Writing assignments usually seem extremely hard for school and college students. It might be a simple essay for English class, an essay for some contest or scholarship nevertheless students consider this task beyond their strength.
Writing process includes several steps and if you follow them and do it correctly, you will get a positive result, and your essay will be successful and effective. Here you can find main tips which can help you with your writing. Read them and use in practice. The result will not take long.
#1. Read The Question
You should read the question of the essay carefully and highlight the keywords which you will use in your article. If there any unfamiliar word constructions or words look for their meaning in the dictionary.
You should also take into account the exact task words which can indicate the style of answering. The question may include words like “explain,” “describe,” “discuss,” etc.
#2. Carry Out Preparatory Work
You should definitely do some research or other kinds of preparatory work before essay writing if you have enough time for that. It’s really great if you have an opportunity to create a background. This will help you to make persuasive statements and to show your awareness on the issue. Take into account only relevant sources which you can trust.
#3. Use The Five Paragraph Essay Structure
The common structure of the school and college essays includes main five paragraphs:
- Introduction;
- The first paragraph of the body;
- The second paragraph of the essay body;
- The third paragraph of the article body;
- Conclusion.
This structure may seem too simple or formal, but it should that it allows the reader to distinguish and understand the main thoughts and ideas of the author and to follow the logical line.
#4. Make An Outline Of The Essay
A plan will help you to gather all of your ideas and thoughts. Making an outline, you will be able to make sure that you have mentioned all your facts and arguments. But remember that this part of the work is supportive so don’t spend much time on it.
#5. Create A Persuasive Thesis Statement
Every article should include the main thesis. It is a statement which can describe the author’s response to the main question. You should show all your writing skills so don’t make a thesis very simple because it’s an essay’s backbone. Put it in the introduction and return to it several times in the body paragraphs. You should also make a conclusion on its basis.
#6. Write The Essay
After all preparatory work now you are ready to start writing your essay.
Write a Good Introduction
The introduction of a successful essay should look like a short, brief summary which highlights the main points which will be discussed in the article. In the introduction you should:
- Make clear the key idea and your position on the issue;
- Start with a "hook" in order to attract the reader;
- Give a short description of your outline and the examples which you will use in the text;
- Add a benefit to the last sentence of the introduction to make the reader move to the body of the article.
Write The Body Paragraphs
Three paragraphs between the introduction and the conclusion are called the body of the essay. It is the biggest part of the article. All your ideas, arguments and thoughts should be highlighted here.
The body part of the essay allows the author to explain, to give the arguments and to describe the topic. Every statement or idea should be in a different paragraph (or section) of the essay.
Each paragraph usually has the common structure. It’s better to write down the main ideas in a form of short sentences and the explanations after them that are supported with facts and examples. Remember that all paragraphs should be connected and there should be a logical line between them.
You should write about the strongest statement in the first paragraph of the body of the essay. Use the most bright example in this part of the article. Choose the thesis and the examples which can strengthen and prove the thesis.
How to check whether the main body :
- Have you used words at the beginning of the paragraphs which can connect them with the previous paragraphs? These words and phrases are: “moreover',” “after all,” “nevertheless,” etc.
- Did you start every paragraph with a sentence which can show that it is connected with the other parts of the article?
- Have you provided persuasive supporting facts and arguments?
Write The Conclusion Of The Essay
The conclusion is another important part of the essay. In this part of the writing assignment, you should weigh up all facts and arguments that were used and choose the most persuasive and relevant. The thesis, which you will choose must be the strongest among all that you have. In the conclusion you should:
- Sum up all main ideas of the text;
- Give the demonstration of the way in which you can prove your statements;
- Finish your writing with some comment which may be provoking and interesting.
#7. How Much Should You Write?
This question is interesting for all students. And it should be mentioned that it’s quite hard to find the right answer. And no one knows how much to write. There are many factors which can have an influence. The size of the article depends on the topic, the number of statements and arguments, etc.
You should remember that the most important thing is to write as much as possible during the time that is allotted for this work. But still, write about the relevant facts only. Because, as you know, quantity is not so important as the quality.
Generally speaking, in order to write a successful essay you should create persuasive statements and provide supportive examples and arguments. And remember that you will have more chances to get good points across if the size of your article will be bigger. But if you still have questions about writing you can get the professional assistance.
