How to write an Essay

When you write an academic essay, the first step is to understand the essay question and make a plan for the structure of your argument. This might seem daunting, especially if the essay question is complex or challenging but, with the right approach, you can break down the task and produce a well-structured, well-argued essay.

In this blog post, I shall explain.

STEP 1: Read the essay question: The first step in drafting an academic essay is to read the essay question. It is important to understand the question thoroughly to produce a well-argued essay that addresses all the key points of the question.

Take your time to read the question and make sure you understand what it is asking.

STEP 2: Identify the key themes and concepts: Once you have read the essay question, identify the key themes and concepts. These might be clear from the question, or you might need to deduce them from the question.

For example, if the essay question is about the impact of climate change on the economy, the key themes and concepts might be climate change, the economy, and the impact.

STEP 3: Analyse the Question: After identifying the key themes and concepts, it is essential to analyse the question. This involves breaking it down into its parts and identifying its various aspects to be addressed.

For example, the essay question on the impact of climate change on the economy might require you to consider the economic effects of climate change, the factors or causes of these, and feasible solutions to mitigate them. You should address these points in full, as far as you can.

Suppose you want to discuss the impact of burning fuel oil. You should flesh out your argument to avoid possible refutation by your tutor. When you decide to write about boiler stack emissions, step back and think about the energy required to transport each litre of fuel oil from the storage depot to the boiler, then step back again and account for the energy involved in transporting the litre of oil from the refinery to the storage depot, then step back again and include the energy spent to deliver several litres of crude oil to the refinery from the production facility, perhaps thousands of miles from the refinery, then point to the energy entailed in pumping the crude from the formation, up the well, and into storage tanks at the facility.

Is that it? Unfortunately, no, because significant amounts of energy were required to explore and develop the oil field, to which you should add the general energy consumed to run the entire oil company, from administration, through research and development, marketing and sales, transport of workers to and from their jobs, and so forth.

Bringing this to your attention has taken many words, so you should certainly take time to go to this length on the key points of your essay. Why? Because this is not common knowledge; oil companies do not want to discuss it, and neither do boiler makers; nor governments, because the truth is difficult to justify. This is why essay writing is a powerful means to understanding both English and the world.  

STEP 4: Brainstorm Ideas: Once you have analysed the essay question, it is time to brainstorm ideas for your essay. Think about the different arguments you can make and the evidence you can use to support your claims. Make a list of key points or create a mind map to help you organise your ideas.

STEP 5: Create an Outline: With your ideas and key points in mind, it is time to create an outline for your essay. This will help you structure your argument and ensure that you address all the key points of the essay question. Your outline should include an introduction, several body paragraphs, and a conclusion.

STEP 6: Write Your Essay: Now that you have an outline, it is time to write it. Use your outline to guide you, ensuring you address each key point you identified in step 3. Make sure you provide evidence to support your arguments and cite your sources appropriately. Remember to structure your essay with clear paragraphs and use transitions to guide your reader from one point to the next.

STEP 7: Revise and Edit Your Essay: Once you have drafted your essay, it is important to revise and edit it. Read through your essay carefully, looking for grammatical errors, typos, and inconsistencies. Ensure your arguments are well-supported and your essay flows logically from one point to the next. Ask a friend or colleague to read your essay and provide feedback.

AI support with your preparation, planning, and writing

Throughout this entire process, you should consult your AI assistant to be sure you cover every step properly. Your AI assistant; will provide valuable support during the various stages of essay writing, including prescribed reading and understanding audio-visual lectures, question analysis, planning, and writing.

Your AI assistant will clarify any issues arising from your reading and listening, when you question these specifics. AI can assist during the question analysis stage by offering additional resources and materials for you to consult, such as suggestions for keywords to search for, relevant articles and research papers, and other online resources to help you better understand the topic and question.

During the planning stage, AI can assist by helping you organise your ideas and develop a clear outline for your essay. This might include suggestions on structuring the essay, including tips on creating a strong introduction, effective body paragraphs, and an engaging conclusion. AI can identify gaps in your argument or areas where you need additional evidence or research to support your claims.

Finally, when you are writing the essay, AI can provide help with grammar and spelling, and suggestions to improve the clarity and coherence of your writing. It can also offer feedback on the strength of your case and help make your ideas and arguments more persuasive.

Overall, your AI assistant, is always at hand and will offer valuable support and guidance on writing. By providing additional resources, offering suggestions for organising ideas, and offering feedback on your arguments and writing, AI will help you produce well-structured, well-argued, and well-written essays.

Conclusion

I hope it is now clear that critical reading and writing is crucial to EFL home-study and in-depth learning concerning your additional special subject. Above all, never rely entirely on your AI assistant. If you want to include AI feedback, ideas, or arguments in your work, consider each thoroughly for understanding, and paraphrase any AI input to match your style and tone.

In conclusion, unpicking an academic essay question and making a plan for a medium-length argumentative essay requires careful analysis and planning. By following the steps outlined in this blog post, you can produce a well-structured, well-argued essay that addresses all the key points of the essay question. Remember to take your time, consider your arguments, and use evidence to support your claims.

With Elcox private tuition and practice, you will become a skilled essay writer and benefit from an intellectually enriching experience that develops game-changing critical thinking and communication skills in academic, professional, and day-to-day social contexts.

Remember, your tutor will scrutinise your writing and ask you to defend your contentions, beliefs, and arguments to ensure you understand everything you have written and show progress in your grasp of EFL. This will produce brilliant outcomes for your home study.