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Writing an Essay? The 6 Steps You Need to Know


Types of essays

Narrative essays - in this type of essay, the author tells a series of events or a story of his life. It is written in the third person for objective narration and in the first person for autobiographical narration.

Critical essays - weaknesses or strong points of the topic are discussed. It analyses facts and ideas, whether historical, artistic or sociological.

Exposition essays - expose information so that other people know or learn about a topic. This requires having abundant and updated information about what is going on at present in relation to the topic.

Essay structure

An essay deals with a topic, developed through paragraphs. If the essay is extensive it may have more than one paragraph in the introduction.

When a writer finishes discussing an idea and is ready to start another, he often uses a short paragraph to intertwine two ideas. This is a transition paragraph. It refers to what has been said and suggests what will be said.

Finally, the closing paragraph is the one that summarizes the most important point of the essay and offers the author's conclusion.

Transitions in the paragraphs

Transitions are usually expressions, words or phrases that help connect the writer's ideas and arguments and they are of fundamental importance to both maintain the logic of the essay (because they give fluidity to what the writer wants to communicate and make the essay organization clearer), and to guide the reader. The list that follows presents a thematic classification of some of the transitions that you can use. Naturally, there are many others and it is advised that you keep a list of them, so they can be used in essays.

Transitions in the paragraphs
  • Cause: since, given/given that, seen that, due to, because of
  • Certainty: of course, obviously, obviously, that
  • Contradiction: on the contrary, if not,
  • Condition: in case, such that, unless, on condition of,
  • Effect: as a consequence, then, therefore, as a result
  • Unforeseen event: however, despite, even so, although
  • Uncertainty: maybe, maybe, it seems
  • Introduction of the topic: with respect to, on the occasion of, regarding
  • Means: in this way, in such a way
  • Temporary Order: first, in first/second place, then, finally
  • Repetition: that is to say, that is, in other words

An organized essay consists of...

Introduction

In the introduction, the main idea of the essay or the formulation of the thesis, the approach of the problem that will be tested during the essay development is presented.

Development

The body of the essay is the part where it develops and defends the thesis raised in the introduction. The idea announced in the approach and exposes the arguments that affirm it or refute it. There must be no less than three arguments that refute, test or provide evidence of the approach presented in the introduction.

Conclusion

This should return to the initial approach to analyze the thesis proposed at beginning of the essay. In this last stage, the ideas/thoughts presented can be briefly summarized, and any final thoughts presented to conclude the essay.

Essay structure


Introduction
Orient the reader, establish the purpose, outline the reach/scope, explain the thesis,

Development
Thematic sentence 1, development sentences, closing sentence
Thematic sentence 2, development sentences, closing sentence
Thematic sentence 3, development sentences, closing sentence

Conclusion
Restate the thesis, Summarize arguments

6 Steps to write an essay

1. Establish the intention or purpose of the essay writing

2. Select the topic of interest.

3. Read books, reviews or articles related to the theme selected. Make notes on the readings.

4. Save and rewrite the notes for later.

5. Write references for sources of information consulted.

6. Reread and revise the document in order to correct grammatical and style errors.

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