With assignment season well underway, you’ve probably already got a couple of essays that are due before the end of the semester. If you’re in full-blown panic mode, don’t worry, you’re not alone! Many college and university students find the essay writing process to be quite challenging and don’t know where to start, which is why we’re here to help.
We’ve rounded up our top tips that will show you how to write an essay and improve your writing skills altogether.
Table of Contents
Understand Your Essay Topic
Before you start writing your essay, make sure you understand the assignment. Understanding the topic is the most important part of writing an essay because if you misread the topic question, you may end up writing about a completely different topic, which could jeopardise your mark (and nobody wants that!).
Luckily, there are a few methods you can use to ensure that you’ve understood the essay topic fully, which are outlined below:
Read the Instructions Carefully
The first step to understanding the topic of your essay is to carefully read the prompt or assignment instructions. Make sure you understand what you are being asked to write about, including any specific requirements or guidelines. Pay attention to key phrases, such as “analyse,” “compare” or “evaluate,” which can give you a clue as to what kind of essay you should write.
Brainstorm Ideas
Once you’ve read and analysed the instructions, take some time to brainstorm ideas for your essay. Think about the topic and how it relates to any discussions you’ve had during lectures regarding themes, ideas or arguments of the essay.
Jot down any relevant thoughts or ideas that come to mind, even if they don’t seem fully formed yet. This can help you get a better sense of the topic and what you might want to focus on in your essay.
If you feel stuck, be sure to refer back to any notes or lecture recordings surrounding the topic of your essay that was discussed during your lectures or tutorials.
Research Your Essay Topic
If you’re not familiar with your essay topic, do some research to gain a better understanding of the main idea. Look for reputable sources, such as academic journals, books or reliable websites.
To get you started, here are some popular educational search engines to do research for your essay topic:
- Google Scholar: The Google Scholar search engine specialises in scholarly literature, including articles, theses, books and conference papers. Many of the academic journals found on Google Scholar are free to view, making Google Scholar a great resource for students conducting research.
- Microsoft Academic: The Microsoft Academic search engine provides a comprehensive and multi-disciplinary database of scholarly research for students. Microsoft Academic also provides a range of tools and features that can be useful for students, including citation analysis, author profiles and the ability to track research trends in various fields.
- ResearchGate: ResearchGate is a social networking site designed for researchers and scientists. It allows users to create profiles, share their research and connect with other researchers in their field. The platform also provides a search engine that can be used to find scholarly articles, conference papers and other research materials.
- BASE (Bielefeld Academic Search Engine): BASE is a search engine that indexes academic resources from over 7 000 repositories and databases. It includes over 200 million documents that students can use for research.
- JSTOR: JSTOR is a valuable resource for students who are conducting academic research and need access to scholarly articles and primary sources. While it is not a free resource, it does offer limited free access and is often available through university and library subscriptions.
Once you’ve researched the topic of your essay, take notes on key concepts, arguments or evidence that you find, and make sure to keep track of where you found the information so you can cite it later if necessary.
Define Key Terms
If your essay instructions include any terms or concepts that are unfamiliar to you, take the time to look them up and find examples.
Make sure you understand how the terms relate to the topic of your essay, as this will help you avoid any misunderstandings or errors in your writing.
Plan and Prepare Your Essay
Once you understand the assignment, it’s time to plan and prepare your essay. Planning and preparing your essay may sound like extra work, but it’s going to save you a lot of time once you start writing.
Planning out and preparing your essay ahead of time ultimately prevents the headache of having to come up with complex ideas while finding the right words for your essay. Having a plan also gives a logical structure to your essay, which will make it easier for you to work out an argument and conclusion (which can usually be quite tricky!).
If you’re wondering how to plan and prepare your essay, don’t worry, we’re here to help. Be sure to follow the steps below when planning out your essay:
Create an Essay Structure and Outline (Example)
Before you start writing your essay, create an essay structure and outline to help you organise your thoughts and ideas. This can help you ensure that your essay has a clear structure and flows logically. Make sure to include an introduction, body paragraphs and a conclusion; also consider using headings or subheadings to break up the text.
To show you how an essay structure and outline may look, be sure to refer to the example below of a 5-paragraph essay and tailor it to your specific essay the next time you write:
Before you start writing your essay, create an essay structure and outline to help you organise your thoughts and ideas. This can help you ensure that your essay has a clear structure and flows logically. Make sure to include an introduction, body paragraphs and a conclusion; also consider using headings or subheadings to break up the text.
To show you how an essay structure and outline may look, be sure to refer to the example below of a 5-paragraph essay and tailor it to your specific essay the next time you write:
Introduction: Paragraph 1
- Two to three sentences to grab the reader’s attention (this will be the opening of your argument).
- Two to three sentences of your thesis statement (with the 3 or 4 main points or ideas that will be discussed in the essay).
Body: Paragraphs 3 to 4
- First main idea (with supporting evidence for your argument backed up by quotes and/or research).
- Second main idea (with supporting evidence for your argument backed up by quotes and/or research).
- Third main idea (with supporting evidence for your argument backed up by quotes and/or research).
Conclusion: Paragraph 5
- Conclusion of your essay with a restatement of your thesis to finalise your argument into one cohesive paragraph.
By following a clear essay structure and outline like the one above, you’ll be well on your way to writing a comprehensive and logical essay.
Write a Rough Draft
Once you’ve created an outline for your essay, you can start writing your rough draft. Don’t worry too much about grammar or sentence structure at this point—focus on getting your ideas down on paper. Writing down your thoughts will begin the process of shaping your essay into a well-organised and cohesive piece of writing.
Before you start, though, be sure to check out our tips for writing a rough draft for an essay:
Write Freely
When writing a rough draft for an essay, it’s important to write freely and without worrying too much about grammar or sentence structure. The goal of a rough draft is to get your ideas down on paper, so don’t worry about making it perfect at this stage.
Focus on the Content
Focus on the content of your essay and make sure that you are effectively addressing the topic and that your ideas are well-supported with evidence and examples. Don’t worry too much about word choice or sentence structure as you can refine those elements in later drafts.
Keep it Simple
While you’re writing your rough draft, it’s best to keep your sentences and paragraphs simple and straightforward. Using simple language in your essay will ensure that your ideas are clear and easy to understand for whoever is going to be reading your essay. Avoid using overly complex language or convoluted sentences, as these can make your essay difficult to read.
Revise and Refine
Once you’ve finished your rough draft, it’s time to revise and refine your essay. This means going back through your draft and making changes to improve the clarity and effectiveness of your writing. Focus on sentence structure, word choice and organisation. Make sure that your essay is well-supported with evidence and examples.
Use Proper Citation and References for Your Essay
When using sources in your essay, it’s important to use proper citations and references to show the reader where you got your information from (to avoid plagiarism). Plagiarism is a serious offence that could lead to you failing your assignment, or even getting suspended, so be sure to cite your references correctly.
Remember to use the citation style specified by your instructor. Although the citations used in your essay will depend on the type of resource you use, 2 types of citation methods that are used in all essays are:
- In-text citation: Depending on the citation style, this will include the author’s surname, year and page number.
- References list: Your reference list will be on the last page(s) of your essay and will include the author(s) surname, initial, date of publication, the website and the date indicating when you accessed the page.
Remember, citations may also differ according to your college or university. With that said, the most popular citation style used by higher education institutions in South Africa is the Harvard referencing style.
Harvard Referencing Style
The Harvard referencing style is the most widely used citation style in academic writing, including essays. It is also known as the author-date system, as it requires the author’s name and the date of publication to be included in the in-text citation.
Harvard Referencing Example
An example of the Harvard referencing style for both in-text referencing and your reference list can be viewed below:
- Harvard in-text citation: In-text citations for the Harvard referencing style should include the author’s last name and the year of publication, enclosed in parentheses. For example: (Smith, 2018). If the author’s name is mentioned in the sentence, only the year needs to be included in the parentheses: Smith (2018) argued that…
- Reference list: The reference list should include the full details of all sources cited in the essay, listed in alphabetical order by author’s last name. The basic format for a reference in Harvard style is:
Author's last name, Initials. (Year of publication). Title of work. Publisher.
Citation Generators
If you’re struggling to cite the references for your essay correctly, there are citation generators that you can use to help that will cite your references for you.
Be share to check out the below websites that will help you cite and reference your essay correctly:
- MyBib is a new, free-to-use bibliography and citation generator that makes accurate citations for you to use in your essay. MyBib covers various citation styles, including APA, Chicago, Harvard and MLA.
- Cite This For Me is a popular citation website that cites in the styles of Harvard, APA and MLA as well as checks your paper for plagiarism. Cite This For Me is free to use; however, is limited in the number of references and days that you can use the site.
- Grafiati is a free citation generator that allows you to manually enter citations for accurate citations. Much like Cite This For Me, Grafiati also has premium memberships available with additional referencing and citation services.
Edit and Proofread Your Essay
After you have finished writing your essay, and have included all the correct citations and references, it’s important to edit and proofread it.
Before you start skimming through your work, be sure to check out our top tips below for editing and proofreading an essay:
Take a Break
This may sound redundant, but after writing your rough draft, take a break before editing and proofreading. This will help you approach your essay with fresh eyes and a new perspective. Step away from your writing for a few hours or even a day, if possible.
Read Your Essay Aloud
When editing and proofreading your essay, read it aloud. This can help you identify awkward or unclear sentences, as well as typos or grammatical errors. Reading aloud also helps you get a better sense of the flow and pacing of your essay.
Use a Checklist
Creating a checklist of common errors can be helpful when editing and proofreading your essay. This could include items such as spelling, punctuation, capitalisation and sentence structure. Go through your essay systematically, checking off each item on the list as you go.
Get Feedback
If possible, get feedback on your essay from a friend, family member or your professor. Another set of eyes can help you identify issues that you may have missed and can provide valuable feedback on the clarity and effectiveness of your writing.
Use Online Editing and Proofreading Tools
There are many online tools available that can help you with editing and proofreading. These tools can identify typos, grammatical errors and other issues that you may have missed. However, it’s important to use these tools in conjunction with your editing and proofreading efforts, as they’re not foolproof.
Some popular online editing and proofreading tools include:
- Grammarly: Grammarly is a widely used writing tool that checks for spelling, grammar and punctuation errors. It also provides suggestions for improving sentence structure, word choice, and clarity. Be sure to use the Google Chrome Extension to make proofreading your work that much easier!
- Hemingway Editor: Hemingway Editor is a web-based tool that analyses writing and highlights areas for improvement. It offers suggestions for simplifying complex sentences, avoiding passive voice and improving readability.
- Google Docs: Google Docs is a free online word processing tool that includes a built-in grammar checker and spelling checker. It also offers real-time collaboration, allowing multiple users to work on the same document simultaneously.
Get a Study Device Loan with Fundi
Now that you know how to write an essay, it’s time to get to work! As a student, you may want to use a laptop or tablet to write your essay, as many universities require students to type out their work.
Using electronic gadgets is a great choice, as typing out an essay is much faster than writing and generally makes writing your essay much easier and more efficient.
If you’re looking for affordable places to find a laptop or tablet, be sure to check out the Fundi Shop! The Fundi Shop has a whole range of popular laptops and tablet brands for you to choose from.
You can even get a Fundi Study Device Loan, which allows you to pay off your laptop or tablet in small monthly instalments.
Eager to get a device loan with Fundi? Be sure to try out the Fundi Loan Calculator to see if you qualify today!
