Many students struggle to compose well-written essays even if they have been doing this task throughout their academic journey. Writing is a complex skill to master. It will take years of practice and experience before you can call yourself a writer. But writing a paper is something you cannot avoid whether you are in school or your workplace. So, instead of making yourself miserable on every write-up, view this as an opportunity to hone your abilities. To help you jumpstart your development, here are the basic steps to write an essay that will amaze your readers.
Understand your topic
Perfect essays are a product of planning, researching, and understanding the topic at hand. To write a substantial essay, you must present and discuss your issues in a logical manner. You must know the scope of your discussion. Filter the information that you should include and delete unnecessary data. Understanding the topic will help you smoothen your writing process and flow of ideas. It doesn't matter if the issue is too complex or too simple; the first thing you should prioritize is understanding the case to help you build solid arguments and presentations.
Write a thesis statement
An essential step on how to write the best essay is to write the thesis statement. Most beginner writers will not skip this step because they do not know the purpose of having a thesis statement. Thesis statements are found in the introductory part of your essay. This is composed of one to two sentences in the last part of your introduction, where you state the overview of your paper. This statement should be able to tell your audience what they will be expecting in the discussion. They should know the critical argument you will discuss and who the target audience of your article is. Setting the expectation early on the paper will avoid confusion. Make sure the thesis statement is brief and concise and will not be longer than the body of your essay.
Outlining is your friend
If you jot every thought that pops in your head, you will write endlessly. Sharing and discussing the issue on your topic can be fun, especially when you are knowledgeable in that area. When this happens, your paper can be unnecessarily long, which will make it tedious to read. To help you avoid including too much information in your article, it is better to create an outline before you start writing. In your outline, narrow down the issue you want to include in your discussion. This will serve as a guide for your writing process so that you can avoid unwanted data. It will also help you finish your paper faster because you already know the specific points to discuss.
Start writing the body first
Make a perfect essay by beginning your writing process in the main body. Layout all your points and arguments in the discussion part; writing the body first will help you write the introduction easier because you already know the entirety of your paper. Then, it will be easier for you to write an overview of the topic. And, since you have presented your main points in the body, you can create an excellent thesis statement because you already have all the data you need.
Use credible sources
Another important tip on how to make a perfect essay is to use credible sources. When discussing your arguments and sharing them with your target audience, it should be backed up by factual data. The validity of your paper depends on how well your discussion goes and the sources you used. You can use previous studies, academic publications, and journals for your article. You are not limited to using printed materials; you can also use the internet for sources. Just remember to be extra cautious when using information that is posted on the web. There are tons of click baits and fake websites that provide phony details. Make sure to use websites that researchers and scholars trust to make sure you are using correct data.
Conclude your essay
Do not forget to wrap up your article. Write a conclusion for every essay you write. Do not leave your readers hanging. The conclusion serves as the review or the summary of your whole paper. It would be best to revisit all your main points in the conclusion, especially when you have an extended essay. The conclusion will also seal the deal of your paper. Finish by using strong words to do the purpose of your writing. If you want to inform, persuade, or convince, the conclusion part is where you can do it last. Conclusions don't have to belong and elaborate. You can impact your readers by giving clear and concise statements.
Proofread and edit your work
Proofreading and editing your work is an essential step to create a perfect essay. Even if you are against the clock, make sure to create a window for editing your work. Your first draft will be full of mistakes, and the last thing you want to submit to your professors or supervisors is a write-up that is plagued with errors. You can read your work aloud to spot your mistakes easier. There are also downloadable applications like Grammarly that can help you with your editing process. With just a few clicks, you can see all your mistakes from punctuations, grammar, and spelling. It also shows you suggestions to help you improve and fix your essay. In a few clicks and a little time, your paper will be flawless and mistake-free. It also has the plagiarism checker feature; it checks your article against billions of documents on the internet to check for plagiarism. All your proofreading and editing needs in one application. There is no excuse to skip this step now it is made more accessible by technology.
Writing a perfect essay will require you to make tons of write-ups until you hone and develop your writing skills. No one wakes up in the morning and is suddenly good at writing. But, whether you are studying or in the middle of your career, it is not too late to practice and improve when you struggle with writing. Just follow these simple steps as you go along the way, develop your style and technique until the report comes naturally and is enjoyable to you.
Author of the article:
Christopher Mansfield is a content writer at Perfect essay. He creates, edits, and manages the production of digital and print content that is consistent with the organization's brand, style, and tone. Christopher works closely with the internal marketing team to ensure timely delivery of content via various marketing channels and mediums. He also develops and maintains an editorial calendar. He contributes to the webinar program to further thought leadership campaigns for different market segments.
