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How to Write an Essay in

5 Steps
With a little organization, writing an essay is easy!

By Deb Peterson
Continuing Education Expert
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Learning to write an essay is a skill you will use throughout your life. The simpleorganization of
ideas you use when writing an essay will help you write business letters, company memos, and
marketing materials for your clubs and organizations. Anything you write will benefit from the
simple parts of an essay:

1. Purpose and Thesis

2. Title
3. Introduction
4. Body of Information
5. Conclusion
We'll walk you through each part and give you tips on how to master the art of the essay.
If you're writing a personal essay, you'll find help here, too: Writing a Personal Essay.

Jupiterimages - Getty Images

1. Purpose/Main Idea
Before you can start writing, you need to have an idea to write about. If you haven't been assigned
an idea, it's easier than you might think to come up with one of your own.
Your best essays will be about the things that light your fire. What do you feel passionate about?
What topics do you find yourself arguing for or against? Choose the side of the topic you are "for"
rather than "against," and your essay will be stronger.
Do you love gardening? sports? photography? volunteering? Are you an advocate for children?
domestic peace? the hungry or homeless? These are clues to your best essays.
Put your idea into a single sentence. This is your thesis statement, your main idea.
Check out Grace Fleming's How to Choose an Essay Topic.

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2. Title
Choose a title for your essay that expresses your main idea. The strongest titles will include a verb.
Take a look at any newspaper and you'll see that every title has a verb.
You want your title to make someone want to read what you have to say. Make it provocative.
Here are a few ideas:

America Needs Better Health Care Now

The Use of the Mentor Archetype in...

Who Is the She-Conomy?

Why DJ Is the Queen of Pedicures

Melanoma: Is It or Isn't It?

How to Achieve Natural Balance in Your Garden

Expect to Be Changed by Reading...

Some people will tell you to wait until you have finished writing to choose a title. I find a title helps
me stay focused, but I always review mine when I'm finished to ensure that it's the most effective it
can be.

Cavan Images - Getty Images

3. Introduction

Your introduction is one short paragraph, just a sentence or two, that states your thesis (your main
idea) and introduces your reader to your topic. After your title, this is your next best chance
to hook your reader. Here are some examples:
Women are the chief buyers in 80 percent of America's households. If you're not marketing to them, you should
be.
Take another look at that spot on your arm. Is the shape irregular? Is it multi-colored? You could have
melanoma. Know the signs.
Those tiny wasps flying around the blossoms in your garden can't sting you. Their stingers have evolved into
egg-laying devices. The wasps, busying finding a very specific place to lay their eggs, are participating in the
balance of nature.

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Mark Hall - Getty Images

4. Body of Information
The body of your essay is where you develop your story or argument. You have finished your
research and have pages of notes. Right? Go through your notes with a highlighter and mark the
most important ideas, the key points.
Choose the top three ideas and write each one at the top of a clean page. Now go through again and
pull out supporting ideas for each key point. You don't need a lot, just two or three for each one.
Write a paragraph about each of these key points, using the information you've pulled from your
notes. Don't have enough? Maybe you need a stronger key point. Do a little more research.
Help with writing:

6 Tips for Improving Your Writing

10 Resources for Improving Your Writing
5 Quick English Grammar Tips

Patagonik Works - Getty Images

5. Conclusion

You're almost finished. The last paragraph of your essay is your conclusion. It, too, can be short, and
it must tie back to your introduction.

In your introduction, you stated the reason for your paper. In your conclusion, you want to
summarize how your key points support your thesis.
By observing the balance of nature in her gardens, listening to lectures, and reading everything she can get her
hands on about insects and native plants, Lucinda has grown passionate about natural balance. "It's easy to get
passionate if you just take time to look," she says.
If you're still worried about your essay after trying on your own, consider hiring an essay editing
service. Reputable services will edit your work, not rewrite it. Choose carefully. One service to
consider is Essay Edge. EssayEdge.com
Good luck! Every essay will be easier.

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