A Step-By-Step Essay Writing Guide for High School Students
Students often have to write essays, but most of them do not like writing. The thoughts of placing their fingers on their keyboards send shivers down their spines. It takes time to develop strong essay writing skills, but the following basic steps can help you handle any essay topic easier.
- Determine the essay type you will work on:
The most common types of essays include descriptive, narrative, argumentative, expository, persuasive, and comparative. You should ask yourself the following questions:
- Are you telling a story about a chosen subject (narrative essay)?
- Are you analyzing facts or concepts (expository)?
- Do you aim to convince the audience that your position is the best option (persuasive)?
- Do you plan on comparing several points of views or different subjects (comparative)?
Once you have answered these questions, you can determine the essay type and start thinking about your essay outline.
- Write an essay outline:
This piece of writing is the road map that will guide you through to the completed assignment. It is the best way to organize your thoughts and ensure that you have enough material to cover the topic. It is better to list all the points that you would like to describe; then mention evidence, facts, and statistical data that can support your main statement.
- Develop your main statement:
Your main statement is created in order to inform the audience what idea you are going to develop or what the main question you will be answering is. It should be very specific and prelude to your conclusion. Make sure you address a single idea so you do not confuse the readers. Your supervisor is looking for a strong thesis, and therefore it is reasonable to put in the effort to create an outstanding one.
- Write an introduction:
Each essay starts at an introductory paragraph; it is designed to introduce your topic, describe the essay’s direction, and grab the readers’ attentions. Write about the topic, state the thesis, and end with a transitional sentence to the first body paragraph.
- Compose the body paragraphs:
Body paragraphs provide information necessary to support your thesis statement, and lead the readers to the conclusion. It is recommended to write about three or four main ideas; each idea should be described separately. A body paragraph should begin with a topic sentence, provide evidence and examples, and end with a transitional sentence.
- Summarize your conclusion:
The last paragraph should summarize the main ideas presented in the body paragraphs. It is a good idea to describe your own point of view.