It’s impossible to imagine college life without loads of homework, and an essay is probably the most popular type of assignment. This task can be challenging even for the most experienced authors. Lots of things can go wrong: we may lose inspiration or have little time to finish the paper.
Of course, you may think: «If only someone could write my paper» in many cases. If the requirements are too strict, or the deadline is approaching, you can easily turn to professional writers on the web these days.
Yet, if you want to complete the essay without external help – read on. We’ve gathered some useful tips that will make the writing process easier for you.
Understand the Task Clearly
No doubt, the style and structure of your essay fully depend on its type. Each of them requires a specific task to be completed. Here are the most popular essay types that you will probably have to write sooner or later.
- Writing a comparative essay, you will analyze the similarities and differences between two phenomena such as ideas, people, events, works of art, etc.;
- In an argumentative essay, you will provide evidence and examples to convince the reader of your point of view;
- The goal of an informative essay is to educate the reader on a specific topic.
Your next step is to look through the formatting and style requirements. It’s better to ask your professor about the essay’s size, citation style, margins, fonts, headings and other important details.
If you’re not sure what to write about or what structure to follow, don’t be afraid to ask. The teacher will always help you figure it out or they might even give you examples.
Find Reliable Sources of Information
Basically, you have to support your statements with examples and evidence in any type of essay. Therefore, you need to research the topic well and find relevant sources of accurate information. Science books and journals are usually trustworthy sources of data.
In addition to printed materials, you can also turn to databases like Google Scholar. It is a free full-text search engine for scientific publications of all formats and disciplines. Here, you can find numerous articles, dissertations, books and abstracts.
Another platform that you can use is Web of Science. It brings together materials in the natural and technical sciences as well as humanities and arts. The platform has built-in capabilities for searching, analyzing and managing bibliographic information.
Besides, you can also turn to.
- Microsoft Academic
- Scopus
- CiteSeerX.
How to Formulate Your Thesis Statement?
When collecting information, choose a question to be answered or the problem to be solved in your paper. During the research phase, you may feel the need to narrow your topic.
For example, you may realize that you intend to answer a specific question or disprove a popular opinion. Thus, the question or problem will form the basis of your thesis.
Once you’ve collected all the ideas and analyzed the information gathered, it will be easier to highlight your main point or key thought. Briefly summarize this thought in one precise sentence. This will be your thesis.
The Plan Will Structure Your Ideas
When your thesis is ready, make a short list of the main points of your essay. You don’t have to go into details: 1-2 sentences or a few words briefly describing each point will do. Use subparagraphs for examples and evidence to support each of your arguments.
The plan might look like this.
- Introduction with a thesis statement (here, you will refer to the subject of your paper).
- Argument 1 with supporting evidence and examples (real-life situations, scientific facts, references, quoted authorities, statistics).
- Argument 2 with supporting evidence and examples.
- Argument 3 with supporting evidence and examples.
- Main counter-arguments.
- Your refutal of such arguments.
- Conclusion.
Use a Draft
When your outline is ready, you can move on to your draft. Some students prefer to write the introduction right away while others do that after completing the rest of the essay.
The beginning of your paper should include a brief overview of the topic and your thesis. Here, you need to provide some background information that will help the reader navigate what you will be writing about.
A great introduction will definitely draw the reader’s attention – you can start it with a quote, a rhetoric question, or an intriguing story. Two or three introductory paragraphs will be enough.
Moving on to the main part, follow your outline and write a few paragraphs dedicated to your reasoning. Each paragraph should contain a sentence that briefly explains the main idea.
After this sentence, you support your opinion with some specific examples. Be sure to show how the arguments in each paragraph tie together with your essay thesis.
Don’t forget to use transitional phrases and linking words between paragraphs – it will make following your ideas easier. Try to find a logical way to relate each paragraph to the previous one.
- To show the consequence, use: therefore, that is why, thus, so, eventually, as a result.
- To highlight the contrast: whereas, however, while, yet, on the one hand/on the other hand.
- To add: moreover, apart from this, also, along with, furthermore.
As for the conclusion, make sure to mention a thesis here as well. Find a way to rephrase the thesis in a new way – it’s better to avoid simply retelling it.
You can also add further reflections on your main idea in the final part of the essay. Some students like to add questions that are still unanswered or ideas that require further investigation.
Final Thoughts
After finishing your draft, take a break and then re-read the text again. Try reading it aloud to spot mistakes that your eyes might’ve missed, for example spelling, grammar, stylistic mistakes, or typos.
How do I save up some time on editing and proofread my essay? Just turn to platforms like Grammarly and Hemingway. Both of them will highlight parts of the text that should be improved.
