essays on how to write an essay

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Despite the fact that, as Shakespeare said, the pen is mightier than the sword, the pen itself is not enough to make an effective writer. In fact, though we may all like to think of ourselves as the next Shakespeare, inspiration alone is not the key to effective essay writing. You see, the conventions of English essays are more formulaic than you might think – and, in many ways, it can be as simple as counting to five. The Five Paragraph Essay Though more advanced academic papers are a category all their own, the basic high school or college essay has the following standardized, five paragraph structure: Paragraph 1: Introduction Paragraph 2: Body 1 Paragraph 3: Body 2 Paragraph 4: Body 3 Paragraph 5: Conclusion Though it may seem formulaic – and, well, it is - the idea behind this structure is to make it easier for the reader to navigate the ideas put forth in an essay. You see, if your essay has the same structure as every other one, any reader should be able to quickly and easily find the information most relevant to them. The Introduction Want to see sample essays? Check out our Sample Essay section where you can see scholarship essays, admissions essays, and more! The principle purpose of the introduction is to present your position (this is also known as the thesis or argument ) on the issue at hand but effective introductory paragraphs are so much more than that. Before you even get to this thesis statement, for example, the essay should begin with a hook that grabs the reader’s attention and makes them want to read on. Examples of effective hooks include relevant quotations ( no man is an island ) or surprising statistics ( three out of four doctors report that ). Only then, with the reader’s attention hooked, should you move on to the thesis. The thesis should be a clear, one-sentence explanation of your position that leaves no doubt in the reader’s mind.
At a Glance: Writing an Essay Part 1 of 5: Writing Your Essay Research the topic. Go online, head to the library, or search an academic database. You may ask a reference librarian for help. Know which sources are acceptable to your teacher. Does your teacher want a certain number of primary sources and secondary sources? Can you use Wikipedia? Wikipedia is often a good starting point for learning about a topic, but many teachers won't let you cite it because they want you to find more authoritative sources. Take detailed notes, keeping track of which facts come from which sources. Write down your sources in the correct citation format so that you don't have to go back and look them up again later. Never ignore facts and claims that seem to disprove your original idea or claim. A good essay writer either includes the contrary evidence and shows why such evidence is not valid or alters his or her point of view in light of the evidence. Analyze well-written essays. In your research you'll probably come across really well-written (and not so well-written) arguments about your topic. Do some analysis to see what makes them work. What claims does the author make? Why do they sound good? Is it the logic, the sources, the writing, the structure? Is it something else? What evidence does the author present? Why does the evidence sound credible? How does the author present facts, and what is his/her approach to telling a story with facts? Is the logic sound or faulty, and why? Why is the logic sound? Does the author back up his/her claims with examples that are easy to follow? Brainstorm your own ideas. Sure, you can use the arguments of others to back up what you want to say. However, you need to come up with your original spin on the topic to make it uniquely yours. Make lists of ideas. You can also try mind mapping. Take your time. Walk in your neighborhood or local park and.
A classic format for compositions is the five-paragraph essay. It is not the only format for writing an essay, of course, but it is a useful model for you to keep in mind, especially as you begin to develop your composition skills. The following material is adapted from a handout prepared by Harry Livermore for his high school English classes at Cook High School in Adel, Georgia. It is used here with his permission. Introduction: Introductory Paragraph See, first, Writing Introductory Paragraphs for different ways of getting your reader involved in your essay. The introductory paragraph should also include the thesis statement, a kind of mini-outline for the paper: it tells the reader what the essay is about. The last sentence of this paragraph must also contain a transitional hook which moves the reader to the first paragraph of the body of the paper. Body: Body — First paragraph: The first paragraph of the body should contain the strongest argument, most significant example, cleverest illustration, or an obvious beginning point. The first sentence of this paragraph should include the reverse hook which ties in with the transitional hook at the end of the introductory paragraph. The topic for this paragraph should be in the first or second sentence. This topic should relate to the thesis statement in the introductory paragraph. The last sentence in this paragraph should include a transitional hook to tie into the second paragraph of the body. Body — Second paragraph: The second paragraph of the body should contain the second strongest argument, second most significant example, second cleverest illustration, or an obvious follow up the first paragraph in the body. The first sentence of this paragraph should include the reverse hook which ties in with the transitional hook at the end of the first paragraph of the body. The topic for this paragraph should be in the.
An essay can have many purposes, but the basic structure is the same no matter what. You may be writing an essay to argue for a particular point of view or to explain the steps necessary to complete a task. Either way, your essay will have the same basic format. If you follow a few simple steps, you will find that the essay almost writes itself. You will be responsible only for supplying ideas, which are the important part of the essay anyway. Don't let the thought of putting pen to paper daunt you. Get started! You may download a.pdf formatted file containing these instructions which can then be easily printed. Please freely duplicate this material for personal use or for non-commercial classroom purposes. Any use of this material for other than non-commercial personal or classroom purposes is expressly forbidden without the prior written consent of the author. If you do not have the free.pdf viewer from Adobe, download it. Download a copy to print out. View a sample basic essay. You may find that you have questions about writing an essay that this site does not answer. Many other sites have additional information about writing an essay, including information about more complex issues such as handling citations and bibliographies. View links to additional essay resource sites. If you have questions or comments about this page, please email me. Last Updated: 5-April-2012 This site created by Kathy LivingstonEmail Me All Rights Reserved Zebra alphabet courtesy of WebDiner. Pen graphic courtesy of Animated G. PRIVACY POLICY We collect no information from visitors to this site. We respect your and your children's privacy and urge children to check for a privacy policy at any site that asks them for any information about themselves.
For a printer-friendly PDF version of this guide, click here This Study Guide addresses the topic of essay writing. The essay is used as a form of assessment in many academic disciplines, and is used in both coursework and exams. It is the most common focus for study consultations among students using Learning Development. Other useful guides: What is critical reading? What is critical writing? Thought mapping; Referencing and bibliographies; Avoiding plagiarism; The art of editing. A collection of Question lists is available via the Learning Development website. These lists suggest questions to ask of your writing when you are reviewing it. Why essays? To produce a high quality essay you need to demonstrate your ability: to understand the precise task set by the title; to identify, appropriate material to read; to understand and evaluate that material; to select the most relevant material to refer to in your essay; to construct an effective argument; and to arrive at a well-supported conclusion. The need to use such a wide range of academic skills is probably the main reason why the essay format is so popular with tutors as an assignment. The word limit adds to the challenge by requiring that all of these skills be demonstrated within a relatively small number of words. Producing incisive and clear written work within a word limit is an important skill in itself, which will be useful in many aspects of life beyond university. Feedback Good, constructively critical feedback can give you excellent guidance on how to improve your essay writing. It is worth attending to all of the suggestions and comments you receive, and trying to act on them. Common criticism given to students is that their essay: does not keep to the title that was set; has a poor structure; is too descriptive; does not have enough critical writing. These criticisms highlight the three basic elements.