9/27/22, 9:24 PM The Beginner's Guide to Writing an Essay | Steps & Examples

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The Beginner's Guide to Writing an Essay |

Steps & Examples
An academic essay is a focused piece of writing that develops an idea or argument using
evidence, analysis and interpretation.

There are many types of essays you might write as a student. The content and length of an
essay depends on your level, subject of study, and course requirements. However, most
essays at university level are argumentative: they aim to persuade the reader of a particular
position or perspective on a topic.

The essay writing process consists of three main stages:

1. Preparation: Decide on your topic, do your research, and create an essay outline.
2. Writing: Set out your argument in the introduction, develop it with evidence in the main
body, and wrap it up with a conclusion.
3. Revision: Check the content, organization, grammar, spelling, and formatting of your
essay.

In this guide, we walk you through what to include in the introduction, body and conclusion
of an academic essay, using paragraphs from our interactive essay example.

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Essay writing process

The writing process of preparation, writing, and revisions applies to every essay or paper,
but the time and effort spent on each stage depends on the type of essay.

For example, if you’ve been assigned a five-paragraph expository essay for a high school
class, you’ll probably spend the most time on the writing stage; for a college-level
argumentative essay, on the other hand, you’ll need to spend more time researching your
topic and developing an original argument before you start writing.

1. Preparation

 Define your essay topic

 Do your research and gather sources
 Come up with a thesis
 Create an essay outline

2. Writing

 Write the introduction

 Write the main body, organized into paragraphs
 Write the conclusion

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3. Revision
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 Evaluate the overall organization
 Revise the content of each paragraph
 Proofread your essay for language errors
 Use a plagiarism checker

Preparation for writing an essay

Before you start writing, you should make sure you have a clear idea of what you want to
say and how you’re going to say it. There are a few key steps you can follow to make sure
you’re prepared:

1. Understand your assignment: What is the goal of this essay? What is the length and
deadline of the assignment? Is there anything you need to clarify with your teacher or
professor?
2. Define a topic: If you’re allowed to choose your own topic, try to pick something that
you already know a bit about and that will hold your interest.
3. Do your research: Read primary and secondary sources and take notes to help you
work out your position and angle on the topic. You’ll use these as evidence for your
points.
4. Come up with a thesis: The thesis is the central point or argument that you want to
make. A clear thesis is essential for a focused essay—you should keep referring back to
it as you write.
5. Create an outline: Map out the rough structure of your essay in an outline. This makes
it easier to start writing and keeps you on track as you go.

Once you’ve got a clear idea of what you want to discuss, in what order, and what evidence
you’ll use, you’re ready to start writing.

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Scribbr editors not only correct grammar and spelling mistakes, but also strengthen
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See editing example

Writing the introduction

The introduction sets the tone for your essay. It should grab the reader’s interest and inform
them of what to expect. The introduction generally comprises 10–20% of the text.

1. Hook your reader

The first sentence of the introduction should pique your reader’s interest and curiosity. This
sentence is sometimes called the hook. It might be an intriguing question, a surprising fact,
or a bold statement emphasizing the relevance of the topic.

Let’s say we’re writing an essay about the development of Braille (the raised-dot reading and
writing system used by visually impaired people). Our hook can make a strong statement
that about the topic:

The invention of Braille was a major turning point in the history of disability.

2. Provide background on your topic

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Next, it’s important to give context that will help your reader understand your argument. This
might
involve
Tableproviding background information, giving an overview of important academic
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work or debates on the topic, and explaining difficult terms. Don’t provide too much detail in
the introduction—you can elaborate in the body of your essay.

3. Present the thesis statement

Next, you should formulate your thesis statement—the central argument you’re going to
make. The thesis statement provides focus and signals your position on the topic. It is
usually one or two sentences long. The thesis statement for our essay on Braille could look
like this:

 As the first writing system designed for blind people’s needs, Braille was a
groundbreaking new accessibility tool. It not only provided practical benefits, but also
helped change the cultural status of blindness.

4. Map the structure

In longer essays, you can end the introduction by briefly describing what will be covered in
each part of the essay. This guides the reader through your structure and gives a preview of
how your argument will develop.

Example of an essay introduction

The invention of Braille marked a major turning point in the history of disability. The
writing system of raised dots used by blind and visually impaired people was developed by
Louis Braille in nineteenth-century France. In a society that did not value disabled people
in general, blindness was particularly stigmatized, and lack of access to reading and writing
was a significant barrier to social participation. The idea of tactile reading was not entirely
new, but existing methods based on sighted systems were difficult to learn and use. As the
first writing system designed for blind people’s needs, Braille was a groundbreaking new
accessibility tool. It not only provided practical benefits, but also helped change the cultural
status of blindness. This essay begins by discussing the situation of blind people in

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nineteenth-century Europe. It then describes the invention of Braille and the gradual
process
 Tableof itsofacceptance
contentswithin blind education. Subsequently, it explores the wide-ranging
effects of this invention on blind people’s social and cultural lives.

Write your essay introduction

Writing the main body

The body of your essay is where you make arguments supporting your thesis, provide
evidence, and develop your ideas. Its purpose is to present, interpret, and analyze the
information and sources you have gathered to support your argument.

Length of the body text

The length of the body depends on the type of essay. On average, the body comprises 60–
80% of your essay. For a high school essay, this could be just three paragraphs, but for a
graduate school essay of 6,000 words, the body could take up 8–10 pages.

Paragraph structure
To give your essay a clear structure, it is important to organize it into paragraphs. Each
paragraph should be centered around one main point or idea.

That idea is introduced in a topic sentence. The topic sentence should generally lead on from
the previous paragraph and introduce the point to be made in this paragraph. Transition
words can be used to create clear connections between sentences.

After the topic sentence, present evidence such as data, examples, or quotes from relevant
sources. Be sure to interpret and explain the evidence, and show how it helps develop your
overall argument.

Example of a paragraph from an essay

Lack of access to reading and writing put blind people at a serious disadvantage in
nineteenth-century society. Text was one of the primary methods through which people
engaged with culture, communicated with others, and accessed information; without a

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well-developed reading system that did not rely on sight, blind people were excluded from
social participation
 Table (Weygand, 2009). While disabled people in general suffered from
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discrimination, blindness was widely viewed as the worst disability, and it was commonly
believed that blind people were incapable of pursuing a profession or improving themselves
through culture (Weygand, 2009). This demonstrates the importance of reading and writing
to social status at the time: without access to text, it was considered impossible to fully
participate in society. Blind people were excluded from the sighted world, but also entirely
dependent on sighted people for information and education.

See the full essay example

Writing the conclusion

The conclusion is the final paragraph of an essay. It should generally take up no more than
10–15% of the text. A strong essay conclusion:

 Returns to your thesis

 Ties together your main points
 Shows why your argument matters

A great conclusion should finish with a memorable or impactful sentence that leaves the
reader with a strong final impression.

What not to include in a conclusion

To make your essay’s conclusion as strong as possible, there are a few things you should
avoid. The most common mistakes are:

 Including new arguments or evidence

 Undermining your arguments (e.g. “This is just one approach of many”)
 Using concluding phrases like “To sum up…” or “In conclusion…”

Example of an essay conclusion

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Braille paved the way for dramatic cultural changes in the way blind people were treated
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and the opportunities available to them. Louis Braille’s innovation was to reimagine
existing reading systems from a blind perspective, and the success of this invention required
sighted teachers to adapt to their students’ reality instead of the other way around. In this
sense, Braille helped drive broader social changes in the status of blindness. New
accessibility tools provide practical advantages to those who need them, but they can also
change the perspectives and attitudes of those who do not.

Write your essay conclusion

Essay checklist

Checklist: Essay 0 / 14

My essay follows the requirements of the assignment (topic and length).

My introduction sparks the reader’s interest and provides any necessary

background information on the topic.

My introduction contains a thesis statement that states the focus and position of
the essay.

I use paragraphs to structure the essay.

I use topic sentences to introduce each paragraph.

Each paragraph has a single focus and a clear connection to the thesis statement.

I make clear transitions between paragraphs and ideas.

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My conclusion doesn’t just repeat my points, but draws connections between

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arguments.

I don’t introduce new arguments or evidence in the conclusion.

I have given an in-text citation for every quote or piece of information I got from
another source.

I have included a reference page at the end of my essay, listing full details of all my
sources.

My citations and references are correctly formatted according to the required

citation style.

My essay has an interesting and informative title.

I have followed all formatting guidelines (e.g. font, page numbers, line spacing).

Lecture slides

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 Table of contents

Open Google Slides

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Frequently asked questions about writing an essay

What is an essay? 

What is the structure of an essay? 

What goes in an essay introduction? 

What is a thesis statement? 

Why do I need a thesis statement? 

What is a topic sentence? 

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When do I need to cite sources? 

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13 Table of Write

How to contents
a Thesis Statement | 4 Steps & Examples

14 How to write an argumentative essay | Examples & tips

15 How to write an essay introduction | 4 steps & examples

16 How to write an essay outline | Guidelines & examples

17 How to write an expository essay

18 How to write the body of an essay | Drafting & redrafting

19 Kinds of argumentative academic essays and their purposes

20 Organizational tips for academic essays

21 The four main types of essay | Quick guide with examples

22 Transition sentences | Tips & examples for clear writing

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