Many students struggle with essay writing assignments, and one of the key reasons for this frustration is students’ lack of understanding of the requirements. When you are asked to write an essay on a topic, what are you basically required to do?
What is an essay? And how can you actually write a good one? You will find your assignment a lot easier if you have a clear understanding of the basics.
What is an essay?
To put it simply, an essay is a written piece that conveys the author’s own argument. The purpose can be to express an idea or initiate a debate. With that said, there is no unanimously accepted definition of an essay.
The length of a piece can vary based on the type, subject, and other factors. It can be a short piece of 500 words or a long one with 5000 words. In general, the range is 1000-3000 words. This range allows a writer to develop an argument and discuss a topic in detail. The topic of an essay can be just about anything.
For all these reasons, a student burdened with responsibilities other than studies find the idea of writing paper rather intimidating. However, he or she can easily get in touch with a custom essay service and get the essay written by a professional writer. Many students are using professional writing services, and the procedure of ordering a paper is pretty straightforward.
How to write a good essay
The most important step for writing an essay is to figure out the category of the essay you are going to write. Decide on the type and tone of the paper. The piece may be any of the four types of essays namely argumentative, narrative, expository, or descriptive essay. Then take the following steps:
1. Choose a topic
If your teacher or instructor has already given you a topic, that’s fine. Otherwise, you will have to choose a topic you are comfortable with. Sometimes, choosing a topic will help you determine the type of the piece.
It is good to choose something you are passionate about. If you know what particular thought or idea you actually want to share, you are going to find the rest a lot easier. Your motivation can also be to correct a misconception. Also, figure out a good way to focus on the information you want to convey.
2. Research the topic
First, brainstorm different supporting ideas related to the topic. Focus on the basic facts, ask questions, and note answers. Mind mapping can help you connect ideas. As you find new stuff, you can jot down ideas using bullet points.
If needed, and if time allows, conduct interviews with experts on the subject. Using a primary source can significantly strengthen your work.
3. Write down a thesis statement
The goal of writing a thesis statement is to sum up the argument or subject of the essay. Whether you write the essay or use an essay service, make sure that the thesis statement does not exceed two sentences. In general, you just have to present the main topic in a nutshell. You can also hint at your position regarding the subject.
4. Create an outline
Alt: marker-hand-planning
Many people mistakenly think that creating an outline is a waste of time. In fact, it is extremely important. An outline will help you organize your thoughts. If you know what you are going to write, you will be more likely to stay on track.
It can be a loose outline or a detailed one. If you make a detailed outline, present only one point in each paragraph. The main points must be related to the thesis statement.
5. Start writing
Now you can start writing the essay based on the outline. Start with the hook. Make sure that the first few lines are attention-grabbing. However, you can also choose to work on the body paragraphs first, and write the hook later.
Each paragraph should contain only one idea. Put the idea or concept in the first sentence and then elaborate the idea. Do not discuss things that are unrelated or loosely related to the topic. Be concise.
6. Cite references appropriately
Be careful when you cite the works of other people in your essay. If it is not absolutely necessary, avoid copying paragraphs from other people’s work.
Paraphrasing is okay, but you have to mention the source of the information, either in the MLA style or the APA-text citation style. When you quote something, make sure you put it in quotation marks. Custom writing services are very careful about citing references appropriately.
7. Proofread and edit your essay
Proofreading an essay is as important as writing it. Fix all spelling and grammatical errors. If you think you need to rewrite some parts of the essay, do it. For this purpose, do not entirely rely on software tools. Give the essay to someone and request the person to spot errors. A reliable essay writing service can help you with this step. Finally, read the essay again and remove unnecessary sentences.
Final thoughts
Good writing requires patience, practice, and talent. It is important to remember that the technical aspect of writing is as important as the aesthetic aspect. We hope now you have a better understanding of what an essay is and how you can write a good one.
