By: Casandra Burfurger
Writing essays can be a challenging skill for a lot of people but it doesn't have to be that way. Writing an essay is defined as an attempt to explain something. A well written essay can be a joy to read. To put your essay writing into this category you should follow a few simple steps.
If you are given a title and a direction to follow, make sure that you do. Try to stick to the topic and only write as much as you are asked to do. If you are asked to write a 3 page essay, don't ramble on for 10 pages. Your essay will be better if you have a topic that you are interested in.
When you begin writing choose one viewpoint to write from. For instance, if you have to write an essay about dogs, you could choose to say why it is great to have a dog and why or you could say why it is not a good idea to have a pet dog and why. Trying to jump from one to the other will only serve to confuse the reader. Your aim when writing an essay is to explain and try and prove your point.
To begin, try and find four points that will help you to explain or prove your point. In the pro dog example you could use:
a) Dogs are loyal companions
b) Dogs can be used to help save lives
c) Dogs encourage people to take more exercise
d) Dogs can give companionship
When you have organized your topics, you can write a paragraph or more on each of these points. How much to write on each point will depend on the proposed length of your essay. Next write your introduction paragraph i.e. tell your readers what you are going to tell them. Finally write your conclusion and construct your essay.
A simple formula to follow is:
- Tell your readers what you are going to tell them.
- Tell them.
- Tell them what you have told them
Finally proof read everything. Check language and consult a thesaurus if necessary to avoid being repetitive. Reading the work out loud will help to identify any problems with the essay. Then, if possible, put the essay away for a day or two before proof reading again – you will be surprised at how many things you will find to correct.
The most important thing to remember when asked to write an essay is to follow any instructions that you are given to the letter.
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