the steps of a essay

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• What is an essay? 

What makes a good essay?

Typical essay structure, 7 steps to writing a good essay, a step-by-step guide to writing a good essay.

Whether you are gearing up for your GCSE coursework submissions or looking to brush up on your A-level writing skills, we have the perfect essay-writing guide for you. 💯

Staring at a blank page before writing an essay can feel a little daunting . Where do you start? What should your introduction say? And how should you structure your arguments? They are all fair questions and we have the answers! Take the stress out of essay writing with this step-by-step guide – you’ll be typing away in no time. 👩‍💻

What is an essay?

Generally speaking, an essay designates a literary work in which the author defends a point of view or a personal conviction, using logical arguments and literary devices in order to inform and convince the reader.

So – although essays can be broadly split into four categories: argumentative, expository, narrative, and descriptive – an essay can simply be described as a focused piece of writing designed to inform or persuade. 🤔

The purpose of an essay is to present a coherent argument in response to a stimulus or question and to persuade the reader that your position is credible, believable and reasonable. 👌

So, a ‘good’ essay relies on a confident writing style – it’s clear, well-substantiated, focussed, explanatory and descriptive . The structure follows a logical progression and above all, the body of the essay clearly correlates to the tile – answering the question where one has been posed. 

But, how do you go about making sure that you tick all these boxes and keep within a specified word count? Read on for the answer as well as an example essay structure to follow and a handy step-by-step guide to writing the perfect essay – hooray. 🙌

Sometimes, it is helpful to think about your essay like it is a well-balanced argument or a speech – it needs to have a logical structure, with all your points coming together to answer the question in a coherent manner. ⚖️

Of course, essays can vary significantly in length but besides that, they all follow a fairly strict pattern or structure made up of three sections. Lean into this predictability because it will keep you on track and help you make your point clearly. Let’s take a look at the typical essay structure:  

#1 Introduction

Start your introduction with the central claim of your essay. Let the reader know exactly what you intend to say with this essay. Communicate what you’re going to argue, and in what order. The final part of your introduction should also say what conclusions you’re going to draw – it sounds counter-intuitive but it’s not – more on that below. 1️⃣

Make your point, evidence it and explain it. This part of the essay – generally made up of three or more paragraphs depending on the length of your essay – is where you present your argument. The first sentence of each paragraph – much like an introduction to an essay – should summarise what your paragraph intends to explain in more detail. 2️⃣

#3 Conclusion

This is where you affirm your argument – remind the reader what you just proved in your essay and how you did it. This section will sound quite similar to your introduction but – having written the essay – you’ll be summarising rather than setting out your stall. 3️⃣

No essay is the same but your approach to writing them can be. As well as some best practice tips, we have gathered our favourite advice from expert essay-writers and compiled the following 7-step guide to writing a good essay every time. 👍

#1 Make sure you understand the question

#2 complete background reading.

#3 Make a detailed plan 

#4 Write your opening sentences 

#5 flesh out your essay in a rough draft, #6 evidence your opinion, #7 final proofread and edit.

Now that you have familiarised yourself with the 7 steps standing between you and the perfect essay, let’s take a closer look at each of those stages so that you can get on with crafting your written arguments with confidence . 

This is the most crucial stage in essay writing – r ead the essay prompt carefully and understand the question. Highlight the keywords – like ‘compare,’ ‘contrast’ ‘discuss,’ ‘explain’ or ‘evaluate’ – and let it sink in before your mind starts racing . There is nothing worse than writing 500 words before realising you have entirely missed the brief . 🧐

Unless you are writing under exam conditions , you will most likely have been working towards this essay for some time, by doing thorough background reading. Re-read relevant chapters and sections, highlight pertinent material and maybe even stray outside the designated reading list, this shows genuine interest and extended knowledge. 📚

#3 Make a detailed plan

Following the handy structure we shared with you above, now is the time to create the ‘skeleton structure’ or essay plan. Working from your essay title, plot out what you want your paragraphs to cover and how that information is going to flow. You don’t need to start writing any full sentences yet but it might be useful to think about the various quotes you plan to use to substantiate each section. 📝

Having mapped out the overall trajectory of your essay, you can start to drill down into the detail. First, write the opening sentence for each of the paragraphs in the body section of your essay. Remember – each paragraph is like a mini-essay – the opening sentence should summarise what the paragraph will then go on to explain in more detail. 🖊️

Next, it's time to write the bulk of your words and flesh out your arguments. Follow the ‘point, evidence, explain’ method. The opening sentences – already written – should introduce your ‘points’, so now you need to ‘evidence’ them with corroborating research and ‘explain’ how the evidence you’ve presented proves the point you’re trying to make. ✍️

With a rough draft in front of you, you can take a moment to read what you have written so far. Are there any sections that require further substantiation? Have you managed to include the most relevant material you originally highlighted in your background reading? Now is the time to make sure you have evidenced all your opinions and claims with the strongest quotes, citations and material. 📗

This is your final chance to re-read your essay and go over it with a fine-toothed comb before pressing ‘submit’. We highly recommend leaving a day or two between finishing your essay and the final proofread if possible – you’ll be amazed at the difference this makes, allowing you to return with a fresh pair of eyes and a more discerning judgment. 🤓

If you are looking for advice and support with your own essay-writing adventures, why not t ry a free trial lesson with GoStudent? Our tutors are experts at boosting academic success and having fun along the way. Get in touch and see how it can work for you today. 🎒

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How to Write an Essay in 8 Simple Steps (Examples Included)

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• Tags: Academic Writing , Essay , Essay Writing

Knowing how to write an essay can help you out significantly in both, your academic and professional life. An essay is a highly versatile nonfiction piece of writing that not only tests your knowledge of a topic but also your literary and argumentative skills.     

Each essay requires the same basic process of planning, writing, and editing. Naturally, we’ve used these stages to group our steps on how to write an essay. So w ithout further ado, let’s get into it! Here are the eight steps to write an essay:

Stage 1: Planning

1. Pick an appropriate research topic

In certain cases, your teacher or professor may assign you a topic. However, in many cases, students have the freedom to select a topic of their choice. Make sure you choose a topic that you’re well versed in and have significant knowledge of. 

Having prior knowledge of the topic will help you determine the subsequent steps to write an essay. It will also make your research process considerably easier.

2. Form an appropriate thesis statement

A thesis statement is the central idea or premise your essay is based on. It is usually a sentence or two long and is included in the introduction of the essay. The scope of your thesis statement depends on the type of your essay and its length.

For instance, the scope of the thesis statement for a 500–1000 word school essay will be narrower than a 1000–5000 word college essay. A rule of thumb is that your essay topic should be broad enough to gather enough information, but narrow enough to address specific points and not be vague. Here’s an example: 

The invention of the airplane by the Wright Brothers in 1903 revolutionized transportation and paved the way for modern aviation. It represents a monumental achievement in human history that forever changed the course of human civilization.

3. Create an essay outline

Creating a well-organized essay outline not only gives structure and flow to your essay but also makes it more impactful and easy to understand. The idea is to collect the main points of information that support or elaborate on your thesis statement. You can also include references or examples under these main points. 

For example, if your thesis statement revolves around the invention of the airplane, your main points will include travel before the invention of the airplane, how it was invented, and its effects on modern-day travel. Take a look:

The Wright Brothers’ invention had a massive impact on modern-day travel. The subsequent growth of the aviation industry led to increased accessibility of air travel to the general public.

Stage 2: Writing

4. Write a comprehensive introduction

After creating the basic outline, it is important to know how to write an essay. Begin your essay by introducing your voice and point of view to the reader. An introduction is usually a paragraph or two long and consists of three main parts:

• Background information
• Thesis statement

Let’s better understand this with the help of an example:

The Wright Brothers’ invention of the airplane in 1903 revolutionized the way humans travel and explore the world. Prior to this invention, transportation relied on trains, boats, and cars, which limited the distance and speed of travel. However, the airplane made air travel a reality, allowing people to reach far-off destinations in mere hours. This breakthrough paved the way for modern-day air travel, transforming the world into a smaller, more connected place. In this essay, we will explore the impact of the Wright Brothers’ invention on modern-day travel, including the growth of the aviation industry, increased accessibility of air travel to the general public, and the economic and cultural benefits of air travel.

Let’s understand how to construct each of these sections in more detail.

A. Construct an attractive hook

The opening sentence of an essay, also known as the hook, should include a powerful or startling statement that captures the reader’s attention. Depending on the type of your essay, it can be an interesting fact, a surprising statistic, or an engaging anecdote. 

B. Provide relevant background information

While writing the introduction, it’s important to provide context or background information before including the thesis statement. The background information may include the time before a groundbreaking invention, the pros and cons of a significant discovery, or the short- and long-term effects of an event.

C. Edit the thesis statement

If you’ve constructed your thesis statement during the outlining stage, it’s time to edit it based on the background information you’ve provided. Observe the slight changes we’ve made to the scope of the thesis statement in the example above. This accommodates the bits of information we’ve provided in the background history.

5. Form relevant body paragraphs

Body paragraphs play a crucial role in supporting and expanding the central argument presented in the thesis statement. The number of body paragraphs depends on the type of essay as well as the scope of the thesis statement.

Most school-level essays contain three body paragraphs while college-level essays can vary in length depending on the assignment.

A well-crafted body paragraph consists of the following parts:

• A topic sentence
• Supporting information
• An analysis of the information
• A smooth transition to the next paragraph

Let’s understand this with the help of an example. 

The Wright Brothers’ invention of the airplane revolutionized air travel. They achieved the first-ever successful powered flight with the Wright Flyer in 1903, after years of conducting experiments and studying flight principles. Despite their first flight lasting only 12 seconds, it was a significant milestone that paved the way for modern aviation. The Wright Brothers’ success can be attributed to their systematic approach to problem-solving, which included numerous experiments with gliders, the development of a wind tunnel to test their designs, and meticulous analysis and recording of their results. Their dedication and ingenuity forever changed the way we travel, making modern aviation possible.

Here’s a detailed overview of how to construct each of these sections.

A. Construct appropriate topic sentences

A topic sentence is the title of the body paragraph that elaborates on the thesis statement. It is the main idea on which the body paragraph is developed. Ensure that each topic sentence is relevant to the thesis statement and makes the essay flow seamlessly. 

The order of topic sentences is key in creating an impactful essay. This order varies depending on the type of essay you choose to write. These sentences may be arranged chronologically, in the order of importance, or in a cause-and-effect format.

B. Provide supporting information

It is necessary to provide relevant supporting information and evidence to validate your topic statement. This may include examples, relevant statistics, history, or even personal anecdotes.

You should also remember to cite your sources wherever you use them to substantiate your arguments. Always give researchers and authors credit for their work!

C. Analyze the supporting information

After presenting the appropriate evidence, the next step is to conduct an in-depth analysis. Establish connections and provide additional details to strengthen the link between your topic sentence and the supporting information. 

Depending on the type of essay, this step may also involve sharing your subjective opinions and key takeaways.

D. Create a smooth transition

In case you plan to create multiple body paragraphs, it is crucial to create a seamless transition between them. Transitional statements not only make the essay less jarring to read but also guide the reader in the right direction.

However, these statements need not be too lengthy and complicated. Use words such as “however”, “in addition to”, and “therefore” to convey transitions.

6. Construct an impactful conclusion

An impactful conclusion creates a lasting impression on the mind of the reader. Although it varies in length depending on the specific essay, the conclusion is typically a paragraph long.

It consists of

• A restated thesis statement
• Summary of the main points
• The broader implications of the thesis statement

Here’s an example of a well-structured conclusion:

The Wright Brothers’ invention of the airplane forever changed history by paving the way for modern aviation and countless aerospace advancements. Their persistence, innovation, and dedication to problem-solving led to the first successful powered flight in 1903, sparking a revolution in transportation that transformed the world. Today, air travel remains an integral part of our globalized society, highlighting the undeniable impact of the Wright Brothers’ contribution to human civilization.  

Let’s take a closer look at how to construct each of these sections.

A. Restate the thesis statement

Your conclusion should call back to your original argument or thesis statement.

However, this does not mean repeating the thesis statement as is. The essence of your argument should remain the same, but it should also be modified and evolved as per the information presented in your essay.

B. Summarize important points

A powerful conclusion not only lingers in the reader’s mind but also provokes thought. You can create a strong impression on the reader by highlighting the most impactful points of your essay.

C. State the greater implications

End your essay with the most powerful and impactful part: the larger perspective. This can‌ include a question you’d like to leave the reader with, the broader implications and impact of your thesis statement, or the long-term, lingering effects of your experience. 

Make sure to include no new evidence or arguments, or to undermine your findings in any way. 

Stage 3: Editing

7. Review your essay

Knowing how to write an essay is just one part of essay writing. Properly reviewing and editing your essay is just as important. Make sure to spend enough time going over your essay and adding any bits of information that you’ve missed. 

This is also a good time to make minor structural changes in your essay.

8. Thoroughly proofread your essay

After making the necessary structural changes, recheck your essay word by word. It is important to not only correct major grammatical and spelling errors but also minor errors regarding the phrasing or tone of voice.

You can either choose to do this by yourself, ask a friend for assistance, or hire an essay proofreading service to go over your writing. To construct a fool-proof, error-free essay, it is helpful to have a trained pair of eyes go over it. Professional proofreaders can spot errors that are not visible to most people and set the right tone for your essay. 

Now that you know the basics of how to write an essay, it’s time to learn about the specifics. Feel free to dig into the articles below and keep reading!

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Frequently Asked Questions

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The Five Steps of Writing an Essay

Mastering these steps will make your words more compelling

• Tips For Adult Students
• Getting Your Ged

• B.A., English, St. Olaf College

Knowing how to write an essay is a skill that you can use throughout your life. The ability to organize ideas that you use in constructing an essay will help you write business letters, company memos, and marketing materials for your clubs and organizations.

Anything you write will benefit from learning these simple parts of an essay:

• Purpose and Thesis

Introduction

Body of information.

Here are five steps to make it happen:

Purpose/Main Idea

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Before you can start writing, you must have an idea to write about. If you haven't been assigned a topic, it's easier than you might think to come up with one of your own.

Your best essays will be about 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.

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Choose a title for your essay that expresses your primary idea. The strongest titles will include a verb. Take a look at any newspaper and you'll see that every title has a verb.

Your title should 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. Other people find that writing a title helps them stay focused. You can always review your title when you've finished the essay to ensure that it's as effective as it can be.

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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 multicolored? 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 place to lay their eggs, are participating in the balance of nature.

Vincent Hazat / PhotoAlto Agency RF Collections / Getty Images

The body of your essay is where you develop your story or argument. Once you have finished your research and produced several pages of notes, go through them 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 your notes 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. If you don't have enough for one, you might need a stronger key point. Do more research  to support your point of view. It's always better to have too many sources than too few.

 Anna Bryukhanova/E Plus / Getty Images

You've 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 should summarize how your key points support your thesis. Here's an example:

• 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 .

Good luck! The next essay will be easier.

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Here’s how you can nail your college essay in 5 steps

What is university experience without tackling the mammoth of words and hours upon hours of writing? Essays are inevitable if you’re pursuing an academic life, and you’ll encounter them soon enough just weeks into the start of your freshman year. If you’re looking for a guide on how to write an essay , here’s where we bring you the nitty-gritty stuff to ace your next paper. 

How to write an essay: A step-by-step guide for college students

Step 1: understand the assignment .

Don’t assume, and don’t underestimate how easily you can misinterpret instructions. A misunderstanding is costly; you can’t get good grades if you’re not responding to the correct questions in the first place. When you’re tasked with a writing assignment , take a few minutes to read through and digest what your professor is looking for. 

Read the instruction thoroughly, and highlight keywords that indicate the true purpose of the assignment. Are you writing a discursive essay, a précis, or a book review? Your writing style, tone, and formatting will need to conform to what’s required in the paper. If you’re still unclear about what you need to do, always ask your professor for clarification before proceeding. 

Students can avoid over-researching by listing specific questions that will help narrow down certain viewpoints in a research topic. Source: Philippe Lopez/AFP

Step 2: Research the topic 

Now that you’ve cleared the confusion, it’s time to dive into the actual pre-writing work. Researching allows you to go in-depth into a subject beyond what is studied in class, hence why it’s usually the most fun part of the entire writing process. There’s such a thing as over-researching though, and you don’t want to be overwhelmed with more information than necessary. 

The key to avoiding falling into the rabbit hole of endless research is by starting smart. Put yourself in the reader’s shoes: what would you like to know most about your subject matter? Begin with a list of inquiries that are specific to your topic, eliminating anything that is too generalised. 

As you research, it’s crucial to keep track of your sources and compile a reference list so you can have your facts at hand when you start writing them in your essay. You can use citation tools from websites like Mendeley or Zotero to instantly generate citations in the correct format. Your writing process will be more streamlined if you start organising your sources early on. 

Step 3: Construct your thesis statement

An essay is as good as its thesis statement. Think of your paper as building a case in a defence trial. What’s the central argument or purpose of your paper? Does it invite the reader to hear your side of the story? 

The thesis statement has to be something that is debatable, but not too broad. It isn’t a fact, nor an opinion, but rather a claim that can be expanded on both sides of the fence. A well-crafted thesis is a prelude to how your argument will develop, and gives readers a glimpse into where you’re going with your evidence. 

Proofreading your writing draft is a crucial step to polishing your essay before submitting it for grading. Source: Charly Triballeau/AFP

Step 4: Outlining, structuring, and concluding 

You’ve got your thesis statements and painstaking research to back it up — the next step is putting them all together. A convincing essay is one that can deliver coherence and consistency throughout the pages. You want your arguments to read like they develop organically, so think about ways you can order them. If there is a timeline involved, structuring your points by chronology will make your points easier to follow. 

Sectioning your paragraphs with topic sentences is another way to signal transition between ideas before introducing new supporting evidence in your writing. End each idea with real-life examples obtained from your research, and anticipate counterarguments to your claims by addressing them as much as you can in your essay. 

When writing your conclusion, don’t regurgitate your previous ideas. Use the space to make a lasting impression on your readers by summarising your arguments and providing a good closure by offering a unique perspective on the larger scholarship of your subject. 

Step 5: Proofread your draft 

While it’s tempting to submit your essay and not look back, taking time to proofread and edit your writing is a critical step in your overall writing procedure. Try to not edit immediately after finishing your draft — let it sit for a day or two if you have the time. You’ll notice more subtle mistakes with a fresh set of eyes, and won’t lose marks in stylistic errors. 

Some professors are more than happy to give feedback and suggestions to improve your draft, so make use of that if you have time to spare before the deadline. Getting professional input could be the game-changer between a lower and a higher grade for your essay. 

Once you’re happy with your final draft and have cited all your sources accordingly, you’re all good to go! Remember, learning how to write an essay gets better with practice if you plan accordingly from the beginning. 

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How to Write an Academic Essay in 7 Simple Steps

What is an academic essay?

Academic essays are a common form of writing in higher education and play a crucial role in shaping a student’s future academic success. An academic essay is a piece of writing that presents an argument based on evidence and provides the reader with a clear and well-structured understanding of a particular subject. Writing an academic essay is not just about putting together a few words and sentences. It requires careful planning, research, and critical thinking skills to produce a well-written piece that meets the expectations of the reader.

In this article, we will explore the steps involved in writing an academic essay and provide you with tips and examples to help you create a top-quality piece of writing.

Step 1: Choose an Essay Topic

The first step in writing an academic essay is to choose a topic. A topic is the main idea or subject you will write about in your essay. Choose a topic that you are interested in and have a good understanding of. It should also be relevant to the course you are studying and the assignment you are working on.

While choosing the topic for your essay, be sure to follow the formatting requirements and other guidelines of your essay prompt. Read your assignment or prompt thorough and assess what is needed. For instance, if the guidelines call for your essay to follow a certain academic formatting style (such as MLA style , APA style , Chicago style , Vancouver style , etc.), this should be applied and reviewed during the editing process. As with any academic document, be sure to apply academic writing principles to your essay.

Some additional questions to ask before you begin drafting your essay:

• What is the specific question or questions that your essay needs to answer?
• Does your academic essay need to present a critical or rhetorical analysis of a source?
• Do you need to use primary and secondary sources ?
• Is the goal of the essay to present an original argument based on original research, or is it a review of the literature ?
• Do you need to compare two or more works for your analysis?

Step 2: Conduct Research

Once you have chosen a topic, it is time to conduct research. Research is essential for an academic essay as it provides you with the information you need to support your arguments. Use a variety of sources, including books, academic journals, online databases, and other reliable sources, to gather information about your topic.

There are several different types of research that you can use to gather information for your essay, including primary research, secondary research, and tertiary research.

Primary research involves collecting original data through surveys, interviews, or experiments. This type of research is often used to gather firsthand information about a specific topic and is particularly useful when secondary sources do not exist or are limited.

Secondary research involves using existing data and information that has been collected by someone else. This includes sources such as academic journals, books, and online databases. Secondary research is often the starting point for most essay research and provides a good foundation for your own original research.

Tertiary research involves using summary or overview sources, such as textbooks, encyclopedias, and reference books, to gather information about a topic. This type of research is often used to gain a general understanding of a subject or to find specific information quickly.

When conducting research, it is important to use a variety of sources to gather information and to critically evaluate the information you find. Make sure that your sources are credible and relevant to your topic and avoid using unreliable sources, such as personal blogs or opinion pieces. Take notes as you research and keep track of your sources, including the author, publication date, and page numbers, so that you can easily reference them later in your essay.

Step 3: Create an Essay Outline

An outline is a roadmap that guides you through the writing process and helps you stay organized. A good outline should include an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each body paragraph should include a topic sentence, supporting evidence, and a transition sentence that connects to the next paragraph. Just as an outline for a research paper presents the structure and a summary of each section of your study.

Essay outline template

This outline provides a basic structure for an essay and can be adjusted to fit the specific needs of your topic and assignment. The introduction sets the stage by providing a brief overview of the topic and a thesis statement that outlines the main argument of the essay.

The body of the essay includes three main points, each of which is supported by evidence and explained through analysis. The conclusion restates the thesis, summarizes the main points, and offers final thoughts and implications. This outline can be used as a starting point for organizing your ideas and ensuring that your essay is well-structured and well-supported.

Step 4: Write the Introduction

The introduction is the first part of your essay that the reader will read, so it is important to make a good impression. An essay introduction should provide background information on the topic, hook the reader’s attention, and present a thesis statement . 

Here is an example of an introductory paragraph:

“The American Dream, once a symbol of hope and opportunity, has become increasingly elusive in recent years. Despite its origins as a means for individuals to pursue their own happiness and success, the American Dream has come to represent a set of unattainable goals that are beyond the reach of the average person. This essay will explore the ways in which the American Dream has become an unattainable goal for many Americans, including the reasons for its decline and the impact this has on society as a whole.”

This introduction provides context, raises a question, and presents a thesis statement all in under 200 words.

Step 5: Write the Body Paragraphs

The body paragraphs are where you develop your arguments and support them with evidence. Each paragraph should focus on one main idea and should include a topic sentence that introduces the idea, supporting evidence, and a transition sentence that connects to the next paragraph. Use transition words to connect paragraphs and provide a clearer structure to your arguments and overall essay.

Step 6: Write the Essay Conclusion

The essay conclusion is the final part of your essay and provides a summary of your main arguments. It should also restate your thesis statement and provide a final thought or call to action. The conclusion should leave a lasting impression on the reader and provide closure to your essay.

Here is an example of a conclusion paragraph for an academic essay about “The American Dream”:

“ In conclusion , the American Dream has undergone significant changes since its inception. Despite its original intention as a means for individuals to pursue their own happiness and success, the American Dream has come to represent an unattainable goal for many Americans. The factors contributing to this decline include economic inequality, declining social mobility, and a lack of access to education and job opportunities. This shift in the meaning of the American Dream has significant implications for society as a whole, including increased poverty and social unrest. In order to restore the American Dream to its original purpose, policymakers must address these systemic issues and work to create a more equitable society where all individuals have the opportunity to achieve their goals.”

Note the terms and phrases in bold that identify the conclusion paragraph and point to the main topics that are summarized. 

Step 7: Revise and Edit Your Essay

Once you have completed the first draft of your essay, it is time to revise and edit. Review your essay for any mistakes, including grammatical errors , punctuation errors , spelling mistakes, and awkward sentence structure . Make sure that your essay is well-structured and that your arguments are well-supported with language that follows the conventions of academic writing and is appropriate for the essay assignment. To ensure your work is polished for style and free of errors, get essay editing from a professional proofreading company like Wordvice.

In conclusion, writing an academic essay is a process that requires careful planning, research, and critical thinking skills. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can write a top-quality essay that meets the expectations of the reader and earns you the grades you deserve. Remember to choose a topic that you are interested in and have a good understanding of, conduct research, create an outline, write a clear and concise introduction, develop well-supported body paragraphs, write a strong conclusion, and revise and edit your essay before submitting it.

Essay Papers Writing Online

Tips and tricks for crafting engaging and effective essays.

Writing essays can be a challenging task, but with the right approach and strategies, you can create compelling and impactful pieces that captivate your audience. Whether you’re a student working on an academic paper or a professional honing your writing skills, these tips will help you craft essays that stand out.

Effective essays are not just about conveying information; they are about persuading, engaging, and inspiring readers. To achieve this, it’s essential to pay attention to various elements of the essay-writing process, from brainstorming ideas to polishing your final draft. By following these tips, you can elevate your writing and produce essays that leave a lasting impression.

Understanding the Essay Prompt

Before you start writing your essay, it is crucial to thoroughly understand the essay prompt or question provided by your instructor. The essay prompt serves as a roadmap for your essay and outlines the specific requirements or expectations.

Here are a few key things to consider when analyzing the essay prompt:

• Read the prompt carefully and identify the main topic or question being asked.
• Pay attention to any specific instructions or guidelines provided, such as word count, formatting requirements, or sources to be used.
• Identify key terms or phrases in the prompt that can help you determine the focus of your essay.

By understanding the essay prompt thoroughly, you can ensure that your essay addresses the topic effectively and meets the requirements set forth by your instructor.

Researching Your Topic Thoroughly

One of the key elements of writing an effective essay is conducting thorough research on your chosen topic. Research helps you gather the necessary information, facts, and examples to support your arguments and make your essay more convincing.

Here are some tips for researching your topic thoroughly:

By following these tips and conducting thorough research on your topic, you will be able to write a well-informed and persuasive essay that effectively communicates your ideas and arguments.

Creating a Strong Thesis Statement

A thesis statement is a crucial element of any well-crafted essay. It serves as the main point or idea that you will be discussing and supporting throughout your paper. A strong thesis statement should be clear, specific, and arguable.

To create a strong thesis statement, follow these tips:

• Be specific: Your thesis statement should clearly state the main idea of your essay. Avoid vague or general statements.
• Be concise: Keep your thesis statement concise and to the point. Avoid unnecessary details or lengthy explanations.
• Be argumentative: Your thesis statement should present an argument or perspective that can be debated or discussed in your essay.
• Be relevant: Make sure your thesis statement is relevant to the topic of your essay and reflects the main point you want to make.
• Revise as needed: Don’t be afraid to revise your thesis statement as you work on your essay. It may change as you develop your ideas.

Remember, a strong thesis statement sets the tone for your entire essay and provides a roadmap for your readers to follow. Put time and effort into crafting a clear and compelling thesis statement to ensure your essay is effective and persuasive.

Developing a Clear Essay Structure

One of the key elements of writing an effective essay is developing a clear and logical structure. A well-structured essay helps the reader follow your argument and enhances the overall readability of your work. Here are some tips to help you develop a clear essay structure:

1. Start with a strong introduction: Begin your essay with an engaging introduction that introduces the topic and clearly states your thesis or main argument.

2. Organize your ideas: Before you start writing, outline the main points you want to cover in your essay. This will help you organize your thoughts and ensure a logical flow of ideas.

3. Use topic sentences: Begin each paragraph with a topic sentence that introduces the main idea of the paragraph. This helps the reader understand the purpose of each paragraph.

4. Provide evidence and analysis: Support your arguments with evidence and analysis to back up your main points. Make sure your evidence is relevant and directly supports your thesis.

5. Transition between paragraphs: Use transitional words and phrases to create flow between paragraphs and help the reader move smoothly from one idea to the next.

6. Conclude effectively: End your essay with a strong conclusion that summarizes your main points and reinforces your thesis. Avoid introducing new ideas in the conclusion.

By following these tips, you can develop a clear essay structure that will help you effectively communicate your ideas and engage your reader from start to finish.

Using Relevant Examples and Evidence

When writing an essay, it’s crucial to support your arguments and assertions with relevant examples and evidence. This not only adds credibility to your writing but also helps your readers better understand your points. Here are some tips on how to effectively use examples and evidence in your essays:

• Choose examples that are specific and relevant to the topic you’re discussing. Avoid using generic examples that may not directly support your argument.
• Provide concrete evidence to back up your claims. This could include statistics, research findings, or quotes from reliable sources.
• Interpret the examples and evidence you provide, explaining how they support your thesis or main argument. Don’t assume that the connection is obvious to your readers.
• Use a variety of examples to make your points more persuasive. Mixing personal anecdotes with scholarly evidence can make your essay more engaging and convincing.
• Cite your sources properly to give credit to the original authors and avoid plagiarism. Follow the citation style required by your instructor or the publication you’re submitting to.

By integrating relevant examples and evidence into your essays, you can craft a more convincing and well-rounded piece of writing that resonates with your audience.

Editing and Proofreading Your Essay Carefully

Once you have finished writing your essay, the next crucial step is to edit and proofread it carefully. Editing and proofreading are essential parts of the writing process that help ensure your essay is polished and error-free. Here are some tips to help you effectively edit and proofread your essay:

1. Take a Break: Before you start editing, take a short break from your essay. This will help you approach the editing process with a fresh perspective.

2. Read Aloud: Reading your essay aloud can help you catch any awkward phrasing or grammatical errors that you may have missed while writing. It also helps you check the flow of your essay.

3. Check for Consistency: Make sure that your essay has a consistent style, tone, and voice throughout. Check for inconsistencies in formatting, punctuation, and language usage.

4. Remove Unnecessary Words: Look for any unnecessary words or phrases in your essay and remove them to make your writing more concise and clear.

5. Proofread for Errors: Carefully proofread your essay for spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors. Pay attention to commonly misused words and homophones.

6. Get Feedback: It’s always a good idea to get feedback from someone else. Ask a friend, classmate, or teacher to review your essay and provide constructive feedback.

By following these tips and taking the time to edit and proofread your essay carefully, you can improve the overall quality of your writing and make sure your ideas are effectively communicated to your readers.

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Home > Blog > How To Write an Explanatory Essay the Right Way

How To Write an Explanatory Essay the Right Way

• Smodin Editorial Team
• Updated: September 24, 2024
• Step-by-Step Instructions for Writing

Learning how to write an explanatory essay can be daunting when you’re just getting started.

Why? Ever tried explaining a difficult concept to a friend in an easy-to-understand way? Tricky, right? It’s one thing to know about a challenging topic yourself. However, understanding how to describe that topic to a total beginner can be a tough task.

As such, explanatory essay writing takes a good bit of practice if you’re new to the style. But the good news? Once you learn the basics, you can research effectively and create clear, concise written pieces on any topic. And this, ultimately, is the key to getting top grades.

So, to help you, we’ll break down our eight-step process for creating a brilliant explanatory essay. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. First, let’s take a look at what “explanatory essay” even means.

What Is an Explanatory Essay?

An explanatory essay is a type of essay that explains a particular topic, viewpoint, situation, or event objectively. The goal is to provide information and present evidence in a straightforward way. So, the reader feels knowledgeable about your chosen topic.

With an explanatory essay, you don’t have to argue a position on the topic you’re writing about like you would with an argumentative essay . In fact, you shouldn’t tell people what you think at all. Explanatory writing isn’t the place for controversial opinions and curious theories.

Instead, your goal is to lay out all of the facts so that your reader feels educated about the topic. That way, they can form their own opinion on the subject. Achieve that, and you’ve just created a brilliant explanatory essay.

Now that you no longer have to wonder “What is an explanatory essay?” let’s have a look at what’s the difference between expository and explanatory essays, two similar types of essays .

What’s the Difference Between Expository and Explanatory Essays?

In most educational settings, “expository essay” and “explanatory essay” are used interchangeably. That said, in some cases, your teacher might want to distinguish between the two. In that case, there is one key difference.

Expository essays usually focus almost exclusively on evidence and hard facts. Meanwhile, an explanatory essay may include evidence but also emphasize clarifying key terms and explaining big ideas in accessible ways.

This is the primary difference. But it’s very subtle, and in most cases distinguishing between the two is unnecessary. Ultimately, each aims to lay out all the facts in a non-biased way. So, the reader can form their own opinion about the topic. Get that part right, and you’re setting yourself up for success.

When Should I Write an Explanatory Essay?

In some situations, your teacher may explicitly tell you to write an explanatory essay. But other times, you might have to figure it out for yourself. When that happens, you need to know what to look for.

Fortunately, working out that you need to write an explanatory essay is pretty straightforward. Most will include one of the following keywords: Explain, Describe, or Define. For instance, some possible prompts could include:

• Define “Enlightenment” and explain how it impacted the French Revolution.
• Explain the structure of DNA and its role in genetic inheritance.
• Describe the concept of biodiversity hotspots and their importance for conservation.

If you receive a prompt with one of these keywords, it’s a good indicator you need to write something explanatory. Now, with that out of the way, let’s take a look at a typical explanatory essay outline.

An Example Explanatory Essay Outline Template

The best explanatory essay structure will vary depending on your topic and why you’re writing your essay. But in general, most will follow an explanatory essay format like this:

• Hook – An engaging opening sentence that hooks the reader in.
• Background – Basic details that give necessary background context to your essay.
• Thesis – The main idea or central point your article will explain.
• A clearly defined point.
• Evidence to support the point.
• Explanation of the evidence provided.
• A concluding statement that ties the point back to your thesis statement and leads into the next paragraph.
• Restate your thesis statement.
• A summary of the key points.
• A final statement or perspective on the subject.

A standard article in schools usually includes three body paragraphs. But depending on the complexity of your topic, you may need more.

Now that we are done with our explanatory essay example template, it’s time to focus on your essay writing skills and take a deep into what to include in your essay step by step.

A Guide To Create the Best Explanatory Essay

Now that you know the structure, these are the steps we recommend you follow to create a first-class explanatory essay. We’ll also include an example throughout to show how the writing process works in practice. You can also use our steps below to create an explanatory essay checklist.

1. How To Choose Your Topic

Got the opportunity to choose a topic? It’s worth spending a bit of time thinking about what you want to write about. But of course, this will all depend on your assignment:

• Have the freedom to choose anything you like? Brainstorm some ideas and come up with some possible explanatory essay topics based on your interests.
• Need to write about a specific subject? There’s still room for creativity. A subject like “the impact of technology” has a lot of potential. You can take it in any direction.
• Your teacher has provided you with a specific essay prompt? You can still approach the explanation from a unique angle. A task to “explain the significance of space exploration” may seem cut and dry. But you can approach it from the perspective of technology, society, the environment, or even ethics.

Whatever your task, the key takeaway is to have a clear idea of your angle before you start writing. Once you have that, you can move on to the next step.

2. How To Do the Research

With your angle in mind, it’s time to do your research. The evidence you gather here will ultimately form the basis of your explanatory essay.

Google is a great place to start for all research papers . Look for information on key subtopics surrounding your main point and take note of any important facts.

Remember to choose websites wisely. Aim to find reliable sources like journals and scholarly articles. These sources are more reputable. This makes them more valuable for backing up your explanation with facts. You can also leverage AI writing tools to speed up this process and get credible information faster.

Top Tip: For an explanatory essay in an exam, you’ll have to rely on what you know from your lessons. Your teacher will hope you have some facts in mind. But don’t worry if you forget a statistic or specific date. Just prioritize organizing your thoughts and presenting your knowledge in a clear way.

3. How To Create the Perfect Plan

With your research complete, it’s time to plan. Use the outline above as a starting point.

Your introduction hook and conclusion paragraph aren’t too important as you write. Sometimes, the best opener and closer will come to mind as you write the body of your essay. At the very least, you should have your main thesis statement and three points that support it planned out. This will improve your flow and save you time.

Top Tip: In an exam? Our advice is to spend around 5%-10% of your total time creating a brief outline. Write and underline your main thesis statement and then jot down three to four key points that support it.

Got your plan laid out? Brilliant! Time to start writing.

4. How To Write a Hook for an Explanatory Essay

If you don’t know how to write a hook for an explanatory essay, we’ve got you covered! Your article’s hook does exactly what it says on the tin. It “hooks” the reader into your essay. As such, begin with an opening sentence that is exciting and engaging. You should also leave enough to the imagination to make the reader want to find out more.

This can take a bit of practice, so here are a few ideas to get you off the mark.

• Pose an interesting question.
• Start with a strong fact.
• Open with a startling statistic.

For instance, let’s say we were writing an essay based on this prompt:

“Explain the impact of fossil fuels on global warming and describe potential solutions.”

Here are three great hooks that may get the reader interested in the topic:

• Interesting question: How could our daily lives change in the next 10 years due to global warming?
• Strong fact: If we don’t take urgent action to avoid global warming, the IPCC predicts climate change could be irreversible by 2030.
• Startling statistic: 2023 was over 2.12 degrees warmer than the 20th-century average, making it the hottest year ever since records began.

Each of these hooks either poses a question to your audience or presents a concrete fact. Remember that we’re always trying to avoid personal opinions. It’s important to remain objective throughout.

5. How To Write the Introduction for an Explanatory Essay

Following on from your hook, we need to write the bulk of our explanatory essay introduction. Here, you should provide any basic contextual information that the reader needs to understand the rest of your article.

Let’s go back to our example to explain this. We’ll expand on the startling statistic we mentioned in the previous step.

“2023 was over 2.12 degrees warmer than the 20th-century average, making it the hottest year ever since records began. This worrying trend is set to continue as global warming intensifies. Human activity is the primary cause behind this phenomenon. Specifically, our overreliance on fossil fuels releases greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. These gases trap heat from the sun, increasing the Earth’s average temperature”.

As you can see, this section provides factual background information about global warming and how fossil fuels impact the environment. It gives the reader all the necessary context they’ll need to understand the rest of your article.

6. How To Write a Thesis for an Explanatory Essay

You’ve hooked the reader in and provided some background on the topic. Now, it’s time to end your introduction with a clear thesis statement.

Wondering how to write a thesis for an explanatory essay? We explain all you need to know below.

Your explanatory essay thesis statement should clearly state the main idea your essay will explore. But unlike an argumentative essay, you shouldn’t rely on personal opinion. Instead, you should make a clear, factual statement that you will back up throughout the article.

Let’s go back to our global warming example. Our thesis statement might look something like this:

“Burning fossil fuels leads to extreme weather patterns and the melting of our ice caps. Society must transition to renewable energy sources in order to reverse these effects.”

This thesis statement clearly outlines the main idea the article will explore. Crucially, it also leaves plenty of information for you to explain and evidence in your body paragraphs.

Lastly, you’ll note that this statement is objective. It is a fact that you can justify in the body of your essay.

7. How To Write Body Paragraphs for an Explanatory Essay

Next, we have the body paragraphs. We recommend following a typical Point, Evidence, and Explain structure. Here are some tips to make each paragraph as good as the last.

Start With a Clearly Defined Point

The first line in every paragraph should clearly outline the topic for that section. It should also tie back to your main idea. For instance, if we return to the thesis statement above, we might create three points to support our main idea:

• Fossil fuels are the primary cause behind extreme weather patterns worldwide.
• Fossil fuels are the largest contributor to the melting of the polar ice caps.
• Renewable energy sources like solar are the best way for humanity to combat global warming.

Each of these sentences opens the door to different discussions, but they all tie back to the original thesis. Once we’ve made our initial points, we can now begin to support these statements with evidence.

Back Everything Up With Examples

Now that you’ve created a point, you need to back it up with evidence. Choose a credible source that proves the point you’re making. Let’s select our first idea as an example. We could justify it with a statistic from a credible source like the United Nations:

“The UN reports that fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas account for over 75% of global greenhouse gas emissions.”

We now have our evidence presented clearly. Next, we can spend the rest of our paragraph explaining how this statistic supports our point.

Explain How Your Evidence Supports Your Point

It’s not enough to provide evidence and hope that the reader understands the correlation. We need to lay everything out in an easy-to-understand way to show exactly why our evidence proves our initial point.

Let’s expand on our example to show how this looks in practice:

“The UN reports that fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas account for over 75% of global greenhouse gas emissions. As these gases increase in concentration in the Earth’s atmosphere, they trap heat from the sun. This causes the global average temperature to increase. Aside from causing dangerous heat waves, droughts, and wildfires, a warmer ocean means there is more moisture in the air. This leads to intense bouts of rain, as well as hurricanes and tropical cyclones.”

As you can see, this explanation ties your evidence to the main point. It leaves nothing to the imagination and proves a correlation between fossil fuels and extreme weather events.

All done? Not quite. The last thing we need to do is wrap this up by linking back to the thesis.

Tie the Paragraph Back to Your Thesis Statement

This is the final step for a great body paragraph. We need to clearly show how the paragraph (at least in part) answers our thesis statement. Here’s a suggestion based on the example above:

“Therefore, it is clear that greenhouse gases are the leading cause behind the growing number of extreme weather events worldwide. Furthermore, it is also evident that burning fossil fuels is the driving force behind this monumental change.:

That’s a wrap! We’ve just created a clear and well-evidenced body paragraph. You can apply this general structure to each of your further paragraphs to create a compelling, well-written explanatory essay.

8. How To Write a Conclusion for an Explanatory Essay

Lastly, you need to conclude your explanatory essay. When you know how to write a great conclusion , you can tie everything together. You can leave the right lasting impression on your reader.

Here are the steps we recommend if you don’t want to wonder how to write a conclusion for an explanatory essay.

Restate Your Thesis Statement

First, you should restate your initial thesis statement in a different way. For instance, we might open our conclusion with:

“In conclusion, fossil fuels are the leading cause of melting ice caps and extreme weather events. We must respond by transitioning to renewable energy sources if we hope to reverse the effects of global warming.”

Recap Your Main Points

Next, you should recap the points that prove your thesis statement:

“The burning of fossil fuels is the largest producer of greenhouse gases in the world. These gases trap heat, raising the Earth’s average temperature. This leads to extreme droughts, wildfires, hurricanes, and floods, as well as the gradual melting of our polar ice caps. By transitioning to renewable energy sources like solar, wind, and hydroelectric power, we can curb our use of fossil fuels. Thus, we can reverse these devastating effects.”

As you can see, we’ve reiterated each point succinctly and included how these points tie to the thesis statement. Now, all that’s left to do is finish with a flourish.

Make an Impact With Your Concluding Statement

Lastly, you need to make a final concluding statement. This is your chance to give the reader something to think about. As with the hook, you should raise an interesting idea that gets the reader thinking. Here’s an example based on our initial prompt.

“This raises the question: How will the world respond? Will the global average temperature continue to rise, or will renewable energy initiatives undo the damage caused by fossil fuels? The answer to this question will ultimately decide the future of our landscapes and potentially the future of our planet.”

And that’s it. You’ve just created a brilliant explanatory essay conclusion. Now that you have finished your first draft , all that’s left to do is proofread your entire essay. Remember to tidy up any grammar and punctuation errors and check for additional ways you can simplify your explanation.

Explanatory Essay Examples

This guide so far has given you the knowledge you need to write a tremendous explanatory essay. But ultimately, the best way to improve your skills is to practice. So, with that in mind, here are 10 explanatory essay examples to sink your teeth into:

• Describe the importance of mental health counseling in modern society.
• Explain the cultural significance of the 4th of July.
• Define “globalization” and explain its impact on innovation.
• Describe the process of natural selection.
• Explain the concept of supply and demand in economics.
• Define “emotional intelligence” and its importance in building relationships.
• Describe the importance of constants in a scientific experiment.
• Explain the impact of artificial intelligence on education.
• Define the “decentralized web” and its impact on the internet.
• Describe the main causes of the American Revolutionary War.

Give one of these a try and apply the steps above. The more you practice, the better you’ll get.

How long is an explanatory essay?

Explanatory essays will usually be a couple of pages long, maximum. Most explanatory essays are composed of five paragraphs.

How do you end an explanatory essay?

At the end of the essay, you will write your conclusion. Outline why the explanatory paper was important and make sure you do not repeat yourself. Articulate your thoughts clearly.

What is a good hook for an explanatory essay?

If you want the reader hooked from the beginning, you can start your explanatory essay with a surprising fact, an anecdote, a statistic, or a well-known misconception.

Smodin Takes the Headache Out of Researching and Writing

Want more support with your explanatory essay writing? Smodin can help. Our AI companion will streamline your writing process by providing reliable explanations on any topic. Simply input a prompt, and Smodin will pull the most relevant information from Google to help you learn and improve.

And the best part? Because Smodin pulls facts directly from the web, it will also provide sources for its data. This makes it the ideal research companion.

Found a source you like? Smodin will even provide automatic references, giving you all of the credible evidence you need. And when it comes to the writing process, Smodin will support you with ready-made outlines and instant feedback .

Smodin isn’t just a way to learn how to write an explanatory essay. It’s a full-service AI companion for students looking to write better, save more time, and achieve top grades. If you’d like to join our community of 10M+ students, teachers, and writers, try the Smodin for free today. 

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Speaker 1: If you've ever waited until the night before to write an essay and then scored poorly on it, the writing process is here to save you. First, what is the writing process? As the name suggests, it's a writing process you go through to write an essay to make it more manageable. Instead of a daunting set of mountains that you're not sure how to climb, the writing process is a series of steps you can take to complete your larger project. Good writers spend time thinking, brainstorming, researching, outlining, drafting, conferencing with others, revising, editing, and publishing. Let's go over each step. The first step is a thinking stage. When you get an assignment, spend time thinking about your purpose, experience with, and knowledge of the topic, and think about what questions you have about the topic. To get started, think about what kind of essay you're being asked to write, and ultimately, what are you being tested on? Once you know your purpose in writing the essay, then think about the topic you're focusing on. What do you know about the topic? What experiences have you had that might relate to the topic? What do you want to or need to know, and where will you find this information? After you've thought about your topic, purpose, and experience, start brainstorming. To do this, jot down your answers to your questions or topics you were thinking about. Don't put pressure on yourself to write the perfect sentence because brainstorming is messy and doesn't always need to make sense. You can write in concise bulleted lists or create a web or free write, but the point is to just start writing to explore your ideas. Next, if you need research or you find that a lot of the brainstorming consists of questions you can't yet answer, then start searching for sources and actively reading them to get the information you need for your essay. Be sure to find credible and reliable sources from authors who are experts in their fields. You can do this by using your library's databases or Google Scholar. After you've researched, you can start organizing and outlining your ideas. Look for common threads and create main topics that answer your prompt. Also, add subtopics to the main topics showing the evidence you'll use to support your ideas. Having a clearly organized outline with the evidence you need is a crucial step in the writing process that will make the actual writing of the paper much easier. With a clear outline, you're now ready to draft. When you draft, don't worry about perfection. Instead, write the essay to the best of your ability, knowing that you're giving yourself time to revise. By drafting an essay, you're fleshing out an outline and explaining how the ideas you listed are connected. If you don't have anything to say about certain topics, then drafting makes the potential holes in your essay apparent. This allows you to continue to do more research or go back to your brainstorming to choose other subtopics. Once you have the draft, you can conference with others. This stage of the writing process is very important because you'll get advice on what works well in your essay and what you can do to make your writing better. If your peer editing and your partner mostly focuses on minor issues like spelling or grammar, ask them questions about the higher-order concerns, such as what did you think about my thesis or do my topic sentences reflect the main idea of my paragraphs? If you don't have classmates who could look over your work, see if you can run it by your tutor or instructor. After conferencing, you can work on revising your essay. Don't confuse revising with editing. Revision requires you to rethink the major aspects of your essay, like your organization, use of evidence, or thesis statement. Focus on these global concerns and address what needs improvement. When the hard work of revising is done, you can move on to editing, which focuses on lower-order concerns like grammar or spelling. One strategy is to read your work aloud to see if you stumble across any of these minor issues. The very last stage of the writing process is publishing. How will you turn in your essay? Do you need to print out a hard copy or submit it online? What about the formatting? Are you required to use APA or MLA formatting? Pay attention to the final touches to ensure you're meeting the requirements and properly turning in your work. The writing process takes time, but makes the act of writing the essay less stressful. The amount of time you spend on each part will vary depending on the length and complexity of your project. You know your limitations, so give yourself plenty of time to complete each part. It looks like Sarah put in the hard work and followed the writing process. If you found this information helpful, please like and subscribe for more content.

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AI for Essays

How To Use ChatGPT To Write An Essay In 8 Simple Steps

Learn how to use ChatGPT to write an essay in 8 simple steps and transform your writing process effortlessly.

Sep 26, 2024

You’re staring at your blank document, cursor blinking impatiently, and the pressure’s building. Whether it’s a school essay or a project for work, finding a starting point can feel like an arduous task. That’s where ChatGPT, the best AI for writing essays , steps in. It can help you get past that daunting beginning and into the writing flow. But how exactly do you wield this powerful tool? This guide will guide you through the process, showing you how to write and research efficiently using AI. Otio's AI research and writing partner can be a game-changer. It streamlines the chaos of essay writing, making research and writing more accessible, faster, and more effective.

Table Of Contents

Can you use chatgpt to write an essay, 10 best chatgpt alternatives to write essays, limitations of chatgpt for writing essays, how to get chatgpt to rewrite an essay, 10 best chatgpt prompts for writing an essay, 11 tips on how to make chatgpt essay sound more human, supercharge your researching ability with otio — try otio for free today.

ChatGPT can indeed create essays from simple prompts , sparking curiosity about its ability to deliver quality content. Does AI live up to its promise, or is it still in its infancy? These are valid questions. While AI offers convenience, it can't replace the nuanced understanding and creativity that come with writing about what you know. ChatGPT is a tool, not a replacement for genuine engagement with your subject matter.

Should You Use AI to Write Your Essays?

The temptation to let AI do the heavy lifting is real, but what might you lose in the process? Learning and understanding the material is crucial. Writing essays helps you synthesize information and articulate your ideas. Trusting AI with this task can deprive you of these essential skills. Use AI to enhance your writing process, not to bypass it.

ChatGPT as an Essay Writing Assistant

While ChatGPT can generate essays , it works best as a writing assistant. It can help you brainstorm ideas, structure your essay, and refine your language. But it can't replace the depth of insight and critical thinking from engaging with your topic. Approach ChatGPT as a collaborator, not a ghostwriter, to get the most out of its capabilities.

Related Reading

• How to Get AI to Write an Essay • Best AI Writing Tools • How to Make ChatGPT Sound Human • AI Writing Prompts • Best AI for Writing Essays • Best AI for Essays

1. Streamline Research with Otio

Juggling content from all over the internet can be a hassle, especially when trying to piece together coherent arguments for an essay. Otio offers a lifeline by serving as a unified workspace for researchers. It lets you gather data from bookmarks, tweets, videos, and more. With its AI-powered notes and Q&A features, Otio helps you extract essential information and get to your first draft more quickly. You can chat with individual links or entire knowledge bases, just like you would with ChatGPT. 

Give Otio a try , and let it speed up your research process.

2. Find Fresh Ideas with ChatGPT

Need help with what to write about? ChatGPT can help. Just plug in a general or specific topic, and the AI will churn out engaging ideas in seconds. You’ll get multiple angles for your essay, unlocking perspectives you might not have considered. It’s like having a brainstorming session with a very well-read friend.

3. Generate Catchy Titles

Titles matter. They’re the first thing readers see, and ChatGPT can help you craft ones that grab attention. The AI writer comes up with catchy titles that fit your topic perfectly. Pick one, tweak it, or use it as inspiration to create your own.

4. Structure Your Thoughts with Outlines

While you shouldn’t rely on ChatGPT to write your essay, using it to create an outline is a smart move. ChatGPT pulls subheadings from similar articles online, giving you a solid framework. It helps you organize your thoughts and ensures you cover all the key points.

5. Optimize with Keywords

If you want your essay to rank on search engines, you need the right keywords. Enter your topic into ChatGPT, and it’ll spit out a list of relevant keywords in seconds. Keep asking for more until you’re satisfied. This way, you ensure your essay hits all the right notes for search engines.

6. Locate Trustworthy Sources

Finding reliable sources for your essay can be time-consuming. Let ChatGPT do the heavy lifting by asking it to find reputable sources for your topic. Just remember that ChatGPT’s information is current only until September 2021, so you might need to search for older sources manually.

7. Use Sample Essays for Inspiration

How do you start your essay? Ask ChatGPT to write a sample for you. While you shouldn’t use it verbatim, a sample essay can provide insight into structure and format. Use it as a jumping-off point to find the best angle for your topic.

8. Polish Your Draft with AI Assistance

When your essay is ready for editing, let ChatGPT help you polish it. Input your draft and ask the AI to adjust the tone, flow, or structure. Make sure to do a final read-through to ensure the content sounds human-written.

1. Otio: Your AI Research Assistant

Otio is designed to help students, researchers, and knowledge workers manage content overload. It offers an AI-native workspace that allows users to collect, extract, and create content efficiently.

2. Textero.AI: Your Academic Writing Partner

Textero.AI is a top-notch AI essay writing platform that helps students generate high-quality academic content , offering tools like an AI essay writer, outline generator, and research assistant.

Access to over 215 million research papers.

Highly customizable content generation settings.

Built-in plagiarism detector ensures originality.

It requires a minute to generate an entire essay.

The free version limits you to 550 AI words per day.

3. Frase.io: Optimize Your SEO Strategy

Frase.io is an innovative AI tool focused on content creation and SEO strategy. It offers in-depth content briefs and actionable insights to improve your online presence.

Built-in paraphrasing tool with multiple styles.

Generates sections or fragments of copy tailored to your needs.

It is easy to share documents without third-party apps.

A monthly subscription of $35 is required to generate over 4,000 words.

Does not offer a truly free version.

4. Jasper: Your AI Writing Buddy

Jasper is like having a writing buddy who makes essay writing less of a chore, offering user-friendly features and a natural writing style that sounds human.

Easy to use with tons of templates.

Writes like a human, not a robot.

Responsive customer support.

It can be pricey.

Sometimes, it requires guidance.

5. Rytr: Affordable AI Writing

Rytr is an all-in-one AI writing platform that helps you create high-quality essays quickly and affordably, with features like tone selection and a built-in plagiarism checker.

Clean and intuitive interface.

One of the most affordable AI writing tools.

Free version available for testing.

I need help with repetitiveness in long-form content.

6. Article Forge: Specialization in Article Writing

Article Forge uses AI to write complete articles with just a few keywords, targeting article writers to maximize effectiveness and reduce writing time.

Simple interface.

10,000 words of paraphrasing for free.

Limited control over the rewriting process.

Often paraphrases generic content.

7. Editpad: Best Free AI Essay Writer

Editpad is celebrated for its user-friendly interface and robust writing assistance capabilities, providing essential tools like grammar checks and stylistic suggestions.

Produces texts in less than a minute.

Plagiarism checker detects copied content.

Texts are generic, with no option to provide instructions.

AI-produced texts may get flagged by checkers.

8. EssayBuilder.AI: Quick Essay Generation

EssayBuilder.AI is an online platform that allows users to generate essays quickly, offering high customization for generated content.

Access to over 12 essay types and tones.

Easy to use with customizable prompt options.

Generates essays quickly and consistently.

Content can need more depth , especially in academic research.

The free version does not allow scholarly sources or citations.

9. WordSmith: Insightful Narrative Generation

Wordsmith is a natural language generation tool that turns data into an insightful narrative, making it a versatile content creation solution.

Generates various types of content.

Supports over 50 languages.

Offers comprehensive templates.

Limited free plan with only 200 words.

No browser extensions for enhanced usability.

10. WriteSonic: All-in-One AI Writing Tool

WriteSonic is a one-stop shop for AI writing tools, offering everything from a paraphrasing tool to an essay generator, making it a versatile choice.

Wide range of features.

Affordable pricing.

Easy-to-use interface.

Some features need to be more polished.

Output quality can vary.

ChatGPT: Just Numbers, Not Brains

One common misconception is that AI possesses human-like intelligence. This is far from the truth. ChatGPT is math-based, using statistical patterns from existing data to generate text. It doesn’t understand or think like humans do, and that’s a crucial distinction.

Beware of AI Hallucinations

AI models can spit out false information, a phenomenon called "AI hallucination." OpenAI even warns users that ChatGPT might produce incorrect facts. This can occur because the AI cannot verify the accuracy of what it’s generating. It’s a reminder always to double-check what an AI tells you.

It's Not Your Research Assistant

When you ask ChatGPT to find sources, be cautious. It can provide citations that seem credible but might be inaccurate or even fake. This happens because the AI doesn’t truly understand how to conduct research—it merely mimics patterns from existing content. So, always verify sources independently.

Mind the Data Privacy Risks

You might wonder about data privacy when you input information into a public AI like ChatGPT. Using the tool for sensitive data poses risks, as seen when JPMorgan restricted its use, and Italy temporarily banned it following a data breach. Always be mindful of what you share.

The Plagiarism Puzzle

AI generates content by drawing from a vast library of pre-existing work. This raises the question: is it plagiarizing? As schools and universities grapple with this issue, it becomes clear that AI-generated work might unintentionally borrow without proper citation. An Elon University professor found that essays generated by ChatGPT often contained errors, leading to student disappointment in the technology’s reliability.

Want a more reliable AI research and writing partner than ChatGPT? Otio can help. This tool offers an AI-native workspace where researchers can collect data, extract key insights, and create draft outputs more efficiently. Let Otio be your AI research and writing partner —try Otio for free today!

If you want to have ChatGPT rewrite sections of your essay, it’s all about the prompt. You can get fresh sentences that fit your style by asking it to “ Reword” or “Rephrase ,” followed by the text you want to change. This way, you can blend new phrasing with your original work. Try focusing on just a few sentences that catch your eye. Then, replace your original sentences with these new ones.

Give examples of the new trends in Healthcare that can be exciting research topics for a research paper. 

Analyze if there are any gaps in the study of [Insert Topic name] and suggest potential research topics . 

Recommend topics to study [Insert topic name] using quantitative and qualitative research methodologies. 

Analyze whether the scope of the topic [Insert topic name] is broad enough and recommend related issues on which I can write. 

Compare the following topics and help me decide which is better, based on which topics have greater scope and relevance: 1) [Insert Topic 1 title] 2) [Insert Topic 2 title] 3) [Insert Topic 3 Name] 

Give 10 titles for the following topic based on the following topic idea and research purpose- [Insert data about the topic idea and research purpose] 

Provide 10 title suggestions based on the research purpose and findings: [Insert data about the research statement and conclusions ]. 

Give 5 alternatives for the following title without changing the meaning- [Insert the title]. 

Provide 5 title suggestions on the topic [Insert topic name] and include the keyword [Insert keyword] in all title suggestions. 

Analyze the following abstract and provide 10 title alternatives for the research paper based on the abstract- [Insert data about the abstract]. 

Let Otio be your AI research and writing partner — try Otio for free today!

1. Create, Collect, and Catalog with Otio

Juggling content overload can feel like drowning in an ocean of information with nothing to hold on to. Otio changes the game by offering an AI-native workspace that simplifies your workflow. It allows you to gather data from diverse sources like bookmarks, tweets, or YouTube videos. You can extract critical insights with AI-generated notes and then use AI-assisted writing features to turn these notes into drafts. 

Otio becomes your research and writing partner , helping you quickly move from a reading list to a first draft. Try Otio for free—you won't look back.

2. Give ChatGPT a Persona to Play

ChatGPT can adopt a specific persona in your prompts, adjusting its writing style and tone based on that character. The more detailed, the better—include a name, age range, personality traits, and other biographical info. This practice is beneficial for making ChatGPT sound more on-brand, like a human copywriter. If you have a brand persona set up, simply plug it into your prompts, and the AI-generated responses will write in an ideal tone for that reader.

3. Don’t Settle for the First Draft

The first or third draft from ChatGPT might have yet to be cut. ChatGPT will churn out shallow content that needs more depth and emotion with your input. This is why the content feels somewhat ‘off.’ 

You need to add more layers to the articles, the social media content, and the advertising copy. Add case studies, your experiences, and your opinions. Add stories. This is what pulls people in. This is what will help convert your clients and your client’s clients.

4. Teach ChatGPT Your Writing Style

Show ChatGPT samples of your existing texts. This lets the AI writer identify and replicate recurring themes in your tone, vocabulary, and sentence structure. Plug in one of your text samples and tell ChatGPT to mimic these factors in your prompts. Ideally, your text sample should be around 500 words. This gives the AI language model enough room to identify patterns in your text and replicate them more accurately. If the AI writer can sound like you, it will create more human-like output.

5. Short and Sweet: Vary Sentence Length

ChatGPT tends to write long sentences with lots of commas. Break this habit by asking it to vary the length of your sentences. Effective human content features a mix of short and long sentences. A good three-word sentence sitting alone in its paragraph packs a punch. To ensure ChatGPT sounds more human, just ask it to vary the length of your sentences to ensure a more human-like output.

6. Know Your Audience

Specifying your target audience in your prompts gives the language model further context on what style and tone it should adopt. You can also couple it with the personas I showed above. For example, “The audience who will read this are tech-savvy young adults aged 20-35, primarily based in urban areas who enjoy gaming and digital media. They are looking for efficient ways to balance work and personal life through productivity hacks.”

7. Customized Outlines: Plan Your Work, Work Your Plan

Outlines help plan your main discussion points ahead of time and ensure your content provides in-depth coverage of the topic. They prevent you from veering off subject during the writing process. Having AI writers generate content based on existing outlines can ensure that your output provides valuable information and not generic material. Be cautious; asking AI copywriting tools like ChatGPT to build an outline on a particular topic will likely lead to vague structures and discussion points.

8. Detailed Prompts: Be Specific, Be Human

AI-generated responses depend on your instructions—vague input equals vague output. Be as specific as possible when asking ChatGPT to write content. Instruct it to expand on each heading and bullet point within your outline. Instruct the AI generator to stick to a specific word count—it might go above it, but it's a simple trick to avoid excessive fluff. If you want to generate longer content, ask extra questions about your topic and add the answers if they make sense.

9. Humanize AI Content

AI-generated content needs a human touch . Spot complex language and rewrite it to make your content sound more human. Here’s a list of words and phrases AI tools like to use: "In today's digital age," "in this fast-paced era," "delve into," "embark on a journey," "elevate," "evoke," "unlock," "in conclusion," "in summary." Rewrite passive sentences into active voice. For example: Passive voice: "The article was edited by him." Active voice: "He edited the article."

10. Add Experience, Stats, and Examples

Google prioritizes content that demonstrates Experience, Expertise, Authority, and Trust. AI-generated texts cannot fulfill these criteria alone—they need a personal touch. Complement AI text with personal stories, examples, and insights about a specific topic. For more technical content, back up your statements with relevant statistics or case studies. Simply saying, "People spend a significant amount of time on social media daily," isn't good enough. Including statistics to back the AI tool's statements can help solidify your point.

11. Format and Fact-Check: Make It Look Good, Get It Right

No one likes to read through huge blocks of text. Break up AI-generated content into multiple paragraphs to keep your blog's structure neat and easy to read. Fact-checking your AI content is necessary, or you may risk hindering your overall reputation and credibility. Do your research before you generate the article. This will help you familiarize yourself with the topic, making it easier to spot potential errors. Link your content to reputable sources to let readers fact-check the information themselves.

• The Good AI • QuillBot Alternatives • Undetectable AI Alternative • SudoWrite Alternative • Copy AI Alternatives • Jasper Alternatives • WriteCream • EduWriter.ai

Finding relevant data sources can be overwhelming. Otio tackles this by integrating bookmarks, tweets, videos, and more into one cohesive workspace. This isn’t just about gathering information; it’s about transforming chaos into clarity. Consider having a tool to help you smoothly transition from browsing to creating meaningful work. Otio allows you to do just that. It’s about creating a space where you can easily navigate the content that matters most to you without getting bogged down by the noise.

Extract Key Insights Effortlessly

Once you’ve gathered your sources, Otio steps in to help extract the information you need . It uses AI to generate detailed notes, providing essential takeaways from each source. This isn’t just about saving you time; it’s about enhancing your understanding and enabling you to engage more deeply with the material. Whether working with a dense academic paper or a lengthy YouTube video, Otio helps you distill complex information into digestible insights.

Transform Your Research into Written Work

Otio doesn’t just stop at collecting and extracting information; it also assists you in creating your final output. With its AI-assisted writing tools, you can draft essays and research papers more efficiently. This is where the true power of Otio comes into play . It’s not just about helping you understand your sources; it’s about empowering you to communicate your ideas effectively. Whether you’re working on a school assignment or a professional project, Otio can help you craft a compelling narrative that captures the essence of your research.

Engage with Your Sources Like Never Before

One of Otio's standout features is its chat functionality. You can have real-time conversations with individual links or entire knowledge bases, just like you would with a human expert. This is a game-changer when it comes to understanding complex topics. Instead of getting stuck on a difficult concept, you can ask Otio for clarification and get instant feedback. This enhances your comprehension and fosters a more interactive and engaging learning experience.

Experience the Benefits of AI-Enhanced Research

Otio is more than just a tool; it’s a partner in your research journey. By leveraging the power of AI , it helps you streamline your workflow and produce higher-quality work in less time. This is particularly valuable in today’s fast-paced world, where processing information quickly and efficiently is more important than ever. With Otio, you can stay ahead of the curve and confidently achieve your goals.

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Sep 28, 2024

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Adams Blumenberg STEM Scholarship

About the scholarship.

The Adams Blumenberg STEM Scholarship is awarded to college sophomores, junior, or senior students at any UNCF member institution or HBCU. Recipients are chosen for their demonstration of financial need. Special consideration is given to students majoring in engineering and to students attending Howard University, Tuskegee University, Fisk University, Clark Atlanta University, Spelman College, Morehouse College, and North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University.

• Essay Required : Yes
• Need-Based : Yes
• Merit-Based : No
• Minimum 2.50 GPA
• Resident of the U.S.
• Attending any UNCF member institution or HBCU
• College sophomore, junior, or senior
• Seeking a bachelor's degree
• Fulltime student
• U.S. citizen, permanent resident, or U.S. national
• Demonstrate financial need Preference is given to students majoring in engineering and to students attending Howard University, Tuskegee University, Fisk University, Clark Atlanta University, Spelman College, Morehouse College, and North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University.
• Country : US

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• How to Write a Thesis Statement | 4 Steps & Examples

How to Write a Thesis Statement | 4 Steps & Examples

Published on January 11, 2019 by Shona McCombes . Revised on August 15, 2023 by Eoghan Ryan.

A thesis statement is a sentence that sums up the central point of your paper or essay . It usually comes near the end of your introduction .

Your thesis will look a bit different depending on the type of essay you’re writing. But the thesis statement should always clearly state the main idea you want to get across. Everything else in your essay should relate back to this idea.

You can write your thesis statement by following four simple steps:

• Start with a question
• Write your initial answer
• Develop your answer
• Refine your thesis statement

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Table of contents

What is a thesis statement, placement of the thesis statement, step 1: start with a question, step 2: write your initial answer, step 3: develop your answer, step 4: refine your thesis statement, types of thesis statements, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about thesis statements.

A thesis statement summarizes the central points of your essay. It is a signpost telling the reader what the essay will argue and why.

The best thesis statements are:

• Concise: A good thesis statement is short and sweet—don’t use more words than necessary. State your point clearly and directly in one or two sentences.
• Contentious: Your thesis shouldn’t be a simple statement of fact that everyone already knows. A good thesis statement is a claim that requires further evidence or analysis to back it up.
• Coherent: Everything mentioned in your thesis statement must be supported and explained in the rest of your paper.

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The thesis statement generally appears at the end of your essay introduction or research paper introduction .

The spread of the internet has had a world-changing effect, not least on the world of education. The use of the internet in academic contexts and among young people more generally is hotly debated. For many who did not grow up with this technology, its effects seem alarming and potentially harmful. This concern, while understandable, is misguided. The negatives of internet use are outweighed by its many benefits for education: the internet facilitates easier access to information, exposure to different perspectives, and a flexible learning environment for both students and teachers.

You should come up with an initial thesis, sometimes called a working thesis , early in the writing process . As soon as you’ve decided on your essay topic , you need to work out what you want to say about it—a clear thesis will give your essay direction and structure.

You might already have a question in your assignment, but if not, try to come up with your own. What would you like to find out or decide about your topic?

For example, you might ask:

After some initial research, you can formulate a tentative answer to this question. At this stage it can be simple, and it should guide the research process and writing process .

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Now you need to consider why this is your answer and how you will convince your reader to agree with you. As you read more about your topic and begin writing, your answer should get more detailed.

In your essay about the internet and education, the thesis states your position and sketches out the key arguments you’ll use to support it.

The negatives of internet use are outweighed by its many benefits for education because it facilitates easier access to information.

In your essay about braille, the thesis statement summarizes the key historical development that you’ll explain.

The invention of braille in the 19th century transformed the lives of blind people, allowing them to participate more actively in public life.

A strong thesis statement should tell the reader:

• Why you hold this position
• What they’ll learn from your essay
• The key points of your argument or narrative

The final thesis statement doesn’t just state your position, but summarizes your overall argument or the entire topic you’re going to explain. To strengthen a weak thesis statement, it can help to consider the broader context of your topic.

These examples are more specific and show that you’ll explore your topic in depth.

Your thesis statement should match the goals of your essay, which vary depending on the type of essay you’re writing:

• In an argumentative essay , your thesis statement should take a strong position. Your aim in the essay is to convince your reader of this thesis based on evidence and logical reasoning.
• In an expository essay , you’ll aim to explain the facts of a topic or process. Your thesis statement doesn’t have to include a strong opinion in this case, but it should clearly state the central point you want to make, and mention the key elements you’ll explain.

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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:

• It gives your writing direction and focus.
• It gives the reader a concise summary of your main point.

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

Follow these four steps to come up with a thesis statement :

• Ask a question about your topic .
• Write your initial answer.
• Develop your answer by including reasons.
• Refine your answer, adding more detail and nuance.

The thesis statement should be placed at the end of your essay introduction .

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