Presenting your point of view on a particular topic or issue can be stated in an arbitrary prose form, called the term “essay.” The popularity of the genre is growing. That’s why it is important to know the requirements and tips for writing such a paper.
Table of Contents
What is an Essay?
This author’s work is written in an easy colloquial form. It expresses the personal position of the author on the chosen topic. The story cannot be taken as an expert opinion or searched for in it an exhaustive answer to an exciting question.
Writing an essay is an unusual way of conveying individual thoughts to readers. Working on a draft makes the author turn on logic, read the available information about the chosen global problem, analyze it, form their own position, argue their point of view, and present the material in a clear and competent format. And if all this sounds too complicated for you, you can get help from Essay Shark essay writer. They will conduct thorough research and write an essay sample that can serve as a template for you while writing.
Specifications
The genre of essay writing has its own distinct characteristics from other writing styles.
1) Narrow focus. The topic is not described in a broad manner. One problem is selected, and the author conveys their view of it in the essay.
2) Subjectivity. A large number of opinions of eminent experts and a versatile consideration of the problem are superfluous in the essay. The paper is based on the thinking of one author but on the study of the thoughts of famous people.
3) Writing style. You can’t write in intricate sentences, cut off a thought, or leave an understatement. The reader is interested in simple phrases, short, without slang and complex wording. They must understand the idea of the author and agree or, conversely, argue with the conclusions. The text needs dynamics, which is possible with a colloquial presentation of thoughts. When drawing up a draft, you do not need to think about spelling or punctuation but write down all the thoughts that appear in your head. You can correct the text after completion.
4) Logical chain. The composition of the essay is free, but it is necessary to adhere to the unity of the presentation, not to scatter reflection on the problem. The main thesis stated at the beginning of the essay should be a clear line throughout the text.
5) Conciseness. There are no restrictions on the volume of the essay; the standard size is 2-3 pages.
6) Studying the problem. The presentation of one’s position should be based on factual material and its analysis.
7) Construction. The narrative does not have a definite framework in the presentation. You can write as you feel.
The purpose of the essay is to provoke readers to think. The task of the essayist is not to insist on the correctness of their judgment but to invite the reader to think and discuss the topic.
Structure
The procedure for compiling an essay consists of three parts – introductory, main, and conclusion.
The first lines of the introduction determine whether the person will continue to read the paper or not. The correct introduction begins with a rhetorical question, the correct construction of the problem, and a quote. The purpose of the preface is to evoke emotion and force consideration of the problem. Each sentence of the introduction is focus of the reader’s attention on the idea.
The content of the main part includes diverse views on the problem, arranged in the form of subparagraphs. Graphs are based on three aspects:
- thesis – a judgment that is being proved;
- justification – the sources on which the author relies, proving the thesis;
- subconclusion – a fragmentary answer to the stated question.
Evidence to substantiate one’s own argument is a personal experience, analysis of various life situations, judgments of scientists, and other sources of information.
The conclusion is the final summary, combining all the conclusions and adding final touches for the integrity of the picture. The last lines of the paper are intended to leave the material read in the memory of the reader.
Essay types
Essays are divided into two main groups:
- personal – the writer reveals one of the sides of their personality;
- objective – the subject of description or a third-party idea is selected and considered from a personal perspective.
According to the content, essays are divided into:
- philosophical;
- artistic;
- spiritual and religious;
- literary critical;
- historical;
- journalistic.
Stylistically, essays are argumentative, descriptive, analytical, narrative, reflective, etc.
Writing rules
There are no special rules when writing essays. There are recommendations for the presentation of the paper so that readers remember it.
1) Dynamics. The alternation of long and short phrases keeps attention; the text is easy to read and better remembered.
2) Simple terms. Unfamiliar words, the meaning of which is understood by a limited group of people, distract from the essence.
3) Uniqueness. The individual character of the essayist’s writing should be traced throughout the text. There is a taboo on the use of spam constructions and hackneyed phrases.
4) No sarcasm. Humor is inappropriate in this genre, regarded by readers as impudence.
5) An experience. People trust the description of real memories and impressions received.
6) Concept line. The main idea is described without excursions into details not related to the topic.
7) Persuasiveness. The given truthful facts and the results of the research should make readers believe the written text.
The finished paper is left for a day, re-read, and analyzed with a fresh look at the expense of keeping the logical line.
Common Mistakes
The key to quality work is the study of common mistakes made by authors when compiling a paper.
1) The fear that people will not understand what is written or that the essay will not make the expected impression forces a student to remove the original pieces of text. Such editing reduces the uniqueness of the paper
2) The person does not understand the stated problem and interprets it incorrectly.
3) Absence of details. Adding proof to the thesis, and references to the authors whose judgments are correct, improve the quality of the essay.
The main requirement for an essay is honesty and awareness of the topic being presented. When describing personal qualities, it is better to miss the shortcomings; you need to focus on the advantages without adding superpowers. This is the key to success.
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