How to Write an Essay (with Pictures)

2024 Author: Samantha Chapman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 09:13

Over the course of your academic career, you will be required to write an essay on many occasions. Learn to write it in an engaging and persuasive way and to correct it.

Steps

Part 1 of 5: Writing

Step 1. Do research to get evidence to prove

• You can make them on the internet, in the library or by accessing an academic database. Don't hesitate to ask the librarian for a hand: that's what he is there for.

• Find out about the sources your teacher accepts.

  • Does the professor want a number of primary and secondary sources?
  • Can you use Wikipedia? This site is often a good starting point, but then you should refer to more authoritative sources, so, if in doubt, do not mention it.
• Take detailed notes, write down where the facts come from. Write down all the bibliographic references from time to time, so you don't have to go back to them at a later time, running the risk of losing some of them.

Step 2. Never ignore facts that appear to be contrary to your idea

A good essayist includes the evidence against his thesis and shows why it is or is not valid or alters his point of view in light of it.

Step 3. Analyze some well-written essays:

during the search some of them will surely appear. You will certainly read others of lower quality as well. Do some analysis to understand what works inside them.

• What are the author's intentions?

  Why is an essay of quality? For the logic, the sources, the style or the structure? Or for something else?

• What evidence does the writer present?

  Why is the evidence credible? How are the facts presented and what is the author's approach?

• Is the logic solid or flawed, and why?

• Why is the logic solid? Does the author offer easy-to-follow examples to support his thesis?

  

Step 4. Brainstorm your ideas

You can use other people's arguments to support what you have to say, but you should offer an original point of view that is uniquely yours.

Make lists of ideas and create mind mappings

Step 5. Take your time

Take a walk around the neighborhood or park and think about the topic. Ideas will come when you least expect them.

Step 6. Write the main sentence of the dissertation

• Look at the ideas you have generated. Choose three of the most robust to support your thesis and support them with evidence extracted from your research.

• Write a statement that summarizes the ideas you intend to present. The reader will need to know where you are headed and why.

  A statement should have a narrow focus encompassing both the general topic and your point of view. Example: "Although Eli Whitney's cotton gin has brought about a new era in American prosperity, it has also caused greater suffering to African American slaves, who are increasingly in demand and, consequently, more exploited."

• A statement should not ask questions, be written in the first person, go off topic or be controversial.

  

Step 7. Organize the essay

Take the thoughts that emerged from the brainstorming and put them together into a summary. Write a reference sentence for each main idea. Then, under each sentence, create a bulleted list with the evidence. Typically, you need to have three arguments or evidence to support each central idea.

• Reference phrase: "Eli Whitney's cotton gin made life harder for African American slaves."
• Example: "The success of cotton made it difficult for slaves to obtain freedom".
• Example: "Many slaves from the north risked being kidnapped and taken south to work in the cotton fields."

• Example: “In 1790, before the cotton gin, the total sum of slaves in America was 700,000. In 1810, following the adoption of the cotton gin, the figure increased to 1.2 million, an increase of 70%.

  

Step 8. Write the body of the essay considering its length

Don't write pages and pages if you've been assigned five paragraphs. However, let your thoughts flow freely first, you can make them more concise later.

Avoid generalizations. Phrases like "_ is the biggest problem in the world today" can cause the reader to reject your position if they disagree with you. On the other hand, "_ is a global problem not to be overlooked" is a more accurate statement

Step 9. Do not enter phrases like "I think"

Avoid the following pronouns: me, you, us, my, your, our. Just talk about facts and evidence to appear more authoritative. Instead of writing “I think Frum is too conservative”, he opts for “Frum shows a certain conservative bias when he writes…”.

Step 10. Write a compelling title and introduction to win over the reader, especially if it's not a school assignment, but a defining essay for your future

• Skip obvious phrases like “The essay is about”, “The essay's theme is” or “I will prove that”.
• Try the inverted pyramid formula. Start with a fairly broad description of the topic and gradually narrow it down to the specific wording. Try not to use more than three or five sentences in short essays and no more than one page in long essays.

Step 11. Example for a short essay:

“Every year, thousands of abandoned and abused animals end up in municipal kennels. Trapped in cages, they suffer and drain the finances of the municipality. Cities should prevent this waste by requiring mandatory training for anyone wishing to own a pet. Although residents may initially oppose the law, they will soon notice the benefits”.

Step 12. Conclude the essay

Summarize the points and suggest ways in which the conclusion can be considered more broadly.

• Answer questions like "What are the true implications of the statement?", "What will the next step be?", "What questions remain unanswered?".
• Your arguments should lead the reader to a natural and logical conclusion. The conclusion takes up the initial sentence to allow the reader to remember the journey traveled by the essay.

Step 13. Center the last sentence

If the title and first paragraph prompt the reader to read the essay, the last sentence should encourage him to remember you. If a gymnast performs a flawless routine but eventually falls instead of hitting the ground while maintaining balance, people will forget how good they are.

Part 2 of 5: Review

Step 1. Wait a couple of days before reading it again

Cut out this space thinking about the delivery date to be able to review and fix it. Never send an incorrect first draft.

Step 2. Correct grammar, punctuation and spelling errors

If in doubt, consult a style manual. Don't use exclamation marks.

Step 3. Check the sentences

Try to avoid obvious typos and use apostrophes and accents correctly (example: many write "why" and not "why")

Step 4. Correct errors related to punctuation in general

Step 5. Eliminate repetition and unnecessary words

Consult the vocabulary if you do not know the most appropriate use of a term, and the thesaurus if you intend to write a word more than once.

• The language will have to go straight to the point, no frills. Don't use big words and try to write clearly, concisely and understandably for a diverse audience.
• Choose the right verbs and prefer the active form to the passive one.

Step 6. Use little adjectives:

they are great for describing but, if adopted indiscriminately, they can weigh down an essay and make it less readable. Verbs and nouns are preferred over adjectives.

Step 7. Avoid conversational writing

Don't use contractions and abbreviations. The tone will have to be serious.

Step 8. Analyze the scrolling of the essay

Does each sentence fluently lead to another? Is each paragraph logically linked to the next? Good connections will allow ideas to flow.

• Chronological example: "Lucia began to think she was in the minority in middle school and confirmed it in high school".
• Example from the general to the particular: “Plants need water to survive. The ability to absorb it depends on the nourishment of the soil ".
• Example of conflicting views: “Vegetarians argue that land is wasted on raising animals for slaughter. The opponents retort by stating that the land used for this purpose is not suitable for agricultural use”.
• Example of a cause-effect relationship: “Michela will be the first person in the family to graduate… she feels inspired to encourage the next generations to follow in her footsteps”.

Step 9. Example of connection between similar opinions:

"Both organic and local food are believed to be better for the environment."

Step 10. Delete information not specifically related to the topic

You don't want to go off topic. All data that does not directly or indirectly support your thesis should be deleted.

Step 11. Ask someone to read the text aloud in front of you or register

The ears are sometimes better than the eyes for catching mistakes. Always remember to consider the fluidity and comprehensibility of the essay.

Step 12. Rewrite any problematic passages or change the order of sentences or paragraphs

Make sure that both the introduction and the conclusion are in line with the changes made within the text.

Part 3 of 5: Writing a Persuasive Essay

Step 1. Compose it with this precise idea:

you want to convince the reader to adopt your point of view. Here are some topics you could cover:

• Should the government allocate funds for stem cell research or not?
• Is love a virtue or a vice?
• Why is "Fourth Estate" the best film of the twentieth century?

Step 2. Why should voting be mandatory for American citizens?

Step 3. Write the essay as if you were conducting a debate:

present the topic, make a list of the tests and move towards the conclusion. The structure is the same.

Step 4. Gather facts from reliable sources to support your ideas

Writing well is important, but knowing how to argue is also important.

Step 5. In addition to research, you can do empirical experiments and surveys, which will provide you with new evidence

Step 6. Tell a story about the facts:

don't just enumerate them! Example: “Since the death penalty was reinstated, more than 140 prisoners have been released after being declared innocent. Now ask yourself: would you like to be one of these inmates held by mistake?”.

Step 7. Discuss conflicting opinions

Present them and use logic and facts to prove their inaccuracy.

Step 8. Example:

“Some people argue that the death penalty is a deterrent to crime. But history has disproved this theory. The southern United States accounts for 80% of the country's executions and also has the highest regional murder rate”.

Step 9. Tie all your ideas together to wrap up

Highlight your thesis for the last time. Add a pop of color to the end by using a fact or story.

Part 4 of 5: Writing an Exhibition Essay

Step 1. Choose a theme and do some research

For example, you can talk about stem cell research and their use in treating spinal cord injuries or diseases like Parkinson's or diabetes

Step 2. Expository essays are different from persuasive ones because they don't require you to support an opinion, but to talk about the facts, without taking a stand

Step 3. Choose your strategy and structure

Here are some of them:

• Definitions, to explain the meaning of terms and concepts.
• Classification, to organize the theme into various groups, starting with the more general one and narrowing it down to a more specific one.
• Comparison and contrast, to describe the similarities, differences or both aspects between ideas and concepts.
• Cause and effect, to explain how topics affect each other or why they are interdependent.

Step 4. How-to, to explain the steps required to teach the reader how to complete a task or procedure

Step 5. Stay impartial

Exposition essays are not about opinion, but about drawing a conclusion based on verifiable evidence. This means having a balanced perspective and focusing on what the facts say.

Step 6. You may also find that, with the new information, you will need to revise the essay

If you started by talking about the scarcity of data on global warming and then find a lot of them, you will need to make the necessary changes.

Step 7. Use facts to tell the story

Think like a reporter or reporter, so the story will emerge on its own through the data.

Step 8. Don't change the structure, though

If you write a narrative essay, you can modify its structure to make it more interesting. The expository essays, on the other hand, should be linear and go from A to B.

Part 5 of 5: Writing a Fictional Essay

Step 1. Tell the story vividly and in detail

You can tell a fact or describe a personal experience related to a larger topic, such as stem cell research. Example: You could tell how a loved one was healed thanks to these advances in medicine.

Step 2. Include all the elements to tell the story in a pleasant way:

introduction, setting, plot, characters, climax and conclusion.

• Introduction. How will you set up the story? Present what you will say in the text.
• Setting, the place where the story takes place. Describe it briefly to make the reader participate.
• Plot, what happens, the action of the story. Why is this story worth talking about?
• Personages. Who I am? What are they doing? What does the story tell us about them?
• Climax, the moment of suspense before reaching the solution. Can't wait to know how it will turn out?

Step 3. Conclusion

How it all works out. What's the moral of the story? How did things, people and ideas change over the course of the story?

Step 4. Try to have a clear point of view

Most fictional essays are written from the writer's point of view, but you can also consider other perspectives if that seems appropriate to you.

Step 5. Speak in the first person, but don't overdo it

In all the essays the narrative takes on a more authoritative tone if the facts and opinions are expressed in the third person.

Step 6. Get to the heart of the matter:

history is not an end in itself. Explain the central idea in the statement and make sure all the text revolves around it.

What have you learned? Does the essay represent an exploration of what you have learned?

Step 7. Choose your language carefully

You will use evocative words for the reader.

Advice

• Don't rush or take too long to write. The main ideas are a priority, the rest must be discarded.
• Don't wait until the last minute to write. Give yourself time to correct.

• Avoid:

  • Make lists only.
  • Use "etc." at the end of a list; sometimes it can mean "I have nothing else to say".
  • Don't brainstorm before you start writing. You will need to have a lineup in order not to run the risk of losing fundamental concepts.
• Refer to the illustrations, diagrams, and photos in the text. Indicate them as Figure 1, 2, 3… and Photos 1, 2, 3… Do not include images that you do not mention in the essay.