Basic Principles of Essay Writing

An essay is a special type of written work that is widely used for educational and scientific purposes. Unlike other types of academic writing, an essay is a short but meaningful text that expresses the author’s point of view on a specific topic or issue.

The main purpose of the essay is to develop critical thinking, argumentation, and analysis skills. In the process of writing an essay, the author must not only meaningfully present his thoughts and arguments but also find confirmation of his statements in scientific sources.

An important aspect of writing an essay is the clarity and consistency of the presentation of thoughts. The author must be able to structure his ideas and present them in a clear and concise manner. In addition, essays are also characterized by the use of quotation marks, quotations, analogies, and symbols, which help to strengthen the ideas and arguments being expressed.

Writing an essay is not only an academic exercise but also an opportunity to express your intellectual and creative abilities. Through an essay, the author can not only share his opinion but also provoke interest and reflection among readers. Read an article about how to improve essay writing skills.

Essay structure

The essay structure usually consists of three parts:

Introductory part

An essay, like any other written work, contains an introductory part or introduction.

A well-written introduction encourages the reader to become interested and read the entire work. The introduction may contain a statement of the problem and its essence, a rhetorical question, a quote, etc. In the introduction, it is very important to formulate a special emotional mood and lead the reader to the problem under consideration.

Main part

In the main part, it is advisable to present different points of view on a certain problem and refer to the history of its research.

The main part most often consists of several subparagraphs, each of which contains three components: thesis (the proposition being proven), justification (arguments used to prove the thesis), and sub-conclusion (partial answer to the main question).

The argument can be constructed in the following sequence:

• statement;
• explanation;
• examples;
• final judgment.

Arguments are judgments expressed to ensure that the reader is convinced of the truth of a certain point of view. In particular, arguments can be different life situations, opinions of scientists, facts, statistical estimates, evidence, etc.

Conclusion

The conclusions combine all the conclusions made for each thesis presented in the main part. The reader must draw a logical conclusion based on the arguments presented in the work. Often, in conclusions, the problem is re-stated, and a final conclusion is made.

How to write an essay correctly

To write a good essay, it is important to know and understand all the features of the genre. You can create an interesting essay only if you follow all the principles and recommendations presented below.

Where does work on an essay begin?

Often, people who have sufficient eloquence and know how to express their thoughts well do not know where to start an essay. Taking too long to think about the beginning weakens the author’s enthusiasm and clouds the creative process. How to start an essay correctly:

Before you start writing an essay, you need to formulate an idea, determine the main purpose of the written work, and select quality sources.

You can use the technique of freewriting, that is, free writing. The essence of the method is to describe all the thoughts that come to mind without paying attention to grammar and punctuation. This method is often used by writers who cannot overcome their creative crisis.

No need to get hung up on the introductory part. You can immediately start writing the main part, and only then, with a clear understanding of the main idea of the essay, write the introduction.

Some experts recommend starting an essay with a question, the answer to which will be given in the text.

Choosing a theme

Typically, teachers provide students with a list of topics to choose from, from which they need to choose only one. But, in some universities, only a general direction is given, and students must independently choose a suitable topic. To choose the right topic, you first need to determine what audience the essay should be aimed at. These could be teachers, scientific commissions, or employers. In the case of teachers, it is important to determine in advance by what criteria the text will be assessed. The author must be competent in the chosen topic and, with the help of the text, demonstrate such qualities as originality, literacy, and professionalism. If the teacher nevertheless provided a list of topics, then it is better to choose the one in which you have certain knowledge and which seems most interesting to you. If the role of the inspector is performed by the employer, then the author of the essay in the text must reflect such qualities as sincerity, humanity, and individuality.

Outlining an Essay

There is no need to try to immediately create an ideal plan because it is simply impossible to do this, especially since the plan will be edited several times during the work process. To be honest, it is not at all necessary to draw up a plan since the absence of restrictions and rigid frameworks is the main advantage of this type of written work. If the author is a supporter of working according to a plan, then, of course, it can be drawn up.

First of all, you need to write the main ideas of the essay – they will serve as the points of the plan. Then, each point needs to be divided into several sub-points.

Finally, you need to re-read the plan and make sure that each of its points is sufficiently detailed and the structure is logical and concise.

Basic mistakes when writing essays

Essays are not only a means of ensuring success in school or university but also an indispensable tool for professional and personal development. However, not everyone can successfully write an essay following the rules and requirements. Let’s look at the main mistakes and ways to improve the text.

1. Poor essay review

No one is immune from spelling and grammatical errors, however, when writing an essay, you need to pay special attention to checking and editing the text. Mistakes can negatively impact performance evaluation. Check the text using specialized software and independently check for inaccuracies and errors.

2. Lack of interesting details and long essay introductions

To make your essay interesting and memorable, you need to use specific examples and details. Long introductory parts and common phrases repeated throughout the text can bore the reader. Use fiction techniques to grab the reader’s attention from the first lines.

3. Using long phrases and sentences in an essay

Long phrases and sentences can make your essay boring and difficult to read. Try to use simple and understandable language, avoiding dependent constructions that may confuse the reader.

4. The limited volume of the essay and the need to draw up a plan and cut off unnecessary details

In an essay, it is better to limit yourself to a narrow topic, choosing the main idea. If you’re faced with limited scope, try making a plan and cutting off unnecessary details. Your work should be concise and meaningful.

5. Essay overload with scientific terms and information data

Using scientific terms and information can improve the quality of your work but do not overload your essay with complex language and too much information. Use simple and clear language to avoid confusing the reader.

To write an essay successfully, try to use a clear and understandable style, choose a narrow topic, and prepare thoroughly. Evaluate your work, correct errors, and make necessary additions. This is the only way you can write a promising and meaningful paper.