Formatting tips for writing an essay

Essays are commonly assigned to high school students, and they play a significant part in the college application process. However, apart from high school students, professionals taking the tests such as the IELTS or LSAT must also be able to compose transparent, precise, and compelling essays. And if you think you are not a writer, essays and writing homework don’t have to be daunting. When you understand the fundamental steps and the most specific formats, you will discover it is simple to write down your ideas on any particular topic.

What is an ideal way to write an essay?

Essay writing can be broken down into three stages: essay insights, essay formulating, and essay revision. But, before diving into the specifics of each of these phases, we have to talk about the essay format.

And besides, we can’t use phrases like “body paragraph” without the framework. That would be unfair and out of the ordinary.

Isn’t an essay consisting of a series of paragraphs? Although it is an excessively simplistic explanation of the structure, there is some reality to it. Each essay includes an introduction paragraph, three to five body paragraphs, and a closing paragraph.

The first paragraph

An introduction paragraph provides an overview of your subject matter. You will have a hook, some perspective sentences, and your dissertation, which will include a viewpoint on your selected subject and supporting evidence. It’s the initial impression your viewer will have, so make it a good one.

The body paragraphs

Body paragraphs are the ‘nitty-gritty’ of any essay. The body paragraphs come in between the introductory paragraph and the closing paragraph. And discuss what you’ve said in your essay. If we’re talking about a standard 5-7 paragraph essay, there should be one body paragraph for each associated point or argument in the dissertation.

The closing paragraph

The closing paragraph informs the reader of your dissertation illustrating your linked points, and to have the perspective of determining whether or not they consent with you after reading the body paragraphs.

What are the various types of essays?

Essays can be written in a variety of styles. Below is a list of the common essay kinds;

• The narrative essay conveys details in the story format with an explicit perspective.
• An expository essay describes, demonstrates, or articulates a subject. It contains educational content with step-by-step instructions.
• Descriptive essays do essentially what their title suggests: they outline a specific event, context, or subject.
• A persuasive essay focuses to inspire the viewers to adopt a particular viewpoint or idea.
• Contrast and Compare essay identifies how distinct or same two or more things are.
• Problem-Solution essay emphasizes an issue, compels the reader to look at it, proposes a solution, and addresses potential concerns.

Tips for composing an essay

There is nothing more challenging for a writer than a blank page. It’s why you must have a strategy in place before beginning your essay.

Choose your essay form and topic.

You may have been allotted an essay category or topic. If it is not appointed to you, then think of probable topics to write about. It will aid in identifying the essay type you will write.

Think about the topic and do some research

After you’ve decided on a topic, consider all the various facilitating ideas you can discuss. Begin with the fundamentals of your concept, asking what, when, why, and how. You can utilize the Mind Map technique to discover new ideas, or you can write down bullet points as you come across them in your analysis. If your subject calls for it, then consider performing quick interviews with subject matter professionals. These will be used as sources in your essay.

Establish a thesis statement

After you’ve done your research, construct your thesis statement. A thesis statement is made up of one or two lines that represent the main topic or explanation of your essay. The thesis summary will display your subject matter and also communicate your point of view on it.

Make a synopsis

You can begin preparing your overview when you have your thesis statement. Most individuals ignore the outline method because they believe it is unnecessary. However, a blueprint can help you plan your ideas before you begin writing and save your time because you won’t be going in circles or hopping from one thought to another without a strategic path. The Five-Paragraph Essay is a widely known essay format that consists of various components;

1. Introduction statement
2. Main Paragraph 1
3. Main Paragraph 2
4. Main Paragraph 3
5. Conclusion 

While this framework consists of five paragraphs, we can conveniently adapt it to a Five-Part Essay Formation by using the same template. It implies that we’ll stick to the sequence, but each main paragraph may have multiple paragraphs. When creating your sketch, ensure that every paragraph contains only one basic purpose. Too many points jumbled together in one paragraph tries to distract your audience. Also, make certain that all of your key points are appropriate to your thesis statement.

Begin writing your essay

You can now initiate composing your essay utilizing your synopsis. A few writers tend to compose their paragraphs in chronological order, commencing with the hook. The hook is the initial few sentences of your essay that will capture the viewer’s attention. If you can begin writing the hook, that’s great. If not, it’s fine, you can always return to it after you’ve finished writing the body of the essay. Here are some additional pointers for drafting the body of an essay;

1. Extend on every one of your key points with at least one paragraph. And if your core topics require more than one paragraph each, then you can add more to it.
2. A short introductory paragraph is helpful for any point that occupies two paragraphs or more.
3. Keep it brief and clear.
4. Also provide anecdotal stories, as they can express your point easily.
5. Prevent using first-person pronouns when drafting a proper educational essay.

Take note of how you cite sources

Applying other individuals' opinions was seen as a sign of intelligence in ancient Romans. However, in the modern age, plagiarism is a serious offense, so be cautious when stating other people’s work.

To prevent plagiarism, rephrase any insights you gather from your analysis rather than replicating the same words. Place them in quotation marks along with the source name. Then, utilize correct citations. Plagiarism entails not only a word-for-word repetition of an idea, and also, referencing the origin of the actual idea.  You can use either the APA or MLA in-text quote style, based on your instructor’s requirements.

Revise and proofread your work

Following the completion of your first document, reevaluate and proofread your work to ensure that all grammar and spelling errors have been corrected. Always go over your work at least once, or have it reviewed by a mentor or a friend. When editing, you must eliminate all extra words and perform on using strong verbs instead of weak ones. Finally double-check all of the details in your essay, particularly when quoting other sources.

Try our paraphrasing tool!