what is an process essay

How to Write a Process Essay

The process essay, also known as the "how-to" essay, is commonly written for people or companies that need tutorials or a set of instructional steps. Whether it's building a robot or cooking a chocolate cake, process essays use a similar format for any variations. They follow a step-by-step style, with the initial step influencing the second, which influences the third, and so on. Each step carries its own importance, and a poor explanation of one step can ruin the entire process. It's important to stay concise and efficient. However, before you begin writing your essay, you should do some small preparations. Let's discover them with our research writing service .

What Is a Process Paper?

A process essay is a type of essay that explains a process step by step and gives guidance for a certain process, working mechanism, procedure, etc. Process essays range from very simple ones, such as instructions for how to ride a bicycle, to more complex ones, such as a chemistry lab report of an oxidative reaction experiment. The goal of a process paper is to give its readers guidance and directions. 

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A process paper is characterized, first of all, by explaining a process using a description. Some words that are frequently used in process essays are “further”, “then”, “next”, “first”, “last”, “finally”, and “initially”. It is really important to remember that every process essay includes features, such as:

• clear and straightforward narration - the last thing you want to do is to confuse your reader with complex language and an unorganized thought thread;
• chronological order - avoid skipping steps and shifting them around, as it will result in misunderstanding and frustration for the readers;
• transition words - make sure to separate the next step from the previous ones by using transition words;
• descriptions of the steps - make sure your steps are clear and easy to follow.

There are several types of process essays. The first one is directional - it explains the “how to” for something. It can take on a wide range of subjects, such as how to apply for a credit card, how to get your driver’s license, how to plan a wedding, etc. The outcome of the directional essay should be a result. In the cases of the examples above: a credit card, a driver’s license, or a carefully planned wedding. The other type of process paper is informational - it explains how something works. Here are some examples: how a weather forecast is determined, how a space rocket works, how intermittent fasting changes your body, etc. An informational essay explains something to a reader and does not necessarily end up with a result, like directional does. 

Another type of essay that is similar to a process essay is a process analysis essay. The biggest difference is that a process analysis essay not only explains the steps, but also analyses them in depth. It has all of the characteristics of a process essay, although goes into more detail about the causes and consequences of every step.

If you need any additional information for process analysis essays, check out our article: HOW TO WRITE A PROCESS ANALYSIS ESSAY

Writing a process essay is not extremely difficult. By following simple rules and a set of steps, a successful, well-structured essay can be guaranteed.

Prepare The Small Stuff

Here we gathered some small general tips and advice that you should follow throughout your writing process to make sure that all of the expectations of a process paper are met.

• Determine the Audience's Skill Level. It's important to base the level of complexity of the essay on who the readers will be. For example, if you need to teach a friend how to do a simple fix or create a certain tool, then it would be most reasonable to stick to more basic terminology. However, if you are writing an essay for your astrophysics professor about the creation of a black hole in the universe, use more sophisticated and informative terminology.
• Make a List of Materials. Obviously, the creation of anything comes with some prerequisites. Whether it's items or ideas, the importance of knowing the necessities beforehand and having them ready to go is essential. Make sure to place each item in accordance with its importance. The more impactful a part is, the higher up on the list it should be. 
• Write out Each Task. In a step-by-step tutorial, each individual task carries some sort of weight. Since an entire process can not be complete if a step is skipped, it's crucial to write out every single step. However, don't go overboard in your explanations. It's not necessary to bring the tutorial to a microscopic level, but each step should be understandable and competent.

If you still have difficulty writing, you can get essay help online from our service.

Process Essay Topics

Choosing a topic for a process paper can be quite challenging. A good place to start is with your passions. If you pick something you are excited about, you can make it interesting for your readers and fun for yourself to write about. If your professor limits you to write a process essay on something you have very little knowledge of, choose a topic that is intriguing and triggers your interest. Then, conduct enough thorough research to make sure you understand everything perfectly before you go ahead and try to explain it to someone else. 

Another very important thing to consider while writing a process essay is your audience. It is highly unlikely that college students are interested in instructions for “How to Get Into Your Dream School” or “How to Pass Your SATs”. Make sure your topic relates to the subject you are studying and you are following your professor’s prompt guidelines.

Here are some ideas that might be of interest for you:

• How to lose weight on a keto diet
• How your immune system fights COVID-19
• How to start selling on Amazon
• How to improve your credit score
• How to decrease your social media usage
• How to apply for unemployment insurance
• How to improve your college performance 
• How to open your first bank account

It's important to note that these essay topics are just some common examples used by several college students for their course papers. Feel free to use any one of them if you want, or think of one on your own. Just make sure it's a PROCESS!

Process Essay Outline

Most essay outlines follow the standard scheme: Intro > Body Paragraphs > Conclusion . follow the standard scheme: Intro > Body Paragraphs > Conclusion. A good process essay outline should look like this:

• Introduction — brief your reader on your topic, explain why you have chosen it and how you are planning to approach the explanation of the process. 
• Body — the biggest part of your essay that should be divided into paragraphs for easier understanding and structure. Make sure each paragraph is flowing smoothly into the next one with connective words.

Paragraph 1. First step of the process. Explain what the step is, what the best way to perform it is, and how to avoid common mistakes when doing it.

Paragraph 2. The next step of the process (the same as in Paragraph 1). Thoroughly explain what this step is about.

• Conclusion . Here you need to explain why your instructions are valuable. It is your opportunity to persuade your reader(s) that the steps you presented and the process they learned will be useful for them in the future. 

Every process is different: some can take a couple of minutes, while others can take months or years to complete. The length of the essay is generally based on the difficulty and number of steps it takes. However, the structure doesn't maneuver.

Introduction

The first thing that you want to do as a writer for your process paper is to help your readers be interested in your individual process. Be descriptive about it, paint a picture for your readers. A joke or a personal reference can be a great attention grabber and can pull your reader right in. For somebody to be keen on approaching your process, they have to express interest in it. Though, it generally goes without saying that many writers ignore this fact. Let's break it down into subsections:

• Give a little bit of historical background. People often want to know the origins of whatever it is that they're working on. Introducing this part of the process helps to intrigue your readers, as well as give them a sense of purpose for the task.
• Create an approximate timeframe. Unfortunately, your readers don't have all day to spend on this one event. In addition to learning about its purpose, people want to know how long the task will take. This way, they can decide how to break up the work. If it's a quick fix, then they can knock it out in one session. However, if it's a large-scale operation, then your readers will obviously have to create their own time schedule.

For example, let’s say that the topic of your essay is “How to Save Money”. You can start the introduction of your process essay by explaining that as a college student, you often find yourself in need of extra money and you are stuck with bad money habits. This will create a good connection with your readers, because almost everyone has been in a situation of needing to be savvy with their finances. Another thing you can mention is the importance of saving money and the multiple opportunities it presents, such as being able to invest it, being able to pay off a credit card debt, or being able to save up to avoid taking out a student loan.

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Body Paragraphs

This is the point in the process essay where you start introducing the step-by-step process your readers will need to take. A lot of the time, it helps to break down each process into subsections. For example, if a step has many parts to it, it would be clever to create a paragraph on its own just for that step. Remember, it's important to keep things smooth and efficient. Break down the body paragraphs in unity with the steps. Let's go into more detail about each step:

Each step should be carefully explained.  Every step will vary in length. Think about it: every instruction manual has several steps. Some are more difficult to comprehend or perform than others. For this reason, create your steps and explanations accordingly. You should be able to get a sense of their length and difficulty based on the explanation.

Don't forget to explain the purpose.  People don't want orders barked at them aimlessly. Besides just accomplishing a task, people want to learn as they perform.

• Why did they do this?
• What was the purpose of this method?
• Why did we do it this way and not this other way?

To make everything flow smoothly use transitions.  Make the steps flow one after another to create a well-structured essay. As you introduce the next step, consider using transition words like “next”, “now”, “then”, “so that”, etc.

Before writing the steps out in full sentences, it is a great idea to create an outline for your body paragraphs. Here is an outline for the body paragraphs of a process essay on “How to Save Money”:

Paragraph 1:

• keep track of your expenses
• organize your collected data
• decide what you can skimp on in your spendings

Paragraph 2:

• create a realistic budget
• check weekly to ensure you are sticking to it
• save 15% of every monthly income
• set a tangible goal for saving, such as a car

These process essay examples use only two body paragraphs, but feel free to include more to ensure a better understanding and cohesive flow for your paper. Although, do not include excessive unnecessary details that clutter your essay and make understanding it even more difficult. While writing your essay, include small brief explanations for each statement. For example, “Even though eating out and grabbing a coffee on your way to class sounds tempting, setting a budget and saving 15% of each of your monthly earnings aside can help you have enough to put down a downpayment on a new car.” Here the reader will understand that there is a direct relationship between each step and the result it is going to give. 

Showing the readers that they are learning and not just repeating is one of the most effective ways to lock down their attention and keep them coming back!

After going through every step meticulously and explaining the whole process, a process essay needs a confident conclusion. This paragraph should be short, sweet, and to the point. It's main goal is to accomplish the following tasks:

• Discuss the main result. After the readers have completed the process, they should be left with a final result. It's important that you explain to your readers what the end result will look like, and what can be done with it.
• Restate the process’s general purpose. After completing the task, you obviously would like to know its overall purpose. When your readers feel that they have accomplished a challenge, learned something from it, and have a path to take the result towards, they will be satisfied!
• State your Overall Conclusion. To put a pretty tie around your process essay means that you need to neatly wrap things up! Restate some of the highlightable points as well as the process’s key overall purpose. Make sure that your readers feel accomplished after going through your process, and  ensure that you strengthen the necessity of its purpose with a nice concluding sentence!

The conclusion of an essay on “How to Save Money” would explain that the completion of all of the steps will result in saving money that can be used for a specific goal or for rainy day fund purposes. You can mention the importance of every step and briefly repeat some of the key points. 

Post-Writing Tips

Here are some final tips to wrap up your writing process. Use them as a checklist for a successful and coherent essay. 

• Make sure the work is simple enough to follow. Worst-case-scenario: its author creates a feeling of absolute confusion in the reader’s mind. To avoid this problem, always remember that your readers can be beginners. Do not try to impress them with complicated words or sentences, use simple language to provide clear directions on how to do something. Give as many details as possible, but do it plainly. "Why is he making me do this?" "What was the purpose of this?" "I don't understand this step at all!" If the reader is asking themself these questions, then it's time to do some editing!
• Experiment and try it for yourself or ask a friend. There's no better way to experience success than to actively attempt your process through your own instructions. If everything truly makes sense, then you should have no problem solving the task using your own words. Even better, ask a peer to try it through your words to get an outside point of view.
• Choose the right topic for you and research it well
• Maintain a logical order of steps, make it easy to follow
• Avoid using imperative sentences - you do not want to sound like an Apple TV manual
• Explain terms that are most likely outside of most people’s range of common knowledge 

If you have a ready-made essay but need to make significant changes to it, you can use our rewrite my essay service .

Process Essay Examples

Now that you know all about process essays and how to write them, we have prepared some great essay topic ideas in case you are stuck and cannot choose one:

Building a business from scratch is an intricate process that entails a number of steps. Each of these steps should have specific objectives and measurable outcomes.The following analysis gives the basic steps followed when building any business from scratch.

Saving can be defined as a differed consumption or keeping aside a portion of your income for unexpected future uncertainties or plans. Read for reason and actual steps for saving more money

Read also a thesis statement example from our author. In this article, you can learn something useful for yourself.

Still Need Help?

If you still feel like you could use some help with your process essay, do not hesitate to seek help from our writing service. Our writers specialize in a wide range of essays of different types including creative writing essay , process essays, and would be more than happy to assist you with writing, editing, or direction if you are feeling uneasy. Click the button below and college admission essay writer will process your requests fast.

Related Articles

Process Essay

Definition of process essay.

As the name suggests, this type of essay explains a process of making or breaking something. These essays are often written in chronological order, or in numerical order to show step-by-step processes. They are written in descriptive or prescriptive modes. Although it is not a technical communication, it sounds like having all the qualities of a technical document. The only difference is that it is often written in descriptive mode, while a technical document is mostly in imperative mode.

Transition in a Process Essay

As process essay provides step-by-step approach of doing something, they have typical transition words. These transition words make readers understand what has been done and what will follow next. Some of the specific transition words could be immediately, initially, in the end, in the future, in the meanwhile, later, next, soon, eventually, finally or firstly , and secondly .

Examples of Process Essay in Literature

Example #1: community re-discovered (by heidi ramirez).

“In any community , there are several and varying ways in which residents fulfill a sense of  community: participating in intramural sports, attending farmers’ markets, walking with neighbors, attending political meetings, helping the elderly, visiting the library, and volunteering for youth groups. It’s knowing the people in these interchanges, not just being familiar with faces, that build strong community.  Unfortunately, when this basic engagement is overlooked, communities can begin to disintegrate.”

This an excerpt from a process essay by Heidi Ramirez. It sets the tone of a process how communities integrate with each other. It clearly shows the sequence of the integration process.

Example #2: A Homemade Education (by Malcolm X)

“I was so fascinated that I went on—I copied the dictionary’s next page. And the same experience came when I studied that. With every succeeding page, I also learned of people and places and events from history. Actually, the dictionary is like a miniature encyclopedia. Finally the dictionary’s A section had filled a whole tablet—and I went on into the B’s. That was the way I started copying what eventually became the entire dictionary. It went a lot faster after so much practice helped me to pick up handwriting speed. Between what I wrote in my tablet, and writing letters, during the rest of my time in prison I would guess I wrote a million words.”

In this essay, Malcolm X has stated some of the ways through which he learned writing. He states how he “went on” copying the dictionary from one page to the next page. Some of the transition words such as “finally” and “actually” are quite obvious.

Example #3: Perspectives on “Borders” (by Luis Valdez)

“Let’s go back to the Popol Vuh. We’re talking about borders now . There is a border that defines the human being as a material and spiritual being. We have all learned that we’re Homo sapiens, wise monkeys. The monkey is a symbol of intelligence in the Popol Vuh, and in the classic Chinese novel Monkey. The wise monkey is a symbol for humanity. Now let me offer you another symbol for our human being—the feathered serpent. You are a feathered serpent that is evolving and crawling out of the seeds of your being. And once in awhile you get caught up in the dead skins of your life. You know biologically we go through a complete cellular change every seven to nine years. We’re totally renewed. So in one sense, biologically, you crawl out of a dead skin. You evolve out of yourself. The feathers are necessary because they represent our spiritual being.”

Although written in second person, this excerpt shows that the essay presents a process. It follows the same structure and same pattern of using things or doing tasks in a sequence. Specifically, the last lines show it clearly.

Function of a Process Essay

A process essay gives reader a sense of complete how-to-do process of making or creating some objects or things. Readers, after going through the essay, are able to create and make things. Although it is not like imperative instructions, it gives full details in a descriptive or prescriptive mode. It is because its major objective is not to present trite and dry instructions, but lively language to make readers read it with interest and do the act with enthusiasm.

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How to write a process essay

• August 25, 2023

Process essays are one of the most common types of essays . It’s simply explaining a process of how to do something. 

In this article, we’ll show you how to write a process essay in steps with interactive examples. 

Process essay definition

Let’s take a look at the steps outlined below to write a clear and effective process essay. 

Choose a topic

You should start by choosing a topic that not only interests you but also attracts your target audience. 

Whether it’s brewing the perfect cup of coffee or conquering the art of origami, your topic should be engaging and well-defined.  Let’s have a look at topic examples:

• Crafting Exquisite Miniature Bookbindings
• Building a Sustainable Vertical Garden
• Making the Perfect Cup of Coffee

So for this guide, I’ve chosen “Making the Perfect Cup of Coffee”. Now let’s continue with the next steps.

Create a process essay outline

Now that you’ve your topic at hand, it’s time to create an outline to present the steps chronologically. Outline will also help you organize your thoughts and ideas so you won’t get lost during the writing process.

Let’s examine this step with an example of a process essay explaining “Making the Perfect Cup of Coffee”.

Process essay outline example

• Thesis statement
• Provide safety precautions if necessary.
• Address to the reader
• Provide any variations or customization options if applicable.
• End with a memorable concluding thought or call to action.

By presenting the steps in chronological order, your readers can follow the process smoothly. 

During this step, just make sure to:

• Expand on each step you outlined earlier.
• Use clear and concise language.
• Make use of bullet points or numbered lists to make the process visually appealing.

After completing the outline, it’s time to write an interesting introduction.

Write an introduction

• Hook the reader's interest with a hook sentence
• Offer a brief overview of the topic and its significance
• Introduce and explain the process with a thesis statement at the end of introduction

Process essay introduction example

Introduction

Now that we have an intro on our hand, you need to tell what materials you need to finish the process.

Write the materials needed for the process

Listing the necessary materials for the process is a best practice for process essays. Typically found just after the introduction, this paragraph is devoted to outlining the necessary materials.

Here, p rioritizing the list is important; the more influential a component is, the higher its position on the list should be.

Example material list for process essay

Body paragraphs

Materials needed

• High-quality coffee beans that align with your flavor preference.
• A grinder for optimal flavor extraction.
• Equipment for brewing methods, such as a pour-over apparatus, a drip coffee maker, a French press, or an espresso machine.
• Fresh and clean water for brewing.
• Optional additives like milk, cream, sugar, flavored syrups, or other preferred elements.

Start writing the process

Right after listing the materials needed, it’s time to start writing the process itself.

When describing your process, be careful not to make it too complicated. To keep your readers on track, use transitional words like “after,” “eventually,” “first,” “then,” and others help you maintain an understandable tone.  

Or simply use a 1,2,3, bullet point structure as seen in example below to remind readers of their step during the process.

Body paragraphs - Process writing example

Materials needed ...

• Grind the beans just before brewing for optimal freshness. Use a burr grinder and adjust the coarseness to match your brewing method (coarse for French press, fine for espresso).
• Weigh your coffee grounds using a scale. A standard ratio is 1 to 2 tablespoons of coffee per 6 ounces of water, but adjust to your taste.
• Ensure the water is heated to the ideal temperature, typically between 195-205°F (90-96°C). Water that's too hot or too cold can affect the taste.
• Pay attention to the brewing time. Generally, 4-5 minutes is suitable for most methods, but again, adjust based on your preference.
• After finishing, regularly clean your coffee maker or French press to prevent rancid oils and residue from affecting your coffee's taste.

As seen from the example above, using an imperative language structure is generally preferable. It makes total sense as you’re describing a process in steps and usually don’t need a full sentence structure. 

Give tips and supporting details

After explaining the process above, it’s now time to provide tips and supporting details. Here, make use examples, tips, and even warnings if necessary. 

In other words, anticipate the questions your readers might have and address them as you go along. 

Body paragraphs - Supporting details

Supporting details & tips

• Ensure safe handling of hot water and coffee-making equipment.
• Water that's too hot can result in over-extraction, while water that's too cold won't extract enough flavor.

Write a conclusion

At this step, you simply need to write a conclusion paragraph to end your process essay. First summarize the key points, and restate the process in a concise and short sentence. And finally, finish your process essay by a memorable sentence or a call-to-action. 

Process essay conclusion example

Revise and polish your essay.

Now that you’ve written your essay, take a breath, and then come back for some editing. Check for consistency, correct sentence structure, efficient transitions , tense selection , and other linguistic issues that may arise. 

If possible, make use of proofreading tools like QuillBot or Grammarly . 

• Think about potential reader misunderstandings and address them. If needed, explain what should be avoided.
• Offer explanations for steps that might seem unusual or complicated.
• Define any unfamiliar terms or materials that the reader might not understand. This ensures clarity in your essay.

So  you’ve successfully learned how to write a captivating process essay. Remember, practice makes perfect. The more you write, the better you’ll become.

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How to Write a Process Essay?

18 June, 2020

14 minutes read

Author:  Tomas White

What is a “process essay”? What makes it different from dozens of other papers you create on a daily basis? What are its main components and what the main goal of this type of writing you need to bear in mind? If you're looking for answers to these questions, you're in luck! You can get them all from our academic guide on how to write a process essay.

Composing a process essay can be rather complicated especially if you are not familiar with this type of writing and do not know what pitfalls and specifications to pay attention to.

That is why our custom essay writing service has created this guide to help you tackle this task. We will answer all these questions in our article below and even provide you with great process essay examples and topics you can write on to stand out. So, if that sounds like something you need right now, read on: we are here to help and equip you with knowledge!

But first things first. Since it is impossible to create an excellent process essay without crystal clear understanding of the term, we will start with the definition. So, let’s dive in!

What is a process essay?

A process essay is commonly written either to explain how something works or to guide a reader through the process of completing a particular task, states the process essay definition.

Process essays also go under the “How-to articles” title and aim to teach the target audience how to achieve certain goals or complete specific assignments.

So, look at it like this. In case of “How to quit smoking” process essay, your primary goal is to provide several helpful ways of quitting this habit. These might be evidence-based recommendations if you have experience in this area, or simply common sense ideas you found while conducting your research.

Now that you realize what you will be working with, let’s look into different types of process essays and practical ways to compose them. Our essay writing guide will walk you through the process essay writing step by step.

Types of process essays

There are two main types of such papers: the ones that explain how something works , and those that show you how to complete a particular task .

1. How to do something.

Though it sounds quite self-explanatory, we’d like to emphasize the importance of clear instructions in case you are writing a process essay.

Your readers must be able to follow your guidance and complete each step successfully. So, split the process into small steps, keep it short and to the point at each stage of crafting a process essay.

For instance, in a “How to quit smoking” process essay , you can split the whole process into seven steps:

• Choose a date for a quit day;
• Imagine life without cigarettes and expect it;
• Have one last cigarette as a “Goodbye!”;
• Be among people to support you;
• Keep your goal in perspective not to give up;
• Don’t fall for substitutes;
• Be accountable.

2. How something works.

By contrast, this is an informative type of writing that aims to achieve one goal – explain the principle of work behind some process. Unlike the mentioned above type, this process essay type does not encourage a reader to take an action and do something step by step.

However, you must make sure that by the end of your essay, the audience will know for sure how something functions.

As an example of this type of a process essay, let’s see how an earthquake happens .

• First, the energy within the earth core builds up due to various moves in the earth crust;
• The energy level grows up and causes tension in the tectonic plates;
• After some time, the pressure radiates outwards by moving the plates from each other;
• The seismic waves shake the earth as they get from the core of the earth to the surface;
• That is when the earthquake takes place.

Before we go any further, let’s look at another example. In case of “How to prepare for a vacation” process essay, your task is to compose a few steps that your readers can take when getting ready for their vacation. In other words, you are describing how to do something.

Meanwhile, “What happens to your brain when you sleep” process essay is merely an explanation of the principle. In it, you are not encouraging readers to take any actions whatsoever. So, here is the fundamental difference.

How to write a process essay?

Getting started with process essay writing

When developing a process essay outline, take some time to answer the following questions:

• Who is your target audience? How deep is their knowledge of the subject? The complexity of your essay depends on their skills level. Thus, for instance, when explaining to your peers how to stretch a dollar to see the world, you can use basic terminology and examples they can relate to. However, your vocabulary should be way more sophisticated if you are writing a process essay on how to improve the overall quality of higher education in your state to the City Council.
• How can you divide the process into small steps? You do not want to bore your audience to death with unnecessary details in a process essay. Yet, you cannot afford to skip valuable steps if they are crucial to the overall understanding of the subject of your process essay. So, try to find the golden cut and figure out the most suitable amount of steps.
• What sources will you use for the task? It goes without saying that you can only use reliable sources to support your argument in a process essay. These sources should be all mentioned in the end of your essay. And remember about proper in-text citation styles. Read the materials carefully and take only the information that will add value to your essay and helps make it shine.

How to write a process essay outline

Finally, let’s look into the process essay structure. Needless to say that you must start with something that will grab readers’ attention, or in other words, “a hook.”

It is true for any essay, and process essay writing is not an exception.

The structure of your essay regardless of the process essay topics should consist of:

• A powerful introduction.
• Main body paragraphs.
• An interesting conclusion.

Related Post: Essay outline | Research Paper outline

Sounds simple, yet there are several things you should not forget about process essay writing.

How to write an introduction to a process essay

Once you compose a hook, mention why you believe that readers should use your approach to solve a problem even though there are dozens of other ones. We know two effective ways to achieve this in your process essay:

• Show how much time this task will take . People don’t have all the time in the world to tackle just this one task. So, you’ll really help them by stating how much time completing something using your approach will take and underline that with your approach described in a process essay it will take less time than if they opt for a different one. “Writing can be tough, especially if you always felt that it is not exactly your suit. However, Michael D. Pollock, a credible expert in this area, has recently presented 10 effective tips that will help you learn writing fast and make you able to craft a 1000-word article in 30 minutes. So, keep reading to find out how you can write this fast too.”
• Introduce your audience to the historical background of the approach (if any) you’re using in a process essay. Let them see the roots of your solution. Here is what a good introduction of a process essay should look like: “Giving a speech with lots of eyes concentrated on you is not an easy task. No wonder so many students dread this task. However, speech can be a powerful tool, and we can teach you how to give them right. Steve Jobs is known as one of the best public speakers of our time. People were sitting on the edge of their seats when he spoke. And we’ll teach you how to grab attention like he did using just five simple tricks he applied.”

At last, compose an engaging thesis of a process essay. Many students consider it a scary part. But it all goes down to this.

Your thesis statement should reason why your way is the best and why readers looking for answers should search no more and give your solution a chance.

It’s easier than you think. Here is a good thesis statement example:

“With more than 580 million tons of household waste produced all over the world, Every tiny effort you make to become eco-friendly counts. And if you don’t want to spend extra money on sustainable products but want to save the environment, use our guide on ten simple eco-friendly steps you can do daily without even noticing it!”

This is what a thesis statement for a process essay on how to be eco-friendly would look like. Yours can be different, but you get the idea!

How to plan main body paragraphs

• Dedicate one body paragraph to one point you want to bring to light.
• Provide enough details on each step including the ultimate goal of this step and reasons why this method was chosen for its achievement.
• Keep it short and to the point.

How to write a conclusion

Now is that time you reminded the readers about the purpose of a process essay, reasons why you chose this particular approach, and briefly mentioned steps needed to accomplish the task.

Besides, you can call your audience to action but only in case you are writing an essay that shows how to do something. Otherwise, it will be inapplicable.

Finally, help them set their expectations right: what results can they count on in the end? How long will it take them to achieve those results after reading your process essay and applying its tips?

How to use transition words in a process essay

Transition words can help you create a seamless reading experience. You can take readers smoothly from one step to another. And what is more you can help them immerse into the process!

Therefore, begin each new paragraph with a transition word, add one in between examples you provide, and summarize your instructions with them, too.

Think of transition words as of bridges that connect paragraphs and sentences. They make smooth communication between the two possible. And with them in your process essay, no reader feels irritated or frustrated with your writing style, as they have to stumble upon every other sentence in your piece.

Good process essay topics

It is not enough to just know the theory to create a good process essay. One should also come up with a topic that will be both interesting and useful to his readers. Here’s a list of our suggestions on process essay ideas:

• How to choose a perfect future career.
• How to survive college and stay sane.
• How to eat healthy on campus.
• How to balance your social and academic life.
• How to pay out a student loan while still at college.
• How to improve your public speaking skills.
• How to see the world with only $100 in your pocket.
• How to learn a foreign language.
• How to renovate your apartment and not go bankrupt.
• How to start your own business.
• How to prepare for your first interview.
• How to get volunteers to help you clean the neighborhood.
• How to write a life list.
• How to set boundaries in the relationship.
• How to study overseas for free.

Related Posts: Argumentative essay topics | Compare&Contrast essay topics

Process essay writing tips

Wrapping up, we would like to introduce you to a couple of vital recommendations on process essay writing:

• Your process essay subject cannot be too broad or too narrow. Look out for the golden cut!
• Introduce your readers to possible complications of the process. After all, forewarned is forearmed.
• Create a short vocabulary your audience can use in case they are not familiar with the terminology essential to the general understanding of the process essay in question.
• Develop a list of resources your readers will need as they deal with certain tasks. This way you will have them prepared to put your recommendations to action right away.
• Always write a process essay using Active Voice!

Need help with your process essay writing? Handmadewriting is here for you to help. Drop us a line to get our professional essay writers to develop an excellent piece for you!

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How to Write a Process Essay

Last Updated: December 6, 2023 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Jake Adams . Jake Adams is an academic tutor and the owner of Simplifi EDU, a Santa Monica, California based online tutoring business offering learning resources and online tutors for academic subjects K-College, SAT & ACT prep, and college admissions applications. With over 14 years of professional tutoring experience, Jake is dedicated to providing his clients the very best online tutoring experience and access to a network of excellent undergraduate and graduate-level tutors from top colleges all over the nation. Jake holds a BS in International Business and Marketing from Pepperdine University. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 166,132 times.

A process essay, otherwise known as a how-to essay, tells a reader how to perform a particular task. The best process essays follow a clear step-by-step organization. Start by providing your reader with a time estimate and general summary of the task. Then, move on to a more detailed explanation of each and every necessary step. When you are finished with your essay, read it over carefully to ensure that you haven’t left anything out.

Getting Ready to Write

• For example, a process essay intended for professional chefs could probably skip a description of how to chop carrots and just say, “Finely chop the carrots,” instead.

• You could also include a comprehensive “Things You’ll Need” section at the beginning of the paper. Or list the materials needed after the introduction.
• If an item on the list is a bit unusual, such as a particular type of hand tool, then make sure to clearly introduce it within the text. For example, “The pin hammer has a finer tip than a standard hammer, making it suitable for more detailed work.” You can also include a picture of the item, particularly if the essay will be published online.

• If you are writing an essay about how to cook lasagna, your initial outline might just state, “Mix in basil.” Before you start writing, you could expand your outline to say, “Briefly mention taste differences between dried and fresh basil.”
• Note that the more specific your article or essay topic, the more specific your details needs to be.

Crafting an Introduction

• For instance, you might write, “The process of preparing lasagna has a rich heritage all of its own.”

• If your process essay focuses on a cooking task, this is where you might advise your readers to consult the ingredients or materials list and put every item on the counter.
• For example, you might write, “This recipe requires 30 minutes of active preparation time, along with 45 minutes of baking time.”

• For example, your thesis might be, “This essay will explore how to create a complicated lasagna dish in a short period of time by preparing the noodles and sauce in advance.”

Writing Your Body Paragraphs

• Be especially careful with items that contain multiple steps. Make the transitions clear and acknowledge prior steps regarding a particular item, if applicable.

• For instance, when making pasta, consider writing a paragraph on how to boil pasta and another paragraph on how to make the sauce. This separates the ideas for easy clarification.

• For instance, you could write, “Next, place the pot on the stove,” to move from one paragraph to the next.

• For example, you could write, “This essay shows…” instead of “I’ll show.”

• For example, you might caution a reader to, “Cook the meat until it is no longer red in the center.” This advice will help them to avoid a foodborne illness.

Wrapping It Up

• In the case of the recipe, you could write something like, “You now have a bowl of boiled pasta and finished Bolognese sauce. Serve up plates of pasta and sauce to your family, topping them with parmesan, if desired. You can serve garlic bread or a side salad with this dish, too.”

• A simple example for our newly-made dinner might be, "And there you have it! A delicious yet quick meal fit for the entire family that you can make over and over again without complaint. Next time, experiment with different herbs and spices to find your own spin on this classic dish."

• Look to see if there are places where you can eliminate steps or condense your instructions. A reader is more likely to finish directions that they can easily skim through.
• Ask someone to read through the essay to see if they can understand the process. If possible, pick someone from your intended audience demographic.

• Don’t rely on spell-check alone, as it cannot account for context and doesn’t catch every error.

Expert Q&A

• If there are alternative ways to do a particular step in the process, make sure to mention these as you go along. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

• Give your readers pacing instructions as well. If they need to go slowly while performing a certain task, tell them early on. The same rule applies if a task requires speed for success. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

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• ↑ Jake Adams. Academic Tutor & Test Prep Specialist. Expert Interview. 20 May 2020.
• ↑ https://www.grammarly.com/blog/essay-outline/
• ↑ https://www.georgebrown.ca/sites/default/files/uploadedfiles/tlc/_documents/hooks_and_attention_grabbers.pdf
• ↑ https://courses.lumenlearning.com/atd-clinton-englishcomp/chapter/2-the-process-essay/
• ↑ http://www.butte.edu/departments/cas/tipsheets/style_purpose_strategy/procress_paper.html
• ↑ https://www.grammarly.com/blog/readability-scores/

About This Article

To write a process essay, begin by writing an introduction that grabs the reader’s attention so they’ll want to keep reading. Then, end the first paragraph with a thesis statement presenting a problem for which you are offering a solution. Next, explain the process, making each step its own paragraph, and using transitions like "next" or "then" to move from one task to another. As the final step, let the reader know what to expect from the finished product and what to do with it. Finally, close your essay by reiterating why the process is helpful to the reader. For tips from our Education reviewer on how to proofread for common errors in a process essay, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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A process essay is a step-by-step guide on how to do or make something. It is important to include every step of the process, even if something appears self-explanatory. Your audience might not be as familiar on the topic as you are.

What may be equally important, and is often overlooked, is what not to do. For example, the process of making caramel is deceptively simple. The sugar mixture needs to be swirled to prevent burning. However, stirring the mixture will cause the molecules to agitate, making the syrup crystalize into a solid unusable lump. So, when writing a process essay on caramel it is equally important to define swirling and to caution against stirring.

Since a process essay is a series of instructions, transition words are an important component. Transitions establish connections between ideas. They can be a single word that imparts a logical order or sequence to your writing, or it could be an entire sentence that connects one paragraph to the next.

Transition Words

If you have not been given a topic, choose one that you feel confident in explaining to your audience. Refer again to the introduction section of this guide to find information on progression and organization. Brainstorming and creating an outline will help you avoid missing any steps or directions. Here are a few topic suggestions for a process essay:

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How to Write a Great Process Essay

Otherwise Known as a How-To Essay

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How-to essays , also known as process essays, are much like recipes: They provide instruction for carrying out a procedure or task. You can write a how-to essay about any procedure that you find interesting as long as your topic fits the teacher's assignment.

Start by Brainstorming

The first step in writing your how-to essay is brainstorming. Here are tips to help you:

• Draw a line down the middle of a sheet of paper to make two columns. Label one column "materials" and the other column "steps."
• Write down every item and every step you can think of that will be needed to carry out your task. Don't worry about trying to keep things in order yet. Just empty your head.
• Number your steps on your brainstorming page. Just jot a number beside each item/step. You may need to erase and scribble a few times to get the order right. It's not a neat process.

Create an Outline

First, determine the format required for your essay; ask your teacher if you are unsure. Your essay could contain a numbered list (like the one in the previous section), or it could be written as a standard narrative essay. If you are instructed to write a step-by-step without using numbers, your essay should contain all the elements of any other essay assignment, including an:

• Introductory paragraph : the section that identifies the  topic , arouses interest, and prepares the audience or readers for the development of the thesis
• Body : the part of an essay that develops the main idea
• Conclusion : the sentences  or paragraphs that bring the essay to a logical end

Regardless of the essay format—whether your teacher allows for numbered paragraphs or sections or simply wants you to craft a narrative report—your outline should center on these three areas.

Creating the Essay

Your introduction will explain why your topic is important or relevant. For example, your paper about "How to Wash a Dog" would explain that dog hygiene is important for your pet's good health.

• Your first body paragraph should contain a list of necessary materials. For example: "The equipment you will need depends somewhat on the size of your dog. At the very minimum, you will need dog shampoo, a large towel, and a container large enough to hold your dog. And, of course, you will need a dog."
• The next paragraphs should contain instructions for following steps in your process, as enumerated in your outline.
• Your summary, or conclusion, explains how your task or process should turn out if it is done correctly. It may also be appropriate to restate the importance of your topic.

Topics to Write About

You may believe that you are not expert enough to write a process essay. This is not so. There are many processes that you go through every day that you can write about, including:

• How to make a perfect paper airplane
• How to dye your hair
• How to wear makeup
• How to survive a weekend with your family
• How to play basketball
• How to play (a popular video game)

The goal in this type of assignment is to show that you can write a well-organized essay and clearly explain to the reader how to do what you are instructing.

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7.2: 2. The Process Essay

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Now that you have completed the  narrative essay , we are going to move on to “expository” writing. The rest of the essays you write will “explain” a topic. You will provide your reader with a specific thesis and then support that thesis through a series of related paragraphs, all tied together by the topic.

Your first expository essay will be the process essay. In some ways, this essay is similar to the narrative: you are writing about a moment in time, doing something that doesn’t take very long, and you are using chronological order. Your steps, identified in a series of paragraphs in the body of your essay, should be placed in a manner where your reader can begin with the first step and carry through to the last step.

There are two types of process essays: those that explain how to do something (how to tune a guitar; how to build a bird house; how to study for a test) and those that explain how something works (transmitting a fax; describing the growth of a cell; going through the steps of a piece of equipment at work). In the first, you are expecting your reader to complete the task and understand it fully. In the second, you may be providing information to satisfy your reader’s curiosity. In other words, you could describe the process of sending a fax, dialing the number and all the other physical steps; or you could describe how the fax actually transmits information from here to there- the hidden intricacies of the process.

There are also concrete and abstract processes. A concrete process is one that has clearly defined steps and obvious tools and equipment. Things like recipes and car repairs and craft work are concrete processes. Then there are processes that don’t have obvious tools involved: how to get rid of the blues; how to influence someone to like you; how to prepare for that test.

You need to be an expert at the process you choose to write about. Pick something you are interested in- a hobby or a skill you have, something you might do at work or have done often in school. You have to be able to develop your steps into complete, thorough paragraphs. An expository essay typically has well-developed paragraphs of 8 to 10 sentences each. If you have a series of paragraphs with only two or three sentences each, your reader will wonder why you don’t have more to say, will feel the info is incomplete.

I have a few pointers I’d like to share with you about developing process paragraphs. Using one or combining several might help you add depth and support to your writing:

• Be specific- Use exact amounts. Great chefs can approximate; we need to know exactly what to include. If you’re writing about how to build a campfire, give specific sizes for the wood you want your reader to gather. Large wood thrown on the fire early will only smother it. Be as specific as you possibly can be.
• Define terms- If you tell your reader to gather kindling for the fire, is your reader going to know what that means? If you have any doubts, explain what the term is. No one needs a definition for a screw driver, and very few would not know what a Phillips screwdriver is (you may just give a brief description: star-tipped). But if you have a complex tool that the reader won’t recognize, define it.
• Include reasons- Readers love to take short cuts. You have to be prepared to guide your reader through the steps correctly. So explain to them why they might be doing a step the way you want them to do it. In baking cookies, you may say “preheat the oven.” Most people ignore that. If you give a reason why it is important, your reader may be convinced to do as you say.
• Include don’ts- It’s not a good idea to check to see if the electricity is out by putting your finger in an empty socket while changing the light bulb. Advise your reader against it. Sometimes it’s easier to say what not to do than what to do. Warnings are wonderful influences.
• Mention possible pitfalls- Sometimes, things go wrong. Let your reader know before hand that success may sometimes be out of their control. They’ve got the cake in the oven and a big truck goes by outside. The vibrations cause the cake to fall. Knowing this before hand can at least reduce the heartache if something does go wrong.

As with all expository essays, this paper should have an introduction and a conclusion. The intro should state a thesis and give the reader some kind of background info that will attract his/her interest. The conclusion should suggest benefits to the process or point to related processes the reader may try in the future. Both intro and conclusion should be shorter than body paragraphs. They are more emphatic.

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10.5 Process Analysis

Learning objectives.

• Determine the purpose and structure of the process analysis essay.
• Understand how to write a process analysis essay.

The Purpose of Process Analysis in Writing

The purpose of a process analysis essay is to explain how to do something or how something works. In either case, the formula for a process analysis essay remains the same. The process is articulated into clear, definitive steps.

Almost everything we do involves following a step-by-step process. From riding a bike as children to learning various jobs as adults, we initially needed instructions to effectively execute the task. Likewise, we have likely had to instruct others, so we know how important good directions are—and how frustrating it is when they are poorly put together.

Writing at Work

The next time you have to explain a process to someone at work, be mindful of how clearly you articulate each step. Strong communication skills are critical for workplace satisfaction and advancement. Effective process analysis plays a critical role in developing that skill set.

On a separate sheet of paper, make a bulleted list of all the steps that you feel would be required to clearly illustrate three of the following four processes:

• Tying a shoelace
• Parallel parking
• Planning a successful first date
• Being an effective communicator

The Structure of a Process Analysis Essay

The process analysis essay opens with a discussion of the process and a thesis statement that states the goal of the process.

The organization of a process analysis essay typically follows chronological order. The steps of the process are conveyed in the order in which they usually occur. Body paragraphs will be constructed based on these steps. If a particular step is complicated and needs a lot of explaining, then it will likely take up a paragraph on its own. But if a series of simple steps is easier to understand, then the steps can be grouped into a single paragraph.

The time transition phrases covered in the Narration and Illustration sections are also helpful in organizing process analysis essays (see Table 10.1 “Transition Words and Phrases for Expressing Time” and Table 10.2 “Phrases of Illustration” ). Words such as first , second , third , next , and finally are helpful cues to orient reader and organize the content of essay.

Always have someone else read your process analysis to make sure it makes sense. Once we get too close to a subject, it is difficult to determine how clearly an idea is coming across. Having a friend or coworker read it over will serve as a good way to troubleshoot any confusing spots.

Choose two of the lists you created in Note 10.52 “Exercise 1” and start writing out the processes in paragraph form. Try to construct paragraphs based on the complexity of each step. For complicated steps, dedicate an entire paragraph. If less complicated steps fall in succession, group them into a single paragraph.

Writing a Process Analysis Essay

Choose a topic that is interesting, is relatively complex, and can be explained in a series of steps. As with other rhetorical writing modes, choose a process that you know well so that you can more easily describe the finer details about each step in the process. Your thesis statement should come at the end of your introduction, and it should state the final outcome of the process you are describing.

Body paragraphs are composed of the steps in the process. Each step should be expressed using strong details and clear examples. Use time transition phrases to help organize steps in the process and to orient readers. The conclusion should thoroughly describe the result of the process described in the body paragraphs. See Chapter 15 “Readings: Examples of Essays” to read an example of a process analysis essay.

Choose one of the expanded lists from Note 10.54 “Exercise 2” . Construct a full process analysis essay from the work you have already done. That means adding an engaging introduction, a clear thesis, time transition phrases, body paragraphs, and a solid conclusion.

Key Takeaways

• A process analysis essay explains how to do something, how something works, or both.
• The process analysis essay opens with a discussion of the process and a thesis statement that states the outcome of the process.
• The organization of a process analysis essay typically follows a chronological sequence.
• Time transition phrases are particularly helpful in process analysis essays to organize steps and orient reader.

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How to Write a Process Essay: A Complete, Step-by-Step Guide

by  Antony W

February 16, 2023

A process essay, also known as “how-to-essay”, is a common type of paper that informs the reader how something is done. Being able to write a process essay is about talking the reader through a set of instructions or step-by-step guide on how to do something such as performing an experiment, preparing a meal, or carrying out a specific process. 

Writing a process essay should involve enough details to lead the reader successfully to the desired goal.

You need to follow the step-by-step process until the reader has achieved what you’re leading them to do.

Any missteps or poor explanations at any point can cause bad mistakes or even ruin the entire project, so process essays need to be highly detailed and instructional.

This guide will show you how to write a brilliant and effective process essay and be sure of that A-grade.

Pre-Writing: Planning Your Process Essay 

The first requirement if want to write a good process essay is preparation.

Preparing the small stuff goes a long way in ensuring you deliver the best of the report. 

Some of the things to look into for an essay that meets expectations include;

Understand the Target Audience 

Before you start writing, you have to understand your target audience and their expectations from the essay.

The target audience determines the language to use and the general complexity of the essay. 

Ask yourself about the education level of the audience on the topic. Understand if you have to explain basics for them to understand.

I t’s also essential that you the language and terminologies best suited to the audience. 

Create a List of Materials Needed

Anything that involves creating something new will require materials.

The same applies to writing a process essay which details how a thing is done. Before you start writing, create a list of all the materials and tools the reader will need for the whole process. 

Place each item either in the order of use or importance. The more impactful or useful a tool is, the earlier it comes on the list. 

Create an Outline 

Once you have understood your audience and listed the needed tools, it’s time to note what you want to include in the content.

It is easy to forget important things that you need to include in your essay, but an outline creates a structure that you can flesh out with details. 

Note down every step, detail the important all the important steps, and try to  make your ideas flow clearly .

You don’t have to go into a detailed explanation at this point. Just have the steps down with the important tools. 

Structure of a Process Essay

Introduction.

The introduction is where you get to draw in the reader and get them interested in the essay.

You can talk to them about why the particular process they are about to undertake is important without jumping ahead of yourself. 

You can also mention briefly what the essay will cover, thus creating anticipation for what is to come.

Another tactic is to d raw the reader’s interest by giving some historical background of whatever you are working on. It also helps to refer to the timeframe so that they prepare well in advance. 

Body Paragraphs 

The body paragraphs are where you introduce the step-by-step guide to your the readers.

Let the readers understand why they each step in the process is important and why they need to take it instead of alternative methods. 

The length of the paragraphs depends on the complexity of the whole process. Every section should have enough details such that the reader would complete the process properly.

Be sure to mention what equipment and tools will be necessary for the procedure. Also, let the reader know of possible troubles and other difficulties to expect during the process. 

Ensure the smooth flow of everything by using transitions. The transitions make the Essay easy to read and follow. Use terms like then, so that, next, now, and others. 

Your process essay's conclusion is where you can go through the expected results of the process.

It summarizes everything about the guide and provides the reader with a reinforcement of the procedure’s significance.

Explain to the readers the result.

State what it looks like and what follows, whether there are other processes or its final. Ensure your read is accomplished by the end of the essay. 

Process Essay Writing Tips

There is more to writing a process essay than identifying the audience and using the right format.  

1. Focus on Simplicity 

As a guide on doing something, most probably for the first time, a process essay should be easy to follow and understand.

Use simple language with clear directions on how to perform all the processes. 

The choice of words and the construction of sentences must meet the reader’s understanding. 

2. Choose the Right Topic. 

Your choice of topic is crucial when it comes to process writing.

Choosing a technical topic might not resonate with the audience, as you can also have little to write about.

Common issues are also hard to write about as you never seem to be helpful. Look for the readers’ probable needs and solve them. 

3. Proofread the Essay

Once you are done writing, revisit the whole of your work to ensure everything is in place. Revise the work with the reader in mind.

Ensure the language resonates with the target audience. Pass the work through checkers for  plagiarism-free work .

Ensure your work is well detailed with all the necessary guidelines. Include all the steps while you eliminate anything unnecessary.

Only hand in your work once you have achieved a desirable result.

4. Seek Help For Your Process Essay Assignment

No matter how much you have mastered the art of writing a process essay, you can never be all-knowing.

Do not shy from seeking help from a friend or professional to help you through the writing and proofreading.

Working with a professional team like Help for Assessment helps in creating high-quality work for assured high grades.  Our essay writing experts are experienced in delivering top-notch papers on various topics. 

Related Reading

• This Guide Will Help You to Write an Opinion Essay

About the author 

Antony W is a professional writer and coach at Help for Assessment. He spends countless hours every day researching and writing great content filled with expert advice on how to write engaging essays, research papers, and assignments.

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Posted: 06 June, 2017

Process Essay: How-To, Structure, Examples, Topics

Process essays aren't as common as other essay types at university, but they are still assigned. If you've been assigned to write one, this guide will have everything you need to get started.

Table Of Contents

What is Process Essay?

Process essay structure, how to write process essay, process essay topics, process essay examples.

A process essay can be one of two things. It can be an essay that explains how to do something, or it can be an essay that explains how something works. It'll be more common if you study a subject that follows linear protocols, such as the sciences.

The essay structure for a process essay is one of the simplest ones around. The goal of the essay is to explain the process itself, so you'll break it down into different steps. Your essay should look like this:

• Introduction: Introduce the process you're going to explain, and talk about why it's important to the reader.
• Main body: Each section in this part will take on a different topic, or step in the process. Remember to include all the steps that are needed.
• Conclusion: You'll wrap up your explanation, but won't include anything new at this stage.

To write your essay, here's every step you'll need to take.

• First, research the process you're going to be explaining. Make sure you have all the information to hand. These kinds of essays aren't as reliant on evidence, but you still will need some to prove your points.
• Now, you'll need to write your outline. Use the structure above for guidance. This outline will ensure that you miss nothing out of your explanation.
• Once you have your outline, sit down to write. The outline will give you the guidance you need, making the writing process easier. Remember to leave lots of time to write my essay for me request, or you could rush it and make mistakes.
• Finally, proofread and edit your essay. This will ensure that no mistakes were made and that it's ready to hand in.

The topics you could be given in this genre of essay writing can vary wildly. You could be asked to write about how to draw a cow, or set up an email account. Whatever topic you're given, you'll be expected to write a full and thorough account of how to undertake that activity. Remember, you need to write so someone else could follow your steps and get the right result.

If you want some practice at writing your own process essays, here are some example topics:

• How to train your dog to sit.
• How to send a text message.
• How to start a small business online.
• How to change the oil in your car.

If you don't know how to do any of these things, you'll need to research first. Make sure you don't miss out any important steps!

Now you know how to write the perfect process essay. Use this guide when you next need to get one written.

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A process essay is a type of expository writing that explains a series of steps or procedures to achieve a particular outcome or complete a task. It provides detailed, step-by-step guidelines for the reader to follow.

If you want to understand how to write a “how to” essay, the best solution is to turn for help to the professional academic essay writers with a rich writing experience. Review this article, which contains everything a student should know before writing your process essay. 

What Is a Process Essay: Definition

Before learning how to write a process paper of A level, it is critical to define the term. A process essay refers to the type of academic writing which contains a detailed description of the particular process in the shape of the step-by-step guide. This form of essay is popular in business & technical writing. Some of the best examples of process essays include:

• Instruction/owner’s manual;
• User’s guide;
• “How to…” articles;
• Security instructions;
• Recommendations.

Students should test the process themselves before writing an instruction or manual. It would be the best answer to the question “ what is a process essay ?”

Process Essay Outline: Structuring Your Paper

There is not much to say about the process essay outline because structure repeats steps required to complete a certain procedure. Having an outline is helpful in any situation associated with academic writing. Put down every stage in chronological order. Once the student has an outline, they may later add some details depending on the process development to come up with the whole body. Maybe you will ask " How to structure an essay of this type?" The structure of a process outline is common:

• Introduction paragraph (mention the process to discuss).
• Body paragraphs (list the stage and provide details).
• Conclusion (specify what the expected outcome should be + share some success indicators).

The length of a “how to” essay depends on whether the chosen procedure is time-consuming or not. Do not pick something extra fast not to have a few-sentence essay in the end.

Process Essay Introduction

Let’s talk a little about the process essay introduction. It does not matter whether an essay is describing the way to get chocolate out of milk and coconuts, explaining some procedure of vaccination, or interpreting steps required to write a book. It is important to identify the target audience from the start! If it is an average user, avoid difficult terms. In case you write to satisfy the curiosity of advanced users, do not mind including various professional terms to prove your competence in the chosen field. Do not worry about structure. The best thing about this type of academic assignment is that step-by-step process itself provides a student with correct structure. Still, experts recommend having an outline. Would you like to know good ways to start an essay of this type? Start an opening paragraph by determining an analyzed procedure and share personal ideas on why this specific process is interesting & important to observe. Formulate a process essay thesis. It is not necessary to cover history or background of some discussed procedure.

Process Essay Body Paragraph

Do not include any details that do not relate to the process itself. If some required tools & equipment are rare, tell readers some ways to get these resources. Write down warnings about possible safety hazards to prevent readers from falling into trap/injuring. Describing steps alone might be dull. To enrich your writing, add some common mistakes to avoid. And provide helpful tips to make this process simpler & quicker. Main body of a process essay is usually written in chronological order. Add every step in chronological order with the help of clear words. If there are similar steps or those that can be performed at different stages, mention it to acknowledge the reader. To prevent confusing situations/failures, experts recommend subdividing the steps of especially long processes (example: Step 1A, 1B, etc.) Professional hint from essay order experts!

“A good process essay always uses the second person – “you.” It sounds more personal, and readers trust its writer. Be ready to apply a plenty of transitional words & phrases! They make this procedure description logical and clear to every reader. Try to insert different transitions to prevent text from being repetitive. During the process of writing an instruction or manual, do steps described in text to check whether everything works the way it should before offering the same actions to your target audience.” Professor Pryce, academic counselor and online writing tutors at StudyCrumb

Writing Process Essay Conclusion

Let’s see how to end writing a how-to essay. By the end of an instruction, reader/user must be able to repeat provided actions to activate the process or solve some problem alone. If readers cannot do that, it means that writer failed giving clear, correct instructions. How to start a conclusion in an essay ? Do it with some short review of an entire process from A to Z. It will help readers recall what they were doing, how long, and what expected results should be. While body paragraphs provide detailed interpretation of each stage, a conclusion must contain a single short sentence summarizing every step of a process. It should look like an opening sentence of this article.  

How to Write a Process Essay: 10 Simple Steps

Process essay writing is not a difficult task. Even though a process essay is easy to write, it is crucial to know the essential steps of writing. Knowing all nuts and bolts will help you write an article quickly and correctly. Below you will find 10 basic steps you should know to write an outstanding process essay. Step 1:  Think of some topic you want to write about. What interests you most? What will be useful for your readers? Consider all these questions and create the best topic. Browse our process essay topics we prepared for our users.  Step 2:  Start your research. Look for some sources that have relevant information. Collect all important data. Step 3:  Read sources you collected carefully and analyze information. Make notes when reading and have quick access to needed information. Step 4:  Create an outline for your paper. Plan your future paragraphs beforehand. Step 5:  Collect all parts of your guide together and think what you may add to the main body. Write body paragraphs. Step 6:  It is not a good idea to compose your introduction at the beginning. Start writing your introduction paragraph only after you have main part. Step 7:  Don’t forget about a strong hook for your paper. It should be concise, informative, and grab attention of your reader. Step 8:  Finally, summarize all points you mentioned in your text and create your conclusion. Highlight the result again. Show readers what they will get after they follow all steps mentioned in your essay. Step 9:  After all these steps are done, create a catchy and informative title. It should not only display what your essay is about but also grab your reader's attention and make them want to read your guide. Step 10: Proofread your process essay and edit mistakes. Read your text again, check for typos and grammar mistakes. Make sure it is readable and understandable. Following these steps will help you create a truly brilliant process essay that you will get an A+ for. Buy essays papers to enjoy even higher odds to succeed with your submission.

Helpful Tips on How to Write a Process Paper

While writing this type of academic essay, recall these professional tips & tricks and earn A+!

• Say what you are doing to describe an action. It would be paper’s topic, precise, clear, and educating. Narrow down your topic if it sounds broad. Example: Instead of calling some instruction “How to Install Windows” make it “How to Install Windows 10 on the most recent Asus models (name them).”
• Get ready with outline of an essay , which is structure of your essay.
• Name requirements like resources, equipment, instruments, stuff, skills, and knowledge person will need to complete their process. If more than one person is required, mention it.
• Identify technical & professional terms in text. In case manual explains a procedure based on special, technical knowledge/skills, such as carpentry, it is better to include some definitions of some specific terms readers might not know. If your teacher allows, enrich your essay with images, signs, graphs, and tables to explain some word.
• Each good instruction should contain warnings/cautions. List all possible threats & security hazards. Along with some obstacles readers may face in the process. Use an active voice in this part.
• Finish manual/instruction with an explanation of what person should be ready to obtain once the procedure is over (stress the importance of experiment). It is important to list success factors. Example: “Cooked dumplings should not look tenderized/taste raw.”
• Add images & more techniques so readers follow instructions simpler. For instance, “peach color” may be perceived as various textures by various individuals.”

Interesting Process Essay Examples

Of course, we won’t leave you without a real example of a process essay. Only reading this article may not be enough. Before you start your writing, it is better to look at how other students organized similar works. Here is one of professional how-to essay examples shared by college students.

If you want a similar essay customized to your needs, just say " write my essays " and StudyCrumb will provide tailored assistance. Our writers prepare such orders daily and know how to make your process essay beautiful. 

How to Write a Perfect Process Essay: Final Thoughts

As you see, writing a professional essay is not as difficult as you might think. This type of essay does not require some special writing skills or use of high academic language . So following our simple tips we provided in our article will help you create an excellent essay that will guide readers through some steps easily.

Get in touch with our essay writing service and have your assignment done with great quality in mind.  

Frequently Asked Questions about Process Essay

1. what are good transition words for process essay.

The most appropriate process essay transition words are ones that help readers distinguish different stages of a guide described in your essay. To define stages of your paper try using following transition words:

• After that,
• Eventually,
• Afterwards,

2. How to write a thesis of a process essay?

Thesis statement for process essay should be clear, concise, and informative. In your thesis you should briefly inform a reader of result they will get after reading your guide and following all steps. Mention benefits readers will gain.

3. What is a process essay outline example?

Process essay outline example may look as follows:

• Prepare list of ingredients
• Prepare an oven
• Prepare chocolate chips or dried fruit
• Mix ingredients together
• Bake muffins
• Cool muffins
• Serve muffins.

4. What are final steps after finishing writing process essay?

After you finished writing your process essay, you still should edit and proofread your text:

• Read your text and correct mistakes and typos.
• Delete unnecessary words and sentences.
• Check your instructions again and make sure it is easy to read and understand.
• Give your paper to your friend and ask them to read it. After that ask if they fully understood all instructions. If not, make corrections.

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How to Write the Perfect Process Analysis Essay (With a Sample Essay)

A process analysis essay is a kind of expository essay that explains the process or actions someone needs to take to complete a task. You can think of it like a recipe, stating all of the necessary ingredients and steps, allowing the reader to follow along in logical order.

A process analysis essay can be written about a wide scope of topics, from highly technical processes to cleaning and organizing your closet. Writing a process analysis essay forces you to slow down and consider every tool and step involved in completing a task, and then explain what's needed in logical order for your reader to do the same.

Format of a process analysis essay

For this type of essay assignment, you will not be following the traditional five-paragraph essay outline. There is still an introduction and body to your essay, but your conclusion is more like the "analysis" part and the essay will end when you've completed explaining the steps involved in a process. Below, we'll break down exactly what should be included in each of these parts. Also keep in mind that you can still create an outline before beginning writing your process analysis essay, although it might look more like a list of bullet points rather than a traditional five-paragraph essay outline.

Introduction

The introduction to your process analysis essay will include information about the process you are analyzing and why it is important. This will likely be the shortest part of your essay. If there is a unique history to the process you'll be analyzing, the introduction is where you might mention that. You basically want to use this paragraph as a brief introduction to your reader of 1) what process you'll be analyzing and 2) how or why that process might be useful information to know.

The body of your process analysis essay will mention any prerequisites, materials, or instruments needed to complete the process. It should also mention any risks or warnings involved that are relevant to the process. It's important to include everything that the reader will need to complete the process, and even extra tools that might help the process go smoother but are not necessary. For example, in the sample process analysis essay provided below on how to make apple butter, I included a spoon to stir the butter as part of the list of tools that will be needed. Additionally, I mentioned that a food processor will make the apple butter cook better and have a more butter-like consistency, but it's not necessary to have as a tool to cook apple butter.

Following these sections, you'll write the actual process in sequential order required to complete the task. Make sure you include transitional words within and between paragraphs, as these are required to show the sequence of the process in logical order. Your analysis will likely be across several paragraphs, so make sure each paragraph describes a separate part of the process to avoid confusion for your reader.

Sample process analysis essay

To show you how a process analysis essay might look, we've provided a sample essay that includes the separate sections discussed above. Notice that the introduction paragraph is short, providing basic information about the process that will be discussed, while the remaining paragraphs are longer and more detailed.

Sample essay

Apple butter is similar to apple sauce but is different in that it is highly concentrated and used more often as a butter-like topping on bread or crackers. It's cooked long and slow, allowing the sugar in the apples to caramelize and turn it a deep brown color.

To make apple butter, you will need a slow cooker, food processor, cutting board, peeling knife, large spoon, apples, sugar, and spices for the desired flavoring (usually cinnamon and nutmeg). You might also want to use an apple slicer, which cuts down on the preparation time. Note that when you begin cooking your apple butter, the more minced the peeled apples are, the smoother the final product will be. If you want your apple butter to have a true butter-like consistency, mince the apples well in the food processor before cooking.

Now, let's look at the process of cooking apple butter. To begin, prepare a large, clean space for cutting and processing the apples. Five to six cups of fresh apples will likely only result in a few cups (at most) of apple butter, so depending on how much butter you want to make, you could be peeling and preparing apples for several hours. Each apple will need to be sliced, peeled, and minced in a food processor for maximum butter-like consistency.

Next, add the minced apples to a slow cooker and place the slow cooker on "high". You will notice that the top of the mixture is watery, once the larger pieces settle. Add sugar and spices until you reach the taste you want for the apple butter. Keep in mind that apples vary in sweetness, depending on what type of apple you are using, and sugar can be added slowly throughout the cooking process. Be careful not to add too much sugar at first, as the butter will get sweeter as the apples cook down. In fact, you might even choose to not at sugar at all at this stage of the cooking process, especially if you want a final product that is not too sweet. The spices can also be added as the apple butter cooks or not at all (if that's your preference). Be sure to stir every 10-15 minutes during the first hour as the apple butter is cooking on high and let it cook uncovered.

After one hour of cooking on high, turn the slow cooker to low and cover it. Depending on the type of apple you have used, it should cook for 8-10 hours, until there is no water left at the top and around the sides of the slow cooker. During this slow cooking time, stir occasionally (once per hour should be fine). This is also when the apple butter makes your kitchen smell amazing!

Finally, when the apple butter has reached the consistency and taste you want, remove it from the slow cooker. If you choose to can the apple butter, you can do that immediately or keep the apple butter in the refrigerator until you are able to can it.

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5 Process Essay Examples

A process essay is a type of essay that explains a process in detail. Good process essays don’t just explain the process but provides details about common mistakes to avoid as well as tips and methods to achieve success. Below are some example essays:

Process Essay Examples

#1 how to bake a chocolate cake.

1337 Words | 4 Pages

Thesis Statement: “The purpose of this essay is to guide readers through the enjoyable and straightforward process of baking a chocolate cake, highlighting the essential steps and tips to ensure a delicious and successful outcome.”

#2 How to Write a Resume

Thesis Statement: “This essay aims to provide a comprehensive guide on crafting an effective resume, detailing each step from gathering relevant information to finalizing the document, while offering practical tips and common pitfalls to avoid, ensuring a polished and professional presentation of one’s career achievements and qualifications.”

#3 How to Train for a Marathon

1508 Words | 5 Pages

Thesis Statement: “This essay provides a comprehensive guide to marathon training, detailing a strategic approach to building endurance, strength, and speed, coupled with essential advice on nutrition, hydration, and mental preparation, to equip runners of all levels with the knowledge and tools necessary for successfully completing a marathon.”

#4 How to Prepare for a Job Interview

1309 Words | 5 Pages

Thesis Statement: “This essay outlines a comprehensive strategy for job interview preparation, encompassing in-depth company research, personalized response formulation, professional presentation, and logistical planning, to equip candidates with the tools necessary for making a compelling and confident impression in their pursuit of career opportunities.”

#5 How to Write an Essay

1473 Words | 5 Pages

Thesis Statement: “This essay outlines a comprehensive, step-by-step approach to essay writing, from understanding the prompt to the final stages of revision and editing, providing essential tips and strategies to enhance writing skills and ensure the creation of a well-structured, persuasive, and effectively communicated piece.”

How to Write a Process Essay

The following template provides an overview of a process essay structure:

Grab this process essay template here.

Instructions: To write a process essay, start by introducing the process and its significance, ensuring the reader understands the purpose and value of the instructions. Next, present the preparation and materials required, before outlining each step of the process in a logical order, offering detailed explanations, tips, and potential pitfalls to avoid, ensuring clarity and ease of understanding. Conclude by summarizing the main steps and reinforcing the benefits or results of completing the process, leaving the reader with a clear understanding and the confidence to undertake the task.

How to Write a Thesis Statement for a Process

To write a thesis statement for a process essay, identify the process you’re explaining and clearly state the purpose or goal of the essay. Concisely outline the primary steps or stages involved in the process, ensuring clarity and direction for the reader. The thesis should be informative, indicating what the reader can expect to learn and achieve by following the essay.

💡 AI Prompt For Writing a Process Essay Thesis Statement “Create a thesis statement for a process essay on [TOPIC] that clearly identifies the specific process being explained. The thesis should state the purpose of the essay and briefly outline the main steps or stages involved in the process. Ensure that the statement is concise, informative, and guides the reader on what they will learn and achieve by reading the essay.”

Read Also: 101 Thesis Statement Examples

Suggested Process Essay Topics

For Grades 4 to 8:

• How to Organize a School Backpack.
• Steps to Create a Simple Science Fair Project.
• The Process of Planting and Caring for a Vegetable Garden.
• How to Write a Book Report.
• Making a Handcrafted Greeting Card.

For Grades 9 to 12:

• How to Prepare for the SATs.
• Steps for Conducting a Basic Scientific Experiment.
• Crafting an Effective Persuasive Essay.
• Planning and Executing a Community Service Project.
• The Process of Creating a Personal Budget.

For University/College:

• How to Conduct a Literature Review for a Research Paper.
• Writing a Successful College Application Essay.
• The Process of Developing a Mobile App.
• How to Create a Comprehensive Marketing Plan.
• Steps for Conducting a Qualitative Research Study.
• Preparing and Delivering an Effective Oral Presentation.
• The Process of Writing a Business Plan.
• How to Analyze a Case Study in Business School.
• Crafting a Dissertation or Thesis Proposal.
• Developing and Implementing a Personal Fitness Plan.

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• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 30 Globalization Pros and Cons

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How to Write a Process Analysis Essay: Examples & Outline

Process analysis is an explanation of how something works or happens. Want to know more? Read the following article prepared by our custom writing specialists and learn about:

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• process analysis and its types
• a process analysis outline tips
• free examples and other tips that might be helpful for your college assignment

So, let’s start digging deeper into this topic!

• ♻ Process Analysis Definition
• ✏️ Process Analysis Types

☑️ How to Write a Process Analysis Essay

• 📑 Examples & Bonus Tips

♻️ What Is Process Analysis?

A process analysis describes and explains the succession of actions, points out a specific result, and provides a detailed plan.

To be more precise, process analysis is targeted at explaining:

• how things work;
• how to do or make something;
• how something operates or happens.

So, if you want to know how an aircraft flies or how to start a business, you need to deal with process analyses that detail these procedures. You might be asking yourself: Are these two processes similar to each other? In fact, they are different. Moreover, there exist other types of processes. That’s why we have united some basic types into categories for your convenience.

Let’s get into the details.

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• Processes that are either related to people or performed by them, such as relationships, psychological aspects, or some manuals. These include descriptions of how to overcome depression, work in a team, or change the oil in your car.
• Processes that take place within a society. For example, it can be a description of the electoral process or how the judicial system works.
• Processes that occur in nature. It may be an explanation of cell division, the process of season change, or the life cycle of an organism. Process analysis plays a crucial role in scientific research. It helps to describe complex mechanisms and procedures, leading to advancements in science.
• Processes that are performed by machines. It can be an explanation of how a car engine works or how a helicopter flies.
• documenting knowledge;
• analyzing some separate actions;
• finding problematic issues;
• identifying the options for further improvements.

As you can see, some of these processes just need to be described , while others should be explained . There is a considerable difference between a description and an analysis. If you want to find it out, read the following part of this article.

✏️ Two Types of Process Analysis

As you already know, a process can be either described or explained. Following this, the two types of process analysis are:

• Directive process analysis: a description of a process.
• Informational process analysis: an explanation of how something works.

The primary difference concerns the purpose of these analyses. Now, let’s go into details.

Directive Process Analysis: Examples & Definition

Directive process analysis (also called prescriptive) answers the question of how to do or make something . In other words, it serves as an outline of specific steps a person should take to achieve the desired result. For example, it may be a description of how to plan a party or write a particular essay type (like this article.)

This type of process analysis is used in tutorials, manuals, or policy guides. In most cases, technicians and decision-makers utilize it.

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Informational Process Analysis Essay: Examples & Definition

In contrast, an informational process analysis (also called explanatory or descriptive) demonstrates how something works or is done . To be more precise, it presents information about the way some things or phenomena function. For example, it can describe how a disease affects our bodies.

A descriptive analysis consists of two parts:

• data gathering;
• identifying casual relationships.

This combination helps find out the essence of the process.

An informational process analysis may be found in essays, magazine or newspaper articles, or videos. Mostly, students, researchers, or just curious people are interested in this type.

We have talked about the process analysis definition and types. Now, it’s time to find out about a process analysis essay and how to write it correctly. In this section, you will find lots of interesting and helpful information on how to write each part of the essay, some tips on topics selection, and examples.

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Process Analysis Essay Outline

Let’s start with the essay structure. Keep in mind that a process analysis should be written in chronological order. If you want your readers to understand the presented process clearly, divide it into stages and then into steps. It will make your essay more coherent.

A process paper outline consists of 4 parts. Here they are:

Process Analysis Essay Topics: How to Choose

Choosing a topic may seem confusing. You have many things you want to talk about, and you simply can’t decide. Sounds familiar? Don’t worry; these tips will help determine what process analysis essay topic to choose.

To select a topic, you need to:

• Analyze your interests and hobbies;
• Choose a process related to your interests;
• Look for something you are familiar with and don’t need any further research;

To sum it up, write about something you like and know about.

How to Start a Process Analysis Essay

You’ve chosen the topic but don’t know how to start writing about it? Don’t worry; we’ve collected the most effective strategies to help you create an excellent introduction.

It’s worth mentioning that your introductory part depends on the type of your process analysis. If it’s a directive essay, you need to explain the process to your readers. If it’s an informational essay, you describe the process.

STEP #1: Start with a definition . It’s necessary to mention the purpose and importance of your paper. The audience should have a meaningful reason for reading your essay.

Writing a perfect essay is easier than you think (directive.)

Stress is one of the reasons for health problems (informational.)

STEP #2: Add some background information . Expand on the details and define the process.  

Baking requires particular skills and time. However, if you do everything correctly, you will get an excellent cake (directive.)

Constant stress exposure leads to the development of various health disorders, resulting in complex treatment (informational).

STEP #3: End your introduction with a thesis statement . Present the steps or stages of the process in one sentence.

To write a perfect essay, one needs to search for information from different sources, analyze the gathered data, and organize the ideas into a coherent text (directive.)

Chronic stress leads to the rise of blood pressure, the release of histamine, and a change of insulin level (informational.)

Just follow these steps to make sure you included all the necessary aspects in your introduction.

Process Analysis Thesis Examples and Tips

A thesis statement is a roadmap of your essay. That’s why it’s important to make it an effective one. Here’s what to keep in mind when writing a powerful thesis.

• Its content. It should contain all the essential information on your topic. A thesis is like a presentation of your paper in one sentence. That’s why you need to be clear and concise. Each of the aspects mentioned in a thesis should be expanded in a body paragraph.

Baking a pie is a simple process as all you need to do is to mix all the products, prepare the filling, and bake the combined ingredients in the oven.

When you see such a thesis, you understand that the paper will be about baking a pie rather than changing a tire.

• The number of parts. In fact, a process analysis thesis consists of two parts: the main point and the organizational format. The first element focuses on the purpose of the thesis. It’s worth mentioning that the content of the second part depends on the type of your process analysis essay.
• Its place in the text. Your thesis should be situated at the end of your introduction. To be more precise, it’s the last sentence of this part. In such a way, our audience will get a hint about the content of the following body paragraphs.

Feel free to check out the additional tips below. They will make your thesis perfect.

• Make it an affirmative sentence . Don’t write your thesis in the form of a question. This statement should be the answer to the question of the audience.
• Try to make it emphatic . Don’t start your thesis with trite phrases such as   “this essay will explain,” “I will inform you about,” or “I will describe.”
• Add more aspects if necessary.  For example, the thesis may state the inefficiency or unfairness of the process in question.

Process Analysis: Paragraphs for the Main Body

Similar to a thesis statement, the content and structure of the main body depend on your essay type. We have prepared several useful strategies for both types.

Informational Process Analysis: Body Paragraphs

Directive process analysis: body paragraphs, transition words for process essay & examples.

Each process has a beginning, a middle part, and an ending. To present a process analysis, divide it into meaningful parts and organize them properly. The readers should always have a clear understanding of a succession of actions.

That’s why you need to use transitional words. They can help the readers follow the text. We have prepared a list of transition words with some examples. Check it out below.

Process Essay Conclusion Writing Strategies

Finally, we get to the concluding part and how it should be arranged. Here are some helpful strategies for you to write an effective conclusion.

• Briefly summarize all the information you mentioned in your body paragraphs.
• Don’t introduce any new details. This part intends to conclude the essay.
• Paraphrase your thesis statement.
• Relate your conclusion with the introduction. There should be a logical ending for your essay. Sum up the information presented in all the parts of your paper.

To conclude, stress produces a negative effect on health. That’s why you should do something to reduce its impact. Include meditation and yoga in your daily routine. Don’t forget to have enough sleep. If you follow all these recommendations, your mental and physical health will improve very soon.

📑 Process Paragraphs Examples & Bonus Tips

We have already composed the process analysis essay. Now you know what to include and what to pay attention to while writing such a type of essay. However, we would like to share a list of some additional tips with you. They will help you to look at your paper from different angles and make it perfect.

Bonus tips:

• Consider the tone of your writing. Try to sound as professional as possible.
• Don’t forget about the formal style. Avoid writing in 1 st person. Instead, use the 2nd person in directive and the 3rd person in informational process analyses:
• You can interrupt the chronology of your process description. Sometimes, it’s essential to specify the terms or concepts, show how the preceding and following steps are connected, or clarify why it’s necessary to do some steps simultaneously.
• Give your readers a specific reason to care about your essay. Before writing your thesis statement, ask yourself: Why do people need to know about this process? The thesis should reflect the answer to this question.

Finally, we would like to present you with a process analysis essay example. Pay attention to the contents of each essay part:

Below, you can find even more process analysis essay samples. Make sure to check them out to get some inspiration for your paper.

• A Medical Committee’s Group Process Analysis
• How to Groom Your Pet Dog: Process Analysis
• Agency Supervisory Process Analysis
• Passing a Test: Process Analysis

Process Analysis Essay Topics

• Analysis of engineering process.  
• Steps to successful aging .  
• Analysis of quality improvement process . 
• The process of data analysis . 
• How to lose weight .  
• Process of selecting a suitable theory or model in health intervention. 
• The important steps of images processing. 
• Strategic planning process analysis: stakeholders and initial agreement guidelines. 
• How to write: process analysis. 
• Steps for maintaining your mental health during pandemic.  
• Process for financial accounting cycle .  
• Steps for creating a realistic buyer persona .  
• How to make a final decision .  
• Stages of problem-solving strategy . 
• The risk management in healthcare : process analysis. 
• How to organize a group : stages.  
• Describe the contingency planning process. 
• Steps to planning a career .  
• Enhancing wireless network performance : process analysis. 
• How to cope with grief: five stages theory .  
• Process for conflict resolving .  
• How to analyze a primary source .  
• Communication problems at workplace : stages analysis.  
• How to conduct sociological research . 
• Process of prenatal development : main stages. 
• Stages of developing a new product . 
• Clear steps to conducting community-based research . 
• Making a dental public health policy : process analysis. 
• Conducting a utility test : process analysis. 
• The key steps to facilitate parent participation process.  
• The implementation plan for treating patients with cancer. 
• Discuss the steps of buying a product . 
• Describe the process of business development .  
• Analyze the brewery process . 
• Cognitive development of children: process analysis. 
• Describe the stages of different types of interviews . 
• Analyze the process of employees’ talents development . 
• How to buy a used motorcycle . 
• Steps to making ethical decision .  
• Analyze the ways of managing s diverse international team .  
• Process analysis for proper teeth cleaning .  
• Describe the steps of project management .  
• Four stages of business development .  
• How to cope with distress in nursing.  
• External auditing process analysis. 
• Analyze the stages of Alzheimer’s disease .  

We hope you find our article useful and apply these strategies to your process analysis essay. We wish you success with all your future assignments.

Further reading:

• Case Study Analysis: Examples + How-to Guide & Writing Tips
• How to Write a Visual Analysis Essay: Examples & Template
• How to Write a Film Analysis Essay: Examples, Outline, & Tips
• How to Write a Literary Analysis Essay Step by Step

🔍 References

• Process Analysis: The University of Toledo
• Business Process Analysis: UNICE
• Process Analysis: University of Minnesota Twin Cities
• Informative Process Analysis: Saint Leo University
• How to Write a Thesis for Process Analysis Essay: Seattle PI
• Informative Process Analysis: Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
• Introductions and Conclusions: University of Toronto
• Process Description: How to Write about a Sequence of Events: Seton Hill University
• Essay Introductions: University of Maryland
• Essay Structure: Harvard University
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• Academic writing
• A step-by-step guide to the writing process

The Writing Process | 5 Steps with Examples & Tips

Published on April 24, 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on December 8, 2023.

Good academic writing requires effective planning, drafting, and revision.

The writing process looks different for everyone, but there are five basic steps that will help you structure your time when writing any kind of text.

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Table of contents

Step 1: prewriting, step 2: planning and outlining, step 3: writing a first draft, step 4: redrafting and revising, step 5: editing and proofreading, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about the writing process.

Before you start writing, you need to decide exactly what you’ll write about and do the necessary research.

Coming up with a topic

If you have to come up with your own topic for an assignment, think of what you’ve covered in class— is there a particular area that intrigued, interested, or even confused you? Topics that left you with additional questions are perfect, as these are questions you can explore in your writing.

The scope depends on what type of text you’re writing—for example, an essay or a research paper will be less in-depth than a dissertation topic . Don’t pick anything too ambitious to cover within the word count, or too limited for you to find much to say.

Narrow down your idea to a specific argument or question. For example, an appropriate topic for an essay might be narrowed down like this:

Doing the research

Once you know your topic, it’s time to search for relevant sources and gather the information you need. This process varies according to your field of study and the scope of the assignment. It might involve:

• Searching for primary and secondary sources .
• Reading the relevant texts closely (e.g. for literary analysis ).
• Collecting data using relevant research methods (e.g. experiments , interviews or surveys )

From a writing perspective, the important thing is to take plenty of notes while you do the research. Keep track of the titles, authors, publication dates, and relevant quotations from your sources; the data you gathered; and your initial analysis or interpretation of the questions you’re addressing.

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Especially in academic writing , it’s important to use a logical structure to convey information effectively. It’s far better to plan this out in advance than to try to work out your structure once you’ve already begun writing.

Creating an essay outline is a useful way to plan out your structure before you start writing. This should help you work out the main ideas you want to focus on and how you’ll organize them. The outline doesn’t have to be final—it’s okay if your structure changes throughout the writing process.

Use bullet points or numbering to make your structure clear at a glance. Even for a short text that won’t use headings, it’s useful to summarize what you’ll discuss in each paragraph.

An outline for a literary analysis essay might look something like this:

• Describe the theatricality of Austen’s works
• Outline the role theater plays in Mansfield Park
• Introduce the research question: How does Austen use theater to express the characters’ morality in Mansfield Park ?
• Discuss Austen’s depiction of the performance at the end of the first volume
• Discuss how Sir Bertram reacts to the acting scheme
• Introduce Austen’s use of stage direction–like details during dialogue
• Explore how these are deployed to show the characters’ self-absorption
• Discuss Austen’s description of Maria and Julia’s relationship as polite but affectionless
• Compare Mrs. Norris’s self-conceit as charitable despite her idleness
• Summarize the three themes: The acting scheme, stage directions, and the performance of morals
• Answer the research question
• Indicate areas for further study

Once you have a clear idea of your structure, it’s time to produce a full first draft.

This process can be quite non-linear. For example, it’s reasonable to begin writing with the main body of the text, saving the introduction for later once you have a clearer idea of the text you’re introducing.

To give structure to your writing, use your outline as a framework. Make sure that each paragraph has a clear central focus that relates to your overall argument.

Hover over the parts of the example, from a literary analysis essay on Mansfield Park , to see how a paragraph is constructed.

The character of Mrs. Norris provides another example of the performance of morals in Mansfield Park . Early in the novel, she is described in scathing terms as one who knows “how to dictate liberality to others: but her love of money was equal to her love of directing” (p. 7). This hypocrisy does not interfere with her self-conceit as “the most liberal-minded sister and aunt in the world” (p. 7). Mrs. Norris is strongly concerned with appearing charitable, but unwilling to make any personal sacrifices to accomplish this. Instead, she stage-manages the charitable actions of others, never acknowledging that her schemes do not put her own time or money on the line. In this way, Austen again shows us a character whose morally upright behavior is fundamentally a performance—for whom the goal of doing good is less important than the goal of seeming good.

When you move onto a different topic, start a new paragraph. Use appropriate transition words and phrases to show the connections between your ideas.

The goal at this stage is to get a draft completed, not to make everything perfect as you go along. Once you have a full draft in front of you, you’ll have a clearer idea of where improvement is needed.

Give yourself a first draft deadline that leaves you a reasonable length of time to revise, edit, and proofread before the final deadline. For a longer text like a dissertation, you and your supervisor might agree on deadlines for individual chapters.

Now it’s time to look critically at your first draft and find potential areas for improvement. Redrafting means substantially adding or removing content, while revising involves making changes to structure and reformulating arguments.

Evaluating the first draft

It can be difficult to look objectively at your own writing. Your perspective might be positively or negatively biased—especially if you try to assess your work shortly after finishing it.

It’s best to leave your work alone for at least a day or two after completing the first draft. Come back after a break to evaluate it with fresh eyes; you’ll spot things you wouldn’t have otherwise.

When evaluating your writing at this stage, you’re mainly looking for larger issues such as changes to your arguments or structure. Starting with bigger concerns saves you time—there’s no point perfecting the grammar of something you end up cutting out anyway.

Right now, you’re looking for:

• Arguments that are unclear or illogical.
• Areas where information would be better presented in a different order.
• Passages where additional information or explanation is needed.
• Passages that are irrelevant to your overall argument.

For example, in our paper on Mansfield Park , we might realize the argument would be stronger with more direct consideration of the protagonist Fanny Price, and decide to try to find space for this in paragraph IV.

For some assignments, you’ll receive feedback on your first draft from a supervisor or peer. Be sure to pay close attention to what they tell you, as their advice will usually give you a clearer sense of which aspects of your text need improvement.

Redrafting and revising

Once you’ve decided where changes are needed, make the big changes first, as these are likely to have knock-on effects on the rest. Depending on what your text needs, this step might involve:

• Making changes to your overall argument.
• Reordering the text.
• Cutting parts of the text.
• Adding new text.

You can go back and forth between writing, redrafting and revising several times until you have a final draft that you’re happy with.

Think about what changes you can realistically accomplish in the time you have. If you are running low on time, you don’t want to leave your text in a messy state halfway through redrafting, so make sure to prioritize the most important changes.

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Editing focuses on local concerns like clarity and sentence structure. Proofreading involves reading the text closely to remove typos and ensure stylistic consistency. You can check all your drafts and texts in minutes with an AI proofreader .

Editing for grammar and clarity

When editing, you want to ensure your text is clear, concise, and grammatically correct. You’re looking out for:

• Grammatical errors.
• Ambiguous phrasings.
• Redundancy and repetition .

In your initial draft, it’s common to end up with a lot of sentences that are poorly formulated. Look critically at where your meaning could be conveyed in a more effective way or in fewer words, and watch out for common sentence structure mistakes like run-on sentences and sentence fragments:

• Austen’s style is frequently humorous, her characters are often described as “witty.” Although this is less true of Mansfield Park .
• Austen’s style is frequently humorous. Her characters are often described as “witty,” although this is less true of Mansfield Park .

To make your sentences run smoothly, you can always use a paraphrasing tool to rewrite them in a clearer way.

Proofreading for small mistakes and typos

When proofreading, first look out for typos in your text:

• Spelling errors.
• Missing words.
• Confused word choices .
• Punctuation errors .
• Missing or excess spaces.

Use a grammar checker , but be sure to do another manual check after. Read through your text line by line, watching out for problem areas highlighted by the software but also for any other issues it might have missed.

For example, in the following phrase we notice several errors:

• Mary Crawfords character is a complicate one and her relationships with Fanny and Edmund undergoes several transformations through out the novel.
• Mary Crawford’s character is a complicated one, and her relationships with both Fanny and Edmund undergo several transformations throughout the novel.

Proofreading for stylistic consistency

There are several issues in academic writing where you can choose between multiple different standards. For example:

• Whether you use the serial comma .
• Whether you use American or British spellings and punctuation (you can use a punctuation checker for this).
• Where you use numerals vs. words for numbers.
• How you capitalize your titles and headings.

Unless you’re given specific guidance on these issues, it’s your choice which standards you follow. The important thing is to consistently follow one standard for each issue. For example, don’t use a mixture of American and British spellings in your paper.

Additionally, you will probably be provided with specific guidelines for issues related to format (how your text is presented on the page) and citations (how you acknowledge your sources). Always follow these instructions carefully.

If you want to know more about AI for academic writing, AI tools, or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

• Ad hominem fallacy
• Post hoc fallacy
• Appeal to authority fallacy
• False cause fallacy
• Sunk cost fallacy
• Deep learning
• Generative AI
• Machine learning
• Reinforcement learning
• Supervised vs. unsupervised learning

 (AI) Tools

• Grammar Checker
• Paraphrasing Tool
• Text Summarizer
• AI Detector
• Plagiarism Checker
• Citation Generator

Revising, proofreading, and editing are different stages of the writing process .

• Revising is making structural and logical changes to your text—reformulating arguments and reordering information.
• Editing refers to making more local changes to things like sentence structure and phrasing to make sure your meaning is conveyed clearly and concisely.
• Proofreading involves looking at the text closely, line by line, to spot any typos and issues with consistency and correct them.

Whether you’re publishing a blog, submitting a research paper , or even just writing an important email, there are a few techniques you can use to make sure it’s error-free:

• Take a break : Set your work aside for at least a few hours so that you can look at it with fresh eyes.
• Proofread a printout : Staring at a screen for too long can cause fatigue – sit down with a pen and paper to check the final version.
• Use digital shortcuts : Take note of any recurring mistakes (for example, misspelling a particular word, switching between US and UK English , or inconsistently capitalizing a term), and use Find and Replace to fix it throughout the document.

If you want to be confident that an important text is error-free, it might be worth choosing a professional proofreading service instead.

If you’ve gone over the word limit set for your assignment, shorten your sentences and cut repetition and redundancy during the editing process. If you use a lot of long quotes , consider shortening them to just the essentials.

If you need to remove a lot of words, you may have to cut certain passages. Remember that everything in the text should be there to support your argument; look for any information that’s not essential to your point and remove it.

To make this process easier and faster, you can use a paraphrasing tool . With this tool, you can rewrite your text to make it simpler and shorter. If that’s not enough, you can copy-paste your paraphrased text into the summarizer . This tool will distill your text to its core message.

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AI Showdown 2024: Deciding Between MyEssayWriter.ai and JasperAI

Series produced by Harry Wilson

In this age of technological progress, the significance of AI essay writing tools has grown exponentially, offering a lifeline to students aiming to streamline their writing processes. In this blog, I'll be conducting a thorough comparison between two noteworthy contenders in this field: MyEssayWriter.ai and JasperAI. Join me as we dissect the features, advantages, and potential drawbacks of these tools to facilitate an informed decision-making process.

In this age of technological progress, the significance of AI essay writing tools has grown exponentially, offering a lifeline to students aiming to streamline their writing processes. In this blog, I'll be conducting a thorough comparison between two noteworthy contenders in this field: MyEssayWriter.ai and JasperAI . Join me as we dissect the features, advantages, and potential drawbacks of these tools to facilitate an informed decision-making process.

Sources of Information

In my quest to gather comprehensive insights into MyEssayWriter.ai, I browsed  MyEssayWriter.ai reviews  on various platforms and reputable news websites to understand the user experience and expert opinions. Platforms like ProductHunt and Trustpilot provided a wealth of user reviews, showcasing the diverse perspectives on MyEssayWriter.ai. Users consistently praised the tool for its simplicity, real-time assistance, and invaluable plagiarism checker feature.

Additionally, I explored the news websites specializing in technology and education to glean expert opinions on MyEssayWriter.ai's impact on the academic writing landscape. The consensus from both users and experts painted a positive picture, highlighting MyEssayWriter.ai as a reliable and efficient AI essay-writing tool for students.

Understanding the AI Essay Writing Landscape

Ai essay writing tools: a boon for students.

In the quest for the best AI essay writing tools, the market offers numerous options. However, my focus today is on MyEssayWriter.ai and JasperAI, two tools that have gained attention for their user-friendly interfaces and advanced capabilities. Let's dive into the specifics.

MyEssayWriter.ai: Unleashing the Power of AI for Students

Key Features

MyEssayWriter.ai has positioned itself as a go-to platform for students seeking assistance with essay writing. Here are some key features that make it stand out:

User-Friendly Interface : One of the first things that caught my attention was the simplicity of the platform. Navigating through the interface is a breeze, making it accessible for users of all skill levels.

AI-Powered Writing Assistance : The AI algorithms used by MyEssayWriter.ai analyze your input and provide real-time suggestions to enhance your writing. It's like having a personal writing assistant available 24/7.

Plagiarism Checker : Academic integrity is crucial, and MyEssayWriter.ai understands that. The plagiarism checker ensures that your work is original and free from any unintentional plagiarism.

Additional Features

MyEssayWriter.ai takes the writing experience a step further with its advanced paraphrasing tool . This feature stands out for its ability to rephrase sentences and paragraphs, providing users with an efficient way to enhance the originality and coherence of their content. The paraphrasing tool employs cutting-edge algorithms that understand context and nuances, ensuring that the revised text maintains clarity and relevance. Whether you're looking to give your essay a fresh perspective or avoid issues related to plagiarism, MyEssayWriter.ai's paraphrasing tool proves to be a valuable asset for users seeking to elevate the quality of their written work.

JasperAI: Redefining the Writing Process

Standout Features

JasperAI has made its mark in the AI essay writing tools arena with a set of distinctive features:

Advanced Language Processing : The tool utilizes cutting-edge language processing technology to provide contextually relevant suggestions, helping users refine their writing style.

Grammar and Style Checks : Beyond basic spelling and grammar, JasperAI goes the extra mile by offering suggestions for improving the overall style and flow of your writing.

Personalized Learning : JasperAI adapts to your writing habits over time, providing increasingly personalized suggestions. This adaptive learning feature sets it apart in the AI essay writing landscape.

User Feedback

Reviews on platforms like G2 and Reddit provide a glimpse into user experiences with JasperAI. Many users appreciate the tool's ability to evolve with their writing style, making it a long-term asset for academic endeavors.

Comparison: Choosing the Best AI Essay Writing Tool

Ease of Use

Both MyEssayWriter.ai and JasperAI score high in terms of user-friendliness. However, MyEssayWriter.ai's straightforward interface may be more appealing to those who prefer a minimalist approach, while JasperAI caters to users who appreciate a more nuanced experience.

Writing Assistance

When it comes to writing assistance, MyEssayWriter.ai's real-time suggestions prove invaluable for quick edits. On the other hand, JasperAI's focus on personalized learning makes it a compelling choice for those looking to refine their writing style over the long term.

Plagiarism Checking

In the realm of academic writing, maintaining originality is paramount. MyEssayWriter.ai's built-in plagiarism checker provides a seamless solution, while JasperAI, although efficient in other aspects, lacks this crucial feature.

Conclusion: Making the Right Choice for Your Writing Needs

As a student exploring the world of AI essay writing tools, the decision between MyEssayWriter.ai and JasperAI ultimately boils down to your individual preferences and requirements. If simplicity, real-time assistance, and plagiarism checking are your top priorities, MyEssayWriter.ai might be the better fit. However, if you value personalized learning, advanced language processing, and style refinement, JasperAI could be the tool for you.

Remember, the best AI essay writing tool is the one that aligns with your writing preferences and helps you achieve academic success effortlessly. 

Are these AI essay writing tools suitable for users of all skill levels?

Absolutely! Both MyEssayWriter.ai and JasperAI are designed with user-friendliness in mind. Their interfaces are intuitive and accessible, making them suitable for students at all skill levels.

How does JasperAI's adaptive learning feature contribute to the writing process?

JasperAI's adaptive learning feature is a standout aspect of the tool. It tailors its suggestions based on your writing habits, providing increasingly personalized assistance over time. This ensures continuous improvement in your writing style.

Can I rely on the plagiarism checker in MyEssayWriter.ai for maintaining academic integrity?

Certainly! MyEssayWriter.ai's built-in plagiarism checker is a robust tool that helps users maintain academic honesty. It ensures that your work is original and free from unintentional plagiarism.

In my quest to gather comprehensive insights into MyEssayWriter.ai, I browsed  MyEssayWriter.ai reviews  on various platforms and reputable news websites to understand the user experience and expert opinions. Platforms like ProductHunt and Trustpilot provided a wealth of user reviews, showcasing the diverse...

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March 26, 2024

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Essays on democracy draw attention to critical threats, explore safeguards ahead of Jan. 6

by Tracy DeStazio, University of Notre Dame

Following the events of Jan. 6, 2021—when a violent mob stormed the U.S. Capitol building in an effort to interrupt the certification process of the 2020 presidential election—experts began to question how to protect the next presidential election from a similar threat. To that end, University of Notre Dame political scientists have partnered with preeminent scholars of democracy from across the country to produce a set of recommendations to strengthen and safeguard democracy in America.

The University's Rooney Center for the Study of American Democracy established the January 6th, 2025, Project in an effort to understand the social, political, psychological and demographic factors that led to that troublesome day in the capital.

By pursuing research, teaching and public engagement , the project offers insight into how American democracy got to this point and how to strengthen and protect it, while emphasizing how to prepare for a similar attack many deem imminent on Jan. 6, 2025, when Congress seeks to certify the 2024 presidential election results. The project includes 34 members who represent various disciplines and leading universities—10 of whom hail from Notre Dame's faculty.

Matthew E.K. Hall, director of the Rooney Center, said one of the project's first goals was to create a collection of essays written by its members to be included in a special issue of The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science , which was published this month. These essays aim to draw attention to the vulnerabilities in our democratic system and the threats building against it, and to create consensus on ways to remedy both problems.

The authors set out to tackle the following tough questions, but from different perspectives: How serious are the threats to our democracy, how did we get to this point, and what can we do to fix the situation? The 14 essays are broken down into categories, falling under the headings of "'Us' Versus 'Them,'" "Dangerous Ideas" and "Undermining Democratic Institutions." With most pieces being co-authored by faculty from multiple institutions, the collection offers a collaborative approach to evaluating what led America to this crisis and how to avert it.

David Campbell, director of the Notre Dame Democracy Initiative and the Packey J. Dee Professor of American Democracy in the Department of Political Science, described the project as "an example of how Notre Dame can be a national leader on the issue of preserving American democracy. Not only do we have top scholars working on the issue, but we can provide a forum for a community of scholars across many leading universities. Maintaining democracy will require all hands on deck."

In the collection's introduction, Hall explained the backdrop of what led America to this point and why these essays help acknowledge the challenges we are facing as a nation.

"We are basically living through a revival of fascist politics in the U.S.," Hall wrote, "where politicians are using divisive rhetoric to separate us into an 'us' versus 'them' paradigm—left versus right, white versus Black, rich versus poor, urban versus rural, religious versus secular—the divisions go on and on."

Hall estimated that between 25 and 30% of Americans have consistently endorsed some fascist ideas such as racial oppression, conspiracy theories and authoritarianism. "Ordinarily, this consistent minority is held in check by the democratic process," Hall explained.

"These candidates don't even get nominated for major political positions because their co-partisan allies don't want to lose the general election.

"But when our politics become this intensely polarized, most partisans will support their party no matter who is nominated," he continued. "As a result, politicians pushing these fascist ideas can gain power by taking over one political party and then exploiting the polarization to win elections. Once taking power, they will likely manipulate the electoral process to remain in power."

Consequently, Hall said, fascist leaders are able to exploit these social divisions to break down basic social norms and shared understandings about American politics. This pushes huge swaths of society toward accepting dangerous ideas that would normally be rejected, such as expanded executive power, intense animosity toward political opponents, a wavering support for free speech, and political candidates who deny election losses.

This weakened support for democratic norms enables attacks on our democratic institutions, such as ignoring court rulings, enacting voter suppression laws and—most shockingly (as in the case of Jan. 6)—openly subverting elections.

With the political situation as dire as many feel it to be, the January 6th, 2025, Project's essays outline a few practical steps that can be taken to strengthen and safeguard democracy in America.

For example, Hall said, as the nation moves forward into this next election year, American voters have to stay focused on the "deliberate denial of reality" on the part of some politicians so that they can discern the difference between lies, truths and just plain distractions.

"The more we lose touch with basic facts and accept misinformation, conspiracies and contradictory claims as the norm in our society," he said, "the more vulnerable we are to losing our democracy.

"Even more importantly, we have to be willing to sacrifice short-term political gains in order to preserve the long-term stability of our democracy. That might mean holding your nose to vote for candidates that you would not otherwise support."

Hall added that Americans must redouble their devotion to democratic principles such as open elections and free speech, and states should adopt institutional reforms that remove partisans from the electoral process (for example, employing nonpartisan election commissions). He also noted the importance of paying close attention to efforts that divide groups of Americans, especially those that portray outgroup members as evil or less than human.

The members of the project hope that by honestly acknowledging the challenges our nation is facing, understanding the mistakes that were made and recognizing the vulnerabilities in our system that led us to this situation—and by resolving to fix these issues—we can pull our country's political system back from the edge of the cliff before it's too late.

"The public needs to take these critical threats seriously and we're hoping that these essays draw attention to them, and help to build consensus about the underlying problems in our politics and potential remedies," Hall concluded.

Democracy is one of several University-wide initiatives emerging from Notre Dame's recently released Strategic Framework . The Democracy Initiative will further establish Notre Dame as a global leader in the study of democracy, a convenor for conversations about and actions to preserve democracy, and a model for the formation of civically engaged citizens and public servants.

Provided by University of Notre Dame

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