Basic guide to writing an essay

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By The Fastweb Team August 20, Writing an essay often seems to be a dreaded task among students. Whether the essay is for a scholarshipa class, or maybe even a contest, many students often find the task overwhelming. While an essay is a large project, there are many steps a student can take that will help break down the task into manageable parts.

Guide to Writing a Basic Essay | Teachers College Columbia University

Following this process is the easiest way to draft a successful essay, whatever its purpose might be. You may have your topic assigned, or you may be given free reign to write on the subject of your choice. If you are given the topic, you should think about the type of paper that you want to produce.

Should it be a general overview of the subject or a specific analysis? Narrow your focus if necessary. If you have not been assigned a topic, you have a little more work to do. However, this opportunity also gives you the advantage to choose a subject that is interesting or relevant to you.

First, define your purpose. Is your essay to inform or persuade? Once you have determined the purpose, you will need to do some research on topics that you find intriguing. Think about your life.

What is it that interests you? Jot these subjects down. Finally, evaluate your options. If your goal is to educate, choose a subject that you have already studied.

If your goal is to persuade, choose a subject that you are passionate about. Whatever the mission of the essay, make sure that you are interested in your topic. Prepare an outline or diagram of your ideas.

In order to write a successful essay, you must organize your thoughts. This structure serves as a foundation for your paper. Use either an outline or a diagram to jot down your ideas and organize them.

To create a diagram, write your topic in the middle of your page. Draw three to five lines branching off from this topic and write down your main ideas at the ends of these lines.

Draw more lines off these main ideas and include any thoughts you may have on these ideas. If you prefer to create an outline, write your topic at the top of the page. From there, begin to list your main ideas, leaving space under each one. In this space, make sure to list other smaller ideas that relate to each main idea.

Doing this will allow you to see connections and will help you to write a more organized essay. Write your thesis statement. Now that you have chosen a topic and sorted your ideas into relevant categories, you must create a thesis statement.

Your thesis statement tells the reader the point of your essay. Look at your outline or diagram. What are the main ideas? Your thesis statement will have two parts.

The first part states the topic, and the second part states the point of the essay. The body of your essay argues, explains or describes your topic.

Reference List: Basic Rules // Purdue Writing Lab

Each main idea that you wrote in your diagram or outline will become a separate section within the body of your essay.LSUS Northwest Louisiana Archives Noel Memorial Library Guide to Writing a Basic Essay An essay can have many purposes, but the basic structure is the same no matter.

A Short Guide to Writing About History is a book that has withstood the test of the time over the past two decades. Originally written in by the late Richard Marius, professor from Harvard University, the book has seen seven updated and revised editions. Pattern Based Writing: Quick & Easy Essay Beginner’s Guide to Teaching Writing © – All Rights Reserved Pattern Based Writing: Quick & Easy Essay 2 | Page.

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Join the writing center team and your peers for a 3 hours session of focused writing. Get your midterms written before the weekend! Write-ins have limited space and will take place in Thorndike Hall. While keeping this basic essay format in mind, let the topic and specific assignment guide the writing and organization.

Parts of an Essay Introduction the Basic Paragraph Format handout. Topic Sentence.