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General Essay Writing Tips - Essay Writing Center

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General Essay Writing Tips
General Essay Writing Tips

D espite the fact that, as Shakespeare said, "the Admission Essay Writing  
pen is mightier than the sword," the pen itself is
not enough to make an effective writer. In fact, Scholarship Essay Writing
though we may all like to think of ourselves as the
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next Shakespeare, inspiration alone is not the key
to effective essay writing. You see, the Get Help Writing an Essay
conventions of English essays are more formulaic
than you might think – and, in many ways, it can
be as simple as counting to five. USA School Search

The Five Paragraph Essay Field of Study

Though more advanced academic papers are a category all their own, the basic high school or college essay has
the following standardized, five paragraph structure: School Location

Paragraph 1: Introduction
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Paragraph 2: Body 1
Paragraph 3: Body 2
Paragraph 4: Body 3 Search Now
Paragraph 5: Conclusion
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Though it may seem formulaic – and, well, it is - the idea behind this structure is to make it easier for the reader to
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navigate the ideas put forth in an essay. You see, if your essay has the same structure as every other one, any
reader should be able to quickly and easily find the information most relevant to them.
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The Introduction
The principle purpose of the introduction is to present your
position (this is also known as the "thesis" or "argument") on the  Want to see sample essays?
issue at hand but effective introductory paragraphs are so much Check out our Sample Essay
more than that. Before you even get to this thesis statement, for section where you can see
example, the essay should begin with a "hook" that grabs the scholarship essays, admissions
reader’s attention and makes them want to read on. Examples of essays, and more!
effective hooks include relevant quotations ("no man is an island")
or surprising statistics ("three out of four doctors report that…").

Only then, with the reader’s attention "hooked," should you move on to the thesis. The thesis should be a clear,
one-sentence explanation of your position that leaves no doubt in the reader’s mind about which side you are on
from the beginning of your essay.

Following the thesis, you should provide a mini-outline which previews the examples you will use to support your
thesis in the rest of the essay. Not only does this tell the reader what to expect in the paragraphs to come but it
also gives them a clearer understanding of what the essay is about.
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Finally, designing the last sentence in this way has the added benefit of seamlessly moving the reader to the first
paragraph of the body of the paper. In this way we can see that the basic introduction does not need to be much
essay writing
more than three or four sentences in length. If yours is much longer you might want to consider editing it down a
bit! english essay

Here, by way of example, is an introductory paragraph to an essay in response to the following question:
essay how to write
"Do we learn more from finding out that we have made mistakes or from our successful actions?"
example of a good essay
"No man is an island" and, as such, he is constantly shaped and
academic english writing
influenced by his experiences. People learn by doing and,
accordingly, learn considerably more from their mistakes than their
success. For proof of this, consider examples from both science
and everyday experience.

DO – Pay Attention to Your DO NOT – Use Passive Voice or

Introductory Paragraph  I/My 
Because this is the first paragraph of your essay Active voice, wherein the subjects direct actions
it is your opportunity to give the reader the best rather than let the actions "happen to" them –
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16.8.2019. General Essay Writing Tips - Essay Writing Center
it is your opportunity to give the reader the best rather than let the actions happen to them –
first impression possible. The introductory "he scored a 97%" instead of "he was given a
paragraph not only gives the reader an idea of 97%" – is a much more powerful and attention-
what you will talk about but also shows them grabbing way to write. At the same time, unless
how you will talk about it. Put a disproportionate it is a personal narrative, avoid personal
amount of effort into this – more than the 20% a pronouns like I, My, or Me. Try instead to be
simple calculation would suggest – and you will more general and you will have your reader
be rewarded accordingly. hooked.

The Body Paragraphs

The middle paragraphs of the essay are collectively known as the body paragraphs and, as alluded to above, the
main purpose of a body paragraph is to spell out in detail the examples that support your thesis.

For the first body paragraph you should use your strongest argument or most significant example unless some
other more obvious beginning point (as in the case of chronological explanations) is required. The first sentence
of this paragraph should be the topic sentence of the paragraph that directly relates to the examples listed in the
mini-outline of introductory paragraph.

A one sentence body paragraph that simply cites the example of "George Washington" or "LeBron James" is not
enough, however. No, following this an effective essay will follow up on this topic sentence by explaining to the
reader, in detail, who or what an example is and, more importantly, why that example is relevant.

Even the most famous examples need context. For example, George Washington’s life was extremely complex –
by using him as an example, do you intend to refer to his honesty, bravery, or maybe even his wooden teeth? The
reader needs to know this and it is your job as the writer to paint the appropriate picture for them. To do this, it is a
good idea to provide the reader with five or six relevant facts about the life (in general) or event (in particular) you
believe most clearly illustrates your point.

Having done that, you then need to explain exactly why this example proves your thesis. The importance of this
step cannot be understated (although it clearly can be underlined); this is, after all, the whole reason you are
providing the example in the first place. Seal the deal by directly stating why this example is relevant.

Here is an example of a body paragraph to continue the essay begun above:

Take, by way of example, Thomas Edison. The famed American

inventor rose to prominence in the late 19th century because of his
successes, yes, but even he felt that these successes were the
result of his many failures. He did not succeed in his work on one of
his most famous inventions, the lightbulb, on his first try nor even
on his hundred and first try. In fact, it took him more than 1,000
attempts to make the first incandescent bulb but, along the way, he
learned quite a deal. As he himself said, "I did not fail a thousand
times but instead succeeded in finding a thousand ways it would
not work." Thus Edison demonstrated both in thought and action
how instructive mistakes can be.

DO – Tie Things Together  DO NOT – Be Too General 

The first sentence – the topic sentence - of your Examples should be relevant to the thesis and
body paragraphs needs to have a lot individual so should the explanatory details you provide for
pieces to be truly effective. Not only should it them. It can be hard to summarize the full
open with a transition that signals the change richness of a given example in just a few lines so
from one idea to the next but also it should make them count. If you are trying to explain
(ideally) also have a common thread which ties why George Washington is a great example of a
all of the body paragraphs together. For strong leader, for instance, his childhood
example, if you used "first" in the first body adventure with the cherry tree (though
paragraph then you should used "secondly" in interesting in another essay) should probably be
the second or "on the one hand" and "on the skipped over.
other hand" accordingly.

A Word on Transitions

You may have noticed that though the above paragraph aligns pretty closely with the provided outline there is
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16.8.2019. General Essay Writing Tips - Essay Writing Center
You may have noticed that, though the above paragraph aligns pretty closely with the provided outline, there is
one large exception: the first few words. These words are example of a transitional phrase – others include
"furthermore," "moreover," but also "by contrast" and "on the other hand" – and are the hallmark of good writing.

Transitional phrases are useful for showing the reader where one section ends and another begins. It may be
helpful to see them as the written equivalent of the kinds of spoken cues used in formal speeches that signal the
end of one set of ideas and the beginning of another. In essence, they lead the reader from one section of the
paragraph of another.

To further illustrate this, consider the second body paragraph of our example essay:

In a similar way, we are all like Edison in our own way. Whenever
we learn a new skill - be it riding a bike, driving a car, or cooking a
cake - we learn from our mistakes. Few, if any, are ready to go from
training wheels to a marathon in a single day but these early
experiences (these so-called mistakes) can help us improve our
performance over time. You cannot make a cake without breaking a
few eggs and, likewise, we learn by doing and doing inevitably
means making mistakes.
Hopefully this example not only provides another example of an effective body paragraph but also illustrates how
transitional phrases can be used to distinguish between them.

The Conclusion
Although the conclusion paragraph comes at the end of your essay it should not be seen as an afterthought. As
the final paragraph is represents your last chance to make your case and, as such, should follow an extremely
rigid format.

One way to think of the conclusion is, paradoxically, as a second introduction because it does in fact contain
many of the same features. While it does not need to be too long – four well-crafted sentence should be enough –
it can make or break and essay.

Effective conclusions open with a concluding transition ("in conclusion," "in the end," etc.) and an allusion to the
"hook" used in the introductory paragraph. After that you should immediately provide a restatement of your thesis
statement.

This should be the fourth or fifth time you have repeated your thesis so while you should use a variety of word
choice in the body paragraphs it is a acceptable idea to use some (but not all) of the original language you used
in the introduction. This echoing effect not only reinforces your argument but also ties it nicely to the second key
element of the conclusion: a brief (two or three words is enough) review of the three main points from the body of
the paper.

Having done all of that, the final element – and final sentence in your essay – should be a "global statement" or
"call to action" that gives the reader signals that the discussion has come to an end.

In the end, then, one thing is clear: mistakes do far more to help us
learn and improve than successes. As examples from both science
and everyday experience can attest, if we treat each mistake not as
a misstep but as a learning experience the possibilities for self-
improvement are limitless.

DO – Be Powerful  DO NOT – Copy the First


Paragraph
The conclusion paragraph can be a difficult
paragraph to write effectively but, as it is your Although you can reuse the same key words in
last chance to convince or otherwise impress the the conclusion as you did in the introduction, try
reader, it is worth investing some time in. Take not to copy whole phrases word for word.
this opportunity to restate your thesis with Instead, try to use this last paragraph to really
confidence; if you present your argument as show your skills as a writer by being as artful in
"obvious" then the reader might just do the your rephrasing as possible.
same.

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Taken together, then, the overall structure of a five paragraph essay should look
something like this:

Introduction Paragraph
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16.8.2019. General Essay Writing Tips - Essay Writing Center
Introduction Paragraph
An attention-grabbing "hook"
A thesis statement
A preview of the three subtopics you will discuss in the body paragraphs.

First Body Paragraph

Topic sentence which states the first subtopic and opens with a transition
Supporting details or examples
An explanation of how this example proves your thesis

Second Body Paragraph

Topic sentence which states the second subtopic and opens with a transition
Supporting details or examples
An explanation of how this example proves your thesis

Third Body Paragraph

Topic sentence which states the third subtopic and opens with a transition
Supporting details or examples
An explanation of how this example proves your thesis

Concluding Paragraph
Concluding Transition, Reverse "hook," and restatement of thesis.
Rephrasing main topic and subtopics.
Global statement or call to action.

More tips to make your essay shine

Planning Pays
Although it may seem like a waste of time – especially during exams where time is tight – it is almost always
better to brainstorm a bit before beginning your essay. This should enable you to find the best supporting ideas –
rather than simply the first ones that come to mind – and position them in your essay accordingly.

Your best supporting idea – the one that most strongly makes your case and, simultaneously, about which you
have the most knowledge – should go first. Even the best-written essays can fail because of ineffectively placed
arguments.

Aim for Variety

Sentences and vocabulary of varying complexity are one of the hallmarks of effective writing. When you are
writing, try to avoid using the same words and phrases over and over again. You don’t have to be a walking
thesaurus but a little variance can make the same idea sparkle.

If you are asked about "money," you could try "wealth" or "riches." At the same time, avoid beginning sentences
the dull pattern of "subject + verb + direct object." Although examples of this are harder to give, consider our
writing throughout this article as one big example of sentence structure variety.

Practice! Practice! Practice!

In the end, though, remember that good writing does not happen by accident. Although we have endeavored to
explain everything that goes into effective essay writing in as clear and concise a way as possible, it is much
easier in theory than it is in practice.

As a result, we recommend that you practice writing sample essays on various topics. Even if they are not
masterpieces at first, a bit of regular practice will soon change that – and make you better prepared when it
comes to the real thing.

Now that you’ve learned how to write an effective essay, check out our Sample Essays so you can see
how they are done in practice.

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