By: Grace Riley
No matter our college majors or career aspirations, at some point, we all have to write an essay at some point. As a Writing and Communication Tutor at my university’s Student Success Center, I’m constantly helping students of all majors learn how to write an excellent essay. The most common problem? Where to begin. They don’t know what order to arrange their thoughts in or how to convey them on paper. However, there is a solution, and it’s simple: start with an outline.
An outline is a writer’s most useful and essential tool. Our thoughts are complex, and when given a writing prompt, it’s often pure chaos trying to arrange them neatly into a five-page MLA formatted essay. Think of your essay like a puzzle: An outline is a way to break down the components of your essay into individual puzzle pieces, so you can assemble it one paragraph at a time. Not only does this help organize your thoughts, it also makes for a more intricate and well-ordered essay.
FIRST.
Begin with the most crucial component of an essay: the thesis statement. Your thesis statement is both the main argument/point of your essay and the answer to the assignment’s prompt. First, highlight the question that is being asked in your prompt, then brainstorm your answer. From there, the rest of your essay will unfold.
SECOND.
You must give credible examples to defend your claim. This is where many students become overwhelmed; we often understand things in themselves, because they are simply truths we have discovered on our own. A great essay will be one that offers enough evidence for any reader to understand why you believe what you are arguing. Use a bulleted list in your outline that you’ll later turn into paragraphs. Usually you should provide at least three examples to defend your thesis, but this will vary depending on the length of your essay, so adjust accordingly. If the prompt is about a novel, dedicate different paragraphs to specific examples within the text that help defend your claim. Include quotes, and cite the page numbers. If it’s an argumentative/persuasive essay, dedicate different paragraphs to different sources that you researched to defend your claim.
THIRD.
Now you have your thesis statement, and the main topic of your 3+ body paragraphs, so the rest is just fleshing out your thoughts. I recommend doing your introduction and conclusion last, as they will flow easily once you’ve fleshed out the rest of your essay. Be sure to make your introduction and conclusion paragraphs short and sweet, around 3-4 sentences.
Begin with an attention-grabbing introduction sentence about the topic of your essay, then explain why it’s important objectively, and then tie your thesis into why your specific argument about the topic is relevant. Your thesis sentence should be the last sentence of your introduction paragraph. For your conclusion, do not simply repeat the points of your body paragraphs. Instead, offer 2-3 sentences that are similar to the introduction, in that they explain the objective relevance of your essay to the audience.
Ex: “Because the issue of _____ is becoming prevalent in today’s society, by focusing on
[your examples], we can begin to confront and conform it.”
The most important part of the essay-writing process not getting overwhelmed. Begin by looking at the prompt in its entirety, and take some time to sit on it and think about what you want to write about. Then, just break it down piece by piece. If the outline draws a clear line from thesis to examples/defenses to conclusion in a logical way, the rest will flow smoothly, and you’ll be on a sure and steady path to an A+ essay!
Information
3 Likes
1083 Views
Share: