Essay Writing for Beginners: 6-Step Guide with Examples
If you need to write an essay, whether for a college course or to pass a writing test, this guide will take you through the process step-by-step.
Even if you have never written an essay before, this guide will make the process simple and easy to follow.
It is divided into two parts.Â
First, Iâll show you the steps of writing an essay from scratch using a simple example.Â
And in the second part, weâll go through the process together and write a complete sample essay.
Letâs dive right in.Â
Writing an essay is a 6-step process. Â
Step 1. Decide on your main point and write it down
You could be in one of the following situations:
- Your teacher or professor gave you a prompt, and you have to follow it
- You are allowed to make up your own essay topic
- You must pass a writing test and are practicing
Whatever the case, letâs assume that you have some kind of a topic or an idea for an essay. Many essay prompts ask you to decide for or against an idea. You must agree or disagree.
And in your first step, you need to simply make that decision â whether you agree or disagree â and just write it down as a simple sentence.Â
This is a very simple example, but it shows you what a thesis essentially looks like. It is also your main point.
Try not to make your thesis sentence too complicated. Keep it simple so that the point is perfectly clear to both you and the reader.Â
In this case, our example thesis is:
And weâre ready for the next step.
Step 2. Come up with three supporting ideas
Whether you need to write 300 or 3,000 words, as a beginner you only need three supporting points to prove your main point.
This is why I teach the Power of Three.Â
So, why three? You see, you need to divide your topic into subtopics. If you donât, the whole essay writing process will be harder than it has to be.
If you divide it into only two parts, thatâs okay. But it doesnât give you enough meat when youâll be writing the body of the essay.
If you divide it into more than three, that is also a recipe for frustration. Itâs just too many.Â
Three is a very comfortable number for the brain to deal with. Trust me. Iâve taught many, many people.Â
Letâs apply the Power of Three to our simple example.Â
Why do I love apples? I love them for three reasons. Not one, not two, not seven. Just three reasons.Â
I love apples because they are:
- NutritiousÂ
In this step, your job is to make sure that these three reasons are really different from one another. In this case, they are.Â
Here is a wrong way to do it:
In this case, apples being filling is too similar to being nutritious. This means that when youâre writing the body of the essay, you may run into writerâs block.
This happens because you realize that youâve already said everything there is to say about the nutrition of apples, and now them being filling is too closely related. And youâre out of words to write.Â
Donât let that happen. Just keep your supporting points really distinct from one another.Â
Step 3. Write out the complete thesis statement
Now you have everything you need to write a complete thesis statement. You have your main and supporting points.Â
Take them and write them out as complete sentences in one paragraph. Letâs do it very simplistically, using our apples example:
Again, this is overly simple, and I donât expect you to write such short sentences one after another this way.Â
But itâs crystal clear. And the supporting points really sound like good evidence for the main point.Â
In other words, this thesis statement works.Â
Your Thesis Statement Is Also Your Outline
Students often ask how to write an essay outline. But once you have written your thesis statement the way I just showed you, you have yourself a nice outline.Â
In addition, you already have the first paragraph. It may not be complete. You may choose to add some words to it. You will also add an introduction in a later step.
But your first paragraph is, for the main, done. It exists, and itâs good to know that you just wrote a nice paragraph.Â
We are ready for the next step.Â
Step 4. Write the body of the essay
We already know that we have three sections in our little example. And you will also have three main sections if you apply the Power of Three to your essay.
Each of your sections will contain one or more paragraphs.Â
But as a beginner, just stick to one paragraph per section. Each of your sections will be a paragraph, and you need to write only three paragraphs in the body of the essay.
Body Paragraph Structure
You must begin each of your body paragraphs with a lead sentence (also known as a topic sentence). And then your job is to fill the rest of the paragraph with evidence to support what you just stated in the lead sentence.
You may have heard that in your essay you should proceed from more general to more specific ? That is exactly right.
The lead sentence (the first sentence in the paragraph) is the most general statement in that paragraph.Â
For example, in our essay about apples, the second section is about how nutritious apples are. So, you would begin your paragraph with something like this:
This is the most general statement. And now, your job would be to unpack that, to write a little more specifically.Â
As an explanation , you can write a sentence or two on what kinds of nutrients apples contain.Â
And as examples , you can write about what some of these nutrients do in the body that makes them nutritious.Â
Does this make sense? You are proceeding from general to specific. Weâll take a closer look at this process in the essay topic sample that is coming up.Â
Once youâve written the body paragraphs, youâre ready for the next step.Â
Step 5. Write the introduction and the conclusion
Introductions.
The introduction is really just a sentence (two at most) that you add in the beginning of your first paragraph.Â
Introductions are not necessary. Many instructors will expect that you write them while others wonât. You can go straight to the point by starting your first paragraph with the thesis.Â
However, most instructors will expect an introduction, and you should know how to write one.Â
To write an introduction, just zoom out a bit and write a more general and less relevant sentence. For example, we can start our essay about apples with this sentence:
And then we proceed straight to the thesis: âI love apples.â And so onâŚ
Conclusions
In your conclusion you can do one of several things. But I recommend that, as a beginner, you stick to the time-proven restatement .
Basically, you simply repeat what you stated in your thesis statement, using different words. Â
Yes, this is repetitious, but that is the nature of conclusions. Donât worry.Â
You can literally copy your thesis statement, paste it at the end of your essay, and make sure you change the wording so that it reads like a new paragraph.
For example, this is how we can write our conclusion about apples:
Yes, your conclusion can be just one sentence. But it can also contain many sentences.Â
Step 6. Proofread
Our final step in writing an essay is to go back and proofread our draft.
We must look out for:
- Any contradictions (to make sure we donât contradict our own points)
- Any irrelevant material (stuff that doesnât belong in the essay at all)
- Grammatical errors
- Misspellings
One good, thorough round of proofreading can be enough to be ready to submit your essay for grading.Â
You can use a variety of tools sto spell-check your essay. Google docs is one great tool for that. But many others, such as Grammarly, are available as well.
Guess what! Now you know how to write an essay, even if youâre a beginner.Â
And now, letâs apply what we learned.
Letâs take a sample topic and follow the 6 steps to write a nice sample essay.
Letâs do this!
Sample Essay: âParents are the best teachers.âÂ
This essay topic came from one of my readers. Letâs develop it into an essay by following the steps we just learned.
Step 1. Decide on the main point and write it
Letâs say that we are given a choice â whether we agree or disagree that parents are the best teachers.
All we have to do is take a stand. We have to simply decide â yes or no.
Letâs decide that parents are indeed the best teachers.
We simply state this as the main point:
Step 2. Think up three supporting ideas
Why could parents be the best teachers?
This will take some thinking. But thatâs what we need to do.
Letâs use the Power of Three . And here is what we came up with:
- They are the first teachers, and thatâs very important.
- They have the childâs best interests in mind.
- They spend more time with their child than anyone else.Â
We really want to make sure that these supporting points are different from one another. Are they?
If we read them over, weâll see that each of them is indeed distinct. Great!
Step 3. Write out the thesis statement
We have our main point. We have our supporting points. And writing the full thesis statement is now easy.
Letâs do it:
We really just took the thesis and the supporting statements and wrote them all in a sequence as one paragraph.Â
As a result, we now have a nice, clear opening paragraph.
We also now have our outline:
We know exactly how many sections our essay will have.
We also know in which order weâll be presenting our support. Itâs all in the thesis statement, which is also our outline.Â
Now our job is to write three good supporting paragraphs, one at a time.
Letâs start with the first body paragraph.
The first sentence is always the lead sentence â the most general sentence in a body paragraph.Â
Writing the Lead Sentence
Letâs first copy and paste our first supporting point from our thesis statement:
I copied this because this is exactly what my paragraph is about. And this would be a perfect lead sentence if it were not repetitious.Â
To make sure itâs not simply repetitious, weâll tweak and expand it a little:
We made sure that the subject is clear â that it is not â They â but â Parents .â
And we expanded the sentence by adding an explanation: ââŚbecause what is imprinted early stays with the child forever.â
You donât have to necessarily add an explanation in the lead sentence like this. But this is an option that you have.Â
All we really want to do in the lead sentence is just expand it slightly over the initial supporting point that it came from.Â
Writing the Rest of the Paragraph
Letâs review our body paragraph structure:
In our paragraph, we proceed from more general to more specific. Our lead sentence is the most general statement.Â
The next most general part of the paragraph is where you explain your point. You can provide a scientific explanation with data and research. You can explain it logically, using your own rationale.Â
But it is still a general part. Letâs write it.
Explanation
We are keeping it simple and not using any references to scientific studies. You can and should cite sources in your essay when necessary.
If youâre writing an essay in an exam or test, you wonât need any references. You can just make things up as you go along. And it works as long as your content is logical and supports the main point.
If youâre writing for a college course, you will likely need to cite sources, unless itâs English 101 where you write basic essays like this one.Â
But now, we have three explanatory sentences in our paragraph. Our next step is to add at least one example. You can add more, but one should do it for a beginner.Â
This example presents a phenomenon that is well known in psychology. It is an example because it describes one extreme kind of a phenomenon. It is also much more specific than our explanation.Â
Note that we can add more words by talking about a specific wild child from history. But letâs stop here and look at our full paragraph:
We have 113 words in this paragraph. And itâs a perfect body paragraph that supports the first part of our thesis statement.
Letâs write the next one.Â
Again, letâs copy the second supporting point and then tweak and expand it.
This sentence already starts with the subject, which is â parents .â Now, all we need to do is to expand it slightly:
We added a short phrase just to make the lead sentence a little longer and more detailed. Now it doesnât read like plain repetition.
Letâs write the next most general part of this paragraph â the explanation:
These three sentences explain why it makes sense that parents would have the childâs best interests in mind. She is the most precious thing to them in the world.Â
Itâs time for an example. And Iâll use my personal experience:
Itâs totally okay to use personal examples in an essay. You can use them even in advanced research papers. Your personal experience is valuable. Use it.
Letâs take a look at our second body paragraph in its entirety:
This paragraph contains 98 words of evidence to support the second point.Â
Itâs time for the final body paragraph.
Again, you know what weâll do. Weâll just copy our third supporting point and tweak and expand it a little:
Letâs make sure the reader knows what the real subject is in this sentence. And letâs also expand it just a bit:
Great! Itâs time for the explanatory part:
Again, we wonât be citing any sources here and will keep it simple. This explanation works really well because it provides evidence for the third supporting point.
Letâs be even more specific and write at least one example.
Again, Iâm using a personal example to show that whoever spends the most time with the child will have the most influence.
And letâs take a look at our third body paragraph as a whole:
We have here 116 words of great, general-to-specific content that supports our third point.Â
As a result, if we look back at what weâve done, weâll see that everything we wrote in the body paragraphs supports the main point that parents are the best teachers.
Itâs time for the next step.Â
Introduction Â
Our introduction will be just one sentence, which is enough.Â
First, letâs revisit our complete thesis statement. We will write the introductory sentence based on it.Â
In this paragraph, we go straight to the point, and thereâs nothing wrong with that.Â
However, as we know, most instructors will expect some kind of an introduction. So, weâll add one sentence before we get to the main point.
This sentence must be more general. We are zooming out a little. Letâs do it:
And letâs take a look at the full paragraph together with the introduction:
Note that I took out the phrase âfor three reasons.â It is unnecessary because it is clear that you are providing three supporting points. And the whole paragraph sounds better this way.
To write the conclusion, weâll simply reword the thesis statement. We only need to make sure that we donât sound like weâre just repeating things.
That was not too hard, was it?
Itâs time for the final step.Â
In this step, we just need to go over our essay, making final edits and corrections. And thatâs all.
I hope this tutorial really helps you in your essay writing.Â
Stay tuned and weâll talk soon!
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Step-By-Step Guide to Essay Writing
By: Author Rosie
Posted on Last updated: October 25, 2023
Sharing is caring!
Writing an essay can be an overwhelming task, especially if you are not familiar with the process. However, with a clear and detailed step-by-step guide, the task can become manageable and even enjoyable. This guide will take you through the essay writing process, from the initial planning and research stages to the final proofreading and editing.
It will provide tips and strategies for organizing your thoughts, constructing a clear and logical argument, and effectively presenting your ideas in written form. Whether you are a student, professional or just someone looking to improve their writing skills, this guide will help you to write clear, concise and well-structured essays every time.
Read the essay question carefully
- Highlight keywords.
- Use the dictionary to check the meaning of any unfamiliar words.
- Identify the task words that indicate what needs to be done, eg “discuss”, “explain”, and “compare”.
- Identify the topic words that indicate the particular subject of the essay, eg the character of “Juliet” in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, the “causes” of World War 1.
- Identify any limiting words that restrict the discussion to a particular area, eg in “Chapters 1-3”, during the “nineteenth century”.
Finish any necessary reading or research as background to the essay
- Be selective: use sources that are relevant and accessible.
- Write notes in your own words.
- Write down quotations that may be particularly useful, but ensure the source of these quotes is acknowledged if they’re used.
- Take note of sources so they can be provided in the footnotes and the bibliography.
Brainstorm ideas in response to the question
- Jot down any relevant points.
- Make note of any relevant evidence or quotes that come to mind.
- Use a mind map to help stimulate lateral thinking.
Develop a thesis (idea/argument) that encapsulates the response to the question
- The thesis should be a statement that strongly expresses the overall response to the question.
- Avoid a thesis that’s too simplistic – show thought has been put into some of the complexities behind the question.
- The thesis is the backbone of the essay – it will be stated in the introduction. It also needs to be referred to several times in the essay before restating it and demonstrating how it has been proven in the conclusion.
Write a plan for the response
- Order ideas in a logical sequence.
- Make sure every point in the plan is relevant to the question.
- After the plan has been written it should be clear where the essay is going.
Write the introduction
- Open up the discussion.
- Introduce the thesis.
- Indicate how the questions will be answered.
- Name any texts to be discussed, if appropriate.
- Engage the reader.
Write the main body of the essay
- Ensure each point is given a new paragraph.
- Use words or phrases at the start of each paragraph that will indicate to the reader how it relates to the previous paragraph, eg, “however”, “in addition”, “nevertheless”, and “moreover”.
- Start each paragraph with a topic sentence that clearly links the paragraph to the rest of the essay, eg “A striking example of Gary Crew’s use of light and darkness imagery to suggest notions of knowledge and ignorance occurs in the scene on the jetty”.
- Provide supporting evidence for each point that you make.
- Revisit the thesis, and express it in different ways if possible, to emphasize how the question is being addressed.
Write the essay’s conclusion
- Summarise the main ideas.
- Demonstrate how you have proven your thesis.
- Finish with an interesting or thought-provoking, but relevant, comment.
Edit the draft
- Check for spelling, punctuation, and grammar.
- Delete any sections that are not particularly relevant.
- Change vocabulary to improve expression.
- Seek feedback from peers or a teacher before writing the final copy.
Write the final copy
- Add any footnotes or bibliography if required.
- Present a clean, neat copy.
Source: schoolatoz.nsw.edu.au
Common Mistakes to Avoid in Essay Writing
Top 5 Tips for Writing a Good Essay
Some Tips to Write “For and Against” Essay
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- What is an essay?
What makes a good essay?
Typical essay structure, 7 steps to writing a good essay, a step-by-step guide to writing a good essay.
Whether you are gearing up for your GCSE coursework submissions or looking to brush up on your A-level writing skills, we have the perfect essay-writing guide for you. đŻ
Staring at a blank page before writing an essay can feel a little daunting . Where do you start? What should your introduction say? And how should you structure your arguments? They are all fair questions and we have the answers! Take the stress out of essay writing with this step-by-step guide â youâll be typing away in no time. đŠâđť
What is an essay?
Generally speaking, an essay designates a literary work in which the author defends a point of view or a personal conviction, using logical arguments and literary devices in order to inform and convince the reader.
So â although essays can be broadly split into four categories: argumentative, expository, narrative, and descriptive â an essay can simply be described as a focused piece of writing designed to inform or persuade. đ¤
The purpose of an essay is to present a coherent argument in response to a stimulus or question and to persuade the reader that your position is credible, believable and reasonable. đ
So, a âgoodâ essay relies on a confident writing style â itâs clear, well-substantiated, focussed, explanatory and descriptive . The structure follows a logical progression and above all, the body of the essay clearly correlates to the tile â answering the question where one has been posed.
But, how do you go about making sure that you tick all these boxes and keep within a specified word count? Read on for the answer as well as an example essay structure to follow and a handy step-by-step guide to writing the perfect essay â hooray. đ
Sometimes, it is helpful to think about your essay like it is a well-balanced argument or a speech â it needs to have a logical structure, with all your points coming together to answer the question in a coherent manner. âď¸
Of course, essays can vary significantly in length but besides that, they all follow a fairly strict pattern or structure made up of three sections. Lean into this predictability because it will keep you on track and help you make your point clearly. Letâs take a look at the typical essay structure:
#1 Introduction
Start your introduction with the central claim of your essay. Let the reader know exactly what you intend to say with this essay. Communicate what youâre going to argue, and in what order. The final part of your introduction should also say what conclusions youâre going to draw â it sounds counter-intuitive but itâs not â more on that below. 1ď¸âŁ
Make your point, evidence it and explain it. This part of the essay â generally made up of three or more paragraphs depending on the length of your essay â is where you present your argument. The first sentence of each paragraph â much like an introduction to an essay â should summarise what your paragraph intends to explain in more detail. 2ď¸âŁ
#3 Conclusion
This is where you affirm your argument â remind the reader what you just proved in your essay and how you did it. This section will sound quite similar to your introduction but â having written the essay â youâll be summarising rather than setting out your stall. 3ď¸âŁ
No essay is the same but your approach to writing them can be. As well as some best practice tips, we have gathered our favourite advice from expert essay-writers and compiled the following 7-step guide to writing a good essay every time. đ
#1 Make sure you understand the question
#2 complete background reading.
#3 Make a detailed plan
#4 Write your opening sentences
#5 flesh out your essay in a rough draft, #6 evidence your opinion, #7 final proofread and edit.
Now that you have familiarised yourself with the 7 steps standing between you and the perfect essay, letâs take a closer look at each of those stages so that you can get on with crafting your written arguments with confidence .
This is the most crucial stage in essay writing â r ead the essay prompt carefully and understand the question. Highlight the keywords â like âcompare,â âcontrastâ âdiscuss,â âexplainâ or âevaluateâ â and let it sink in before your mind starts racing . There is nothing worse than writing 500 words before realising you have entirely missed the brief . đ§
Unless you are writing under exam conditions , you will most likely have been working towards this essay for some time, by doing thorough background reading. Re-read relevant chapters and sections, highlight pertinent material and maybe even stray outside the designated reading list, this shows genuine interest and extended knowledge. đ
#3 Make a detailed plan
Following the handy structure we shared with you above, now is the time to create the âskeleton structureâ or essay plan. Working from your essay title, plot out what you want your paragraphs to cover and how that information is going to flow. You donât need to start writing any full sentences yet but it might be useful to think about the various quotes you plan to use to substantiate each section. đ
Having mapped out the overall trajectory of your essay, you can start to drill down into the detail. First, write the opening sentence for each of the paragraphs in the body section of your essay. Remember â each paragraph is like a mini-essay â the opening sentence should summarise what the paragraph will then go on to explain in more detail. đď¸
Next, it's time to write the bulk of your words and flesh out your arguments. Follow the âpoint, evidence, explainâ method. The opening sentences â already written â should introduce your âpointsâ, so now you need to âevidenceâ them with corroborating research and âexplainâ how the evidence youâve presented proves the point youâre trying to make. âď¸
With a rough draft in front of you, you can take a moment to read what you have written so far. Are there any sections that require further substantiation? Have you managed to include the most relevant material you originally highlighted in your background reading? Now is the time to make sure you have evidenced all your opinions and claims with the strongest quotes, citations and material. đ
This is your final chance to re-read your essay and go over it with a fine-toothed comb before pressing âsubmitâ. We highly recommend leaving a day or two between finishing your essay and the final proofread if possible â youâll be amazed at the difference this makes, allowing you to return with a fresh pair of eyes and a more discerning judgment. đ¤
If you are looking for advice and support with your own essay-writing adventures, why not t ry a free trial lesson with GoStudent? Our tutors are experts at boosting academic success and having fun along the way. Get in touch and see how it can work for you today. đ
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Struggling with essay writing? Discover how to write an essay in 8 easy steps! Get tips and examples to create compelling and effective essays.
Learn tips for how to structure and go through the process of writing an essay that’ll wow, whether a persuasive essay, college admissions essay, or thesis.
The essay writing process consists of three main stages: Preparation: Decide on your topic, do your research, and create an essay outline. Writing: Set out your argument in the introduction, develop it with evidence in the main body, and wrap it up with a conclusion.
First, I’ll show you the steps of writing an essay from scratch using a simple example. And in the second part, we’ll go through the process together and write a complete sample essay. Let’s dive right in.
However, with a clear and detailed step-by-step guide, the task can become manageable and even enjoyable. This guide will take you through the essay writing process, from the initial planning and research stages to the final proofreading and editing.
As well as some best practice tips, we have gathered our favourite advice from expert essay-writers and compiled the following 7-step guide to writing a good essay every time. đ. #1 Make sure you understand the question. #2 Complete background reading. #3 Make a detailed plan. #4 Write your opening sentences.