How to write a good essay?

[kognisjon]

I started my university studying during this year and now I need to write really many essays, this kind of work is the hardest for me and I'm not good in it at all. How did you imrpove your skills? Share with an experience please.

[mouse007]

@kognisjon I would try looking for other people's published essays to see what makes them good.

 

I also found this online and it sounds helpful: https://www.evansville.edu/writingcenter/downloads/parts.pdf

[orangeman]

Adding onto what others have said:

 

-- Read. Read and mimic what interests you. Avoid those easy-read works and jump right into good writers of any period. Even long-form articles work.

-- Blog. It doesn't have to be public but just find a place (Wordpress is fine). Better if you don't feel you need to cater to an audience and not be so visual-centric. Pick any topic, hold yourself accountable to a standard, and repeat. 

-- Know the rules. Then you can interpret and break them. A hyphen or colon over a pedestrian comma splice elevates any writing sample.

-- Writing is communication. It's highly important to know what and who you are before vesting time and effort into words that you then are responsible for. Ethos, pathos and logos for yourself and your audience.

[infinitemsinspirit]

I also had this problem when I started Uni (I hated writing more than anything since I'm a math major) but now that I'm in my third year I have come to like it a lot more. I agree with the posters above that it is a good idea to read examples of good essays. However, I know that in courses you can't always write about whatever you like because there are some guidelines for most of the assignments (if the courses you're taking are like the ones I did). One big thing is make sure to format everything correctly. Especially in first-year classes, the professors are really harsh on things like formatting the heading right, putting all of your references in using the right style, numbering your pages, good grammar and spelling even more than the actual quality of the writing in some cases. Not saying that quality doesn't matter at all (bc it still does) but you can lose a lot of points just on these silly things which is really frustrating. In terms of the writing itself, get it proofread by someone you know who is good at writing, and put it through Grammarly to make sure there are no silly spelling mistakes. I like to think of writing like music, and I try to make it flow well so that it is easy to read. The less your professor has to go back and re-read an awkward sentence, the better your chance is of getting a positive reaction. Good luck, and remember that writing does get more enjoyable the more you do it!

[Guest]

Read a lot of novels to absorb and mimic diverse writing styles, receiving inspiration to shape your unique written skills.

[orangeman]

A tale of caution: I don't have anything against Grammarly or other fancier spell-check programs but writing is 10% actual writing and 90% revising. You can't skip that back-and-forth conversation with the work and expect to make any strides forward. Turn on the basic spell-checker to catch obvious errors and then go through every sentence aloud. Hushed whispers is ok but really do verbalize it. Allocate at least one whole day to editing. Print out, mark up, recollect yourself and jump back in. The more time you set aside, the better the end results will be.

 

Everything I say goes back to the point about control. You're responsible for what is read by another person, your personal standard is on the line. Those with high standards are given the benefit of the doubt when it comes to minor mishaps and tests of credibility. A reader can forgive a lot as long as the whole thing sounds like it was composed with care. 

[Lmangla]

the hardest part of writing an essay is actually figuring out where to start. once the ignition turns, then the words usually flow.

so start off with:

Q1. who are you writing for? -- this sets the tone, the language as well as how much background/context you have to give.

Q2. what is your point? -- try sum up your entire essay idea in 1-3 sentences. what would be the gist? I found that once I have the gist, it was easier to add stuff. my teacher taught us this where we used to do a bubble/tree map. (you can google to see examples) basically we would write a phrase of the gist in the center of the page and make a bubble. then we would draw tree like branches and jot down the different ideas we want to cover in different bubbles. then use the chart to start writing. this really helps to keep your essay coherent and you know which points you want to cover.

Q3: what is your purpose? -- are you trying to inform? are you trying to argue a certain point? are you trying to prove something? the answer to this question will give you a set direction for the essay and that helps you write better.

 

 

[plutojain779]

do you know about styles and the schemes? dude, just google it!

[say27]

First, you need to understand what should be described in the essay and what problem should be discussed .You can also view my blog Paperial, in which I give advice on writing different works, as well as happy to help you.

Edited January 21, 2019 by say27
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[Oxxigo]

The best way to write an essay well is to plan the points correctly, that is, you choose the topic to write the essay, then you define the key points or events of this topic, and describe the items that have already been written as thoroughly as possible.

[shravani]

Essay writing needs a lot of background work. You need to read a lot of literature in the language in which you have to write the essay. This will give you a grasp of the language as it is used in writing. Therefore, you need to start preparing to write an essay on any subject at least a year before the exam. You do this by reading good literature. You will automatically absorb sentence structure as used by the best writers. When you actually face the exam, first read the topics, select one and then go on to solve the rest of the paper. Your mind will work on the essay in the background. Once you have finished answering all the questions, you will find that the essay simply flows and you may not even have to think of what to write next.

[Sandy Moore]

Essay is a piece of writing consisting of three main parts:

1. funneled-type introduction, from general to concrete, with main argument of your essay at the end (thesis statement); 
2.  Main body, paragraphs where you provide your arguments proving or disproving thesis statement;
3.  and Conclusion, where you summarize all the important information provided in Main body. 

The other types of academic papers have much in common with this structure. The things that differ are the way the arguments are being presented in the main body section and the length of your writing. 

NB: don't forget that writing itself is not the part you are to begin with. Preliminary research and planning is much important so start your essay with reading and collecting information first. If still this sounds complicated you can visit essaylib and ask them for help. However, I would suggest to do the stuff yourself, as the writing process brings much joy, and the skills obtained will be useful in the future.

[singlebilingual]

Try reading it out loud.

[Qenal]

Just buy it 

[Palmerrr]

Make a plan at first.

[John lever]

Read about the topic from different resources and make paragraphs and then summarize it.  

[LindaMurry]

If you have never written an essay before or if you struggle with writing then .....to have successful, clear and cohesive essays. When you write essays regularly, it’s easy to get stuck in a rut of repeating the same formula each time – particularly when you already receive good feedback from the teachers who read them. I can recommend reading other people's essays - the wider you read, the more possible techniques there are for you to pick up and use in essays of your own.

 

Edited September 30, 2019 by triplem
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[monbebe_fluffy]

If you want specific examples, than for anyone who wants to write a good essay, here are some tips:

1. find a topic, but do NOT simply find one. a good ESSAY needs an arguable assertion. What are you saying about the topic.
2. Have a good introduction paragraph. You can start one from a sentence that is broad and only a little to do with the subject. Then slowly connect that first sentence with your thesis (arguable assertion) and bam. An intro paragraph. your conclusion paragraph will be the the opposite and you should start with the arguable assertion and then end with a final thought that will leave your reader thinking.
3. make sure all of your essay's paragraphs have to do with your thesis (arguable assertion). Read through your paragraphs and eliminate any sentences that do not add to your point you are trying to make.
4. This is easy. If you use someone else's words or ideas, you MUST cite their work or you can possibly be kicked out of high school or even college.

These are only a few tips. I hope all your essays will get a good score! Good Luck!

P.S. My mother is a professional writing teacher and has a degree in journalism. All of these are her opinions that she taught me.

[Zhenya Gumenyuk]

I guess it depends on your skills and current knowledges

[Albert O’Connor]

Read a lot of novels to absorb and mimic diverse writing styles, receiving inspiration to shape your unique written skills