Tips on Writing an Effective Essay

Writing an essay often seems to be a dreaded task among students. Whether the essay is for a scholarship, a class, or maybe even a contest,  Following this process is the easiest way to draft a successful essay.

1. Pick a topic

You may have your topic assigned, or you may be given free reign to write on the subject of your choice. If you are given the topic, you should think about the type of paper that you want to produce. Should it be a general overview of the subject or a specific analysis? Narrow your focus if necessary. Finally, evaluate your options. If your goal is to educate, choose a subject that you have already studied. If your goal is to persuade, choose a subject that you are passionate about. Whatever the mission of the essay, make sure that you are interested in your topic.

1. Prepare an outline or diagram of your ideas

In order to write a successful essay, you must organize your thoughts. By taking what’s already in your head and putting it to paper, you are able to see connections and links between ideas more clearly. Use either an outline or a diagram to jot down your ideas and organize them.

To create a diagram, write your topic in the middle of your page. Draw three to five lines branching off from this topic and write down your main ideas at the ends of these lines. Draw more lines off these main ideas and include any thoughts you may have on these ideas.

To create an outline, write your topic at the top of the page. From there, begin to list your main ideas, leaving space under each one. In this space, make sure to list other smaller ideas that relate to each main idea. Doing this will allow you to see connections and will help you to write a more organized essay.

Steps to creating an outline

• Organize your notes and research to group similar material together.
• Review your thesis statement – is it still what you want to say? If not, change it.
• Identify the main points of your arguments that support your thesis.
• Identify the ideas that support your main points.
• Match your research to your points.
• Order your ideas in a logical flow.
• Identify where you need more research, where your thoughts need more development, and where you have the information that is no longer needed.

1. Research and note taking

While listed as a singular step here, research is actually a fluid process that crosses several steps of writing a research paper. You will be doing preliminary research to find your topic and thesis. As you write your paper, you may find yourself needing to do additional research as you go.

1. Develop your thesis

Now that you have chosen a topic and sorted your ideas into relevant categories, you must create a thesis statement. Your thesis statement tells the reader the point of your essay. Look at your outline or diagram. What are the main ideas?

Your thesis statement will have two parts. The first part states the topic, and the second part states the point of the essay.

A good thesis statement

• Is usually a single, clear and succinct sentence but it can be longer
• Express your main idea, perspective or position. It isn’t a statement of known fact
• Doesn’t include your specific argument or evidence, that is in the body
• Doesn’t use first person language (e.g., “I think..” or “ in my opinion ..”)
• Doesn’t just describe your topic, “ this paper is about ..”
• Is located at our near the end of the introductory paragraph

Common problems with thesis statements

• Too factual

A thesis should not just repeat facts. It needs to represent your position on a topic. Overcome this by asking yourself what it is you will be trying to prove in your paper

•  Too vague

Avoid merely announcing the topic. Make your original and specific take on the issue clear to the reader.

•  Too subjective

Your thesis statement and entire paper need to be based on research, analysis, and evaluation rather than personal taste. When you make a (subjective) judgment call, justify your reasoning.

• Can’t be proven

If your thesis can’t be proven you shouldn’t try to prove it. Avoid making universal or pro/con judgments that oversimplify complex issues. A sign of this is the use of “always” or “never” in your thesis statement.

 

• Write the body

The body of your essay argues, explains or describes your topic. Each main idea that you wrote in your diagram or outline will become a separate section within the body of your essay.

Each body paragraph will have the same basic structure. Begin by writing one of your main ideas as the introductory sentence. Next, write each of your supporting ideas in sentence format, but leave three or four lines between each point to come back and give detailed examples to back up your position.

• Write the introduction

Now that you have developed your thesis and the overall body of your essay, you must write an introduction. The introduction should attract the reader’s attention and show the focus of your essay.

Begin with an attention grabber. You can use shocking information, dialogue, a story, a quote, or a simple summary of your topic. Whichever angle you choose, make sure that it ties in with your thesis statement, which will be included as the last sentence of your introduction.

Presents the purpose of your paper, includes your thesis and engages your readers’ interest in your topic.

• Write the conclusion

The conclusion brings closure of the topic and sums up your overall ideas while providing a final perspective on your topic. Your conclusion should consist of three to five strong sentences.

The conclusion reiterates your main contention without just repeating what you said earlier in your paper, and ties together your points

Tips for writing your draft

• Remember that a first draft doesn’t have to be perfect, get your ideas down and then you can revise it later
• Following your outline will make writing your paper easier but don’t be afraid to adjust your outline as you go
• While you write note areas that need to be cited and keep track of the sources for the ideas and quotations you use
• If a section of your paper becomes hard to work through, skip it and come back later
• Keep notes of research and quotations it will make citing them later much easier

1. Add the finishing touches.

You’re not finished; Check the order of your paragraphs. Your strongest points should be the first and last paragraphs within the body, with the others falling in the middle. Also, make sure that your paragraph order makes sense. If your essay is describing a process, such as how to make a great chocolate cake, make sure that your paragraphs fall in the correct order.

Review the instructions for your essay, if applicable. Many teachers and scholarship forms follow different formats, and you must double check instructions to ensure that your essay is in the desired format.

Finally, review what you have written. Reviewing and revising your paper is the process of reading your draft and making any changes to the content you see fit. Proper revising includes careful thought about your paper’s ideas, arguments, supporting research and structure. Reread your paper and check to see if it makes sense. Make sure that sentence flow is smooth and add phrases to help connect thoughts or ideas. Check your essay for grammar and spelling mistakes.

• Waite a day between completing your first draft and reviewing it (gives you a fresh perspective)
• Read your entire paper at least once, without revising it, to get an overall perspective
• Have someone else read your paper and offer you an outside point of view
• Review a printed version of a draft, then return to the computer to make the revision

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