A Detailed Guide on How To Write an Essay

A high-quality and informative essay can be decisive in an important issue. For example, if this paper is necessary for admission to an educational institution or when applying for a job. But even if we are talking about the usual educational process, take writing an essay seriously. Some students mistakenly consider an essay easy, but this is different. Despite the small volume, the essay requires deep knowledge and skills. But do not worry; now we will tell you how to write this type of assignment correctly.

What Is an Essay? Why Is It So Hard to Write?

Let’s start with the definition of an essay. An essay is a prose work of small volume and free composition, expressing personal impressions and thoughts on a specific occasion or an issue and does not claim to be a defining or exhaustive interpretation of the subject.

Sounds very simple. What could be easier than expressing your opinion, even in an accessible form? But everything is a little more complicated. Even in the most straightforward essay, you must present information consistently and logically. Structural failure is a severe disadvantage and dramatically reduces the grade.

To write an essay correctly, one should consider the specific features that distinguish it from other genres.

The main features of the essay:

  1. A specific narrow topic that contains a problem prompts the reader to think.
  2. Subjective author’s position. The essay is distinguished precisely by the author’s view of the existing problem, his attitude to the world, their speech, and their thinking.
  3. Conversational writing style. You should avoid complex wording and too-long sentences. Maintaining a casual style to establish contact with the audience is essential. At the same time, it is important not to overdo it by turning the essay into a low-quality text full of slang. In short, simple, and understandable paragraphs, using different intonations in sentences will give the correct emotional coloring of the text.
  4. Detailed analysis of the problem. Argue your point of view based on factual material.
  5. The relative brevity of the presentation. There are no restrictions on the number of pages, but the essay is notable for its small volume.
  6. Free building. The essay is like a presentation that does not fit into any specific framework. The construction is subject to its logic, which the author adheres to, trying to consider the problem from different angles.
  7. Presentation logic. Despite the free composition, the essay must have internal unity and consistency of the author’s statements expressing his opinion.

Thus, the essay is distinguished by a unique style of narration; its purpose is to encourage people to think. The author does not insist on his point of view but, as it were, invites them to consider and discuss it.

What Essay Type You Can Face

There are many essay categories. For example, there are philosophical, artistic, historical, spiritual-religious, and literary-critical essays. By form, they are divided into notes, letters, lyrical miniatures, and reviews. According to the method of presentation – descriptive and narrative, analytical and critical, essay illustrations, classifications, and others.

Different Types of Essays

The presence of classification in the essay is worth mentioning, as a result of which we will consider in more detail the existing species at a given time.

Descriptive

This work contributes to helping in the perception of particular objects by the person himself, given how important it is to correctly describe the external or internal qualities without conducting any thorough criticism or analysis, as is often the case.

Narrative

This story allows you to assess the current situation, as a result of which it will be essential to use the story of what is happening, a brief biography of people or a particular person, identifying in advance a conflict, a problem, your own opinion within the framework of this topic.

Definition

This essay considers the author’s preferences, particularly compiling a so-called rating of certain items with a rationale for each and why it deserves a specific place on the list.

Compare and Contrast

The goal is to compare two objects at once, identify different and standard features, and provide your own opinion on the issue under study, taking into account the features.

Argumentative

You can mention the specific proof of the aspects listed at the beginning of the work when setting up a hypothesis that will need to be proven.

Expository

This type requires an explanation of a complex concept in simple words. It can present a report about a whole investigation of an event or situation. That’s why it takes a lot of effort and time to write it.

Persuasive

In this paper, your goal is to convince the audience. You argue in favor of some concept and logically name the arguments supporting your idea.

Critical

Analysis of someone’s work (article, film, fine art, etc.). It indicates the work’s strengths and weaknesses and reveals its creation’s subtleties. The essay’s author suggests what the creator wanted to convey to the public and sums up whether he achieved the goal.

Cause and Effect

It is vital to correctly compose a logical chain to convey to the reader the course of reasoning, building an evidence base, thanks to which it will be possible to understand the specifics of the topic without deviating to the side. There are no prohibitions on this matter.

Reflective

Reflective essays describe an event or experience and then analyze the meaning of that experience and what you can learn from it. What makes an essay reflective is that the writer explores a past event from the present.

Reflective essays require the writer to be open about their thoughts and emotions to paint an accurate picture of their history, personality, and individual traits.

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The Features of Essay Format

We propose to continue learning the specifics of the essay. And it is only possible to mention the presence of such central features of essay format as the expression of the student’s attitude to a particular subject, conciseness, and the subjectivity of views that should be taken into account in any case.

It is worth noting that such a genre as an essay arose quite a long time ago, given that it was Michel Montaigne who invented it in his work “Experiments,” written back in the 16th century. No one could have imagined that the genre would be so popular among representatives of the journalistic environment; writers, even students who feel important as they voice their opinion on a particular issue, can show their creative component to the fullest.

A small amount of text

It is worth clarifying that we should not forget about the small amount of work, given the absence of exceeding ten pages in the document, as a result of which a basic essay consists of:

An introduction should be between half and one full page

The content – from 3 to 5 sheets, no more

The conclusion should be from half to 1 full page.

Remember the correctly designed title page, listing the literature sources used, which you should include in these ten pages.

One Selected Research Problem

To write an essay, it is essential to choose an actual issue. Given that the issue of research work is a rather serious formulation, you can study it in term papers, scientific, and diploma works since the essay is a literary genre that cannot be strictly attributed to a particular area of ​​science.

It is crucial to choose that biography, critical issue, or situation that is considered relevant cause an emotional response from the author, as a result of which it will be possible to write an adequate text. No abstract concepts may be unfamiliar; as a result, only templates and general phrases will be used, not forgetting the choice of a single topic.

Simplicity of Storytelling

Remember about the relative simplicity of the narrative. As a result, it is impossible to allow any compound sentences that include an abundance of participial. These terms could be more evident to most people who want to get acquainted with the work. At the same time, you should not use obscene language, slang, or other words that are used only in communication with friends.

It is necessary to actively express one’s emotions, attitudes, and thoughts using various means of expression, for example, metaphors, epithets, and multiple kinds of comparisons (an interesting point of view, beautiful, curious).

How Long Is an Essay, Ideally?

The essay does not claim to be a complete disclosure of the topic, so if you wonder how long an essay is, the answer is small. Depending on the subject and the text’s central topic, the traditional essay length can be from 2 to 5 printed pages. On the other hand, if you are used to counting differently and want to know how many words should be in an essay, then the answer is from 300 to 1000.

As in any other work, the main thing in an essay is not the volume of words but the semantic content. Therefore, if you opened the question using a minimum of paragraphs, the work deserves a high grade.

How to Write an Essay Effortlessly

The key to correctly writing an essay is understanding the genre’s features. Compliance with the basic principles and recommendations for writing will allow you to create an exciting essay.

How to Choose a Topic

If there is no list of topics among which you can choose one, and you have only a general direction, then you need to consider what audience the paper is intended for. The options may differ for a teacher at a university, a commission, a literary community, or an employer. If a paper is written for delivery to a teacher, then it is necessary to consider what qualities they will assess. Based on this, the topic should be chosen so that it can show the abilities that the verifier expects from the student: originality, the ability to build paragraphs, literacy, professional qualities, etc., logically.

When selecting a topic for writing an essay from the list, you should choose one with specific knowledge, considerations, or strong interest.

Suppose the essay is focused on the employer. In that case, both the topic and the paper’s content should reflect the writer’s character, sincerity, originality, humanity, and individuality.

How to Start an Essay

It often happens that a person with sufficient eloquence and the ability to express his thoughts on paper needs help starting a composition, including an essay. Thinking about the beginning can stretch for quite a long time, which significantly overshadows the process of creative work. Check out our tips on how to start a paper:

  • Tip 1. Before you start writing an essay, you got to formulate a topic, define a goal and find sources of information for work.
  • Tip 2: Use the free writing technique. Its essence is to write down all the thoughts that come to mind without editing them and not following the grammar, punctuation, style, paragraphs, etc. A great way to help deal with a creative block and find an extraordinary idea.
  • Tip 3. It is vital to avoid getting hung up on the introductory paragraph. You can write the introduction after the main part. In this case, it is already clear what the essay is about, so it is easier to write the introduction.
  • Tip 4. One of the common options is to write an essay, starting with a question and the answer given later.

How to Plan an Essay

It would help if you did not strive to draw up a perfect plan right away. It can be edited while working. It is generally optional to make a plan when writing an essay and stick to an already-written essay structure. The absence of restrictions and rigid frameworks is the advantage of this genre. If it is easier for the student to stick to a strict plan, then it is worth compiling it.

Points of the plan should reflect the central topic. Then, detail it as much as possible, breaking each item into sub-items.

Then you should re-read the plan and ensure that each item is in its place and sufficiently detailed.

Perfect Essay Structure

The order of writing an essay usually comes down to three steps.

Introductory part

Like any written work, an essay contains an introductory part or introduction on an essay.

A well-written introduction makes people interested and reads the paper to the end. Although the introductory paragraphs may contain the formulation of the theme and its essence, a rhetorical question, a quote, etc., it is crucial to create a unique emotional mood and bring the reader to the concept under consideration.

Main part

In the main part, you can give different points of view on the issue under consideration and touch on the issue’s history.

Usually, this part consists of several sub-paragraphs, each of which consists of three sections:

  • Thesis (proposition to be proved).
  • Justification (arguments used to prove the thesis).
  • Sub-conclusion (partial answer to the initial question).

Arguments are judgments made to convince the audience of the truth of a particular point of view. These can be various situations from life, the opinions of scientists, evidence, etc.

You can build the argument in the following sequence:

  • Statement.
  • Explanation.
  • Example.
  • Final judgment.

Conclusion

The essay conclusion unites all the findings on each thesis presented in the main part. The reader must come to a logical conclusion which is based on the arguments given. In conclusion, the problem is re-stated, and a conclusion is made.

Suppose the purpose of the introductory paragraphs is to interest the audience. In that case, the purpose of the last paragraph is to add integrity to the overall picture, leave the work in memory, and prompt reflection.

The Best Essay Writing Tips

All rules for writing an essay are advisory. Use our tips on how to write a good essay, also taking into account the information presented above, and create an essay that will not leave the reader indifferent.

Tips for Writing an Essay

When writing an essay, you should alternate short phrases with long ones. In this case, the text will be dynamic enough to read easily:

  1. Do not use complex and incomprehensible words, especially if the word’s meaning is unfamiliar. Stick to a simple structure with minimum paragraphs.
  2. Use as few general phrases as possible. The essay should be unique and individualized, reflecting the writer’s personality. Paragraphs should be short and easy to understand.
  3. You should use humor with great care. On the other hand, sarcasm and brashness can annoy and contradict the topic.
  4. Reflection on personal experience, memories, and impressions is a great way to confirm your point of view and the reader’s convictions.
  5. Staying to the topic and central idea without deviating from it and describing unnecessary details is necessary.
  6. Having finished the essay, you should re-read it, ensuring that the presentation’s logic is maintained throughout the story.
  7. Using facts and research results in an essay is a great option to give credibility.

Common mistakes when writing an essay

Knowing the most common mistakes will help you avoid them when writing an essay.

Mistake 1. The fear of being misunderstood or not making the right impression contributes to the fact that the writer removes everything superfluous and outstanding from the paper. Due to this, the paper can lose its individuality and originality.

Mistake 2. Need for more elaboration of details. A common mistake is the presence of a statement that is not supported by a sufficient number of arguments in the form of examples and evidence.

Error 3. Misunderstanding of the essence of the concept stated in the essay or incorrect interpretation of the topic.

Error 4. Listing other people’s opinions without indicating their authorship and the absence of their point of view.

The beauty of the essay genre lies in the absence of rigid restrictions. Complete freedom of creativity, the ability to express one’s opinion and share one’s thoughts, and a non-standard solution to a problem are inherent in an essay that make this genre attractive to a creative person who generates original ideas.

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