Academic essay is an important essay type that’s written in many schools and colleges.
Several schools use it as a criterion for admission, which tells you why you need to know the process of writing an essay and how to write it quickly. This article does just that and more. So, read on to learn more about essay writing steps and processes.
What is an academic essay?
An academic essay is a focused writing or piece that builds on an argument or idea using proof (or evidence), analysis, and interpretation of results. This style of writing suits the needs of academic writers in a specific way. When used effectively, it helps convey and adequately express complex thoughts, theories, and ideas to anyone interested. For anyone willing to spend a long time in academia, this writing style is unavoidable. Thus, learning it is an essential endeavor.
Starting an academic essay – the steps you should know
Academic essay writing is straightforward. One reason academic essays are still in use is that they are considered very effective in correctly presenting facts and information to academics. It’s no wonder it has been in use in the academic sector for a long time.
Part of the steps for an essay includes knowing the proper academic essay structure and how you should tackle each part. Here’s the what you should know about starting an academic essay.
Introduction
Most readers give most of their attention when reading the start of an article, which is why it is vital to write your introduction in the most attractive way possible. After all, the introduction sets the tone for the entire essay.
The first element you should consider introducing is a hook. The word “hook” in this context refers to your first sentence in the introductory paragraph, as it is used to grab and hold the reader’s attention. Here are some strategies for writing the best hooks:
- Use a quote
Starting your introduction with a quote that speaks meaningfully or creatively to your topic and audience is always eye-catching. A well-chosen quote can impact the reader strongly and set the best tone to continue the essay with. But first, you need to pick the best quote to ensure there are no distractions and disengagement.
- Use a fact
Another popularly-used technique is to include a fact or statistic. This is most useful as it convinces the readers that you did the right research.
- Use a rhetorical question
The final approach is to include a rhetorical question in your introduction. It is most effective when placed in the first sentence because it helps you connect with your readers quickly and easily. The question usually reverberates in the audience’s mind as they follow you in your quest to teach and enlighten them. However, you have to, in an obvious way or not, answer the question in the later part of the article.
After all these, you then supply your background information. The background information talks about the stories and knowledge one needs to know so that when they get into the essay’s body, they will not get lost in the word and grammar use. Finally, you drop the thesis statement.
Let your thesis statement be as concise and straight to the point as possible. You still have the whole body to talk about it in detail.
The main body
The body of your essay is where the information you have been dropping in bits and pieces is exposed in detail. This part is always the most significant part of your academic essay and thus requires the bulk of your time and attention. Your main points should be structured according to your outline when writing the main body paragraphs. It should also agree with your thesis statement and be replete with corresponding arguments and facts. If they disagree, you will confuse your audience and discourage those readers who have been following with rapt attention.
Here are some things to tick off your strong body writing list:
- Consistency
- Evidence
- Accuracy
- Word choice
This aspect aims to answer all questions that have developed in the reader’s mind after the introduction and part of the main body. In basic terms, your goal is to make the reader understand the topic as much as you do. After a detailed body, the conclusion follows to round up the academic format essay.
The conclusion
In any essay you submit, you must understand that starting strong is important, but finishing strong is more important. One reason for the conclusion is to refresh the reader’s mind about all that has been said and why. Solid conclusions possess
- Summary
- Personal connection
- General conclusion/statement
Conclusion
Now you are done with learning how to write an essay for beginners. So, get your pen and paper out because, with the tips in this article, you are well and truly on your way to writing a solid academic essay.
