Jump to content


Photo
- - - - -

How do I/you write an essay?


  • Please log in to reply
2 replies to this topic

#1 Waker

Waker

    Knight

  • Knight
  • 783 posts
  • a boy with lots of lists and books

Posted 02 August 2015 - 12:27 AM

I haven't written an essay seriously since 5th grade. I probably wrote one in 10th grade for a Latin class... Not knowing how to write one is the big anxiety I have with essay assignments and frequently made me want to commit suidokedinonimon. With classes coming up in a couple of weeks I feel the doom looming again.

Please help. Any support is appreciated.

11vpmw8.jpg

"Censorship is telling a man he can't have a steak just because a baby can't chew it."
— Mark Twain

 

“I divide my officers into four classes; the clever, the lazy, the industrious, and the stupid. Each officer possesses at least two of these qualities. Those who are clever and industrious are fitted for the highest staff appointments. Use can be made of those who are stupid and lazy. The man who is clever and lazy however is for the very highest command; he has the temperament and nerves to deal with all situations. But whoever is stupid and industrious is a menace and must be removed immediately!”
— General Kurt von Hammerstein-Equord


#2 The Dream

The Dream

    Knight

  • Knight
  • 1,967 posts
  • ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Posted 14 August 2015 - 12:50 AM

There are correct ways to write an essays and ways that just get you through it well enough. I'm not certain what my way is classified as but it gets me sweet marks so it should be alright. The kind of essay your are writing does effect how you should approach this so when I get to the structure part you may just want to take that part as some side knowledge. I follow the model because it helps all around and I switch it up based on the essay, it's best for English essays however.

 

--------------- On to the help ---------------

 

Before you dive into an essay you have to plan it out. Five minutes to planning really helps you with keeping your flow going till the very end. You already have your essay topic, I'm assuming, so you need to figure out the main points you want to address. List them down and from there pick best 3-5 points. Fours is a balanced number but sometimes 3 is enough, 5 is fine if you feel that a previous point turned out weak in the end.

 

For structure on the overall essay it should be basic and easy to remember. Think of it like a 3 course meal.

 

First you have the entree, the introduction, something that should just give the reader a taste of what's to come. It should introduce the topic (though since the marker most likely knows what it's about you shouldn't get too detailed) and the points you have. A basic way of approaching this is just by listing it, however I only mention this for practice. Once you get the feel of how to write an essay you should move away from listing points and instead focus on just making the introduction flavorsome. There's not limit to how long paragraphs should be but the introduction should just stick to a 4-5 sentence limit (and be only one paragraph only).

 

Next comes the main course, the body paragraphs, where the meaty goodness is. This is where you flesh out your topics, which is essentially the main point of the essay. You give your points at least one paragraph each and make sure no word is wasted. With essays it's quality over quantity so focus mainly on elaborating on your points effectively. If you're doing it right then the paragraphs should reach a reasonable length on their own. Don't fuss too much over length, however, just get your points across.

 

Lastly you have your dessert, the conclusion, where you leave everyone on a good and satisfying note. The conclusion should wrap up your essay, maybe piece things together (but only promptly!). I'm not the best at conclusions but there is one thing that is to be followed all the time, DO NOT INTRODUCE A NEW POINT. This effectively turns your conclusion into a new body paragraph, and so is a big no no.

 

If you want help on paragraph structure (for the body paragraphs specifically), what I follow is SEX. Statement, Example, eXplanation (or vice versa on the last two). You must state your point, one way or another, then provide an example to back it up, then explain how that example backs it up. You can go ahead and explain your topic first, then provide an example, however when stating your topic you should effectively be explaining it well enough alone.

 

 

There are a few other things I could help with but really there's no point in me telling you any more. All you really need to do is PRACTICE. Always practice essay writing. Make mock up essays, practice your final essays, and just keep writing them until you feel comfortable. I've been writing them since year 6 (grade 5 in America I think) and so I've developed my skills, though I'm far from being amazing, and so I'm certain if you keep trying them you'll be fine.

 

Good Luck!


Edited by The Dream, 14 August 2015 - 12:57 AM.

TheDreamEX.png

 


tumblr_n6lpksz2V81sfgfh0o1_500.gif

 

 Gif not by me

A little one


#3 Waker

Waker

    Knight

  • Knight
  • 783 posts
  • a boy with lots of lists and books

Posted 14 August 2015 - 04:11 AM

snip snep

 

Thank you. The part about the essay structure is what I've been taught but the way you explain it makes it more digestible and satisfying since it fleshes out more of what to do in each part. The statement - example - explanation/vice versa on last exs for filling paragraphs helps so much and makes sense. I'll try to practice writing essays to get the whole experience and see what I can find in the process that's been said and not said here.

 

It's interesting how we've done the opposite since 5th grade - I stopped writing essays and you started writing them.


11vpmw8.jpg

"Censorship is telling a man he can't have a steak just because a baby can't chew it."
— Mark Twain

 

“I divide my officers into four classes; the clever, the lazy, the industrious, and the stupid. Each officer possesses at least two of these qualities. Those who are clever and industrious are fitted for the highest staff appointments. Use can be made of those who are stupid and lazy. The man who is clever and lazy however is for the very highest command; he has the temperament and nerves to deal with all situations. But whoever is stupid and industrious is a menace and must be removed immediately!”
— General Kurt von Hammerstein-Equord