How to Write an Essay
The word "essay" can strike fear in the hearts of even the best students. But it doesn't have to be that way. Students who approach essay writing systematically find essay writing both easy and enjoyable. If getting your assignment done isn't reward enough, remember that good writing skills will help you get ahead in your career some day too.
With that homework assignment looming, here are some tips for good essay writing:
- Planning. You wouldn't take a trip without a map, and good writers don't start writing until they've determined (at least as a starting point) what they are going to say. Before you write a word, make notes about your topic. What are your opinions about it? Your first impressions? What do you find most interesting about the subject? If you don't know much about the subject, where can you find out more?
- Research. Depending on the essay, you may need to read material that has been assigned in class. Don't skip this step. It's key to your success. You also may need to make a trip to the library or conduct some internet research to supplement your topic knowledge. Remember, the more you know, the more you will have to write about the topic. As you do your research, make note of interesting information and sources you can use either as background or for direct quotes or citations.
- Outline. Now that you've thought things through and done a little research, make an outline for your essay. The outline consists of your topic sentence (the theme of your writing) and your key points, which are interesting facts that support your topic sentence, add information, or help explain your topic and/or point of view. The more detailed your outline, the easier it will be to complete the essay.
- Write. Step 4 is often where most students start, and that's probably what leads to frustration and the fear of essays. But for those students who have gone through Steps 1 through 3, this step - the actual writing of the essay - is a piece of cake. Here's where you take the thinking from your plan, the information from your research, and the key points from your outline and write clear, concise sentences that flow from one point to the next. Wrap it up with a conclusion, and you're ready to turn it in!
How to Write a 5 Paragraph Essay
Professional writers learn to perfect the three word headline, deliver a powerful 50-word product description, or craft a 30-second script.
Students of writing will benefit from learning how to write a cohesive essay in five paragraphs. It's a skill that will come in handy and help you to tackle essays in a systematic fashion, virtually eliminating writer's block.
The most important paragraph in your five paragraph essay is the first one. This is the place to grab the interest of your reader with clear, concise, powerful phrasing. The first paragraph introduces your topic using a topic sentence. It's followed by a few sentences of detail about the topic, its history, or your point of view (if applicable). The first paragraph also provides the place to deliver an opinion or compelling statement that gives your reader a reason to go on to paragraph 2.
In the second paragraph you'll want to quickly reward the reader by providing the most interesting statement of your entire essay. For example, in an essay about police negligence in small town crime cases, you might lead off your second paragraph with a shocking statistic. For example: "Crime statistics show that when a murder is committed in a small town, if the killer is not caught within 24 hours, there's a 90 percent chance the killer will never be caught." The source for your bold statement or facts that support it follow in well crafted sentences that complete your second paragraph.
The third paragraph of your essay is a place to offer "the other side" of the story. In the example we've been using here, the third paragraph might discuss the benefits of working a crime scene in a small town. In this case, a sentence that offers an opposing viewpoint might lead this paragraph, as in "Working in law enforcement's favor is the awareness level of the citizens of a small town." Your third paragraph broadens the topic and shows that you have considered both sides of an issue.
The fourth paragraph is the place to return to the original topic sentence and add an interesting fact, quote a survey or an expert, and reiterate the point of the essay.
The final paragraph is a summary. It begins with a brief review of the key points. The conclusion neatly ties up everything discussed with a final defining statement.
Use this formula to simplify your essay writing.