You come across an interesting essay write-up on the Internet. You go through it, and you are amazed at the quality of the content and how well it is presented. You wonder, “I wish I could also write like this author.” Well, the good news is that you can. And the bad news is that you need to have patience and constantly practice writing adhering to a rigid process and essay structure.
If you have an essay assignment to submit or you are new at it, go through the guidelines specified below. If you stick to it, you will definitely improve in a short time. You should:
- Choose an Intriguing Topic
First, you must select a trending topic, which provides a wide scope of discussion. In this regard, you can go through various websites and blog posts, university libraries, or even samples section of the educational service providers. You also can go through Google Scholar, or YouTube videos to acquire compelling topics.
If you are having a hard time selecting the topic, you should first determine the purpose of your essay. Based on it, look for various ideas on the Internet. If your aim is to educate, choose a subject that you already know. If your goal is to persuade, choose a subject that you are passionate about.
2. Collect Important Resources
Once you have chosen the topic, you should then focus on resource gathering. This is because this information would help you form ideas and also validate your statements. For this reason, you must pore through all the above mentioned resources and also go through social media platforms.
For instance, if you were to look for technology-related topics, you should first start with YouTube channels. You would get to see various content creators discussing the latest gadget launches or sharing updates regarding any software unveiling. Or, you should visit TechCrunch, TechRadar, Wired, etc. Furthermore, you have to collect statistical figures too. For example, you could share that there would be 133 million new jobs by the end of 2022 due to AI.
3. Write an Intriguing Thesis Statement
After you have provided a hook, you should create a thesis statement, to tell your reader the purpose of your essay. Go through your outline to come up with a debatable thesis statement. You should take a strong stand, and a single statement must carry the overall response to the problem. Do not forget to refer to it several times within the essay, then restate it in your conclusion.
Essentially, you must put forward arguments throughout the essay that supports the thesis statement. The best way to get better at it is to go through numerous examples.
4. Write an Intriguing Thesis Statement
After you have provided a hook, you should create a thesis statement, to tell your reader the purpose of your essay. Go through your outline to come up with a debatable thesis statement. You should take a strong stand, and a single statement must carry the overall response to the problem. Do not forget to refer to it several times within the essay, then restate it in your conclusion.
Essentially, you must put forward arguments throughout the essay that supports the thesis statement. The best way to get better at it is to go through numerous examples.
5. Craft an Intriguing Introduction
Now that you have written the body of the essay, you know what the important points are. You also know the overall structure, i.e., the headings and the subheadings. Thus, it would be easier for you to write the introduction. But, you must make it catchy as it is the first section that the professors or the readers will go through.
Start with an attention grabbing hook. You could either write a question or a state a figure. For instance, if your topic was “Ill-effects of social media” you could write ‘Did you know American teenagers spend nine hours a day on smartphones?” Next, you write the thesis statement. Following this, you give a brief overview of the subject matter, the existing studies and the reason why you chose the topic.
6. Write the Conclusion
Finally, you write the essay conclusion. The conclusion provides you with an opportunity, to sum up, your ideas and close up the topic. Your content should be precise, containing three to five sentences. You must not introduce any new ideas at the conclusion. All you have to do is highlight the crux of the essay.
Moreover, you have to restate your thesis statement and once again support your stance. You can mention the literature gaps and the future scope of study. And if it is a persuasive or argumentative essay, you have the option of including a call-to-action for the readers.
7. Edit Your Paper
Next is editing and proofreading. You should check for the general essay structure and make sure the correct format is used. Do check if you have included the strongest points first and at the last paragraph and within the body of the essay. You can easily arrange the rest of the facts and fix the rest of the content in the middle of the body paragraph.
You should go through the paper multiple times to ensure that the sentences are sensible. You should also focus on the transition between each paragraph. You should check for the grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors and make necessary corrections. Make sure you delete irrelevant sections; and improve expressions by changing the vocabulary. Also check for the chronology of events, especially if you are describing a process.
In addition to the tips shared above, you should:
- Should consider the target audience first before you start writing
- Not use too many quotes in the essay
- Focus on diction
- Try to present your unique voice, i.e., writing style, outlook, ideas, etc.
- Keep each body paragraph within 5 sentences
- Constantly work on your grammar
- Check for plagiarism once you are through with the writing process
- Keep reading various articles, books, etc. to gather ideas and check out other’s writing style
These tips will definitely help you get better at essay writing. In no time, you will see that the teachers appreciate your write-up, and your articles are getting published on various platforms.
