7 Tips for Writing a Great Essay in No Time
Essay writing is a daunting effort as it requires a lot of work to do. This could be a nightmare for some students. However, for others, it’s a tough but doable process.
Writing an essay can be pretty hard for many. Mostly the planning part takes more time than the actual writing. Once they start the initial writing, they can easily write the rest of the essay. Some people need a creative space to think better and to write a good essay while some just write it effortlessly. There are some people who do not like writing essays a lot and freak out at the idea of writing one.
However, there are ways of actually improving your essay and making it a masterpiece whether or not you have an interest or skills related to writing an essay. You must follow these step-by-step guidelines to make your essay better and easy to write.
1. Read the essay topic/question carefully
Reading the essay question is the first and most important thing that you need to do. Reading it thoroughly and understanding what its requirement is actually necessary to know in order to take it further. Many students fail to understand the concept of the essay question, and they are unable to think creatively about it. If you can’t understand the question chances of you writing it well is close to zero.
Once you have read the question, you are in a better position to write the essay. Now comes the next step, thinking of points about the essay and making an outline of it using brainstorming.
2. Create An Outline
Now that you have understood the topic of the essay, you can create an outline of it. Start by brainstorming the topic, make a virtual essay in your head if you can, and visualize that you are reading it out.
Start writing the points and ideas you are coming up with, write all of them down and make a pattern of dialogue and thoughts. Creating an outline will save you so much effort because you will have a clear path you will be able to make sentences and dialogue structure easily. You won’t feel overwhelmed and be able to write a really good essay more quickly. By writing an outline, you have already done 50% of the work.
3. Create a Thesis Statement
A thesis statement is the opening line that defines the path of the essay. Your readers will know what you are going to tell them in the essay. Read out your outline to make a thesis statement. The single statement must carry the overall response to the problem. Put your thesis statement in your first paragraph, then make sure you refer to it several times within the essay, and then restate it in your conclusion.
Going through the statement will make you stay connected with the original agenda of the essay. You will not lose sight of your points and argument. You will also save time by sticking to the goal of your thesis statement.
4. Write the introductory paragraph
Now that you have the outline and thesis statement written, it’s time to write the introductory paragraph. The introductory paragraph must contain the “hook” you can use a story, a dialogue, a quote, or a topic summary. Make sure that you make it interesting for the reader to carry on.
Get the hook in alignment with your thesis statement. The introduction is the most important part to make sure that the reader not only has the idea of the essay but also gets engaged in reading.
5. Write the Body Paragraphs
The body paragraphs are the main areas to write. You are supposed to explain and argue the topic. The main ideas and points that you have written down now need to be made into separate paragraphs. All of those paragraphs must contain detailed information regarding your idea and the argument that you are placing. It is ideal that you make five body paragraphs.
Don’t forget to cite the quotes and references in the instructed format. This section is the whole actual essay which contains about 70% of the material that you have decided on.
6. Write the Conclusion Paragraph
This is as important as the introductory paragraph. This gives you the opportunity to combine your ideas and arguments to form a confounding conclusion. You have to state the result that you have concluded, and you have to give an analysis of the ideas that you have discussed in the body paragraphs. This is the last step of writing your essay.
You can double-check it by reading the thesis statement again, as you need to make sure that the thesis statement and conclusion are in alignment. After you have completed the conclusion, then it’s time for the last important step.
7. Edit your draft and finish it
It is better to review your first draft of the essay after reading it; you will come across some grammatical mistakes, spelling, and punctuation mistakes. You can ask someone else to read it out loud to you. Sometimes you cannot see the mistakes because people read what they think they have written, not what they have written.
Getting someone else to proofread your work will make your work easy and save you time. Before submitting your essay, make sure you made any final changes that were required in the essay so that you give your best in the end.
Final Thoughts
Whether you are a beginner or a pro when it comes to writing an essay, just believe that you can write well and boost your writing skills by following these tips mentioned above.
Our tutors at My Tutor Source (MTS) encourage students to bring out their writing skills through different creative activities and motivate the students to use their creativity while writing and help the students to explore new skills that they weren’t sure they had before.
So if you are also in fear of exploring new skills, this is your chance to reach your best potential by practically implementing these tips in your writing style.