7 Steps of Writing Excellent Essay

Sooner or later everyone faces the challenge of writing an essay. Whether it’s for a course or a college application, the task can seem to be quite tough. What can help you to do it successfully is planning. When you break this process into 7 simple steps, you’ll realize that it isn’t as frightening as you expected.

1. Topic

Whether it’s assigned or a free choice, the topic is the cornerstone of your essay. Read it carefully and determine its purpose – informative or persuasive. It might be necessary to narrow the topic down and concentrate on something specific or conduct a research if you’re not knowledgeable enough in a given subject.

2. Outline

It’s time to brainstorm. Write your topic as a heading and start listing all ideas that come to your mind. Make sure you leave free space between them to be able to specify and edit them later. If you want to get artsy, draw a mind map. Whatever approach you choose, outlining will help you to organize your thoughts and see connections between them.

3. Thesis Statement

Once you’ve grouped your ideas and got a foundation, it’s time to get started with the writing. Begin with the core of your introduction – thesis sentence that states the main idea of your essay. It consists of two parts. First is the topic and then key points that you’ll mention in each paragraph of the main part.

For example, when you have to write about the importance of studying history, your thesis statement can be the following. “Although some students complain about studying history as a compulsory subject, it has many benefits for developing their outlook, understanding other cultures, and comprehending reasons for current events”.

4. Main Body

Now it’s time to develop your thoughts and explain the topic. Choose a few ideas that have a potential to be expanded and dedicate a separate paragraph to each of them. Start by stating your idea in the first sentence and support it in the next ones. Don’t forget to include RENNS – reasons, examples, names, numbers, and senses.

5. Introduction

When the body of your essay is done, think about how to introduce it. First of all, you should attract reader’s attention by using a provocative question, quote, giving a definition, or providing statistics. Don’t forget to include your thesis statement as the last sentence of the introduction.

6. Conclusion

It’s high time to summarize your main points. In conclusion you basically repeat your ideas in different words and provide a general perspective. You can also call for action if you have a persuasive essay or point to the future.

7. Proofread

It is the most enjoyable part because your essay is almost ready. Mark the last step of writing an essay by reviewing the text and doing some alterations. Check whether you’ve met all requirements, edit awkward sentences, and correct grammar or spelling mistakes. Finally, read it again aloud to check how easy it is to comprehend.

Congratulations! You have a perfect essay and can submit it right away.