How to Write An Essay

An essay is a structured piece of writing that presents an author’s perspective, argument, analysis, or exploration of a specific topic. It is written to persuade, inform, or entertain readers by providing evidence, analysis, and logical reasoning. A typical essay has three main parts:

  1. An introduction
  2. Main body paragraphs
  3. A conclusion

General Essay Template

What is a hamburger-style essay?
The most common essay style is the hamburger essay. It consists of five parts. The top of the bun represents the introductory paragraph. Then the middle section, consisting of the meat and vegetables, represents the essay’s body, and lastly, the bottom bun shows the conclusion.

Here is a template of a typical five-paragraph (hamburger) essay once all pieces of the puzzle are put together:

What are the Different Types of an Essay?

Here are the four different types of essays:

1. Persuasive Essay

In a persuasive essay, you use a logical argument to persuade the reader of your point of view. This kind of essay is written using a proper research process, solid facts, logical reasoning, examples, etc. Newspaper columns are a common example of a persuasive essay.

2. Expository Essay

Expository essays require you to investigate the idea, evaluate all the evidence and then give the argument clearly and concisely. This is most prevalent in writing scientific reports.

3. Descriptive Essay

Descriptive essays are a type of essay that requires keen observation from the students to describe something. The description could be of anything from a tree to a war. For example, you describe a person’s personality or the features of a car.

4. Narrative Essay

In a narrative essay, you are required to narrate a story. It enhances the creativity of the students, as these essays are mostly personal and experiential. For example, the narration of a personal experience or a historical event.

What are the types of an essay?
The four types of an essay are:

  1. Persuasive Essay
  2. Expository Essay
  3. Descriptive Essay
  4. Narrative Essay

Six Essential Steps to Write an Essay

Here are the steps that you should take to write your essay efficiently:

Step 1: Examine the essay question

The first step when writing your essay is to examine the essay question. Do not just write down everything you know on a subject without examining the keywords in the question. Make sure that the question has been carefully crafted, and any misinterpretation at this point can be costly.

For instance, are you to “examine” or “compare” things? Understand it thoroughly, as it makes a big difference to your overall approach. When you examine your essay question properly, you can develop an effective outline and write an excellent essay.

Step 2: Develop an essay outline

According to aims.edu, “An outline allows a writer to categorise the main points, to organise the paragraphs into an order that makes sense, and to make sure that each paragraph/idea can be fully developed”.

So, develop an essay outline, as this will help you stay on track without getting stuck when writing the essay. It significantly gives the authors a map to discuss all the important elements of the topic without getting sidetracked. An essay typically includes an introduction, main body, and conclusion.

  • Introduction Paragraph: Here, you present the essay’s hypothesis – an introduction to the main idea you wish to address in the essay’s body. How is the information in the introductory section related to the content of the main body?
  • Main Body: You deliver your research around the topic of the essay in the main body. Any supporting information taken from other academic sources must be cited accordingly. The length of this section will depend on the overall word limit of your essay assignment.
  • Concluding Paragraph: Your conclusion wraps up your essay in a tidy package and brings it home for your reader. Here, you write a closing statement after reviewing key points from each paragraph’s main body.

Why do experts recommend writing the main body first?
Many renowned authors and researchers recommend writing the main body of the essay before creating the introduction and conclusion sections. The idea is to develop a better understanding of the topic and supporting facts before creating the opening statement.

Step 3: Write an essay introduction

An introduction is the first thing to add when writing an essay. Its purpose is not only to introduce the paper but also to grab the attention of the audience. This will provide the basis of the arguments you will make in the main body.

As they say, “the first impression is the last impression”. So the introduction paragraph has to be inspiring and flawless.

Hook the audience

It is vitally important to develop a hook that lures readers into continuing to read your essay. So, include engaging quotes, facts, and statistics related to the topic, as it will certainly grab their attention.

Thesis statement

Once you have the readers engaged, you can move on to present the thesis statement, which should be to the point and striking.

It is important not to exaggerate the thesis statement. Stick to a single-sentence explanation, so your readers know from the very beginning where you stand on the topic.

Tell the reader what to expect

Following the thesis statement, provide an outline to readers as to what the essay comprises and tell them what to expect in the main body paragraphs.

What should be the length of an essay introduction?
Typically, the length of your introduction paragraph should not be more than four to five sentences. If your introduction paragraph is longer than that, you may want to cut down on the word count.

Step 4: Write the essay’s main body

After writing the essay introduction paragraph, comes the main body. The primary aim of this section is to support your thesis statement with appropriate examples and theories.

The first body paragraph starts with the most significant argument or the strongest example or theory supporting your thesis statement, unless you have been instructed to do otherwise.

Some essay assignments may require students to use chronological explanations in the main body of the essay. Make sure that you are unmistakably addressing the topic of your essay in the first sentence of this paragraph with the help of the examples outlined above in the intro paragraph.

Add facts to support your argument

Your audience would be interested in essay explanations if you support them with relevant facts and figures. It would significantly help to put your point of view across. Once you have done that, you can proceed to enlighten the readers about why that particular example was a valid argument for your thesis.

Use smooth transitions in your essay

When starting a new paragraph, do not forget to make use of transitions such as “moreover”, “similarly”, “in contrast”, or “furthermore”, as these phrases will give so much more meaning to your justifications and help you introduce new sets of ideas flawlessly.

ESSAY PARAGRAPH EXAMPLE

One of the key issues with the new driving regulations is their failure to account for the transportation needs of young people, particularly those in rural areas where public transport is limited or nonexistent. For many teenagers, obtaining a driver’s license is not just a matter of convenience but a necessity for accessing education, employment, and essential services. So, by imposing stricter requirements, such as extended learner periods and additional testing, the government is effectively restricting mobility for young individuals who rely on driving as their viable means of transportation. It is also suggested that, according to recent studies, accident rates among young drivers have been declining due to improved vehicle safety and education programs.

Step 5: Write an essay conclusion

The conclusion of an essay is the final step of your essay assignment, but that does not mean it is the least important. The closing paragraph is your final opportunity to justify your thesis statement.

In most cases, the conclusion paragraph contains much of the same information as presented in the essay’s opening paragraph.

Looking for essay help?

Research Prospect to the rescue then!

We have expert writers on our team who are skilled at helping students with essays across a variety of disciplines. Guaranteeing 100% satisfaction!

Use a transitional phrase

You might want to use concluding transitions such as “in the end”, “in conclusion”, “finally”, “to summarise”, “to sum up”, etc., with a passing reference to the hook in the introductory paragraph of the essay.

Repeat your thesis statement

Following that, you should quickly reiterate your thesis statement. However, be careful of repeating the same information, word for word. Restating the thesis strengthens your argument. Also, it aids smooth transition into the subsequent portion of the conclusion paragraph, if there is any.

ESSAY CONCLUSION EXAMPLE

In conclusion, the British Columbia government’s stricter driving regulations, though well-intentioned, are excessive and fail to address the real needs of new drivers. By disregarding the transportation challenges faced by young people, overemphasising restrictions instead of individual responsibility, and ignoring the declining accident rates among young drivers, these rules create unnecessary barriers. What policymakers need to do is improve access to affordable driver education and promote responsible driving habits.

How long is an essay conclusion paragraph?
Note that you don’t want to end your essay on the wrong foot, so it is important not to get carried away when writing the conclusion paragraph. Most experts recommend keeping the length of the closing paragraph to four or five lines, depending on the required length of the essay.

Step 6: Add references to your essay

The reference section is vital in academic work. You have to compile and show the sources of information you have used to write your essay, ensuring that you are not plagiarising others’ work. It also shows the breadth of research materials you have used.

There are several styles for referencing in an essay, such as Harvard, APA, MLA, Chicago, CMOS, and Oxford. You should use the style designated for your course. If you’re unsure, have a look at the referencing guide.

What are the steps to write an essay?

  1. Examine the essay question
  2. Develop an essay outline
  3. Write an essay introduction
  4. Write the essay’s main body
  5. Write an essay conclusion
  6. Add references to your essay

How to make your essay stand out?
Here are some tips that you can follow:

  1. Plan your essay carefully
  2. Brainstorm before starting the essay
  3. Use extensive vocabulary
  4. Keep It Relevant
  5. Draw an outline
  6. Make sure to proofread, edit and improve before submitting your essay.

Essay checklist

Need Assistance Writing Your Essay?

If you are struggling to write your essay, even after following the above-discussed steps, then consult professional essay writing services. They significantly help undergraduate, master’s, and PhD students achieve their academic targets, ensuring excellent grades.

Frequently Asked Questions

An excellent essay follows a structure of:

  • An Introduction
  • Main Body Paragraphs
  • A Conclusion

To start an essay introduction, use a hook. It can be a surprising fact, question, quote, or anecdote. They are highly effective in grabbing readers’ attention.

A standard essay follows a 5-paragraph structure, in which there is one introduction, three body paragraphs, and one conclusion. However, the number of body paragraphs can expand according to essay size.

Persuasive essays rely on emotional appeals and rhetorical devices to grab readers’ attention, while argumentative essays focus on logical reasoning and evidence to support a claim.