How to write an essay

¨  There are lots of steps and techniques to write an essay. We will present one of them or 8 step technique in this presentation. 

8 steps include:

1. Research the topic.
2. Analyze well written essays.
3. Brainstorm your own ideas.
4. Pick your thesis statement.
5. Plan your essay.
6. Write the body of your essay.
7. Come up with a compelling title and introduction.
8. Conclude your essay.

Step 1

¨  Go online, head to the library, or search an academic database.

¨  Know which sources are acceptable.

¨  Take detailed notes, keeping track of which facts come from which sources. Write down your sources in the correct citation format so that you don't have to go back and look them up again later.

¨  Never ignore facts and claims that seem to disprove your original idea or claim.

Step 2

¨  In your research you'll probably come across really well-written (and not so well-written) arguments about your topic. Do some analysis to see what makes them work.

¨  What claims does the author make?

¨  What evidence does the author present?

¨  Is the logic sound or faulty, and why?

Step 3

¨  Sure, you can use the arguments of others to back up what you want to say. However, you need to come up with your original spin on the topic to make it uniquely yours.

¡  Make lists of ideas. You can also try mind mapping.

¡  Take your time. Walk in your neighborhood or local park and think about your topic. Be prepared for ideas to come to you when you least expect them.

Step 4

¨  Look at the ideas that you generated. Choose one to three of your strongest ideas that support your topic with evidence from your research.

¨  Write a thesis statement that summarizes the ideas that you plan to present.

¡  A thesis statement should have a narrow focus include both your topic and what you plan to present.

¡  A thesis statement should not ask a question, be written in first person ("I"), roam off-topic or be combative.

Step 5

¨  Take the thoughts that you brainstormed and assemble them into an outline. Write a topic sentence for your main ideas. Then, underneath, make bullet points and list your supporting evidence. Generally, you want three arguments or pieces of evidence to support each main idea.

Step 6

¨  Avoid sweeping generalizations. Statements such as "______ is the most important problem facing the world today," can cause your reader to dismiss your position out of hand if he/she disagrees with you. On the other hand, "______ is a significant global problem" is more accurate.

¨  Don't use "I" statements such as "I think." Likewise, avoid the personal pronouns "you," "we," "my," "your" or "our". Instead of writing, "I found Frum to have a conservative bias," tell the reader why your statement is true: "Frum displays a conservative bias when he writes..."

Step 7

¨  Your title and introduction make people want to read your essay.

¨  Skip obvious expressions such as, "This essay is about, "The topic of this essay is" or "I will now show that".

¨  Try the inverted pyramid formula. Start off with a very broad description of your topic and gradually narrow it down to your specific thesis statement. Try to use no more than 3 to 5 sentences for short essays, and no more than 1 page for longer essays.

Step 8

¨  Summarize your points and suggest ways in which your conclusion can be thought of in a larger sense.

¨  Answer questions like, "What are the implications of your thesis statement being true?" "What's the next step?" "What questions remain unanswered?"

¨  Your arguments should draw your reader to a natural, logical conclusion.

¨  Nail the last sentence. If your title and first paragraph make the reader want to read your essay, then your last sentence makes the reader remember you.