How to Write a Good Academic Essay
Learn how to write an essay in four basic simple steps. Follow the following four simple steps and you will be able to write a good academic essay.
1. Write the introduction
- Explain your topic clearly and briefly.
- Introduce the main idea.
- Introduce the fundamental questions.
- Explain how you will answer the questions.
- Make it attractive to the reader. Make it pleasant to read.
2. Write the main body of the essay
- Make sure that each point is given a new paragraph.
- Use words or phrases that show how it relates to the previous paragraph, e.g., 'however', ‘in addition', ‘moreover' (see cohesion).
- Begin each paragraph with an important topic sentence; it should explicitly link it to the rest of the essay. Read about paragraph writing here.
- Give clear and supporting evidence for each point that you make.
- Paraphrase and avoid plagiarism.
3. Write the conclusion
- Describe briefly the main ideas.
- Demonstrate how you proved your attitude (i.e. how you think).
- Later you can write, e.g., “The following conclusions have been made: …” and then mention them, like “First, …, Second, … Third, …. Finally,…”
- Finish your essay with an interesting or surprising idea, suggestion, recommendation or comment.
4. Edit your essay. Read attentively what you wrote.
- Check spelling, punctuation, tenses (use present simple or simple past tense).
- Delete anything that is not very important.
- Change vocabulary to improve expression.
- Use synonyms as often as possible. Do not repeat the same words many times.
- Read what you wrote. Read five times or more.
- Use eraser as often as possible.
- Edit, delete, correct, rewrite, proofread.
- Repeat the above a few times.
Genres of Essay Writing
There are four genres of essay writing. First, read a general description of essay writing. To start reading, click here.
When you finish reading general description of essay writing, study the following characteristics of the four genres of essay writing (study each genre separately):
You have to explore the features of the above genres to be able to write a good academic essay.