How to write a good essay
It
is my ambition to say in ten sentences what others say in a whole book.
-- Friedrich Neitzsche
What is an essay?
► An essay is a focused, descriptive and analytical write up on any particular topic. But this is different in format and presentation from any other kind of write up on the same topic.
► An essay is a tight write up which has a certain theme at its core and the write up is marked by its simplicity, lucidity, flow and orderliness.
► It should generally avoid terse and unwieldy expressions, unnecessary exposition and excessive facts, especially numbers.
► An essay is a write up that evolves from childhood to youth and thereafter to maturity.
► An essay should generally reflect the perceptions, understanding, and stance/take of the writer, which may be supported by facts, quotes and findings of similar kinds.
What an essay should not be...
► It should not be a mere compilation of information or facts.
► It should not be a long note.
► It should not be a brief note.
► It should not be a theoretical exposition.
► It should not be a conglomeration of great ideas by great people.
What constitutes a good essay?
A good essay should have three distinct parts-
► Introduction
► Description
► Conclusion
A good essay should be close to its subject or theme throughout the write up.
A good essay should reflect...
► Understanding of the writer
► Thoroughness of the writer
► Analytical capacity of the writer
► Research and analytical capability of the writer
► Reading habits of the writer
Essay needs a higher level of communication abilities viz.
► Articulation
► Effective expression
► Logic, flow and rhythm
► Right grammar
► Style
Brief Overview of 10 Essay Writing Steps
How to write a good Essay can be viewed sequentially, as if going through ten sequential steps in an essay writing process. Below are the brief summaries of each of the ten steps to writing a good essay.
1. Research: Begin the essay writing process by researching your topic, making yourself an expert. Utilize the internet, the academic databases, and the library. Take notes and immerse yourself in the words of great thinkers.
2. Analysis: Now that you have a good knowledge base, start analyzing the arguments of the essays/articles you're reading. Clearly define the claims, write out the reasons, the evidence, etc. Look for weaknesses of logic, and also strengths. Learning how to write an essay begins by learning how to analyze essays written by others.
3. Brainstorming: Your essay will require insight of your own. Ask yourself a dozen questions and answer them. Meditate with a pen in your hand. Take walks and think and think until you come up with original insights to write about.
4. Thesis: Pick your best idea and pin it down in a clear assertion that you can write your entire essay around. Your thesis is your main point, summed up in a concise sentence that lets the reader know where you're going, and why. It's practically impossible to write a good essay without a clear thesis.
5. Outline: Sketch out your essay before straight away writing it out. Use one-line sentences to describe paragraphs, and bullet points to describe what each paragraph will contain. Play with the essay's order. Map out the structure of your argument, and make sure each paragraph is unified.
6. Introduction: Now sit down and write the essay. The introduction should grab the reader's attention, set up the issue, and lead in to your thesis. Your intro is merely a build up of the issue, a stage of bringing your reader into the essay's argument.
(Note: The title and first paragraph are probably the most important elements in your essay. This is an essay-writing point that doesn't always sink in within the context of the classroom. In the first paragraph you either hook the reader's interest or lose it.)
7. Paragraphs: Each individual paragraph should be focused on a single idea that supports your thesis. Begin paragraphs with topic sentences, support assertions with evidence, and expound your ideas in the clearest, most sensible way you can. Speak to your reader as if he or she were sitting in front of you. In other words, instead of writing the essay, try talking the essay.
8. Conclusion: Gracefully exit your essay by making a quick wrap-up sentence, and then end on some memorable thought, perhaps a quotation, or an interesting twist of logic, or some call to action. Is there something you want the reader to walk away and do? Let him or her know exactly that.
9. Style: Format your essay according to the correct guidelines for citation. All borrowed ideas and quotations should be correctly cited in the body of your text, followed up with a Works Cited (references) page listing the details of your sources.
10. Language: You're not done writing your essay until you've polished your language by correcting the grammar, making sentences flow, incorporating rhythm, emphasis, adjusting the formality, giving it a level-headed tone, and making other intuitive edits. Proof read until it reads just how you want it to sound. Writing an essay can be tedious, but you don't want to bungle the hours of conceptual work you've put into writing your essay by leaving a few slippy misspellings and poorly worded phrases.
-- Friedrich Neitzsche
What is an essay?
► An essay is a focused, descriptive and analytical write up on any particular topic. But this is different in format and presentation from any other kind of write up on the same topic.
► An essay is a tight write up which has a certain theme at its core and the write up is marked by its simplicity, lucidity, flow and orderliness.
► It should generally avoid terse and unwieldy expressions, unnecessary exposition and excessive facts, especially numbers.
► An essay is a write up that evolves from childhood to youth and thereafter to maturity.
► An essay should generally reflect the perceptions, understanding, and stance/take of the writer, which may be supported by facts, quotes and findings of similar kinds.
What an essay should not be...
► It should not be a mere compilation of information or facts.
► It should not be a long note.
► It should not be a brief note.
► It should not be a theoretical exposition.
► It should not be a conglomeration of great ideas by great people.
What constitutes a good essay?
A good essay should have three distinct parts-
► Introduction
► Description
► Conclusion
A good essay should be close to its subject or theme throughout the write up.
A good essay should reflect...
► Understanding of the writer
► Thoroughness of the writer
► Analytical capacity of the writer
► Research and analytical capability of the writer
► Reading habits of the writer
Essay needs a higher level of communication abilities viz.
► Articulation
► Effective expression
► Logic, flow and rhythm
► Right grammar
► Style
Brief Overview of 10 Essay Writing Steps
How to write a good Essay can be viewed sequentially, as if going through ten sequential steps in an essay writing process. Below are the brief summaries of each of the ten steps to writing a good essay.
1. Research: Begin the essay writing process by researching your topic, making yourself an expert. Utilize the internet, the academic databases, and the library. Take notes and immerse yourself in the words of great thinkers.
2. Analysis: Now that you have a good knowledge base, start analyzing the arguments of the essays/articles you're reading. Clearly define the claims, write out the reasons, the evidence, etc. Look for weaknesses of logic, and also strengths. Learning how to write an essay begins by learning how to analyze essays written by others.
3. Brainstorming: Your essay will require insight of your own. Ask yourself a dozen questions and answer them. Meditate with a pen in your hand. Take walks and think and think until you come up with original insights to write about.
4. Thesis: Pick your best idea and pin it down in a clear assertion that you can write your entire essay around. Your thesis is your main point, summed up in a concise sentence that lets the reader know where you're going, and why. It's practically impossible to write a good essay without a clear thesis.
5. Outline: Sketch out your essay before straight away writing it out. Use one-line sentences to describe paragraphs, and bullet points to describe what each paragraph will contain. Play with the essay's order. Map out the structure of your argument, and make sure each paragraph is unified.
6. Introduction: Now sit down and write the essay. The introduction should grab the reader's attention, set up the issue, and lead in to your thesis. Your intro is merely a build up of the issue, a stage of bringing your reader into the essay's argument.
(Note: The title and first paragraph are probably the most important elements in your essay. This is an essay-writing point that doesn't always sink in within the context of the classroom. In the first paragraph you either hook the reader's interest or lose it.)
7. Paragraphs: Each individual paragraph should be focused on a single idea that supports your thesis. Begin paragraphs with topic sentences, support assertions with evidence, and expound your ideas in the clearest, most sensible way you can. Speak to your reader as if he or she were sitting in front of you. In other words, instead of writing the essay, try talking the essay.
8. Conclusion: Gracefully exit your essay by making a quick wrap-up sentence, and then end on some memorable thought, perhaps a quotation, or an interesting twist of logic, or some call to action. Is there something you want the reader to walk away and do? Let him or her know exactly that.
9. Style: Format your essay according to the correct guidelines for citation. All borrowed ideas and quotations should be correctly cited in the body of your text, followed up with a Works Cited (references) page listing the details of your sources.
10. Language: You're not done writing your essay until you've polished your language by correcting the grammar, making sentences flow, incorporating rhythm, emphasis, adjusting the formality, giving it a level-headed tone, and making other intuitive edits. Proof read until it reads just how you want it to sound. Writing an essay can be tedious, but you don't want to bungle the hours of conceptual work you've put into writing your essay by leaving a few slippy misspellings and poorly worded phrases.
