Why should you learn to write essays?
We are sure you were asked to write an essay at least once in your studying journey. Therefore, you have asked yourself numerous times, “how to write an English essay?”
But our essay writing service knows how terrifying this academic task can be for students. Indeed, it can cause a lot of stress, but only when the writing process is a mystery for young academics. Today, we will unveil this secret to help you stop stressing out because of your essays and finally ace this task!
- We will explain what an essay is and how important it is in the academic setting.
- EduBirdie will break down all the steps of how to write an essay: from reading the task to proofreading it.
- We will also discuss various essay tips, as well as the “do” and “don’ts” of the masterly essay writing process!
Let’s comprehend what an essay is
An essay is a written piece of prose that presents and defends a thesis or argument. Basically, it is a really broad term for writing that expresses an author's viewpoint on the material. It often includes analysis, interpretation, or discussion of a particular topic. In fact, academic writing examples can vary widely in style and purpose, but they often comprise an introduction, body paragraphs with supporting evidence, and a conclusion.
Besides, essays are important pieces of text that are commonly used across a variety of subjects, e.g., literature, history, philosophy, social sciences, natural sciences, and more. Additionally, essays are frequently utilized in professional contexts for presenting research findings, opinions, or persuasive arguments.
Because of its wide usage, the essay's length can vary depending on the educational level and the assignment's unique requirements. In academic settings, an example of essay may start at 500 words for a short assignment. However, a standard length for many academic essays is often around 1500 to 2000 words.
How important is essay in the education systems of major countries?
Essays are used extensively in the education systems of the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, and others to measure students' knowledge, critical thinking, and ability to explain ideas effectively.
That’s clear because, thanks to essays, students broaden their comprehension of any subject. For instance, such types of writing as critical analysis essay require students to analyze information, formulate arguments, and back up their assertions with evidence. Meanwhile, writing an academic essay also allows students to develop their communication skills, including clarity of expression, organization of ideas, and coherence of arguments.
Therefore, no one can undervalue the relevance of an essay in the academic setting. That is why teachers frequently assign students a task to write an essay.
The major types of essays
Before diving into writing your future essay, you should know that there are loads of types of it. There are various kinds of essay writing format, each with its characteristics and purposes:
- Descriptive essays focus on describing a person, place, object, or event in detail. Their goal is to evoke a sense of imagery and atmosphere.
- Expository essays present information, explain a topic, or analyze a concept clearly and concisely. Accordingly, the writer provides evidence and examples to support their thesis statement. Usual forms of expository essays include compare and contrast essay, cause and effect essays, and process essays.
- Persuasive essay aims to convince the reader to adopt the writer's viewpoint and take a specific course of action. Thus, the writer presents arguments and evidence to support their position, often appealing to logic, emotion, and ethics. Plus, persuasive essays frequently include a counterargument to address opposing views.
- Analytical essay analyzes, interprets, and evaluates a text, artwork, event, etc. Here, the writer explores the subject's components and explains their relevance or consequences.
- Cause and effect essays explore the relationship between events or phenomena, examining the causes that lead to certain effects or the effects that result from specific causes. Consequently, the author identifies causal relationships and analyzes their impact, often organizing the essay using a chronological or categorical framework.
These are only a couple of the primary types of essay writing examples, each having a particular function and necessitating unique structure, drafting, and writing methods.
Five preparation steps before writing an essay
So, you are about to write an essay. But where to start? Don’t freak out! Just go step by step with this essay writing guide:
- Understand your assignment.
Before falling into questions about how to structure an essay or how to start an essay, carefully read the assignment prompt or directions to understand the topic, prerequisites, and expectations. Also, identify any precise criteria for the essay's format, length, and citation style.
- Choose the topic.
If you are not given a specific topic, choose it. Select the one that interests you and aligns with the assignment requirements. For this purpose, consider the scope of the topic, relevance, and potential for generating meaningful insights or arguments. If you do not have a particular interest right now, brainstorm! It's the ideal method to discover something new you might be interested in.
- Research.
EduBirdie recommends firstly diving deep into the topic and collecting information about it. Thus, gather relevant facts and evidence to back up your thesis statement. Be cautious and cite only credible sources such as scholarly publications, books, databases, and respected websites. Besides, look for essay examples presenting practical or theoretical evidence to know how to support your statement. We also recommend taking notes and carefully organizing your research materials, which will assist you avoid losing any key sources.
- Develop a thesis statement.
Create a clear thesis statement that summarizes your essay's argument. Accordingly, the thesis statement should be clear, arguable, and supported by the evidence presented in the essay.
- Create an outline.
Design an outline to organize your ideas and essay structure to ensure logical flow. Further, we would like to discuss this part in more detail.
How to write an essay: the typical outline
A typical outline for an essay follows a structured format: an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Let’s break down each section:
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Introduction:
- Hook: Students frequently address us on how to write an essay introduction? We recommend starting with an attention-grabbing opening sentence or statement to engage the reader. This may be a challenging inquiry, an engrossing narrative, a pertinent remark, or an unexpected fact.
- Background Information: There is no single good way to start an essay, but providing context or background information on the topic will help readers understand its significance or relevance.
- Thesis Statement: Present your essay's main argument or central idea clearly and concisely. The thesis statement should assert your position on the topic and outline the main points you will discuss in the essay's body.
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Body Paragraphs:
- Topic Sentence: The best way for how to start an essay paragraph is to begin each body paragraph with the main point or argument to give an insight into what this part of the essay is going to be about.
- Supporting Evidence: Provide evidence, examples, or data to support your argument.
- Analysis and Explanation: Analyze and explain how the evidence supports your thesis statement.
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Conclusion:
- Restate Thesis: Rephrase your thesis statement to avoid redundancy.
- Summary of Main Points: Summarize the main points or arguments presented in the body paragraphs. Plus, provide a brief review of the evidence and analysis that supports your thesis.
- Closing Statement: End with a statement that reinforces the significance of your argument or offers a final thought, recommendation, or implication.
Remember that the outline acts as a road map for your essay, directing the organization and development of your thoughts. Nevertheless, you can always amend and revise the plan during the writing process to reflect new insights or changes.
The Process of Writing
So, you have prepared for writing, understood the purpose of your essay, gathered all necessary sources, and developed the thesis statement. Now, it is high time to start actually crafting your essay. Do not stress out, stay organized, and ace this assignment!
Obviously, start with writing a draft:
- Begin with an attention-grabbing hook to engage the reader.
- Provide background information on the topic to contextualize your argument.
- Present your thesis statement, outlining the main points you'll be covering.
Go directly to the body paragraphs:
- Start each body paragraph with a topic sentence introducing the main point or argument.
- Provide supporting evidence and examples.
- Analyze and interpret the evidence, explaining its significance in relation to your thesis.
- Use transitional words and phrases to ensure that your thoughts flow smoothly from one to another.
Conclude it:
- Sometimes, the “how to finish an essay?” question pursues students overnight. Even though it is the trouble-free part of writing, restating your thesis statement is as easy as that.
- Thus, summarize the main points of your essay, highlighting the key arguments and evidence.
- Make a closing statement that reinforces the significance of your argument or offers a broader implication related to your topic.
Revise and edit your draft:
- Review your essay for clarity, coherence, and effectiveness of argumentation.
- Check your grammar, punctuation, spelling, and sentence structure.
- Ensure consistency in style, tone, and citation format.
- Seek feedback from peers, instructors, or tutors and make revisions accordingly.
Proofread:
- Carefully proofread your essay to catch any remaining errors or inconsistencies.
- Read your essay aloud, ask someone for help, or use online programs for additional proofreading assistance.
- Double-check citations and references to ensure accuracy.
Finalize the Essay:
- Make any final adjustments or revisions as needed to polish your essay.
- Format the essay according to the required guidelines, including title page, citations, and bibliography.
- Ensure your essay meets all the requirements of the assignment before submitting it. For instance, ask yourself if your reflective essay is indeed reflective.
Do’s and don'ts: how to write good essay without making errors
EduBirdie knows how hard it can actually be to master an essay! Don't worry; we have you covered here too. Here are all the essay writing tips you need to know to put the last dot in your work:
- Before beginning to write, make sure you completely comprehend the essay question or assignment requirements.
- Write in a clear, concise manner, using language that is easy to understand. Avoid unnecessary jargon or complex vocabulary.
- Support your statements and arguments with relevant facts, examples, and statistics from reputable sources.
- Keep your essay focused on the main topic or thesis statement. Eliminate any irrelevant information.
- Using outside sources, cite them properly according to the required citation style (e.g., APA, MLA, Chicago).
- Read more essay writing examples to grasp different types of writing from different authors and get inspired.
- Consider getting peer, instructor, or tutor feedback to improve your essay. Another perspective can provide valuable insights and suggestions for improvement. You can also pay for essay so somebody can professionally correct your work.
- Some students ask us, “how to quickly write an essay?”. Quickly is a good way, but quality must be your priority, so never rush and stay calm!
- Enjoy the process! Experiment, play with words, find your perfect unique style, and everything will turn out better than you could have imagined!
Importantly, keep in mind what you should not do!
- Avoid plagiarism by always properly citing your sources and crediting to the original authors. Indeed, plagiarism is a serious academic offense leading to serious consequences. Thus, asking for essay help is always better than stealing someone's work!
- Don't postpone writing your essay until the last minute. Dedicate ample time to research, plan, write, and revise your essay to ensure quality work.
- Stay focused on the main topic or thesis statement of your essay. Avoid including irrelevant information or going off tangents that don't contribute to your argument.
- Always keep your thesis statement in mind as you write your essay. Every paragraph and argument should relate to your thesis in some way.
You are successfully done!
Congratulations! You are finally finished writing a good essay and ready to submit it. If you have any more questions, EduBirdie is always happy to help!
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