Understanding the Topic
The first step in writing an essay is to understand the college essay prompts. If you know what is being asked of you then it is easy for you to answer it. This is the simplest step that the majority of students neglect and this negligence becomes a reason for lower grades in essay writing. To understand the essay prompt clearly read it several times.
Find out if you are being asked to evaluate something. Compare or contrast something? State the importance of a particular topic. You will definitely find some phrases or words that will help you identify what your instructor is expecting of you.
After evaluating the prompt, ask yourself the following questions.
What is the significance of the essay topic?
- What knowledge do you already have about this topic, and how will you answer the question?
- What do you need to find out more about the topic?
- In what logical sequence will you present your questions?
If you still don’t understand the question or still feel any confusion, you can ask for help from your tutor or lecturer for clarification. You can also hire London-based professionals to get essay writing help in understanding the complexities of the topic.
Research and Data Gathering
Once you have understood the essay prompt, the next step is researching and gathering data about your topic. Conducting research is the cornerstone of academic essay writing as it helps you to gather relevant information that is necessary to support your arguments. You may use a variety of sources, including books, academic journals, and other online databases, to gather data relevant to your topic.
Furthermore, you can also conduct different research methods to collect data for your essay. These research methods are the following:
Primary Research
This is one of the most common research methods used to collect first-hand information about your topic. In the primary data collection method, you collect data from surveys, experiments, or interviews. Moreover, it is only useful when the primary sources relevant to your topic do not exist or are limited.
Secondary Research
In this research method, the writer uses the existing data and information that is collected by someone else. The sources for this method comprise online databases, academic journals, or books. The secondary data collection method is a good starting point for essay research as it provides a strong foundation for the original research.
Tertiary Research
Tertiary research involves gathering data from overview or summary sources such as encyclopedias, reference books, or textbooks. This research method is often used to gain a general understanding related to a particular topic.
Writing a Thesis Statement
A thesis statement is the central idea on which your essay is based. Before jumping on the essay writing process, it is essential to craft a winning thesis statement containing the key idea of your essay. Further, it consists of one or two sentences and is included in the introductory paragraph.
The scope of your thesis statement depends on the topic of your essay. For instance, the scope of a 500-1000 words essay is narrower than an essay with 2000-3000 words. However, your thesis statement must be broad enough to comprise the essential information and narrow enough to address only the specific topic.
Example:
A Bad Thesis Statement:
“Alcoholic consumption is bad for human health.”
This statement is too broad. You don’t know what specific consequences of alcohol are expected to be discussed.
A Good Thesis Statement:
“High level of alcohol consumption has detrimental effects on your health such as weight loss, liver complications, or heart diseases.”
It is a good thesis statement as you know what reasons you need to address in your essay.
Craft an Outline
An essay outline is a kind of planning that helps you structure your essay before starting the writing process. This outline essay
Is a roadmap that guides you throughout your writing process and keeps you organized? Furthermore, this outline will ensure that your paper is logical, organized, and has a good flow.
A good outline must include the key points of the essay with supporting details and evidence. You can follow the below tips to write a winning essay outline.
Start by writing a thesis statement in the middle of the page.
Write a topic sentence at the start of each paragraph that will assist you with what you need to address in each paragraph.
Don’t add too many ideas in a single paragraph, as it may confuse your readers.
Highlight the transition words for the essay. This practice will assist the readers in determining what will be the flow of the paper.
Write supporting facts under each paragraph to remain organized.
Structure Your Essay
Once you have crafted an essay outline template, now is the time to structure your essay. Generally, an essay has three key parts: an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. Let’s explore how these three parts are being written to earn higher grades in essay writing tasks.
