How to write a good essay?

In an essay, you assert a reasoned opinion about a phenomenon, development, or problem. You take a position, support that position with argumentative evidence, and refute potential counterarguments in order to convince the reader of your point. You do this using scientific evidence, your own research, and logical reasoning. How do you turn your arguments into a good essay? Check out 9 tips for writing a strong essay here.

An essay is a paper in which you express your opinion on a phenomenon or problem and powerfully substantiate that opinion. There are different types of essays, but most essays are argumentative. An argumentative essay aims to get your reader to support your point of view. You do this by backing up your position with convincing arguments, rebutting counterarguments, and citing evidence in support of those arguments and rebuttals.

In an essay, you often refer to research results or cite the views of other experts. You can also conduct your own research and include the results in your essay.

You approach writing an essay differently from how you would a thesis. These tips are going to help you produce a strong essay.

1. Make a writing schedule in advance

Good preparation is important if you want to write a strong essay. First, make an outline instead of starting to write straight away. In it, state what you want to say in broad terms. What statement do you want to prove? What arguments do you cite, and what are the counterarguments you are going to refute? Put all that in an outline or write it down in order on paper. This will help you write your essay in a well-structured way.

2. Ensure that the essential elements are included in your essay

The structure of an essay is not always set in stone. However, the elements below generally recur in argumentative essays. Make sure they have a place in your outline and essay draft.

• a catchy title;
• a powerful introduction where you get to the point quickly;
• your point of view;
• arguments that support your position;
• any arguments against your position;
• the refutation of those counterarguments;
• the conclusion (a summary of your position and all the arguments discussed);
• the bibliography of sources used (formatted according to the reference style of your course, such as APA or the Guideline for Legal Authors).

3. Start with a thought-provoking introduction

When writing your essay, pay extra attention to your introduction. It should immediately be clear what your point of view is and why your essay topic is relevant and deserves to be written about. Briefly give some background information, outline the problem, or refer to current affairs to introduce your topic. In addition, you may decide to start with a catchy opening sentence to pique the reader’s interest.

4. Make the structure clear with signal words

The essay should form a logical narrative. That means your paragraphs should flow together logically. Signal words help with this. These are words like 'first...second', 'however', 'although', 'moreover' or 'subsequently'. With these, you indicate links between paragraphs and illustrate your thought process. Use these kinds of words regularly and reread the whole text a few times to check if it tells a clear story.

Note: excessive use of 'first', 'second', etc. makes your text choppy. Alternate between different signal words every so often.

Further, divide your text logically into paragraphs and sections. This will make your essay easier to read. Note: headings are generally only common in essays of five pages or more. Do you use headings? Then choose headings that connect to the content of the paragraphs they refer to.Don't use headings that are too general, like 'Introduction' or 'Argument 1'.

5. Use a writing style that is academic, but not too formal

When writing an essay, you can use a slightly different writing style than you would in a thesis. You must use an academic writing style, but the style may be slightly more informal than for a thesis. For instance, it is fine to occasionally drop the word 'I', whereas this is not common in theses (except in the preface and reflection sections).

On the other hand, you are also not aiming to be funny or use overly popular language. A scholarly essay is different from an essay for an entertainment magazine or website.

6. Write in a fluent manner

It is important that your reader can get through the text easily and understand what you mean. To do this, keep the following in mind:

• Avoid passive sentences (so rather say 'The KNAW supports this statement' instead of 'This statement is supported by the KNAW').
• Do not use complicated jargon if it is not necessary. If you use jargon, briefly explain the terms at the time you first mention them.
• Keep your paragraphs short.
• Don't make sentences too long. Split long sentences into separate phrases where necessary.

7. Present arguments in a logical manner

To substantiate a thesis statement, you need several arguments. Think carefully about the order in which you present the arguments. For example, put the most important argument first or make sure an argument builds upon the previous one in a logical way.

It is best to start each argument with a key sentence summarising the argument itself. Then, expand on the details in the text that follows. How does this argument support your thesis? Evidence, such as research findings or facts, helpmake your argument stronger.

8. End your essay powerfully

When writing an essay, don't forget the conclusion. In it, you summarise your initial position again and briefly explain how the arguments discussed support it. Keep it short but powerful. End with a strong last sentence, that, for example, makes the reader think.

Note: In the conclusion, do not make new arguments. The conclusion is purely meant to summarise what you have already discussed.

9. List all sources in your bibliography

When writing an essay, you have more freedom with the sources you can use. For example, in addition to scientific research, you can also refer to newspaper reports, online publications or popular science magazines. Give all sources you cite a place in the bibliography. This will prevent plagiarism. When citing sources, use the reference style required by your course.

Want to know what an essay looks like after applying these tips? Ask your thesis supervisor for a sample essay from another student. You can also use our article on sample essays for inspiration.

Are you currently writing an essay and in doubt as to whether your point of view is clearly presented? Do you wonder if your writing style is appropriate or if the common thread is clear? An experienced editor from AthenaCheck can help you with this. They will check your essay for language, structure and/or common thread. Even within 24 hours! Just tell us how we can help.