How to write essays?

yoshiking14x

yoshiking14x

Retired
I dropped a English class because it was giving me a hard time and I felt that sleeping was the only good thing that was worth for. I was still stuck in chapter 1 when they were rushing to 4. Writing a essay is really hard and I need to know how are they made because I am planning to re-take it all by itself.

The websites didn't help.
 
usually i just try to figure out a good thesis statement (usually with three points about your argument) and then write the whole essay around that

then all you have to do is introduce the topic, write body paragraphs about points 1, 2, and 3, and then conclude by combining all your points into your argument

of course this assumes you're writing an essay arguing something (which most essays are). if it's more of an analytical essay (e.g. a lab report) then you'd structure it different
 
So you do this?
1.Tittle of Topic
2.The idea, fact, or opinion
3. 1st argument
4. 2nd argument
5. 3rd argument
6. And conclusion related to topic.

Are these right?
 
more or less

it's a lot easier to point out mistakes someone made than it is to tell them what to do right, lol
 
Javelin said:
more or less

it's a lot easier to point out mistakes someone made than it is to tell them what to do right, lol
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Lol. I hope it is easier now.
 
I just typed an argumentation essay for my English 101 class.

yoshiking14x said:
Writing a essay is really hard and I need to know how are they made because I am planning to re-take it all by itself.
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Adding on to what Javelin said, most essays for your average English class need to be written in MLA form:

Last Name Pg.#​

Name
Teacher's Name
Class
Date (4 Nov. 2014)

Centered Title​

You are usually required to write a rough draft and an outline:

Name
Teacher's Name
Class
Date (4 Nov. 2014)

Centered Title​

Thesis statement

I. Introduction (I don't believe it's required to write an actual introduction here.)

II. First topic or aspect should be expressed.
A. Support
B. Support
III. Second topic or aspect should be expressed.
A. Support
B. Support
IV. Third topic or aspect should be expressed.
A. Support
B. Support
V. Conclusion

Also, everything in MLA form --except the rough draft-- has to be double spaced, you have to create a works cited page if you use sources in your paper, you can only use first person (you and I) in Narrative essays, and you can not use contractions (i.e. can't) in any essay.

However, if you're not in college yet, you shouldn't have to worry too much.
 
Eh, try out the Elements of Style book. Has some great tips on writing well. The key thing is to be clear and concise if you can.
 
Dr. Mario said:
Eh, try out the Elements of Style book. Has some great tips on writing well. The key thing is to be clear and concise if you can.
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except you should never actually be clear and concise if you have a minimum word count, because you need as many words as possible
 
Javelin said:
Dr. Mario said:
Eh, try out the Elements of Style book. Has some great tips on writing well. The key thing is to be clear and concise if you can.
Click to expand...
except you should never actually be clear and concise if you have a minimum word count, because you need as many words as possible
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Padding your essay is one of the worst things you can do, though.
 
btw, three body paragraphs isn't a magic number. if you have more points to make, then make them and write more paragraphs if that's the best organization to take.
 
Dr. Mario said:
Javelin said:
Dr. Mario said:
Eh, try out the Elements of Style book. Has some great tips on writing well. The key thing is to be clear and concise if you can.
Click to expand...
except you should never actually be clear and concise if you have a minimum word count, because you need as many words as possible
Click to expand...
Padding your essay is one of the worst things you can do, though.
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i find it necessary; i usually write a good essay that always ends up being too short, then i go find stuff to elaborate on

one of the trickiest things you can do is use the "find and replace" tool to find every space and period and replace them with 14pt spaces and periods. it's impossible to tell and can squeeze out an extra couple lines if you need to fill up a page

if you have a word count though then it doesn't really help
? Block said:
btw, three body paragraphs isn't a magic number. if you have more points to make, then make them and write more paragraphs if that's the best organization to take.
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that's true. i just find three-pronged theses to be fairly simple to write

i assume this guy is in high school because i doubt you'd make it to college and not be able to write an essay, and in high school you rarely need to write more than intro-body-body-body-conclusion
 
It's also a good idea to try to link the points together (and even build on each other if you really want to aim high). So it's not just "and now for something completely different" with every new paragraph.

For example, in the last essay I wrote (which was a comparison essay, not just a straight exploration of one theme in one work of fiction, and was also for 30% of a second-year university course mark, so maybe not 100% applicable here), my first paragraph was about King Lear raging in a storm, then my second paragraph opened with "KL’s storm marks the play’s midway point, and in the equivalent scene in RII, Richard makes his own address to nature, but rather than shouting to the raging heavens, he whispers to the earth". That paragraph then ends with "most of the character deaths take place off the stage" and paragraph three starts out with "By contrast, the violence done to Lear’s loyal supporter Gloucester is shown on stage". And the rest of the essay was basically structured the same way.

Auburn S said:
Adding on to what Javelin said, most essays for your average English class need to be written in MLA form:

Last Name Pg.#​

Name
Teacher's Name
Class
Date (4 Nov. 2014)

Centered Title​

[...]

you can not use contractions (i.e. can't) in any essay.
Click to expand...
Man, that sorta pedantic formatting/grammar bullshit is why I hate school sometimes. Contractions are becoming more acceptable, fortunately, especially the higher you go, when they stop caring about the stupid little details and start focusing on the content. Although what you can get away with also depends on who's marking: some profs love engaging writing, but some by-the-books TAs will deduct 5% for every piece of rhetoric, for example, so sadly, you do have to be careful on that front.
 
Auburn S said:
and you can not use contractions (i.e. can't) in any essay.
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Ugh, there's a plan for high school out the window. I usually type contractions by habit.
 
it increases your word count if you do not, so you may find it helpful as it is a way to make writing your papers slightly easier

also you will sound like data which is rarely a bad thing
 
everyone's had a time where they were thinking "i don't know what i'm going to do about this essay"

it's part of growing up
 
Javelin said:
everyone's had a time where they were thinking "i don't know what i'm going to do about this essay"
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Since I'm a perfectionist, I think that every time I get assigned an essay. I always find myself rewriting sentences multiple times before I decide to stick with one. You'll never guess how long it took me to type that... -.-
 
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