Useful Tip for the Selection of Topic – Give a Kick to Start Writing Your Essay
Usually students messed up at the very initial stage of topic selection while they are asked to write an essay. As I have already briefly explained how to write an essay in earlier post, I will now emphasis the strategies and factors that should be considered while making your choice for the selection of topic.
Your topic should define the purpose and type of essay. Your essay could be descriptive, cause/effect, narrative, critical, expository, analytical, argumentative, explanatory, compare/contrast, persuasive, definitive, question answer or just giving information to educate the reader. So the topic should be developed accordingly. So that by reading the topic, readers may set the mind what they are about read. It will not only catch their interest but it may also create curiosity.
For instance, if you are asked to write an explanatory essay, your topic may start as:
- What is… OR What for…
- How to…
- Who is…
- Describe in detail…
- Why you should…
If you are going to write compare and contrast essay then it doesn’t matter how your topic is going to start but it should give an idea of comparison like:
- Compare… with…
- Would it be better to… than…
- What are the advantages… and disadvantages…
- Being a… to being a…
- The decision of… to decision of…
- …character over…
- Making an… to a…
For persuasive essays, your topic should also be persuasive OR it may also create a question with pinch line:
- People should be arrested if they abandon their pets
- Speeches should have limitations
- Guns should be banned in city area
- Internet facility should be available free of cost
- Dog is a better pet than any other
If your professor asked you to write just the bunch of definitions or present theories then it would be so much easy to establish a topic:
Question answer essay doesn’t have any topic. In place of topic, you would be required to mention the questions. If you have to answer multiple questions then you should answer question by question mentioning questions at the top of each answer.
- What is the most dangerous habit that you must rid of it?
- How to hit the ball while playing baseball?
- Why to teach a student for a better career?
- Any other subject related question.
Informative essay’s topic could be short; consisting of two, three words like:
- Global warming
- Terrorism
- The Cricket Match
- Picnic at Sea Side
- Fiction Movies
- Pollution Problem
You should be more careful if you are asked to write expository essay. It can be of following structure:
- Explain why…
- Explain what are the…
- Explain how…
- Describe the way of…
In analytical essays, you are required to analyze, examine and interpret the objective, event, book, article, character or any piece of art etc.
- Essential qualities of a…
- The militant, is it for you?
- Becoming a professional artist…
- Why you should do that…
- Why does it happen…
- Why a particular trend is set…
In an argumentative essay, you need to persuade the reader by giving quality arguments. You may either be funny or serious. But your main aim should be to convince the reader with your point of view.
- People should have more holidays in a calendar year
- Alcohol should be prohibited
- War against terrorism should be justified
- The act of teaching is offensive but it’s an art
The descriptive essay deals with the detail of anything like how this looks like. This type of essays usually uses numerous sensual factors explaining point by point, functioning as a story.
The cause and effect essay tells why and how any particular event or accident happened. It may also tell you the end result of any event with reasons.
You can say a narrative essay a “short story essay”. Generally it is written in conversation style and written in context of personal experience.
A critical essay analyzes the strength, weakness, potential opportunities and threats. Any event, process of work, way to deliver the thing can be critically analyzed.
How to start writing an essay in easy steps?
You may find essay writing thing a bit dry and frustrating enough, but it shouldn’t be as you are student and you have to write essays, papers, thesis throughout the academic career. By learning easy steps to start writing, you will be able make it fun.
Research and Information Collection:
First of all, you must have enough ideas and information on the specified topic and subject. So here you go. You are required to collect the information, facts and figure through immense research. Don’t worry about the time. This is the time taking step. Spend most of the time at this step and it will make all next steps quick and easy. You may use course books, reference books, lecture notes, journals, online databases, online resources etc for this purpose.
Validate the Information:
Now, focus on the topic and make up your mind by validating the collected information. Must keep in mind what your professor would like in the paper and what wouldn’t. Always include proven information and don’t ever forget to note down the references.
Brainstorming and Outline:
After that, do brainstorming through the collected validated information. Develop your own ideas and then give them words to speak on paper for the development of first draft. Just list down your ideas with reference to your research and that would be your outline for the essay paper. Then sort them out what should come first, second, third… and then conclusion and results. Your outline is finalized.
Rough Draft:
Now you are ready to start with the rough draft. Before writing the first draft, you should be well aware of the overall structure of your essay. For instance, you are required to write introduction, then body paragraphs explaining, defining, argumentation the topic and then conclusion.
Introduction:
Using the information and points you developed through brainstorming, start writing paragraph by paragraph. Blend your ideas with the research keeping the references according to whatever citation you required. If you want to impress your professor, you need to develop a strong introduction. It should be attractive and concrete. Focus on the main topic, set up a thesis statement if needed and then create a buffer for the explanation in coming paragraphs.
Body Paragraphs:
Now you need to create one paragraph for every single idea. Don’t talk about multiple ideas in one paragraph. Try to write clearly whatever your idea is. Include supporting facts and figure with proper reference. Be concise, your reader may lose the interest in wordy sentences.
Follow your outline. Cover all the points you list down for the first draft. If any new idea come in your mind while writing first draft, first note it down in the points list before you forget it. Then continue from where you were. Be relaxed, don’t be panic or hurry up. Try to develop sensible sentences. Don’t go for big one. Small sentences will help you to get the big score.
Keep an eye on the length of the paper. If you are required to write 5 pages then try to complete the essay in the required word size. If you finish remarkably in less or extra words, proofreading will take more time to add or subtract the words.
Conclusion and Result:
Following through what you discussed in body paragraphs, develop the conclusion. Remember, conclusion paragraph is the exit gate of your essay. The result should be based on the mentioned facts and figure. Final result should be written in strong, full and final statement. Give the reason why you concluded this result and your essay is finished.
Proofread:
Now, read your essay from top to bottom multiple times from the readers’ point of view. Make required corrections. Try to be critic. Remove the weaknesses. Pay attention to the selection of words, grammatical errors and flow of writing. If you have crossed the word limit, you need to concise it and if you are undersized then you need to add more words carefully.
Formatting & Reference Page:
After proofreading, format it as your professor asked. List down all the references in bibliography page. Recheck the references and see whether you have covered the specified topic. Make sure, you have discussed or answered all the required points/questions.
Check Plagiarism:
Now at last check your essay through Turnitin for plagiarism. If any line or word appear as plagiarism replace them with suitable synonym. Read one more time before submission. As much you read your essay, it gets improved.
Submit Before Deadline:
At last, don’t be lazy. Submit your essay on time and make sure it is received by the professor.
Solve Your Academic Writing Problems
I remember, when I was student, how uncomfortable I feel when it comes to academic writing. It was like running through the bushes in a hurry to reach the destination. I tried very hard to equip with the academic writing skills. This made me a helping hand to my type of students in the current scenario. I am willing to help those students who are willing to improve their writing skills through this blog.
Never expect your professor for any sympathy. When it comes to examine your talent, knowledge and skill, they have to do their duty with complete responsibility. So don’t blame them and try to improve your knowledge, research, analytical and writing skills. If you do so, you will succeed not only in your academic career but in your future practical life.
In academic writings you can achieve your goals only when, if you are able to write the best essay, research paper, dissertation research and term paper etc. with perfect piece of work, but problem which comes is about the relevant source.
Firstly, you have to identify your problem such as in which area you are weak. Then try to overcome the weak areas. It may take plenty of time but you don’t have to worry about it. Its time taking procedure but it’s the right path for success.
You can always contact me with your queries for the solution and keep reading my next posts for the comprehensive tutorials.