How
To Write A Winning Essay: Structure Is A Key
Sometimes
it can be just a wrong time for you to write an essay - you may not
have enough time for it or simply don't want to engage in such a
challenging and time-consuming task. However, after reading this
post, you should know exactly how to create a top-notch paper easily
and without requesting the help of professional writers!
Writing
essays is not much of a creative task that you need some sort of
special inspiration for. There is a standard formula for writing a
successful one and this is what this article will cover.
I
am going to go over a standard school English essay, therefore this
information will not necessarily be relevant for any other academic
assignment, but some tips do apply to most.
Your
essay ought to comprise around five paragraphs with the first
constituting an introduction to the topic and the final - its
conclusion. The reason the standard appears formulaic is to
facilitate the work of the assessor. Thus they will concentrate on
the content instead of getting irritated by the uncomfortable
structure, which can immediately lower your mark.
Start
off with a brief plan of what you would want to include after
conducting some research on the topic and then proceed to writing
your academic assignment as advised below.
Introduction
The
first section allows you to present the topic and your position on
it. But first of all, grab the reader's attention by starting with
a 'hook' statement, which can be a number of things. You can use
an interesting statistic, a citation or a rhetorical question.
Whatever you believe will make the reader want to read on. After the
reader is 'hooked', introduce your thesis statement (or your line
of argument) to reveal what you will be debating for in your work. It
should be direct and unambiguous to ensure the reader knows your side
from the start. Then follows a mini-outline of the examples you will
use to illustrate your ideas in order to convince why your point is
valid. It should give the reader an understanding of what to expect
and makes it clear what the essay is about. Your final sentence
should enable a smooth transition to the main body of your essay. As
you see, your introduction should only consist of three or four
sentences - consider revising it if it is substantially longer
because it is not what your teacher wants to see.
Main
Body
The
main purpose of this section is to provide examples that support your
thesis and break down several that oppose it. Always use a separate
paragraph for each new concept.
Relate
the opening sentence to the mini-outline in the introduction. Try to
use your strongest argument or example in the initial body paragraph
unless there are more obvious reasons to employ chronological order
in your essay. Check your instructions thoroughly and follow them
throughout your writing.
It
is no use having one-sentence paragraphs just mentioning examples -
you are required to expand on each idea and justify why it is
relevant to the topic and your argument. You need to place them in
the context to convey your point to the reader. So if you are using a
historical figure, for instance, it might be a good idea to include
facts from their biography or accounts of contemporaries that would
prove their relevance to the question at hand.
Then
go on to explain why that example proves your thesis. Imagine that
you are having a dialogue and your partner is constantly questioning
everything you are saying - this way you will come across as a
convincing and persuasive writer.
Use
transitional phrases to link sections. This will show where one idea
ends and the next one begins. Keep in mind that you are writing for
your reader - you have to be making their life easier in all ways
possible.
Conclusion
Your
conclusion is not merely an afterthought. It is your final
opportunity to get the reader on your side; therefore, some strict
rules still apply.
Oddly
enough, you can think of your conclusion as complementing your
introduction. It should be reflecting what was mentioned there and
keep it similar length as well. Effective conclusions usually start
with concluding transitions and take the reader back to the
introductory 'hook'. After which you should paraphrase your
thesis and reiterate it. This way you reinforce your argument and tie
it to the penultimate element of your conclusion - a succinct
summary of the key points of your main body. Your final sentence
should be a call to action or your issue's link to the global
context. Its purpose is to bring the essay to a close and encourage
the reader to explore the topic in more detail themselves.
Some
general advice is to plan ahead which would set you up for a strong,
focused essay and aim to include a variety of ideas instead of
similar ones. For this purpose, use as many external sources as you
can. The more times you adhere to this structure and utilize it to
write on different topics, the more second nature it becomes. What
should you do in this case? It is normal to make mistakes at first,
but you should gradually improve and reach a high standard soon
enough.
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