Writing an essay can seem a daunting task. You could be assigned one right after you get back from your summer vacation, or you might even have to write one for a class (or four). The following article offers some valuable tips on how to compose and edit an essay, including sources for gathering information, structuring the introduction, research techniques, providing support, troubleshooting, and more. Why Writing an Essay Can Be a Challenge
If you find that writing essays is difficult, you’re not alone. Essays are a tough nut to crack. They are the hardest kind of academic writing assignment. Once the topic is selected, you are presented with a dense amount of information in a very short amount of time. I used to struggle with essays in high school, and I have been writing for almost 10 years now.
The good news is that there are quite a few techniques that can help you develop your essay-writing skills and make the process more manageable. I am going to talk about some of the challenges you will face when writing an essay, so that you know what to expect. Finding Information You need to gather information from a variety of sources. Some sources are more appropriate than others, depending on the nature of your essay.
How to Write an Essay: How Do You Begin an Essay?
A good introduction paragraph is an essential part of any academic essay. It sets up your argument and tells the reader what to expect. The main goals of an introduction are to:
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Catch your reader’s attention. Give background on your topic. Present your thesis—the central point of your essay. Your introduction should be interesting and engaging so that your reader wants to continue reading. It should be just long enough to get your point across without being too long to finish.
The primary tasks of the introduction are to: Ensure that your reader understands the point of your essay. Mention a few key points of your argument, to be supported throughout the essay. Introduce the thesis—your main point of view. Explain the context and audience for your essay. Introduce any secondary sources you plan to cite, such as scholarly articles or books. Provide context or background for your argument.
Choose the Type of Essay
There are different types of essays that students are required to write during their academic careers. The type of essay that a student is required to write will depend on the assignment and the instructor’s requirements. However, there are some general types of essays that students may be asked to write. The following are the different types of essays that students write in their academic career:
What Are the Different Types of Essays?
Expository: The purpose of this type of essay is to present information clearly and concisely. This type of essay is used in papers or assignments where there is little expectation that the student will create original content, but rather that the student will simply summarize existing information.
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Argumentative: This type of essay is used in papers or assignments where the student will be asked to support a specific viewpoint or viewpoints. This type of essay requires more content that just the typical expository essay, but still requires the student to present the argument in a logical way.
Persuasive Essay: This type of essay is very similar to the argumentative essay. This type of essay requires that the student present a particular argument in a logical way, but this time they will also be required to sell their position by making it clear why the reader should agree with them.
Descriptive: This type of essay is written to simply describe a certain subject in a very specific manner. Descriptive essays often deal with more detailed topics than expository and argumentative essays, but are less broad in scope.
Narrative: This type of essay is usually quite short and can include elements of description, description with examples, description with quotes, description with personal narratives, etc.
8 Steps to Writing an Essay
The 8 steps to writing an essay are:
1. Choose a topic: When it comes to writing an essay, there are eight basic steps that you need to follow in order to produce a good piece of writing. These steps can be broken down into two groups: critical thinking and writing. Critical thinking includes choosing a topic and researching it thoroughly; this is an important step to take, because the topic you choose will affect the tone of your essay.
2. Research your topic: Read and study. Once you have chosen a topic, the next step is to learn as much as you can about it. You’ll have a number of ways to do this: you can read about the topic in books, articles, and on the Internet.
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3. Outline your essay: This is the part where you put together all of the information you have collected about your topic and organize it into a series of paragraphs. Your outline will include the following:
– A thesis statement that states your argument and the tone of your essay.
– The main points of your essay.
– A series of supporting paragraphs, each one focused on a particular point in your argument.
– An introduction that brings your essay up to speed by introducing the main points you want to make, summarizing the problem your paper is trying to solve, and highlighting the general importance of your topic.
4. Write your essay: After you have your outline, sit down to write your essay. Each paragraph should advance the argument in a logical and persuasive way. As you write, make sure you stay focused on the main points of your argument. You can also include side notes as needed. If you need to make changes to your paper or think of a new idea, be sure to save it so you can incorporate it later.
5. Edit your essay: If you need to make more changes, and that’s often the case, go back through your outline. Once you’ve written each paragraph, edit and edit again. Make sure you edit each sentence and each word. Then make sure your essay flows smoothly and that each paragraph concludes with a strong conclusion and strong sentences.
6. Proofread your essay: Once you’ve edited and edited, it’s time to proofread. Proofreading is the most important step because it will catch every mistake. Once you have proofread your essay, you can submit it to your instructor.
Tip: Avoid writing a thesis statement that has a lot of assumptions in it. When you first write your thesis statement, put it in your outline. Make sure to edit and edit until it’s as close to the point that you want it to be.
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7. Submit your essay: Once you have proofread your essay, submit it to your instructor. It’s essential that you communicate all of the requirements to your instructor, including how to respond and what happens if you don’t complete the assignment. If you haven’t yet decided what you’re going to do, use this time to talk with your instructor.
8. Get feedback: Once you have submitted your essay, sit down and wait for feedback. When you sit down and wait, don’t panic because it may take a while.
Conclusion
If you find writing essays daunting, you are not alone. This article offers valuable tips on how to compose and edit an essay, including sources for gathering information, structuring the introduction, research techniques, providing support, troubleshooting, and more. So why is writing an essay a challenge for so many people? Perhaps it is because we are often asked to write about things we know little about. Or maybe it is because we are not sure how to make our arguments convincing. Whatever the reason, the following tips will help you write a great essay, regardless of the topic.
