bbc learning english how to write an essay

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Learning English

Inspiring language learning since 1943.

Unit 30: I'll have been studying English for thirty weeks Future perfect continuous

Have you ever had to write an essay in English? Even if you are able to communicate well in English, writing in an academic style can be quite a challenge. We're here to help you!

Sessions in this unit

Session 1 score.

6 Minute Vocabulary

Using english at university .

If you are going to study or you are studying at an English-speaking university, you might be wondering how you'll cope with understanding lectures and academic texts and writing essays. Finn and Neil give you some tips in 6 Minute Vocabulary

Listen to the audio and complete the activity

bbc learning english how to write an essay

Neil Hello and welcome to 6 Minute Vocabulary. I'm Neil and…

Finn ...I'm Finn. Today's programme is all about academic English.

Neil If you are going to study or you are studying at an English-speaking university, you might be wondering how you'll cope with understanding lectures and academic texts…

Finn …and writing essays.

Neil Yes. Academic English is different to the English people speak and write every day…

Finn It's more formal and uses higher level words. So in today's programme, we'll give you ideas for understanding words and phrases that you'll come across…

Neil …and some advice for writing essays and giving presentations.

Finn We'll also give you tips for studying in English… But first, let's look at three main features of academic English: difficult English vocabulary...

Neil …specialist subject vocabulary…

Finn …and language for organising essays and presentations. Neil Now when you come across a word you don't know in an academic text or lecture, you can try to guess its meaning by looking at the context…

Finn …or by seeing if the word looks like a word in your own language.

Neil This is a particularly useful strategy if your own language has lots of words from Greek or Latin as many of the words used in academic English come from those languages. Words, for example, like microscopic, which means tiny, or analysis , which means study…

Finn …or regeneration , which means renewal.

Neil Another strategy for working out the meaning is to look at how a word is constructed. Academic English words often have prefixes and suffixes.

Finn Remember, a prefix comes before the main part of the word and can change a word's meaning. For example, the prefix de , spelt d-e, means removing something, or reversing something.

Neil So, de-population means a reduction in the number of people somewhere, and de-forestation means clearing of trees from an area.

Finn Suffixes are attached to the end of words.A common suffix in English is -ise, spelt i-s-e. Examples of words with -ise are stabilise, characterise and specialise . And these words are spelt with –ize in American English.

Neil That's right, they are. Now another common suffix is -ate, spelt a-t-e. Words with this suffix are differentiate and duplicate .

Finn Specialist subject words may also cause difficulty. Now you can help yourself in two ways: Firstly, prepare yourself before lectures. Find some texts on your subject, on the internet or in journals and magazines, and study the recurring specialist words in those texts.

Neil Yes, and to help yourself with this get hold of an English-English dictionary, and an English subject dictionary – for example of Medicine, or Law, or Linguistics.

Finn And secondly, listen to English radio and watch TV – now there are lots of specialist features which can help improve both your general and specialist English – and of course the BBC website has sections which have stories on technology, and science, and arts, which can also help.

Neil When writing your academic piece or giving a presentation, you will need to structure and organise your writing or presentation by using signposting language.

Finn You use signposts to indicate important parts of your essay such as stating its purpose, its structure, your views, the main points, and the direction of the argument and conclusions at the end as well.

Neil Linking words and phrases show connections between sentences and paragraphs.

Finn Yes, so Neil, let's give some examples of signposts. Firstly, for starting a piece of writing...

Neil The aim of this study is to… This essay argues that…

Finn Yes. And how about for ending it…

Neil Finally… In conclusion…

Finn And some examples of linking words and phrases are…

Neil First(ly), … second(ly), … finally, …

Finn And for adding something, you could write…

Neil In addition, … furthermore, …

Finn And if you want to show contrast, you might write…

Neil ... however, … nevertheless, … on the other hand, …

IDENT 6 Minute Vocabulary from BBC Learning English.

Finn And now for some tips for getting the best out of studying in English.

Neil OK, here's a good one. Have a study buddy – that's someone you can study with. You can test each other and support each other.

Finn And another one, set aside time for regular language study in addition to your academic study.

Neil Time for a quiz. Complete the sentences. Number one: Many words in academic English come from a) Latin words, b) American words or c) newspapers? Finn It's a) Latin words. Now question two: A good way to start an essay is a) for example, b) in conclusion or c) this essay argues that? Neil And it's c) this essay argues that.

Finn And the last question is: A good way to end an essay is a) on the other hand, b) in conclusion or c) this essay argues that?

Neil And the answer is b) in conclusion. There's more about this at bbclearningenglish.com . Do join us again for more 6 Minute Vocabulary. Both B ye!

You can download 6 Minute Vocabulary from our Unit 30 Downloads page. Remember, you can also subscribe to the podcast version .

microscopic analysis regeneration depopulation deforestation stabilise characterise specialise differentiate duplicate

Signposting language Starting The aim of this study is to … This essay argues that … The main questions addressed in this paper are … This paper begins by … It will then go on to … Finally, … Ending Finally, … In conclusion, …

Linking words and phrases

Listing: First(ly),… Second(ly),… Finally,…

Adding: In addition,… Furthermore,…

Showing contrast: However,… Nevertheless,… On the other hand,… Giving a reason: For this reason,… because… because of… due to…

Indicating result or consequence: Therefore,… Thus,… As a result,… Consequently,…

Giving examples: For example,… For instance,… To exemplify,…

We hope you feel more confident when you use English to write essays and presentations. Next, more on academic English and some activities to test you.

Next activity

Session grammar, session vocabulary.

Vocabulary microscopic analysis regeneration depopulation deforestation stabilise characterise specialise differentiate duplicate

Signposting language

Starting The aim of this study is to … This essay argues that … The main questions addressed in this paper are … This paper begins by … It will then go on to … Finally, … Ending Finally, … In conclusion, …

Listing: First(ly), … Second(ly), … Finally, …

Adding: In addition, … Furthermore, …

Showing contrast: However, … Nevertheless, … On the other hand, … Giving a reason: For this reason, … because … because of … due to …

Indicating result or consequence: Therefore, … Thus, … As a result, … Consequently, …

Giving examples: For example, … For instance, … To exemplify, …

Download centre

Latest course content

For a better experience please enable Javascript in your browser

Accessibility links

Learning English

Inspiring language learning since 1943.

Unit 30: I'll have been studying English for thirty weeks Future perfect continuous

Have you ever had to write an essay in English? Even if you are able to communicate well in English, writing in an academic style can be quite a challenge. We're here to help you!

Sessions in this unit

Session 1 score.

6 Minute Vocabulary

Using english at university .

If you are going to study or you are studying at an English-speaking university, you might be wondering how you'll cope with understanding lectures and academic texts and writing essays. Finn and Neil give you some tips in 6 Minute Vocabulary

Listen to the audio and complete the activity

bbc learning english how to write an essay

Neil Hello and welcome to 6 Minute Vocabulary. I'm Neil and…

Finn ...I'm Finn. Today's programme is all about academic English.

Neil If you are going to study or you are studying at an English-speaking university, you might be wondering how you'll cope with understanding lectures and academic texts…

Finn …and writing essays.

Neil Yes. Academic English is different to the English people speak and write every day…

Finn It's more formal and uses higher level words. So in today's programme, we'll give you ideas for understanding words and phrases that you'll come across…

Neil …and some advice for writing essays and giving presentations.

Finn We'll also give you tips for studying in English… But first, let's look at three main features of academic English: difficult English vocabulary...

Neil …specialist subject vocabulary…

Finn …and language for organising essays and presentations. Neil Now when you come across a word you don't know in an academic text or lecture, you can try to guess its meaning by looking at the context…

Finn …or by seeing if the word looks like a word in your own language.

Neil This is a particularly useful strategy if your own language has lots of words from Greek or Latin as many of the words used in academic English come from those languages. Words, for example, like microscopic, which means tiny, or analysis , which means study…

Finn …or regeneration , which means renewal.

Neil Another strategy for working out the meaning is to look at how a word is constructed. Academic English words often have prefixes and suffixes.

Finn Remember, a prefix comes before the main part of the word and can change a word's meaning. For example, the prefix de , spelt d-e, means removing something, or reversing something.

Neil So, de-population means a reduction in the number of people somewhere, and de-forestation means clearing of trees from an area.

Finn Suffixes are attached to the end of words.A common suffix in English is -ise, spelt i-s-e. Examples of words with -ise are stabilise, characterise and specialise . And these words are spelt with –ize in American English.

Neil That's right, they are. Now another common suffix is -ate, spelt a-t-e. Words with this suffix are differentiate and duplicate .

Finn Specialist subject words may also cause difficulty. Now you can help yourself in two ways: Firstly, prepare yourself before lectures. Find some texts on your subject, on the internet or in journals and magazines, and study the recurring specialist words in those texts.

Neil Yes, and to help yourself with this get hold of an English-English dictionary, and an English subject dictionary – for example of Medicine, or Law, or Linguistics.

Finn And secondly, listen to English radio and watch TV – now there are lots of specialist features which can help improve both your general and specialist English – and of course the BBC website has sections which have stories on technology, and science, and arts, which can also help.

Neil When writing your academic piece or giving a presentation, you will need to structure and organise your writing or presentation by using signposting language.

Finn You use signposts to indicate important parts of your essay such as stating its purpose, its structure, your views, the main points, and the direction of the argument and conclusions at the end as well.

Neil Linking words and phrases show connections between sentences and paragraphs.

Finn Yes, so Neil, let's give some examples of signposts. Firstly, for starting a piece of writing...

Neil The aim of this study is to… This essay argues that…

Finn Yes. And how about for ending it…

Neil Finally… In conclusion…

Finn And some examples of linking words and phrases are…

Neil First(ly), … second(ly), … finally, …

Finn And for adding something, you could write…

Neil In addition, … furthermore, …

Finn And if you want to show contrast, you might write…

Neil ... however, … nevertheless, … on the other hand, …

IDENT 6 Minute Vocabulary from BBC Learning English.

Finn And now for some tips for getting the best out of studying in English.

Neil OK, here's a good one. Have a study buddy – that's someone you can study with. You can test each other and support each other.

Finn And another one, set aside time for regular language study in addition to your academic study.

Neil Time for a quiz. Complete the sentences. Number one: Many words in academic English come from a) Latin words, b) American words or c) newspapers? Finn It's a) Latin words. Now question two: A good way to start an essay is a) for example, b) in conclusion or c) this essay argues that? Neil And it's c) this essay argues that.

Finn And the last question is: A good way to end an essay is a) on the other hand, b) in conclusion or c) this essay argues that?

Neil And the answer is b) in conclusion. There's more about this at bbclearningenglish.com . Do join us again for more 6 Minute Vocabulary. Both B ye!

You can download 6 Minute Vocabulary from our Unit 30 Downloads page. Remember, you can also subscribe to the podcast version .

microscopic analysis regeneration depopulation deforestation stabilise characterise specialise differentiate duplicate

Signposting language Starting The aim of this study is to … This essay argues that … The main questions addressed in this paper are … This paper begins by … It will then go on to … Finally, … Ending Finally, … In conclusion, …

Linking words and phrases

Listing: First(ly),… Second(ly),… Finally,…

Adding: In addition,… Furthermore,…

Showing contrast: However,… Nevertheless,… On the other hand,… Giving a reason: For this reason,… because… because of… due to…

Indicating result or consequence: Therefore,… Thus,… As a result,… Consequently,…

Giving examples: For example,… For instance,… To exemplify,…

We hope you feel more confident when you use English to write essays and presentations. Next, more on academic English and some activities to test you.

Next activity

Session grammar, session vocabulary.

Vocabulary microscopic analysis regeneration depopulation deforestation stabilise characterise specialise differentiate duplicate

Signposting language

Starting The aim of this study is to … This essay argues that … The main questions addressed in this paper are … This paper begins by … It will then go on to … Finally, … Ending Finally, … In conclusion, …

Listing: First(ly), … Second(ly), … Finally, …

Adding: In addition, … Furthermore, …

Showing contrast: However, … Nevertheless, … On the other hand, … Giving a reason: For this reason, … because … because of … due to …

Indicating result or consequence: Therefore, … Thus, … As a result, … Consequently, …

Giving examples: For example, … For instance, … To exemplify, …

Download centre

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Knowledge Base

The Beginner's Guide to Writing an Essay | Steps & Examples

An academic essay is a focused piece of writing that develops an idea or argument using evidence, analysis, and interpretation.

There are many types of essays you might write as a student. The content and length of an essay depends on your level, subject of study, and course requirements. However, most essays at university level are argumentative — they aim to persuade the reader of a particular position or perspective on a topic.

The essay writing process consists of three main stages:

Table of contents

Essay writing process, preparation for writing an essay, writing the introduction, writing the main body, writing the conclusion, essay checklist, lecture slides, frequently asked questions about writing an essay.

The writing process of preparation, writing, and revisions applies to every essay or paper, but the time and effort spent on each stage depends on the type of essay .

For example, if you’ve been assigned a five-paragraph expository essay for a high school class, you’ll probably spend the most time on the writing stage; for a college-level argumentative essay , on the other hand, you’ll need to spend more time researching your topic and developing an original argument before you start writing.

Before you start writing, you should make sure you have a clear idea of what you want to say and how you’re going to say it. There are a few key steps you can follow to make sure you’re prepared:

Once you’ve got a clear idea of what you want to discuss, in what order, and what evidence you’ll use, you’re ready to start writing.

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The introduction sets the tone for your essay. It should grab the reader’s interest and inform them of what to expect. The introduction generally comprises 10–20% of the text.

1. Hook your reader

The first sentence of the introduction should pique your reader’s interest and curiosity. This sentence is sometimes called the hook. It might be an intriguing question, a surprising fact, or a bold statement emphasizing the relevance of the topic.

Let’s say we’re writing an essay about the development of Braille (the raised-dot reading and writing system used by visually impaired people). Our hook can make a strong statement about the topic:

The invention of Braille was a major turning point in the history of disability.

2. Provide background on your topic

Next, it’s important to give context that will help your reader understand your argument. This might involve providing background information, giving an overview of important academic work or debates on the topic, and explaining difficult terms. Don’t provide too much detail in the introduction—you can elaborate in the body of your essay.

3. Present the thesis statement

Next, you should formulate your thesis statement— the central argument you’re going to make. The thesis statement provides focus and signals your position on the topic. It is usually one or two sentences long. The thesis statement for our essay on Braille could look like this:

As the first writing system designed for blind people’s needs, Braille was a groundbreaking new accessibility tool. It not only provided practical benefits, but also helped change the cultural status of blindness.

4. Map the structure

In longer essays, you can end the introduction by briefly describing what will be covered in each part of the essay. This guides the reader through your structure and gives a preview of how your argument will develop.

The invention of Braille marked a major turning point in the history of disability. The writing system of raised dots used by blind and visually impaired people was developed by Louis Braille in nineteenth-century France. In a society that did not value disabled people in general, blindness was particularly stigmatized, and lack of access to reading and writing was a significant barrier to social participation. The idea of tactile reading was not entirely new, but existing methods based on sighted systems were difficult to learn and use. As the first writing system designed for blind people’s needs, Braille was a groundbreaking new accessibility tool. It not only provided practical benefits, but also helped change the cultural status of blindness. This essay begins by discussing the situation of blind people in nineteenth-century Europe. It then describes the invention of Braille and the gradual process of its acceptance within blind education. Subsequently, it explores the wide-ranging effects of this invention on blind people’s social and cultural lives.

Write your essay introduction

The body of your essay is where you make arguments supporting your thesis, provide evidence, and develop your ideas. Its purpose is to present, interpret, and analyze the information and sources you have gathered to support your argument.

Length of the body text

The length of the body depends on the type of essay. On average, the body comprises 60–80% of your essay. For a high school essay, this could be just three paragraphs, but for a graduate school essay of 6,000 words, the body could take up 8–10 pages.

Paragraph structure

To give your essay a clear structure , it is important to organize it into paragraphs . Each paragraph should be centered around one main point or idea.

That idea is introduced in a topic sentence . The topic sentence should generally lead on from the previous paragraph and introduce the point to be made in this paragraph. Transition words can be used to create clear connections between sentences.

After the topic sentence, present evidence such as data, examples, or quotes from relevant sources. Be sure to interpret and explain the evidence, and show how it helps develop your overall argument.

Lack of access to reading and writing put blind people at a serious disadvantage in nineteenth-century society. Text was one of the primary methods through which people engaged with culture, communicated with others, and accessed information; without a well-developed reading system that did not rely on sight, blind people were excluded from social participation (Weygand, 2009). While disabled people in general suffered from discrimination, blindness was widely viewed as the worst disability, and it was commonly believed that blind people were incapable of pursuing a profession or improving themselves through culture (Weygand, 2009). This demonstrates the importance of reading and writing to social status at the time: without access to text, it was considered impossible to fully participate in society. Blind people were excluded from the sighted world, but also entirely dependent on sighted people for information and education.

See the full essay example

The conclusion is the final paragraph of an essay. It should generally take up no more than 10–15% of the text . A strong essay conclusion :

A great conclusion should finish with a memorable or impactful sentence that leaves the reader with a strong final impression.

What not to include in a conclusion

To make your essay’s conclusion as strong as possible, there are a few things you should avoid. The most common mistakes are:

Braille paved the way for dramatic cultural changes in the way blind people were treated and the opportunities available to them. Louis Braille’s innovation was to reimagine existing reading systems from a blind perspective, and the success of this invention required sighted teachers to adapt to their students’ reality instead of the other way around. In this sense, Braille helped drive broader social changes in the status of blindness. New accessibility tools provide practical advantages to those who need them, but they can also change the perspectives and attitudes of those who do not.

Write your essay conclusion

Checklist: Essay

My essay follows the requirements of the assignment (topic and length ).

My introduction sparks the reader’s interest and provides any necessary background information on the topic.

My introduction contains a thesis statement that states the focus and position of the essay.

I use paragraphs to structure the essay.

I use topic sentences to introduce each paragraph.

Each paragraph has a single focus and a clear connection to the thesis statement.

I make clear transitions between paragraphs and ideas.

My conclusion doesn’t just repeat my points, but draws connections between arguments.

I don’t introduce new arguments or evidence in the conclusion.

I have given an in-text citation for every quote or piece of information I got from another source.

I have included a reference page at the end of my essay, listing full details of all my sources.

My citations and references are correctly formatted according to the required citation style .

My essay has an interesting and informative title.

I have followed all formatting guidelines (e.g. font, page numbers, line spacing).

Your essay meets all the most important requirements. Our editors can give it a final check to help you submit with confidence.

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An essay is a focused piece of writing that explains, argues, describes, or narrates.

In high school, you may have to write many different types of essays to develop your writing skills.

Academic essays at college level are usually argumentative : you develop a clear thesis about your topic and make a case for your position using evidence, analysis and interpretation.

The structure of an essay is divided into an introduction that presents your topic and thesis statement , a body containing your in-depth analysis and arguments, and a conclusion wrapping up your ideas.

The structure of the body is flexible, but you should always spend some time thinking about how you can organize your essay to best serve your ideas.

Your essay introduction should include three main things, in this order:

The length of each part depends on the length and complexity of your essay .

A thesis statement is a sentence that sums up the central point of your paper or essay . Everything else you write should relate to this key idea.

The thesis statement is essential in any academic essay or research paper for two main reasons:

Without a clear thesis statement, an essay can end up rambling and unfocused, leaving your reader unsure of exactly what you want to say.

A topic sentence is a sentence that expresses the main point of a paragraph . Everything else in the paragraph should relate to the topic sentence.

At college level, you must properly cite your sources in all essays , research papers , and other academic texts (except exams and in-class exercises).

Add a citation whenever you quote , paraphrase , or summarize information or ideas from a source. You should also give full source details in a bibliography or reference list at the end of your text.

The exact format of your citations depends on which citation style you are instructed to use. The most common styles are APA , MLA , and Chicago .

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How To Write An Essay: Beginner Tips And Tricks

How To Write An Essay # Beginner Tips And Tricks

Many students dread writing essays, but essay writing is an important skill to develop in high school, university, and even into your future career. By learning how to write an essay properly, the process can become more enjoyable and you’ll find you’re better able to organize and articulate your thoughts.

When writing an essay, it’s common to follow a specific pattern, no matter what the topic is. Once you’ve used the pattern a few times and you know how to structure an essay, it will become a lot more simple to apply your knowledge to every essay.

No matter which major you choose, you should know how to craft a good essay. Here, we’ll cover the basics of essay writing, along with some helpful tips to make the writing process go smoothly.

Ink pen on paper before writing an essay

Photo by Laura Chouette on Unsplash

Types of Essays

Think of an essay as a discussion. There are many types of discussions you can have with someone else. You can be describing a story that happened to you, you might explain to them how to do something, or you might even argue about a certain topic.

When it comes to different types of essays, it follows a similar pattern. Like a friendly discussion, each type of essay will come with its own set of expectations or goals.

For example, when arguing with a friend, your goal is to convince them that you’re right. The same goes for an argumentative essay.

Here are a few of the main essay types you can expect to come across during your time in school:

Narrative Essay

This type of essay is almost like telling a story, not in the traditional sense with dialogue and characters, but as if you’re writing out an event or series of events to relay information to the reader.

Persuasive Essay

Here, your goal is to persuade the reader about your views on a specific topic.

Descriptive Essay

This is the kind of essay where you go into a lot more specific details describing a topic such as a place or an event.

Argumentative Essay

In this essay, you’re choosing a stance on a topic, usually controversial, and your goal is to present evidence that proves your point is correct.

Expository Essay

Your purpose with this type of essay is to tell the reader how to complete a specific process, often including a step-by-step guide or something similar.

Compare and Contrast Essay

You might have done this in school with two different books or characters, but the ultimate goal is to draw similarities and differences between any two given subjects.

The Main Stages of Essay Writing

When it comes to writing an essay, many students think the only stage is getting all your ideas down on paper and submitting your work. However, that’s not quite the case.

There are three main stages of writing an essay, each one with its own purpose. Of course, writing the essay itself is the most substantial part, but the other two stages are equally as important.

So, what are these three stages of essay writing? They are:

Preparation

Before you even write one word, it’s important to prepare the content and structure of your essay. If a topic wasn’t assigned to you, then the first thing you should do is settle on a topic. Next, you want to conduct your research on that topic and create a detailed outline based on your research. The preparation stage will make writing your essay that much easier since, with your outline and research, you should already have the skeleton of your essay.

Writing is the most time-consuming stage. In this stage, you will write out all your thoughts and ideas and craft your essay based on your outline. You’ll work on developing your ideas and fleshing them out throughout the introduction, body, and conclusion (more on these soon).

In the final stage, you’ll go over your essay and check for a few things. First, you’ll check if your essay is cohesive, if all the points make sense and are related to your topic, and that your facts are cited and backed up. You can also check for typos, grammar and punctuation mistakes, and formatting errors.

The Five-Paragraph Essay

We mentioned earlier that essay writing follows a specific structure, and for the most part in academic or college essays , the five-paragraph essay is the generally accepted structure you’ll be expected to use.

The five-paragraph essay is broken down into one introduction paragraph, three body paragraphs, and a closing paragraph. However, that doesn’t always mean that an essay is written strictly in five paragraphs, but rather that this structure can be used loosely and the three body paragraphs might become three sections instead.

Let’s take a closer look at each section and what it entails.

Introduction

As the name implies, the purpose of your introduction paragraph is to introduce your idea. A good introduction begins with a “hook,” something that grabs your reader’s attention and makes them excited to read more.

Another key tenant of an introduction is a thesis statement, which usually comes towards the end of the introduction itself. Your thesis statement should be a phrase that explains your argument, position, or central idea that you plan on developing throughout the essay.

You can also include a short outline of what to expect in your introduction, including bringing up brief points that you plan on explaining more later on in the body paragraphs.

Here is where most of your essay happens. The body paragraphs are where you develop your ideas and bring up all the points related to your main topic.

In general, you’re meant to have three body paragraphs, or sections, and each one should bring up a different point. Think of it as bringing up evidence. Each paragraph is a different piece of evidence, and when the three pieces are taken together, it backs up your main point — your thesis statement — really well.

That being said, you still want each body paragraph to be tied together in some way so that the essay flows. The points should be distinct enough, but they should relate to each other, and definitely to your thesis statement. Each body paragraph works to advance your point, so when crafting your essay, it’s important to keep this in mind so that you avoid going off-track or writing things that are off-topic.

Many students aren’t sure how to write a conclusion for an essay and tend to see their conclusion as an afterthought, but this section is just as important as the rest of your work.

You shouldn’t be presenting any new ideas in your conclusion, but you should summarize your main points and show how they back up your thesis statement.

Essentially, the conclusion is similar in structure and content to the introduction, but instead of introducing your essay, it should be wrapping up the main thoughts and presenting them to the reader as a singular closed argument.

student writing an essay on his laptop

Photo by AMIT RANJAN on Unsplash

Steps to Writing an Essay

Now that you have a better idea of an essay’s structure and all the elements that go into it, you might be wondering what the different steps are to actually write your essay.

Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Instead of going in blind, follow these steps on how to write your essay from start to finish.

Understand Your Assignment

When writing an essay for an assignment, the first critical step is to make sure you’ve read through your assignment carefully and understand it thoroughly. You want to check what type of essay is required, that you understand the topic, and that you pay attention to any formatting or structural requirements. You don’t want to lose marks just because you didn’t read the assignment carefully.

Research Your Topic

Once you understand your assignment, it’s time to do some research. In this step, you should start looking at different sources to get ideas for what points you want to bring up throughout your essay.

Search online or head to the library and get as many resources as possible. You don’t need to use them all, but it’s good to start with a lot and then narrow down your sources as you become more certain of your essay’s direction.

Start Brainstorming

After research comes the brainstorming. There are a lot of different ways to start the brainstorming process . Here are a few you might find helpful:

Create a Thesis

This is often the most tricky part of the whole process since you want to create a thesis that’s strong and that you’re about to develop throughout the entire essay. Therefore, you want to choose a thesis statement that’s broad enough that you’ll have enough to say about it, but not so broad that you can’t be precise.

Write Your Outline

Armed with your research, brainstorming sessions, and your thesis statement, the next step is to write an outline.

In the outline, you’ll want to put your thesis statement at the beginning and start creating the basic skeleton of how you want your essay to look.

A good way to tackle an essay is to use topic sentences . A topic sentence is like a mini-thesis statement that is usually the first sentence of a new paragraph. This sentence introduces the main idea that will be detailed throughout the paragraph.

If you create an outline with the topic sentences for your body paragraphs and then a few points of what you want to discuss, you’ll already have a strong starting point when it comes time to sit down and write. This brings us to our next step…

Write a First Draft

The first time you write your entire essay doesn’t need to be perfect, but you do need to get everything on the page so that you’re able to then write a second draft or review it afterward.

Everyone’s writing process is different. Some students like to write their essay in the standard order of intro, body, and conclusion, while others prefer to start with the “meat” of the essay and tackle the body, and then fill in the other sections afterward.

Make sure your essay follows your outline and that everything relates to your thesis statement and your points are backed up by the research you did.

Revise, Edit, and Proofread

The revision process is one of the three main stages of writing an essay, yet many people skip this step thinking their work is done after the first draft is complete.

However, proofreading, reviewing, and making edits on your essay can spell the difference between a B paper and an A.

After writing the first draft, try and set your essay aside for a few hours or even a day or two, and then come back to it with fresh eyes to review it. You might find mistakes or inconsistencies you missed or better ways to formulate your arguments.

Add the Finishing Touches

Finally, you’ll want to make sure everything that’s required is in your essay. Review your assignment again and see if all the requirements are there, such as formatting rules, citations, quotes, etc.

Go over the order of your paragraphs and make sure everything makes sense, flows well, and uses the same writing style .

Once everything is checked and all the last touches are added, give your essay a final read through just to ensure it’s as you want it before handing it in.

A good way to do this is to read your essay out loud since you’ll be able to hear if there are any mistakes or inaccuracies.

Essay Writing Tips

With the steps outlined above, you should be able to craft a great essay. Still, there are some other handy tips we’d recommend just to ensure that the essay writing process goes as smoothly as possible.

Wrapping Up

Writing an essay doesn’t need to be daunting if you know how to approach it. Using our essay writing steps and tips, you’ll have better knowledge on how to write an essay and you’ll be able to apply it to your next assignment. Once you do this a few times, it will become more natural to you and the essay writing process will become quicker and easier.

If you still need assistance with your essay, check with a student advisor to see if they offer help with writing. At University of the People(UoPeople), we always want our students to succeed, so our student advisors are ready to help with writing skills when necessary.

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