How to Write a How to Write a Basic Essay in Basic Essay in Seven Steps Seven Steps

Adapted from Collins

Steps to Writing an Steps to Writing an EssayEssay1 Decide on your topic2 Brainstorm & Make an Outline3 Write a thesis statement.4 Write the introduction.5 Write the body.6 Write the conclusion.7 Edit your work.

1. Decide on your 1. Decide on your topictopic• Has your topic been assigned?

o Yes: • General topic?

oMake sure you choose a specific part of the topic to write about.

oBrainstorm the specific areas.• Keep in mind what kind of paper you

need to write (comparison, process, etc.)

Decide on your topicDecide on your topico No:• Define your purpose – what kind of paper do

you need to write?• Brainstorm subjects that interest you.

oWrite down any subject that you can think of.

• Evaluate each subject.oCan you develop the topic enough for an

essay?oDoes it fit with the purpose?

2. Brainstorm & Make an 2. Brainstorm & Make an

OutlineOutline• Purpose:

o put your ideas about the topic on paper, in a moderately organized way.

o Is a rough plan for the essay.

oAlways take the time to plan out your ideas! • It will result in a much better essay.

BrainstormBrainstorm• First, brainstorm about

your topic by using a graphic organizer.o About the main ideaso About some details for those

main ideas

• Then, use the visual to choose your main ideas for the essay.

Make an OutlineMake an Outline

How many main ideas does a 5-paragraph template essay have?

Make an OutlineMake an Outline

How many main ideas does a 5-paragraph template essay have?

~ 3

**With longer essays, you will need more than 3 main ideas.***

Make an OutlineMake an Outline

• How many supporting ideas does each main idea need?

Make an OutlineMake an Outline

How many supporting ideas does each main idea need?

~ 3

**For longer essays, more than 3 supporting ideas can be used.**

Make an OutlineMake an OutlineTopic: _______________________________Main Idea 1: ________________________________

a: ____________________________________b: ____________________________________c: ____________________________________

Main Idea 2: ________________________________a: ____________________________________b: ____________________________________c: ____________________________________

Main Idea 3: _______________________________a: ____________________________________b: ____________________________________c: ____________________________________

3. Write a Thesis3. Write a ThesisThe thesis tells the reader:oWhat the essay will be about.

(Topic)oWhat you are going to say about

the topic (Controlling idea)oWhat your main points are. (Essay

Map)

Write a Thesis Write a Thesis StatementStatementThe thesis will have 3 parts:

1. The topic2. The controlling idea3. The essay map (optional)

Write a Thesis Write a Thesis StatementStatement• Identify the topic, controlling idea and the

essay map.1. Public transportation helps with traffic

congestion, resource management, and the city budget.

2. The government should encourage young people to vote by educating them about politics in school, showing political news on television shows geared to them and how easy voting is.

4. Write the 4. Write the IntroductionIntroduction

4-5 introductory sentences before the thesis• Examples • Facts & statistics• Definitions• General to specific

Avoid formulaic introductions

5. Write the Body5. Write the Body• In the body of the essay, the topic you

have chosen must now be explained, described, or argued.

• Each main idea that you wrote down in your outline will become one of the body paragraphs. o That is, if you had three main ideas, you

will have three body paragraphs.o The order is the same as the order in

your thesis.

Write the BodyWrite the Body

•Topic sentence (the main point of the paragraph)

Example 1 + Explanation Example 2 + Explanation Example 3 + Explanation

Concluding sentence or a sentence transition to the next paragraph

6. Conclusion6. Conclusion• The conclusion:oRestate your thesis (paraphrase)

oAdd a final comment on your topic and gives your reader something to think about.

Are you finished?

Don’t forget to EDIT!Don’t forget to EDIT!By reviewing what you have done, you can improve

weak points that otherwise would be missed. Read and reread your paper.

o Check the order of your paragraphs.• Look at your paragraphs. Which one is the strongest? Is

the order logical?o Does it make logical sense?

• Leave it for a few hours and then read it again. Does it still make logical sense?

o Do the sentences flow smoothly from one another?• If not, try to add some words and phrases to help connect

them. Transition words and conjunctions, such as "therefore" or “but" can help.

o Have you run a spell checker or a grammar checker?• These aids cannot catch every error, but they might catch

errors that you have missed.