Essays are used as a form of assessment in many academic disciplines in the university. Students are required to deliver quality essays that adhere to certain specifications for them to get a passing grade. However, many of them find this task overwhelming due to the requirements placed by the tutors. Each essay should demonstrate a high quality of content and meet the required number of pages. Students are also expected to create original texts, provide proper citation and references in addition to using the correct paper format. Additionally, university professors expect essays to deliver the essay by the set deadline. Understanding these general rules for essay writing can help students to come up with quality papers and foster academic achievement.
General Rules for Writing an Essay
Some students prefer to order essay services as they are unfamiliar with the general rules of writing a university paper. One should start by deciding on the type of essay to write. This is followed by a brainstorming of possible topics. The writer then proceeds to do research on the identified topic. The research provides information that aids in developing a thesis. The thesis is followed by an outline to show how the essay will flow. After this, you then write your essay by presenting ideas in a logical manner. Finally, it is important to proofread the essay to ensure originality and check for any spelling, grammar, and stylistic errors before submitting the essay.
Choose the Type of Essay
The type of essay to write largely depends on your objectives for writing. Therefore, you should define the exact type of essay you want to write before getting down to work on it. Students can choose from different types of essays. The major essay types include narrative essays that aim at telling a story and persuasive ones that try to convince a reader on a certain stand. You can also write a descriptive essay to explain in detail a particular phenomenon; and finally, an expository essay that outlines a particular process by providing step-by-step instructions. Deciding on the type of essay tells the student about the kind of content required as well as the style to follow.
Brainstorm
Brainstorming helps students come up with an essay topic by highlighting different ideas for later evaluation so they can decide on the best one. When brainstorming, you should write down all the ideas that come into your mind no matter how trivial they seem, as they can later be transformed into a perfect topic. After listing all the possible topics, you should prioritize them in order to identify the one that best answers the essay’s core question. Grouping them according to a common factor makes it easy for the student to come up with the best topic to write about. The preferred topic should be neither too broad nor too narrow to avoid getting too little or too much information.
Research your Topic
It is important to conduct thorough research on the chosen topic before writing the essay. Research swallows up most of your time as it requires you to identify credible and reliable sources in the library online. These sources provide the necessary information on the topic. In addition, the sources should provide factual information that acts as evidence to support the topic of the paper. Sometimes, it is important to consult experts in the essay writing industry such as the best essay writing service in Canada as they provide crucial insight into the subject. Practice systematic note-taking by recording the most relevant sources. Keeping these sources will assist in citing them and including them the list of references at the end of the paper.
Develop a Thesis
This is followed by a detailed thesis statement that elaborates on the concept of the paper which prepares the reader on what to expect from the rest of the essay. A thesis is a sentence that explains the purpose of the essay. Writing a discernible thesis statement is a plus as it gives the paper a stand on what it will attempt to prove. Therefore, be as clear as possible by avoiding the use of vague words in the thesis statement. Refine the thesis statement to suit the various arguments presented in the paper. This will ensure that it is not too general by providing the position you hold in addition to announcing the topic.
Write the Introduction
The first paragraph contains the introduction that outlines the subject of the essay. The introduction explains the argument that the essay will try to explain. The introduction should begin with an eye-catching hook that grabs the attention of the reader. Purpose to engage your readers, as this will boost their confidence in the paper. A common way to come up with an amazing introduction is by starting with a general point and then narrowing it down to the point you plan to address. The introduction can also highlight some of the sources to be used in style through direct quotes which inform the paper well. The introduction should tie to the thesis statement which forms its last sentence.
Write Informative Body of your Essay
The introduction followed by the body which presents solid arguments to convince the reader on the stand taken by the writer. The body forms the bulk of the essay as it consists of several paragraphs that progress logically to argue, explain, and describe the subject. The main ideas are separated through the use of paragraphs. Each paragraph should begin with a topic sentence that highlights what it will be all about. The supporting ideas follow in sentence format. The body also contains relevant examples that illustrate the ideas of the writer as well as an explanation of any opposing views. Finally, paragraphs in the body should contain relative information that connects the entire essay and gives it a logical flow.
End your Essay with a Beautiful Conclusion
Finally, the conclusion sums up the argument by restating the thesis statement made in the introduction. It brings the paper to a close by highlighting the overall essay ideas and final stand. The summary provided should clearly state the answer to the question that was asked. Although the conclusion may feel like a repetition of what you have already written, it should not express any new ideas since the body should have presented those in the argument. Instead, the conclusion should just summarize the information in the body of the essay.
In conclusion, essays are an evaluative tool for university students. General rules for essay writing require students to decide on the type of essay to write – between narrative, descriptive, expository or persuasive approaches. They then brainstorm various ideas and come up with a good topic. This is followed by research using credible and reliable sources, which informs the reader of the thesis of the paper. The thesis is part of the introduction that provides guidance on the content of the body. Finally, the student ends the paper with a beautiful conclusion, which reiterates key points and gives the final stand.
