how can you write an effective essay

How to Write the Perfect Essay

06 Feb, 2024 | Blog Articles , English Language Articles , Get the Edge , Humanities Articles , Writing Articles

Student sitting at a desk writing in a notebook

You can keep adding to this plan, crossing bits out and linking the different bubbles when you spot connections between them. Even though you won’t have time to make a detailed plan under exam conditions, it can be helpful to draft a brief one, including a few key words, so that you don’t panic and go off topic when writing your essay.

If you don’t like the mind map format, there are plenty of others to choose from: you could make a table, a flowchart, or simply a list of bullet points.

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Thanks for signing up, step 2: have a clear structure.

Think about this while you’re planning: your essay is like an argument or a speech. It needs to have a logical structure, with all your points coming together to answer the question.

Start with the basics! It’s best to choose a few major points which will become your main paragraphs. Three main paragraphs is a good number for an exam essay, since you’ll be under time pressure.

If you agree with the question overall, it can be helpful to organise your points in the following pattern:

YES (agreement with the question)
AND (another YES point)
BUT (disagreement or complication)

If you disagree with the question overall, try:

AND (another BUT point)

For example, you could structure the Of Mice and Men sample question, “To what extent is Curley’s wife portrayed as a victim in Of Mice and Men ?”, as follows:

YES (descriptions of her appearance)
AND (other people’s attitudes towards her)
BUT (her position as the only woman on the ranch gives her power as she uses her femininity to her advantage)

If you wanted to write a longer essay, you could include additional paragraphs under the YES/AND categories, perhaps discussing the ways in which Curley’s wife reveals her vulnerability and insecurities, and shares her dreams with the other characters. Alternatively, you could also lengthen your essay by including another BUT paragraph about her cruel and manipulative streak.

Of course, this is not necessarily the only right way to answer this essay question – as long as you back up your points with evidence from the text, you can take any standpoint that makes sense.

Step 3: Back up your points with well-analysed quotations

You wouldn’t write a scientific report without including evidence to support your findings, so why should it be any different with an essay? Even though you aren’t strictly required to substantiate every single point you make with a quotation, there’s no harm in trying.

A close reading of your quotations can enrich your appreciation of the question and will be sure to impress examiners. When selecting the best quotations to use in your essay, keep an eye out for specific literary techniques. For example, you could highlight Curley’s wife’s use of a rhetorical question when she says, a”n’ what am I doin’? Standin’ here talking to a bunch of bindle stiffs.” This might look like:

The rhetorical question “an’ what am I doin’?” signifies that Curley’s wife is very insecure; she seems to be questioning her own life choices. Moreover, she does not expect anyone to respond to her question, highlighting her loneliness and isolation on the ranch.

Other literary techniques to look out for include:

Tricolon – a group of three words or phrases placed close together for emphasis
Tautology – using different words that mean the same thing: e.g. “frightening” and “terrifying”
Parallelism – ABAB structure, often signifying movement from one concept to another
Chiasmus – ABBA structure, drawing attention to a phrase
Polysyndeton – many conjunctions in a sentence
Asyndeton – lack of conjunctions, which can speed up the pace of a sentence
Polyptoton – using the same word in different forms for emphasis: e.g. “done” and “doing”
Alliteration – repetition of the same sound, including assonance (similar vowel sounds), plosive alliteration (“b”, “d” and “p” sounds) and sibilance (“s” sounds)
Anaphora – repetition of words, often used to emphasise a particular point

Don’t worry if you can’t locate all of these literary devices in the work you’re analysing. You can also discuss more obvious techniques, like metaphor, simile and onomatopoeia. It’s not a problem if you can’t remember all the long names; it’s far more important to be able to confidently explain the effects of each technique and highlight its relevance to the question.

Step 4: Be creative and original throughout

Anyone can write an essay using the tips above, but the thing that really makes it “perfect” is your own unique take on the topic. If you’ve noticed something intriguing or unusual in your reading, point it out – if you find it interesting, chances are the examiner will too!

Creative writing and essay writing are more closely linked than you might imagine. Keep the idea that you’re writing a speech or argument in mind, and you’re guaranteed to grab your reader’s attention.

It’s important to set out your line of argument in your introduction, introducing your main points and the general direction your essay will take, but don’t forget to keep something back for the conclusion, too. Yes, you need to summarise your main points, but if you’re just repeating the things you said in your introduction, the body of the essay is rendered pointless.

Think of your conclusion as the climax of your speech, the bit everything else has been leading up to, rather than the boring plenary at the end of the interesting stuff.

To return to Of Mice and Men once more, here’s an example of the ideal difference between an introduction and a conclusion:

Introduction

In John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men , Curley’s wife is portrayed as an ambiguous character. She could be viewed either as a cruel, seductive temptress or a lonely woman who is a victim of her society’s attitudes. Though she does seem to wield a form of sexual power, it is clear that Curley’s wife is largely a victim. This interpretation is supported by Steinbeck’s description of her appearance, other people’s attitudes, her dreams, and her evident loneliness and insecurity.

Overall, it is clear that Curley’s wife is a victim and is portrayed as such throughout the novel in the descriptions of her appearance, her dreams, other people’s judgemental attitudes, and her loneliness and insecurities. However, a character who was a victim and nothing else would be one-dimensional and Curley’s wife is not. Although she suffers in many ways, she is shown to assert herself through the manipulation of her femininity – a small rebellion against the victimisation she experiences.

Both refer back consistently to the question and summarise the essay’s main points. However, the conclusion adds something new which has been established in the main body of the essay and complicates the simple summary which is found in the introduction.

Hannah is an undergraduate English student at Somerville College, University of Oxford, and has a particular interest in postcolonial literature and the Gothic. She thinks literature is a crucial way of developing empathy and learning about the wider world. When she isn’t writing about 17th-century court masques, she enjoys acting, travelling and creative writing.

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How to Write an Essay

Use the links below to jump directly to any section of this guide:

Essay Writing Fundamentals

How to prepare to write an essay, how to edit an essay, how to share and publish your essays, how to get essay writing help, how to find essay writing inspiration, resources for teaching essay writing.

Essays, short prose compositions on a particular theme or topic, are the bread and butter of academic life. You write them in class, for homework, and on standardized tests to show what you know. Unlike other kinds of academic writing (like the research paper) and creative writing (like short stories and poems), essays allow you to develop your original thoughts on a prompt or question. Essays come in many varieties: they can be expository (fleshing out an idea or claim), descriptive, (explaining a person, place, or thing), narrative (relating a personal experience), or persuasive (attempting to win over a reader). This guide is a collection of dozens of links about academic essay writing that we have researched, categorized, and annotated in order to help you improve your essay writing.

Essays are different from other forms of writing; in turn, there are different kinds of essays. This section contains general resources for getting to know the essay and its variants. These resources introduce and define the essay as a genre, and will teach you what to expect from essay-based assessments.

Purdue OWL Online Writing Lab

One of the most trusted academic writing sites, Purdue OWL provides a concise introduction to the four most common types of academic essays.

"The Essay: History and Definition" (ThoughtCo)

This snappy article from ThoughtCo talks about the origins of the essay and different kinds of essays you might be asked to write.

"What Is An Essay?" Video Lecture (Coursera)

The University of California at Irvine's free video lecture, available on Coursera, tells you everything you need to know about the essay.

Wikipedia Article on the "Essay"

Wikipedia's article on the essay is comprehensive, providing both English-language and global perspectives on the essay form. Learn about the essay's history, forms, and styles.

"Understanding College and Academic Writing" (Aims Online Writing Lab)

This list of common academic writing assignments (including types of essay prompts) will help you know what to expect from essay-based assessments.

Before you start writing your essay, you need to figure out who you're writing for (audience), what you're writing about (topic/theme), and what you're going to say (argument and thesis). This section contains links to handouts, chapters, videos and more to help you prepare to write an essay.

How to Identify Your Audience

"Audience" (Univ. of North Carolina Writing Center)

This handout provides questions you can ask yourself to determine the audience for an academic writing assignment. It also suggests strategies for fitting your paper to your intended audience.

"Purpose, Audience, Tone, and Content" (Univ. of Minnesota Libraries)

This extensive book chapter from Writing for Success , available online through Minnesota Libraries Publishing, is followed by exercises to try out your new pre-writing skills.

"Determining Audience" (Aims Online Writing Lab)

This guide from a community college's writing center shows you how to know your audience, and how to incorporate that knowledge in your thesis statement.

"Know Your Audience" ( Paper Rater Blog)

This short blog post uses examples to show how implied audiences for essays differ. It reminds you to think of your instructor as an observer, who will know only the information you pass along.

How to Choose a Theme or Topic

"Research Tutorial: Developing Your Topic" (YouTube)

Take a look at this short video tutorial from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to understand the basics of developing a writing topic.

"How to Choose a Paper Topic" (WikiHow)

This simple, step-by-step guide (with pictures!) walks you through choosing a paper topic. It starts with a detailed description of brainstorming and ends with strategies to refine your broad topic.

"How to Read an Assignment: Moving From Assignment to Topic" (Harvard College Writing Center)

Did your teacher give you a prompt or other instructions? This guide helps you understand the relationship between an essay assignment and your essay's topic.

"Guidelines for Choosing a Topic" (CliffsNotes)

This study guide from CliffsNotes both discusses how to choose a topic and makes a useful distinction between "topic" and "thesis."

How to Come Up with an Argument

"Argument" (Univ. of North Carolina Writing Center)

Not sure what "argument" means in the context of academic writing? This page from the University of North Carolina is a good place to start.

"The Essay Guide: Finding an Argument" (Study Hub)

This handout explains why it's important to have an argument when beginning your essay, and provides tools to help you choose a viable argument.

"Writing a Thesis and Making an Argument" (University of Iowa)

This page from the University of Iowa's Writing Center contains exercises through which you can develop and refine your argument and thesis statement.

"Developing a Thesis" (Harvard College Writing Center)

This page from Harvard's Writing Center collates some helpful dos and don'ts of argumentative writing, from steps in constructing a thesis to avoiding vague and confrontational thesis statements.

"Suggestions for Developing Argumentative Essays" (Berkeley Student Learning Center)

This page offers concrete suggestions for each stage of the essay writing process, from topic selection to drafting and editing.

How to Outline your Essay

"Outlines" (Univ. of North Carolina at Chapel Hill via YouTube)

This short video tutorial from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill shows how to group your ideas into paragraphs or sections to begin the outlining process.

"Essay Outline" (Univ. of Washington Tacoma)

This two-page handout by a university professor simply defines the parts of an essay and then organizes them into an example outline.

"Types of Outlines and Samples" (Purdue OWL Online Writing Lab)

Purdue OWL gives examples of diverse outline strategies on this page, including the alphanumeric, full sentence, and decimal styles.

"Outlining" (Harvard College Writing Center)

Once you have an argument, according to this handout, there are only three steps in the outline process: generalizing, ordering, and putting it all together. Then you're ready to write!

"Writing Essays" (Plymouth Univ.)

This packet, part of Plymouth University's Learning Development series, contains descriptions and diagrams relating to the outlining process.

"How to Write A Good Argumentative Essay: Logical Structure" (Criticalthinkingtutorials.com via YouTube)

This longer video tutorial gives an overview of how to structure your essay in order to support your argument or thesis. It is part of a longer course on academic writing hosted on Udemy.

Now that you've chosen and refined your topic and created an outline, use these resources to complete the writing process. Most essays contain introductions (which articulate your thesis statement), body paragraphs, and conclusions. Transitions facilitate the flow from one paragraph to the next so that support for your thesis builds throughout the essay. Sources and citations show where you got the evidence to support your thesis, which ensures that you avoid plagiarism.

How to Write an Introduction

"Introductions" (Univ. of North Carolina Writing Center)

This page identifies the role of the introduction in any successful paper, suggests strategies for writing introductions, and warns against less effective introductions.

"How to Write A Good Introduction" (Michigan State Writing Center)

Beginning with the most common missteps in writing introductions, this guide condenses the essentials of introduction composition into seven points.

"The Introductory Paragraph" (ThoughtCo)

This blog post from academic advisor and college enrollment counselor Grace Fleming focuses on ways to grab your reader's attention at the beginning of your essay.

"Introductions and Conclusions" (Univ. of Toronto)

This guide from the University of Toronto gives advice that applies to writing both introductions and conclusions, including dos and don'ts.

"How to Write Better Essays: No One Does Introductions Properly" ( The Guardian )

This news article interviews UK professors on student essay writing; they point to introductions as the area that needs the most improvement.

How to Write a Thesis Statement

"Writing an Effective Thesis Statement" (YouTube)

This short, simple video tutorial from a college composition instructor at Tulsa Community College explains what a thesis statement is and what it does.

"Thesis Statement: Four Steps to a Great Essay" (YouTube)

This fantastic tutorial walks you through drafting a thesis, using an essay prompt on Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter as an example.

"How to Write a Thesis Statement" (WikiHow)

This step-by-step guide (with pictures!) walks you through coming up with, writing, and editing a thesis statement. It invites you think of your statement as a "working thesis" that can change.

"How to Write a Thesis Statement" (Univ. of Indiana Bloomington)

Ask yourself the questions on this page, part of Indiana Bloomington's Writing Tutorial Services, when you're writing and refining your thesis statement.

"Writing Tips: Thesis Statements" (Univ. of Illinois Center for Writing Studies)

This page gives plentiful examples of good to great thesis statements, and offers questions to ask yourself when formulating a thesis statement.

How to Write Body Paragraphs

"Body Paragraph" (Brightstorm)

This module of a free online course introduces you to the components of a body paragraph. These include the topic sentence, information, evidence, and analysis.

"Strong Body Paragraphs" (Washington Univ.)

This handout from Washington's Writing and Research Center offers in-depth descriptions of the parts of a successful body paragraph.

"Guide to Paragraph Structure" (Deakin Univ.)

This handout is notable for color-coding example body paragraphs to help you identify the functions various sentences perform.

"Writing Body Paragraphs" (Univ. of Minnesota Libraries)

The exercises in this section of Writing for Success will help you practice writing good body paragraphs. It includes guidance on selecting primary support for your thesis.

"The Writing Process—Body Paragraphs" (Aims Online Writing Lab)

The information and exercises on this page will familiarize you with outlining and writing body paragraphs, and includes links to more information on topic sentences and transitions.

"The Five-Paragraph Essay" (ThoughtCo)

This blog post discusses body paragraphs in the context of one of the most common academic essay types in secondary schools.

How to Use Transitions

"Transitions" (Univ. of North Carolina Writing Center)

This page from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill explains what a transition is, and how to know if you need to improve your transitions.

"Using Transitions Effectively" (Washington Univ.)

This handout defines transitions, offers tips for using them, and contains a useful list of common transitional words and phrases grouped by function.

"Transitions" (Aims Online Writing Lab)

This page compares paragraphs without transitions to paragraphs with transitions, and in doing so shows how important these connective words and phrases are.

"Transitions in Academic Essays" (Scribbr)

This page lists four techniques that will help you make sure your reader follows your train of thought, including grouping similar information and using transition words.

"Transitions" (El Paso Community College)

This handout shows example transitions within paragraphs for context, and explains how transitions improve your essay's flow and voice.

"Make Your Paragraphs Flow to Improve Writing" (ThoughtCo)

This blog post, another from academic advisor and college enrollment counselor Grace Fleming, talks about transitions and other strategies to improve your essay's overall flow.

"Transition Words" (smartwords.org)

This handy word bank will help you find transition words when you're feeling stuck. It's grouped by the transition's function, whether that is to show agreement, opposition, condition, or consequence.

How to Write a Conclusion

"Parts of An Essay: Conclusions" (Brightstorm)

This module of a free online course explains how to conclude an academic essay. It suggests thinking about the "3Rs": return to hook, restate your thesis, and relate to the reader.

"Essay Conclusions" (Univ. of Maryland University College)

This overview of the academic essay conclusion contains helpful examples and links to further resources for writing good conclusions.

"How to End An Essay" (WikiHow)

This step-by-step guide (with pictures!) by an English Ph.D. walks you through writing a conclusion, from brainstorming to ending with a flourish.

"Ending the Essay: Conclusions" (Harvard College Writing Center)

This page collates useful strategies for writing an effective conclusion, and reminds you to "close the discussion without closing it off" to further conversation.

How to Include Sources and Citations

"Research and Citation Resources" (Purdue OWL Online Writing Lab)

Purdue OWL streamlines information about the three most common referencing styles (MLA, Chicago, and APA) and provides examples of how to cite different resources in each system.

EasyBib: Free Bibliography Generator

This online tool allows you to input information about your source and automatically generate citations in any style. Be sure to select your resource type before clicking the "cite it" button.

CitationMachine

Like EasyBib, this online tool allows you to input information about your source and automatically generate citations in any style.

Modern Language Association Handbook (MLA)

Here, you'll find the definitive and up-to-date record of MLA referencing rules. Order through the link above, or check to see if your library has a copy.

Chicago Manual of Style

Here, you'll find the definitive and up-to-date record of Chicago referencing rules. You can take a look at the table of contents, then choose to subscribe or start a free trial.

How to Avoid Plagiarism

"What is Plagiarism?" (plagiarism.org)

This nonprofit website contains numerous resources for identifying and avoiding plagiarism, and reminds you that even common activities like copying images from another website to your own site may constitute plagiarism.

"Plagiarism" (University of Oxford)

This interactive page from the University of Oxford helps you check for plagiarism in your work, making it clear how to avoid citing another person's work without full acknowledgement.

"Avoiding Plagiarism" (MIT Comparative Media Studies)

This quick guide explains what plagiarism is, what its consequences are, and how to avoid it. It starts by defining three words—quotation, paraphrase, and summary—that all constitute citation.

"Harvard Guide to Using Sources" (Harvard Extension School)

This comprehensive website from Harvard brings together articles, videos, and handouts about referencing, citation, and plagiarism.

Grammarly contains tons of helpful grammar and writing resources, including a free tool to automatically scan your essay to check for close affinities to published work.

Noplag is another popular online tool that automatically scans your essay to check for signs of plagiarism. Simply copy and paste your essay into the box and click "start checking."

Once you've written your essay, you'll want to edit (improve content), proofread (check for spelling and grammar mistakes), and finalize your work until you're ready to hand it in. This section brings together tips and resources for navigating the editing process.

"Writing a First Draft" (Academic Help)

This is an introduction to the drafting process from the site Academic Help, with tips for getting your ideas on paper before editing begins.

"Editing and Proofreading" (Univ. of North Carolina Writing Center)

This page provides general strategies for revising your writing. They've intentionally left seven errors in the handout, to give you practice in spotting them.

"How to Proofread Effectively" (ThoughtCo)

This article from ThoughtCo, along with those linked at the bottom, help describe common mistakes to check for when proofreading.

"7 Simple Edits That Make Your Writing 100% More Powerful" (SmartBlogger)

This blog post emphasizes the importance of powerful, concise language, and reminds you that even your personal writing heroes create clunky first drafts.

"Editing Tips for Effective Writing" (Univ. of Pennsylvania)

On this page from Penn's International Relations department, you'll find tips for effective prose, errors to watch out for, and reminders about formatting.

"Editing the Essay" (Harvard College Writing Center)

This article, the first of two parts, gives you applicable strategies for the editing process. It suggests reading your essay aloud, removing any jargon, and being unafraid to remove even "dazzling" sentences that don't belong.

"Guide to Editing and Proofreading" (Oxford Learning Institute)

This handout from Oxford covers the basics of editing and proofreading, and reminds you that neither task should be rushed.

In addition to plagiarism-checkers, Grammarly has a plug-in for your web browser that checks your writing for common mistakes.

After you've prepared, written, and edited your essay, you might want to share it outside the classroom. This section alerts you to print and web opportunities to share your essays with the wider world, from online writing communities and blogs to published journals geared toward young writers.

Sharing Your Essays Online

Go Teen Writers

Go Teen Writers is an online community for writers aged 13 - 19. It was founded by Stephanie Morrill, an author of contemporary young adult novels.

Tumblr is a blogging website where you can share your writing and interact with other writers online. It's easy to add photos, links, audio, and video components.

Writersky provides an online platform for publishing and reading other youth writers' work. Its current content is mostly devoted to fiction.

Publishing Your Essays Online

This teen literary journal publishes in print, on the web, and (more frequently), on a blog. It is committed to ensuring that "teens see their authentic experience reflected on its pages."

The Matador Review

This youth writing platform celebrates "alternative," unconventional writing. The link above will take you directly to the site's "submissions" page.

Teen Ink has a website, monthly newsprint magazine, and quarterly poetry magazine promoting the work of young writers.

The largest online reading platform, Wattpad enables you to publish your work and read others' work. Its inline commenting feature allows you to share thoughts as you read along.

Publishing Your Essays in Print

Canvas Teen Literary Journal

This quarterly literary magazine is published for young writers by young writers. They accept many kinds of writing, including essays.

The Claremont Review

This biannual international magazine, first published in 1992, publishes poetry, essays, and short stories from writers aged 13 - 19.

Skipping Stones

This young writers magazine, founded in 1988, celebrates themes relating to ecological and cultural diversity. It publishes poems, photos, articles, and stories.

The Telling Room

This nonprofit writing center based in Maine publishes children's work on their website and in book form. The link above directs you to the site's submissions page.

Essay Contests

Scholastic Arts and Writing Awards

This prestigious international writing contest for students in grades 7 - 12 has been committed to "supporting the future of creativity since 1923."

Society of Professional Journalists High School Essay Contest

An annual essay contest on the theme of journalism and media, the Society of Professional Journalists High School Essay Contest awards scholarships up to $1,000.

National YoungArts Foundation

Here, you'll find information on a government-sponsored writing competition for writers aged 15 - 18. The foundation welcomes submissions of creative nonfiction, novels, scripts, poetry, short story and spoken word.

Signet Classics Student Scholarship Essay Contest

With prompts on a different literary work each year, this competition from Signet Classics awards college scholarships up to $1,000.

"The Ultimate Guide to High School Essay Contests" (CollegeVine)

See this handy guide from CollegeVine for a list of more competitions you can enter with your academic essay, from the National Council of Teachers of English Achievement Awards to the National High School Essay Contest by the U.S. Institute of Peace.

Whether you're struggling to write academic essays or you think you're a pro, there are workshops and online tools that can help you become an even better writer. Even the most seasoned writers encounter writer's block, so be proactive and look through our curated list of resources to combat this common frustration.

Online Essay-writing Classes and Workshops

"Getting Started with Essay Writing" (Coursera)

Coursera offers lots of free, high-quality online classes taught by college professors. Here's one example, taught by instructors from the University of California Irvine.

"Writing and English" (Brightstorm)

Brightstorm's free video lectures are easy to navigate by topic. This unit on the parts of an essay features content on the essay hook, thesis, supporting evidence, and more.

"How to Write an Essay" (EdX)

EdX is another open online university course website with several two- to five-week courses on the essay. This one is geared toward English language learners.

Writer's Digest University

This renowned writers' website offers online workshops and interactive tutorials. The courses offered cover everything from how to get started through how to get published.

Writing.com

Signing up for this online writer's community gives you access to helpful resources as well as an international community of writers.

How to Overcome Writer's Block

"Symptoms and Cures for Writer's Block" (Purdue OWL)

Purdue OWL offers a list of signs you might have writer's block, along with ways to overcome it. Consider trying out some "invention strategies" or ways to curb writing anxiety.

"Overcoming Writer's Block: Three Tips" ( The Guardian )

These tips, geared toward academic writing specifically, are practical and effective. The authors advocate setting realistic goals, creating dedicated writing time, and participating in social writing.

"Writing Tips: Strategies for Overcoming Writer's Block" (Univ. of Illinois)

This page from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign's Center for Writing Studies acquaints you with strategies that do and do not work to overcome writer's block.

"Writer's Block" (Univ. of Toronto)

Ask yourself the questions on this page; if the answer is "yes," try out some of the article's strategies. Each question is accompanied by at least two possible solutions.

If you have essays to write but are short on ideas, this section's links to prompts, example student essays, and celebrated essays by professional writers might help. You'll find writing prompts from a variety of sources, student essays to inspire you, and a number of essay writing collections.

Essay Writing Prompts

"50 Argumentative Essay Topics" (ThoughtCo)

Take a look at this list and the others ThoughtCo has curated for different kinds of essays. As the author notes, "a number of these topics are controversial and that's the point."

"401 Prompts for Argumentative Writing" ( New York Times )

This list (and the linked lists to persuasive and narrative writing prompts), besides being impressive in length, is put together by actual high school English teachers.

"SAT Sample Essay Prompts" (College Board)

If you're a student in the U.S., your classroom essay prompts are likely modeled on the prompts in U.S. college entrance exams. Take a look at these official examples from the SAT.

"Popular College Application Essay Topics" (Princeton Review)

This page from the Princeton Review dissects recent Common Application essay topics and discusses strategies for answering them.

Example Student Essays

"501 Writing Prompts" (DePaul Univ.)

This nearly 200-page packet, compiled by the LearningExpress Skill Builder in Focus Writing Team, is stuffed with writing prompts, example essays, and commentary.

"Topics in English" (Kibin)

Kibin is a for-pay essay help website, but its example essays (organized by topic) are available for free. You'll find essays on everything from A Christmas Carol to perseverance.

"Student Writing Models" (Thoughtful Learning)

Thoughtful Learning, a website that offers a variety of teaching materials, provides sample student essays on various topics and organizes them by grade level.

"Five-Paragraph Essay" (ThoughtCo)

In this blog post by a former professor of English and rhetoric, ThoughtCo brings together examples of five-paragraph essays and commentary on the form.

The Best Essay Writing Collections

The Best American Essays of the Century by Joyce Carol Oates (Amazon)

This collection of American essays spanning the twentieth century was compiled by award winning author and Princeton professor Joyce Carol Oates.

The Best American Essays 2017 by Leslie Jamison (Amazon)

Leslie Jamison, the celebrated author of essay collection The Empathy Exams , collects recent, high-profile essays into a single volume.

The Art of the Personal Essay by Phillip Lopate (Amazon)

Documentary writer Phillip Lopate curates this historical overview of the personal essay's development, from the classical era to the present.

The White Album by Joan Didion (Amazon)

This seminal essay collection was authored by one of the most acclaimed personal essayists of all time, American journalist Joan Didion.

Consider the Lobster by David Foster Wallace (Amazon)

Read this famous essay collection by David Foster Wallace, who is known for his experimentation with the essay form. He pushed the boundaries of personal essay, reportage, and political polemic.

"50 Successful Harvard Application Essays" (Staff of the The Harvard Crimson )

If you're looking for examples of exceptional college application essays, this volume from Harvard's daily student newspaper is one of the best collections on the market.

Are you an instructor looking for the best resources for teaching essay writing? This section contains resources for developing in-class activities and student homework assignments. You'll find content from both well-known university writing centers and online writing labs.

Essay Writing Classroom Activities for Students

"In-class Writing Exercises" (Univ. of North Carolina Writing Center)

This page lists exercises related to brainstorming, organizing, drafting, and revising. It also contains suggestions for how to implement the suggested exercises.

"Teaching with Writing" (Univ. of Minnesota Center for Writing)

Instructions and encouragement for using "freewriting," one-minute papers, logbooks, and other write-to-learn activities in the classroom can be found here.

"Writing Worksheets" (Berkeley Student Learning Center)

Berkeley offers this bank of writing worksheets to use in class. They are nested under headings for "Prewriting," "Revision," "Research Papers" and more.

"Using Sources and Avoiding Plagiarism" (DePaul University)

Use these activities and worksheets from DePaul's Teaching Commons when instructing students on proper academic citation practices.

Essay Writing Homework Activities for Students

"Grammar and Punctuation Exercises" (Aims Online Writing Lab)

These five interactive online activities allow students to practice editing and proofreading. They'll hone their skills in correcting comma splices and run-ons, identifying fragments, using correct pronoun agreement, and comma usage.

"Student Interactives" (Read Write Think)

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How to Write the Perfect Essay: A Step-By-Step Guide for Students

June 2, 2022

What is an essay?

What makes a good essay?

Typical essay structure, 7 steps to writing a good essay, a step-by-step guide to writing a good essay.

Whether you are gearing up for your GCSE coursework submissions or looking to brush up on your A-level writing skills, we have the perfect essay-writing guide for you. 💯

Staring at a blank page before writing an essay can feel a little daunting . Where do you start? What should your introduction say? And how should you structure your arguments? They are all fair questions and we have the answers! Take the stress out of essay writing with this step-by-step guide – you’ll be typing away in no time. 👩‍💻

What is an essay?

Generally speaking, an essay designates a literary work in which the author defends a point of view or a personal conviction, using logical arguments and literary devices in order to inform and convince the reader.

So – although essays can be broadly split into four categories: argumentative, expository, narrative, and descriptive – an essay can simply be described as a focused piece of writing designed to inform or persuade. 🤔

The purpose of an essay is to present a coherent argument in response to a stimulus or question and to persuade the reader that your position is credible, believable and reasonable. 👌

So, a ‘good’ essay relies on a confident writing style – it’s clear, well-substantiated, focussed, explanatory and descriptive . The structure follows a logical progression and above all, the body of the essay clearly correlates to the tile – answering the question where one has been posed.

But, how do you go about making sure that you tick all these boxes and keep within a specified word count? Read on for the answer as well as an example essay structure to follow and a handy step-by-step guide to writing the perfect essay – hooray. 🙌

Sometimes, it is helpful to think about your essay like it is a well-balanced argument or a speech – it needs to have a logical structure, with all your points coming together to answer the question in a coherent manner. ⚖️

Of course, essays can vary significantly in length but besides that, they all follow a fairly strict pattern or structure made up of three sections. Lean into this predictability because it will keep you on track and help you make your point clearly. Let’s take a look at the typical essay structure:

#1 Introduction

Start your introduction with the central claim of your essay. Let the reader know exactly what you intend to say with this essay. Communicate what you’re going to argue, and in what order. The final part of your introduction should also say what conclusions you’re going to draw – it sounds counter-intuitive but it’s not – more on that below. 1️⃣

Make your point, evidence it and explain it. This part of the essay – generally made up of three or more paragraphs depending on the length of your essay – is where you present your argument. The first sentence of each paragraph – much like an introduction to an essay – should summarise what your paragraph intends to explain in more detail. 2️⃣

#3 Conclusion

This is where you affirm your argument – remind the reader what you just proved in your essay and how you did it. This section will sound quite similar to your introduction but – having written the essay – you’ll be summarising rather than setting out your stall. 3️⃣

No essay is the same but your approach to writing them can be. As well as some best practice tips, we have gathered our favourite advice from expert essay-writers and compiled the following 7-step guide to writing a good essay every time. 👍

#1 Make sure you understand the question

#2 complete background reading.

#3 Make a detailed plan

#4 Write your opening sentences

#5 flesh out your essay in a rough draft, #6 evidence your opinion, #7 final proofread and edit.

Now that you have familiarised yourself with the 7 steps standing between you and the perfect essay, let’s take a closer look at each of those stages so that you can get on with crafting your written arguments with confidence .

This is the most crucial stage in essay writing – r ead the essay prompt carefully and understand the question. Highlight the keywords – like ‘compare,’ ‘contrast’ ‘discuss,’ ‘explain’ or ‘evaluate’ – and let it sink in before your mind starts racing . There is nothing worse than writing 500 words before realising you have entirely missed the brief . 🧐

Unless you are writing under exam conditions , you will most likely have been working towards this essay for some time, by doing thorough background reading. Re-read relevant chapters and sections, highlight pertinent material and maybe even stray outside the designated reading list, this shows genuine interest and extended knowledge. 📚

#3 Make a detailed plan

Following the handy structure we shared with you above, now is the time to create the ‘skeleton structure’ or essay plan. Working from your essay title, plot out what you want your paragraphs to cover and how that information is going to flow. You don’t need to start writing any full sentences yet but it might be useful to think about the various quotes you plan to use to substantiate each section. 📝

Having mapped out the overall trajectory of your essay, you can start to drill down into the detail. First, write the opening sentence for each of the paragraphs in the body section of your essay. Remember – each paragraph is like a mini-essay – the opening sentence should summarise what the paragraph will then go on to explain in more detail. 🖊️

Next, it's time to write the bulk of your words and flesh out your arguments. Follow the ‘point, evidence, explain’ method. The opening sentences – already written – should introduce your ‘points’, so now you need to ‘evidence’ them with corroborating research and ‘explain’ how the evidence you’ve presented proves the point you’re trying to make. ✍️

With a rough draft in front of you, you can take a moment to read what you have written so far. Are there any sections that require further substantiation? Have you managed to include the most relevant material you originally highlighted in your background reading? Now is the time to make sure you have evidenced all your opinions and claims with the strongest quotes, citations and material. 📗

This is your final chance to re-read your essay and go over it with a fine-toothed comb before pressing ‘submit’. We highly recommend leaving a day or two between finishing your essay and the final proofread if possible – you’ll be amazed at the difference this makes, allowing you to return with a fresh pair of eyes and a more discerning judgment. 🤓

If you are looking for advice and support with your own essay-writing adventures, why not t ry a free trial lesson with GoStudent? Our tutors are experts at boosting academic success and having fun along the way. Get in touch and see how it can work for you today. 🎒

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How to Write an Effective Essay: The Ultimate Guide

Post author: Master Student
Post last modified: June 5, 2022
Post category: Study Tips

Writing an essay can be a daunting task. But it doesn’t have to be! Like playing the piano, cleaning a patient’s teeth, or managing a restaurant, writing is a skill that must be practiced and mastered. In this guide, we will walk you through the process of writing an effective essay. We will discuss the components of an essay, how to develop a thesis statement, and write body paragraphs. We will also talk about how to succinctly introduce your topic and conclude your essay effectively. By following these steps, you can write a high-quality essay that will impress your professor!

Table of Contents

Why Is Essay Writing Important?

Essay writing is an important skill for success in high school, college, and beyond. Writing essays helps prepare students for careers by providing the skills necessary to write corporate reports, evaluations, summaries, research papers, letters, memos, and job applications. Although different jobs call for different kinds of written texts with somewhat different structures, the essay is the basic form at the heart of them all.

The Components of an Essay

The most common question that students have is “How many paragraphs are there in an essay”. Although it can vary, an essay usually has five or more paragraphs. Each paragraph contains a group of related sentences that develop a single idea or theme. Each paragraph will take the form of an introduction, body paragraph, or conclusion.

Introduction:

The introductory paragraph is the first paragraph of the essay and will introduce the reader to the topic of your essay. It is important to grab the reader’s attention with your introduction. You can do this by using a hook, which is a sentence or group of sentences that “hooks” the reader into wanting to read more. An introduction must contain a thesis statement, which is a sentence or group of sentences that state the main idea of your essay.

Body Paragraphs:

The body paragraphs, also known as support paragraphs, are where you will develop your ideas and support your thesis statement. Each body paragraph should contain a topic sentence, which is a sentence that states the main idea of the paragraph and supporting details. The details can be in the form of examples, evidence, or explanations. In general, an essay has at least three well-developed support paragraphs. These body paragraphs must also flow logically from one to the next.

Conclusion:

The conclusion is the final paragraph of your essay and should leave the reader with a strong impression of your writing. The conclusion should restate or paraphrase the thesis statement and summarize the main points in the essay. It should be crafted so that a reader feels that the essay has come to a satisfying conclusion and that all that needs to be said has been said. To make your conclusion more interesting and original, you could close with a prediction, question, or quotation.

How to Develop an Effective Essay

Now that we have gone over the components of an essay, let’s talk about how to develop your essay. Contrary to what many people may think, writing an effective essay is a science, not an art. By mastering these steps, one can create a persuasive essay with ease.

Write Your Thesis Statement:

The thesis statement is the most important part of your essay. It is the main idea that you will be writing about and supporting with evidence.

A thesis statement has three important characteristics:

It summarizes the essay’s main topic
There’s a controlling idea in it
It’s a complete phrase that almost always appears in the essay’s opening paragraph

The best thesis statements are clear, concise, and controversial. A good thesis statement should be arguable; there should be room for debate surrounding it. However, the thesis statement should not be so broad that it is impossible to discuss in a paper.

For example, writing a paper on whether or not war is always morally wrong would be nearly impossible, as there are so many gray areas. A better thesis statement might be “While some argue that war is always morally wrong, others believe that it can be justified in certain situations.” This thesis statement is not only clear and concise, but it is also controversial. It takes a position on the issue at hand and provides support for that position.

Brainstorm Your Evidence:

Now that you have a thesis statement, it’s time to brainstorm your evidence. This is the part of the writing process where you will gather all of the information you need to support your thesis statement. To do this, you may want to consult with reliable sources, such as books, scholarly articles, and websites. If you do not use reliable sources of information you may unknowingly spread misinformation and disinformation through your writing.

One way to ensure that your evidence is reliable is to make sure that it comes from a source that is an expert on the topic at hand. For example, if you are writing about the history of the American Revolution, you will want to consult sources that are written by historians.

Another way to ensure that your evidence is reliable is to make sure that it is up-to-date. This is especially important when writing about topics that are constantly changing, such as current events or technology.

Organize Your Information:

Once you have gathered your evidence, you will need to determine how you will organize it. The way in which you organize your evidence can be just as important as the evidence itself.

Before you start writing your first draft, consider creating an essay plan or an outline to help you organize your thesis statement and supporting ideas. To create an essay plan, follow these steps:

Take a look at your list of evidence and choose the ones with the most logical supporting ideas
Write topic phrases that convey the main supporting ideas
Under each topic sentence, add more information to back it up

By organizing your evidence in this way, you will be able to effectively argue your position and provide support for your thesis statement.

Start Writing Your Introduction:

Now that you have your thesis statement and supporting evidence, it’s time to start writing your first draft. Remember, the first draft is just that: a first draft. It is not meant to be perfect; it is meant to give you a starting point from which to work.

An introduction paragraph should do a few things:

Draw your reader in through a captivating sentence or lead-in (e.g. a rhetorical question, quotation, or surprising statement)
Introduce the reader to your topic in an interesting way
Concisely present your thesis statement
Provide an overview of the evidence you will be used to support your thesis statement

You may create the opening in a variety of ways. Some common introduction styles include:

Giving background information on your thesis. This is especially helpful if your topic is complex or controversial. For example, if you are writing about the history of the American Revolution, you might want to provide some background information on the Causes of the American Revolution.
Telling an interesting anecdote. This is a great way to engage your reader and get them interested in your paper. For example, you might tell the story of a soldier who was affected by war.
Creating a vivid description of a scene. This is a great way to set the tone for your paper and give your reader a sense of what you will be discussing. For example, you might describe the scene on a battlefield.
Opening your introduction with an opposing position. This is a great way to create controversy and get your reader engaged. For example, you might start by writing “While some argue that war is necessary, others contend that it is nothing more than violence.”
Giving a definition. This is a great way to provide clarity on a topic that may be confusing. For example, you might start by writing “The definition of war according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary is ‘a state of usually open and declared armed hostile conflict between states or nations.'”

Here is an example, of an introduction that argues that war is justified in certain scenarios.

“War has been a part of human history for thousands of years and it is one of the most debated topics. There are a variety of reasons why people go to war, but the most common reason is to protect one’s way of life. While some argue that war is nothing more than violence, others contend that it is necessary in order to protect one’s way of life. This essay will argue that war can be a necessary evil if used for these three reasons: to protect one’s freedoms, to defend human rights, and to end genocide.”

Writing Your Body Paragraphs:

Now that you have written your introduction and thesis statement, it’s time to start writing your body paragraphs. A body paragraph, in a nutshell, is a type of mini-essay. Like an essay, each body paragraph should have a topic sentence, supporting evidence, and a concluding sentence.

When writing your body paragraphs, it is important to:

Start with a strong argument in your first sentence
Present your evidence after each argument in a logical order
Conclude each paragraph with a sentence that summarizes your argument and provides a transition to the next paragraph

Here is an example of a body paragraph that argues that war can be justified in certain scenarios.

“The first reason war can be a necessary evil is to protect one’s freedoms. This is especially relevant in today’s world where countries such as Taiwan and Ukraine face threats to their independence from foreign nations. Facing a similar situation that we see today, the French went to war with Germany in World War II to protect its way of life from the Nazi regime. At the time Germany was a threat to the freedom of France and other countries by trying to impose its antisemitic views on their population. In this case, war was necessary in order to protect the freedom of the French people. They did it not because they wished harm upon others, but because they wanted to protect their own way of life.”

Concluding Your Essays:

Once you have written your body paragraphs, it’s time to write your conclusion. A conclusion is a paragraph that restates your thesis, summarizes your main arguments, and provides a final thought on your topic.

When writing your conclusion, it is important to:

Restate your thesis statement
Summarize your main arguments
End with a strong statement, suggestion, quotation, or call to action

Here is an example of a conclusion that argues that war can be justified in certain scenarios.

“In conclusion, war can be a necessary evil if used to protect one’s freedoms, defend human rights, or end genocide. While it is certainly not a desirable option, there are times when it is the only way to achieve the desired outcome. The key is to use war as a last resort and to make sure that the goals of the war are clear. Only then can war be a justified means to an end.”

Revise Your Essay:

Once you have written your essay, it’s important to revise it for clarity, grammar, and style. By revising your essay you can make your arguments and flow stronger and more convincing. A good way to do this is to read your essay out loud to yourself. This will help you catch any errors that you may have missed when writing.

It is also important to get feedback from others. Ask a friend or family member to read your essay and give you their thoughts. They may be able to catch errors that you missed or suggest ways to improve your argument.

It is okay to revise your essays multiple times. In fact, it is often necessary in order to make sure that your essay is as strong as it can be. So don’t be afraid to revise and edit your work until you are happy with the results.

Create your Essay Title Last:

You may be wondering why you should create your essay title last. The reason is that oftentimes, the title of your essay can be more difficult to come up with than the actual essay itself.

By writing your body paragraphs and conclusion first, you can get a better idea of what your essay is about and what direction it should take. Once you have a better understanding of your argument, you can then create a title that accurately reflects your essay.

Creating a catchy and effective title can be the difference between an essay that is read and one that is forgotten. So take your time and choose a title that you are proud of. The most successful titles are short, explain the subject and aim of the essay, and attract the reader’s interest.

Types of Essays:

Now that you know how to write an effective essay, it’s time to learn about the different types of essays that you may be asked to write.

Illustration Essays: An illustration essay is used to explain and illustrate a point. This type of essay uses examples, charts, diagrams, and statistics to explain a concept.
Narration Essay: A narration essay tells a story. This type of essay is often used in creative writing and can be written from the first-person point of view.
Description Essay: A descriptive essay provides a clear image of the subject matter. This type of essay uses sensory details that appeal to the reader’s senses.
Process Essay: A process essay explains how to do something.
Definition Essay: A definition essay defines a word, concept, or idea and provides relevant examples.
Classification Essay: A classification essay organizes and sorts information or objects into categories.
Comparison Essay: A comparison essay compares two things and discusses their similarities and differences.
Cause and effect Essay: A cause and effect essay explains the causes of something and the effects that result.
Argumentative Essay: An argumentative essay makes a claim about a topic and then provides evidence to support the claim.

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How To Write An Essay: Beginner Tips And Tricks

Updated: July 11, 2022

Published: June 22, 2021

How To Write An Essay # Beginner Tips And Tricks

Many students dread writing essays, but essay writing is an important skill to develop in high school, university, and even into your future career. By learning how to write an essay properly, the process can become more enjoyable and you’ll find you’re better able to organize and articulate your thoughts.

When writing an essay, it’s common to follow a specific pattern, no matter what the topic is. Once you’ve used the pattern a few times and you know how to structure an essay, it will become a lot more simple to apply your knowledge to every essay.

No matter which major you choose, you should know how to craft a good essay. Here, we’ll cover the basics of essay writing, along with some helpful tips to make the writing process go smoothly.

Ink pen on paper before writing an essay

Photo by Laura Chouette on Unsplash

Types of Essays

Think of an essay as a discussion. There are many types of discussions you can have with someone else. You can be describing a story that happened to you, you might explain to them how to do something, or you might even argue about a certain topic.

When it comes to different types of essays, it follows a similar pattern. Like a friendly discussion, each type of essay will come with its own set of expectations or goals.

For example, when arguing with a friend, your goal is to convince them that you’re right. The same goes for an argumentative essay.

Here are a few of the main essay types you can expect to come across during your time in school:

Narrative Essay

This type of essay is almost like telling a story, not in the traditional sense with dialogue and characters, but as if you’re writing out an event or series of events to relay information to the reader.

Persuasive Essay

Here, your goal is to persuade the reader about your views on a specific topic.

Descriptive Essay

This is the kind of essay where you go into a lot more specific details describing a topic such as a place or an event.

Argumentative Essay

In this essay, you’re choosing a stance on a topic, usually controversial, and your goal is to present evidence that proves your point is correct.

Expository Essay

Your purpose with this type of essay is to tell the reader how to complete a specific process, often including a step-by-step guide or something similar.

Compare and Contrast Essay

You might have done this in school with two different books or characters, but the ultimate goal is to draw similarities and differences between any two given subjects.

The Main Stages of Essay Writing

When it comes to writing an essay, many students think the only stage is getting all your ideas down on paper and submitting your work. However, that’s not quite the case.

There are three main stages of writing an essay, each one with its own purpose. Of course, writing the essay itself is the most substantial part, but the other two stages are equally as important.

So, what are these three stages of essay writing? They are:

Preparation

Before you even write one word, it’s important to prepare the content and structure of your essay. If a topic wasn’t assigned to you, then the first thing you should do is settle on a topic. Next, you want to conduct your research on that topic and create a detailed outline based on your research. The preparation stage will make writing your essay that much easier since, with your outline and research, you should already have the skeleton of your essay.

Writing is the most time-consuming stage. In this stage, you will write out all your thoughts and ideas and craft your essay based on your outline. You’ll work on developing your ideas and fleshing them out throughout the introduction, body, and conclusion (more on these soon).

In the final stage, you’ll go over your essay and check for a few things. First, you’ll check if your essay is cohesive, if all the points make sense and are related to your topic, and that your facts are cited and backed up. You can also check for typos, grammar and punctuation mistakes, and formatting errors.

The Five-Paragraph Essay

We mentioned earlier that essay writing follows a specific structure, and for the most part in academic or college essays , the five-paragraph essay is the generally accepted structure you’ll be expected to use.

The five-paragraph essay is broken down into one introduction paragraph, three body paragraphs, and a closing paragraph. However, that doesn’t always mean that an essay is written strictly in five paragraphs, but rather that this structure can be used loosely and the three body paragraphs might become three sections instead.

Let’s take a closer look at each section and what it entails.

Introduction

As the name implies, the purpose of your introduction paragraph is to introduce your idea. A good introduction begins with a “hook,” something that grabs your reader’s attention and makes them excited to read more.

Another key tenant of an introduction is a thesis statement, which usually comes towards the end of the introduction itself. Your thesis statement should be a phrase that explains your argument, position, or central idea that you plan on developing throughout the essay.

You can also include a short outline of what to expect in your introduction, including bringing up brief points that you plan on explaining more later on in the body paragraphs.

Here is where most of your essay happens. The body paragraphs are where you develop your ideas and bring up all the points related to your main topic.

In general, you’re meant to have three body paragraphs, or sections, and each one should bring up a different point. Think of it as bringing up evidence. Each paragraph is a different piece of evidence, and when the three pieces are taken together, it backs up your main point — your thesis statement — really well.

That being said, you still want each body paragraph to be tied together in some way so that the essay flows. The points should be distinct enough, but they should relate to each other, and definitely to your thesis statement. Each body paragraph works to advance your point, so when crafting your essay, it’s important to keep this in mind so that you avoid going off-track or writing things that are off-topic.

Many students aren’t sure how to write a conclusion for an essay and tend to see their conclusion as an afterthought, but this section is just as important as the rest of your work.

You shouldn’t be presenting any new ideas in your conclusion, but you should summarize your main points and show how they back up your thesis statement.

Essentially, the conclusion is similar in structure and content to the introduction, but instead of introducing your essay, it should be wrapping up the main thoughts and presenting them to the reader as a singular closed argument.

Photo by AMIT RANJAN on Unsplash

Steps to Writing an Essay

Now that you have a better idea of an essay’s structure and all the elements that go into it, you might be wondering what the different steps are to actually write your essay.

Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Instead of going in blind, follow these steps on how to write your essay from start to finish.

Understand Your Assignment

When writing an essay for an assignment, the first critical step is to make sure you’ve read through your assignment carefully and understand it thoroughly. You want to check what type of essay is required, that you understand the topic, and that you pay attention to any formatting or structural requirements. You don’t want to lose marks just because you didn’t read the assignment carefully.

Research Your Topic

Once you understand your assignment, it’s time to do some research. In this step, you should start looking at different sources to get ideas for what points you want to bring up throughout your essay.

Search online or head to the library and get as many resources as possible. You don’t need to use them all, but it’s good to start with a lot and then narrow down your sources as you become more certain of your essay’s direction.

Start Brainstorming

After research comes the brainstorming. There are a lot of different ways to start the brainstorming process . Here are a few you might find helpful:

Think about what you found during your research that interested you the most
Jot down all your ideas, even if they’re not yet fully formed
Create word clouds or maps for similar terms or ideas that come up so you can group them together based on their similarities
Try freewriting to get all your ideas out before arranging them

Create a Thesis

This is often the most tricky part of the whole process since you want to create a thesis that’s strong and that you’re about to develop throughout the entire essay. Therefore, you want to choose a thesis statement that’s broad enough that you’ll have enough to say about it, but not so broad that you can’t be precise.

Write Your Outline

Armed with your research, brainstorming sessions, and your thesis statement, the next step is to write an outline.

In the outline, you’ll want to put your thesis statement at the beginning and start creating the basic skeleton of how you want your essay to look.

A good way to tackle an essay is to use topic sentences . A topic sentence is like a mini-thesis statement that is usually the first sentence of a new paragraph. This sentence introduces the main idea that will be detailed throughout the paragraph.

If you create an outline with the topic sentences for your body paragraphs and then a few points of what you want to discuss, you’ll already have a strong starting point when it comes time to sit down and write. This brings us to our next step…

Write a First Draft

The first time you write your entire essay doesn’t need to be perfect, but you do need to get everything on the page so that you’re able to then write a second draft or review it afterward.

Everyone’s writing process is different. Some students like to write their essay in the standard order of intro, body, and conclusion, while others prefer to start with the “meat” of the essay and tackle the body, and then fill in the other sections afterward.

Make sure your essay follows your outline and that everything relates to your thesis statement and your points are backed up by the research you did.

Revise, Edit, and Proofread

The revision process is one of the three main stages of writing an essay, yet many people skip this step thinking their work is done after the first draft is complete.

However, proofreading, reviewing, and making edits on your essay can spell the difference between a B paper and an A.

After writing the first draft, try and set your essay aside for a few hours or even a day or two, and then come back to it with fresh eyes to review it. You might find mistakes or inconsistencies you missed or better ways to formulate your arguments.

Add the Finishing Touches

Finally, you’ll want to make sure everything that’s required is in your essay. Review your assignment again and see if all the requirements are there, such as formatting rules, citations, quotes, etc.

Go over the order of your paragraphs and make sure everything makes sense, flows well, and uses the same writing style .

Once everything is checked and all the last touches are added, give your essay a final read through just to ensure it’s as you want it before handing it in.

A good way to do this is to read your essay out loud since you’ll be able to hear if there are any mistakes or inaccuracies.

Essay Writing Tips

With the steps outlined above, you should be able to craft a great essay. Still, there are some other handy tips we’d recommend just to ensure that the essay writing process goes as smoothly as possible.

Start your essay early. This is the first tip for a reason. It’s one of the most important things you can do to write a good essay. If you start it the night before, then you won’t have enough time to research, brainstorm, and outline — and you surely won’t have enough time to review.
Don’t try and write it in one sitting. It’s ok if you need to take breaks or write it over a few days. It’s better to write it in multiple sittings so that you have a fresh mind each time and you’re able to focus.
Always keep the essay question in mind. If you’re given an assigned question, then you should always keep it handy when writing your essay to make sure you’re always working to answer the question.
Use transitions between paragraphs. In order to improve the readability of your essay, try and make clear transitions between paragraphs. This means trying to relate the end of one paragraph to the beginning of the next one so the shift doesn’t seem random.
Integrate your research thoughtfully. Add in citations or quotes from your research materials to back up your thesis and main points. This will show that you did the research and that your thesis is backed up by it.

Wrapping Up

Writing an essay doesn’t need to be daunting if you know how to approach it. Using our essay writing steps and tips, you’ll have better knowledge on how to write an essay and you’ll be able to apply it to your next assignment. Once you do this a few times, it will become more natural to you and the essay writing process will become quicker and easier.

If you still need assistance with your essay, check with a student advisor to see if they offer help with writing. At University of the People(UoPeople), we always want our students to succeed, so our student advisors are ready to help with writing skills when necessary.

How to Write an Academic Essay in 6 Simple Steps

#scribendiinc

Written by Scribendi

Are you wondering how to write an academic essay successfully? There are so many steps to writing an academic essay that it can be difficult to know where to start.

Here, we outline how to write an academic essay in 6 simple steps, from how to research for an academic essay to how to revise an essay and everything in between.

Our essay writing tips are designed to help you learn how to write an academic essay that is ready for publication (after academic editing and academic proofreading , of course!).

Your paper isn't complete until you've done all the needed proofreading. Make sure you leave time for it after the writing process!

Download Our Pocket Checklist for Academic Papers. Just input your email below!

Types of academic writing.

With academic essay writing, there are certain conventions that writers are expected to follow. As such, it's important to know the basics of academic writing before you begin writing your essay.

Step 1: Preparing to Write Your Essay

The essay writing process involves a few main stages:

Researching

As such, in learning how to write an academic essay, it is also important to learn how to research for an academic essay and how to revise an essay.

Read More: Online Research Tips for Students and Scholars

To beef up your research skills, remember these essay writing tips from the above article:

Learn how to identify reliable sources.

Understand the nuances of open access.

Discover free academic journals and research databases.

Manage your references.

Provide evidence for every claim so you can avoid plagiarism .

Read More: 17 Research Databases for Free Articles

You will want to do the research for your academic essay points, of course, but you will also want to research various journals for the publication of your paper.

Different journals have different guidelines and thus different requirements for writers. These can be related to style, formatting, and more.

Knowing these before you begin writing can save you a lot of time if you also want to learn how to revise an essay. If you ensure your paper meets the guidelines of the journal you want to publish in, you will not have to revise it again later for this purpose.

After the research stage, you can draft your thesis and introduction as well as outline the rest of your essay. This will put you in a good position to draft your body paragraphs and conclusion, craft your bibliography, and edit and proofread your paper.

Step 2: Writing the Essay Introduction and Thesis Statement

When learning how to write academic essays , learning how to write an introduction is key alongside learning how to research for an academic essay.

Your introduction should broadly introduce your topic. It will give an overview of your essay and the points that will be discussed. It is typically about 10% of the final word count of the text.

All introductions follow a general structure:

Topic statement

Thesis statement

Step 3: Writing the Essay Body

When learning how to write academic essays, you must learn how to write a good body paragraph. That's because your essay will be primarily made up of them!

The body paragraphs of your essay will develop the argument you outlined in your thesis. They will do this by providing your ideas on a topic backed up by evidence of specific points.

These paragraphs will typically take up about 80% of your essay. As a result, a good essay writing tip is to learn how to properly structure a paragraph.

Each paragraph consists of the following:

A topic sentence

Supporting sentences

A transition

Step 4: Writing the Essay Conclusion

Your essay conclusion is the final paragraph of your essay and primarily reminds your reader of your thesis. It also wraps up your essay and discusses your findings more generally.

The conclusion typically makes up about 10% of the text, like the introduction. It shows the reader that you have accomplished what you intended to at the outset of your essay.

Here are a couple more good essay writing tips for your conclusion:

Don't introduce any new ideas into your conclusion.

Don't undermine your argument with opposing ideas.

Read More: How to Write a Conclusion Paragraph in 3 Easy Steps

Now that you know how to write an academic essay, it's time to learn how to write a bibliography along with some academic editing and proofreading advice.

Step 5: Writing the Bibliography or Works Cited

The bibliography of your paper lists all the references you cited. It is typically alphabetized or numbered (depending on the style guide).

Read More: How to Write an Academic Essay with References

When learning how to write academic essays, you may notice that there are various style guides you may be required to use by a professor or journal, including unique or custom styles.

Some of the most common style guides include:

Chicago style

For help organizing your references for academic essay writing, consider a software manager. They can help you collect and format your references correctly and consistently, both quickly and with minimal effort.

Read More: 6 Reference Manager Software Solutions for Your Research

As you learn how to research for an academic essay most effectively, you may notice that a reference manager can also help make academic paper editing easier.

Step 6: Revising Your Essay

Once you've finally drafted your entire essay . . . you're still not done!

That's because editing and proofreading are the essential final steps of any writing process .

An academic editor can help you identify core issues with your writing , including its structure, its flow, its clarity, and its overall readability. They can give you substantive feedback and essay writing tips to improve your document. Therefore, it's a good idea to have an editor review your first draft so you can improve it prior to proofreading.

A specialized academic editor can assess the content of your writing. As a subject-matter expert in your subject, they can offer field-specific insight and critical commentary. Specialized academic editors can also provide services that others may not, including:

Academic document formatting

Academic figure formatting

Academic reference formatting

An academic proofreader can help you perfect the final draft of your paper to ensure it is completely error free in terms of spelling and grammar. They can also identify any inconsistencies in your work but will not look for any issues in the content of your writing, only its mechanics. This is why you should have a proofreader revise your final draft so that it is ready to be seen by an audience.

Read More: How to Find the Right Academic Paper Editor or Proofreader

When learning how to research and write an academic essay, it is important to remember that editing is a required step. Don ' t forget to allot time for editing after you ' ve written your paper.

Set yourself up for success with this guide on how to write an academic essay. With a solid draft, you'll have better chances of getting published and read in any journal of your choosing.

Our academic essay writing tips are sure to help you learn how to research an academic essay, how to write an academic essay, and how to revise an academic essay.

If your academic paper looks sloppy, your readers may assume your research is sloppy. Download our Pocket Proofreading Checklist for Academic Papers before you take that one last crucial look at your paper.

About the Author

Scribendi's in-house editors work with writers from all over the globe to perfect their writing. They know that no piece of writing is complete without a professional edit, and they love to see a good piece of writing transformed into a great one. Scribendi's in-house editors are unrivaled in both experience and education, having collectively edited millions of words and obtained numerous degrees. They love consuming caffeinated beverages, reading books of various genres, and relaxing in quiet, dimly lit spaces.

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"The Complete Beginner's Guide to Academic Writing"

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How to Find the Right Academic Paper Editor or Proofreader

How to Master the 4 Types of Academic Writing

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Academic Skills
Reading, writing and referencing

Writing a great essay

This resource covers key considerations when writing an essay.

While reading a student’s essay, markers will ask themselves questions such as:

Does this essay directly address the set task?
Does it present a strong, supported position?
Does it use relevant sources appropriately?
Is the expression clear, and the style appropriate?
Is the essay organised coherently? Is there a clear introduction, body and conclusion?

You can use these questions to reflect on your own writing. Here are six top tips to help you address these criteria.

1. Analyse the question

Student essays are responses to specific questions. As an essay must address the question directly, your first step should be to analyse the question. Make sure you know exactly what is being asked of you.

Generally, essay questions contain three component parts:

Content terms: Key concepts that are specific to the task
Limiting terms: The scope that the topic focuses on
Directive terms: What you need to do in relation to the content, e.g. discuss, analyse, define, compare, evaluate.

Look at the following essay question:

Discuss the importance of light in Gothic architecture.

Content terms: Gothic architecture
Limiting terms: the importance of light. If you discussed some other feature of Gothic architecture, for example spires or arches, you would be deviating from what is required. This essay question is limited to a discussion of light. Likewise, it asks you to write about the importance of light – not, for example, to discuss how light enters Gothic churches.
Directive term: discuss. This term asks you to take a broad approach to the variety of ways in which light may be important for Gothic architecture. You should introduce and consider different ideas and opinions that you have met in academic literature on this topic, citing them appropriately .

For a more complex question, you can highlight the key words and break it down into a series of sub-questions to make sure you answer all parts of the task. Consider the following question (from Arts):

To what extent can the American Revolution be understood as a revolution ‘from below’? Why did working people become involved and with what aims in mind?

The key words here are American Revolution and revolution ‘from below’. This is a view that you would need to respond to in this essay. This response must focus on the aims and motivations of working people in the revolution, as stated in the second question.

2. Define your argument

As you plan and prepare to write the essay, you must consider what your argument is going to be. This means taking an informed position or point of view on the topic presented in the question, then defining and presenting a specific argument.

Consider these two argument statements:

The architectural use of light in Gothic cathedrals physically embodied the significance of light in medieval theology.

In the Gothic cathedral of Cologne, light served to accentuate the authority and ritual centrality of the priest.

Statements like these define an essay’s argument. They give coherence by providing an overarching theme and position towards which the entire essay is directed.

3. Use evidence, reasoning and scholarship

To convince your audience of your argument, you must use evidence and reasoning, which involves referring to and evaluating relevant scholarship.

Evidence provides concrete information to support your claim. It typically consists of specific examples, facts, quotations, statistics and illustrations.
Reasoning connects the evidence to your argument. Rather than citing evidence like a shopping list, you need to evaluate the evidence and show how it supports your argument.
Scholarship is used to show how your argument relates to what has been written on the topic (citing specific works). Scholarship can be used as part of your evidence and reasoning to support your argument.

4. Organise a coherent essay

An essay has three basic components - introduction, body and conclusion.

The purpose of an introduction is to introduce your essay. It typically presents information in the following order:

A general statement about the topic that provides context for your argument
A thesis statement showing your argument. You can use explicit lead-ins, such as ‘This essay argues that...’
A ‘road map’ of the essay, telling the reader how it is going to present and develop your argument.

Example introduction

"To what extent can the American Revolution be understood as a revolution ‘from below’? Why did working people become involved and with what aims in mind?"

Introduction*

Historians generally concentrate on the twenty-year period between 1763 and 1783 as the period which constitutes the American Revolution [This sentence sets the general context of the period] . However, when considering the involvement of working people, or people from below, in the revolution it is important to make a distinction between the pre-revolutionary period 1763-1774 and the revolutionary period 1774-1788, marked by the establishment of the continental Congress(1) [This sentence defines the key term from below and gives more context to the argument that follows] . This paper will argue that the nature and aims of the actions of working people are difficult to assess as it changed according to each phase [This is the thesis statement] . The pre-revolutionary period was characterised by opposition to Britain’s authority. During this period the aims and actions of the working people were more conservative as they responded to grievances related to taxes and scarce land, issues which directly affected them. However, examination of activities such as the organisation of crowd action and town meetings, pamphlet writing, formal communications to Britain of American grievances and physical action in the streets, demonstrates that their aims and actions became more revolutionary after 1775 [These sentences give the ‘road map’ or overview of the content of the essay] .

The body of the essay develops and elaborates your argument. It does this by presenting a reasoned case supported by evidence from relevant scholarship. Its shape corresponds to the overview that you provided in your introduction.

The body of your essay should be written in paragraphs. Each body paragraph should develop one main idea that supports your argument. To learn how to structure a paragraph, look at the page developing clarity and focus in academic writing .

Your conclusion should not offer any new material. Your evidence and argumentation should have been made clear to the reader in the body of the essay.

Use the conclusion to briefly restate the main argumentative position and provide a short summary of the themes discussed. In addition, also consider telling your reader:

What the significance of your findings, or the implications of your conclusion, might be
Whether there are other factors which need to be looked at, but which were outside the scope of the essay
How your topic links to the wider context (‘bigger picture’) in your discipline.

Do not simply repeat yourself in this section. A conclusion which merely summarises is repetitive and reduces the impact of your paper.

Example conclusion

Conclusion*.

Although, to a large extent, the working class were mainly those in the forefront of crowd action and they also led the revolts against wealthy plantation farmers, the American Revolution was not a class struggle [This is a statement of the concluding position of the essay]. Working people participated because the issues directly affected them – the threat posed by powerful landowners and the tyranny Britain represented. Whereas the aims and actions of the working classes were more concerned with resistance to British rule during the pre-revolutionary period, they became more revolutionary in nature after 1775 when the tension with Britain escalated [These sentences restate the key argument]. With this shift, a change in ideas occurred. In terms of considering the Revolution as a whole range of activities such as organising riots, communicating to Britain, attendance at town hall meetings and pamphlet writing, a difficulty emerges in that all classes were involved. Therefore, it is impossible to assess the extent to which a single group such as working people contributed to the American Revolution [These sentences give final thoughts on the topic].

5. Write clearly

An essay that makes good, evidence-supported points will only receive a high grade if it is written clearly. Clarity is produced through careful revision and editing, which can turn a good essay into an excellent one.

When you edit your essay, try to view it with fresh eyes – almost as if someone else had written it.

Ask yourself the following questions:

Overall structure

Have you clearly stated your argument in your introduction?
Does the actual structure correspond to the ‘road map’ set out in your introduction?
Have you clearly indicated how your main points support your argument?
Have you clearly signposted the transitions between each of your main points for your reader?
Does each paragraph introduce one main idea?
Does every sentence in the paragraph support that main idea?
Does each paragraph display relevant evidence and reasoning?
Does each paragraph logically follow on from the one before it?
Is each sentence grammatically complete?
Is the spelling correct?
Is the link between sentences clear to your readers?
Have you avoided redundancy and repetition?

See more about editing on our editing your writing page.

6. Cite sources and evidence

Finally, check your citations to make sure that they are accurate and complete. Some faculties require you to use a specific citation style (e.g. APA) while others may allow you to choose a preferred one. Whatever style you use, you must follow its guidelines correctly and consistently. You can use Recite, the University of Melbourne style guide, to check your citations.

Further resources

Germov, J. (2011). Get great marks for your essays, reports and presentations (3rd ed.). NSW: Allen and Unwin.
Using English for Academic Purposes: A guide for students in Higher Education [online]. Retrieved January 2020 from http://www.uefap.com
Williams, J.M. & Colomb, G. G. (2010) Style: Lessons in clarity and grace. 10th ed. New York: Longman.

* Example introduction and conclusion adapted from a student paper.

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A (Very) Simple Way to Improve Your Writing

Mark Rennella

It’s called the “one-idea rule” — and any level of writer can use it.

The “one idea” rule is a simple concept that can help you sharpen your writing, persuade others by presenting your argument in a clear, concise, and engaging way. What exactly does the rule say?

Every component of a successful piece of writing should express only one idea.
In persuasive writing, your “one idea” is often the argument or belief you are presenting to the reader. Once you identify what that argument is, the “one-idea rule” can help you develop, revise, and connect the various components of your writing.
For instance, let’s say you’re writing an essay. There are three components you will be working with throughout your piece: the title, the paragraphs, and the sentences.
Each of these parts should be dedicated to just one idea. The ideas are not identical, of course, but they’re all related. If done correctly, the smaller ideas (in sentences) all build (in paragraphs) to support the main point (suggested in the title).

Where your work meets your life. See more from Ascend here .

Most advice about writing looks like a long laundry list of “do’s and don’ts.” These lists can be helpful from time to time, but they’re hard to remember … and, therefore, hard to depend on when you’re having trouble putting your thoughts to paper. During my time in academia, teaching composition at the undergraduate and graduate levels, I saw many people struggle with this.

MR Mark Rennella is Associate Editor at HBP and has published two books, Entrepreneurs, Managers, and Leaders and The Boston Cosmopolitans .

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Essay Papers Writing Online

A comprehensive guide to essay writing.

Essay writing is a crucial skill that students need to master in order to succeed academically. Whether you’re a high school student working on a history paper or a college student tackling a critical analysis essay, having a solid understanding of the essay writing process is essential.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore the essential tips and tricks that will help you improve your essay writing skills. From generating ideas and organizing your thoughts to crafting a strong thesis statement and polishing your final draft, we’ve got you covered.

Not only that, but we’ll also provide you with useful templates that you can use as a framework for your essays. These templates will help you structure your writing, stay focused on your main argument, and ensure that your essay flows smoothly from one point to the next.

The Ultimate Essay Writing Guides

Essay writing can be a challenging task for many students, but with the right guidance and tips, you can improve your writing skills and produce high-quality essays. In this ultimate guide, we will provide you with valuable advice, tricks, and templates to help you excel in your essay writing endeavors.

1. Understand the Prompt: Before you start writing your essay, make sure you fully understand the prompt or question. Analyze the requirements and key points that need to be addressed in your essay.

2. Create an Outline: Organize your ideas and thoughts by creating a detailed outline for your essay. This will help you structure your arguments and ensure a logical flow of information.

3. Research Thoroughly: Conduct extensive research on your topic to gather relevant information and evidence to support your arguments. Use credible sources and cite them properly in your essay.

4. Write Clearly and Concisely: Avoid using jargon or complex language in your essay. Write in a clear and concise manner to convey your ideas effectively to the reader.

5. Proofread and Edit: Before submitting your essay, make sure to proofread and edit it carefully. Check for grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, and ensure that your essay flows cohesively.

By following these ultimate essay writing guides, you can enhance your writing skills and produce outstanding essays that will impress your instructors and peers. Practice regularly and seek feedback to continuously improve your writing abilities.

Tips for Crafting an A+ Essay

1. Understand the Assignment: Before you start writing, make sure you fully understand the assignment guidelines and requirements. If you have any doubts, clarify them with your instructor.

2. Conduct Thorough Research: Gather relevant sources and information to support your arguments. Make sure to cite your sources properly and use credible sources.

3. Create a Strong Thesis Statement: Your thesis statement should clearly outline the main point of your essay and guide your readers on what to expect.

4. Organize Your Ideas: Create an outline to organize your thoughts and ensure a logical flow of ideas in your essay.

5. Write Clearly and Concisely: Use clear, concise language and avoid unnecessary jargon or complex sentences. Be direct and to the point.

6. Revise and Edit: Always proofread your essay for grammar and spelling errors. Revise your work to ensure coherence and clarity.

7. Seek Feedback: Ask a peer or instructor to review your essay and provide constructive feedback for improvement.

8. Use Proper Formatting: Follow the formatting guidelines provided by your instructor, such as font size, margins, and citation style.

9. Stay Focused: Keep your essay focused on the main topic and avoid going off on tangents. Stick to your thesis statement.

10. Practice, Practice, Practice: The more you practice writing essays, the better you will get at it. Keep practicing and refining your writing skills.

Tricks to Improve Your Writing Skills

Improving your writing skills can be a challenging but rewarding process. Here are some tricks to help you become a better writer:

1. Read widely: Reading a variety of genres and styles can help you develop your own voice and writing style.

2. Practice regularly: The more you write, the better you will become. Set aside time each day to practice writing.

3. Get feedback: Share your writing with others and ask for constructive criticism. Feedback can help you identify areas for improvement.

4. Study grammar and punctuation: Good writing requires a solid understanding of grammar and punctuation rules. Take the time to study and practice these essential skills.

5. Edit and revise: Writing is a process, and editing is an important part of that process. Take the time to edit and revise your work to improve clarity and coherence.

6. Experiment with different writing techniques: Try experimenting with different writing techniques, such as using metaphors, similes, or descriptive language, to enhance your writing.

7. Stay inspired: Find inspiration in the world around you. Whether it’s nature, art, or literature, draw inspiration from your surroundings to fuel your writing.

By following these tricks and practicing regularly, you can improve your writing skills and become a more confident and effective writer.

Step-by-Step Essay Writing Templates

When it comes to writing an essay, having a clear and structured template can be incredibly helpful. Here are some step-by-step essay writing templates that you can use to guide you through the process:

Introduction: Start your essay with a hook to grab the reader’s attention. Provide some background information on the topic and end with a thesis statement that outlines the main argument of your essay.
Body Paragraphs: Each body paragraph should focus on a single point that supports your thesis. Start with a topic sentence that introduces the main idea of the paragraph, provide evidence to support your point, and then analyze the evidence to show how it relates back to your thesis.
Conclusion: Summarize the main points of your essay and restate your thesis in a new way. Avoid introducing new information in the conclusion and instead focus on tying together all the points you have made throughout the essay.

Expert Advice for Writing Top-Notch Essays

When it comes to writing a top-notch essay, it’s essential to follow expert advice to ensure your work stands out. Here are some key tips to help you elevate your writing:

1. Start with a strong thesis statement that clearly outlines your main argument.

2. Conduct thorough research to support your points with credible sources.

3. Organize your thoughts logically and ensure your essay flows smoothly from one point to the next.

4. Use a variety of sentence structures and vocabulary to keep your writing engaging.

5. Proofread and edit your essay carefully to eliminate errors and refine your arguments.

By following these expert tips, you can take your essay writing skills to the next level and produce work that is both informative and compelling.

Resources to Enhance Your Essay Writing Process

When it comes to improving your essay writing skills, there are a variety of resources available to help you enhance your process. Here are some valuable resources that can aid you in becoming a more effective and efficient writer:

Writing Guides: There are countless writing guides and books that offer tips, tricks, and strategies for improving your writing skills. Whether you’re looking to enhance your grammar, structure, or argumentation, these guides can provide valuable insights.
Online Writing Communities: Joining online writing communities can be a great way to connect with other writers, receive feedback on your work, and engage in writing challenges and prompts. Websites like Writing.com and Wattpad are popular platforms for writers to share their work and receive critiques.
Writing Workshops and Courses: Participating in writing workshops and courses can help you hone your craft and develop your writing skills. Whether you prefer in-person workshops or online courses, there are many options available to suit your needs and schedule.
Writing Apps and Tools: Utilizing writing apps and tools can streamline your writing process and help you stay organized. Tools like Grammarly can assist with grammar and spelling checks, while apps like Scrivener can help you organize your research and ideas.
Libraries and Writing Centers: Visiting your local library or university writing center can provide access to valuable resources, such as writing guides, research materials, and writing tutors who can offer personalized feedback and support.

By taking advantage of these resources, you can enhance your essay writing process and become a more skilled and confident writer.

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240 COMMENTS

Thanks a lot. There is a problem with sound in this video. It goes acynchronous after 1:26 min.

Andrey — the problem with the sound sync has now been fixed. Thanks for letting us know.

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You can comment here and also on our Facebook page !

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Dear Nisha,

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Thanks very much for all teachers.

I liked a lot your video class. I have one comment to you. I think that it will be better for the student just think in 3 steps on the essay task. Introduction, body (main ideas, support ideas) and conclusion (about main idea) as you explain. Because, when you read about the task you already have a question, so, you do not need to think about another question. And about the thesis, I think is kind of confusing. However, I really enjoy your class. Thank you Bye

I’m Ken , I’m from Malaysia , currently I’m studying in Dalat International school in Penang, for the most part i not doing good cause my grammar is bad , the reason is that my previous school didn’t teach a very good job in grammar since the most i could remember is them teaching vocab.heck maybe i just plain forgot everything, so basicly i don’t even know the basic of basic grammar like noun or pronoun or the rest of the basic . I don’t really want to kick out from that school so is there any advice from me ?

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Hi you all¡, My name is Lorena Valenzuela, I am from Chile, I was looking for english resources and I find this great web site on the internet. I want to improve my writing skills and i think this lesson is very useful, doesn’t it?. Thank you very much James for share your knowlegde with us, I really appreciate your effort and enthusiasm in your classes, it feels that you really love what you do, thank again. In my english class, we are studing QUESTION WORDS AS SUBJECT, and i am not totally clear whit this issue. May you explain the grammar use?, Thank you and Bye, bye.

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how to write essays

Teacher are yuo good man tanks

Hello respected Sir, I saw your videos and Iam really happy that i found a solution for my problems………….. Sir my problem is that Iam not good in english and Iam doing O levels. And Iam facing lots of problems in english class I can’t solve comprehension…. Please kindly help me …

Hi, my name is Khojiakbar. And I’m 17 years old. I’m from Uzbekistan, It’s in Central Asia. I wanna improve my english. I’ve problems in English, especially on grammar, I mean writing and speaking… my vocabulary isn’t good… Can you give advice??? pls…

hi i am abdou from morocco , i’m an elelmantary school teacher, i teach Arabic but i like to learn new languages, really your web site helped me especially these fascinating videos it’s surely a very effective tool to teach English ,i wish you more progress.bye.

Hi James! Congratulation to your video-lesson! I enjoyed it very much. Your explanations are clear and understandable. I will share this video with all my friends who are learning English.¨ I am looking forward to all you new topics. Your fan Inka

Hey:) My name’s Maria and would say, that your video lessons are really good for improving the language skills! Relying my own experience, I thought it’s perfect to study English, when you’re surrounded by native speakers only…but now I fully realized, that your classes are of much use as well – one gets to know so many new interesting words, expressons and even sentences (!), which you can further use in your own speech. Well, I’m completely satisfied with what you’re doing and how you’re teaching! Thanx a lot for that!

thank’s james

thank you very much

thnx very much

would be more interesting if having more examples. A very nice a attrative teaching method.

thaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaanks alot for this lesson

Hi James i enjoy your way of teaching

sir james can you send me some essays basing on above rules which you taught for explanation. thanks

r u from india or pak. “sir” is a post colonial remark

Thanks a lot

James is very artistic . I love the way he teaches : )

I am Sri Lanken these all lessons are fantastic and attractive i love it so much

hi i m from india . i just love the way you teach

i just love the way to teach…am feeling prpoud to found dis website…lol keep up dis gud work raj from canada

Hi James I wrote an essay about Walt Disney and my thesis is Why Walt Disney is so famous? and I can’t think of any supporting idea, can you suggest one for me please…

hi.. your lessons are very helpful and this website is great ..everytime i have problems with the english language this website is the solution ..thank you .. kamila from albania..

wonderful i love it :)

funniest teacher .. hahahaha…

Hello engVid!I am Veronica from Baku,Azerbaijan.I should say this video is very usefull!Thank you for making such effective websites that helps us a lot.James is an incredible teacher!

hi that’s nice video

The podcast is an academic and fundamental one. It’s absolutely stunning. Many thanks.

This videos are very helpful, i love the way how james explains his class. Thank you very much James

The videos are very helpful and James is a great instructor Thanks James

Video was very clear and informative.

This video help me to write .Specially , the first point and second point are helpful to write.

James, What about map mind? I always use it to write paragraph.

thank James again for this video

thank you james . you are a helpful person. i like your way in the explaination.

Hi Alesia. There is currently a problem with the registration. It should be fixed by the end of October 2010. Until then, you can comment without signing up. After that, only members will be able to comment.

I am a 31 year freshman from Ohio.James’s video on how to write an effective essay has helped me immensely, thank you. I will pass this site along to my study group.

This is my first time to visit your website. In my first day, I stayed 5 hours just to exhaust all the basic knowledge I need to learn in speaking. I love to write. But since English is my second language, am not yet expert in using some prepositions appropriately in sentences. I am hoping you can help me on this problem.

FIVE HOURS IN ONE DAY!??! That is great, mar! Please register and tell your friends about the site if you can. Let us know if you think there are things we can improve. We have some preposition classes, but this is a topic that involves a lot of memorization, unfortunately.

Is there a video lesson here? I’m sorry, I’m new here. Could you please tell me how to open the video? Thanks alot!

Hi Dian. You should see a video right at the top of this page, under the video title and description and above the quiz. If you don’t see it, please make sure you are able to watch YouTube videos on other sites. Try using a modern browser like Chrome if you are having trouble. Some countries (or schools/offices) block YouTube videos, so that may be the problem.

Thank you soo much my techer, I’ll become okay with your vid.

thanks, a lot

Hi, i am from the freedom country, canada.That is one of the best videos I saw from James. I would like to become one of my teachers. I wish you, James could make a persetation ( i can not spell very well) on speech. My class and I are starting to write speechs. I want to write a speech like OBAMA. THANK YOU!

i realy like the way James teaches.

i looove the way u teach,James! u r so pleasant!thanx a lot!kiss u

I am from Brasil, and i loved all video, evary teachers this page. I have a poblem when a teacher talk fast i lost a focus. Has here a basic class, not i so basic, but i goint to start step by step again.

I like his teaching style.

Dear James i was sent u a message .I watch every night ur lessons.really it is great to me because english is my second language.i have big problem with speaking .now i study English .my level is 1.but i have problem with speaking and undrstanding native people.would u please recomend me How improve my speaking.it is kind of u if u send to me email with my [email protected] u for ur help.with my Respects to u

Dear James i realy thank you that You made a video about how to write right! i am from Ukrain and you talk very good. i understand how to write but i have a big problem – How check grammar during speaking. I always make mane mistakes and i need your help. Respects to you

Hello James I m Hafiz from Pakistan i really like your and your team’s lessons. I wana suggest you; plz creat a lesson on Phonetic symbols and about poetry how to explain the verses of long narrative poems I would be thankful to you.

Thanks a lot,James. I come from Thailand. I think my english skill does not well. I wanna improve it. If you have a suggestion for me,I wonder you mind sending it to my e-mail address. Thanks you again.

thank you very much for posting this video this has helped my a lot with writing my essay.

thanks jaimes

thanks james, its really help to improve my skills. but I need more examples for effective writing skills.

This was my First class that I had with College I am at now. To teach us how to Read, Write, become Critical Thinkers, use the knowledge from your past to help you with your future. And by all means, if this will help me in the long run with my classes I will definatly come back and learn what I need to know.

Tomorrow I’m taking a test and writing an essay, this lesson really helped me a lot. Thanks

i am in grade8 and i need to write an essay about 1000and more. i learnd how to do it and i hoooooooop i will gat A OR B in thes essay. than MR James for helping me out and my friends in class.

and i hoop you can come and teach us in Dubai, UAE -_- hahahahahaah but i realy liked your way of teaching.

and i told my class about thes vid and they say it is funny and helpfull.

Hello James, thank you so much for engvid. it’s really helpful for me…you are cool person & I really like your dynamic style :) just going on…

dear james, how 2 write a effective essay.then can i ask a ex. of essay!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you, James, for sharing this skill in writing a good essay. I will try to remember and apply your tips.

hello, i am wawa from Algeria. i want to thank you for your lessons but I have a big probleme with a writing it is very dificult to me when I write a paragraph.If it is possible to help.please

I LIKE THIS VIDEO BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND. THANK YOU.

HELLO I AM FROM PAKISTAN i want to thank you for your lessons but I have a big problem with a writing it is very difficult to me when I write a paragraph.I DOES NOT KNOW HOW TO START AN ESSAY. please help me and give me general idea how to start and write an effective essay .my ielts exam is held at 30 April 2011.

hi James, I want to write an essay for a competition. the topic is “I shudder to think” . Can you please give some tips regarding this essay What example can be taken to explain the essay and would i will be required to ask a question or not in this type of essay..???? plz ANSWER..!!! THNKX

is it possible to make a video about participles? thank you

Hi James, I haven’t been in school for over 20 years! I just decided to go back to school and pursue my dream career. Now, I have no problem being creative, but my problem is when I have an assignment, specially about writing, I panic and don’t know how to start! I searched how to write an essay and I came across your video and it was helpful. However, I’m still stuck and haven’t starting my essay, I’m finding it difficult to start. My essay is regarding an influential hairstylist and I have to detail his work and how he’s changed the industry, etc….then, I must write how his work influenced me. I can work on hair but I can’t write a simple essay! Rachel

Hi James Big thanks sir I want to ask you… how to make more idea Thx

Hi, Mr. James. Hope You are getting a kick of every moment of your life. The way you teach is really very fantastic. I found your lectures so useful. Frankly speaking you are an incomparable teacher. What if you please send me a video on how to conduct the introduction of the first day of the class. Thanks.

HI THIS CLASS WILL WORK FOR IELTS, BECAUSE A TRIED TO PASS IELTS.

Hi Mr. James I am from Syria thanks a lot about this lesson ,but I have a strange question How can I think in English? Do you have any lesson about this subject? please healp me.

thanks very much it help heaps

hi james?many thanks for the great leason!but havee one qustion?can you tell me how to write thieses statement in essay?please help me?????

Hi James i have a question i have to write an essay on a literary term and show how

it is related to the two novels i have to do i am having problems with my introduction i just can not find a way to start it off any advice on how i should start off an essay on a literary term Ex. Foreshadowing

Thanks sir James!!! It helps me to make my essay and journal writing… anyway, I miss your partner Mr. E Worm….

Dear James I did’nt understand what thesis is.Can u please explain it?

Dear james Can u please explain what thesis is?

someone was asking what thesis is, so can help! THESIS ITS SOMETHING YOU SHOULD FOCUS ON…

Thank you Jame! Your skill of teaching is so great. Let’s go on!

Thanks Dear teacher! If you don’t mind please explain and write an essay, show us procedure of writing about ”love better than money”.I mean your arguments.

Hi James , I really would like to thank you for all your support to us and your help to us but I’m still confused about thesis so can you more videos about thesis and give us examples please .

First of all,My English is very poor and I can not speak English as well but today I found your clip at youtube.com then I believe you gonna be my best teacher.

Hallo James, You are cool teacher! all best to you!

Thank You Very Much

thanks james!

Thanks very much!!!!!!!!

Dear Mr James,

I am Hiep, living in Viet Nam. Incidentally, I watched your video about teaching English about how to write an effective essay. It was so exciting to me and the way you taught is very easy to understand for learners. Really, I liked it very much because you helped me to write an essay. Upon to now, I have just writen an essay without layout before writing that is reason why I often get a low point for test. Everything changes for me after watching your video. I think I should spend more time to write as much as possible with layout before starting to write. Thank you again, I always keep in touch with Engvid.com.

yours sincerely, New leaners, Hiepnguyenthanh.

Hi James, I am Vietnamese and I must take an IELTS exam. thank you so much for giving an interesting lecture.

so good so very cute. Sir. I`m very happy now because I learned from you: How to write an effective essay !!.. thank you very much.. From dinny from ALBANIA, KUMANOVO (Macedonia)

hey james your teaching is good and i had improved my speaking thank u all

Hello Sir I am Habib from Pakistan, Balochistan… thank u very much for all this.. Can U say how to make a precis?

hello, my name is said, im from morocco,a university studenet of english, concerning your teaching method frankly;is workable and effective,thank you so much mr james.finally,i want you to include a course about the difference between an essay and an article because in the exams we were given to write an article and we follow the esseay plan when writing the article

James,u are just awesome.your tutorials help me a lot on TOEFl,got 106/120.Thank you.Fighting is good !!;-)

Hi James.. you know!! you are amazing

thank you a heap

hello James thanks alot for that tutorial , ur amazing , and I really love ur way in teaching , am from Egypt , and I really appreciate u for helping English learners and I couldn’t believe my self when I found that site thanks to all the teachers who are helping us , plzz continue and don’t stop , i hope u read my comment :-D but plzz dont get too much conceited ;-)

My brother recommended me to this blog. He was absolutely right. This post really meets my expectations. It’s hard to imagine how much time I spent on that information. Thanks Amelia

Thanks for your help. I’m actually trying to write an essay but it’s harder then I thought. I Wish I would think like U. One idea after another just wow. It’s good that you’re positive and I think that u like what’s u doing and that’s a great advantage in your profession. Once again thank U! :)

I really enjoy your introduction lesson James. Now where is the body of what you started. I would like to see how it all pans out.

thank for helping me get an A* in my quiz.you are a really good teacher ^_^

[…] How to Write Essay video part 2 Like this:LikeBe the first to like this post. How to Write Essay Introduction (engvid) RSS feed […]

I would like you to do compere between formal and informal email and report please

thanks James

I am from Tunisia and we study those topics at university and I find your lessons sir are very interesting thank you for your efforts

I really like you way of teaching thanks a lot

HIII JAMES, i wanna improve my writting but i don’t know how to do ??? PLZZZZZZ i need your help

Hi, James, very good job in this site. Amazing didactics and useful tips.

I took notes and composed an essay in 36 minutes. I know that I will have only 30 minutes to do in a iBT TOEFL Exam. Nevertheless, could you rate it, please? If so, I can send it you by e-mail.

Thank you Best regards from Brazil.

I request that you teach a lesson about advanced grammer and anounciation.

Hi!Very fine and very useful lessons ,but…Please,James, in the future speak a little bit slower,intelligible ,in other words be more”legibly” in expression .Thank you.

Hey I study for hours a day

PLEAS SHOW US HOW TO WRITE THE TRANSITIONS WORD SUCH AS IN CONCLUDING ALL IN ALL, TO SUM UP ,ETS FIRST , SCEND ,……..

Hi James, I am having trouble getting my ideas on paper when i write essays. I see the essay in my mind but i have difficulty putting it on paper. Please help

Hi! Thanks for the video. Some of the lessons are really useful for studying for the SATs. I wish you were my teacher!

Thank’s for the lesson,I agree with Ami,I wish you were my teacher too,that would be awesome :)

best teacher EVER .Thanks

thank u very much..

Hey, how could you ever teach such a boring skill in such a humorous way? Congrads.

Just wanted to say thanks! After watching this video (several times). I took my college Accuplacer essay test again and scored a 6 (up from a 4) and avoided remedial english. :-) Thanks again!

thank you so much <3

thank you alot, James!)

I’m sure it will help me to write an essay!

This is Talal from Saudi Arabia

I really like the way of explanation, as well as the smart body languages that used to pass the ideas, and appreciate your efforts in this regards.

Thanks you James it’s an effective way to explain an effective essay, that’s really helpful for me, I have to write an essay of “King Speech” movie, it’s a good movie I recommend it. (bad english, im still learning)

Hay, theacher, i just wont to say that i like your lessons very much, but this particular one i dont quite understand. i ll trie to figure out while trying to write an essay.

What is the difference between care and loving?

It is really helpful lesson. The essay structure proposed here is nice and easy to understand. Thank you.

Thankyou for sharing your lecture, it actually taught me how to write thesis statement and what is required for a good essay. You made my job easy. Thanks alot! :)

Hi James, I am preparing to take the IESLT exam in a couple of weeks and I am having a hard time with the writing section, I just watched a video where you explain an easy way to write an essay, it was very fun the way you explained it and found it very helpful. Thanks and I will be watching more of your on line-classes. Octavio from Mexico

wow that’s very helpful thanks :)

thank you … i find this video is very helpful but i don’t think that it works for all kinds of essays , i mean when you write an essay about your your life you cant ask a question a first !!

Thank You so much James sir for this lesson :)

WHERES MR E. LOL GREAT LESSON N SO MUCH FUN.THANK YOU.

Thanks! ^_^

greatings everyone, I would love if you would put a video on how to write a very good grabber for an intro ..

A massive thank you ..

This video did help but, I have to write a essay on Foreign Policy about if Iran does have very powerful weapons or do they not but, know I have a awesome In the Beginning Paragraph thanks James for your help

Thank you James for tips, they are very useful. I’d like see more lessons of vocabulary and listening.

Thank you James

Hello guys,, please I have exam Thursday and I need paragraph about employee done good contract for his company and he sent email for his manger request for an promotion they need 100 to 150 words from me so please can any one help me…

My brother recommended I would possibly like this website. He was once entirely right. This post actually made my day. You can not believe simply how much time I had spent for this info! Thanks!

i Just wanted to say thank you for this video but i still have problem to do the conclusion can you do another conclusion please? thanks and advance.

It’s really very useful for people who wants to learn English. Thank you very much..

I am an ESL teacher and I wanted to show my students on of these videos. Due to blocking of many websites, is there any way we are allowed to download them?

hi james! thanks for uploading the introductory part of the essay but i want to get more tips of body part and conclusion can u please upload this vidoes because im going to give ielts test

hello, I`m from Argentina and i love this page so i wrote my essay about which is better love or money, i wish if you could answer me if this essay is good or not.

NOWADAYS WE LIVE IN A VERY CONSUMERIST WORLD WHICH MANY PEOPLE THINK THAT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN OUR LIVES IS THE MONEY FOR THE HAPPINES AND NOT THE LOVE.

IN THE FIRST PLACE, LOT OF PEOPLE CONFUSED MONEY WITH HAPPINESS BUT THE REAL THING IS THAT THEY DONT SEE LOVE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT IN LIFE. THEREFORE IT’S POSSIBLE THAT YOU HAVE THE MONEY OF THE ENTIRE WORLD BUT YOU FEEL SO LONELY AND POOR IN LOVE.

ON THE OTHER HAND, IT SAID THAT IS WORTH TO BE POOR BUT WITH LOT OF LOVE THAN BE RICH AND DO NOT HAVE ANYONE FOR LOVE. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE SOULD LEARN ABOUT LOVE AND MONEY.

I AGREE THAT IF WE DONT HAVE MONEY IS MORE DIFFICULT TO LIVE AND BE HAPPY IN THE SAME TIME. BUT, IN CONCLUSION I THINK THAT WE DONT HAVE TO CARE SO MUCH FOR HAVE MONEY OTHERWISE WE MUST TO CHOOSE HAVE MORE PEOPLE FOR LOVE.

is this correct?

okay, so I think I got the general idea of how I’m supposed to write an essay. But, I’m still kind of confused on how to start it…on the video I learned it will be a good idea to start with a question, for example: (this is the topic given to me) Should students do part time jobs?) how would you turn that into a different question for my essay ? and what should I do next….this is what I came up with……………. would a regular student be capable to hande the responsibilities and pressures a part-time job offer?.

Very useful, i liked Rebecca’s explanation.

I am dara from kurdistan ,,thanks fa u James really u r the best English teacher that I have seen during my life ,,bcz u have so interisting lectures and u r so enthusiasm ,,,I wish best of luck fa u ,,,

Help….can’t find the How to write an effective essay, Ultimate Body video.

Help….can’t find the How to write an effective essay, Ultimate Body video.–>me, too.

I am completely enamored with James. Thanks for helping me write my essay:)

Hi, i really know the different between the essay and the paragraph but how can i write a well organized paragraph on the following topic: you were traveling by train when an unexpected event happened ,tell us about it . plz help me plz

hi Hi, i really know the different between the essay and the paragraph but how can i write a well organized paragraph on the following topic: you were traveling by train when an unexpected event happened ,tell us about it . plz help me plz

Well… have you ever had anything surprising happen on the train? That’s the first step :)

hello James, hope you are fine by the Grace of God. im sarah from Pakistan. i have planed to appear for public commission exam in November. as time is limited can you please help me to get prepare for it. regards Sarah

Long live for all Teachers

Hi! My name is Danielle and I am a nineth grader and I have to take a writing accuplacer and I have to study for it so I just wanted to say that this video helped me with learn how to write an essay. Thank you very much!

Hi! my name is Janet I go to college and I wanted to know if you can do a overall point in paragraph?

Hi,James.. Your videos are very nice and your style of teaching is very effective.Could u please prepare a video on self introduction or how to introduce ourselves in an interview or IELTS exam. thanking you, Anu Mary. :)

you are amazing teacher

Thank you for your lesson. If possible can you give information abut personal statement?

Thanks you help me a lot.

Hi James. thanks a lot for your video. I think EngVid is the best website for learning English I have ever seen. It helps me very much take care

I,m always in trouble with essay. However from now on it has become clear due this amazing class. Thank you so much James.

Thanks so much James!

Great video, but why didn’t you include that caterpillar guy, you said he would appear in every video

hi Sir i am from pakistan i want to learn all the effective methods to improve my writing skills. please help me in it

Where are the video lessons can any body guide me i want to listen them i have half the video just of intro upto TOPIC where Sir James talk about three main ideas after that my video do not play, this is the reason i searched this site and want to listen all the video lessons regarding English Essay, please help me.

The intro for an effective essay is indeed a grabber!

thanks a lot Mr.James but why there is no quiz ? anyway its amazing and you are really amazing teacher

Great. That is useful.

I thing I need practice more and more, With yours website.

Thank James.

Thank you Mr.James

How can I Know or write direct and indirect in the introduction ?

I hope from you answer my qeuestion soon

thank you for all lessens Mr.James

Thanks sir you are the best teacher in the world That was very useful

Sometimes is very hard to write an essay for me I know I have to practice more this subject and I will use your tips in my next essays.

thanks alot but i need more

GREAT TEACHER

This lesson help me to write in spanish too. Thanks!

Dear James, I really enjoyed the lesson and I have acquired some of the skill of writing an effective thesis. Similarly, this lesson help me in improving my writing. Thank you

Thanks for the lesson James it really help me a lot now I know how to write one

Hi James! I love the way you explain :). Thank you for the videos.

Thanks for such a useful lesson

thank you so much it is very useful

Thanks for your lesson, teacher Jame. You’re the best teacher ever :)

oops, James not Jame :D

Hi. My name is Andi Marlina. I’m from Indonesia. Thanks for the lesson from Engvid, it’s really help me to learn more. I like using Engvid ’cause it’s got all about the lesson that you may need. thank you.

Very helpful and easy to follow

Well, reviewing all the concepts about how to write an effective essay, I can remember the rule of 5 steps: First, the question; second, the thesis statements; third, the introduction; fourth, to prove the thesis with main reason and supporting ideas; and the last fifth step, the conclusion. Thanks a lot teacher James from EngVid, a very interesting lesson.

Hi! I’m brazilian and i’m studying english. i hope that you help me. tanks all.

Great lesson! Thanks James!

If you want to speak english with me my instagram account is zeynepmiri thanks

These are a good Ideas but I wanted more detials

Thank a lot for great ideas, looking for more.

Thank you very much! This is attractive lecture and I will keep following it! i have one question. that is:-whenever we write either descriptive essay or argumentative essay and others, are these principles that you have told us before common or changeable?

Congratulations for share this information to us, indeed it will have a great contribution on my learning specially writing. By the way there is no homework to support this lesson?

Thanks James.

Thank you for these tips

tahnk you jams

Thank you Sir, I got many ideas from this video but I have a question that how to start an attention grabber introduction either with quotation or an other idea is there because I have no quotes about each and every essay…

really really nice class james!!! thank you so much! you are the man brow!

Dear James Your video about essay structure make it seem easy but I always have problems with sequence and organisation. In particular when writing academic essays I can never pick out main headings for body proofs-for either side of the argument. where am I going wrong??

The introduction and how to write an effective essay were excellent but where do i find how to write a body paragraph mentioned in the how to write an introduction video?

James,thank you a lot.your leason is so interesting!I hope to watch more!

A very good teacher!!!so funny and so clear!! bravo

Thank you, James. This is helpful and ready to have more from you.

I watched the video once on June 22, 2021.

no quiz. thank you James for the lesson

Thank you James, I learned!

about engVid

Learn English for free with 2051 video lessons by experienced teachers. Classes cover English grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, IELTS, TOEFL, and more. Join millions of English learners worldwide who are improving every day with engVid.

2-Intermediate

IMAGES

How to Write an Essay in 9 Simple Steps • 7ESL
Tips to write an Essay! : r/Infographics
10 Tips to Write an Essay and Actually Enjoy It
8 Tips On Writing An Effective Essay, Writing Essay Tips
How to Write a Great Essay Quickly!
College Essay Format: Simple Steps to Be Followed

VIDEO

How fast can you write an essay?? #clips #curiouslele #mcyt #twitch #minecraft #essay #school #work
Essay writing ,Essay writing .How to write an effective essay, CSS essay writing tips English Essay
How to write an effective argumentative essay!!
essay writing 10 tips / you can write a clear, concise, and persuasive essay
essay present education system| #shorts #essay how to write
Easy Ways To Improve Your Essay Writing (In The Humanities)

COMMENTS

Tips for Writing Effective Essays: A Comprehensive Guide
2. Organize your ideas: Before you start writing, outline the main points you want to cover in your essay. This will help you organize your thoughts and ensure a logical flow of ideas. 3. Use topic sentences: Begin each paragraph with a topic sentence that introduces the main idea of the paragraph.
PDF Strategies for Essay Writing
When you write an essay for a course you are taking, you are being asked not only to create a product (the essay) but, more importantly, to go through a process of thinking more deeply about a question or problem related to the course. By writing about a source or collection of sources, you will have the chance to wrestle with some of the
The Beginner's Guide to Writing an Essay
Essay writing process. The writing process of preparation, writing, and revisions applies to every essay or paper, but the time and effort spent on each stage depends on the type of essay.. For example, if you've been assigned a five-paragraph expository essay for a high school class, you'll probably spend the most time on the writing stage; for a college-level argumentative essay, on the ...
Example of a Great Essay
This example guides you through the structure of an essay. It shows how to build an effective introduction, focused paragraphs, clear transitions between ideas, and a strong conclusion. Each paragraph addresses a single central point, introduced by a topic sentence, and each point is directly related to the thesis statement.
How to Structure an Essay
The basic structure of an essay always consists of an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. But for many students, the most difficult part of structuring an essay is deciding how to organize information within the body. This article provides useful templates and tips to help you outline your essay, make decisions about your structure, and ...
How to Write the Perfect Essay
Step 2: Have a clear structure. Think about this while you're planning: your essay is like an argument or a speech. It needs to have a logical structure, with all your points coming together to answer the question. Start with the basics! It's best to choose a few major points which will become your main paragraphs.
How to Write an Essay
How to Get Essay Writing Help. Whether you're struggling to write academic essays or you think you're a pro, there are workshops and online tools that can help you become an even better writer. Even the most seasoned writers encounter writer's block, so be proactive and look through our curated list of resources to combat this common frustration.
How to Write the Perfect Essay: A Step-By-Step Guide for Students
7 steps to writing a good essay. No essay is the same but your approach to writing them can be. As well as some best practice tips, we have gathered our favourite advice from expert essay-writers and compiled the following 7-step guide to writing a good essay every time. 👍. #1 Make sure you understand the question. #2 Complete background ...
How to Write an Effective Essay: The Ultimate Guide
Draw your reader in through a captivating sentence or lead-in (e.g. a rhetorical question, quotation, or surprising statement) Introduce the reader to your topic in an interesting way. Concisely present your thesis statement. Provide an overview of the evidence you will be used to support your thesis statement.
How To Write An Essay: Beginner Tips And Tricks
Writing an essay can be a daunting task for many students, but it doesn't have to be. In this blog post, you will learn some simple tips and tricks on how to write an essay, from choosing a topic to editing your final draft. Whether you need to write an essay for school, work, or personal interest, this guide will help you improve your skills and confidence.
How to Write an Academic Essay in 6 Simple Steps
You can learn how to write academic essays by first mastering the four types of academic writing and then applying the correct rules to the appropriate type of essay writing. Regardless of the type of essay you will be writing, all essays will include: An introduction. At least three body paragraphs. A conclusion. A bibliography/reference list ...
Writing a great essay
5. Write clearly. An essay that makes good, evidence-supported points will only receive a high grade if it is written clearly. Clarity is produced through careful revision and editing, which can turn a good essay into an excellent one. When you edit your essay, try to view it with fresh eyes - almost as if someone else had written it.
How to Write an Essay Introduction
Step 1: Hook your reader. Step 2: Give background information. Step 3: Present your thesis statement. Step 4: Map your essay's structure. Step 5: Check and revise. More examples of essay introductions. Other interesting articles. Frequently asked questions about the essay introduction.
How to Write an Essay (with Pictures)
4. Create a thesis statement that summarizes your main argument. Once you've hit on a specific question or idea you'd like to address in your essay, look at your research and think about the major point or argument you'd like to make. Try to summarize your main point, in 1-2 sentences.
A (Very) Simple Way to Improve Your Writing
Once you identify what that argument is, the "one-idea rule" can help you develop, revise, and connect the various components of your writing. For instance, let's say you're writing an essay.
The Ultimate Essay Writing Guides: Tips, Tricks, and Templates
By following these tricks and practicing regularly, you can improve your writing skills and become a more confident and effective writer. Step-by-Step Essay Writing Templates. When it comes to writing an essay, having a clear and structured template can be incredibly helpful. Here are some step-by-step essay writing templates that you can use ...
How to Write a College Essay
Making an all-state team → outstanding achievement. Making an all-state team → counting the cost of saying "no" to other interests. Making a friend out of an enemy → finding common ground, forgiveness. Making a friend out of an enemy → confront toxic thinking and behavior in yourself.
How to Write an Effective Essay · engVid
LillianDonald. Well, reviewing all the concepts about how to write an effective essay, I can remember the rule of 5 steps: First, the question; second, the thesis statements; third, the introduction; fourth, to prove the thesis with main reason and supporting ideas; and the last fifth step, the conclusion.
How to Write a Good Argumentative Essay: Easy Step-by-Step Guide
When you're writing a persuasive essay, you need more than just an opinion to make your voice heard. Even the strongest stance won't be compelling if it's not structured properly and reinforced with solid reasoning and evidence. Learn what elements every argumentative essay should include and how to structure it depending on your audience ...
How to Use Logical Reasoning to Write an Effective Essay
Be the first to add your personal experience. 2. Develop a thesis statement. Be the first to add your personal experience. 3. Outline your main points and evidence. Be the first to add your ...
How to Write an Argumentative Essay
Make a claim. Provide the grounds (evidence) for the claim. Explain the warrant (how the grounds support the claim) Discuss possible rebuttals to the claim, identifying the limits of the argument and showing that you have considered alternative perspectives. The Toulmin model is a common approach in academic essays.
How to Write a Thesis Statement
Placement of the thesis statement. Step 1: Start with a question. Step 2: Write your initial answer. Step 3: Develop your answer. Step 4: Refine your thesis statement. Types of thesis statements. Other interesting articles. Frequently asked questions about thesis statements.

How to Write the Perfect Essay

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Step 3: Back up your points with well-analysed quotations

Step 4: Be creative and original throughout

Introduction

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How to Write an Essay

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How to Choose a Theme or Topic

How to Come Up with an Argument

How to Outline your Essay

How to Write an Introduction

How to Write a Thesis Statement

How to Write Body Paragraphs

How to Use Transitions

How to Write a Conclusion

How to Include Sources and Citations

How to Avoid Plagiarism

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How to Write an Effective Essay: The Ultimate Guide

Why Is Essay Writing Important?

The Components of an Essay

Introduction:

Body Paragraphs:

Conclusion:

How to Develop an Effective Essay

Write Your Thesis Statement:

Brainstorm Your Evidence:

Organize Your Information:

Start Writing Your Introduction:

Writing Your Body Paragraphs:

Concluding Your Essays:

Revise Your Essay:

Create your Essay Title Last:

Types of Essays:

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Preparation

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