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An essay is a highly versatile, non-fictional piece of writing aimed at persuading, informing, or entertaining the reader. It can serve multiple functions, such as taking a stance on topics, disproving widely believed myths, and sharing interesting anecdotes. 

There are various styles and types of essay writing that can be used to serve specific functions. In this article, we’ll take a detailed look at the four main types of essays, along with the combinations and derivations of these types. Let us understand what are the different types of essays.

Upgrade your essay to perfection with our expert editing services today! Learn more

What are the four main types of essays?

There are four types of essays you can write depending on the message you want to convey. They include narrative essays, descriptive essays, argumentative essays, and expository essays.  

Narrative and descriptive essays aim to tell a story or describe an immersive experience with the help of sensory descriptors. Expository and argumentative essays aim to educate and inform the reader on a particular topic. 

There are many more types of essay that are a combination or derivation of these four essay types. Here are the four main types of essays. To help you better understand these essay types, we’ve also constructed relevant example essays. 

1. Narrative essay 

A narrative essay  is a type of writing that involves telling a story using either highly specific or open-ended prompts. It is a form of personal and creative nonfiction that tests your ability to build up your story in a well-structured format. The use of storytelling techniques such as similes, metaphors, alliteration, imagery, and dialogue is common in narrative essay writing.

It typically begins with the introduction of the settings and characters of the story. The body consists of the highlights of your life, often described with the help of vivid imagery. The conclusion includes reflections on the meaning or significance of the events, as well as any lessons learned or insights gained from experience.

A personal statement is one example of a narrative essay, where you tell a story about yourself in order to convince the reader of your suitability for a particular role or position.

Let’s understand the structure of a narrative essay better with the help of this example: 

My First Job as a Server

My first job as a server was a crash course in hard work, patience, and resilience. I was eager to work and earn my own money, but I had no idea what I had signed up for.

I soon discovered that this job was no walk in the park. I had to constantly be on my feet, multitasking and juggling multiple orders at once. But with the help of my manager and fellow servers, I was quickly able to learn the ropes.

One of the biggest challenges I faced was being patient with irate customers. Initially, their harsh words made me doubt my abilities. But, over time I developed a thick skin and became immune to their comments. 

These experiences taught me to be patient with myself as well as with others. I developed a sense of empathy, that I never would have otherwise and learned not to take things personally. Due to the fast-paced restaurant environment, I also learned how to multitask and manage my time efficiently.

Looking back, I can confidently say that these experiences shaped me into the person I am today.  These lessons have stayed with me throughout and continue to influence the way I approach challenges.

2. Descriptive essay

A descriptive essay aims to provide an immersive experience for the reader by using sensory descriptors. Unlike a narrative essay, which tells a story, a descriptive essay has a narrower scope and focuses on one particular subject or aspect of a story.

For example, a descriptive essay about a beach may describe the warmth of the sand underfoot, the sound of the waves crashing against the shore, the salty smell of the ocean breeze, and the taste of saltwater on the lips. These sensory details bring the reader into the experience and allow them to imagine themselves in the setting.

One key tip for a descriptive essay is to choose your words carefully, using language that is both specific and evocative. By doing so, you can create a strong emotional connection between the reader and the subject of the essay. The goal is to make the reader feel as though they are a part of the setting, experiencing it firsthand.

Let’s understand this in more detail with the help of an example:

Cherry Blossoms in Japan

Japan’s cherry blossom season is a magical time of year when the country is covered in a sea of pink and white petals. The colors are striking and seem to change with the light and angle of the sun. 

The soft, delicate petals dance in the wind, filling the air with a sweet fragrance that can be smelled everywhere. The sound of the petals rustling and swaying in the breeze is soothing and calming. 

Families and friends gather beneath the trees, enjoying picnics and drinks, adding to the festive atmosphere. The taste of the cherry blossom is subtle but distinct, and many Japanese sweets and drinks are flavored with sakura. 

The essence of the cherry blossom is hope and renewal, reminding us of the fleeting nature of life and the importance of savoring each moment. It is a time when the entire country comes together to celebrate life’s beauty and the present moment. 

Witnessing the cherry blossom in Japan is a sensory feast that evokes feelings of joy, wonder, and gratitude. It is an unforgettable experience that should not be missed.

3. Argumentative essays

An argumentative essay is an extended argument that aims to persuade the reader to adopt a particular stance based on factual information and statistics. It is one of the most common forms of college essays.

The purpose of an argumentative essay is to present a well-reasoned and well-supported argument in favor of a particular position. You must provide relevant evidence, logical reasoning, and convincing arguments to support your stance. The goal is to convince the reader to accept your point of view.

To write an effective argumentative essay, you must conduct thorough research. This involves gathering reliable sources of information, analyzing it, and synthesizing it into a coherent argument. You should also consider counterarguments and address them in your essay to strengthen your position.

Let’s take a look at an example:

The Power of Positive Reinforcement

Positive reinforcement is a powerful tool for motivating individuals and increasing performance efficiency. It involves rewarding desired behavior, rather than punishing negative behavior. Research has shown that positive reinforcement can be highly effective in both school and workplace settings.

In a study conducted by the University of Melbourne, researchers found that students who received positive feedback from their teachers were more likely to be engaged and motivated. They were also more likely to participate in class and have better academic performance.

Similarly, in a corporate setting, positive reinforcement has been shown to improve employee morale and job satisfaction. A study by the Society for Human Resource Management found that 89% showed high levels of motivation when their achievements were recognized and appreciated. Additionally, 86% of employees showed increased job satisfaction.

Positive feedback, also helps individuals think creatively and develop strong problem-solving skills. A study conducted by the University of Illinois involved participants engaging in a brainstorming task, where some were provided with positive feedback and others were not. The results showed that those who received positive feedback demonstrated significantly greater creativity and better problem-solving abilities than those who did not.

Positive reinforcement is proven to be powerful tool that should be implemented in both academic and corporate settings. It not only improves academic and workplace achievements but also promotes creativity and problem-solving skills. 

4. Expository essays

An expository essay is a common format used in school and college exams to assess your understanding of a specific topic. The purpose of an expository essay is to present and explore a topic thoroughly without taking any particular stance or expressing personal opinions.

An expository essay does not require an original argument and requires less research as compared to an argumentative essay. However, you should be able to cover a topic from all angles and provide factual information to support your argument. You should also be able to structure your essay in a well-organized, logical format, with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion.  

The term “expository essay” is an umbrella term used to describe several different types of essays. They include classification essays, definition essays, compare and contrast essays, and cause and effect essays.

The Legacy of Thomas Edison 

Thomas Edison was one of the most important inventors in history, credited with over 1,000 patents during his lifetime. He was born in Ohio in 1847 and grew up in Michigan, where he received very little formal education. Despite this, Edison showed a strong interest in science and technology from an early age and began conducting experiments in his spare time.

In his early career, Edison worked as a telegraph operator and began to develop his own inventions, including an improved stock ticker and a quadruplex telegraph system. In 1877, he invented the phonograph, a device that could record and play back sound. This invention helped establish Edison as a leading inventor and made him a household name.

One of Edison’s most famous inventions was the incandescent light bulb, which he developed in the late 1870s. This invention revolutionized the way people lived, allowing them to work and live comfortably even after sunset. Edison’s work on the light bulb led to the development of the electrical power grid, which helped bring electricity to homes and businesses across the country.

Throughout his career, Edison remained committed to the idea of practical invention, focusing on creating devices that would have a real impact on people’s lives. He famously said, “Anything that won’t sell, I don’t want to invent. Its sale is proof of utility, and utility is success.”

Overall, Thomas Edison’s impact on the world of invention and innovation cannot be overstated. His inventions helped transform the world and set the stage for many of the technological advances that we enjoy today.

Other types of essays

Now that we’ve looked at the four main types of essays, let’s take a look at the combinations and derivations of these types.

These different types of essays include:  

1. Persuasive essays

These types of essays aim to convince the reader to adopt a particular viewpoint. They achieve this by using personal anecdotes and experiences, which are backed up by factual evidence. Although they share some similarities with argumentative essays, persuasive essays place greater emphasis on emotion and personal narratives, on top of providing factual evidence.

Persuasive essays follow three methods of persuasion: Ethos, pathos, and logos. These methods are utilized to effectively convince the reader to adopt a particular viewpoint. 

• Ethos involves establishing the writer’s strong moral character, creating a sense of trustworthiness and reliability with the reader. 
• Pathos aims to evoke an emotional response from the reader in order to sway them toward the writer’s viewpoint. 
• Logos relies on providing the reader with hard facts, statistics, and evidence to convince them to adopt the writer’s standpoint.

Here’s an example: 

Importance of Mental Health Days in Corporate Settings

Employees need mental health days for their overall wellbeing and productivity. According to the World Health Organization, one in four people globally are affected by mental health disorders, which can lead to absenteeism, presenteeism, and decreased productivity in the workplace.

Taking a mental health day can provide a necessary break from work-related stress and allow employees to focus on their mental well-being. It can help prevent burnout and reduce the risk of developing serious issues such as depression or anxiety. Employees who feel supported in taking mental health days are more likely to return to work feeling refreshed and recharged, leading to increased productivity and creativity.

Furthermore, promoting mental health days in the workplace can foster a culture of transparency and support. When employees feel comfortable discussing their concerns with their employers and colleagues, it creates a sense of trust and understanding. This can lead to a more positive work environment and a higher level of employee morale.

In conclusion, mental health days are not a luxury, but a necessity for maintaining employees’ mental health and wellbeing. Employers who recognize the importance of mental health days and actively promote them in the workplace can create a more productive, positive, and healthy work environment for their employees.

2. Critical essays

A critical essay is not necessarily an evaluative piece of writing, but rather a thoughtful and analytical approach to interpreting a work of art. Through this process, you can provide valuable insights that enhance the reader’s appreciation and understanding of a piece.

These types of essays are common projects assigned to students in school or college. They involve the analysis and interpretation of a text or a visual medium. It goes beyond criticism despite the negative connotation of the term “critical”. It analyzes themes, characters, plots, and other crucial aspects to gain a deeper insight into the message or purpose of a literary or visual piece.

The critical essay-writing process involves actively reading or observing a piece of art or literature and forming a central idea or thesis statement on the basis of these observations. The body paragraphs consist of topic sentences that bolster the thesis statement, along with pieces of evidence proving these statements. The conclusion consists of the summary of the most impactful parts of your essay along with a powerful concluding statement.

While writing a critical essay or literary analysis essay , it is crucial to inspect every little aspect of a piece. For example, when writing a critical essay on a poem, it is essential to analyze its structure, the specific use of language, and the various literary devices used by the poet. By examining these elements, you can effectively explain its intended message.

Take a look at an example: 

The Surreal Narrative of Virginia Woolf’s A Haunted House

Virginia Woolf’s A Haunted House is a surreal narrative that explores the interplay of light and shadow, the instability of time, and the haunting silence of an old house. The narrator’s state of mind is between sleep and wakefulness, which is reflected in the hazy lighting of the setting. The events of the night are narrated in the present tense, while the narrator’s waking hours are narrated in the past tense, heightening the sense of eeriness. The story takes place inside the narrator’s mind, bearing an imprint of their unconscious.

The provocation that “nothing really happens in A Haunted House” is inappropriate because it assumes there is one absolute reality in which events naturally unfold. In Woolf’s essay Modern Fiction , she reflects on the essential thing one looks for in fiction, which is often lost due to stagnant literary conventions like plot. Woolf rejects the realistic mode of storytelling to find a better form for the essential thing, which she creates out of the consciousness of her narrator.

One may argue that the narrator’s consciousness imagines the disembodied selves of old writers as the ghostly couple and gives form to “the light in the heart” when the ghosts bury it inside the house. The act of giving form to “the light in the heart” connects the new writer to the ghostly selves of old writers. These are the things that happen in the story.

In conclusion, the surreal narrative of A Haunted House is an exploration of the interplay of light and shadow, the instability of time, and the haunting silence of an old house. Through her rejection of stagnant literary conventions and the creation of a new reality shaped by the consciousness of her narrator, Woolf gives form to “the essential thing” in fiction.

3. Reflective essays

These essays provide an opportunity for you to share your personal insights, opinions, and reflections on an experience. They are highly creative and typically employ the first-person point of view. 

Through this form of writing, you can take the time to reflect on the meaning and significance of certain life events and their impact on you. It also allows you to share your key takeaways or lessons you’ve learned from these events. 

Here’s an example:

A Trip to My Home Country

My trip to Kenya, my home country, was an eye-opening experience that left a lasting impact on me. As a Kenyan-American, I had grown up hearing stories about my parents’ home country, but nothing prepared me for the reality of it. The vibrant colors, the delicious smells, and the welcoming people all contributed to a truly inspiring trip.

One of the most memorable moments was visiting a rural village and meeting a group of young girls who were determined to receive an education. Despite facing significant obstacles, such as the societal pressure to prioritize marriage over education, these girls were highly committed to their goals. It was truly inspiring to see their resilience and made me reflect on my own privileges and opportunities in life.

The trip also made me realize the importance of preserving one’s cultural heritage. As a Kenyan American who was born and raised in the United States, I had never fully appreciated the richness and diversity of Kenyan culture. However, being immersed in it made me realize the importance of keeping these traditions alive.

Overall, my trip to Kenya inspired me to be more appreciative of my cultural heritage, to work towards social justice and equality, and to never take my privileges for granted. It was a truly life-changing experience that will stay with me forever.

The next step to creating a perfect essay is thorough editing. You can either choose to edit it yourself or make things easier for yourself by consulting a professional essay editing service . Which you all the best in your essay-writing journey!

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Ecrire un essai argumentatif : étapes de rédaction, structure et exemples

La rédaction d'un essai argumentatif est une excellente compétence à posséder pour réussir sa carrière universitaire, mais elle vous sera également utile tout au long de votre vie. Vous serez peut-être amené à rédiger une dissertation argumentée dans le cadre d'un examen d'entrée ou d'une autre situation où les enjeux sont élevés, et que votre parcours professionnel vous mène vers la politique, le marketing ou l'éducation, vous continuerez à utiliser les compétences que vous avez utilisées pour rédiger une solide dissertation argumentée.

Structure d'un essai argumentatif

Une dissertation argumentative est écrite dans le but de persuader l'auditoire de la validité d'une affirmation sur un sujet particulier. Parfois, cependant, c'est encore plus difficile qu'il n'y paraît ; vous pouvez présenter une affirmation que vous savez très controversée ou à laquelle vous vous opposez, votre objectif est donc de présenter un argument dans lequel votre public ne peut trouver que peu ou pas de fautes.

Cela signifie que vous devez savoir comment rédiger un essai argumentatif de qualité.

La structure d'une dissertation argumentative est similaire à celle d'autres types de dissertations et se présente comme suit :

I. Introduction

A. Accroche

B. Introduire le sujet

C. L'affirmation principale (thèse)

II. Paragraphes du corps du texte (nombre de paragraphes inclus et organisés selon vos besoins)

A. Phrase sujet (mini-affirmation)

C. Concession

D. réfutation

III. Conclusion

A. Résumez les points principaux

B. Reformulez la thèse

C. Appel à l'action

En plus des éléments de base que l'on retrouve dans la plupart des structures de l'essai (c'est-à-dire une accroche dans l'introduction, les paragraphes du corps, un appel à l'action dans la conclusion, etc.), un essai argumentatif doit inclure quelques éléments nécessaires.

N'oubliez pas que le but d'un essai est de persuader le public de quelque chose. Ce quelque chose sera votre principale affirmation sur le sujet. Une fois que vous connaissez le sujet qui vous a été assigné, vous devrez faire quelques recherches, que ce soit en ligne, dans un livre ou un texte, ou peut-être à travers vos propres connaissances du sujet.

Votre affirmation doit être une déclaration affirmative qui peut être prouvée ou réfutée.

L'affirmation principale de votre essai argumentatif ne peut pas être vague. En d'autres termes, vous devez prendre une position qui a un contrepoint, ou qui peut être argumentée de manière opposée.

Une déclaration aussi simple que "L'enseignement des langues étrangères devrait commencer dès le plus jeune âge" est une bonne affirmation principale pour un essai argumentatif parce qu'elle est contestable. Certaines personnes pourraient soutenir qu'il y a des raisons de retarder l'enseignement des langues étrangères jusqu'à un âge plus avancé.

Vous devez également vous assurer que vous pouvez soutenir votre affirmation principale avec des preuves. Est-il possible d'étayer l'affirmation concernant l'enseignement précoce des langues étrangères ? Oui, il existe de nombreuses recherches scientifiques qui suggèrent les avantages de l'apprentissage de plusieurs langues par les enfants dès les premières années de leur développement linguistique.

Un bon soutien pour une affirmation comprend :

• La recherche scientifique
• Opinions/constatations d'experts en la matière
• des exemples qui illustrent votre point de vue.

Vous avez peut-être remarqué que l'affirmation principale ressemble beaucoup à un énoncé de thèse, comme on en trouve dans d'autres types de dissertations universitaires. Bien joué ! L'affirmation principale d'un essai argumentatif est essentiellement la même que celle d'un énoncé de thèse.

Que vous écriviez un essai argumentatif ou non, l'énoncé de la thèse représente la position de l'auteur sur le sujet sur lequel il écrit. Une dissertation sans thèse est difficile à suivre, car non seulement elle communique la position de l'auteur, mais elle fournit également une feuille de route pour l'orientation de la dissertation. Dans un essai argumentatif, l'énoncé de la thèse, ou l'affirmation principale, doit être étayé. Parfois, les points d'appui s'intègrent dans l'énoncé lui-même, et parfois, ils doivent figurer dans les phrases suivantes.

Prenons l'exemple des enfants qui apprennent plusieurs langues. L'affirmation est affirmative, elle peut être contredite, et elle peut être soutenue par des preuves et peut-être par quelques techniques suggérant que c'est une attente réaliste.

Les enfants devraient apprendre plusieurs langues dès l'âge de 1 ou 2 ans, car les avantages pour le développement du cerveau de l'enfant dépassent largement les difficultés de la tâche. Il existe de nombreuses façons d'intégrer plusieurs langues dans l'environnement familial, ce qui améliore considérablement la probabilité que l'enfant retienne cette ou ces langues.

Il s'agit d'une affirmation principale solide qui pourrait être étayée par des preuves spécifiques, telles que des recherches sur le développement cognitif des enfants - incluant peut-être des statistiques sur les avantages de l'acquisition de plusieurs langues - et des stratégies simples pour intégrer le développement du langage à la maison.

Plan de rédaction d'un essai argumentatif

Avant de commencer le processus de rédaction d'un essai argumentatif, il est important de rédiger un plan de rédaction.

Ce plan vous aide à organiser vos idées afin de rédiger l'essai le plus convaincant et le mieux articulé possible. Un plan de rédaction n'est peut-être jamais aussi important que lors de la rédaction d'un essai argumentatif. Si votre argumentation repose sur des bases fragiles, vous perdrez immédiatement l'attention de votre public.

Si vous ne connaissez que votre sujet et que vous n'avez pas encore de thèse précise à défendre, commencez par faire quelques exercices de pré-rédaction pour trouver des idées pour votre thèse.

Exercices de pré-écriture d'une dissertation argumentative

Il existe plusieurs stratégies différentes pour trouver des idées pour l'affirmation principale d'un essai argumentatif. L'objectif est d'aller au cœur du sujet : quelles sont les questions ou les sujets de discussion existants sur le sujet, et que pouvez-vous ajouter à la discussion ?

Vous pouvez utiliser tous ces exercices ou un seul, selon ce qui vous semble le plus utile.

• Le remue-méninges (ou brainstorming) - permet de restreindre le sujet en vous posant des questions telles que : "Que sait-on déjà sur ce sujet ? Y a-t-il des controverses ? Quelle pourrait être la position de mon public ?"
• L'écriture libre - vous permet de découvrir vos opinions, vos pensées et vos croyances sur un sujet en diminuant vos inhibitions. Écrivez sans relâche pendant 5 à 10 minutes sur le sujet et voyez ce qui en ressort. L'essentiel est de ne pas trop réfléchir à ce que vous écrivez.
• Les listes - elles fournissent une structure aux écrivains et aux penseurs plus visuels. Essayez d'énumérer les idées et les concepts importants sur le sujet, en organisant tout ce qui vous vient à l'esprit sous forme de liste avec des puces.
• Regroupement - similaire aux listes, fournit une représentation visuelle du sujet. Écrivez le sujet au centre d'une page, encerclez-le et commencez à dessiner les points principaux pertinents qui sont reliés au sujet par une ligne. Tracez des lignes qui relient ces points principaux aux points secondaires, et ainsi de suite, jusqu'à ce que vous ayez épuisé votre sujet. 

Après avoir effectué au moins un de ces exercices, vous devriez avoir trouvé une opinion que vous défendez sur le sujet de votre essai argumentatif. Quelle que soit votre position, c'est votre affirmation principale.

Il est maintenant temps de faire des recherches. Vous cherchez principalement à savoir ce que les experts ou les voix de l'autorité ont à dire sur le sujet.

Définition : Un expert est une personne qui a une connaissance et une expérience approfondies d'un sujet particulier.

Pourquoi pouvez-vous confier la validité de votre essai argumentatif à des experts ? Tout simplement parce que votre public le fera. Si vous faites suivre un fait sur le développement linguistique d'une citation de Noam Chomsky (un linguiste réputé) qui le confirme, votre public sera beaucoup plus enclin à considérer ce fait comme une vérité qui fait autorité.

Maintenant que vous avez votre affirmation et vos éléments de preuve de base, vous devez décider de la manière dont vous voulez argumenter votre point de vue. Tous les arguments ne peuvent pas être présentés par les mêmes moyens, il existe donc trois modes d'argumentation.

Types d'argumentation

Les trois modes d'argumentation sont les modes classique, logique et dialectique.

Le mode classique

Le modèle classique d'argumentation - également appelé aristotélicien du nom du philosophe grec - fait appel à l'auditoire par le biais de son émotion, de sa logique ou de son appréciation de l'autorité de l'orateur. Ces éléments sont connus respectivement sous les noms de pathos, logos et ethos.

Utilisez cette méthode lorsque la réaction de votre public est le principal objectif.

Le mode logique

Ce mode d'argumentation est très logique et s'appuie fortement sur des preuves pour prouver (ou réfuter) un argument portant sur une question complexe. Avec cette méthode, les arguments sont divisés en trois parties principales : l'affirmation, les motifs et la justification. L'affirmation est la conclusion tirée par l'orateur ou l'auteur. Les motifs sont les prémisses ou les preuves que vous fournissez. La justification est le lien entre l'affirmation et les motifs.

Utilisez cette méthode lorsque vous discutez d'une question complexe.

Le mode dialectique

Cette méthode fait appel au terrain d'entente entre deux arguments opposés. Elle permet de combler le fossé lorsque deux parties ont peu de chances de parvenir à un consensus. Vous pouvez y parvenir en soulignant la validité de chaque argument et en trouvant des faits et des idées sur lesquels les deux parties peuvent s'entendre.

Utilisez cette méthode lorsque vous discutez d'un sujet très sensible et que les opinions divergentes sont polarisées.

Le mode que vous utiliserez dépendra de votre argument ainsi que de votre public. Il aura également une incidence sur la façon dont vous organiserez votre essai, c'est donc le moment de prendre cette décision avant de commencer à écrire.

Étapes de la rédaction d'un essai argumentatif

Comme la plupart des autres types de dissertations, les dissertations argumentatives comprennent une introduction, au moins deux paragraphes et une conclusion. Dans chacune de ces sections de votre essai, vous devez exprimer votre affirmation et les preuves que vous avez trouvées pour la soutenir.

Avant de commencer à rédiger, n'oubliez pas de faire des exercices de pré-rédaction pour cibler votre sujet et trouver une affirmation. N'oubliez pas de faire des recherches sur votre sujet et votre affirmation spécifique pour trouver des preuves qui appuieront votre point principal. Avec ces informations, et en fonction de votre public cible, vous pouvez décider d'une méthode d'argumentation.

Une fois que vous connaissez votre sujet, votre affirmation principale sur le sujet, la façon dont vous prévoyez de soutenir cette affirmation et la façon dont vous prévoyez d'organiser votre argumentation, il est temps de commencer à écrire !

Rédaction de l'introduction de l'essai argumentatif

L'essai argumentatif doit commencer par une accroche liée d'une manière ou d'une autre au sujet de la discussion.

Une accroche est une déclaration ou une question qui attire l'attention du lecteur et l'entraîne dans la discussion. Il peut s'agir d'une statistique alarmante, d'une anecdote, d'une question intéressante, d'une métaphore ou de tout autre élément que vous jugez suffisamment "accrocheur" pour capter votre lecteur. Exemple : "Le parent moyen sait que le temps passé devant l'écran peut affecter le développement du cerveau de son enfant, mais à partir de quand le temps passé devant l'écran est-il trop important ?"

Une fois que l'accroche a retenu l'attention du lecteur, vous devez passer à la présentation du sujet spécifique que vous prévoyez d'aborder dans votre essai argumentatif. Ensuite, vous présenterez votre affirmation principale, ou l'énoncé de votre thèse.

Rédaction des paragraphes du corps de l'essai argumentatif

Maintenant que votre public connaît votre intention pour la dissertation argumentative, vous pouvez commencer à soutenir votre affirmation. Pour ce faire, vous utiliserez les preuves que vous avez trouvées lors de la phase de recherche.

Chaque paragraphe du corps de l'essai argumentatif portera sur un élément de preuve particulier. Commencez un paragraphe du corps en présentant l'idée de ce paragraphe, ou phrase sujet. Chaque phrase thématique est comme une mini-affirmation qui soutient votre affirmation principale.

Dans les paragraphes du développement, vous devrez aborder les contre-arguments, c'est-à-dire les arguments qui s'opposent aux vôtres. C'est le moment de présenter votre réfutation à ces contre-arguments, ce qui vous permet de produire un argument plus complet et plus nuancé.

Dans votre réfutation, cherchez les raisons pour lesquelles les thèses adverses sont inexactes ou erronées. En quoi leur logique est-elle défectueuse ? Manque-t-il des informations ? 

Le nombre de paragraphes dépend de la quantité de preuves que vous devez fournir pour étayer votre argument.

Rédiger la conclusion d'une dissertation argumentative

La conclusion d'un essai argumentatif ressemble beaucoup à celle des autres types d'essais. Vous devez résumer votre argument, en expliquant comment vous avez soutenu votre thèse.

Reformuler votre thèse, ainsi que les preuves que vous avez fournies pour la soutenir.

Enfin, un excellent moyen de conclure une dissertation argumentative est de lancer un appel à l'action. Il s'agit d'une déclaration ou d'une question qui encourage le public à réfléchir, l'implique dans la discussion, voire l'invite à dire ou à faire quelque chose.

Dans notre exemple de l'apprentissage des langues, on pourrait conclure ainsi : 

Exemple : C'est aux parents, et même à ceux qui n'ont pas encore d'enfants, de considérer l'importance du développement cognitif de leurs enfants et d'investir leur propre temps dans l'apprentissage d'une langue supplémentaire afin de pouvoir offrir à leurs enfants le cadeau du bilinguisme.

Il s'agit d'un excellent appel à l'action, car il conclut la discussion en demandant au lecteur de réfléchir à la manière dont il peut agir au profit de ses propres enfants (ou de ses futurs enfants). Cela renforce la thèse de l'auteur et aide à convaincre le lecteur de l'affirmation principale.

Conseils pour rédiger un essai argumentatif.

Vous n'êtes pas obligé de suivre exactement le format d'une dissertation argumentative tel qu'il est fourni ici. Par exemple, vous pouvez commencer par présenter l'argument de votre adversaire, discuter des erreurs que vous y trouvez et vous en servir pour introduire votre propre affirmation.

N'oubliez pas non plus qu'argumenter et combattre sont deux choses différentes ! Il n'est pas judicieux de dénigrer ouvertement les points de vue opposés, mais plutôt de souligner les failles de ces arguments.

Enfin, dans une dissertation argumentative, vous éviterez généralement d'utiliser la première personne pour présenter vos affirmations (c'est-à-dire "je pense", "je crois", etc.). Bien que vous écriviez de votre propre point de vue, vous devez chercher à inclure votre public et à l'amener à partager votre conviction. L'utilisation de la première personne serait par ailleurs répétitive, car les affirmations de l'essai seront présentées de votre point de vue.

Questions fréquemment posées sur la rédaction d'un essai argumentatif

Q: quel est le but de la rédaction d'un essai argumentatif .

R: Le but de la rédaction d'un essai argumentatif est de persuader le public d'accepter la validité d'une affirmation sur un sujet particulier.

Q: Comment doit-on commencer la rédaction d'un essai argumentatif?

R: Commencez à rédiger une dissertation argumentative en effectuant des exercices de pré-écriture tels que le remue-méninges, l'écriture libre, le regroupement ou la création de listes afin de développer une idée principale pour votre argument.

Q: Quand doit-on écrire un essai argumentatif?

R: Rédigez un essai argumentatif lorsque vous devez convaincre votre public d'un fait ou d'une idée particulière.

Q: Quels sont les éléments-clés de la rédaction d'un essai argumentatif?

R: Les éléments clés de la rédaction d'une dissertation argumentative sont les suivants :

• choisir une affirmation principale défendable;
• choisir la méthode d'argumentation appropriée (rogerienne, toulminienne ou aristotélicienne) en fonction de votre auditoire;
• utiliser les phrases sujettes des paragraphes du corps de l'essai comme des mini-affirmations pour soutenir l'affirmation principale;
• concluez par un appel à l'action.

Lire plus d'articles sur l'argumentation et le texte argumentatif

Exercices sur le texte argumentatif : introduction, enchaînement des arguments et conclusion

Convaincre et persuader ou l'art d'argumenter : exemples et exercices corrigés

Le texte argumentatif : définition et caractéristiques

Les types d'arguments : exemples et exercices

Analyser un texte argumentatif : méthode, exemples et exercices

La situation d'argumentation : définition, exemples et exercices

Le paragraphe argumentatif par l'exemple

• Tips for Reading an Assignment Prompt
• Asking Analytical Questions
• Introductions
• What Do Introductions Across the Disciplines Have in Common?
• Anatomy of a Body Paragraph
• Transitions
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• How to structure an essay: Templates and tips

How to Structure an Essay | Tips & Templates

Published on September 18, 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on July 23, 2023.

The basic structure of an essay always consists of an introduction , a body , and a conclusion . But for many students, the most difficult part of structuring an essay is deciding how to organize information within the body.

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Table of contents

The basics of essay structure, chronological structure, compare-and-contrast structure, problems-methods-solutions structure, signposting to clarify your structure, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about essay structure.

There are two main things to keep in mind when working on your essay structure: making sure to include the right information in each part, and deciding how you’ll organize the information within the body.

Parts of an essay

The three parts that make up all essays are described in the table below.

Order of information

You’ll also have to consider how to present information within the body. There are a few general principles that can guide you here.

The first is that your argument should move from the simplest claim to the most complex . The body of a good argumentative essay often begins with simple and widely accepted claims, and then moves towards more complex and contentious ones.

For example, you might begin by describing a generally accepted philosophical concept, and then apply it to a new topic. The grounding in the general concept will allow the reader to understand your unique application of it.

The second principle is that background information should appear towards the beginning of your essay . General background is presented in the introduction. If you have additional background to present, this information will usually come at the start of the body.

The third principle is that everything in your essay should be relevant to the thesis . Ask yourself whether each piece of information advances your argument or provides necessary background. And make sure that the text clearly expresses each piece of information’s relevance.

The sections below present several organizational templates for essays: the chronological approach, the compare-and-contrast approach, and the problems-methods-solutions approach.

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The chronological approach (sometimes called the cause-and-effect approach) is probably the simplest way to structure an essay. It just means discussing events in the order in which they occurred, discussing how they are related (i.e. the cause and effect involved) as you go.

A chronological approach can be useful when your essay is about a series of events. Don’t rule out other approaches, though—even when the chronological approach is the obvious one, you might be able to bring out more with a different structure.

Explore the tabs below to see a general template and a specific example outline from an essay on the invention of the printing press.

• Thesis statement
• Discussion of event/period
• Consequences
• Importance of topic
• Strong closing statement
• Claim that the printing press marks the end of the Middle Ages
• Background on the low levels of literacy before the printing press
• Thesis statement: The invention of the printing press increased circulation of information in Europe, paving the way for the Reformation
• High levels of illiteracy in medieval Europe
• Literacy and thus knowledge and education were mainly the domain of religious and political elites
• Consequence: this discouraged political and religious change
• Invention of the printing press in 1440 by Johannes Gutenberg
• Implications of the new technology for book production
• Consequence: Rapid spread of the technology and the printing of the Gutenberg Bible
• Trend for translating the Bible into vernacular languages during the years following the printing press’s invention
• Luther’s own translation of the Bible during the Reformation
• Consequence: The large-scale effects the Reformation would have on religion and politics
• Summarize the history described
• Stress the significance of the printing press to the events of this period

Essays with two or more main subjects are often structured around comparing and contrasting . For example, a literary analysis essay might compare two different texts, and an argumentative essay might compare the strengths of different arguments.

There are two main ways of structuring a compare-and-contrast essay: the alternating method, and the block method.

Alternating

In the alternating method, each paragraph compares your subjects in terms of a specific point of comparison. These points of comparison are therefore what defines each paragraph.

The tabs below show a general template for this structure, and a specific example for an essay comparing and contrasting distance learning with traditional classroom learning.

• Synthesis of arguments
• Topical relevance of distance learning in lockdown
• Increasing prevalence of distance learning over the last decade
• Thesis statement: While distance learning has certain advantages, it introduces multiple new accessibility issues that must be addressed for it to be as effective as classroom learning
• Classroom learning: Ease of identifying difficulties and privately discussing them
• Distance learning: Difficulty of noticing and unobtrusively helping
• Classroom learning: Difficulties accessing the classroom (disability, distance travelled from home)
• Distance learning: Difficulties with online work (lack of tech literacy, unreliable connection, distractions)
• Classroom learning: Tends to encourage personal engagement among students and with teacher, more relaxed social environment
• Distance learning: Greater ability to reach out to teacher privately
• Sum up, emphasize that distance learning introduces more difficulties than it solves
• Stress the importance of addressing issues with distance learning as it becomes increasingly common
• Distance learning may prove to be the future, but it still has a long way to go

In the block method, each subject is covered all in one go, potentially across multiple paragraphs. For example, you might write two paragraphs about your first subject and then two about your second subject, making comparisons back to the first.

The tabs again show a general template, followed by another essay on distance learning, this time with the body structured in blocks.

• Point 1 (compare)
• Point 2 (compare)
• Point 3 (compare)
• Point 4 (compare)
• Advantages: Flexibility, accessibility
• Disadvantages: Discomfort, challenges for those with poor internet or tech literacy
• Advantages: Potential for teacher to discuss issues with a student in a separate private call
• Disadvantages: Difficulty of identifying struggling students and aiding them unobtrusively, lack of personal interaction among students
• Advantages: More accessible to those with low tech literacy, equality of all sharing one learning environment
• Disadvantages: Students must live close enough to attend, commutes may vary, classrooms not always accessible for disabled students
• Advantages: Ease of picking up on signs a student is struggling, more personal interaction among students
• Disadvantages: May be harder for students to approach teacher privately in person to raise issues

An essay that concerns a specific problem (practical or theoretical) may be structured according to the problems-methods-solutions approach.

This is just what it sounds like: You define the problem, characterize a method or theory that may solve it, and finally analyze the problem, using this method or theory to arrive at a solution. If the problem is theoretical, the solution might be the analysis you present in the essay itself; otherwise, you might just present a proposed solution.

The tabs below show a template for this structure and an example outline for an essay about the problem of fake news.

• Introduce the problem
• Provide background
• Describe your approach to solving it
• Define the problem precisely
• Describe why it’s important
• Indicate previous approaches to the problem
• Present your new approach, and why it’s better
• Apply the new method or theory to the problem
• Indicate the solution you arrive at by doing so
• Assess (potential or actual) effectiveness of solution
• Describe the implications
• Problem: The growth of “fake news” online
• Prevalence of polarized/conspiracy-focused news sources online
• Thesis statement: Rather than attempting to stamp out online fake news through social media moderation, an effective approach to combating it must work with educational institutions to improve media literacy
• Definition: Deliberate disinformation designed to spread virally online
• Popularization of the term, growth of the phenomenon
• Previous approaches: Labeling and moderation on social media platforms
• Critique: This approach feeds conspiracies; the real solution is to improve media literacy so users can better identify fake news
• Greater emphasis should be placed on media literacy education in schools
• This allows people to assess news sources independently, rather than just being told which ones to trust
• This is a long-term solution but could be highly effective
• It would require significant organization and investment, but would equip people to judge news sources more effectively
• Rather than trying to contain the spread of fake news, we must teach the next generation not to fall for it

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Signposting means guiding the reader through your essay with language that describes or hints at the structure of what follows.  It can help you clarify your structure for yourself as well as helping your reader follow your ideas.

The essay overview

In longer essays whose body is split into multiple named sections, the introduction often ends with an overview of the rest of the essay. This gives a brief description of the main idea or argument of each section.

The overview allows the reader to immediately understand what will be covered in the essay and in what order. Though it describes what  comes later in the text, it is generally written in the present tense . The following example is from a literary analysis essay on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein .

Transitions

Transition words and phrases are used throughout all good essays to link together different ideas. They help guide the reader through your text, and an essay that uses them effectively will be much easier to follow.

Various different relationships can be expressed by transition words, as shown in this example.

Because Hitler failed to respond to the British ultimatum, France and the UK declared war on Germany. Although it was an outcome the Allies had hoped to avoid, they were prepared to back up their ultimatum in order to combat the existential threat posed by the Third Reich.

Transition sentences may be included to transition between different paragraphs or sections of an essay. A good transition sentence moves the reader on to the next topic while indicating how it relates to the previous one.

… Distance learning, then, seems to improve accessibility in some ways while representing a step backwards in others.

However , considering the issue of personal interaction among students presents a different picture.

If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

• Ad hominem fallacy
• Post hoc fallacy
• Appeal to authority fallacy
• False cause fallacy
• Sunk cost fallacy

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The structure of an essay is divided into an introduction that presents your topic and thesis statement , a body containing your in-depth analysis and arguments, and a conclusion wrapping up your ideas.

The structure of the body is flexible, but you should always spend some time thinking about how you can organize your essay to best serve your ideas.

An essay isn’t just a loose collection of facts and ideas. Instead, it should be centered on an overarching argument (summarized in your thesis statement ) that every part of the essay relates to.

The way you structure your essay is crucial to presenting your argument coherently. A well-structured essay helps your reader follow the logic of your ideas and understand your overall point.

Comparisons in essays are generally structured in one of two ways:

• The alternating method, where you compare your subjects side by side according to one specific aspect at a time.
• The block method, where you cover each subject separately in its entirety.

It’s also possible to combine both methods, for example by writing a full paragraph on each of your topics and then a final paragraph contrasting the two according to a specific metric.

You should try to follow your outline as you write your essay . However, if your ideas change or it becomes clear that your structure could be better, it’s okay to depart from your essay outline . Just make sure you know why you’re doing so.

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Great essay writing in 8 steps

(Last updated: 12 May 2021)

Since 2006, Oxbridge Essays has been the UK’s leading paid essay-writing and dissertation service

We have helped 10,000s of undergraduate, Masters and PhD students to maximise their grades in essays, dissertations, model-exam answers, applications and other materials. If you would like a free chat about your project with one of our UK staff, then please just reach out on one of the methods below.

Can great essay writing really be condensed down into just 8 steps? Well, whilst it's true that there is a lot that goes into academic writing of any kind, these top takeaways are a great place to start if you want to improve your essay writing.

To some, essay writing comes naturally. But for many, knowing how to answer an essay question in a way that will score high marks is something that must be learnt, and practised regularly. You can take comfort in knowing too that, once you learn how to write a great essay, you can apply the same techniques and formulas to almost any piece of academic writing, whether it's a standard essay, a reflective essay, a dissertation or thesis, a course assignment, coursework or something else.

So without further ado, let's dive in and learn the eight steps to writing an essay.

1. Understand the question

This may, at the face of it, sound like somewhat banal advice – but fact of the matter is that failing to properly understand the question set is one of, if not the most common reason behind a disappointing grade when it comes to essay writing. Are you being asked to critically evaluate something ? Compare and contrast? Analyse a particular circumstance? Evaluate the usefulness of a particular concept?

These are some of the common phrases found in essay questions, and each indicates a different set of expectations. If you are asked to critically evaluate a particular theoretical approach, for instance, you have to gain an understanding not only of said theory, but also other common approaches. They must all be weighed against each other, highlighting the relative strengths and weaknesses of each theory and, importantly, you must come to a well-justified and confident conclusion. Is the theory good? What are its flaws? How can it be improved?

If you are asked to evaluate the usefulness of something, however, you don’t necessarily need to go into as much critical depth. Yes, you should still acknowledge alternative approaches, and yes, you should still note some strengths and weaknesses – but the bulk of the work must emphasise the concepts practical usefulness. Perhaps the best approach is to find one, or a few, case studies where the theory has been used – what was the outcome of this? Does the application of the theory reveal any particular shortcomings, or strengths?

“Compare and contrast” essays , meanwhile, are essentially a hybrid of the above – you need to take a critical approach and evaluate the literature, but your focus has to remain solidly on the theories that you have been asked to compare and contrast. It is important to show that you understand both (or all) core theories in great depth, both on a theoretical and applied level.

In essence, the wording of the essay question will tell you how the essay should be written. It will indicate where the focus of your essay should lie as you research and write.

2. Plan and schedule

Understanding the question is the first step, but it is equally important that you make efficient use of the available time. Students often underestimate the amount of work required to write a good essay, which results in two things: (1) late nights at the library, and (2) a disappointing grade. If you want to achieve a good mark, you should start planning your essay the moment you receive the essay question. The following table may be a useful aid:

By setting deadlines for yourself and committing to stick to them, you are ensuring that you won’t be left with too much work right before your hand-in date. It is also important that you leave time, ideally a couple of days, between finishing your first draft and proofreading.

3. Read widely

Writing may be the core task, but reading is equally important. Before you start writing your essay, you should conduct a broad search for relevant literature . Learning how to sift through a large amount of data is an important academic skill. You should start by searching through databases – Google Scholar is a great tool for this – using key words related to your research topic. Once you find an article that sounds promising, read through the abstract to ensure that it’s relevant.

If you are still not a hundred percent sure, it is usually a good idea to skip to the conclusion – this usually contains a detailed summary of the study, which will help determine whether you should read the article as a whole. You don’t want to waste time reading through and endless number of articles simply to find that they aren’t actually relevant. Once you have identified a few solid articles, you should (a) go through their bibliographies and take note of who they are citing, as these articles will likely be of value for your own research; and (b) check on Google Scholar to see who has cited them. To do this, simply input the name of the article in the search bar and hit enter. In the results, click “cited by” – this will return a list of all of the articles that have cited the publication you searched for.

It’s important that you don’t rely too heavily on one or a couple of texts, as this indicates to the marker that you haven’t engaged with the wider literature. You should be particularly careful in using course books (i.e. “introduction to management” and the like), as these are essentially summaries of other people’s work.

4. Be critical

Perfect theories and academic approaches are rare – the clear majority of theories, arguments, and studies have flaws. Being descriptive is fine if you are looking to scrape a pass, but for a higher grade you need to show that you are able to leverage critical reasoning in your dealing with academic materials. What are the limitations of the theories you are drawing on? How have these been dealt with in the literature? How do they impact the quality of arguments presented, and to what extent do they limit our understanding of what you are studying? What alternate explanations might offer additional depth?

Critical thinking is what will make your essay stand out. It shows the marker that you are not simply repeating the arguments that have been fed to you throughout your studies, but actually engaging with theories in an academic manner. A good way to practice this is to pay careful attention when reading literature reviews in published articles – you will see that authors don’t simply summarise previous studies, but offer a critique leading to a gap for their own research.

5. Structure, flow and focus

How you present your argument is nearly as important as the argument itself, which is why it is imperative that your essay follows a logical structure. A classic piece of advice is to "tell them what you are going to tell them, then tell them, and tell them what you told them". This, in essence, summarises the core introduction, main body, and conclusion structure of your essay.

Having a clear and logical structure will help ensure that your essay stays focused, and doesn’t stray from the question being answered. Each section, paragraph, and sentence should add value to the argument you are presenting. As you are writing, it’s good to take a step back and ask yourself: what value does this sentence/section add? How does it link to my overarching argument? If you find that you can’t answer those questions, there is a high risk that you have strayed from your core argument, and you may want to reconsider the path you are taking.

You should also make sure that all the different parts of your essay fit together as a cohesive and logical whole, and that the transition from one argument to the next is fluid. Students often treat essays as lists of arguments, presenting one after the other with little consideration for how they fit together, which inevitably leads to a lower grade. Make sure to tell your reader why you are transitioning from one argument to the next, why they are in this particular order, and how each argument helps shed light on a particular aspect of what you are discussing.

6. Quoting, paraphrasing and plagiarism

Academic writing requires a careful balance between novel argument, and drawing on arguments presented by others. Writing a completely 'novel' essay, without drawing on a single source, indicates that you haven’t made yourself familiar with what has already been published. Conversely, citing someone for every point made suggests that you haven’t produced a novel argument.

As such, it is important that you provide evidence (a credible citation) when you are making a statement of fact, or drawing on arguments, frameworks, and theories presented by other academics. These, in turn, should support the overarching novel argument that you yourself are making.

When drawing on other authors it is important to understand the distinction between quoting and paraphrasing. The general rule of thumb is that you should paraphrase wherever possible, and quote only when necessary or if it clarifies the point you are making. That said, paraphrasing can be difficult without losing the inherit value of the argument presented.

In case you are unsure about the difference between quoting and paraphrasing, we’ve included an example below:

Quote: "Cultural capital can be acquired, to a varying extent, depending on the period, the society, and the social class, in the absence of any deliberate inculcation, and therefore quite unconsciously" (Bourdieu, 1986: 18).

Paraphrase: Unlike economic capital, the amassing of which requires some conscious effort, cultural capital can be built simply by existing and consuming (Bourdieu, 1986).

Both the quoted and the paraphrased versions carry essentially the same meaning, with the exception that paraphrasing shows slightly wider knowledge of Bourdieu (through mentioning another form of capital), and presents an argument that, while true to the writings of Bourdieu, better fits the overall argument.

Properly citing the sources upon which you draw also ensures that you will not be accused of plagiarism, which is a serious offence in academia. In fact, repeated and grievous plagiarism can lead to the suspension of your studies at the majority of academic institutions!

7. Find a 'study buddy'

Having a similarly ambitious 'study buddy' is often undervalued by students, but the synergy achieved by working together can help both of you achieve considerably higher grades. It is important to note that you shouldn’t write your essays together, nor necessarily agree on the approach to be taken beforehand, as this leads to the risk of submitting two papers that are too similar – again linking back to the issue of plagiarism.

Instead, you should exchange essays with each other once you are both done with the first draft. It is immensely difficult to proofread your own work – one goes blind to minor grammatical issues in a text after reading it repeatedly for days on end. It is similarly easy to overlook gaps in flow and logic of argument. Having a friend read through the work will address both of these issues, assuming that they, too, are high achieving.

8. Write academically

Another common issue – particularly amongst first and second-year undergraduates – is that they tend to use rather non-academic language:

In this essay I will look at how people who buy art use cultural capital. My theory is that having more cultural capital will change their taste in art, as they are able to understand the pieces differently to other people.

Examples such as the above are unfortunately rather common, and should give you a good idea of what to avoid. The sentiment behind the text is good, but it reads more like a second-rate blog post than an academic essay. Academic writing should be more formal , concise, unbiased and include good use of rhetoric. As for the above example, an academic might instead write:

This essay explores the role of cultural capital in the consumption of art, and the impact of cultural capital on consumers’ perception of artistic expressions.

You will note that this second example is far more concise yet none of the meaning is lost. It also uses present (rather than future) tense, and avoids informal terms. Clear, concise, and precise language is a hallmark of academic writing.

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Types of Essays: A Comprehensive Guide to Writing Different Essay Types

When it comes to academic writing, essays are one of the most common assignments you will encounter. Essays are a way for you to showcase your understanding of a particular topic, and they come in various forms. Each type of essay has its unique characteristics, and it is essential to understand the differences between them to produce a well-written piece. In this article, we will explore the different types of essays you may encounter in your academic journey.

Types of Essays: Your Ultimate Guide to Essay Writing

Understanding Essays

Definition of essay.

An essay is a piece of writing that presents an argument or a point of view on a particular topic. It is a formal piece of writing that is usually written in the third person and is structured into paragraphs. Essays can be written on a variety of topics, ranging from literature to science, and can be of different lengths. They are often used in academic settings to assess a student’s understanding of a particular subject.

Purpose of Essay

The purpose of an essay is to persuade the reader to accept the writer’s point of view. Essays can be used to argue for or against a particular position, to explain a concept, or to analyze a text. The writer must provide evidence to support their argument and must use persuasive language to convince the reader of their position.

There are four main types of essays: argumentative, expository, narrative, and descriptive. Each type of essay has its own unique characteristics and is written for a different purpose. Understanding the different types of essays is essential for writing a successful essay.

Types of Essays

Narrative essay.

A narrative essay is a type of essay that tells a story. It is often written in the first person point of view, and it can be either fictional or non-fictional. This type of essay allows you to express yourself in a creative and personal way.

When writing a narrative essay, it is important to have a clear and concise thesis statement that sets the tone for the rest of the essay. The thesis statement should be specific and should reflect the main point of the essay. It should also be interesting and engaging to the reader.

One of the key elements of a successful narrative essay is the use of vivid and descriptive language. This helps to create a clear picture in the reader’s mind and makes the story more engaging. Additionally, it is important to use dialogue to bring the characters to life and to show their emotions and personalities.

Another important aspect of a narrative essay is the structure. It should have a clear beginning, middle, and end, and the events should be presented in chronological order. This helps the reader to follow the story and understand the sequence of events.

Descriptive Essay

In a descriptive essay, you are required to describe something, such as an event, a person, a place, a situation, or an object. The primary objective of a descriptive essay is to provide a detailed and vivid description of the topic. By using sensory details, such as sight, sound, touch, smell, and taste, you can create a picture in the reader’s mind and make them feel as if they are experiencing the topic themselves.

When writing a descriptive essay, it is important to choose a topic that you are familiar with and have a personal connection to. This will help you to convey your emotions and feelings effectively and make your essay more engaging and interesting to the reader.

To write a successful descriptive essay, you should follow these steps:

• Choose a topic that you are passionate about and have a personal connection to.
• Brainstorm and create an outline of your essay, including the main points you want to cover and the sensory details you will use.
• Use sensory details to create a vivid and engaging picture in the reader’s mind.
• Use figurative language, such as metaphors and similes, to add depth and complexity to your descriptions.
• Use transitions to connect your ideas and create a smooth flow of information.
• Revise and edit your essay to ensure that it is well-structured, organized, and error-free.

Expository Essay

An expository essay is a type of academic writing that aims to explain, describe, or inform the reader about a particular subject. This type of essay is based on facts, evidence, and examples, and it does not require the writer’s personal opinion or feelings. Expository essays can be written in various styles, including compare and contrast, cause and effect, and problem and solution.

Compare and Contrast Essay

A compare and contrast essay is a type of expository writing that involves comparing and contrasting two or more subjects. This type of essay aims to provide the reader with a better understanding of the similarities and differences between the subjects being compared. To write a successful compare and contrast essay, you need to identify the similarities and differences between the subjects, organize your ideas, and provide supporting evidence.

Cause and Effect Essay

A cause and effect essay is a type of expository writing that explores the causes and consequences of a particular event, situation, or phenomenon. This type of essay aims to explain the reasons behind a particular occurrence and its effects on individuals, society, or the environment. To write a successful cause and effect essay, you need to identify the causes and effects of the subject, organize your ideas, and provide supporting evidence.

Problem and Solution Essay

A problem and solution essay is a type of expository writing that focuses on a particular problem and proposes a solution to it. This type of essay aims to inform the reader about a particular issue and provide a viable solution to it. To write a successful problem and solution essay, you need to identify the problem, explain its causes, propose a solution, and provide supporting evidence.

Persuasive Essay

A persuasive essay is a type of academic writing that aims to persuade the reader to accept the writer’s point of view. In this type of essay, the writer presents their argument and supports it with evidence and reasoning to convince the reader to take action or believe in a particular idea.

To write a persuasive essay, you must first choose a topic that you are passionate about and can argue convincingly. Then, you need to research the topic thoroughly and gather evidence to support your argument. You should also consider the opposing viewpoint and address it in your essay to strengthen your argument.

The structure of a persuasive essay is similar to that of other types of essays. It consists of an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. In the introduction, you should grab the reader’s attention and clearly state your thesis statement. The body paragraphs should present your argument and evidence, and the conclusion should summarize your argument and restate your thesis statement.

To make your persuasive essay more effective, you can use various persuasive writing strategies, such as appealing to the reader’s emotions, using rhetorical questions, and using vivid language. You can also use statistics, facts, and examples to support your argument and make it more convincing.

Argumentative Essay

An argumentative essay is a type of essay that requires you to present a well-researched and evidence-based argument on a particular topic. The aim of this essay is to convince the reader of your stance on the topic by using logical reasoning and factual evidence.

To write an effective argumentative essay, it is important to have a clear and concise thesis statement that presents your position on the topic. This statement should be supported by strong evidence, such as quotations, statistics, and expert opinions. It is also important to consider and address potential counterarguments to your position.

One key aspect of an argumentative essay is the use of logical fallacies. These are errors in reasoning that can weaken your argument and make it less convincing. Some common logical fallacies include ad hominem attacks, false dichotomies, and straw man arguments. It is important to avoid these fallacies and instead rely on sound reasoning and evidence to support your argument.

When writing an argumentative essay, it is also important to consider your audience. Your tone and language should be appropriate for your intended audience, and you should anticipate and address any potential objections or concerns they may have about your argument.

Analytical Essay

An analytical essay is a type of academic writing that involves breaking down a complex topic or idea into smaller parts to examine it thoroughly. The purpose of this essay is to provide a detailed analysis of a particular subject and to present an argument based on the evidence gathered during the research.

When writing an analytical essay, it is crucial to have a clear thesis statement that outlines the main argument of the essay. The thesis statement should be specific and concise, and it should be supported by evidence from primary and secondary sources.

To write an effective analytical essay, you should follow these steps:

• Choose a topic that interests you and that you can research thoroughly.
• Conduct research to gather relevant information and evidence to support your thesis statement.
• Create an outline to organize your ideas and arguments.
• Write an introduction that provides background information on the topic and presents your thesis statement.
• Develop body paragraphs that provide evidence to support your thesis statement.
• Write a conclusion that summarizes your main points and restates your thesis statement.

When writing an analytical essay, it is important to focus on the analysis rather than just summarizing the information. You should critically evaluate the evidence and present your own interpretation of the data.

Critical Essay

A critical essay is a type of academic writing that involves analyzing, interpreting, and evaluating a text. In a critical essay, you must make a claim about how particular ideas or themes are conveyed in a text, and then support that claim with evidence from primary and/or secondary sources.

To write a successful critical essay, you must first read the text carefully and take notes on its main ideas and themes. You should also consider the author’s purpose and audience, as well as any historical or cultural context that may be relevant to the text.

When writing your critical essay, you should follow a clear and logical structure. Begin with an introduction that provides background information on the text and your thesis statement. In the body of your essay, you should provide evidence to support your thesis, using quotes and examples from the text as well as other sources.

It is important to be critical in your analysis, examining the text in detail and considering its strengths and weaknesses. You should also consider alternative interpretations and counterarguments, and address them in your essay.

Reflective Essay

A reflective essay is a type of academic essay that requires you to analyze and interpret an academic text, such as an essay, a book, or an article. Unlike a personal experience essay, a reflective essay involves critical thinking and evaluation of the material.

In a reflective essay, you are expected to reflect on your own learning and experiences related to the material. This type of essay requires you to think deeply about the material and analyze how it relates to your own experiences and knowledge.

To write a successful reflective essay, you should follow these steps:

• Choose a topic that is relevant to the material you are reflecting on.
• Analyze the material and identify key themes and concepts.
• Reflect on your own experiences and knowledge related to the material.
• Evaluate and analyze the material and your own experiences to draw conclusions and insights.
• Write a clear and concise essay that effectively communicates your reflections and insights.

Remember that a reflective essay is not just a summary of the material, but rather an analysis and evaluation of it. Use examples and evidence to support your reflections and insights, and be sure to use proper citation and referencing to acknowledge the sources of your information.

Personal Essay

A personal essay is a type of essay that involves telling a story about yourself, your experiences, or your feelings. It is often written in the first person point of view and can be a powerful way to share your unique perspective with others.

Personal essays can be used for a variety of purposes, such as college admissions, scholarship applications, or simply to share your thoughts and experiences with a wider audience. They can cover a wide range of topics, from personal struggles and triumphs to reflections on important life events.

When writing a personal essay, it is important to keep in mind that you are telling a story. This means that you should focus on creating a narrative that is engaging and compelling for your readers. You should also be honest and authentic in your writing, sharing your true thoughts and feelings with your audience.

To make your personal essay even more effective, consider incorporating descriptive language, vivid imagery, and sensory details. This can help bring your story to life and make it more memorable for your readers.

Synthesis Essay

A synthesis essay is a type of essay that requires you to combine information from multiple sources to create a cohesive argument. This type of essay is often used in academic writing and requires you to analyze, interpret, and evaluate information from various sources to support your thesis statement.

There are two main types of synthesis essays: explanatory and argumentative. An explanatory synthesis essay aims to explain a particular topic or issue by using different sources to provide a comprehensive overview. On the other hand, an argumentative synthesis essay requires you to take a stance on a particular issue and use evidence from multiple sources to support your argument.

When writing a synthesis essay, it is important to carefully analyze and interpret each source to ensure that the information you are using is relevant and accurate. You should also consider the credibility of each source and evaluate the author’s bias or perspective.

To effectively write a synthesis essay, you should follow a clear structure that includes an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. The introduction should provide background information on the topic and include a clear thesis statement. The body paragraphs should each focus on a specific aspect of the topic and provide evidence from multiple sources to support your argument. The conclusion should summarize your main points and restate your thesis statement.

Review Essay

A review essay is a type of academic writing that involves analyzing and evaluating a piece of work, such as a book, movie, or article. This type of essay requires you to provide a critical assessment of the work, highlighting its strengths and weaknesses. A successful review essay should provide the reader with a clear understanding of the work being reviewed and your opinion of it.

When writing a review essay, it is important to keep in mind the following guidelines:

• Length: A review essay should be between 1,000 and 1,500 words. This length allows for a thorough analysis of the text without becoming bogged down in details. Of course, the specific length will vary depending on the nature of the text being reviewed and the desired focus of the essay.
• Structure: A review essay should follow a clear and logical structure. Start with an introduction that provides some background information on the work being reviewed and your thesis statement. The body of the essay should provide a summary of the work and a critical analysis of its strengths and weaknesses. Finally, end with a conclusion that summarizes your main points and provides your final thoughts on the work.
• Evidence: A successful review essay should be supported by evidence from the work being reviewed. This can include direct quotes or paraphrases, as well as examples that illustrate your points.
• Critical Thinking: A review essay requires you to engage in critical thinking. This means that you must evaluate the work being reviewed in a thoughtful and analytical manner, considering both its strengths and weaknesses.

Research Essay

When it comes to writing a research essay, you must conduct in-depth independent research and provide analysis, interpretation, and argument based on your findings. This type of essay requires extensive research, critical thinking, source evaluation, organization, and composition.

To write a successful research essay, you must follow a specific structure. Here are some key components to include:

Introduction

The introduction should provide a brief overview of your research topic and state your thesis statement. Your thesis statement should clearly state your argument and the main points you will cover in your essay.

Literature Review

The literature review is a critical analysis of the existing research on your topic. It should provide a summary of the relevant literature, identify gaps in the research, and highlight the significance of your study.

Methodology

The methodology section should describe the methods you used to conduct your research. This may include data collection methods, sample size, and any limitations of your study.

The results section should present your findings in a clear and concise manner. You may use tables, graphs, or other visual aids to help convey your results.

The discussion section should interpret your results and provide a critical analysis of your findings. You should also discuss the implications of your research and how it contributes to the existing literature on your topic.

The conclusion should summarize your main findings and restate your thesis statement. You should also discuss the limitations of your study and suggest avenues for future research.

Report Essay

A report essay is a type of essay that presents and summarizes factual information about a particular topic, event, or issue. The purpose of a report essay is to provide readers with a clear and concise understanding of the subject matter. It is important to note that a report essay is not an opinion piece, but rather a neutral presentation of facts.

When writing a report essay, it is important to follow a structured format. The typical format includes an introduction, body, and conclusion. The introduction should provide background information on the topic and state the purpose of the report. The body should present the facts in a logical and organized manner, using headings and subheadings to help readers navigate the information. The conclusion should summarize the key findings and provide any recommendations or conclusions.

One of the key elements of a report essay is research. It is essential to conduct thorough research on the topic to ensure that the information presented is accurate and reliable. This may involve reviewing academic articles, government reports, and other sources of information. It is also important to cite all sources used in the report essay using a recognized citation style, such as APA or MLA.

Informal Essay

An informal essay, also known as a familiar or personal essay, is a type of essay that is written in a personal tone and style. This type of essay is often written as a reflection or commentary on a personal experience, opinion, or observation. Informal essays are usually shorter than formal essays and are often written in a conversational style.

In an informal essay, you are free to use first-person pronouns and to express your personal opinions and feelings. However, you should still strive to maintain a clear and concise writing style and to support your arguments with evidence and examples.

Informal essays can take many forms, including personal narratives, anecdotes, and reflections on current events or social issues. They can also be humorous or satirical in nature, and may include elements of fiction or creative writing.

When writing an informal essay, it is important to keep your audience in mind and to use language and examples that will be familiar and relatable to them. You should also be aware of your tone and style, and strive to create a voice that is engaging and authentic.

Short Essay

When it comes to writing a short essay, it is essential to convey your thoughts and ideas in a concise and clear manner. Short essays are usually assigned in the range of 250-750 words, and occasionally up to 1,000 words. Therefore, it is important to focus on the most important elements of your topic.

To write a successful short essay, you should start by selecting a topic that is interesting and relevant. Once you have chosen your topic, you should conduct thorough research to gather evidence and support for your argument. This will help you to develop a clear and concise thesis statement.

When writing your short essay, it is important to structure your ideas in a logical and coherent manner. You should start with an introduction that provides background information and a clear thesis statement. The body of your essay should be structured around your main points, with each paragraph focusing on a specific idea or argument. Finally, you should conclude your essay by summarizing your main points and restating your thesis statement.

To make your short essay more engaging and impactful, you may want to consider using bullet points, tables, and other formatting techniques to convey your ideas more clearly. Additionally, you should use strong and clear language, avoiding jargon and unnecessary words.

When it comes to academic writing, a long essay is a common type of assignment that you may encounter. This type of essay typically requires you to conduct extensive research and analysis on a specific topic.

The length of a long essay can vary depending on the assignment requirements, but it is usually longer than a standard essay. In general, a long essay can range from 2,500 to 5,000 words or more.

To write a successful long essay, it is important to have a clear understanding of the topic and to conduct thorough research. This may involve reading academic articles, books, and other sources to gather information and support your arguments.

In addition to research, a long essay should also have a clear and well-structured argument. This may involve outlining your main points and supporting evidence, as well as addressing any counterarguments or potential weaknesses in your argument.

Overall, a long essay requires a significant amount of time and effort to complete. However, by following a clear structure and conducting thorough research, you can produce a well-written and persuasive essay that meets the requirements of your assignment.

Some tips for writing a successful long essay include:

• Start early to give yourself enough time to research and write
• Break down the assignment into manageable sections
• Use clear and concise language
• Provide sufficient evidence to support your arguments
• Use proper citation and referencing to avoid plagiarism

Five Paragraph Essay

If you are a student, you have likely been assigned a five-paragraph essay at some point. This type of essay is commonly used in high school and college writing classes. The five-paragraph essay is a structured format that consists of an introduction, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion.

The introduction paragraph is where you present your thesis statement, which is the main idea or argument that you will discuss in your essay. This paragraph should grab the reader’s attention and provide some background information about the topic. It should also include a clear thesis statement that outlines what you will be discussing in the essay.

The three body paragraphs are where you provide evidence to support your thesis statement. Each paragraph should focus on a single point that supports your thesis. You should use specific examples and evidence to back up your claims. Each paragraph should also include a transition sentence that connects it to the next paragraph.

The conclusion paragraph is where you wrap up your essay and restate your thesis statement. This paragraph should summarize the main points of your essay and leave the reader with a clear understanding of your argument. You should avoid introducing any new information in the conclusion paragraph.

Scholarship Essay

A scholarship essay is a crucial document that can help you secure financial aid for your academic pursuits. It is a written statement that highlights your qualifications, accomplishments, and goals. Scholarship essays are typically required by organizations that offer scholarships to students. The essay is meant to help the organization understand why you are deserving of the scholarship and how it will help you achieve your academic and career goals.

To write an effective scholarship essay, it is important to understand the prompt and the organization offering the scholarship. Many scholarship essay prompts are open-ended, which means that you can write about any topic that is relevant to you. However, it is important to ensure that your essay is aligned with the values and goals of the scholarship organization.

When writing a scholarship essay, it is important to be concise and clear. Use simple language and avoid jargon or technical terms that the reader may not understand. Make sure that your essay is well-structured and organized, with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion. Use headings and subheadings to make your essay easy to read and navigate.

To make your scholarship essay stand out, use specific examples and anecdotes that demonstrate your qualifications and accomplishments. Use concrete details and avoid generalizations. Be honest and authentic, and avoid exaggerating or making false claims. Finally, proofread your essay carefully to ensure that it is free of errors and typos.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the different types of academic essays?

There are four main types of academic essays: argumentative, expository, narrative, and descriptive. Each type has its own unique purpose and structure, and it’s important to understand the differences between them in order to write effectively.

What are the parts of a standard essay?

A standard essay typically consists of three main parts: an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. The introduction should provide background information on the topic and include a thesis statement that outlines the main argument of the essay. The body should present evidence and support for the thesis statement, and the conclusion should summarize the main points and restate the thesis in a new way.

Can you provide examples of different types of essays?

Sure, here are some examples of each type of essay:

• Argumentative: An essay that presents a clear argument on a controversial topic, such as gun control or abortion.
• Expository: An essay that explains or describes a topic, such as how to bake a cake or the history of the Civil War.
• Narrative: An essay that tells a story, such as a personal experience or a fictional tale.
• Descriptive: An essay that uses sensory details to paint a picture of a person, place, or thing, such as a description of a sunset or a character in a novel.

How do you write a narrative essay?

To write a narrative essay, you should first choose a topic that is meaningful to you and has a clear beginning, middle, and end. Then, you should use descriptive language and sensory details to bring the story to life for the reader. Finally, you should reflect on the experience and what you learned from it.

What are the four main types of essays?

The four main types of essays are argumentative, expository, narrative, and descriptive. Each type has its own unique purpose and structure, and it’s important to understand the differences between them in order to write effectively.

What are the three parts of the essay format?

The three parts of the essay format are the introduction, the body, and the conclusion. The introduction should provide background information on the topic and include a thesis statement that outlines the main argument of the essay. The body should present evidence and support for the thesis statement, and the conclusion should summarize the main points and restate the thesis in a new way.

Last Updated on August 31, 2023

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• How to Write Better Essays: 5 Practical Tips

For many such students, each essay brings with it the challenge of making it that little bit better than the last one. The problem is that when you write essays regularly, it’s easy to get stuck in a rut of repeating the same formula each time – particularly when you already receive good feedback from the teachers who read them. So how do you take your essays to the next level and go from great to brilliant? Here are some practical tips and techniques that will help you write consistently impressive essays, especially if you’re considering attending an Oxford summer school .

1. Read other people’s essays

Just as the books you read subconsciously help mould your own writing style , so reading other people’s essays can help you develop and build on your own essay-writing style. Try to read a range of other essays, including those of your peers and of academics. Read essays on a wide variety of subjects, not necessarily just those that you’re studying; different disciplines might apply different kinds of arguments or styles, so the wider you read, the more possible techniques there are for you to pick up and use in essays of your own. As you read other people’s essays, don’t just take them at face value. Be critical: what do you like about them? What don’t you like about them? How persuasive do you think they are? Is the argument a balanced one, with points adequately supported with evidence? Has the writer used any techniques you’ve not seen before? Another good source of essays is the broadsheet newspapers . Read the opinion pieces and dissect how the writer has supported their points with evidence, and again, be critical; note where they’ve left things out to try to persuade you to a particular opinion. Essays should be balanced, so you can learn from the best of these writers and pick up some techniques to help you shape a balanced piece.

2. Build your vocabulary and use it properly

A good vocabulary will allow you to express exactly what you mean, as clearly and concisely as possible. Economy with words is a characteristic of all good essays, because readers (and essay-markers) don’t like having their time wasted with long, rambling points that could have been expressed in half the number of words. One way of ensuring that you can communicate clearly and to the point is through accurate and effective use of advanced vocabulary. A good essay writer should never rest on their laurels when it comes to vocabulary; it’s something you should be working on continually, as there are always new words to learn that could help convey a point more effectively. What’s more, deploying a good vocabulary displays intelligence and allows you to be more persuasive in your essay-writing. Here are some ways in which you can build your vocabulary: – Subscribe to a ‘word a day’ email (such as this one from Merriam-Webster). Create a folder in your email account for new word emails, so that you can file each email away and have them all in one place ready to flick through and learn from in an idle moment. – Read widely, and refer to a dictionary for words you don’t know as you go along; this way, you’ll learn the new word as well as seeing it in context so you know how to use it properly. Read different genres of fiction, and non-fiction covering a range of topics, and you’ll have the added bonus of widening your general knowledge as well as your vocabulary. – Use a thesaurus – if you find yourself using the same words over and over again, add variety to your language by looking up those words in a thesaurus and finding other words that mean the same thing. A word of warning: words you find in a thesaurus can’t always be used interchangeably; even words with similar meanings can differ subtly in a way that makes them inappropriate in certain contexts, so find examples of a word used correctly before you use a new word for the first time. – Learn prefixes, suffixes and roots – it sounds boring, but this shortcut will help you learn a great many more words. Many roots come from Latin and Greek words, such as “bene” in Latin, meaning “good”, which gives rise to words such as “benefactor”, “benevolent” and “benefit”. It’s often possible to deduce the meaning of a new word if you know its root and read it in context. Prefixes are added to the beginning of a word to change the meaning, such as “semi” or “ante”, while suffixes are added to the end, such as “-able” or “-ance”. – Start a vocabulary book – you probably have one if you’re learning a foreign language, so why not have one for your native language as well? Buy yourself a nice notepad and use it to collect new words and their meanings. The act of writing down the definition will help you remember it, and you could include an example of how the word is used to increase your chances of memorising it for use in essays. It may help to have different sections for words on particular themes; you could have a general section, and then further parts of the notebook could be dedicated to words of use in history essays, science essays and so on.

3. Elevator pitching your essays

We’ve probably all had it hammered into us that we should write an essay plan before we start writing, but before you even do that, you need to know what the argument you’re going to make actually is. Only then can you start writing the structure for an essay that builds up to your overall conclusion. To condense what you’re trying to say into a short, snappy summary for you to work from, try making an ‘Elevator Pitch’ style summary of what you intend to write and why readers should be interested in it. The Elevator Pitch is a technique used by salespeople when condensing the arguments for buying a product into the shortest possible summary of why a customer should consider a purchase. The salesperson is told to imagine themselves in a lift; in the time it takes for that lift to reach the desired floor, they should have given a compelling argument in favour of that product that would result in the customer buying it, or at least wanting to know more. Your Elevator Pitch for your essay should sell the idea of it to a reader, leaving them wanting to read the essay in question. This is quite a tough exercise, as it forces you to be ruthlessly concise in your thinking and choice of words; but you can use this summary to help you write your introduction, and it’ll help you achieve clarity in what you’re trying to say.

4. Tell the reader what other people say

We’ve mentioned this on a previous article on essay writing, but it seems pertinent to mention it here too. Essays are a chance for you to show off how widely read you are, so make sure you quote other people’s opinions, and original sources , on what you’re writing about. For example, if you were to write a history essay on early religious practices in Britain, you could quote original texts on that topic (such as Bede’s Ecclesiastical History of the English People) and also mention what a range of modern scholars have to say about the topic. Contrasting views should be sought; it’s unlikely that everyone agrees on the topic, so show you’ve looked at all the possible angles. For each of the subjects you’re studying, start a page in a notebook for important people in that field, with a summary of when they lived and what their views are. That way, you’ll have something to refer to when you’re writing an essay and want to consult appropriate scholars or other writers whose opinions you might wish to include. Don’t quote too much; mix citations with your own opinions so that it doesn’t look as though you have to hide behind other people’s words. It’s fine to disagree with a scholar you quote, provided you can give evidence and reasoning for doing so. This shows that you have thought about it and made your own mind up, rather than blindly accepting what that scholar has said; this demonstrates strong critical reasoning skills, one of the hallmarks of brilliant students.

5. Syntax, punctuation and tone of voice

You may not consciously realise it when you’re reading, but sophisticated sentence structures make the world of difference to how intelligent you sound. As we’ve already said, the most important consideration when you’re writing is making yourself easy for readers to understand; but you can still do this and utilise a range of interesting syntax at the same time. Employ a variety of sentence structures, long and short, but don’t let your sentences become too long and rambling, or they become difficult to read. Effective punctuation is vital in conveying your arguments persuasively; the last thing a teacher or lecturer wants to read is an essay riddled with poor grammar. What’s more, the reader shouldn’t have to read a sentence more than once to understand it. You probably already have a tone of voice you use for writing essays, but is it interesting and engaging? Read through some of your old essays and ask yourself honestly whether you find them absorbing. If they’re not, it could well be because you’ve not established the right tone of voice. Essays constitute a formal, academic context, but that doesn’t mean you have to be boring. A confident tone of voice will help show the reader that you know what you’re talking about and reassure them that they’re in safe hands. Writing in the active rather than the passive voice is a well-known trick of the trade that writers use to give their writing a sense of immediacy and make it more compelling; you too can deploy this technique in your essays by steering clear of the passive voice (for example, rather than writing “Much work is being done to…”, say “Scholars are putting a great deal of effort into…”). Over the course of an entire essay, you’d be surprised what a difference this makes to your tone.

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Comment écrire un bon essai d’anglais et bluffer le correcteur ?

• Prépa Économique , Prépa Littéraire
• 09 octobre 2021
• Titouan Chopin

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Major Prépa > Académique > Langues > Anglais > Comment écrire un bon essai d’anglais et bluffer le correcteur ?

L’essay est un exercice incontournable des concours des grandes écoles de commerce et c’est pourquoi, dans cet article, je vais te donner quelques conseils méthodologiques afin de cartonner à cette épreuve. Je vais ici m’attarder sur l’essai d’anglais mais tu peux bien entendu appliquer ces astuces pour les autres langues. Pour une méthodologie plus précise sur la rédaction de la Q1 et la Q2 tu peux consulter cet article qui y est dédié . Il te donnera les clés pour les réussir à la perfection.

Les attentes pour l’essay

Pour réussir cet exercice, il y a une méthode à maîtriser, et des fondamentaux à avoir en tête. Ton essai reposera sur deux piliers : la forme et le fond. Il va falloir que tu démontres à la fois ta capacité à établir un raisonnement à l’aide de connaissances civilisationnelles et d’actualité, et en même temps ta capacité à manier la langue anglaise. En fait, acquérir la méthode de l’essai d’anglais c’est surtout comprendre les attentes, les satisfaire, et, pour bluffer le correcteur, savoir faire la différence avec des exemples originaux et des tournures maîtrisées à la perfection. 

Pour épater ton correcteur, le premier impératif est d’éliminer toutes les fautes de grammaire et d’orthographe dans ton essay. Cela demande un travail de relecture et de concentration important, mais c’est indispensable pour prétendre à des notes excellentes. Si tu suis les conseils à venir et que tu arrives à utiliser des tournures originales dans ton essai d’anglais, une seule faute te décrédibilisera et enlèvera toute l’authenticité de ton essai. Il faut donc avoir un anglais impeccable, sans faute de grammaire ou d’orthographe. J’ai bien dit « avoir un anglais impeccable » et non avoir « un anglais élaboré voire exceptionnel ». L’erreur que font beaucoup de candidats est de vouloir transmettre impérativement leurs idées même s’ils n’arrivent pas à le faire correctement. Cela donne donc des devoirs avec certes un véritable contenu mais qui reçoivent une mauvaise note car ce n’est pas le contenu le plus important. Vous ne devez écrire sur votre copie que ce sur quoi vous n’avez aucun doute en ce qui concerne la correction grammaticale ou orthographique. 

Améliorer la langue en essai d’anglais

Tu l’as compris : la langue est le socle de ton essai, il faut qu’elle soit soignée. L’essay est un exercice où la forme prime sur le contenu. Pour s’améliorer en anglais, il faut arriver à passer un certain cap au niveau de la langue. Le fond se travaille sur la durée, pendant les deux (ou trois) années de prépa, en lisant des articles, écoutant des podcasts… Tu peux aussi utiliser les ressources de Major-Prépa pour consolider le fond de tes essais d’anglais : des références culturelles ,  des informations sur les grands thèmes . La langue se travaille également sur la durée, mais il est possible de s’améliorer rapidement et de briller en essay grâce à quelques heures consacrées intelligemment au travail de la langue. 

Il est intéressant de faire ce travail un peu fastidieux en première année quand tu as plus de temps pour ensuite consolider les réflexes de langue. Mais si tu es en deuxième année, il n’est pas trop tard pour prétendre à l’excellence en essai d’anglais. Pour améliorer ta langue, je te conseille de lire régulièrement des articles de journaux sur internet. Il ne faut pas perdre trop de temps avec des exercices de grammaire (même s’ils restent indispensables pour avoir de solides bases) car ton cerveau, en lisant beaucoup d’articles, va savoir intuitivement si ce que tu écris est correct ou non. Mais attention, il ne faut pas faire des lectures passives si tu comptes les exploiter pour améliorer tes essais. 

Les articles en anglais tirés de The Economist , The Guardian , The Washington Post , The Conversation ou autres, seront ta mine d’or pour être original dans tes essais. Je te conseille de te créer un document, ou d’avoir un petit carnet dans lequel tu relèves les tournures idiomatiques intéressantes que tu vas rencontrer au cours de tes lectures. Il peut s’agir de tournures de phrases, de mots originaux ou d’expressions idiomatiques. Pour pouvoir les réutiliser dans tes essais d’anglais, il ne faut pas que tu les relèves sans contexte, je te conseille de noter le bout de phrase dans lequel ils sont, ou même la phrase entière. Cela te permettra de les réutiliser à bon escient, et de la façon la moins maladroite possible. En effet, il y a un risque lorsque tu fais ce travail de réutilisation d’expressions, c’est de rendre ton essai très maladroit en utilisant des expressions qui n’ont pas du tout leur place dans le contexte. L’objectif est de rendre un essai qui témoigne d’un anglais maîtrisé et authentique. Ainsi fais toujours bien attention à comprendre comment s’utilise telle ou telle tournure. C’est pour cela que retenir des phrases entières et non des tournures seules peut t’éviter d’écrire de grosses bêtises. Tu peux t’inspirer pour cela de notre article te donnant des exemples d’expressions et de mots pour faire la différence en essai . Mais il est important que tu te constitues ton document personnel, tu retiendras mieux et les mots te viendront plus facilement lorsque tu rédigeras un essay. 

Utiliser des synonymes en essai d’anglais

Sur le plan de la langue, il est important de montrer au correcteur que tu as un lexique assez riche, surtout en ce qui concerne les mots basiques qui sont très souvent utilisés en essai d’anglais.  Ainsi, il peut t’être utile de te constituer un répertoire de synonymes, et de t’entraîner à les utiliser tout au long de l’année dans tes différents essais et colles d’anglais. Il y a deux méthodes pour cela : soit tu relèves les mots lors de tes lectures d’articles, soit, lorsque tu écris des essais d’anglais et que tu as l’impression de réutiliser le même mot à plusieurs reprises dans ton essay, tu cherches ses synonymes sur un site spécialisé (Tu peux utiliser celui-ci ). Quelques exemples : 

• Au lieu d’utiliser le mot “ important ” 5 fois dans ton essai, tu peux utiliser : crucial, essential, far-reaching. 
• Pour parler d’un exemple , tu peux enrichir “example” en écrivant “a telling example”, “a case in point”, ou bien même utiliser un verbe (to illustrate, to epitomize)

Les collocations dans un essay

En linguistique, une collocation est une association habituelle d’un mot à un autre au sein d’une phrase. L’utilisation de collocations en essay d’anglais est une astuce pour paraître plus authentique. En français, des exemples de collocations sont “relever un défi”, “un vif intérêt”… Apprendre des collocations plutôt que des mots seuls te permettra d’être certain que ce que tu écris n’est pas maladroit. Encore une fois, l’authenticité de la langue dans ton essai est primordiale ! Il existe des centaines de collocations, que tu rencontreras au fur et à mesure de tes lectures. Mais pour te faciliter le travail, Major-Prépa t’a concocté un quiz rassemblant cinquante collocations à connaître et à réutiliser en essai d’anglais. 

Tu peux donc retenir ces trois points pour briller par la langue en essai d’anglais : la maîtrise (élimination des fautes), l’originalité (l’utilisation de tournures idiomatiques) et la richesse (utilisation de synonymes).  

Méthode de l’essai d’anglais : la structure

D’autre part, il faut tout de même produire un travail organisé. Pour cela, je vais te donner une astuce applicable pour chaque sujet.  Dès l’introduction, il te faut présenter la thèse que tu défends, c’est-à-dire ton opinion sur le sujet. L’essay est un exercice qui demande de prendre position. Ne le fais pas à la fin, tu dois le faire dès le début ! Le développement, en 3 parties, peut se résumer en 4 mots : certes, mais, de plus. La première partie « certes » est une petite concession que tu vas faire à ta thèse. La deuxième partie va présenter un argument fort (plus fort que la petite concession) pour défendre ta thèse. La dernière partie est un argument supplémentaire qui va défendre ta thèse et te permettre d’enfoncer le clou. La conclusion est classique : il faut reprendre la thèse du début et redire rapidement pourquoi tu l’as défendue.

Un exemple d’essai d’anglais sur l’environnement ayant reçu 16/20 pour illustrer cette méthode

Sujet : pensez-vous que les récentes actions de politique internationale  concernant l’environnement sont susceptibles de stopper le réchauffement climatique ? (rédigé vers mars 2017, version originale)

« As each year sets new records as regards world temperatures, climate change has become a burning issue for our century. Despite international commitments to put the brakes on this phenomenon, I will demonstrate that such global initiatives are unlikely to succeed .

It is true to say that the 2015 COP 21 in Paris was, in a way, a success. At least fifty-five states, responsible for at least fifty-five percent of greenhouse effect emissions eventually agreed on reducing theirs in order to maintain climate change below 2 degrees Celsius. Even the biggest polluters – China and the United States- ratified it, which gives hope regarding the global will to protect our environment.

However , it is not said that countries will implement policies efficient enough to guarantee this 2-degree increase. Moreover, the environment does not seem to be currently either on developing countries or on western countries political agenda, albeit one of the most serious issues of our times. People tend to have short-term views on this problem, whereas they should foresee what might affect future generations on Earth.

Furthermore , some people even deny the fact that human actions could have any effect on climate change. Very few scientists are skeptical about the way mankind progressively harms its environment. That does not prevent President-elect Donald Trump from having in his cabinet change-deniers, though. If those in charge do not believe in ecological solutions, the situation becomes critical.

At the end of the day , the current political situation only allows pessimism regarding climate change. Global policy-makers, lured by short-term profit, do not dare to bet that sustainable energy could represent a lucrative return on investment.”

Quelques enseignements supplémentaires que vous pouvez tirer à la suite de la lecture de cet essay d’anglais : les connaissances utilisées pour rédiger ce devoir sont vraiment communes voire banales. Il est donc inutile de suivre l’actualité comme un forcené pour écrire un très bon essay d’anglais. À nouveau, cela vaut aussi pour les autres langues ! Ce qui est frappant est la précision du vocabulaire et l’utilisation de mots « rares ». D’où l’intérêt de se faire un petit répertoire personnel.

Cependant, il te sera essentiel de suivre l’actualité pour certains sujets. Plus encore, l’actualité ne doit pas être négligée dans la perspective des oraux. Tu peux retrouver ici une bonne méthodologie pour la ficher efficacement et ne pas perdre trop de temps . En espérant que cela va vous être utile pour orienter votre travail dans les langues vivantes et la rédaction de votre essay.

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Essay Writing Skills & Techniques

Many of our articles and guides frequently refer to essay writing, so to simplify this, we have collated our best essay writing skills and techniques into one section to assist students and teachers in learning the fundamentals of writing a wide variety of essays, learning the essential elements of all essays and even provide some activities and resource to help you along the way.

WHAT IS AN ESSAY?

Defining an essay is challenging as it crosses many genres and elements of writing. Still, in simple terms, an essay is a piece of writing allowing the author to state an argument, justify their position on a topic, express their emotions, and interpret information, facts and procedures.

The term essay comes from the Latin word ‘exagium’, meaning the presentation of a case or, as we may more commonly say “stating your case.” When writing a high-quality essay, it should be considered your definitive opportunity to have your say on something of meaning and purpose to you so make every word count by following our step-by-step guides below.

ESSAY WRITING SKILLS

How to Start an Essay with Strong Hooks and Leads

Top 5 Essay Writing Tips

How to write a perfect 5 Paragraph Essay

Essay Writing: A complete guide for students and teachers

The Writing Process

How to write a Conclusion

Top Research strategies for Students

Perfect Paragraph Writing: The Ultimate Guide

Teaching Proofreading and Editing Skills

Punctuation rules for students and teachers: A complete guide

Teaching Fact and Opinion

Point of view in literacy: A guide for students and teachers

Sentence Structure: A Complete Guide (With Examples & Tasks)

How to Summarize an Article

HOW TO WRITE A HYPOTHESIS

Guides for specific essay types.

How To Write a My Best Friend Essay

How to Write a Compare and Contrast Essay

How to Write Excellent Expository Essays

How to write an Argumentative Essay

How to Write Perfect Persuasive Essays in 5 Simple Steps

How to Write a Novel Study: A Complete Guide for Students & Teachers

How to Write a Biography

How to Write a Book Review: The Ultimate Guide

How to Write an Excellent Explanation Text

How to Write a Recount Text (And Improve your Writing Skills)

How to write a text response

Narrative Writing: A Complete Guide for Teachers and Students

How to write excellent Procedural Texts

How to Write an Excellent Information Report

How to Write a Historical Recount Text

Personal Narrative Writing Guide

Teaching resources and lessons to support essay writing.

Top 25 Essay Topics for 2024

Glossary of literary terms

7 Evergreen Writing Activities for Elementary Students

The Author’s Purpose for students and teachers

The Ultimate Guide to Opinion Writing for Students and Teachers

Top 7 High School Writing Skills for Students and Teachers

5 Top Persuasive Writing Lesson Plans for Students and Teachers

Explanation Texts: Top 5 Writing tips for younger students

How to Write a Winning Debate Speech

23 Persuasive writing Topics for High School students

Don’t forget that we have loads of essay writing prompts and loads of essay resources and tools you can download today and use with your students.

Évitez les fautes dans vos écrits académiques

Évitez le plagiat gratuitement, faire une bibliographie gratuitement.

• Dissertation

Essay : comment faire une dissertation en anglais ?

Publié le 1 août 2019 par Justine Debret . Mis à jour le 7 décembre 2020.

Dans votre parcours scolaire, vous allez devoir produire beaucoup d’écrits académiques, dont quelques-uns seront en anglais. Il n’est pas anodin de rédiger un essay (une dissertation en anglais).

Pas de panique, nous allons vous expliquer comment faire un bon essay dans la langue de Shakespeare !

Table des matières

• Qu’est-ce qu’un essay ?

6 règles d’or pour réussir son essay

La structure d’un essay, exemple d’essay, qu’est-ce qu’un essay  .

Un essay est une dissertation en anglais. Cet exercice académique doit respecter une méthodologie très différente des règles de la dissertation française.

L’ essay doit être personnel et mettre en exergue la position de l’auteur sur le sujet. N’hésitez pas à donner votre avis en argumentant fortement dans cette dissertation en anglais.

Corriger des documents en 5 minutes

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• Correction d'un document en 5 minutes
• Appliquer les modifications en 1 clic
• Corriger des documents pendant 30 jours

Essayez le correcteur IA

Voici 6 consignes que vous devez suivre pour réussir votre dissertation en anglais. Il vous faut les respecter à la lettre !

1. Soyez concis

Un essay ne doit pas faire 20 pages. Vous aurez normalement des consignes de taille précises. Le respect du nombre de mots dans un essay fait partie des critères de notation et vous pouvez être pénalisé en cas de manquement.

Exemple de consigne pour un essay

Your essay should not be longer than 500 words (+ or – 10%). Otherwise, we will subtract 5 points to your final grade.

2. N’utilisez pas les contractions

Dans un essay, les contractions sont interdites. Elles ne s’utilisent pas dans les écrits académiques.

3. Utilisez des mots de liaison

Il est très important de structurer votre essay avec des mots de liaison. Ainsi, le lecteur saura où vous en êtes dans votre démonstration.

4. Utilisez “I” et pas “we”

En français, il est d’usage d’employer “nous” ( we ) dans les dissertations. Toutefois, pour un essay , on privilégie le “je” ( I ).

La dissertation en anglais est plus personnelle et vous devez vous approprier l’argumentation.

5. Ne soyez pas neutre

En français, nous faisons souvent un plan de type “thèse, antithèse, synthèse” sans vraiment prendre partie.

Pour un essay , vous devez choisir votre camp ! Exprimez votre opinion personnelle et argumentez jusqu’au bout.

6. Utilisez des exemples et données

Pour chaque grande idée, il faudra illustrer vos propos avec des exemples concrets et des données (chiffres, pourcentages, …)

Vous pouvez utiliser des formulations clés pour structurer votre essay .

Voici un exemple complet d’essay sur le thème de la démocratie. Télécharger un exemple d’ essay

Citer cet article de Scribbr

Si vous souhaitez citer cette source, vous pouvez la copier/coller ou cliquer sur le bouton “Citez cet article” pour l’ajouter automatiquement à notre Générateur de sources gratuit.

Debret, J. (2020, 07 décembre). Essay : comment faire une dissertation en anglais ?. Scribbr. Consulté le 10 septembre 2024, de https://www.scribbr.fr/dissertation-fr/essay/

Cet article est-il utile ?

Justine Debret

D'autres étudiants ont aussi consulté..., emplois communs des temps dans les thèses en anglais, erreurs fréquentes en anglais, formules et mots de liaison à utiliser dans un mémoire en anglais.

Improve Essays with Creative Writing Techniques

Last updated: 5th september 2024.

Rhys Mackenzie

10 creative writing techniques to improve your essays.

Want to improve your essay writing? Take notes of these 10 different creative writing tips to ensure your next assignment stands out against the rest.

1. Freewriting

In the first stages of your writing; whether it be essays or fiction, it’s always a good idea to sit down and brainstorm any initial ideas. In particular, freewriting is a popular creative writing technique used by lots of artists to help them begin to think and brainstorm their ideas.

Freewriting was developed by Peter Elbow in 1973, and similar to brainstorming, encourages the writer to keep writing without stopping. Writers are encouraged to write down every idea they can think of (no matter how wrong or irrelevant it may be – you can judge this later) and do so without worrying about grammar or spelling.

In turn, it’s believed that freewriting helps to:

• Increase the flow of ideas – reducing the chance of forgetting to include a good one.
• Helps to increase fluency when writing for longer periods of time.

For essays, this could involve writing the question in the middle of a piece of paper and then mind-mapping any thoughts or ideas that come to mind. This mind map can include literally anything that you can think of that’s relevant to your essay; from what types of questions you may need to cover in your essay, to previous pieces of text you’ve read that may be useful as evidence.

You don’t want to spend too much time on this section, after all – it is just an initial brainstorm. So, set yourself a timer for ten minutes, plug in your favourite playlist, and let the ideas flow naturally.

Using this creative essay writing technique will really help you to gather some initial ideas on what your essay might explore, and will get you ‘in the zone’ to begin your research and planning.

2. Create a Storyboard/Outline

Once you’ve gathered your initial thoughts on your essay topic, you’re going to want to start formulating them into a plan of how to tackle your assignment. After all, there’s nothing worse than sitting down in front of your computer and thinking “So, where do I go from here?”

Before it comes to putting pen to paper, creative writers always produce an outline of what direction their story is going to take and what it is they want their writing to say. For essays, it should be no different.

Storyboards are an excellent creative writing technique to help writers prepare narratives, either with a brief story outlining the plot diagram (or in this case, the ‘plot’ of your essay), or with an extended illustration of the story, broken into ‘frames’ (or in your case, into paragraphs).

Though it does not need to be long, you should still create a basic outline which includes; the introduction/the thesis, and the main points you want to discuss, followed by the conclusion that draws it all together and summarizes an answer to the thesis. Remember to include any evidence you may need to use to back up your points. Ultimately, as long as it’s clear and makes sense to you, it doesn’t matter how you go about creating your essay outline.

3. Think About Your Reader, Constantly

When it comes to writing, you must always bear your reader in mind. You need to have a clear understanding of who will be reading your essay and how you can write in a way that will hold their attention throughout it.

Creative writers, spend a lot of editing time to ensure that their writing is as engaging as it can be, often including lots of intricate details and additional snippets of information to enrich the story.

Although essay writing is usually limited by strict word counts and the genre in which you are writing, you should still make way for plenty of editing time during the writing process so you can make your essay as engaging as possible.

If you are writing an essay for a teacher who has set you the question, then they probably have at least another 15 or 20 essays to read in the marking process. Though it’s important for you to still include the obvious, it’s a good idea to try and be original in your writing – perhaps trying a new structure, or including arguments from lesser-known but still relevant thinkers and writers which may spark the reader’s interest.

Use a combination of different sentence starters and structures to keep your writing fresh and interesting. Good flow is critical to making your essay easy to read – so check this too as you’re editing through your writing. You want to create a fine balance between using new sentence starters and making your essay difficult to read.

4. Live Within Your Writing

Any great writer will tell you that the secret to their success is by living amongst their writing. Okay, not literally – but by knowing every minute detail that goes on within the realm of their story.

For example – they may be writing a short story about a knight who is on a conquest to rescue a princess from a tower. However, if you asked the writer what that character ate for breakfast, or what time they went to bed the previous night, they’d be able to give you an answer because they know their characters so well.

This should be no different from your essay writing. Make sure you know and understand every detail of your essay, and, if you have the room, expand on it within the body of your text.

These details can be anything from interesting facts about any Literature or writers you’re critically reviewing, to unique details about theories to demonstrate your reading around the subject. Remember, the more you can convince the reader that you are a master of your topic, the easier they will find it to grade you highly!

5. Always Create an Enticing Opening

If you ever pursue Creative Writing as a summer course or as a main subject in further education, one of the most common creative writing tips you’ll be given is to create the best opening possible. The start of your writing sets the entire premise for the rest of your work; you need to give the best impression possible to convince your readers that they will enjoy the text.

Creative writing often opens with a hook that will grab the reader’s attention from the start. Through ways of disrupting chronology, using vivid imagery, or posing thought-provoking questions, all writers aim to achieve maximum impact from the start and entice the audience to continue reading.

As with any good piece of writing, you need to ensure your essays have something enticing to offer the reader from the start. Your reader will make an initial impression of your writing right from the very first sentence: begin with a solid introduction and they’ll be keen to keep reading on.

There are a few ways to create an enticing opening. You could try using rhetorical questions to make them become active in their reading, or use imagery to paint the scene of your essay like you would as a creative writer. You could even include a quote from an authoritative writer which sums up the premise of your essay, demonstrating your wider reading.

Just remember, your tutor or teacher will probably have lots of other essays to mark. If you can make yours interesting and stand out from the very beginning, you’ll engage them much more than if you were to follow the same pattern as all your other classmates.

6. Enrich Your Writing with Detail

Ask any reader or writer what makes writing engaging, and they’ll tell you it’s all about the detail.

Read the two following excerpts of text:

“William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon on April 23, 1564, to his parents Mary Arden and John Shakespeare. Shakespeare was the third child of eight.”

“On a quiet spring day on April 23, 1564, Mary Arden and John Shakespeare welcomed their third child, a son named William Shakespeare. Born and raised in the thriving market town of Stratford-upon-Avon, Shakespeare grew up amongst a large family of eight siblings – but by no means did the business of family life ever affect his talents.”

Which one did you prefer? The one with the detail? Precisely.

Just as creative writers include plenty of detail and description to enrich their work, so should you with your essays. Essays can become quite dry if you solely focus on the academic, but you can include extra details to keep them exciting.

Though this may be difficult for essays with a strict word limit or ones that are quite scientific, you can definitely add relevant details to essays which are centred around the humanities, literature , theatre, or history . For example, if writing about a play by Bertolt Brecht, you can mention the political changes that were occurring in his home country in the time and how these influenced his work.

Including extra details and snippets of information will not only keep your reader engaged, but demonstrate your confidence to read around the topic and take your learning to the next level; this self-guided, independent study will really impress the reader and could earn you extra marks.

7. Don’t Conclude with Ambiguity

To be ambiguous or not – that really is the question. Creative writers often have mixed feelings about using ambiguity as an effective creative writing technique.

Sometimes, leaving an open ending can be great for letting the reader make up their own opinion on the subject, but most often, audiences are irritated by ambiguity because they want to know the full resolution of a story. But this is certainly a mistake you don’t want to make when writing your essay!

Ensure you always fully conclude your essay so the examiner/marker understands what you have learned during the process and what your final answer to the essay question is. Unlike creative writing, your teacher needs to know that you’ve understood and formed a final conclusion on your work – it’s literally what will earn you marks.

But you also need to make sure that this conclusion is clear and easy to find. With lots of essays to mark, your teacher will be looking for a clear and concise ending point – don’t be ambiguous or ‘fluffy’ or, like most readers, they will get frustrated.

8. Edit, Edit, Edit!

Editing is arguably one of the most important creative writing techniques all writers must use. It’s nearly impossible to write the perfect piece of literature in your first draft. Especially with essay writing.

Stephen King wrote in his memoir on the craft: “Kill your darlings, kill your darlings, even when it breaks your egocentric little scribbler’s heart, kill your darlings.”

And he makes a great point. When editing, especially when needing to cut down on word counts, it can be really difficult to comprehend cutting out sections of text you’ve spent time constructing with care.

But to make your work the best it possibly can be, you need to be brutally honest with yourself and ask the question; “is this really adding value to my work?” If not, scrap it and, if you have space in the word count – add something even more enriching.

Ensure that when you are planning your essay, you leave enough time to review and edit your first draft. Go back to it after a break and read it through with a fresh pair of eyes. You may spot some glaringly obvious mistakes which you may have missed in the first draft!

9. Peer Review

Using your peers to review your work is another effective creative essay writing technique to ensure your final piece of work is the best it can be.

Lots of creative writers will ask their friends, editors, and even focus groups to read and review their work as part of the editing process. Peer reviews can offer many insightful details including:

• Finding any loopholes or incomplete stories
• Checking for grammatical and spelling errors
• Help to cut out irrelevant details and ‘waffle’

Once you’ve completed and edited your essay, why not ask a friend or family member to read through and sense-check it. It’s worth asking someone outside of your class to read through, so not to give them any ideas for their own ideas! They’ll help you to identify any sections that don’t make sense, may need improvements, or have incorrect grammar or spelling.

Peer reviews can be daunting; your writing is a product that you’ve created all on your own, and it can be nerve-wracking for someone else to criticize your work. But remember that all criticism is there to help make your writing better and hopefully earn you more marks. It can only benefit your essay!

10. Keep a Note of Your Ideas

All great writers keep a notebook by their side, ready to jot down any ideas that they may think of or learn about. This is a great thing to do with essay writing too – you’ll be surprised how many ideas may pop into your mind randomly, such as when you’re out and about shopping, or on your commute to class – and they could be your best ideas yet!

This doesn’t just have to be during the process of writing just one essay. Any ideas that didn’t make the final cut for one piece of work may just be helpful for another in the future – so keep them in a safe place, should you ever need some inspiration!

How can creative writing techniques improve my essay?

Creative writing techniques can make your essay more engaging, detailed, and enjoyable to read. They can help you to think outside the box, create vivid imagery, and structure your work more appealingly.

Can I use creative writing techniques for scientific essays?

Yes, although scientific essays often have stricter guidelines, you can still use creative techniques to make your writing more engaging. This includes using detailed descriptions, creating an enticing introduction, and ensuring your conclusion is clear and concise.

How important is editing in essay writing?

Editing is crucial in essay writing. It allows you to refine your ideas, correct mistakes, and ensure your writing is clear and concise. It can also help you to cut out irrelevant details and improve the overall quality of your work.

Should I always use peer review for my essays?

While it's not always necessary, peer review can provide valuable feedback and help you to identify areas for improvement. It can also give you a fresh perspective on your work and help you to refine your ideas.

How can I make my essay stand out?

To make your essay stand out, use creative writing techniques to create an engaging introduction, detailed body paragraphs, and a clear conclusion. Ensure your writing is well-structured, free of errors, and includes interesting and relevant details.

Creative writing and academic essay writing actually have a lot more in common than you may have once thought; both ultimately aim to engage an audience and convey a particular message, theory, or point of view.

In this respect, using creative writing techniques within your essay planning and writing can help you to produce a more enriching, engaging and ultimately, better piece of work than you may have created before.

All the tips included in this list are regularly used by some of the most established writers in the world – so have been tried and tested with proven success. Begin using them in your next assignment and get ready to see your writing stand out against the rest!

Develop your Creative Writing Techniques this Summer

Want to take some time to improve your creative writing techniques? Put pen to paper and feel inspired with an English Literature and Creative Writing course this summer.

A Creative Writing summer course can teach you so much about writing and your own techniques, and can provide you with so many transferable skills to help benefit your academic writing in the future.

Join us in the spell-bounding city of Oxford, where you’ll have the opportunity to spend 2-weeks working on your craft, experiencing a new cultural setting, and making friendships with other passionate writers from around the world.

Ready to Join Oxford Summer Courses?

After submitting your application, we'll be in touch very soon to inform you of the outcome. Apply now to begin your journey with Oxford Summer Courses!

About the author

Rhys mackenzie is the website marketing manager at oxford summer courses. with extensive experience in seo and digital content management, they are passionate about showcasing the best that oxford has to offer. their previous role at experience oxfordshire gave them a deep appreciation for the city's unique cultural and academic offerings. learn more about rhys here ., share this article.

Here are some creative writing tips: brainstorm freely, outline your ideas, consider your audience, immerse yourself in your writing, craft captivating openings, enrich your writing with details, avoid ambiguous conclusions, edit meticulously, seek peer feedback, and keep track of your ideas.

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Formez-vous de manière opérationnelle aux techniques pour la communication professionnelle de votre entreprise

Virginie Tison n’a de cesse de vivre plusieurs vies. Entrepreneuse depuis l’âge de 25 ans, elle explore le management, la direction des opérations ou les relations investisseurs de grands groupes, sans délaisser sa nature profonde. Artiste peintre dès son plus jeune âge, Virginie Tison accompagne depuis de nombreuses années les artistes à révéler bien plus que leurs talents en les professionnalisant. Ses expertises se réunissent en 2023 avec la création d’Art Professional School, son centre de formations certifié Qualiopi, dont l’ambition est d’apporter un véritable soutien opérationnel dans les métiers de la communication aux entreprises, entrepreneurs et artistes.

Par SCP Publié le 12/09/2024 à 15h10

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Article sponsorisé par Art Professional School

Centre de formations certifié Qualiopi, Art Professional School complète l’offre de Virginie Tison. Commissaire d’exposition avec Art-Trope Gallery depuis 2009, ainsi que coach pour les artistes depuis 2020, cette formatrice certifiée professionnelle accompagne désormais les entreprises, les start-up, ainsi que les professionnels des métiers de l’art, dans la définition de leur stratégie de communication .

Au programme de ses formations ? Positionnement, identité visuelle, marketing digital, création de contenus et gestion des réseaux sociaux. « Mon moteur est de proposer aux apprenants des formations qui allient théorie et pratique afin de les rendre les plus autonomes possibles sur ces questions. S’ils choisissent de collaborer avec des agences de communication pour déléguer la partie création, l’objectif est de leur permettre de maîtriser les stratégies de la communication de leur entreprise, d’adopter le même langage et de comprendre l’impact et le rôle de la communication digitale aujourd’hui », indique Virginie Tison.

Efficacité, qualité et méthode opérationnelle

« En quelques jours, mon métier permet d’analyser la situation et aussi de développer les compétences afin d’atteindre les objectifs ciblés pour l’entreprise », précise-t-elle. Les formations proposées par Art Professional School poursuivent des objectifs très précis et pragmatiques comme la rédaction des textes de présentation de son activité, le positionnement de la communication de l’entreprise, l’élaboration d’une ligne éditoriale permettant de créer une identité visuelle et d’apprendre à la communiquer à travers des stratégies de contenus pertinents, la gestion et le paramétrage des réseaux sociaux, l’optimisation d’un site internet, le community management, etc.

« Ce sont des formations, sur trois ou quatre jours en fonction des objectifs ciblés, incluant l’utilisation de l’intelligence artificielle, qui invitent à approfondir aussi bien le fond que la forme afin de rendre les apprenants très opérationnels », indique Virginie Tison.

«Quelqu’un d’engagé et d’opérationnel fera la différence»

« Je transmets avec générosité tout mon savoir-faire et les méthodologies ludiques et efficaces de mes formations permettent d’atteindre les objectifs de chaque apprenant en un temps record. Sur le marché de l’emploi aujourd’hui, tout est question de budget. Quelqu’un d’efficace, d’engagé et d’opérationnel sera forcément privilégié par l’employeur », reconnaît la dirigeante. Ainsi, se former aux théories n'est plus suffisant. Seule la pratique, la compréhension et la gestion de tous les axes à déployer dans une communication est essentielle.

Avec son centre de formations, elle développe une méthode hybride, entre apprentissage en présentiel et en ligne, avec le déploiement d’une application dédiée qui sera prête cette rentrée. « Notre certification Qualiopi permet à toute personne souhaitant se former d'avoir ses frais pédagogiques pris en charge par l’AFDAS, les OPCO, les comptes CPF ou France Travail », complète-t-elle.

Transmettre des bases solides avec bienveillance

« Ma vocation est de donner confiance aux apprenants, grâce à une méthode bienveillante qui place l’opérationnel en priorité », souligne de nouveau Virginie Tison. Son parcours atypique, qui mêle à la fois le monde de l’art et celui de l’entreprise, lui permet de parfaitement comprendre ce par quoi les dirigeants et les apprenants passent. « Je suis déjà passée par ce même chemin », commente-t-elle. « Je peux ainsi les rassurer et leur impulser des actions et des méthodologies adaptées. Mon objectif est que chacun devienne acteur de sa propre communication et développe sereinement son activité professionnelle ».

Que ce soit le dirigeant d’entreprise, son équipe, et également la galerie d’art, l’antiquaire ou l’artiste avec qui Virginie Tison collabore. « Aujourd’hui, la communication est renforcée. Elle n’a jamais été aussi essentielle pour se démarquer. Il faut se former pour en saisir les opportunités », remarque-t-elle. Ainsi, la formatrice a à cœur de former des stagiaires à la rigueur et à la précision.

Une Master Class pour les artistes

« Il faut transformer ses points faibles en points forts, encourager la créativité. La performance vient à 80% du travail. Il existe 10% de génie et les 10% de chance restants interviennent seulement quand tout le reste est aligné ! », conclut Virginie Tison. Cette dernière anime également des Master Classes en tant que coach pour les artistes afin de les accompagner à se professionnaliser.

Par son parcours dans le marché de l’art depuis 1995, la formatrice connaît en effet les codes du marché de l’art et sait apporter aux artistes contemporains les clés afin de développer leurs créativités et leurs notoriétés. « Derrière chaque œuvre se trouve l’âme de l’artiste. J’ai donc développé une méthode efficace et éprouvée pour faire éclore les talents et mettre les artistes sur la voie de l'entrepreneuriat », explique-t-elle.

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