How to Write an Essay

Essays are part of the coursework in colleges and universities. The work will be used to determine your final grade and gain the necessary skills in the field.

Insights for Writing a Perfect Essay

1.   Read widely.

Before you start working on your essay, ensure that you have read other people’s work. The practice will enable you to improve your writing skills. It is recommendable to read essays from a wide range of subjects and not just ones related to your speciality as different disciplines may have different requirements.

Evaluate some of the arguments by the authors and the evidence that they present to support them. One of the goals of essay writers is to have a balance in their work. By reading many samples, you will learn techniques to achieve that objective.

2.   Focus on learning new vocabularies.

You will be required to use concise language. Using unnecessary words in your work will lead to boredom among your target audience. Identify new words that you can use to improve the quality of your assignments.

3.   Talk about other people’s work.

Essay readers would want to read an essay that has been written by individuals who are knowledgeable in different fields. When you quote and refer to other people’s work, it is an indication that you have read essays in a wide range of topics. Some people may not agree with your opinion. Therefore, ensure that you present contrasting views in your work.

4.   Syntax and punctuation.

Focus on writing using simple words in your essays to make it easy for your readers to understand. Ensure that your sentences are not too long or too short for the audience. Adhere to all punctuation and grammatical rules as failure to do that will negatively affect your work's credibility.

5.   Sources of information.

Always remember to give credit to individuals who have written the work you used to construct your essay. Cite all your sources of information. You are presenting other people’s ideas as your leads to plagiarism which is severe academic misconduct that can even lead to your institution's expulsion.

The Main Types of Essays

a)   Narrative.

In this type of work, an author writes about their experiences. Individuals must focus on making their information as clear as possible. One of the main rules when writing this type of work is the use of first-person pronouns.

b)   Descriptive.

This type of essay aims to provide a detailed description of a person, place or object. A writer should describe the subject with as few words as possible to show their deeper meaning.

c)   Expository.

In such a work, a writer is expected to explain a particular subject using statistics, facts, and relevant examples. It would help if you did not use first-person pronouns in these types of work. Under this category, there are several types of essays which include:

•   Comparison and contrast.

•   Cause and effect.

•   Process essays.

d)   Persuasive.

This essay aims to make the audience believe that your opinion about a particular phenomenon is the right one. There is a similarity between expository types and persuasive as an author is required to present facts.

Recommended Sources of Information for Essays

•   Websites with domains such as .edu, .org and .gov.

•   Scientific journals.

•   News agencies.

•   Academic libraries.

•   Newspapers.

•   Encyclopedias.

Common Mistakes among Essay Writers

1.   Poor research work.

An author must take adequate time to find relevant content that they can use to complete their work. If you choose a topic that you do not have an interest in, you may make up stories and repeat your words regularly due to laziness to research thoroughly.

2.   Poor concentration.

Some individuals tend to lose focus on their main topic and include irrelevant information in their work. Your content must be organized logically, and its format should be consistent through the paper.

3.   Failure to support your ideas.

There should be facts, examples, and statistics that will support statements in your essay. Your readers may perceive you as a liar or doubt your credibility if you do not include these elements in your work.

4.   Failure to follow instructions.

There are four main types and essays as explained above. The tasks have different formatting requirements and purpose. Some people tend to confuse formats for the different types of assignments.

5.   Adding new information in conclusion.

The section should only include final remarks about your essay. Revealing new ideas at this point would be a surprise to the readers and is not recommendable for any work.

Steps of Writing an Essay

i.   Understand the question.

When your instructors give you an assignment, take time to understand what you must do and hence identify the format to follow.

ii.   Come up with a topic.

Develop a suitable title for your essay. Brainstorm the ideas you may have and select the best. You can utilize the resources of your institution to identify an ideal topic for your work. 

iii.   Create an outline for the essay.

Write down the main points that you will use in your assignment. It is important before writing the final essay. Include your thoughts in the outline to make it easy for you to organize ideas logically.

iv.   Develop a Thesis.

The readers of your work will expect you to explain the purpose of writing your essay at this point. Outline the main arguments in your work.

v.   Write an Introduction.

It is an essential segment as it helps you do grab the attention of your audience. For example, you can reveal a shocking revelation about your subject matter.

vi.   Write the Body.

All the main points of your essay should be included in this section. Each paragraph should cover a different topic with supporting ideas.

vii.   Conclusion.

It should include a summary of the main points in your essay. It should be as brief as possible to avoid too much repetition.

viii.   Proofreading.

Read your work to eliminate any grammatical errors before presenting your essay.