8 Steps to Write an Outstanding Essay
“What are the steps to write an essay?”
Here are the important steps that go into writing a good essay.
1. Choose the Type of Essay
There are different kinds of essays, and before beginning with the writing, it is important to choose the type of essay.
In addition, different kinds of essays are written in different ways. When writing any of them, it is important to follow specific guidelines.
Below are the common kinds of essays.
- Persuasive essay
- Argumentative essay
- Descriptive essay
- Compare and contrast essay
- Narrative essay
- Expository essay
- Informative essay
- Problem solution essay
Once you have chosen the type of essay you want to write, you can structure your essay accordingly and move on to the next step.
2. Find an Engaging and Interesting Topic
Without a good topic, you cannot write a good essay. The best way of finding a good topic for your essay is to brainstorm different ideas and see which of them makes a good topic.
Brainstorming is an effective way of coming up with interesting topics that you can use to write your essay.
Write down all the ideas that come into your mind and choose the one that is interesting and has good research scope.
3. Conduct the Topic Research
Once you have found the topic for your essay, conducting thorough and detailed research using multiple sources is a good idea.
Online databases and your high school or college’s library are the best places to find reliable information and sources.
Keep all the researched material organized so that you do not have to hunt for the sources to refer to them.
However, it is important that you cite the sources, especially when you present the evidence!
4. Choose a Suitable Writing Style
The writing style will be decided by your teacher, and the entire essay will be according to it. There are several different writing styles, but some of them are not as common as others.
Usually, the teachers ask the students to write their essays in the following writing styles:
- APA - American Psychological Association
- MLA - Modern Language Association
- Chicago/Turabian Manual of Style
Each citation style is different and has its format and guidelines. These formats and styles apply to both in-text citations and the list of references.
5. Develop a Consistent Thesis Statement
The thesis statement of an essay is the most important and main point of the essay. It is a single sentence that informs the readers about your point of view and the main point of the essay.
A strong and engaging thesis statement should be direct and inform the readers about the main subject or topic discussed in the essay.
All the points and arguments discussed in the essay should support your thesis and lead the readers to this main point.
A perfect thesis statement is brief and engages the readers to read the entire research paper or essay.
6. Create an Outline for Your Essay
No good assignment or essay is possible without a perfect essay outline. It is the skeleton of your paper that you will flesh out with your arguments, evidence, and examples.
Instead of adding brief points, it is better to make a detailed outline for your essay. This will help you stay focused and follow the logical flow of your work.
Write the points that you will add under each heading and refer back to them throughout your essay writing process. This will make sure that you do not go astray and stay focused.
Check out this outline to get a better understanding of how to write an essay!
To get a more thorough understanding of how to create an outline, read this blog on essay outline by experts.
7. Write Your Essay
After making the outline, it is time to start writing your essay.
Keep the outline of your essay with you and follow it closely. When writing an essay, it is easy to think that you would remember everything and do not need the outline.
However, this is where many students are mistaken. As a result, they miss out on important details and examples of their essays.
8. Edit and Proofread
After writing the essay, reread the entire essay and check it for any grammatical, spelling, and structural errors.
It is the last part of the process, and unfortunately, many students ignore this step. They submit their work without proper editing and proofreading.
Below is the checklist that you should follow when checking your work.
- Format of the essay
- Clarity of the thesis statement
- Grammatical, structural, and spelling errors
- Quotes and paraphrased content
- Usage of the transition words and phrases
- Citations and the lists of references and bibliography
It is important that you make sure that your essay is free from all kinds of errors and is absolutely flawless. Submitting an essay that is low in quality and filled with all kinds of errors will not able to earn a top grade.
Take a look at our example to gain insight into crafting a compelling essay!
How to Write an Essay - Structure
Before you can start writing an essay, it's important to understand the structure. A well-structured essay is clear and concise, making it easier for readers to follow.
There are three main parts to an essay: the introduction, body, and conclusion.
Let's dive into each section and learn how to write an essay step-by-step.
How to Write an Essay - Introduction
The essay introduction is your chance to make a great first impression on the reader. It should draw them in and make them want to keep reading.
Let’s break down how to write an essay introduction step-by-step.
Hook Your Reader
Your essay introduction should begin with a hook—a sentence or two that captures the interest of your reader.
Effective ways to grab attention are funny anecdotes or quotes from famous people.
However, don’t try too hard—keep it simple for the best results!
Provide Background on Your Topic
Once you’ve their attention, it's time to convince the reader. You can do it by providing some background information about your topic.
This should give them enough general knowledge to understand what follows without giving away all of your key points.
For example, you are writing about climate change. It should include some basic facts such as when it was discovered and who has been researching it.
These facts will help set up the rest of the essay and give readers context for what follows.
Present the Thesis Statement
Once you have provided background about your topic, it is time to introduce your thesis statement.
Your thesis statement should appear at the end of the introduction so that readers know what to expect from your paper.
Make sure this sentence is clear and direct; don’t leave any room for confusion!
Map Out Your Structure
The last part of writing an effective essay introduction is outlining how you plan to structure the rest of the paper.
This includes introducing any subtopics or arguments you will explore throughout the body paragraphs. This way your readers will know exactly what they can expect from the rest of the paper.
This helps their reading experience and keeps them interested in what comes next!
Writing Essay Body
The essay body is where you have the chance to fully explain your argument and provide evidence for your points. Crafting a well-written essay body takes time, practice, and patience!
These steps will walk you through exactly how to write a great essay body.
Length of the Body Text
Generally speaking, most essays should be around 500 words in total. Of that 500 words, approximately 300 should make up the essay body.
The length of the essay should depend on:
- Topic
- The complexity of the subject matter
- How much detail is needed to support your thesis statement.
This can vary depending on each individual’s writing style, but it provides a good reference point for length.
Paragraph Structure
Each paragraph should contain its own topic sentence that introduces what that particular paragraph will be about.
Following this topic sentence should be evidence (facts or quotes from reliable sources) that supports your argument.
Each paragraph should end with a conclusion sentence or two that sums up what has been discussed in that paragraph. It should make a connection to the overall argument of your paper as a whole.
You can also check out our example on how to format your essay!
In addition to being organized into paragraphs, each section should also contain transition phrases or words. Transitions are key when it comes to crafting a great essay!
How to Write an Essay - Conclusion
When writing essay, you need to write an essay conclusion that leaves your reader with something to think about.
Let’s see how can you craft an engaging conclusion!
Reinstate the Thesis Statement
A great way to wrap up your essay is by reinforcing the thesis statement you made in the introduction.
Summarize the key points that supported or argued for this thesis and show why it's important overall.
It’s like connecting all the dots from beginning to end so that readers understand why your argument matters.
Provide a Summary
Once you've restated the thesis statement, provide a brief summary of what was discussed in the body of your essay.
What were some of the main points? What did readers learn?
This summarization ensures that they don’t miss out on any key information while giving them closure on what they just read.
Call To Action
Finally, end your essay by providing a call-to-action (CTA).
This provides further incentive to keep engaging with your content after they finish reading. It encourages readers to take action based off what they learned in your essay.
For example, you wrote an essay about climate change. You could ask readers to donate some money or volunteer their time towards organizations working towards solving this global issue.
How to Write an Essay Example
Once you have chosen a topic, the next step is to find examples that will help you explain your point.
These samples can inspire you to come up with new ideas and perspectives.
Check them out!
Check out some more essay examples in this blog!
Tips for Writing an Effective Essay
Writing an effective essay requires more than just finding the right topic. Here are some tips to help you write a great essay:
- Begin your writing early: Start writing your essay as soon as you have chosen a topic. This will give you enough time to plan, research, and write without feeling rushed or overwhelmed.
- Keep the essay question in mind: Make sure you address the question throughout your essay. This will ensure that your points are focused and relevant to what you were asked to write about.
- Break down your task: Divide the essay into smaller parts so that it's easier to manage. This will help you focus on each section and keep your essay organized.
- Write the introduction and conclusion after the body: Writing the introduction and conclusion after writing essay body will ensure that your argument is focused and clear.
- Utilizing 'signpost' words in your writing is essential: Signpost phrases provide a roadmap for your essay. Thereby allowing the readers to better comprehend and appreciate its structure.
- Carefully incorporate the evidence: Make sure to incorporate evidence from your research into your essay. This will strengthen your argument and help you make a stronger case for your points.
- Thoroughly revise your initial draft: Before you submit your essay, make sure to read through it several times and revise any mistakes. This will help ensure that your essay is clear and error-free!
- Put the essay aside for a few days: After you have finished revising your essay, put it aside for a few days and then read it again. This will help to make sure that you haven't missed any errors or typos.
Topics for Essay Writing
Now that you have the tools to write an effective essay, it's time to choose your essay topic.
Here are some popular topics for writing essays:
- The impact of social media on society
- The role of technology in education
- Exploring ethical dilemmas in healthcare
- The influence of religion on politics
- The evolution of the fashion industry
- Examining the causes of poverty
- The importance of sustainable development
- Analyzing gender roles in popular culture
- Exploring the role of public transportation
- Evaluating climate change and its effects
If you need more topics, click to get a list of 100+ essay topics for students!
Writing an essay can be a daunting task. But with the right guidance and skills, you can write an effective essay that will impress your reader. Follow these steps and tips to help make the process easier!
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