How to write a better essay
Let us begin on a positive note: Anyone can learn how to write a good essay, if only they tried. Writing well is not essentially a divine gift. It is something you can acquire with sufficient practice. A good essay as many would like to believe is not about bombast. On the other hand it is about simplicity and clarity. Time is increasingly becoming a rare commodity. Few people have the time to peel away the fluff from wooly writing to eventually get to the substance. As long as the focus is on structure, brevity, simplicity and clarity it is quite likely that you will end up writing a good essay.
As in many of the other things you do, the starting point of a good essay is a plan. The plan is what gives an essay structure and coherence. Often we think we have a great idea and reach for pen and paper. Such knee-jerk approach to writing often results in a paper that is meandering and totally disjointed. Decide what you want to say, how you want to say it, and in what order.
To be able to give your essay a suitable plan you should first of all research your subject sufficiently. Because unless you have a thorough understanding of what you want to say, you will not be able to decide how you will want to say it.
Basically all essays have an introduction, a body and a conclusion.
The introduction is a few sentences that list the main points of your essay. On going through it your reader will know what it is that your paper is about, what your views on the issue are, and how you will support your point of view through the body of your paper.
The body of your essay will contain arguments in support of your views. You probably have more than one view on the subject and the arguments in their support should be listed in a logical and convincing order.
The concluding paragraph is a summary of all that you have said in the body. Restate your points of view and briefly repeat the arguments you have put forth in support of your views.
That is basically your route to a good essay. However unless you say what has to be said clearly for readers to easily understand you will have failed even if you have the best structure. So while writing the essay, remember to keep your sentences short and use everyday words. If there is a four letter word why use a ten letter synonym.
Next focus on paragraph structure. Every paragraph should begin with a topic sentence. This is the sentence which will tell the reader what the paragraph is about. Sometimes we tend to introduce two topics in one paragraph. This defeats the purpose of the paragraph. If you have two topics separate them and devote different paragraphs to each.
The body of the paragraph contains supporting sentences. The last sentence of the paragraph is the concluding sentence. It summarizes the contents of the paragraph.
Now as a last step check your work for correctness of grammar and spelling. You certainly would not want an essay of substance, correctly structured and well written to have spelling and grammar mistakes. So proofread your work. Or better get someone to proofread it for you.
If you follow these simple steps, you can be sure that you will in a very short while, know how to write a good essay. Of course it may not happen overnight and could take you a while depending on how much time you devote practicing these simple steps.
Sarah Brodie