Writing an Essay | Writing an Essay

Writing an essay takes a number of specific steps, and the most common mistakes stem from skipping these steps. An essay requires the writer to outline of the elements that will be included, seek out and incorporate research, and the follow the necessary criteria for the writing of an essay. These first two steps are the most obvious and are rarely a problem; but the third step is clearly an area of concern for many essay writers. The development and expansion on the specific organization of an essay is as valuable to the overall success of the essay as the other elements, including outlining and research.

Introduction

In particular, the set-up for an essay, whether an argumentative essay or a research-based essay, includes the introduction, the body of the essay and the conclusion. The introduction to an essay should tell the reader what they are going to read. But contrary to popular belief, the introduction does not have to be simply a dry overview of what will be included in the essay. The introduction can introduce more than one thought on a subject, demonstrating the focus of the essay on one of those particular perspectives, or the introduction can provide a systematic overview of what will be included in the essay. The writer, then, should recognize that the introduction is the first thing that the reader sees and influences their perspective on what they will read.

The Body

The body of the paper should be organized in a particular manner, but the goal of this section is to follow the introduction by providing the reader with the promised information. The body of the paper can be set-up in terms of sequential elements or relative to different aspects of the subject. For example, a paper on abortion might include a body that is divided into two sections: pro-choice and pro-life. An essay on George Washington, in contrast, might follow a sequential format because of the nature of the subject matter. The body of the paper should be both concise and directed and should show an acknowledgement of the outlining and research processes through the incorporate of particular information.

The focus on the format of an essay does not detract from the value placed on both outlining and research prior to the start of writing. The development of the body of the paper, for example, is reliant on the affective incorporation of research collected. Research, then, becomes the hinge upon which the door of the paper is opened. The writer should distinguish between specific elements within the body of their work, supporting these with the use of the research that has been collected. This process may sometimes be difficult, but it reflects the writers understanding of the research concept.

Conclusion

The conclusion to the paper is the last view that the reader will read, and should do either of the following: provide an overview of what has been said (tell the reader what they have read) or provide support for one argument over the other (the case for pro-choice, for example, rather than pro-life). The conclusion to any essay should never incorporate new research information (quotations, for example), because this material should have been introduced in the body of the paper. Instead, the essay conclusion should provide summary information about what has been discussed and that information can sometimes support one of the different perspectives offered in the body of the paper.

What to Remember

Some other common problems that occur when writing an essay include the following:

Editing: The writer should check for spelling and grammar errors

Plagiarism: The writer should check that all of the research material used is cited properly

Content: The writer should be sure that the content of the paper corresponds with the topic they are writing about. It is easy to fall into the trap of writing on a tangent, only to realize that more of the paper is about the tangent than the topic.

Bibliography: The writer should check their citation style and make sure that they create an adequate and appropriate bibliography

Get Going

Though the focus on research is often a primary concern for new essay writers, the ability to put that research into a coherent and focused essay can be difficult. Following the criteria outlined above provides a basis for the development of an effective essay, and reflects consideration of both form and content.