways we do not recommend writing ‘first-class’ are as follows: ‘1 class’, ‘1’, ‘1st class’. There is also the option to write your gained percentage next to your degree too- this is optional.

This article will give you clear, guided instructions on how to write a first-class honours degree on your CV. Let’s begin!

Table of Contents

How to write first class honours on your CV?

There is a general rule that you can follow, no matter what type of degree you graduated with. By following this formula below, you can write it accurately and professionally. The rule goes as follows:

[Degree Type] [Degree Name] (Degree Class), [Years Attended] [University Name], [University Location] 

As an example, this is what someone who followed this rule may write:

BA (Hons) History and Politics (1st), 2017-2020 University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth

There you have it! Writing your degree on your CV is really that simple!

Below any additional questions you may have on this topic are answered in thorough detail, so it is recommended you take the time to read each section.

What different ways can you write ‘first-class’? 

There are many different variations and abbreviations of the word ‘first-class’ in the working world, however, only some are acceptable to write on a CV .

Although all are technically permitted, using the wrong types can make your CV appear unorganised and messy, and may distract from the actual content included in it.

Simply writing the words ‘first-class’ is not usually recommended , as it can appear over-complicated and lengthy.   ‘1st class’ or ‘1 class’ is not recommended either   as this too looks scruffy and not very professional.

Plainly putting the number ‘1’ is not much help either. This could also confuse employers over which degree you actually attained, as it is very vague and could allude to a number of different degrees.

If you wish to write out the words ‘first-class’ to avoid any confusion, we recommend you do it the following ways: either ‘First Class’ or ‘First Class Honours’.

The most favourable way to write ‘first-class’ on your CV is to state it as either ‘1st’ or ‘first’ . These two options are clear in which degree you achieved and are concise. They are certain to look neat on your CV and will cause employers no additional unnecessary confusion!

Although the final option is considered the best option in our opinion, please do not worry if you wrote yours in another variation or wish to write yours in a different way to what we have recommended. 

The point of this article is to ensure you write it in the best way possible, to ensure the highest possible chance of success and to make a good impression on your potential future employer.

Should you include your first-class honours degree on your CV?

Yes!   It is essential that you do this to do your achievement the justice it deserves . Attaining first-class honours requires an astronomical amount of effort, hard-work, and determination, therefore you must be sure to include it when putting together your CV.

Stating you have first-class honours may also give you an advantage, as it is such an uncommon high achievement it is likely to put you above other applicants who may have a lower degree.

Why does it matter how you write first-class honours on your CV?

Presenting your CV in a respectable and neat way is a sure-fire way to impress employers right from the beginning.

An unorganised CV will lead to disapproval from your employer and may put you in a negative light if you get called back for an interview. It may even jeopardise your chances of getting an interview in the first place. This makes it vital you know how to set out your content correctly and tidily.

Following the below tutorial will ensure you do this correctly, and will avoid any negative impressions that could be created from a messy CV.

The main importance of writing ‘first-class’ correctly is to create the best possible impression of yourself through your CV .

Writing it incorrectly or untidily may put you in a bad light, and especially if you are applying for a popular job with many applicants. It is essential for you to create the best impression possible to enable you to be accepted.

To do this you must get everything correct- everything down to the very last detail, and that includes even miniscule things like the way you write ‘first-class’.

Should you write your percentage next to your degree also?

To be awarded a first-class honours degree, the student taking the course must have gained a percentage of 70% or more. However, there is a huge difference between a 70% and a 90%+ student.  Due to this, is it necessary to state your percentage?

Although most employers do not actively request your percentage, it may be of use to you to include it if you feel it would benefit your CV.  For example, employers are most likely to choose the applicant with 88% over another with 71% as long as they match the criteria in other areas too.

Some people do not find out their percentage after university, and if you can relate to this situation, do not worry! As mentioned earlier, employers do not actively seek this statistic, so it will not damage your CV if you do not include it (unless it is requested, although this is rare).

If you were to write your percentage, it is recommended you follow this formula:

[Degree Type] [Degree Name] (Degree Class: Percentage), [Years Attended] [University Name], [University Location] 

Here is an example of this:

BA (Hons) History and Politics (1st: 86%), 2017-2020 University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth

If you were not given your percentage, you may be able to contact your attended university and see if they have a file containing it.

What does a CV look like?

Although this section may seem off topic from the subheading, it is more useful than you may think to understand the general format of a CV. This is so you can then interpret this in your mind as we proceed to tell you how and where to write your honours degree.

A typical CV includes contact information   (so employers are able to send a reply!), a personal statement (an account of all your achievements, talents, interests, and goals), previous work experience (if any), and your past education and skills.

You are also free to include anything you think would impress employers and add to the image you would like to portray of yourself- as long as it is true, of course!

CVs are typically flexible in regard to what you can put in, so ultimately it is up to you what you include (although vital information such as contact details are highly recommended!). Some employers may give specifications of what is required to be included.

You can view on  this website  an example of a typical CV, with contact details at the top, and all other subjects following.

If you wish to create your own whilst following along with our tutorial on how to write your first-class honours degree in correctly, you can find many professional templates  here .

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• CV and Cover Letter
• How to write first-class...

How to write first-class honours on a CV (with examples)

9 min read · Updated on June 25, 2024

Including your first-class honours degree on your graduate CV is a must

Achieving a first-class honours degree is a remarkable accomplishment, and including it on your CV is essential. But the question remains: how do you say “graduated with first-class honours” properly? Ensuring accurate representation on your CV is crucial to avoid potential misunderstandings with employers. Moreover, it ensures your outstanding degree receives the recognition it deserves. This article provides clear, guided instructions on effectively presenting a first-class honours degree on your CV. 

What does “first-class honours” mean?

Receiving a first-class honours degree means that you have achieved the highest possible grade for a UK undergraduate degree. Sometimes known as a “first” or “first-class degree,” it is awarded to students with a final grade of 70% or above. To obtain a first in undergraduate studies is a symbol of academic excellence. 

Honour degrees are classified into four categories: 

First-class honours (First or 1st): 70% or above

Upper second-class honours (2:1): 60-69%

Lower second-class honours (2:2): 50-59%

Third-class honours (Third): 40-49%

Listing the “grade” achieved on your CV if you were awarded a first or a 2:1 is common, as it can enhance your employment prospects. It indicates that you are competent in your field of study. However, if you achieved a 2:2 or a third, it's best practice to omit the grade. While it is still a valid qualification, there are specific biases it can elicit.

Why you should include a first-class honours degree on your CV

It's likely you don't need convincing that including first-class honours on your CV is a good thing, but here are a few reasons you should include your qualification on your graduate CV – and in the right way, too!

Showcases academic excellence: Indicates high academic achievement and in-depth knowledge of your field.

Enhances employability: Makes your CV stand out and increases your chances of landing an interview.

Reflects dedication and hard work: Demonstrates your consistent effort, determination, and motivation.

Eligibility for advanced opportunities: Meet the criteria for postgraduate programmes or advanced job roles, broadening career prospects.

Creates a strong impression: Creates a positive impact on recruiters and prospective employers, distinguishing you from other candidates.

How to write a first-class honours degree on a CV

When writing a graduate CV, your education section should be underneath your personal statement . The purpose of this is to show your recent academic qualifications straight away so that the person reading can immediately spot that you're a graduate and have secured a first-class degree.

A recruiter expects to see a few fundamentals in the education section of your CV , including:

Name of the institution – school, college, or university

Qualification with grades

Dates of attendance or the year the qualification was awarded

When writing that you graduated with first-class honours, follow this format: 

[Degree title], [First-class honours]

[University name], [Year of graduation]

What are the different ways to write “first-class” on my CV?

There are technically different ways to write “first-class” on your CV. It's best to avoid overly complex first-class honours abbreviations or variations that may clutter your CV or confuse employers. 

The accepted formats include:

First class

First class honours

Regardless of the format you choose, clarity is key. Ensure that the way you write “first-class” clearly communicates your degree classification without causing confusion.

Ultimately, the goal is to present yourself to potential employers in the best possible light. Choose a format for writing “first-class” that aligns with this objective and reflects positively on your qualifications.

Should I state the percentage of my first-class degree?

Deciding whether to include the percentage of your first-class degree on your CV requires considering its relevance and potential impact. 

While securing a first-class degree is an achievement in itself, if you've excelled and achieved well above the 70% required, you may want to showcase this accomplishment. Remember, your CV is where you can boast about your achievements. 

While most employers don't explicitly ask for degree percentages, presenting a higher percentage can differentiate you from other candidates, especially if you excel in different areas relevant to the role.

If you choose to include your percentage, ensure it aligns with the overall presentation of your CV and follows the recommended format:

BA (Hons) Applied Languages, First Class (88%)

University of Portsmouth, 2022

However, if you attended a university where percentage information was not provided, don't panic. You can contact your university to inquire about obtaining this information. If unsuccessful or if you feel it's irrelevant to include, omitting this detail from your CV is acceptable.

Ultimately, use discretion and consider the potential impact on your application when deciding whether to include the percentage of your first-class degree.

How to list a first-class degree in progress on your CV

If you are part-way through your university course, you should consider adding your unfinished degree to your CV . 

The format is identical to a complete degree, with a minor wording change:

[Degree title], [Predicted grade]

[University name], [Due to complete in Month Year]

If you are predicted a first-class honours, it might look like this:

BA (Hons) in Economics & Accountancy, predicted First Class Honours

Sheffield Hallam University, due to complete in July 2024

Examples of writing a first-class honours degree on your CV

Here are examples of how to write a first-class honours degree on your CV for undergraduates:

Bachelor of Arts in English Literature, First Class (88%)

University of Cambridge, 2023

Bachelor of Science in Biology, 1st Class Honours (91%)

Imperial College London, 2022

Bachelor of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering, First Class (85%)

University of Manchester, 2023

Bachelor of Laws, First Class Honours

London School of Economics, 2022

Undergraduate Master's Degree in Civil Engineering, 1st (89%)

University College London, 2023

MEng (Hons) Aerospace Engineering, 1st Class (90%)

University of Southampton, 2023

BA (Hons) History, First Class Honours

University of Edinburgh, 2022

BSc (Hons) Computer Science, 1st Class

University of Warwick, 2023

When to include a first-class honours degree on your CV

Adding a first-class honours degree to your CV is beneficial throughout your career, but its emphasis may shift depending on your career stage and situation as a job hunter. Here are some general rules to follow:

1. Recent graduates (0-5 years experience)

Look to showcase your first-class degree prominently at the top of your CV. Your academic achievements are likely your strongest asset, setting you apart from candidates without such high distinctions.

2. Mid-career professionals (5-15 years experience)

While your first-class honours degree is important, balancing it with your professional experience and achievements is crucial. Employers will evaluate your work history and educational background, so be sure to clearly represent both on your CV and make the call on whether you need to include “first-class honours” to support your candidacy.

3. Late-career professionals (15+ years experience)

Your degree in your education section is still worth mentioning, but your CV should focus more on your professional experience and accomplishments . At this stage of your career, employers will likely find your work history more relevant than your academic credentials, so it's okay to downplay "first-class honours" if needed. Focus on showcasing the valuable workplace skills and experiences you've gained instead.

4. Career changers

If you're switching careers , it's important to emphasise your first-class honours degree on your CV if it's still relevant to your new career path. Highlighting your academic achievement can appeal to prospective employers, even in a different field, as a first-class degree not only represents excellence but also suggests high potential.

5. People with a career gap

If you've been out of work for a little while , including your first-class honours on your CV can significantly strengthen it and bridge that gap. Highlighting your academic excellence underscores your achievements and can alleviate any concerns prospective employers may have about your time away from the working world.

6. Technical professions

If you work in an industry like engineering or IT where a degree is essential, especially a first-class honours, it should be prominently featured on your CV. Technical professions highly value strong academic backgrounds, and highlighting a top-tier grade will bolster your candidacy.

7. Academics and researchers

If you're pursuing a career in academia, your first-class honours degree should play a pivotal role in your CV . Educational qualifications hold significant value and are closely scrutinised in academic and research fields. Be sure to highlight your academic excellence to emphasise your qualifications effectively.

8. Job seekers with extensive professional development

Alongside degrees, CVs often feature a variety of educational accomplishments such as A-Levels and skills-based courses . If this applies to you, include your first-class degree alongside other certifications . This demonstrates not only your academic achievement but also your dedication to continuous learning and professional development .

To ensure your academic achievements are appropriately highlighted and help enhance your job prospects, always adjust the prominence of your first-class degree based on your career stage and job-hunting context.

When to remove “first-class honours” from your CV

Once you get your first, second or third job, your first-class honours degree becomes less and less important. You'll be learning and cementing new key skills the further you climb up the career ladder, so your education section will slip further down the CV until it's under your career summary – and often at the end of the second page, once you get deep into your career.

While you may still want to include details of your degree on your CV for the rest of your working life, such as the type of degree, subject matter, and name of the university, writing first-class honours on your CV will be optional. This is because you'll have proven yourself in your work life, and if you have completed your degree more than five years before, you can remove the grade.

Let your academic efforts shine

Taking the time and effort to showcase your achievements on your CV is worth it. You're at the top of your game, holding a first-class degree, so make sure everyone knows about it!

Getting a CV job-ready can be confusing and time-consuming, especially if you still need to figure out how to show off your grade. Let the professionals at TopCV take the strain. Check out our CV review service , where your current CV will be checked over… for free!   

Recommended reading: 

What to include in a CV in 2024 – 9 essential sections

CV length: how far back should you go?

How to sell yourself on a CV: do it without boasting!

Related Articles:

5 steps to crafting an impressive self-employed CV

Highlighting extracurricular activities on your CV: a how-to

How to demonstrate teamwork skills on your CV (with examples)

See how your CV stacks up.

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Want an upper 1st class dissertation mark?

(Last updated: 12 May 2021)

Since 2006, Oxbridge Essays has been the UK’s leading paid essay-writing and dissertation service

We have helped 10,000s of undergraduate, Masters and PhD students to maximise their grades in essays, dissertations, model-exam answers, applications and other materials. If you would like a free chat about your project with one of our UK staff, then please just reach out on one of the methods below.

How can you achieve a first class mark for your dissertation? A 1st class dissertation will typically display all or many of the following characteristics – make sure you incorporate them in your dissertation writing to improve your chances of success.

Originality

A dissertation constitutes your personal academic position, and should therefore by nature be substantially original in order to fulfil its basic requirement. Originality comes in shades and degrees, however, and for an upper 1st mark you must demonstrate in all aspects of your work an original critical stance and unique perspective, informed by your novel research aims.

The content of your upper 1st class dissertation must be gauged to relate meaningfully and appropriately with the existing literature. The scope of your work must be clearly delineated, its aims relevant, interesting and cognisant of significant trends in the field, and its findings compelling, persuasive and important.

Data collection

Your thorough understanding of the data collection methods applicable in your chosen field must be communicated unambiguously to the reader. Justify your chosen methodology through a rigorous comparative analysis of available alternatives and evaluate the advantages and drawbacks of the chosen approach.

Conceptual framework

Demonstrate a thorough and deeply engaged understanding of the tissue of ideas and theoretical paradigms surrounding your chosen area of research and remain mindful of this background conceptual framework when discussing your findings. To achieve the very highest marks you must appropriate these ideas to your own needs and use them to render your data intelligible.

Structure and organisation

Proper chapter development, subheadings, introductory and concluding sections: each should be employed seamlessly to provide for absolute clarity. Logical development of argument should be mirrored in – and facilitated by – coherent and intuitive organisation of material. Employ linking devices to guide the reader across chapters.

Quality of expression

For an upper 1st class dissertation, the quality of your written English should be consistent with expectations for any serious piece of academic research, which is to say absolutely impeccable. Your comfort with the academic register should be second nature, lending a consistent assured tone throughout. Total accuracy in usage of specialist vocabulary is required.

You will have an extremely wide first-hand knowledge of the relevant literature and the broad knowledge base which this brings. Reference material from an extensive variety of sources and demonstrate your expert scholarly acumen through citation of esoteric texts and unusual material alongside mastery of the core material.

Critical analysis

The material that you reference should be brought entirely under your command through a prodigious capacity to identify, draw out, critique, dissect and evaluate key concepts. In your analyses consider provenance as well as implications.

Ensure not only the relevance of your findings, but other attributes such as significance for the field, reproducibility, and the extent to which such findings can be generalised. Not only the nature of your findings but their position in relation to existing research must be thoroughly discussed.

Academic conventions

Demonstrate a total grasp of the appropriate use of referencing, abstracts, bibliographies and appendices. Remove all doubts as to your academic competence by completely eliminating errors in this area.

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How to Use the First Day of Class to Set Up a Positive and Engaging Course

• August 21, 2024
• Teaching and Learning Resources

By Jane Harvey

Why the first day class of a course is so important

As with many other life experiences, first-day-class impressions are important as they set the tone for the rest of the semester. Students’ first impressions of the course, the instructor, the atmosphere and community will affect the effort they put into the course as well as their relationships with the instructor and their peers. What the first day includes can help build the kind of collaborative community everyone wants, enhance students’ engagement and motivation, and show the students that you care about them and are a empathetic and effective instructor. 

Getting to know each other 

Why is it important that....

you get to know students? Learning students’ names can be challenging, especially in large classes. It is worthwhile to try because of the community that comes from getting to know your students. Showing students that you are trying to learn their preferred name and its pronunciation and using their names as often as you can shows them that you are focused on them as individuals. Even if you may not remember and occasionally mispronounce students’ names, there is value in trying. Also, you might learn about them as individuals by asking them to fill out a questionnaire about themselves can help you perhaps personalize and vary your examples etc. to be based on students’ backgrounds, hobbies, interests, etc. This pdf has a questionnaire that you can use or adapt and also other suggestions for the following ideas. 

students get to know each other? Students getting to know each other and learn and use each other’s names on the first day is crucial to the creation of an engaging classroom community. Also, fostering collaboration among students, for example by setting up groups and having them complete a task similar to what they will do during the course, can help reduce the stress students tend to feel on the first day of class as well as create foundations for a collaborative and cooperative classroom community.  

students get to know you? Humanize yourself on day one by, for example, sharing information about yourself and what you expect from your students. This effort can set up a positive relationship which can help both you and the students during the semester. Depending on your class structure, you might share how you plan to be flexible with students. This flexibility could look like allowing students to submit one assignment late without a penalty or allowing students to miss a class or two without questioning. Also, you might show empathy to students' challenges by communicating how the course is designed to support them, and what resources USF has for student support. 

Create curiosity and motivation about the content and goals of the course 

The first day is the best time to spark students’ curiosity and motivation for the rest of the course. Setting a task which requires knowledge and skills that students could only have by the end of the semester will allow students to draw on their existing knowledge and create fertile grounds for new knowledge and skill acquisition.

Then you can outline how the course content, activities, and assignments will allow students to acquire this knowledge and develop the skills they will need. These connections can be made by reviewing the assignments and showing how each assignment meets a Student Learning Outcome. Providing this context can help students engage with the course and also decrease their stress.

Also, you might ask students to think about what learning strategies they will need to complete the course successfully, and what they would need from you and from each other to make those strategies successful. Attending office hours or creating study groups could be suggested strategies. 

Having students take two minutes at the end of the class to write their (anonymous) reactions to their first day can build a climate where they are responsible for thinking about their learning. It will also give you feedback and can positively influence your teaching and relationships with the students. 

More ideas and strategies for a successful first day of class can be found in these resources:

de Luse, S. (2018). First impressions: Using a flexible first day activity to enhance student learning and classroom management. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education , 30 (2), 308-321. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1185089.pdf

Hermann, A. D., & Foster, D. A. (2008). Fostering approachability and classroom participation during the first day of class: Evidence for a reciprocal interview activity. Active Learning in Higher Education , 9 (2), 139-151. USF Library permalink.

King, T. (Host). (2023, July 12). The first day of class: Fostering a zest for learning with a sense of empathy [Audio podcast episode]. In Faculty Focus . Buzzsprout Audio. https://www.facultyfocus.com/faculty-focus-live-podcast

Lang, J. M. (2018, August 21). How to teach a good first day of class. The Chronicle of Higher Education . https://www.chronicle.com/article/how-to-teach-a-good-first-day-of-class/

Rudenga, K. (2024, August 5). 6 ideas to perk up your first day of class. The Chronicle of Higher Education . https://www.chronicle.com/article/6-ideas-to-perk-up-your-first-day-of-class

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MIT study explains why laws are written in an incomprehensible style

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Legal documents are notoriously difficult to understand, even for lawyers. This raises the question: Why are these documents written in a style that makes them so impenetrable?

MIT cognitive scientists believe they have uncovered the answer to that question. Just as “magic spells” use special rhymes and archaic terms to signal their power, the convoluted language of legalese acts to convey a sense of authority, they conclude.

In a study appearing this week in the journal of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences , the researchers found that even non-lawyers use this type of language when asked to write laws.

“People seem to understand that there’s an implicit rule that this is how laws should sound, and they write them that way,” says Edward Gibson, an MIT professor of brain and cognitive sciences and the senior author of the study.

Eric Martinez PhD ’24 is the lead author of the study. Francis Mollica, a lecturer at the University of Melbourne, is also an author of the paper .

Casting a legal spell

Gibson’s research group has been studying the unique characteristics of legalese since 2020, when Martinez came to MIT after earning a law degree from Harvard Law School. In a 2022 study , Gibson, Martinez, and Mollica analyzed legal contracts totaling about 3.5 million words, comparing them with other types of writing, including movie scripts, newspaper articles, and academic papers.

That analysis revealed that legal documents frequently have long definitions inserted in the middle of sentences — a feature known as “center-embedding.” Linguists have previously found that this kind of structure can make text much more difficult to understand.

“Legalese somehow has developed this tendency to put structures inside other structures, in a way which is not typical of human languages,” Gibson says.

In a follow-up study published in 2023, the researchers found that legalese also makes documents more difficult for lawyers to understand. Lawyers tended to prefer plain English versions of documents, and they rated those versions to be just as enforceable as traditional legal documents.

“Lawyers also find legalese to be unwieldy and complicated,” Gibson says. “Lawyers don’t like it, laypeople don’t like it, so the point of this current paper was to try and figure out why they write documents this way.”

The researchers had a couple of hypotheses for why legalese is so prevalent. One was the “copy and edit hypothesis,” which suggests that legal documents begin with a simple premise, and then additional information and definitions are inserted into already existing sentences, creating complex center-embedded clauses.

“We thought it was plausible that what happens is you start with an initial draft that’s simple, and then later you think of all these other conditions that you want to include. And the idea is that once you’ve started, it’s much easier to center-embed that into the existing provision,” says Martinez, who is now a fellow and instructor at the University of Chicago Law School.

However, the findings ended up pointing toward a different hypothesis, the so-called “magic spell hypothesis.” Just as magic spells are written with a distinctive style that sets them apart from everyday language, the convoluted style of legal language appears to signal a special kind of authority, the researchers say.

“In English culture, if you want to write something that’s a magic spell, people know that the way to do that is you put a lot of old-fashioned rhymes in there. We think maybe center-embedding is signaling legalese in the same way,” Gibson says.

In this study, the researchers asked about 200 non-lawyers (native speakers of English living in the United States, who were recruited through a crowdsourcing site called Prolific), to write two types of texts. In the first task, people were told to write laws prohibiting crimes such as drunk driving, burglary, arson, and drug trafficking. In the second task, they were asked to write stories about those crimes.

To test the copy and edit hypothesis, half of the participants were asked to add additional information after they wrote their initial law or story. The researchers found that all of the subjects wrote laws with center-embedded clauses, regardless of whether they wrote the law all at once or were told to write a draft and then add to it later. And, when they wrote stories related to those laws, they wrote in much plainer English, regardless of whether they had to add information later.

“When writing laws, they did a lot of center-embedding regardless of whether or not they had to edit it or write it from scratch. And in that narrative text, they did not use center-embedding in either case,” Martinez says.

In another set of experiments, about 80 participants were asked to write laws, as well as descriptions that would explain those laws to visitors from another country. In these experiments, participants again used center-embedding for their laws, but not for the descriptions of those laws.

The origins of legalese

Gibson’s lab is now investigating the origins of center-embedding in legal documents. Early American laws were based on British law, so the researchers plan to analyze British laws to see if they feature the same kind of grammatical construction. And going back much farther, they plan to analyze whether center-embedding is found in the Hammurabi Code, the earliest known set of laws, which dates to around 1750 BC.

“There may be just a stylistic way of writing from back then, and if it was seen as successful, people would use that style in other languages,” Gibson says. “I would guess that it’s an accidental property of how the laws were written the first time, but we don’t know that yet.”

The researchers hope that their work, which has identified specific aspects of legal language that make it more difficult to understand, will motivate lawmakers to try to make laws more comprehensible. Efforts to write legal documents in plainer language date to at least the 1970s, when President Richard Nixon declared that federal regulations should be written in “layman’s terms.” However, legal language has changed very little since that time.

“We have learned only very recently what it is that makes legal language so complicated, and therefore I am optimistic about being able to change it,” Gibson says. 

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Researchers at MIT have found that the use of legalese in writing “to assert authority over those less versed in such language,” reports Noor Al-Sibai for Futurism . “By studying this cryptic take on the English language, the researchers are hoping to make legal documents much easier to read in the future,” explains Al-Sibai.

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• Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences

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