In a simple description, an essay is a piece of writing which puts across some information including the writer’s stand on the issue.
Writing an essay can be simple, but there’re those who struggle to put the words on paper despite a raging flow of thoughts. This is where great planning comes in, but even more important are the guiding steps listed in this article which will go a long way in improving your essay.
Types of Essays
Before diving into how to structure your essay, it’s important to first understand the different types of essays:
- Narratives: Here, the essay writer is required to tell a certain story, but in a structured manner.
- Persuasive Essay: As the name suggests, the main aim will be to influence the reader to accept your stand regarding a certain matter.
- Expository Essay: This is an instructional type of essay where you have to explain a certain process of doing something. For example, you could write a guide on how to build a home windmill.
- Comparative Essays: In this essay, you have the task of putting out distinct differences on two items.
- Descriptive Essay: This essay will focus more on the details. For example, if you traveled to a national park, you want to make the reader feel as though they are in the park with you. Describe the road, the animals you saw, the adrenaline rush when you came across a lion.
Coming Up with the Topic
Brainstorming is critical before you start writing because you cannot write on what you don’t know. By brainstorming, you’ll be able to come up with a valid topic. This is how to do it:
- Make sure you put down anything that crosses your mind. Later on, you can trim down the ideas to what you think is viable.
- Another way is by mind mapping. This includes writing the main idea at the center of the page and then create arrows pointing outward to various relating points. This way you can create a well-knitted web of ideas.
Once you’ve come up with a list of potential topic ideas, start trimming down to the final topic. As you do this, keep in mind how wide or narrow the topic is. You want to go for something in between.
Research on Your Topic
After settling on your topic, it’s time to dig into the books to find out more about the topic. There are numerous ways to conduct your research including searching the internet or borrowing related books from the library.
You can also go a step further and interview various professionals in the field. While doing this, remember to record the events so that you have an easy time citing your references.
Coming Up with the Thesis
This is the most important part of your essay. It’s what introduces the reader to your essay. For example, your thesis could be, “Digital engagements are leading more sales in lending. “From this, you can branch out with various related points which explain more about the thesis.
As you can see, this thesis statement stands between wide and narrow. There’s just enough to talk about in the essay.
Structuring Your Essay
This includes putting down what you intend on talking about. Write down an outline to help you identify which point will start and which will follow to the end. This will help your essay flow.
Write down the essay, then the topic sentence for every paragraph. While doing this, write down some ideas for each paragraph, but be careful not to include too many.
Afterward, start filling the blanks for every point listed in the outline.
Writing and Reviewing
After you’ve come up with an outline, start writing. Craft the essay by allowing your thoughts to flow in a seamless manner with minimal errors.
After writing, it’s time to edit your essay. This includes going back to weed out grammatical errors, irrelevant information, and such errors.
Writing an essay might seem like an easy task, but if you’re among the many who struggle to put together their thoughts, then tips outlined in this article come as a knight in shining armor. Follow this step-by-step guide and you’ll be on your way to an ‘A’.
