how to write an essay on what i do everyday

Module 4: Writing in College

Writing a personal essay, learning objectives.

• Describe techniques for writing an effective personal essay

How to Write a Personal Essay

One particular and common kind of narrative essay is the personal narrative essay. Maybe you have already written one of these in order to get to college or for a scholarship. The personal essay is a narrative essay focused on you. Typically, you write about events or people in your life that taught you important life lessons. These events should have changed you somehow. From this choice will emerge the theme (the main point) of your story. Then you can follow these steps:

Figure 1 . Brainstorming the details of a personal experience can help you to write a more complete story with elements like vivid details, dialogue, and sufficient character development.

• Once you identify the event, you will write down what happened. Just brainstorm (also called freewriting). Focus on the actual event. You do not need to provide a complete build-up to it. For example, if you are telling a story about an experience at camp, you do not need to provide readers with a history of your camp experiences, nor do you need to explain how you got there, what you ate each day, how long it lasted, etc. Readers need enough information to understand the event.
• Use descriptions/vivid details.
• “Nothing moved but a pair of squirrels chasing each other back and forth on the telephone wires. I followed one in my sight. Finally, it stopped for a moment and I fired.”
• Passive voice uses the verb “to be” along with an action verb: had been aiming, was exhausted.
• Even though the “characters” in your story are real people, your readers won’t get to know them unless you describe them, present their personalities, and give them physical presence.
• Dialogue helps readers get to know the characters in your story, infuses the story with life, and offers a variation from description and explanation. When writing dialogue, you may not remember exactly what was said in the past, so be true to the person being represented and come as close to the actual language the person uses as possible. Dialogue is indented with each person speaking as its own paragraph. The paragraph ends when that person is done speaking and any following explanation or continuing action ends. (If your characters speak a language other than English, feel free to include that in your narrative, but provide a translation for your English-speaking readers.)
• Remember, if it is a personal narrative, you are telling the story, so it should be in first person. Students often worry about whether or not they are allowed to use “I.” It is impossible to write a personal essay without using “I”!
• Write the story in a consistent verb tense (almost always past tense). It doesn’t work to try to write it in the present tense since it already happened. Make sure you stay in the past tense.

Sample Personal Statement

One type of narrative essay you may have reason to write is a Personal Statement.

Many colleges and universities ask for a Personal Statement Essay for students who are applying for admission, to transfer, or for scholarships. Generally, a Personal Statement asks you to respond to a specific prompt, most often asking you to describe a significant life event, a personality trait, or a goal or principle that motivates or inspires you. Personal Statements are essentially narrative essays with a particular focus on the writer’s personal life.

The following essay was responding to the prompt: “Write about an experience that made you aware of a skill or strength you possess.” As you read, pay attention to the way the writer gets your attention with a strong opening, how he uses vivid details and a chronological narrative to tell his story, and how he links back to the prompt in the conclusion.

Sample Student Essay

Alen Abramyan Professor X English 1101-209 2/5/2022

In the Middle of Nowhere Fighting Adversity

A three-punch combination had me seeing stars. Blood started to rush down my nose. The Russian trainers quietly whispered to one another. I knew right away that my nose was broken. Was this the end of my journey; or was I about to face adversity?

Ever since I was seven years old, I trained myself in, “The Art of Boxing.”  While most of the kids were out playing fun games and hanging out with their friends, I was in a damp, sweat-filled gym. My path was set to be a difficult one. Blood, sweat, and tears were going to be an everyday occurrence.

At a very young age I learned the meaning of hard work and dedication. Most kids jumped from one activity to the next. Some quit because it was too hard; others quit because they were too bored. My father pointed this out to me on many occasions. Adults would ask my father, ” why do you let your son box? It’s such a dangerous sport, he could get hurt. My father always replied, “Everyone is going to get hurt in their lives, physically, mentally and emotionally. I’m making sure he’s ready for the challenges he’s going to face as a man. I always felt strong after hearing my father speak that way about me. I was a boy being shaped into a man, what a great feeling it was.

Year after year, I participated in boxing tournaments across the U.S. As the years went by, the work ethic and strength of character my father and coaches instilled in me, were starting to take shape. I began applying the hard work and dedication I learned in boxing, to my everyday life. I realized that when times were tough and challenges presented themselves, I wouldn’t back down, I would become stronger. This confidence I had in myself, gave me the strength to pursue my boxing career in Russia.

I traveled to Russia to compete in Amateur Boxing. Tournament after tournament I came closer to my goal of making the Russian Olympic Boxing team. After successfully winning the Kaliningrad regional tournament, I began training for the Northwest Championships. This would include boxers from St. Petersburg, Pskov, Kursk and many other powerful boxing cities.

We had to prepare for a tough tournament, and that’s what we did. While sparring one week before the tournament, I was caught by a strong punch combination to the nose. I knew right away it was serious. Blood began rushing down my face, as I noticed the coaches whispering to each other. They walked into my corner and examined my nose,” yeah, it’s broken,” Yuri Ivonovich yelled out. I was asked to clean up and to meet them in their office. I walked into the Boxing Federation office after a quick shower. I knew right away, they wanted to replace me for the upcoming tournament. “We’re investing a lot of money on you boxers and we expect good results. Why should we risk taking you with a broken nose?” Yuri Ivonovich asked me. I replied, “I traveled half-way around the world to be here, this injury isn’t a problem for me.” And by the look on my face they were convinced, they handed me my train ticket and wished me luck.

The train came to a screeching halt, shaking all the passengers awake. I glanced out my window, “Welcome to Cherepovets,” the sign read. In the background I saw a horrific skyline of smokestacks, coughing out thick black smoke. Arriving in the city, we went straight to the weigh ins. Hundreds of boxers, all from many cities were there. The brackets were set up shortly after the weigh ins. In the Super Heavyweight division, I found out I had 4 fights to compete in, each increasing in difficulty. My first match, I made sure not a punch would land; this was true for the next two fights. Winning all three 6-0, 8-0 and 7-0 respectively. It looked like I was close to winning the whole tournament. For the finals I was to fight the National Olympic Hope Champion.

The night before the finals was coincidentally the 200th anniversary of the city. All night by my hotel, I heard screams of laughter and partying. I couldn’t sleep a wink. The morning of the fight I was exhausted but anxious. I stepped into the ring knowing that I was tired. I fell behind in points quickly in the first round. I felt as if I were dreaming, with no control of the situation. I was going along for the ride and it wasn’t pleasant. At the end of the second round, the coach informed me that I was far behind. “?You’re asleep in there,” he yelled out to me, confirming how I felt. I knew this was my last chance; I had to give it my all. I mustered up enough strength to have an amazing round. It was as if I stepped out and a fresh boxer stepped in. I glanced at my coaches and see a look of approval. No matter the outcome, I felt that I had defeated adversity. My opponent’s hand was raised , he won a close decision, 6-5. After I got back to my hotel, I remembered Yuri Ivonovich telling me they expected good results. “How were my results,” I asked myself. In my mind, the results were great, with a broken nose and with no sleep, I came one point shy of defeating the National Olympic Hope Champion.

Even from a very young age, I knew that when my back was against the wall and adversity was knocking on my door, I would never back down. I became a stronger person, a trait my family made sure I would carry into my adult years. No matter what I’m striving for; getting into a University; receiving a scholarship; or applying for a job, I can proudly say to myself, I am Alen Abramyan and adversity is no match for me.

Link to Learning

Sandra Cisneros offers an example of a narrative essay in “Only Daughter”  that captures her sense of her Chicana-Mexican heritage as the only daughter in a family of seven children.

Do Personal Essays have Thesis Statements?

While many personal essays include a direct statement of the thesis, in some personal essays the thesis may be implied, or suggested, rather than stated outright.

Imagine, for example, that in your personal essay you decide to write about the way someone influenced you. The influential individual could be a relative, a friend or classmate, an employer or a teacher. As you shape your essay, you would not simply assemble a collection of miscellaneous observations about the person; instead, you would be selective and focus on details about this person that show his or her impact upon you.

Let us say that the person who influenced you is a grandparent. You may know a lot about this individual: personality traits, family and marital history, medical history, educational background, work experience, military experience, political and religious beliefs, hobbies, tastes in music, etc. As you shape your essay, you wouldn’t try to catalog all that you know. Instead, you would try to create a dominant impression by including details that guide your reader toward the idea that is central to the essay.

For example, if you developed certain habits and attitudes as you and your grandparent worked together on a project, that experience might provide the focus for the essay. If you chose details consistent with that focus, then you wouldn’t need to state that this was the point of the essay. Your readers would understand that that was the governing idea based on the details you had so carefully chosen.

Whether the thesis is stated outright or implied, then, the personal essay will have a governing idea—an idea that is “in charge” of what you decide to include in the essay in terms of content, vocabulary, sentence structure, and tone. In short, the personal essay may not have a thesis statement, but it  will  have a thesis.

Consider a personal essay in which a student was asked to write about a person she admired, and she wrote about her cousin. She wrote:

• I admired my cousin’s decision to enlist because she had to withstand criticism from people who thought women shouldn’t be in the army and because in basic training she had to stand up to physical and mental challenges that I don’t think I could face.

The thesis statement provides guidance for both writing and reading the essay. Writer and reader alike are able to see what the subject of the essay is and what is being stated about the subject and how the essay should be organized. No matter how many body paragraphs there are, this thesis implies that the paper will be divided into two sections. One section will group together the paragraphs on this topic: cousin “had to withstand criticism from people who thought women shouldn’t be in the army.” Another section will group together the paragraphs on this second topic: “in basic training she had to stand up to physical and mental challenges.”

Are Narratives Persuasive?

In a personal essay, you may not think of your thesis as “arguable” in the same way as a claim in a persuasive essay would be arguable, but in fact, you can think of it as something that should need to be demonstrated—backed up through explanations and illustrations. Usually, the idea that should be demonstrated is that you are a thoughtful, reflective person who has learned from the events and people in your life.

If the thesis does  not   need to be demonstrated, then there may not be much purpose in writing the essay. For, example, a statement that “George W. Bush was the forty-third president” or the statement that “Senior proms are exciting” would not be considered arguable by most people and likely would not spark a reader’s interest to make them want to keep reading.

On the other hand, the thesis statements below would need to be explained and illustrated. In that sense, these personal essay thesis statements are equivalent to claims that are “arguable.”

• The evening was nearly ruined because parents acting as dress-code vigilantes threw several people out of the prom.
• My team spent hours planning the prom and managed to head off a repeat of the after-prom drinking that caused some parents to question whether the prom should be held this year.
• Everyone was able to attend the prom proudly because our prom committee got several stores to loan outfits to make certain everyone would feel like they fit in.
• I opted to attend an alternative prom because the principal refused to allow a same-sex couple to attend.

Keep in mind that the actions or events in your essay do not have to make you look heroic. You could write a convincing and powerful essay about how you attended the school-sponsored prom, even though the principal refused to allow a same-sex couple to attend. Your essay, in this case, might, for example, focus on your regret over your decision and your subsequent understanding of how you think you can best challenge the status quo in the future. In other words, you can write an effective personal essay about a moment of regret.

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Tips for Online Students , Tips for Students

How To Write An Essay: Beginner Tips And Tricks

Many students dread writing essays, but essay writing is an important skill to develop in high school, university, and even into your future career. By learning how to write an essay properly, the process can become more enjoyable and you’ll find you’re better able to organize and articulate your thoughts.

When writing an essay, it’s common to follow a specific pattern, no matter what the topic is. Once you’ve used the pattern a few times and you know how to structure an essay, it will become a lot more simple to apply your knowledge to every essay. 

No matter which major you choose, you should know how to craft a good essay. Here, we’ll cover the basics of essay writing, along with some helpful tips to make the writing process go smoothly.

Photo by Laura Chouette on Unsplash

Types of Essays

Think of an essay as a discussion. There are many types of discussions you can have with someone else. You can be describing a story that happened to you, you might explain to them how to do something, or you might even argue about a certain topic. 

When it comes to different types of essays, it follows a similar pattern. Like a friendly discussion, each type of essay will come with its own set of expectations or goals. 

For example, when arguing with a friend, your goal is to convince them that you’re right. The same goes for an argumentative essay. 

Here are a few of the main essay types you can expect to come across during your time in school:

Narrative Essay

This type of essay is almost like telling a story, not in the traditional sense with dialogue and characters, but as if you’re writing out an event or series of events to relay information to the reader.

Persuasive Essay

Here, your goal is to persuade the reader about your views on a specific topic.

Descriptive Essay

This is the kind of essay where you go into a lot more specific details describing a topic such as a place or an event. 

Argumentative Essay

In this essay, you’re choosing a stance on a topic, usually controversial, and your goal is to present evidence that proves your point is correct.

Expository Essay

Your purpose with this type of essay is to tell the reader how to complete a specific process, often including a step-by-step guide or something similar.

Compare and Contrast Essay

You might have done this in school with two different books or characters, but the ultimate goal is to draw similarities and differences between any two given subjects.

The Main Stages of Essay Writing

When it comes to writing an essay, many students think the only stage is getting all your ideas down on paper and submitting your work. However, that’s not quite the case. 

There are three main stages of writing an essay, each one with its own purpose. Of course, writing the essay itself is the most substantial part, but the other two stages are equally as important.

So, what are these three stages of essay writing? They are:

Preparation

Before you even write one word, it’s important to prepare the content and structure of your essay. If a topic wasn’t assigned to you, then the first thing you should do is settle on a topic. Next, you want to conduct your research on that topic and create a detailed outline based on your research. The preparation stage will make writing your essay that much easier since, with your outline and research, you should already have the skeleton of your essay.

Writing is the most time-consuming stage. In this stage, you will write out all your thoughts and ideas and craft your essay based on your outline. You’ll work on developing your ideas and fleshing them out throughout the introduction, body, and conclusion (more on these soon).

In the final stage, you’ll go over your essay and check for a few things. First, you’ll check if your essay is cohesive, if all the points make sense and are related to your topic, and that your facts are cited and backed up. You can also check for typos, grammar and punctuation mistakes, and formatting errors.  

The Five-Paragraph Essay

We mentioned earlier that essay writing follows a specific structure, and for the most part in academic or college essays , the five-paragraph essay is the generally accepted structure you’ll be expected to use. 

The five-paragraph essay is broken down into one introduction paragraph, three body paragraphs, and a closing paragraph. However, that doesn’t always mean that an essay is written strictly in five paragraphs, but rather that this structure can be used loosely and the three body paragraphs might become three sections instead.

Let’s take a closer look at each section and what it entails.

Introduction

As the name implies, the purpose of your introduction paragraph is to introduce your idea. A good introduction begins with a “hook,” something that grabs your reader’s attention and makes them excited to read more. 

Another key tenant of an introduction is a thesis statement, which usually comes towards the end of the introduction itself. Your thesis statement should be a phrase that explains your argument, position, or central idea that you plan on developing throughout the essay. 

You can also include a short outline of what to expect in your introduction, including bringing up brief points that you plan on explaining more later on in the body paragraphs.

Here is where most of your essay happens. The body paragraphs are where you develop your ideas and bring up all the points related to your main topic. 

In general, you’re meant to have three body paragraphs, or sections, and each one should bring up a different point. Think of it as bringing up evidence. Each paragraph is a different piece of evidence, and when the three pieces are taken together, it backs up your main point — your thesis statement — really well.

That being said, you still want each body paragraph to be tied together in some way so that the essay flows. The points should be distinct enough, but they should relate to each other, and definitely to your thesis statement. Each body paragraph works to advance your point, so when crafting your essay, it’s important to keep this in mind so that you avoid going off-track or writing things that are off-topic.

Many students aren’t sure how to write a conclusion for an essay and tend to see their conclusion as an afterthought, but this section is just as important as the rest of your work. 

You shouldn’t be presenting any new ideas in your conclusion, but you should summarize your main points and show how they back up your thesis statement. 

Essentially, the conclusion is similar in structure and content to the introduction, but instead of introducing your essay, it should be wrapping up the main thoughts and presenting them to the reader as a singular closed argument. 

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Steps to Writing an Essay

Now that you have a better idea of an essay’s structure and all the elements that go into it, you might be wondering what the different steps are to actually write your essay. 

Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Instead of going in blind, follow these steps on how to write your essay from start to finish.

Understand Your Assignment

When writing an essay for an assignment, the first critical step is to make sure you’ve read through your assignment carefully and understand it thoroughly. You want to check what type of essay is required, that you understand the topic, and that you pay attention to any formatting or structural requirements. You don’t want to lose marks just because you didn’t read the assignment carefully.

Research Your Topic

Once you understand your assignment, it’s time to do some research. In this step, you should start looking at different sources to get ideas for what points you want to bring up throughout your essay. 

Search online or head to the library and get as many resources as possible. You don’t need to use them all, but it’s good to start with a lot and then narrow down your sources as you become more certain of your essay’s direction.

Start Brainstorming

After research comes the brainstorming. There are a lot of different ways to start the brainstorming process . Here are a few you might find helpful:

• Think about what you found during your research that interested you the most
• Jot down all your ideas, even if they’re not yet fully formed
• Create word clouds or maps for similar terms or ideas that come up so you can group them together based on their similarities
• Try freewriting to get all your ideas out before arranging them

Create a Thesis

This is often the most tricky part of the whole process since you want to create a thesis that’s strong and that you’re about to develop throughout the entire essay. Therefore, you want to choose a thesis statement that’s broad enough that you’ll have enough to say about it, but not so broad that you can’t be precise. 

Write Your Outline

Armed with your research, brainstorming sessions, and your thesis statement, the next step is to write an outline. 

In the outline, you’ll want to put your thesis statement at the beginning and start creating the basic skeleton of how you want your essay to look. 

A good way to tackle an essay is to use topic sentences . A topic sentence is like a mini-thesis statement that is usually the first sentence of a new paragraph. This sentence introduces the main idea that will be detailed throughout the paragraph. 

If you create an outline with the topic sentences for your body paragraphs and then a few points of what you want to discuss, you’ll already have a strong starting point when it comes time to sit down and write. This brings us to our next step… 

Write a First Draft

The first time you write your entire essay doesn’t need to be perfect, but you do need to get everything on the page so that you’re able to then write a second draft or review it afterward. 

Everyone’s writing process is different. Some students like to write their essay in the standard order of intro, body, and conclusion, while others prefer to start with the “meat” of the essay and tackle the body, and then fill in the other sections afterward. 

Make sure your essay follows your outline and that everything relates to your thesis statement and your points are backed up by the research you did. 

Revise, Edit, and Proofread

The revision process is one of the three main stages of writing an essay, yet many people skip this step thinking their work is done after the first draft is complete. 

However, proofreading, reviewing, and making edits on your essay can spell the difference between a B paper and an A.

After writing the first draft, try and set your essay aside for a few hours or even a day or two, and then come back to it with fresh eyes to review it. You might find mistakes or inconsistencies you missed or better ways to formulate your arguments.

Add the Finishing Touches

Finally, you’ll want to make sure everything that’s required is in your essay. Review your assignment again and see if all the requirements are there, such as formatting rules, citations, quotes, etc. 

Go over the order of your paragraphs and make sure everything makes sense, flows well, and uses the same writing style . 

Once everything is checked and all the last touches are added, give your essay a final read through just to ensure it’s as you want it before handing it in. 

A good way to do this is to read your essay out loud since you’ll be able to hear if there are any mistakes or inaccuracies.

Essay Writing Tips

With the steps outlined above, you should be able to craft a great essay. Still, there are some other handy tips we’d recommend just to ensure that the essay writing process goes as smoothly as possible.

• Start your essay early. This is the first tip for a reason. It’s one of the most important things you can do to write a good essay. If you start it the night before, then you won’t have enough time to research, brainstorm, and outline — and you surely won’t have enough time to review.
• Don’t try and write it in one sitting. It’s ok if you need to take breaks or write it over a few days. It’s better to write it in multiple sittings so that you have a fresh mind each time and you’re able to focus.
• Always keep the essay question in mind. If you’re given an assigned question, then you should always keep it handy when writing your essay to make sure you’re always working to answer the question.
• Use transitions between paragraphs. In order to improve the readability of your essay, try and make clear transitions between paragraphs. This means trying to relate the end of one paragraph to the beginning of the next one so the shift doesn’t seem random.
• Integrate your research thoughtfully. Add in citations or quotes from your research materials to back up your thesis and main points. This will show that you did the research and that your thesis is backed up by it.

Wrapping Up

Writing an essay doesn’t need to be daunting if you know how to approach it. Using our essay writing steps and tips, you’ll have better knowledge on how to write an essay and you’ll be able to apply it to your next assignment. Once you do this a few times, it will become more natural to you and the essay writing process will become quicker and easier.

If you still need assistance with your essay, check with a student advisor to see if they offer help with writing. At University of the People(UoPeople), we always want our students to succeed, so our student advisors are ready to help with writing skills when necessary. 

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The New York Times

The learning network | what ‘mundane moments’ from your life might make great essay material.

What ‘Mundane Moments’ From Your Life Might Make Great Essay Material?

Questions about issues in the news for students 13 and older.

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The Choice, a New York Times blog about the college admissions process, ran a post providing tips on how to write a good college essay. Some of the advice may surprise you. What “small moments” in your life might make for good personal statement material?

In the post , Dave Marcus quotes several admissions officers on what makes for good and not-so-good essays, including these tidbits:

For many seniors, choosing the topic for a personal statement is more difficult than actually writing the piece. But don’t fret. “Some of the more mundane moments in life make great essays,” Christopher Burkmar, Princeton University’s associate dean of admissions, assured guidance counselors at a conference last month. For example, Mr. Burkmar said he had recently savored a few hundred words about a family’s dinner conversations. “The best essays make us laugh, cry or wince,” said Matthew Whelan, Stony Brook University’s assistant provost for admissions and financial aid. “They help us understand why we want the applicant here.” One of Mr. Whelan’s current favorites: “The young man who puts his siblings on the bus in the morning because both parents are working, then gets them off the bus, cooks them dinner and helps with homework because both parents are still working.”

Students: Tell us about the everyday moments from your life that might make for good essay material. If you are applying to college, how might you use something “mundane” to show who you are and what is important to you? Or, what about your life might make an admissions officer “laugh, cry or wince”?

Students 13 and older are invited to comment below. Please use only your first name. For privacy policy reasons, we will not publish student comments that include a last name.

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Everyday moments that I think would be good for essay material would be my family and I sitting down for dinner every night and just talking about whatever comes to mind, even if it the stupidest thing. I would just talk about me and what I do and the things that I like to do or what I might do when I am bored. Some things might be boring to one person, but then they might be very exciting to another person, that is how it usually is for me. The one thing that would make the admissions people cry about me is that I have six other brothers and sisters but I have only met four of them, and I don’t think that I will ever meet the other two of them.

When i started applying for college i had no idea what to write about for my million essays. For a few i wrote about my friends that ive had since kindergarten and how we grew up together and are still friends today. I wrote about the different things we experienced with each other and our happiness shared. I also ended up writing about my grandmothers fight with parkinsons disease and diabetes. Basically I just wrote statements that were true. I didnt try to be something I wasnt, or make up a lie. I just told the truth in all my essays. And if a college doesnt accept me; at least they dont accept me for someone Im not.

A good essay can be wrote by simply finding a way to relate to the topic. Once you can relate to the topic, the essay just seems to fall right in place. If you can’t relate to the essay, then there are several things you can do. One thing is just not to get all tensed up. Relax and take it easy. Only a good essay is wrote by being comfortable about the topic, and in yourself. A few good tips for writing a good essay is to take your time. Once you take your time on things, there is less of a chance for error. Brainstorm the essay. Write a few things that might be interesting on a separate sheet of paper and choose from them. Once you have done this, the college essay report should be easy. It takes more time planning everything out, then writing the paper itself. Once you have the plan down, let your mind and your hands do the work.

Everday moments from my life that can be good essay material is the life of my grandpa. If I was applying to college I would show my passion for music as something “mundane”.

My mundane moments would probably be just everyday life. It would show the life of a average teenager it there everyday setting. While it exposed the environment of high school, home and work. But more importantly than writing and exposing a teenager’s life, the book would keep memories alive, it would remind people of their high school lives. If some miss it or some hate it, it would bring their feelings back to them like high school was here yesterday for them. There are many different things that would make a great essay for anyone.

There isn’t really a big moment that has happened in my life that is worth writing an essay about. However, some of the people that I have in my life, I have enough to say about them to write an essay about. One of the most important people that I have in my life is Aspen Brown. I’ve known her since I was about 5, we didn’t talk so much throughout elementary school, but sometime around 8th grade, she became like an older sister to me. I’ve taken her advice on many things. And some things in my life she has helped me through. I have other people as well as Aspen, that are like sisters to me, and I would have something to say about all of them and how they have impacted my life.

Small moments that would make a good essay would be moments with my family. There is never a boring moment with my family we are always doing something funny, stupid, argueing over something stupid, or just messing with each other. For example a few days ago I started messing with my mother and I started to hit her like playing around. And she was like quite it but i kept messing with her and she started laughing and then I started to laugh after her. I really do not know because we are just a really random family. But you got to love them weather or not you like it.

I’m only a freshman I don’t want to make a big deal out of my college essay yet until maybe junior year or something but right now I really don’t want to think about it.

I am not so sure about this one. I guess a good one would be me being with my boyfriend Nicholas all the time. I and he are always together. Whether we are outside playing around, like football, or just simply sitting inside watching television or a movie, we always have an amazing time. The little things in life are grand. I cherish every moment I am with him. Sometimes we might actually do something kind of big like go see a movie or for instance like this Saturday, go to Scareowinds. No matter what, Nicholas and I always have something to do, whether it is something simple or something complex. Our moments together would be something to write about. I love being with him!<3

I think that some small moments in my life that are important to me are too many to count. One would be the time that my family and I moved here to the U.S., which was in 2002. A special moment at that time, for me, would be a stuffed dog that some random guy gave to me. I named him Houston because I got him in Houston, Texas. Even though he is not in a very good condition I still have him. The time that my first niece was born was a very special moment for me because she was my first niece. I have many more but can’t remember at this time.

I think one of my greatest life memories would be when I moved to hickory, north carolina. My life has changed in many ways since I moved here. I would also just have to say just everyday life. A good essay topic for me to write about to make the admissions cry would be about how the man that took care of me when I was younger died 3 years ago & my real father I have never met. I would just talk about how my lifes been like having to go through all of that. I have three sisters that I never get to see anymore because they live in a different state. I actually have alot of things in my life that happened that I could write about for an essay.

Almost all the moments in my life are mundane moments, so according to this article I really should have plenty of things to write an essay about. I think one of the best essays I could write about myself would be me talking about all the things I do at my church. Doing community service projects, ushering almost every Sunday, helping kids younger than me to understand our religion at our youth group, and helping my dad teach his confirmation class, are probably all things that would make a good essay for college. Another thing that would probably make a good essay would be just me talking about what I do in my free time. Things like reading books, watching cartoons like Phineas and Ferb with my little brothers, playing saxophone, and playing soccer all are things that a college admissions worker would just love.

Some of the greatest moments were from hanging out with my brother during the summer. We used to go somewhere every night. It was awesome because my brother and I weren’t so close before and now we are really close. I like being close to my brother because there’s somebody to go if you ever need anything. And I live with a mixed family. So my brother is the main person that I like to go to. My mother is a big help, but sometimes I don’t think that I can trust her with some of the things that I can trust my brother with.

Not sure what I would write… just the things that happen to me on a daily bases. Like what I like to do or go. I would write about the people I care about most. Like my two best friends Danyell and Samantha. They are like sisters to me and they’ve been through everything with me. Maybe my boyfriend and the support he gives me and as well about my family. And some of the teachers that made a difference in my life. There are only two of them but they are important. They took the time for me like no other teacher before.

i really don’t know what i would write..!!! like things that happen on daily bases would be just sitting down spending time with my family and like dinner every night and just talking about whatever comes to mind, even if it the stupidest thing. And tell my family how important they are to me.

Well I guess everyday life would be a mundane moment. It would show an average teenager in everyday life. Everyday is a new day and anything could happen. So I think that every single day in life is a mundane moment because you don’t know what could happen tomorrow. For all you know you could die tomorrow. So take everyday as your last and live life. Live to the fullest, now that doesn’t mean to do stupid stuff. Just don’t sit at home and do nothing. Get out and have fun, hang out with your friends, and do what teens do these days because you’re only a teenager once.

If I was to attend a school like this from 5 to 18 this school would give me no priorities or responsibility because with no tests or grades and 2 teachers I would be about as smart as a stick. Being raised like this id probably just wants to eat, sleep, and play games. No the flip side of freedom isn’t responsibility if your parents want to pay 15,000 so there child may attend a school which has no curriculum to try to further educate their skills in math, science, language arts, and reading then its not a real school in my opinion. I go to public schools and ill be smarter than the kids who go to this free school with no cost to my education. Without the freedom of having a sport like basketball and the structure to further my education so I can attend college.

Some of my greatest moments is when I can hang out with all of my cousins and we could all do something together because right now we haven’t seen each other in like years and pretty much all of the are brothers and sisters but to me they are my cousin and they haven’t seen each other since they were little and we used to hang out and play at my house to come and spend the night but now their mother wont let them because my uncles did something to them so now he cant see them any more so that’s it.

I don’t really know of or have ever had a mundane moment that I know of. But I guess some of my mundane moments could be how I spend my time in school and how I spend time with my family members and things like that and what I do on the weekends. But most of the days in my week I am in school in classes and then when I get home I am almost never home because I like to go places that I like or that I can make money from.

A small moment in my life could be about the little memory I have of one of my aunts that had breast cancer. She was amazing at sports and had a lovely daughter and husband. She was diagnosed with breast cancer about four or five years back. It was a level four type which is really bad. She was the one person nobody would think had cancer because she was so amazing. A couple years after she was diagnosed she was going through remission and everybody thought that she was going to make it when it donned on everyone. That the cancer had not gone away. They could not do chemotherapy again because she was too weak. One day I was at summer camp at the YMCA when the counselor told me that I was leaving early. I thought cool my mom is picking me up early. Then I walked toward her and she had a sad expression on her face and I knew that something was wrong. She said that Kendra had died earlier that morning. Now every time I look at her daughter, my cousin, I see Kendra. She looks just like her and I will never forget that.

Mundane moments of my life would be how I have been in school how spending my time with my family and some things that have actually happened in my life. I think the most important think is God my parents and school. I would also write about my attitudes how my personality is I think that my some thing of me would be about my smile. My parents are the most important persons in my life because with out them I could not get this far. Right now I don’t live with my parents for some specific reasons but all this time been apart them I actually miss them this is one of the most important moment of my I would never forget.

A moment in my life, that could make an essay; would probaby be when i was around 2 years old. My family and I went to a bowling alley, as I stated that I was only 2; there fore I could not read at the time. We were all having a great time, then when I wanted to get a bowling ball from the machine, I put my hand in there. My thumb was, well cut deeply, and I still have a scar from it today. If I was writing an essay I would go into more detail, and describe the pain. It was just an ordinary day at the bowling alley, that I can turn into a great story.

What I would put on this college essay is that I have good communication with my family and friends at home. I take education very seriously but not too seriously. Everyday I experience frustrations and can encourage myself to complete my tasks. I don’t like being down. I like to think and understand before taking actions. I also like to joke around a lot and have fun with life. About every night I help my younger brother with his homework. I would like to mention my boyfriend. I really do admire him because of his positive personality. He’s always listening to what I have to say every night when I talk to him on the phone.

Every moment in my life should be placed in an essay, just because I value every moment (and I am just that awesome, just kidding). I have a lot of homework because teachers are harsher than they need to be. Anyway when ever I go to an out of state college I will be proud of my hard work. The Beatles really changed my perspective on life so they should be mentioned. Strawberry fields are forever.

I have a lot of moments in my life that could be in an essay, but I think one of the moments that would make the BEST essay would be when my life was endangered. When I was three years old, I was in the the car in my car seat when we were going up a hill and I choked on a mint. My grandma had to get out of the car and give me the heimlich maneuver on me. It was definetly a moment I will never forget.

What's Next

Essay Writing Tips: 10 Steps to Writing a Great Essay (And Have Fun Doing It!)

by Joe Bunting | 117 comments

Do you dread essay writing? Are you looking for some essay tips that will help you write an amazing essay—and have fun doing it?

Lots of students, young and old, dread essay writing. It's a daunting assignment, one that takes research, time, and concentration.

It's also an assignment that you can break up into simple steps that make writing an essay manageable and, yes, even enjoyable.

These ten essay tips completely changed my writing process—and I hope that they can do the same for you.

Essay Writing Can Be Fun

Honestly, throughout most of high school and college, I was a mediocre essay writer.

Every once in a while, I would write a really good essay, but mostly I skated by with B's and A-minuses.

I know personally how boring writing an essay can be, and also, how hard it can be to write a good one.

However, toward the end of my time as a student, I made a breakthrough. I figured out how to not only write a great essay, I learned how to have fun while doing it . 

And since then, I've become a professional writer and have written more than a dozen books. I'm not saying that these essay writing tips are going to magically turn you into a writer, but at least they can help you enjoy the process more.

I'm excited to share these ten essay writing tips with you today! But first, we need to talk about why writing an essay is so hard.

Why Writing an Essay Is So Hard

When it comes to essay writing, a lot of students find a reason to put it off. And when they tackle it, they find it difficult to string sentences together that sound like a decent stance on the assigned subject.

Here are a few reasons why essay writing is hard:

• You'd rather be scrolling through Facebook
• You're trying to write something your teacher or professor will like
• You're trying to get an A instead of writing something that's actually good
• You want to do the least amount of work possible

The biggest reason writing an essay is so hard is because we mostly focus on those external  rewards like getting a passing grade, winning our teacher's approval, or just avoiding accusations of plagiarism.

The problem is that when you focus on external approval it not only makes writing much less fun, it also makes it significantly harder.

Because when you focus on external approval, you shut down your subconscious, and the subconscious is the source of your creativity.

The subconscious is the source of your creativity.

What this means practically is that when you're trying to write that perfect, A-plus-worthy sentence, you're turning off most of your best resources and writing skills.

So stop. Stop trying to write a good essay (or even a “good-enough” essay). Instead, write an interesting  essay, write an essay you think is fascinating. And when you're finished, go back and edit it until it's “good” according to your teacher's standards.

Yes, you need to follow the guidelines in your assignment. If your teacher tells you to write a five-paragraph essay, then write a five-paragraph essay! If your teacher asks for a specific type of essay, like an analysis, argument, or research essay, then make sure you write that type of essay!

However, within those guidelines, find room to express something that is uniquely you .

I can't guarantee you'll get a higher grade (although, you almost certainly will), but I can absolutely promise you'll have a lot more fun writing.

The Step-by-Step Process to Writing a Great Essay: Your 10 Essay Writing Tips

Ready to get writing? You can read my ten best tips for having fun while writing an essay that earns you the top grade, or check out this presentation designed by our friends at Canva Presentations .

1. Remember your essay is just a story.

Every story is about conflict and change, and the truth is that essays are about conflict and change, too! The difference is that in an essay, the conflict is between different ideas , and the change is in the way we should perceive those ideas.

That means that the best essays are about surprise: “You probably think it's one way, but in reality, you should think of it this other way.” See tip #3 for more on this.

How do you know what story you're telling? The prompt should tell you.

Any list of essay prompts includes various topics and tasks associated with them. Within those topics are characters (historical, fictional, or topical) faced with difficult choices. Your job is to work with those choices, usually by analyzing them, arguing about them, researching them, or describing them in detail.

2. Before you start writing, ask yourself, “How can I have the most fun writing this?”

It's normal to feel unmotivated when writing an academic essay. I'm a writer, and honestly, I feel unmotivated to write all the time. But I have a super-ninja, judo-mind trick I like to use to help motivate myself.

Here's the secret trick: One of the interesting things about your subconscious is that it will answer any question you ask yourself. So whenever you feel unmotivated to write your essay, ask yourself the following question:

“How much fun can I have writing this?”

Your subconscious will immediately start thinking of strategies to make the writing process more fun.

The best time to have your fun is the first draft. Since you're just brainstorming within the topic, and exploring the possible ways of approaching it, the first draft is the perfect place to get creative and even a little scandalous. Here are some wild suggestions to make your next essay a load of fun:

• Research the most surprising or outrageous fact about the topic and use it as your hook.
• Use a thesaurus to research the topic's key words. Get crazy with your vocabulary as you write, working in each key word synonym as much as possible.
• Play devil's advocate and take the opposing or immoral side of the issue. See where the discussion takes you as you write.

3. As you research, ask yourself, “What surprises me about this subject?”

The temptation, when you're writing an essay, is to write what you think your teacher or professor wants to read.

Don't do this .

Instead, ask yourself, “What do I find interesting about this subject? What surprises me?”

If you can't think of anything that surprises you, anything you find interesting, then you're not searching well enough, because history, science, and literature are all brimming   over with surprises. When you look at how great ideas actually happen, the story is always, “We used  to think the world was this way. We found out we were completely wrong, and that the world is actually quite different from what we thought.”

These pieces of surprising information often make for the best topic sentences as well. Use them to outline your essay and build your body paragraphs off of each unique fact or idea. These will function as excellent hooks for your reader as you transition from one topic to the next.

(By the way, what sources should you use for research? Check out tip #10 below.)

4. Overwhelmed? Write five original sentences.

The standard three-point essay is really made up of just five original sentences surrounded by supporting paragraphs that back up those five sentences. If you're feeling overwhelmed, just write five sentences covering your most basic main points.

Here's what they might look like for this article:

• Introductory Paragraph:  While most students consider writing an essay a boring task, with the right mindset, it can actually be an enjoyable experience.
• Body #1: Most students think writing an essay is tedious because they focus on external rewards.
• Body #2: Students should instead focus on internal fulfillment when writing an essay.
• Body #3: Not only will focusing on internal fulfillment allow students to have more fun, it will also result in better essays.
• Conclusion: Writing an essay doesn't have to be simply a way to earn a good grade. Instead, it can be a means of finding fulfillment.

After you write your five sentences, it's easy to fill in the paragraphs for each one.

Now, you give it a shot!

5. Be “source heavy.”

In college, I discovered a trick that helped me go from a B-average student to an A-student, but before I explain how it works, let me warn you. This technique is powerful , but it might not work for all teachers or professors. Use with caution.

As I was writing a paper for a literature class, I realized that the articles and books I was reading said what I was trying to say much better than I ever could. So what did I do? I quoted them liberally throughout my paper. When I wasn't quoting, I re-phrased what they said in my own words, giving proper credit, of course. I found that not only did this formula create a well-written essay, it took about half the time to write.

It's good to keep in mind that using anyone else's words, even when morphed into your own phrasing, requires citation. While the definition of plagiarism is shifting with the rise of online collaboration and cooperative learning environments, always  err on the side of excessive citation to be safe.

When I used this technique, my professors sometimes mentioned that my papers were very “source” heavy. However, at the same time, they always gave me A's.

To keep yourself safe, I recommend using a 60/40 approach with your body paragraphs: Make sure 60% of the words are your own analysis and argumentation, while 40% can be quoted (or text you paraphrase) from your sources.

Like the five sentence trick, this technique makes the writing process simpler. Instead of putting the main focus on writing well, it instead forces you to research  well, which some students find easier.

6. Write the body first, the introduction second, and the conclusion last.

Introductions are often the hardest part to write because you're trying to summarize your entire essay before you've even written it yet. Instead, try writing your introduction last, giving yourself the body of the paper to figure out the main point of your essay.

This is especially important with an essay topic you are not personally interested in. I definitely recommend this in classes you either don't excel in or care much for. Take plenty of time to draft and revise your body paragraphs before  attempting to craft a meaningful introductory paragraph.

Otherwise your opening may sound awkward, wooden, and bland.

7. Most essays answer the question, “What?” Good essays answer the “Why?” The best essays answer the “How?”

If you get stuck trying to make your argument, or you're struggling to reach the required word count, try focusing on the question, “How?”

For example:

• How did J.D. Salinger convey the theme of inauthenticity in  The Catcher In the Rye ?
• How did Napoleon restore stability in France after the French Revolution?
• How does the research prove girls really do rule and boys really do drool?

If you focus on how, you'll always have enough to write about.

8. Don't be afraid to jump around.

Essay writing can be a dance. You don't have to stay in one place and write from beginning to end.

For the same reasons listed in point #6, give yourself the freedom to write as if you're circling around your topic rather than making a single, straightforward argument. Then, when you edit and proofread, you can make sure everything lines up correctly.

In fact, now is the perfect time to mention that proofreading your essay isn't just about spelling and commas.

It's about making sure your analysis or argument flows smoothly from one idea to another. (Okay, technically this comprises editing, but most students writing a high school or college essay don't take the time to complete every step of the writing process. Let's be honest.)

So as you clean up your mechanics and sentence structure, make sure your ideas flow smoothly, logically, and naturally from one to the next as you finish proofreading.

9. Here are some words and phrases you don't want to use.

• You  (You'll notice I use a lot of you's, which is great for a blog post. However, in an academic essay, it's better to omit the second-person.)
• To Be verbs (is, are, was, were, am)

Don't have time to edit? Here's a lightning-quick editing technique .

A note about “I”: Some teachers say you shouldn't use “I” statements in your writing, but the truth is that professional, academic papers often use phrases like “I believe” and “in my opinion,” especially in their introductions.

10. It's okay to use Wikipedia, if…

Wikipedia is one of the top five websites in the world for a reason: it can be a great tool for research. However, most teachers and professors don't consider Wikipedia a valid source for use in essays.

Don't totally discount it, though! Here are two ways you can use Wikipedia in your essay writing:

• Background research. If you don't know enough about your topic, Wikipedia can be a great resource to quickly learn everything you need to know to get started.
• Find sources . Check the reference section of Wikipedia's articles on your topic. While you may not be able to cite Wikipedia itself, you can often find those original sources and cite them . You can locate the links to primary and secondary sources at the bottom of any Wikipedia page under the headings “Further Reading” and “References.”

You Can Enjoy Essay Writing

The thing I regret most about high school and college is that I treated it like something I had  to do rather than something I wanted  to do.

The truth is, education is an opportunity many people in the world don't have access to.

It's a gift, not just something that makes your life more difficult. I don't want you to make the mistake of just “getting by” through school, waiting desperately for summer breaks and, eventually, graduation.

How would your life be better if you actively enjoyed writing an essay? What would school look like if you wanted to suck it dry of all the gifts it has to give you?

All I'm saying is, don't miss out!

Looking for More Essay Writing Tips?

Looking for more essay tips to strengthen your essay writing? Try some of these resources:

• 7 Tips on Writing an Effective Essay
• Tips for Writing Your Thesis Statement

How about you? Do you have any tips for writing an essay?  Let us know in the  comments .

Need more grammar help?  My favorite tool that helps find grammar problems and even generates reports to help improve my writing is ProWritingAid . Works with Word, Scrivener, Google Docs, and web browsers. Also, be sure to use my coupon code to get 20 percent off: WritePractice20

Coupon Code:WritePractice20 »

Ready to try out these ten essay tips to make your essay assignment fun? Spend fifteen minutes using tip #4 and write five original sentences that could be turned into an essay.

When you're finished, share your five sentences in the comments section. And don't forget to give feedback to your fellow writers!

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Joe Bunting

Joe Bunting is an author and the leader of The Write Practice community. He is also the author of the new book Crowdsourcing Paris , a real life adventure story set in France. It was a #1 New Release on Amazon. Follow him on Instagram (@jhbunting).

Want best-seller coaching? Book Joe here.

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91 Everyday Use Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

👍 7 simple steps to a+ essay on everyday use, 🏆 best everyday use topic ideas & essay examples, 📌 interesting topics to write about everyday use, 👍 good essay topics on everyday use, ❓ everyday use essay questions.

Writing an Everyday Use essay can be a tough task if you don’t know the seven simple steps to an A+ paper. IvyPanda experts prepared a simple guide to ace your Alice Walker paper.

If you have writer’s block, procrastinate, and postpone your written assignments to the last day before the submission deadline, we suggest you to divide the task into small chunks:

• Determine the type of essay and learn its features
• Pick up Everyday Use essay topic
• Do your research on the chosen topic
• Write a thesis statement

Create Everyday Use essay outline

• Work on your paper
• Proofread and edit the essay

Determine the Essay Type

Your professor might assign you to write a certain type of essay on Alice Walker novel. For example, compare and contrast paper or literary analysis (don’t confuse it with literary summary!), persuasive essay on women empowerment, argumentative essay on family heritage, etc. Or you have the freedom to choose the paper type.

Learn more about various types of essays to know what you’re going to write. Depending on it, you will narrow your research and easy decide on structure of your paper.

Don’t forget to carefully read the professor’s instructions!

Choose the Essay Topic

Brainstorm ideas you can use as a base for your future research and writing. Active reading techniques would help you to determine some points in the novel that you can use in the essay.

Make notes and write ideas that come to mind while you read the book. After you’ve finished, check your notes, and write down Everyday Use essay questions that you would like to answer in the paper.

Once you’ve created a list of topics, it’s time to narrow your focus and choose the best one. Leave only one main point for research.

Do Your Research

Once you’ve chosen the essay topic, it’s time to do your research. Read critical reviews on the novel, check our Everyday Use essay topics to get examples of papers on Alice Walker’s books. Remember to keep notes so it would be easier for to refer and to cite the sources.

Master Your Everyday Use Essay Thesis

Here’s what you should keep in mind when creating your thesis:

• Thesis statement should reflect the key point of your paper.
• It should be one sentence.
• Use it in the introductory paragraph.
• Make broad enough.

If you need some ideas on how to write good thesis statements, you can always check IvyPanda essay examples. You can also use online thesis generators.

The next step you should make after you’ve finished the thesis is to master your outline.

It will help you to structure the paper. Put only one idea per paragraph and avoid overloading your body sections with too many arguments and evidence.

Make sure that you included transition sentences to keep the logical flow of the paper.

Write Everyday Use Essay

Once you’ve finished an outline, start writing! The more detailed your outline, the easier will be the writing process. Always ensure that you writing is clear and consistent. Check if you stick to the structure.

Write a strong Everyday Use essay conclusion. Restate your thesis and summarize ideas you presented in the paper’s body. You can work on the intro after the entire essay is already finished.

Proofread Your Paper

Some students underestimate the importance of the revision. However, don’t skip this step. Check it for punctuation, grammar, spelling mistakes and typos. You can also ask your friends or classmates to proofread your essay.

Are you finding it hard to express your points clearly in your Everyday Use essay? Check our variety of samples, written by professionals!

• “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker Critical Analysis By the use of the technique of contrasting the characters and their opinions in the story, the author succeeds in demonstrating the significance of comprehending our present life in relation to the culture that our […]
• “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker This study therefore identifies there points; in that, Walker seeks to convey the principle that art is a living and breathing part of its origin, a significant cultural possession, and a critique of the postmodern […]
• Cultural Identity and Heritage in the “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker In the broad context, Walker designs the story to underscore the conflict that African Americans faced concerning their cultural identity and heritage after the abolition of slavery.
• Everyday Use by Alice Walker The two hand-stitched quilts draw attention and become the center of conflict in the family of Mama and her two daughters.
• Parent-Child Relationships in “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker The more distant and fractious relationship is between the narrator and Dee. The narrator is referred to as “Mama,” and a mama she is.
• The Theme of Education in “Everyday Use” by Walker and “Sonny’s Blues” by Baldwin Initially, in both stories, the authors emphasize the success linked to education and the necessity of school attendance. Back in time, education might create a delusion about one’s intelligence, overstating the significance of existing knowledge […]
• Literary Devices of “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker The plot tells about the lives of a single mother and her two daughters, Dee and Maggie. The latter is further illustrated through Wangero visiting her mother with her partner and addressing the topic in […]
• “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker and “The Story of an Hour” by Chopin Dee, although she is not the only main character, is the drive that pushes the story forward, and the narrative unfolds with her arrival.
• The Short Stories “Everyday Use” by Walker and “A Worn Path” by Welty Despite coming from different backgrounds and are placed in different settings, Phoenix Jackson and Mrs. Though Phoenix Jackson and Mrs.
• Symbolism in “Everyday Use” by Walker and “Worn Path” by Welty In the second story, the symbol of the past and something that had long gone is the woman’s path that implies the historical events of the past the value of life.
• African-American Heritage in the “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker Dee and Maggie do not interact, it is only as the story ends that Dee speaks to her angrily as she is leaving; this ending portrays the relationship of the African and American heritages.
• Analysis of Alice Walker’s Essay “Everyday Use” in Reference to the Idea of Power and Responsibility Within Family This statement of Maggie’s inner power provokes her mother to exercise her authority and stop Dee from plundering the house which she has never respected, loved or devoted her effort to.
• Comparison of “Two Kinds” and “Everyday Use” The conflict between her new constructed culture and the tradition and culture that mama was brought up to know is an aftermath of the general mood of society after the effects of war and conflict […]
• Stories “Girl” by Kincaid vs. “Everyday Use” by Walker In my opinion, in both Walker’s and Kincaid’s stories, there are the three themes of mother-daughter relationships, economic struggles, and societal expectations. In the case of Girl, the conflict is based on the concerns the […]
• The Mood in “Everyday Use” by A. Walker From the beginning of the narrative, a sense of antipathy is observed between the main character and Maggie. The gloominess of the fiction is mainly highlighted by hardships and the dramatic visions of the narrator.
• Literature Studies: ‘Everyday Use’ by Alice Walker On the arrival of her sister- Dee, she was not coming in the courtyard to her mother to greet and welcome her sister.
• Cultural Identity: “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker One of the instances of elements of life associated with identity is music. As such, blues music is not particularly popular throughout America, yet it remains a significant part and a distinctive aspect of the […]
• Baldwin’s “Sonny’s Blues” and Walker’s “Everyday Use” Analysis The narrative’s main focus was on the family’s relationships, trials, and the never-ending cycle of pain. The storyteller is Sonny’s brother, and the setting occurred in a rural region of Harlem, New York, in the […]
• “Everyday Use”: Differences Between Mama and Her Daughters To be more exact, the author focuses on the problem from the African-American people’s side. Overall, Maggie seems indeed similar to her mother, and they do share numerous identical features; however, Dicie is obviously more […]
• Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour”, Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper”, and Walker’s “Everyday Use” It is remarkable that the language of The Story of An Hour speaks for the feelings of protagonist and the plot uncovering.
• “Everyday Use” Short Story by Alice Walker Despite Dee’s overwhelming presence, Maggie is the first girl to be introduced in the story as it is she who has apparently helped her mother to make the yard “so clean and wavy yesterday afternoon….
• Heritage in Walker’s “Everyday Use” Short Story This is much different from the awareness of her heritage displayed by Maggie, who lives the lifestyle alongside her mother and is more intimately aware of the stories behind each of the pieces Dee determines […]
• “Everyday Use” Story by Alice Walker As a result, she can be considered a reliable narrator as she describes both of her daughters honestly and without skipping over any of the unpleasant bit of their backgrounds such as the fire that […]
• “Saboteur” and “Everyday Use” Literary Comparison The second story describes the life of a common family in which even tenor is interrupted by the visit of one of the daughters of Mama and their different understanding of identity.
• Denial in “Everyday Use” and “Jilting of Granny Weatherall” The old woman fails to accept her jilting by her lover to her death even though she prides in having been married and fend for her family all alone after facing the death of her […]
• Conflict in Everyday Use In the very beginning of the story one can already see the reason why Tuten disapproved of Dee’s actions and supported the desire of Mama and Maggie to continue with their way of life.
• Analysis of Themes and Narration in “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker
• The Differences in Physical Attributes, Education, and Personalities Between Dee and Maggie in “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker
• A Rhetorical Analysis of “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker
• A Literary Analysis of the Different Views in “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker
• The Physical Beauty of Dee in “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker
• The Relationship Between Parent and Child in Joe Johnson’s “October Sky” and Alice Walker’s “Everyday Use”
• The Value and Purpose of Cultural Heirlooms in “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker
• How Alice Walker Explores the Meaning of Heritage in “Everyday Use”
• The Theme of Jealousy Between Two Sisters in “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker
• A Character Analysis of Dee Johnson in “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker
• The Hidden Strength of Mama and the Fight of Tradition Against Materialism in “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker
• Racism, Resistance, and Sacrifice in Alice Walker’s “Everyday Use”
• The Usability of Symbolism in “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker
• Past and Present Connections: Alice Walker’s Use of First Person Point of View in “Everyday Use”
• A Comparison Between Alice Walker’s “Everyday Use” and Joseph Geha’s “Monkey Business”
• The Importance of Home to a Family of Three Women in Georgia in “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker
• Heritage and Selfishness in “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker
• A Mother’s Important Decisions in “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker
• The Importance of Tradition in “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker and “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson
• An Analysis of the Narrative Structure in “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker
• Symbolic References in “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker
• The Value of the Intangible in “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker
• An Analysis of the Textile Industry in “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker
• Lost Heritage in Alice Walker’s “Everyday Use”
• Themes of Identity Fabrication and Ethnological Heritage in “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker
• True Inheritance in Alice Walker’s “Everyday Use”
• The Thematic Character of “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker
• A Psychoanalytical Reading of “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker
• The Character of Mama in Alice Walker’s “Everyday Use”
• Analysis of Patches: Quilt and Community in Alice Walker’s “Everyday Use”
• Acceptance and Denial in Alice Walker’s “Everyday Use”
• The History of Quilting Based on the Story of Quilting “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker
• A Critique of the Effectiveness of Alice Walker’s “Everyday Use”
• Insecurity as the Root of Tyranny in “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker
• A Family Heritage in Alice Walker’s “Everyday Use”
• Mother-Daughter Relationships in “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker
• The Importance of Personal Identity in Alice Walker’s “Everyday Use”
• Theme of Heritage in Alice Walker’s “Everyday Use” and Aurora Levins Morales’s Poem “Child of the Americas”
• The Use of Irony in “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker
• An Exploration of the Main Themes in Alice Walker’s “Everyday Use”
• How Are Oppression and Victory Depicted in “Everyday Use”?
• What Is the Basic Conflict in “Everyday Use”?
• How Alice Walker Explores the Meaning of Heritage in “Everyday Use”?
• What Do the Characters in “Everyday Use” Symbolize?
• What Does Dee’s Boyfriend Asalamalakim Represent in “Everyday Use”?
• Who Were the Characters in “Everyday Use”?
• How Does the Author Understand Tyranny in “Everyday Use”?
• What Does Maggie Symbolize in “Everyday Use”?
• What Do the Quilts Represent to Maggie at the End of “Everyday Use”?
• What Is the Main Theme of “Everyday Use”?
• What Is the Moral of the Story “Everyday Use”?
• What Are the Self-Defense Mechanisms in Alice Walker’s “Everyday Use”?
• How Does Dee Change in “Everyday Use”?
• How Is Black Woman Spirituality Imaged in Alice Walker’s “Everyday Use”?
• Why Does Dee Change Her Name in “Everyday Use”?
• What Does the Term the Prodigal Daughter Mean in “Everyday Use”?
• What Is the Function of Tradition in “Everyday Use”?
• How Do Dissimilar Lives Create Different Expectations in “Everyday Use”?
• What Is the Deeper Meaning of “Everyday Use”?
• What Are the Similarities Between Maggie and Dee in “Everyday Use”?
• How Are Love and Acceptance Compared in “Everyday Use”?
• What Is Alice Walker’s Purpose in Writing “Everyday Use”?
• Is There Any Cultural Conflict in “Everyday Use”?
• What Can Story “Everyday Use” Give a Primary School Teacher?
• What Is the Significance of the Title “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker?
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

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Oxford Summer School 2024 – Final Places Left

How to Write the Perfect Essay

06 Feb, 2024 | Blog Articles , English Language Articles , Get the Edge , Humanities Articles , Writing Articles

You can keep adding to this plan, crossing bits out and linking the different bubbles when you spot connections between them. Even though you won’t have time to make a detailed plan under exam conditions, it can be helpful to draft a brief one, including a few key words, so that you don’t panic and go off topic when writing your essay.

If you don’t like the mind map format, there are plenty of others to choose from: you could make a table, a flowchart, or simply a list of bullet points.

Discover More

Thanks for signing up, step 2: have a clear structure.

Think about this while you’re planning: your essay is like an argument or a speech. It needs to have a logical structure, with all your points coming together to answer the question.

Start with the basics! It’s best to choose a few major points which will become your main paragraphs. Three main paragraphs is a good number for an exam essay, since you’ll be under time pressure. 

If you agree with the question overall, it can be helpful to organise your points in the following pattern:

• YES (agreement with the question)
• AND (another YES point)
• BUT (disagreement or complication)

If you disagree with the question overall, try:

• AND (another BUT point)

For example, you could structure the Of Mice and Men sample question, “To what extent is Curley’s wife portrayed as a victim in Of Mice and Men ?”, as follows:

• YES (descriptions of her appearance)
• AND (other people’s attitudes towards her)
• BUT (her position as the only woman on the ranch gives her power as she uses her femininity to her advantage)

If you wanted to write a longer essay, you could include additional paragraphs under the YES/AND categories, perhaps discussing the ways in which Curley’s wife reveals her vulnerability and insecurities, and shares her dreams with the other characters. Alternatively, you could also lengthen your essay by including another BUT paragraph about her cruel and manipulative streak.

Of course, this is not necessarily the only right way to answer this essay question – as long as you back up your points with evidence from the text, you can take any standpoint that makes sense.

Step 3: Back up your points with well-analysed quotations

You wouldn’t write a scientific report without including evidence to support your findings, so why should it be any different with an essay? Even though you aren’t strictly required to substantiate every single point you make with a quotation, there’s no harm in trying.

A close reading of your quotations can enrich your appreciation of the question and will be sure to impress examiners. When selecting the best quotations to use in your essay, keep an eye out for specific literary techniques. For example, you could highlight Curley’s wife’s use of a rhetorical question when she says, a”n’ what am I doin’? Standin’ here talking to a bunch of bindle stiffs.” This might look like:

The rhetorical question “an’ what am I doin’?” signifies that Curley’s wife is very insecure; she seems to be questioning her own life choices. Moreover, she does not expect anyone to respond to her question, highlighting her loneliness and isolation on the ranch.

Other literary techniques to look out for include:

• Tricolon – a group of three words or phrases placed close together for emphasis
• Tautology – using different words that mean the same thing: e.g. “frightening” and “terrifying”
• Parallelism – ABAB structure, often signifying movement from one concept to another
• Chiasmus – ABBA structure, drawing attention to a phrase
• Polysyndeton – many conjunctions in a sentence
• Asyndeton – lack of conjunctions, which can speed up the pace of a sentence
• Polyptoton – using the same word in different forms for emphasis: e.g. “done” and “doing”
• Alliteration – repetition of the same sound, including assonance (similar vowel sounds), plosive alliteration (“b”, “d” and “p” sounds) and sibilance (“s” sounds)
• Anaphora – repetition of words, often used to emphasise a particular point

Don’t worry if you can’t locate all of these literary devices in the work you’re analysing. You can also discuss more obvious techniques, like metaphor, simile and onomatopoeia. It’s not a problem if you can’t remember all the long names; it’s far more important to be able to confidently explain the effects of each technique and highlight its relevance to the question.

Step 4: Be creative and original throughout

Anyone can write an essay using the tips above, but the thing that really makes it “perfect” is your own unique take on the topic. If you’ve noticed something intriguing or unusual in your reading, point it out – if you find it interesting, chances are the examiner will too!

Creative writing and essay writing are more closely linked than you might imagine. Keep the idea that you’re writing a speech or argument in mind, and you’re guaranteed to grab your reader’s attention.

It’s important to set out your line of argument in your introduction, introducing your main points and the general direction your essay will take, but don’t forget to keep something back for the conclusion, too. Yes, you need to summarise your main points, but if you’re just repeating the things you said in your introduction, the body of the essay is rendered pointless.

Think of your conclusion as the climax of your speech, the bit everything else has been leading up to, rather than the boring plenary at the end of the interesting stuff.

To return to Of Mice and Men once more, here’s an example of the ideal difference between an introduction and a conclusion:

Introduction

In John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men , Curley’s wife is portrayed as an ambiguous character. She could be viewed either as a cruel, seductive temptress or a lonely woman who is a victim of her society’s attitudes. Though she does seem to wield a form of sexual power, it is clear that Curley’s wife is largely a victim. This interpretation is supported by Steinbeck’s description of her appearance, other people’s attitudes, her dreams, and her evident loneliness and insecurity.

Overall, it is clear that Curley’s wife is a victim and is portrayed as such throughout the novel in the descriptions of her appearance, her dreams, other people’s judgemental attitudes, and her loneliness and insecurities. However, a character who was a victim and nothing else would be one-dimensional and Curley’s wife is not. Although she suffers in many ways, she is shown to assert herself through the manipulation of her femininity – a small rebellion against the victimisation she experiences.

Both refer back consistently to the question and summarise the essay’s main points. However, the conclusion adds something new which has been established in the main body of the essay and complicates the simple summary which is found in the introduction.

Hannah is an undergraduate English student at Somerville College, University of Oxford, and has a particular interest in postcolonial literature and the Gothic. She thinks literature is a crucial way of developing empathy and learning about the wider world. When she isn’t writing about 17th-century court masques, she enjoys acting, travelling and creative writing. 

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How to Write an Essay Introduction (with Examples)   

The introduction of an essay plays a critical role in engaging the reader and providing contextual information about the topic. It sets the stage for the rest of the essay, establishes the tone and style, and motivates the reader to continue reading. 

Table of Contents

What is an essay introduction , what to include in an essay introduction, how to create an essay structure , step-by-step process for writing an essay introduction , how to write an introduction paragraph , how to write a hook for your essay , how to include background information , how to write a thesis statement .

• Argumentative Essay Introduction Example: 
• Expository Essay Introduction Example 

Literary Analysis Essay Introduction Example

Check and revise – checklist for essay introduction , key takeaways , frequently asked questions .

An introduction is the opening section of an essay, paper, or other written work. It introduces the topic and provides background information, context, and an overview of what the reader can expect from the rest of the work. 1 The key is to be concise and to the point, providing enough information to engage the reader without delving into excessive detail. 

The essay introduction is crucial as it sets the tone for the entire piece and provides the reader with a roadmap of what to expect. Here are key elements to include in your essay introduction: 

• Hook : Start with an attention-grabbing statement or question to engage the reader. This could be a surprising fact, a relevant quote, or a compelling anecdote. 
• Background information : Provide context and background information to help the reader understand the topic. This can include historical information, definitions of key terms, or an overview of the current state of affairs related to your topic. 
• Thesis statement : Clearly state your main argument or position on the topic. Your thesis should be concise and specific, providing a clear direction for your essay. 

Before we get into how to write an essay introduction, we need to know how it is structured. The structure of an essay is crucial for organizing your thoughts and presenting them clearly and logically. It is divided as follows: 2  

• Introduction:  The introduction should grab the reader’s attention with a hook, provide context, and include a thesis statement that presents the main argument or purpose of the essay.  
• Body:  The body should consist of focused paragraphs that support your thesis statement using evidence and analysis. Each paragraph should concentrate on a single central idea or argument and provide evidence, examples, or analysis to back it up.  
• Conclusion:  The conclusion should summarize the main points and restate the thesis differently. End with a final statement that leaves a lasting impression on the reader. Avoid new information or arguments. 

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to write an essay introduction: 

• Start with a Hook : Begin your introduction paragraph with an attention-grabbing statement, question, quote, or anecdote related to your topic. The hook should pique the reader’s interest and encourage them to continue reading. 
• Provide Background Information : This helps the reader understand the relevance and importance of the topic. 
• State Your Thesis Statement : The last sentence is the main argument or point of your essay. It should be clear, concise, and directly address the topic of your essay. 
• Preview the Main Points : This gives the reader an idea of what to expect and how you will support your thesis. 
• Keep it Concise and Clear : Avoid going into too much detail or including information not directly relevant to your topic. 
• Revise : Revise your introduction after you’ve written the rest of your essay to ensure it aligns with your final argument. 

Here’s an example of an essay introduction paragraph about the importance of education: 

Education is often viewed as a fundamental human right and a key social and economic development driver. As Nelson Mandela once famously said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” It is the key to unlocking a wide range of opportunities and benefits for individuals, societies, and nations. In today’s constantly evolving world, education has become even more critical. It has expanded beyond traditional classroom learning to include digital and remote learning, making education more accessible and convenient. This essay will delve into the importance of education in empowering individuals to achieve their dreams, improving societies by promoting social justice and equality, and driving economic growth by developing a skilled workforce and promoting innovation. 

This introduction paragraph example includes a hook (the quote by Nelson Mandela), provides some background information on education, and states the thesis statement (the importance of education). 

This is one of the key steps in how to write an essay introduction. Crafting a compelling hook is vital because it sets the tone for your entire essay and determines whether your readers will stay interested. A good hook draws the reader in and sets the stage for the rest of your essay.  

• Avoid Dry Fact : Instead of simply stating a bland fact, try to make it engaging and relevant to your topic. For example, if you’re writing about the benefits of exercise, you could start with a startling statistic like, “Did you know that regular exercise can increase your lifespan by up to seven years?” 
• Avoid Using a Dictionary Definition : While definitions can be informative, they’re not always the most captivating way to start an essay. Instead, try to use a quote, anecdote, or provocative question to pique the reader’s interest. For instance, if you’re writing about freedom, you could begin with a quote from a famous freedom fighter or philosopher. 
• Do Not Just State a Fact That the Reader Already Knows : This ties back to the first point—your hook should surprise or intrigue the reader. For Here’s an introduction paragraph example, if you’re writing about climate change, you could start with a thought-provoking statement like, “Despite overwhelming evidence, many people still refuse to believe in the reality of climate change.” 

Including background information in the introduction section of your essay is important to provide context and establish the relevance of your topic. When writing the background information, you can follow these steps: 

• Start with a General Statement:  Begin with a general statement about the topic and gradually narrow it down to your specific focus. For example, when discussing the impact of social media, you can begin by making a broad statement about social media and its widespread use in today’s society, as follows: “Social media has become an integral part of modern life, with billions of users worldwide.” 
• Define Key Terms : Define any key terms or concepts that may be unfamiliar to your readers but are essential for understanding your argument. 
• Provide Relevant Statistics:  Use statistics or facts to highlight the significance of the issue you’re discussing. For instance, “According to a report by Statista, the number of social media users is expected to reach 4.41 billion by 2025.” 
• Discuss the Evolution:  Mention previous research or studies that have been conducted on the topic, especially those that are relevant to your argument. Mention key milestones or developments that have shaped its current impact. You can also outline some of the major effects of social media. For example, you can briefly describe how social media has evolved, including positives such as increased connectivity and issues like cyberbullying and privacy concerns. 
• Transition to Your Thesis:  Use the background information to lead into your thesis statement, which should clearly state the main argument or purpose of your essay. For example, “Given its pervasive influence, it is crucial to examine the impact of social media on mental health.” 

A thesis statement is a concise summary of the main point or claim of an essay, research paper, or other type of academic writing. It appears near the end of the introduction. Here’s how to write a thesis statement: 

• Identify the topic:  Start by identifying the topic of your essay. For example, if your essay is about the importance of exercise for overall health, your topic is “exercise.” 
• State your position:  Next, state your position or claim about the topic. This is the main argument or point you want to make. For example, if you believe that regular exercise is crucial for maintaining good health, your position could be: “Regular exercise is essential for maintaining good health.” 
• Support your position:  Provide a brief overview of the reasons or evidence that support your position. These will be the main points of your essay. For example, if you’re writing an essay about the importance of exercise, you could mention the physical health benefits, mental health benefits, and the role of exercise in disease prevention. 
• Make it specific:  Ensure your thesis statement clearly states what you will discuss in your essay. For example, instead of saying, “Exercise is good for you,” you could say, “Regular exercise, including cardiovascular and strength training, can improve overall health and reduce the risk of chronic diseases.” 

Examples of essay introduction 

Here are examples of essay introductions for different types of essays: 

Argumentative Essay Introduction Example:  

Topic: Should the voting age be lowered to 16? 

“The question of whether the voting age should be lowered to 16 has sparked nationwide debate. While some argue that 16-year-olds lack the requisite maturity and knowledge to make informed decisions, others argue that doing so would imbue young people with agency and give them a voice in shaping their future.” 

Expository Essay Introduction Example  

Topic: The benefits of regular exercise 

“In today’s fast-paced world, the importance of regular exercise cannot be overstated. From improving physical health to boosting mental well-being, the benefits of exercise are numerous and far-reaching. This essay will examine the various advantages of regular exercise and provide tips on incorporating it into your daily routine.” 

Text: “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee 

“Harper Lee’s novel, ‘To Kill a Mockingbird,’ is a timeless classic that explores themes of racism, injustice, and morality in the American South. Through the eyes of young Scout Finch, the reader is taken on a journey that challenges societal norms and forces characters to confront their prejudices. This essay will analyze the novel’s use of symbolism, character development, and narrative structure to uncover its deeper meaning and relevance to contemporary society.” 

• Engaging and Relevant First Sentence : The opening sentence captures the reader’s attention and relates directly to the topic. 
• Background Information : Enough background information is introduced to provide context for the thesis statement. 
• Definition of Important Terms : Key terms or concepts that might be unfamiliar to the audience or are central to the argument are defined. 
• Clear Thesis Statement : The thesis statement presents the main point or argument of the essay. 
• Relevance to Main Body : Everything in the introduction directly relates to and sets up the discussion in the main body of the essay. 

Writing a strong introduction is crucial for setting the tone and context of your essay. Here are the key takeaways for how to write essay introduction: 3  

• Hook the Reader : Start with an engaging hook to grab the reader’s attention. This could be a compelling question, a surprising fact, a relevant quote, or an anecdote. 
• Provide Background : Give a brief overview of the topic, setting the context and stage for the discussion. 
• Thesis Statement : State your thesis, which is the main argument or point of your essay. It should be concise, clear, and specific. 
• Preview the Structure : Outline the main points or arguments to help the reader understand the organization of your essay. 
• Keep it Concise : Avoid including unnecessary details or information not directly related to your thesis. 
• Revise and Edit : Revise your introduction to ensure clarity, coherence, and relevance. Check for grammar and spelling errors. 
• Seek Feedback : Get feedback from peers or instructors to improve your introduction further. 

The purpose of an essay introduction is to give an overview of the topic, context, and main ideas of the essay. It is meant to engage the reader, establish the tone for the rest of the essay, and introduce the thesis statement or central argument.  

An essay introduction typically ranges from 5-10% of the total word count. For example, in a 1,000-word essay, the introduction would be roughly 50-100 words. However, the length can vary depending on the complexity of the topic and the overall length of the essay.

An essay introduction is critical in engaging the reader and providing contextual information about the topic. To ensure its effectiveness, consider incorporating these key elements: a compelling hook, background information, a clear thesis statement, an outline of the essay’s scope, a smooth transition to the body, and optional signposting sentences.  

The process of writing an essay introduction is not necessarily straightforward, but there are several strategies that can be employed to achieve this end. When experiencing difficulty initiating the process, consider the following techniques: begin with an anecdote, a quotation, an image, a question, or a startling fact to pique the reader’s interest. It may also be helpful to consider the five W’s of journalism: who, what, when, where, why, and how.   For instance, an anecdotal opening could be structured as follows: “As I ascended the stage, momentarily blinded by the intense lights, I could sense the weight of a hundred eyes upon me, anticipating my next move. The topic of discussion was climate change, a subject I was passionate about, and it was my first public speaking event. Little did I know , that pivotal moment would not only alter my perspective but also chart my life’s course.” 

Crafting a compelling thesis statement for your introduction paragraph is crucial to grab your reader’s attention. To achieve this, avoid using overused phrases such as “In this paper, I will write about” or “I will focus on” as they lack originality. Instead, strive to engage your reader by substantiating your stance or proposition with a “so what” clause. While writing your thesis statement, aim to be precise, succinct, and clear in conveying your main argument.  

To create an effective essay introduction, ensure it is clear, engaging, relevant, and contains a concise thesis statement. It should transition smoothly into the essay and be long enough to cover necessary points but not become overwhelming. Seek feedback from peers or instructors to assess its effectiveness. 

References  

• Cui, L. (2022). Unit 6 Essay Introduction.  Building Academic Writing Skills . 
• West, H., Malcolm, G., Keywood, S., & Hill, J. (2019). Writing a successful essay.  Journal of Geography in Higher Education ,  43 (4), 609-617. 
• Beavers, M. E., Thoune, D. L., & McBeth, M. (2023). Bibliographic Essay: Reading, Researching, Teaching, and Writing with Hooks: A Queer Literacy Sponsorship. College English, 85(3), 230-242. 

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Get accurate academic translations, rewriting support, grammar checks, vocabulary suggestions, and generative AI assistance that delivers human precision at machine speed. Try for free or upgrade to Paperpal Prime starting at US$19 a month to access premium features, including consistency, plagiarism, and 30+ submission readiness checks to help you succeed.  

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• Essay on My Daily Routine | 200, 300, 400, 500 Words for Class 1-10

In our student life, we all need to follow a strict routine to get better output in the study and our health. We can manage time in a better way when we follow a daily routine. Here we have got some short and long essays on my daily routine for all class students. These essays are on every size, you can find a suitable one for yourself. 

In This Blog We Will Discuss

Essay on My Daily Routine in 200 Words

Everyone should follow a daily routine . As a student, I follow a very simple and easy routine for myself. I have made this routine with the help of my brother and one of my teachers. My day starts very early in the morning. 

I get up at 5 o’clock and go for a morning walk . I am very aware of my health. I try my best to keep myself fit and fine. After the morning walk, I bath with cold water and then take a rest for 10 minutes. 

After the rest, I eat my breakfast. And then I go to my reading room . I love to read science and English in the morning time. It’s the best time to concentrate on study. Then I prepare myself for school. 

Exactly at 9.30 o’clock, my father takes me to school. I come back from school at 3 PM in the afternoon. I eat my lunch in the school break time, I keep my food with me. Then I take a rest in my home and go out for playing cricket. 

Then I come back home before getting dark outside. I start reading at 6 PM and read till 9 PM. Then I eat my dinner. Before going to sleep, I watch television for 30 minutes. That’s all my daily routine. 

My Daily Routine Essay in 300 Words

Introduction: 

If you are following a daily routine that could bring some serious changes in your life. First of all, it will let you live a life in a fixed schedule and you can manage things in a better way. For the students, it’s a mandatory thing to follow. 

Because it can improve your study style and get better results for yourself. I also follow a daily routine as a student, and I am going to share things about my routine here. 

My Daily Routine: 

My routine is very simple but I follow it very strictly. Take a look at my daily routine here. 

4.00 AM – I get up early in the morning. 

4.00-4.20 AM – I brush my teeth and wash my face. 

4.20-5.00 – I go for a small morning walk and some basic exercises. And I get back to home. 

5.00-5.20 – I take a shower with cold water. 

5.20-7.00 – I prepare all my school tasks and homework. 

7.00-7.30 – I eat my breakfast. 

7.30-9.00 – Again I study and prepare my school tasks. 

9.00-9.30 – I prepare myself for going to school and got to school. 

9.30-3.30 – I spend all these hours in the school. I eat my lunch there. I keep my food with me. I love eating lunch with all my friends. 

3.30-4.30 – I get back to home and take rest. 

4.30-6.00 – I play cricket outside and then get back to home. 

6.00-9.00 – I study a lot in that time.

10.00 – I go to sleep after eating my dinner and watching TV for 20 minutes. 

That’s all about my daily routine. 

Conclusion:

I make some changes in the routine when I have free time or leisure time. Overall that’s a huge experience for me to follow this productive routine. 

My Daily Routine Essay in 400 Words

Introduction:

If you want to get the best result from your work, then you need to manage time properly. And time management becomes so easy when you are following a daily routine. As a student, I follow a very strict but simple routine and it helps me a lot to improve my study and other things. Today I will share everything about my routine. 

My Daily Routine:

My day starts very early in the morning. I wake up at 4 o’clock. I used to wake up very late, but when I heard about the health benefits of early rising , I started to get up early. Then I brush my teeth and go for a small morning walk . 

I enjoy the walk very much because it helps to feel good in the early morning. Sometimes I do some basic exercises too. Then I take a shower and eat my breakfast. Then I prepare my school tasks. I love to study math and science in the morning time. 

Because I can give better concentration on that period. I get ready for my school at 9 o’clock and my mom drops me there at 9.30 o’clock. I spend most of the time on my day at the school. I eat my lunch there in the school break time. 

I come back from the school at 3.30 PM and then I take a rest for 30 minutes. I love to play cricket in the afternoon. But every day I can’t play. 

My Evening and Night Routine:

When I get back home after the playing in the field, I feel very tired. And then I wash and take rest for 30 minutes. I eat some juice or something else that my mom prepares for me. I start to study at 6.30 PM in the evening. 

Most of the day, I keep reading till 9.30. That’s the most important part for my study. I prepare all my homework and do some extra studies too. And then I eat my dinner and watch Television before sleep. 

Conclusion: 

That’s all about my daily routine. I try to follow this routine always. But sometimes I need to bring some changes in the routine. And when I spend holiday and off day from school, I can’t follow this routine at all. I think this routine is helping me to use my time in the best work and complete my study tasks properly. 

Essay on My Daily Routine in 500 Words

To become successful, everybody should follow a strict schedule or routine. Especially in student life, we need to maintain our time properly. If we fail to maintain time then we can’t make a good result in the examination. 

Today I am going to share my daily routine and my experience here. I am a very regular guy who follows a routine. I made that routine almost six months ago with the help of my elder brother. 

I make some small edits and changes in the routine due to my own preference. 

I consider the morning is the most important part of the day. In the morning, you will find lots of peace and a calm environment. My class teacher suggested me to get up early morning. I followed here that suggestion very seriously and that made my day. 

Now I always get up at 5 o’clock in the morning. First of all, I go to the washroom and brush my teeth. I wash my face and wipe the water with a towel. Then I go for a small morning walk. I know the morning walk is very important for good health. 

Sometimes, I do exercise too. Most of the time I walk almost 30 minutes and the doctor said that’s enough for me. This little workout keeps me strong for the rest of the day. I come back to home after the walk and get fresh again. 

I eat my breakfast then. After eating breakfast, I study Math and Science in the morning time. I think morning is the best time to study. 

School Time: 

I go to school at 9.30 o’clock in the morning. My father drops me here with his car. I get a break at 1 o’clock after four classes in a row. And finally, I go home at 4 PM with my mom . 

She comes to pick me up from school every day. Because it takes almost 20 minutes to go home from school by car. I enjoy school time very much.

Eat and Sleep Routine: 

I eat my breakfast and then I eat my lunch in the school break time. I take my lunch with me. My mother is very aware of my food. She always cooks something interesting to me. I love eating Pizza and Burger, but she doesn’t buy me that kind of fast food. 

She prefers to cook them for me. I love her cooked Pizza very much. And finally, after reading and watching TV at night at 10 o’clock, I go for my sleep. When I go to bed, I think about my entire day. 

Holiday Routine: 

When my school is close and I have lots of spare time, my daily routine becomes a bit different. I add time for video games, playing in the field with friends, and spending more time with my cousins. 

That’s all about my daily routine. I love to follow this routine and I am very serious about it. I think It’s perfect for me. You can follow my routine too. 

10 Lines Essay on My Daily Routine

10 line essays are easy and short. Here is a 10 lines essay on my daily routine. I am sure you will be able to learn these 10 lines essay easily. 

1. A person who follows a good routine can handle his work and time properly. It’s easy to manage your time when you are on a routine. 

2. It’s a high priority for the students. And that’s why I follow a very simple routine to manage my time. 

3. My daily routine is very easy and simple. It helps me to study properly, eat on time, and take care of my health. 

4. I get up early in the morning and pray first. My mother always suggests me to pray in the early morning. 

5. And then I go for a morning walk. After a 30 minute walk, I come back home and go for a bath and then I eat my breakfast. 

6. I go to school at 9 o’clock and get back home at 3 o’clock. I eat my lunch in the school break time. I keep my food with me. 

7. I go outside to play cricket with my friends in the afternoon. I enjoy that time a lot. I think that’s the best part of my day. 

8. I read almost three hours at night. And then I eat my dinner. 

9. Before going to bed, I watch TV for 30 minutes. I love watching cartoon channels. 

10. That’s all about my daily routine. That is very simple and easy. 

How can I write my daily routine? 

If you want to write a daily routine, you can take suggestions from your teacher or someone elder from your family. When I wrote my first daily routine, I was very confused. But finally, I came with a very productive and successful schedule of my life. I suggest you look back on your day and think about how do you spend your time. You need to find where should you spend most of your time and where not. 

How important is a daily routine?

A daily routine is a very essential thing that will make your day easy. I hope you will be able to create a very useful and proper daily routine. 

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23 Essays: How To Write One Essay Every Week

This semester, I as a rhetoric and philosophy double major have to write 23 essays. As of now, I’ve done 13 with 10 to go. At this point I feel like it’s a key aspect of my personality, “Hi my name is Bridget and I’m writing 23 essays this semester” which seems more daunting than it really is.

I have an essay that gets assigned on Wednesdays due every Sunday, which I appreciate being a constant in my life. So that’s a minimum of one essay a week which honestly is doable. However, where the challenge comes is my other classes where I’m assigned longer essays less frequently. Last week I had to write 5 essays, but this week I only have to write two. The fluctuation is really the hardest part, but I now consider myself an expert on timing an essay and going about it productively.

First, you need to understand your timeline – writing a paper the day its due is not the nest idea. I have to admit it’s doable but you really shouldn’t fall into that habit (especially if you’re a humanities major). What’s best is to mark out when it’s due and then hold yourself to your schedule, which brings us to the next step, understanding how you write. Everyone has a different writing style. For me, I can write up to 5 pages in one sitting. For my roommate, she needs a few days to write it. Don’t force yourself to write if you absolutely can’t, that’s what produces a bad essay. What usually happens for me, is I sit down a few days before and I start writing until I’m done. But that doesn’t work for everyone. Most people prefer to write a little bit every day, which also works really well if you can hold yourself accountable.

As a college student, you should expect to write a few essays there’s really no way around it, but that’s ok! Here’s 4 easy steps as to how to write an essay:

• Read the prompts as soon as you get them. The reason I say this is because if you haven’t done the reading or maybe need to do a bunch of research, you should get a head start on that so you don’t suffer later on. This will also help you keep an eye out for helpful information in class or just in general. Reading a text with a prompt in mind is the best way to learn useful information, rather than going back and wadi8ng through a text you’ve already read.
• Set your own deadlines. This changes based on your writing style and preference, but planning to have it done ahead of time will never steer you wrong. I usually aim to write my essay at least 2 days before so I can go back and edit if I need to.  That being said, I like to do my writing all in one sitting, if you need more than one day plan on doing that. This organization and allocation of your time will keep you on track to write a good essay.
• Don’t write your introduction first. Start off with the meat of your paper and then after you’ve established your position and arguments write an intro and a conclusion that fits what you’ve already said rather than trying to uphold your thesis statement that could very well change when going through the motions.
• Finally, have someone else read your essay once you’re done. Give them the prompt and your essay and ask if your writing is cohesive and easy to follow. It doesn’t even matter if they have no idea what you’re writing about, they can catch anything from grammatical errors to sentences that just don’t make any sense. Then you’re ready to turn it in.

Writing essays are hard, I wouldn’t blame you if you hate it. That being said, I truly believe nothing is more important than being able to write well. It applies to every field of study, it is useful in everyday life, writing will always be something you need to do period.

I hope this helps someone, learning how to write a good essay is hard (heck, I’m still learning) but I think everyone is capable of it. The 4 steps I came up with are just the most basic of what you can do, I think they’ll set you up well enough, practice makes perfect and all of that. Good luck with the next essay you have to write, I’m off to write one of my own.

Author:  Bridget Bernet

Howdy! My name is Bridget, I am a junior here at UC Berkeley, double majoring in philosophy and rhetoric with a concentration in narrative and image. I love all forms of writing, which is why I decided to write for Bear Talk :) and I'm so excited to share my perspective on this amazing campus. From cheering on the sports teams to studying in Moses Hall, every moment here is a special one, and I plan on documenting it all. Go Bears!

Practice Makes Perfect: How Writing Every Day Can Make You a Better Writer

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Written by  Eilish Toohey

Madeleine L'Engle , author of A Wrinkle in Time , once gave the following three pieces of advice for aspiring authors:

L'Engle is one of many authors who recommend daily writing practice, yet it is this piece of advice that tends to turn people away. This is completely understandable. Having to force yourself to write every day sounds tedious, and, if writing practice seems like a chore, you will likely try to avoid doing it.

That said, if you're interested in becoming a better writer, making a habit of writing every day can greatly improve your writing skills.

Make Writing a Habit

Think of writing practice as a form of exercise. If you decided to take up running for the first time or were returning to running after being out of commission for a long period, would you be ready to immediately do a marathon?

Of course not. You would have to train for an extremely long time to strengthen your muscles and improve your stamina. The same goes for writing. If you are no longer in school or have a job that does not involve regular writing tasks, these skills can enter a state of atrophy. Much like our muscles, we need to habitually practice writing so we remain in top condition.

Writing every day does not mean that you need to draft a full-length novel or 51 essays every 24 hours. As impressive as that would be, no one has time to do that. We all have responsibilities throughout the day that take away from our free time—jobs, school, children, dogs, houseplants, pet rocks—but just because you have a busy schedule does not mean that it is impossible to find time to write.

One of Canada's most prolific authors, Alice Munro, managed to start a writing career while simultaneously running a bookstore and raising three children by sticking to short stories . If you can set aside 30 minutes to an hour every day for writing practice (and set yourself a word or page limit to meet), you can become a better writer. You should also aim to schedule your writing practice for the same time every day so it becomes a habit.

Overcoming Obstacles

One reason that people find it difficult to write every day is writer's block. We have all been there. Instead of writing, we distract ourselves with other activities while we wait for inspiration to arrive.

However, daily writing practice is actually the best way to combat writer's block. As Mario Vargas Llosa once said in an interview with The Paris Review:

"If I started to wait for moments of inspiration, I would never finish a book. Inspiration for me comes from a regular effort."

If you're having a hard time with your current project, use your time set aside for writing practice to write lists about odd habits of yours or about people that you see on the street. While these may not immediately spark ideas for your current project, you can always come back to what you wrote later; you never know what interesting ideas might spring forth when you revisit old writing. This is also a good way to help organize your thoughts, which can be another factor that keeps inspiration from flowing.

Writing every day can help you become more aware of the limits of your vocabulary. The more you write, the more obvious that frequent word choices become. Once you know your limitations, you can expand your vocabulary by finding stronger words or experimenting with word order to see if there are other ways to get your message across. In this way, writing practice can help you craft a distinct voice, which is something that every good writer must have, and it can help you on your journey to becoming a better writer.

Get yourself a notebook and set aside an hour every day just to write. Write about strange dreams that you had. Record what happened at work today. Try little writing exercises—Scribendi actually offers free writing prompts, which you can download here . Do not feel discouraged if your initial writing is not great; the whole point of practicing is to steadily improve your skills, which you can only do if you have something to work with. As short story author Katherine Mansfield once said:

"[It is] better far write twaddle or anything, anything, than nothing at all."

Image source: Jes D.A.

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Eilish is an in-house editor at Scribendi and a York University graduate with a BA in Professional and Creative Writing. She enjoys reading magical realism, discovering musical theater trivia, and convincing friends to watch obscure Canadian films. When she is not plotting soundtracks for her many unfinished novels, she can be found wandering off the path during hikes in the woods.

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How to Write Every Day: 8 Sensational Strategies That Work

Do you want to write every day?

I knew I wanted to publish my first book, and that learning to write every day was the key to doing it.

But, it wasn’t enough to know the concept.

I had to figure out how to keep my deadlines and finish writing what I started.

How could I write every day and balance having a job, two kids, friends and family who don’t write, and all the in-betweens?

I faced my biggest challenge yet.

If couldn’t face this one down, I’d never be able to call myself an author.

I’d never be able to look myself in the mirror again.

How I Learnt To Write Every Day

1. track your daily writing habit, 2. try daily 30-minute writing sessions, 3. write at the same time every day, 4. plan for beating writer’s block, 5. use a deadline, 6. set a daily word-count, 7. set time aside for editing and rewriting, 8. take a break from daily writing, the final word on writing every single day, how much should you write every day, should you write every day.

I turned to a book for help, in particular On Writing by Stephen King.

I figured this prolific author of over 50 novels could help me.

King writes at least 2,000 words a day, every day, including his birthday.

To me, 2,000 words a day looked like climbing Everest.

Thankfully, King recommends aspiring authors to  write every day and produce at least 1,000 words.

In his book On Writing , he explains:

”As with physical exercise, it would be best to set this goal low at first, to avoid discouragement. “I suggest a thousand words a day, and because I’m feeling magnanimous, I’ll also suggest that you can take one day a week off, at least to begin with.”

I thought about writing 1,000 words a day and felt dizzy.

I set the goal even lower and decided to write  just 500- words a day. I could handle 500-words a day, couldn’t I?

Now, 500-words a day felt achievable.

So, on Monday morning, I wrote 500-words, and on Tuesday I did the same too.

On Tuesday night, life happened.

My daughter (who was 6-months-old at the time) woke up at three am with a chest infection. We didn’t get much sleep that night and the following day, I didn’t write. I was just too tired.

I didn’t write the day afterward either, by the time Saturday rolled around, I’d only produced 1000-words.

I was sick of my writing mistakes , and I felt like a failure. Then, I started applying a few strategies from the productivity world. If you’re a new writer, they can help you too.

Don’t Break the Chain is one of the more popular productivity methods in use today. Developed by Jerry Seinfeld, the technique is quite simple to use.

The comic is a believer in the principle of daily actions building habits, and he developed this method after tasking himself with writing at least one joke per day.

After writing a joke, Seinfeld recorded an X on a giant wall calendar. He repeated this process the next day. Seinfeld did this each day, thereby slowly building up a chain of X’s that he felt reluctant to break.

Now,  “Don’t Break the Chain.”  is one of the more popular productivity methods in use today. He famously said:

After a few days you’ll have a chain. Just keep at it and the chain will grow longer every day. You’ll like seeing that chain, especially when you get a few weeks under your belt. Your only job next is to not break the chain.

You can use this productivity method if you want to write every day too.

I used this method for several years with varying degrees of success for building habits like writing and exercising.

I’m less likely to avoid writing or exercising if I have built up a chain of Xs; it kills me to break a chain. It’s encouraging to set and surpass streak chain records. I’m weirdly obsessed by the growing number of Xs on my various calendars.

Once I break a chain, I’m far more likely to avoid writing or exercising the following night too. So I try to avoid missing more than one day.

A 30-minute writing session is the right amount of time if you want to gain momentum in your first book.

It’s not so long that it feels unmanageable, and it’s not so short that you won’t get anything done.

A 30-minute writing session is long enough to write 500-words, and it’s easy to squeeze in a 30-minute writing session into a busy day.

• Write part of your book or bestseller during your commute
• Write a chapter at lunch
• Get up just 30 minutes earlier before work to write
• Skip one of your favorite TV shows and write
• Cut out social media until you put in your 30-minute writing session

I don’t know about you, but I’d take 500 words over watching a re-run of Seinfeld (sorry Jerry!) any day.

I recommend spending at least 30-minutes every morning or evening working on your first draft .

During these short writing sessions, avoid spending time on other distracting activities like social media, email, or the news.

And remember to separate writing and editing into different activities. Your job during these short writing sessions is to get the words out of your head and onto the blank page.

You can use these writing sessions for outlining your books or stories. Or try more exploratory creative writing, freewriting , or journaling. But focus on one activity. It will help you become a better writer.

I also recommend tracking your progress, in terms of word-count or hours spent writing, so you can improve (as per Jerry’s approach).

Writer’s block happens when you feel out of ideas, stressed, or are overloaded. It can often get in the way of trying to write every day.

If you’re struggling to write, taking a short break to exercise. Getting your heart rate up often inspires creative thinking.

If you have this problem also consider using writing prompts to spark more creative thinking. They will help you increase the number of words you can produce each day. As your writing skills improve, you won’t need them as much.

Professional full-time writers work towards a deadline. They must complete articles or projects for clients on time. Or they’ve set a writing goal whereby they want to publish a book by a particular date.

Don’t fear deadlines. They’re actually the friends of aspiring writers who want to build better habits. They have a way of focusing the mind, particularly when procrastination raises its ugly head.

NaNoWriMo is a good competition to enter if you’d like to try a deadline. It takes place every November. Basically, your job is to write the first draft of a book in 30-days. I’ve taken part in this challenge several times, and I finished a book that I later self-published on Amazon. 

Consider your ideal word-count for your book or novel. Let’s say 60,000 words. Now, ask yourself:

What’s the ideal number of words I can produce each day?

I find 500-words is a good target for aspiring writers as it’s within reach. If you build up a chain of 7 Xs, you will have written for 3 1/2 hours and at least 3500 words.

That’s more than enough for one or two chapters in your first book or novel. If you do this for four months, you will have written 60,000 words.

And the best part?

Although King’s books are up to 180,000 words long, it just so happens 60,000 words is the length of an average self-published book on Amazon.

You can use a 30-minute writing session to work on a single topic, to edit a section of your own writing, or for research.

The trick is to only work on one area of whatever you are writing for 30-minutes. I’m not the only writer who uses this piece of advice. I coached a writer to harness the power of small daily wins recently. Afterward, he emailed me to say:

I tried setting a 30-minute timer the day after we talked and got a piece of micro-fiction written. One of the best things I have taken away from talking to you is the segregation of writing from research. It has helped me a lot so far.

Tip: Grammarly can save the amount of time you need to spend editing.

Yes, that’s right… If you miss a day’s writing, that’s ok. But, try not to miss the next one.

You don’t need to write every single day for the rest of your life to succeed as a writer. Time off is still allowed, we’re not robots!

I took me a while to internalize the value of time off for writers.

When I got into the habit of blogging and writing non-fiction consistently, I felt stressed if I missed a day’s work.

But over time, writing became a habit that I followed without thinking. Now, I’m comfortable with taking the weekends off because I know I’ll return to the blank page refreshed, with new ideas.

But when I’m under a deadline, I’ll write every day until I hit my goal.

Learning how to write every day starts with good new habits and a plan for your work. From there, track your progress and your daily output. Know when to push forwards and when to take a break. 

It’s easy to write every day. All you have to do is start!

If you still need help writing every day, join the Savvy Non-Fiction Writer’s Club.

Write Every Day FAQs

Stephen King recommends new writers produce 1,000 words a day. If that’s too much, try for between 300 and 500 words a day. It takes a 30-minute writing session to write that many words. Achieving this each day will turn into several thousand words, on a good week. If you do this for several weeks, your writing skills will improve and you’ll have more material to edit and publish.

If you’re a new writer who wants to improve, trying to write every day will help you become a better writer fast. Consistency builds competency. This new habit will also help you finish more articles, stories and even books. That in turn will help you increase your income or impact as a writer.

Bryan Collins is the owner of Become a Writer Today. He's an author from Ireland who helps writers build authority and earn a living from their creative work. He's also a former Forbes columnist and his work has appeared in publications like Lifehacker and Fast Company.

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Nicole Bianchi

Writing, Copywriting, & Marketing Strategies

How to Develop a Daily Writing Habit: 7 Effective Strategies

Published January 4, 2023 | Last Updated January 30, 2023 By Nicole Bianchi 37 Comments

Ray Bradbury once stated, “I know you’ve heard it a thousand times before. But it’s true — hard work pays off. If you want to be good, you have to practice, practice, practice.”

If you need thousands of hours of practice to become an expert at your craft, then writing every day is the quickest way to start racking up those hours in order to become a master wordsmith.

Writing daily has other benefits besides helping you sharpen your writing skills.

It forces you to clarify your thoughts and arrange them logically. It helps you become a more creative person because you must think up new ideas each day to write about. And, finally, it gives you a constructive way to redeem the time by training you to work productively every day.

Of course, if you’re not used to writing regularly, you’ll probably find it difficult at first. I know I did. I’d make excuses that I didn’t have enough time that day, that I wasn’t inspired, that I had just finished a project and had no idea what to write about next, that I was suffering from an incurable form of writer’s block.

However, these are all bad excuses. Writing every day actually boosts your creativity and helps you overcome writer’s block. Writer’s block is more difficult to beat if you write only sporadically because then writing is unnatural rather than being second nature.

Ultimately, when you start writing every day, eventually it becomes easier and easier to write every day.

Now I make sure to write something every day: it might just be an entry in my journal or it might be several paragraphs of a new article or a new short story.

Here are the seven steps that help me write every day.

1. Make It A Habit

If you are going to train yourself to write consistently every day, it must become a habit like eating dinner or brushing your teeth. Work it into your schedule so that it becomes something that you truly miss if you forget to do it.

Often it helps to set aside a specific chunk of time in your schedule when you know you will be free. Early mornings when you first wake up might be best (maybe your day hasn’t gotten crazily busy yet) or evenings might work for you if that’s when you have free time (maybe right before you go to bed if you’re not too tired).

The important thing is to choose a block of time (say, 8:30 in the morning or 4:00 in the afternoon) and always write at that time. Your brain will become so used to writing at 8:30 that it will automatically focuse and switch into “writing mode” at 8:30 in the morning.

Now, if writing at a specific time doesn’t work for you, try choosing a special place to write and always return to that place when it’s time for your writing sessions. This should be a relatively quiet place where you know you will be able to write for a set period of time and not be disturbed.

If you have trouble focusing, try timing your writing sessions with the Pomodoro technique. I wrote an article about the Pomodoro technique  here .

When I’m struggling to focus on my writing, I like to play a piece of music that’s a specific length, say, thirty or forty minutes. I tell myself that I have to write until the music ends. There is one movie soundtrack I’ve listened to so many times during my writing sessions that now, as soon as I start playing it, I feel eager to start writing.

(Listening to a specific piece of music is a type of writing ritual. I wrote more about how rituals can awaken your creativity in my article  here .)

This is how Ernest Hemingway described his daily writing practice:

“When I am working on a book or a story I write every morning as soon after first light as possible. There is no one to disturb you and it is cool or cold and you come to your work and warm as you write. You read what you have written and, as you always stop when you know what is going to happen next, you go on from there. You write until you come to a place where you still have your juice and know what will happen next and you stop and try to live through until the next day when you hit it again.”

I love Hemingway’s advice for not using up all of one’s inspiration. If you’re working on a piece of writing that isn’t finished by the end of your writing session, make sure you leave off at a place where you still have an idea of how you want to move forward the next day.

This will prevent writer’s block.

2. Start Small

As I mentioned before, if you’re not used to writing daily, you’ll probably find it a bit difficult to stay on track when you first start out. Don’t let that discourage you.

You obviously don’t have to write a novel in your first week, and you certainly don’t have to write for two hours each day. The important thing as you take your beginning steps is just to write, to feel the words flowing from your fingers.

Set small goals for yourself that you know you can accomplish and gradually build up to longer writing periods. That first week you might just challenge yourself to write for fifteen minutes each day or maybe just set a small word count goal for yourself. It can even be as small as 100 words.

Be careful though. Writing has a way of drawing you in, and soon you might be finding it harder to stop than it was to begin.

3. Find A Writing Partner

When I was in middle school, my friends and I started a writing club. We’d meet once a week and share the stories we were working on. This was a great way for us to stay motivated and receive feedback on our writing.

Now, I like to meet up occasionally with friends for writing sessions. It helps me to focus when I’m working on a story when I know my friend is busy writing too. If you enjoy working with others, then finding a writing partner might be the perfect way to keep you accountable to your daily writing sessions.

You might not be able to meet up with your friends for every single writing session, but they can certainly hold you accountable and can critique your writing and help you when you get stuck.

Writers sometimes find their best ideas when brainstorming with others.

4. Keep A Journal Or Start A Blog

You can also hold yourself accountable and watch your writing grow by keeping a journal or starting a blog on a free website like Medium or Substack (depending on whether you want to keep your writing private or share it with the world).

Blogging lets you share your writing with others. At first, you might be hesitant to share your work if you’re a newbie writer. But as you continue to write each day, you will become more and more confident with your writing ability and better able to teach and inspire others.Starting a daily writing habit isn’t as scary as it sounds

I don’t publish every day but sharing my writing on my blog and seeing that people are reading my writing does keep me motivated.

5. Use Writing Prompts

Inevitably, you may come to a writing session and really have no idea what to write about. This is a great time to use pre-written prompts. Just like an essay assignment, a short prompt tells you exactly what to write about.

I know some people who have gotten ideas for novels from work that they did while following a prompt.

If you write nonfiction, sign up for an account on  Quora . You can follow topics related to your interests and see the kind of questions people are asking in those fields.

If you write fiction, a quick search on Google will turn up lots of websites with story prompts. I also sometimes search Pinterest for pictures and use them as prompts.

You can also steal  Ray Bradbury’s method for banishing writer’s block . Onto a blank page jot down a list of nouns — any nouns that tumble from your fingers: “THE LAKE. THE NIGHT. THE CRICKETS. THE RAVINE.” Let the words spark memories and ideas for stories or new articles.

The lists don’t even have to be nouns. You can also write lists of your favorite books and movies, lists of places you’ve visited, lists of all the most interesting experiences you’ve had, lists of the things you love or hate.

I recently wrote this article on  how to find new writing ideas .

6. Experiment With Different Kinds of Writing

Writing sessions are also a great time to experiment with different kinds of writing. If you usually write nonfiction, then why not spend a writing session trying your hand at fiction? Maybe attempt writing a poem or recounting a story that happened in your own life.

When you’re first starting out with your daily writing practice, try to find the type of writing that is easiest and most enjoyable for you, the kind of writing that you get excited for and look forward to each day.

You might want to try writing a novel (just for the fun of it). You’ll have to continue the story each day so you’ll always have something to write about.

7. Get Away From Your Desk And Gather Experiences

Sign up for a class to learn a new skill, pick up a new hobby, or maybe visit a place you’ve never been to before (it doesn’t have to be far away — it could just be the new restaurant that opened in your town). These experiences will give you more topics and ideas to write about. Reading books is another fantastic way to gather new topics to write about.

Julia Cameron observes in her book  The Artist’s Way ,

“In order to create, we draw from our inner well. This inner well, an artistic reservoir, is ideally like a well-stocked trout pond…Any extended period or piece of work draws heavily on our artistic well. As artists, we must learn to be self-nourishing. We must become alert enough to consciously replenish our creative resources as we draw on them — to restock the trout pond, so to speak.”

The Takeaway

If you make time for your writing every single morning or afternoon or evening, despite the distractions and the craziness of your everyday life, and if you don’t give up when you miss a day, you will gradually develop a daily writing habit.

And that means that you will also develop an incredible amount of focus and determination and passion for your craft.

Steven Pressfield writes in  The War of Art ,

This is the other secret that real artists know and wannabe writers don’t. When we sit down each day and do our work, power concentrates around us. The Muse takes note of our dedication. She approves. We have earned favor in her sight. When we sit down and work, we become like a magnetized rod that attracts iron filings. Ideas come. Insights accrete.

If you enjoyed this post, be sure to share it on social media or with a fellow writer who you think would enjoy it too.   And if you’d like to support the blog, you can  buy me a virtual coffee . 

Thank you!   Wishing you much success with your writing projects! God bless.

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Keep Reading: Top Posts

Mohammed Yaseen says

March 20, 2024 at 5:04 am

This is really made my day. I now have more reasons to create content, writer as often as i can.

I’m a freelance digital marketing strategist in Kerala https://mohammedyaseen.com/

March 19, 2024 at 12:51 am

thankyou for the valueble infarmation

Nourin Thaha says

March 17, 2024 at 10:12 am

thanks for the information

Mebin Boban Maliakal says

March 16, 2024 at 3:28 am

naseem sabah says

March 13, 2024 at 11:55 am

mish.digital says

March 2, 2024 at 12:04 am

jishnu kp says

September 26, 2023 at 1:27 am

I really enjoyed your article, I’m trying to commit more time to write more, and your article is very helpful.

Mubaris Rahman says

March 21, 2023 at 3:15 am

Dear Nicole Bianchi ,

I just wanted to take a moment to thank you for writing such an informative and helpful post. “How to Develop a Daily Writing Habit: 7 Effective Strategies” was just what I needed to kick-start my writing routine, and I’ve already started implementing some of the strategies you outlined.

Shaniba says

February 24, 2023 at 1:56 am

I completely agree with your coach’s emphasis on “Butt in chair” – it’s a straightforward but essential reminder that the act of doing the work is often the most challenging part of any creative endeavor.

Don Karp says

February 5, 2023 at 10:44 pm

I write every morning shortly after I get out of bed. But it is not what you propose. It is a type of automatic writing I stumbled across in Julia Cameron’s “The Artist’s Way.” I write with pen and notebook very fast whatever enters my mind. The flow of ink on the page is the catalyst for exploring subconscious material. These few pages are not edited or ever even re-read. The benefit is in the present and not about the practice of becoming an author.

Nicole Bianchi says

February 7, 2023 at 12:40 pm

I started writing morning pages after discovering Cameron’s book as well. But mine are more like a diary — I usually write about my creative projects and anything else I’m up to. I’ll use them to come up with ideas for a story, etc., and I do re-read the month’s entries at the end of the month. So, not quite the same as what she recommended, but I do find writing by hand first thing in the morning very helpful for creativity.

Pulok Dev says

January 11, 2023 at 9:34 am

Very straightforward and inspirational that encourages amateurs to start writing even if they can’t

January 10, 2023 at 3:24 pm

Nice blog post!

I’m not a professional writer. But as a blogger, I have to devolp some writing habits. It’s hard to keep up with the digital writer’s block. You made a great points that are full of value.

Thanks for sharing these amazing tips.

Thanks, Karim!

Archana Kumari says

January 10, 2023 at 11:35 am

Thanks Nicole! I found my best blog. I was thinking to start writing as a habit and came through your blog ☺️ Such a beautiful way you made this as an inspiration for many. Good luck 🤞

Burhan Selmani says

January 9, 2023 at 7:22 pm

Writing can be a therapeutic and cathartic activity that can help us to process our thoughts and emotions.

Sebastian Isac says

January 9, 2023 at 7:19 am

Very inspieinf

Moyinoluwa Ogunjobi says

January 9, 2023 at 5:58 am

Nice article. Another point I would add is to read. Read often and read wide. This is because most accomplished writers are excellent readers. You should make sure to read a wide range of books. Read fiction, non-fiction, biographies, books on history, philosophy, etc.

January 9, 2023 at 5:38 pm

Thank you, Moyinoluwa! Absolutely agree about reading.

Victoria Ogbonna says

January 8, 2023 at 5:42 pm

Very interesting and encouraging. Thanks for sharing.

January 8, 2023 at 9:43 pm

Thanks! I just shared on Linked In, is that ok?

Catherine James says

January 9, 2023 at 4:53 am

Sure. I just joined ĺinkedin.

January 9, 2023 at 5:41 pm

Yes, thank you for sharing on LinkedIn, John.

Thank you, Victoria! I’m glad you found it encouraging.

Idorenyin Benson says

January 8, 2023 at 5:08 pm

January 9, 2023 at 5:42 pm

Fantastic! So glad to hear you found the article helpful, Idorenyin.

Hailah says

January 8, 2023 at 5:23 am

Very interesting and compelling to read your Article. Real inspiration for the person who loves to write. Keen observation , imagination and a quirky ideas are often present but to make it a regular habit is the key. You have provided with the ample guidance….. Thank you so much.

January 9, 2023 at 5:43 pm

Thank you for your kind comment, Hailah! I wish you all the best with your writing this year.

Eric Madeen says

January 8, 2023 at 2:32 am

Happy New Year of the Water Rabbit, Nicole! As I’ve been distracted and blocked over winter break I’ve stalled out on starting back to work and starting a new work. Worse, my son’s bedroom is opposite my third floor garret and he keeps highly uneven hours and often calls questions, etc., to me when I’m in my working state. Plus I have a heavy teaching load at two universities so finding once again a precious consistent block of time is challenging. I just made a new year’s resolution to cut way back on Facebook NOW I need to get back to work writing. By the way I’ve published 6 books and sundry stories and articles. Perhaps I should work in longhand outside … to avoid family interruptions. Loved your advice!!! Thanks so much for sharing!!! With appreciation, Eric

January 9, 2023 at 6:28 pm

Happy New Year, Eric! Thank you. Hope you can find the best time to write for you. I know how difficult that can be. Wishing you all the best with your writing projects in 2023!

Mark B says

January 7, 2023 at 11:49 pm

This are all great points. I had a coach that would constantly remind me of the very simple concept of “Butt in chair”. In other words, just sit down and write.

January 9, 2023 at 5:46 pm

Yes, that’s short and simple. I definitely agree, though sometimes I need to get away from my desk to gather inspiration first. Thanks, Mark.

Khatija says

January 6, 2023 at 10:08 am

Thanks for the motivation. I keep putting off my writing until tomorrow. God willing I WILL start tomorrow Saturday 7 January 2034

January 6, 2023 at 10:09 am

Thanks for the motivation. I keep putting off my writing until tomorrow. God willing I WILL start tomorrow Saturday 7 January 2023

January 6, 2023 at 4:30 pm

Cheering you on, Khatija! 🙂 Glad you enjoyed this blog post.

Gerrard Foulkes says

January 6, 2023 at 7:58 am

I really enjoyed your article, I’m trying to commit more time to write more, and I have found your article very helpful.

January 6, 2023 at 4:31 pm

Thank you, Gerrard! Happy to hear it helped you.

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Tips for Writing an Effective Application Essay

How to Write an Effective Essay

Writing an essay for college admission gives you a chance to use your authentic voice and show your personality. It's an excellent opportunity to personalize your application beyond your academic credentials, and a well-written essay can have a positive influence come decision time.

Want to know how to draft an essay for your college application ? Here are some tips to keep in mind when writing.

Tips for Essay Writing

A typical college application essay, also known as a personal statement, is 400-600 words. Although that may seem short, writing about yourself can be challenging. It's not something you want to rush or put off at the last moment. Think of it as a critical piece of the application process. Follow these tips to write an impactful essay that can work in your favor.

1. Start Early.

Few people write well under pressure. Try to complete your first draft a few weeks before you have to turn it in. Many advisers recommend starting as early as the summer before your senior year in high school. That way, you have ample time to think about the prompt and craft the best personal statement possible.

You don't have to work on your essay every day, but you'll want to give yourself time to revise and edit. You may discover that you want to change your topic or think of a better way to frame it. Either way, the sooner you start, the better.

2. Understand the Prompt and Instructions.

Before you begin the writing process, take time to understand what the college wants from you. The worst thing you can do is skim through the instructions and submit a piece that doesn't even fit the bare minimum requirements or address the essay topic. Look at the prompt, consider the required word count, and note any unique details each school wants.

3. Create a Strong Opener.

Students seeking help for their application essays often have trouble getting things started. It's a challenging writing process. Finding the right words to start can be the hardest part.

Spending more time working on your opener is always a good idea. The opening sentence sets the stage for the rest of your piece. The introductory paragraph is what piques the interest of the reader, and it can immediately set your essay apart from the others.

4. Stay on Topic.

One of the most important things to remember is to keep to the essay topic. If you're applying to 10 or more colleges, it's easy to veer off course with so many application essays.

A common mistake many students make is trying to fit previously written essays into the mold of another college's requirements. This seems like a time-saving way to avoid writing new pieces entirely, but it often backfires. The result is usually a final piece that's generic, unfocused, or confusing. Always write a new essay for every application, no matter how long it takes.

5. Think About Your Response.

Don't try to guess what the admissions officials want to read. Your essay will be easier to write─and more exciting to read─if you’re genuinely enthusiastic about your subject. Here’s an example: If all your friends are writing application essays about covid-19, it may be a good idea to avoid that topic, unless during the pandemic you had a vivid, life-changing experience you're burning to share. Whatever topic you choose, avoid canned responses. Be creative.

6. Focus on You.

Essay prompts typically give you plenty of latitude, but panel members expect you to focus on a subject that is personal (although not overly intimate) and particular to you. Admissions counselors say the best essays help them learn something about the candidate that they would never know from reading the rest of the application.

7. Stay True to Your Voice.

Use your usual vocabulary. Avoid fancy language you wouldn't use in real life. Imagine yourself reading this essay aloud to a classroom full of people who have never met you. Keep a confident tone. Be wary of words and phrases that undercut that tone.

8. Be Specific and Factual.

Capitalize on real-life experiences. Your essay may give you the time and space to explain why a particular achievement meant so much to you. But resist the urge to exaggerate and embellish. Admissions counselors read thousands of essays each year. They can easily spot a fake.

9. Edit and Proofread.

When you finish the final draft, run it through the spell checker on your computer. Then don’t read your essay for a few days. You'll be more apt to spot typos and awkward grammar when you reread it. After that, ask a teacher, parent, or college student (preferably an English or communications major) to give it a quick read. While you're at it, double-check your word count.

Writing essays for college admission can be daunting, but it doesn't have to be. A well-crafted essay could be the deciding factor─in your favor. Keep these tips in mind, and you'll have no problem creating memorable pieces for every application.

What is the format of a college application essay?

Generally, essays for college admission follow a simple format that includes an opening paragraph, a lengthier body section, and a closing paragraph. You don't need to include a title, which will only take up extra space. Keep in mind that the exact format can vary from one college application to the next. Read the instructions and prompt for more guidance.

Most online applications will include a text box for your essay. If you're attaching it as a document, however, be sure to use a standard, 12-point font and use 1.5-spaced or double-spaced lines, unless the application specifies different font and spacing.

How do you start an essay?

The goal here is to use an attention grabber. Think of it as a way to reel the reader in and interest an admissions officer in what you have to say. There's no trick on how to start a college application essay. The best way you can approach this task is to flex your creative muscles and think outside the box.

You can start with openers such as relevant quotes, exciting anecdotes, or questions. Either way, the first sentence should be unique and intrigue the reader.

What should an essay include?

Every application essay you write should include details about yourself and past experiences. It's another opportunity to make yourself look like a fantastic applicant. Leverage your experiences. Tell a riveting story that fulfills the prompt.

What shouldn’t be included in an essay?

When writing a college application essay, it's usually best to avoid overly personal details and controversial topics. Although these topics might make for an intriguing essay, they can be tricky to express well. If you’re unsure if a topic is appropriate for your essay, check with your school counselor. An essay for college admission shouldn't include a list of achievements or academic accolades either. Your essay isn’t meant to be a rehashing of information the admissions panel can find elsewhere in your application.

How can you make your essay personal and interesting?

The best way to make your essay interesting is to write about something genuinely important to you. That could be an experience that changed your life or a valuable lesson that had an enormous impact on you. Whatever the case, speak from the heart, and be honest.

Is it OK to discuss mental health in an essay?

Mental health struggles can create challenges you must overcome during your education and could be an opportunity for you to show how you’ve handled challenges and overcome obstacles. If you’re considering writing your essay for college admission on this topic, consider talking to your school counselor or with an English teacher on how to frame the essay.

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• Knowledge Base
• How to structure an essay: Templates and tips

How to Structure an Essay | Tips & Templates

Published on September 18, 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on July 23, 2023.

The basic structure of an essay always consists of an introduction , a body , and a conclusion . But for many students, the most difficult part of structuring an essay is deciding how to organize information within the body.

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Table of contents

The basics of essay structure, chronological structure, compare-and-contrast structure, problems-methods-solutions structure, signposting to clarify your structure, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about essay structure.

There are two main things to keep in mind when working on your essay structure: making sure to include the right information in each part, and deciding how you’ll organize the information within the body.

Parts of an essay

The three parts that make up all essays are described in the table below.

Order of information

You’ll also have to consider how to present information within the body. There are a few general principles that can guide you here.

The first is that your argument should move from the simplest claim to the most complex . The body of a good argumentative essay often begins with simple and widely accepted claims, and then moves towards more complex and contentious ones.

For example, you might begin by describing a generally accepted philosophical concept, and then apply it to a new topic. The grounding in the general concept will allow the reader to understand your unique application of it.

The second principle is that background information should appear towards the beginning of your essay . General background is presented in the introduction. If you have additional background to present, this information will usually come at the start of the body.

The third principle is that everything in your essay should be relevant to the thesis . Ask yourself whether each piece of information advances your argument or provides necessary background. And make sure that the text clearly expresses each piece of information’s relevance.

The sections below present several organizational templates for essays: the chronological approach, the compare-and-contrast approach, and the problems-methods-solutions approach.

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The chronological approach (sometimes called the cause-and-effect approach) is probably the simplest way to structure an essay. It just means discussing events in the order in which they occurred, discussing how they are related (i.e. the cause and effect involved) as you go.

A chronological approach can be useful when your essay is about a series of events. Don’t rule out other approaches, though—even when the chronological approach is the obvious one, you might be able to bring out more with a different structure.

Explore the tabs below to see a general template and a specific example outline from an essay on the invention of the printing press.

• Thesis statement
• Discussion of event/period
• Consequences
• Importance of topic
• Strong closing statement
• Claim that the printing press marks the end of the Middle Ages
• Background on the low levels of literacy before the printing press
• Thesis statement: The invention of the printing press increased circulation of information in Europe, paving the way for the Reformation
• High levels of illiteracy in medieval Europe
• Literacy and thus knowledge and education were mainly the domain of religious and political elites
• Consequence: this discouraged political and religious change
• Invention of the printing press in 1440 by Johannes Gutenberg
• Implications of the new technology for book production
• Consequence: Rapid spread of the technology and the printing of the Gutenberg Bible
• Trend for translating the Bible into vernacular languages during the years following the printing press’s invention
• Luther’s own translation of the Bible during the Reformation
• Consequence: The large-scale effects the Reformation would have on religion and politics
• Summarize the history described
• Stress the significance of the printing press to the events of this period

Essays with two or more main subjects are often structured around comparing and contrasting . For example, a literary analysis essay might compare two different texts, and an argumentative essay might compare the strengths of different arguments.

There are two main ways of structuring a compare-and-contrast essay: the alternating method, and the block method.

Alternating

In the alternating method, each paragraph compares your subjects in terms of a specific point of comparison. These points of comparison are therefore what defines each paragraph.

The tabs below show a general template for this structure, and a specific example for an essay comparing and contrasting distance learning with traditional classroom learning.

• Synthesis of arguments
• Topical relevance of distance learning in lockdown
• Increasing prevalence of distance learning over the last decade
• Thesis statement: While distance learning has certain advantages, it introduces multiple new accessibility issues that must be addressed for it to be as effective as classroom learning
• Classroom learning: Ease of identifying difficulties and privately discussing them
• Distance learning: Difficulty of noticing and unobtrusively helping
• Classroom learning: Difficulties accessing the classroom (disability, distance travelled from home)
• Distance learning: Difficulties with online work (lack of tech literacy, unreliable connection, distractions)
• Classroom learning: Tends to encourage personal engagement among students and with teacher, more relaxed social environment
• Distance learning: Greater ability to reach out to teacher privately
• Sum up, emphasize that distance learning introduces more difficulties than it solves
• Stress the importance of addressing issues with distance learning as it becomes increasingly common
• Distance learning may prove to be the future, but it still has a long way to go

In the block method, each subject is covered all in one go, potentially across multiple paragraphs. For example, you might write two paragraphs about your first subject and then two about your second subject, making comparisons back to the first.

The tabs again show a general template, followed by another essay on distance learning, this time with the body structured in blocks.

• Point 1 (compare)
• Point 2 (compare)
• Point 3 (compare)
• Point 4 (compare)
• Advantages: Flexibility, accessibility
• Disadvantages: Discomfort, challenges for those with poor internet or tech literacy
• Advantages: Potential for teacher to discuss issues with a student in a separate private call
• Disadvantages: Difficulty of identifying struggling students and aiding them unobtrusively, lack of personal interaction among students
• Advantages: More accessible to those with low tech literacy, equality of all sharing one learning environment
• Disadvantages: Students must live close enough to attend, commutes may vary, classrooms not always accessible for disabled students
• Advantages: Ease of picking up on signs a student is struggling, more personal interaction among students
• Disadvantages: May be harder for students to approach teacher privately in person to raise issues

An essay that concerns a specific problem (practical or theoretical) may be structured according to the problems-methods-solutions approach.

This is just what it sounds like: You define the problem, characterize a method or theory that may solve it, and finally analyze the problem, using this method or theory to arrive at a solution. If the problem is theoretical, the solution might be the analysis you present in the essay itself; otherwise, you might just present a proposed solution.

The tabs below show a template for this structure and an example outline for an essay about the problem of fake news.

• Introduce the problem
• Provide background
• Describe your approach to solving it
• Define the problem precisely
• Describe why it’s important
• Indicate previous approaches to the problem
• Present your new approach, and why it’s better
• Apply the new method or theory to the problem
• Indicate the solution you arrive at by doing so
• Assess (potential or actual) effectiveness of solution
• Describe the implications
• Problem: The growth of “fake news” online
• Prevalence of polarized/conspiracy-focused news sources online
• Thesis statement: Rather than attempting to stamp out online fake news through social media moderation, an effective approach to combating it must work with educational institutions to improve media literacy
• Definition: Deliberate disinformation designed to spread virally online
• Popularization of the term, growth of the phenomenon
• Previous approaches: Labeling and moderation on social media platforms
• Critique: This approach feeds conspiracies; the real solution is to improve media literacy so users can better identify fake news
• Greater emphasis should be placed on media literacy education in schools
• This allows people to assess news sources independently, rather than just being told which ones to trust
• This is a long-term solution but could be highly effective
• It would require significant organization and investment, but would equip people to judge news sources more effectively
• Rather than trying to contain the spread of fake news, we must teach the next generation not to fall for it

Signposting means guiding the reader through your essay with language that describes or hints at the structure of what follows.  It can help you clarify your structure for yourself as well as helping your reader follow your ideas.

The essay overview

In longer essays whose body is split into multiple named sections, the introduction often ends with an overview of the rest of the essay. This gives a brief description of the main idea or argument of each section.

The overview allows the reader to immediately understand what will be covered in the essay and in what order. Though it describes what  comes later in the text, it is generally written in the present tense . The following example is from a literary analysis essay on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein .

Transitions

Transition words and phrases are used throughout all good essays to link together different ideas. They help guide the reader through your text, and an essay that uses them effectively will be much easier to follow.

Various different relationships can be expressed by transition words, as shown in this example.

Because Hitler failed to respond to the British ultimatum, France and the UK declared war on Germany. Although it was an outcome the Allies had hoped to avoid, they were prepared to back up their ultimatum in order to combat the existential threat posed by the Third Reich.

Transition sentences may be included to transition between different paragraphs or sections of an essay. A good transition sentence moves the reader on to the next topic while indicating how it relates to the previous one.

… Distance learning, then, seems to improve accessibility in some ways while representing a step backwards in others.

However , considering the issue of personal interaction among students presents a different picture.

If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

• Ad hominem fallacy
• Post hoc fallacy
• Appeal to authority fallacy
• False cause fallacy
• Sunk cost fallacy

College essays

• Choosing Essay Topic
• Write a College Essay
• Write a Diversity Essay
• College Essay Format & Structure
• Comparing and Contrasting in an Essay

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The structure of an essay is divided into an introduction that presents your topic and thesis statement , a body containing your in-depth analysis and arguments, and a conclusion wrapping up your ideas.

The structure of the body is flexible, but you should always spend some time thinking about how you can organize your essay to best serve your ideas.

An essay isn’t just a loose collection of facts and ideas. Instead, it should be centered on an overarching argument (summarized in your thesis statement ) that every part of the essay relates to.

The way you structure your essay is crucial to presenting your argument coherently. A well-structured essay helps your reader follow the logic of your ideas and understand your overall point.

Comparisons in essays are generally structured in one of two ways:

• The alternating method, where you compare your subjects side by side according to one specific aspect at a time.
• The block method, where you cover each subject separately in its entirety.

It’s also possible to combine both methods, for example by writing a full paragraph on each of your topics and then a final paragraph contrasting the two according to a specific metric.

You should try to follow your outline as you write your essay . However, if your ideas change or it becomes clear that your structure could be better, it’s okay to depart from your essay outline . Just make sure you know why you’re doing so.

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Trump Spurned by 30 Companies as He Seeks Bond in $454 Million Judgment

Donald J. Trump’s lawyers said in a court filing that he faces “insurmountable difficulties” as he tries to raise cash for the civil fraud penalty he faces in New York.

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By Ben Protess ,  Maggie Haberman and Kate Christobek

Donald J. Trump’s lawyers disclosed on Monday that he had failed to secure a roughly half-billion dollar bond in his civil fraud case in New York, raising the prospect that the state could seek to freeze some of his bank accounts and seize some of his marquee properties.

The court filing, coming one week before the bond is due, suggested that the former president might soon face a financial crisis unless an appeals court comes to his rescue.

Mr. Trump has asked the appeals court to pause the $454 million judgment that a New York judge imposed on Mr. Trump in the fraud case last month, or accept a bond of only $100 million. Otherwise, the New York attorney general’s office, which brought the case, might soon move to collect from Mr. Trump.

Still, even if the higher court rejects his appeal, Mr. Trump is not entirely out of options . He might appeal to the state’s highest court, quickly sell an asset or seek help from a wealthy supporter.

Mr. Trump’s team has also left the door open to exploring a bankruptcy for corporate entities implicated in the case, according to people with knowledge of the discussions. That option, however, is politically fraught during a presidential race in which he is the presumptive Republican nominee, and for now it appears unlikely.

The judge in the civil fraud case, Arthur F. Engoron , levied the $454 million penalty and other punishments after concluding that Mr. Trump had fraudulently inflated his net worth to obtain favorable loans and other benefits. The case, brought by the New York attorney general, Letitia James, has posed a grave financial threat to Mr. Trump.

The former president has been unable to secure the full bond, his lawyers said in the court filing on Monday, calling it a “practical impossibility” despite “diligent efforts.” Those efforts included approaching about 30 companies that provide appeal bonds, and yet, the lawyers said, he has encountered “insurmountable difficulties.”

The company providing the bond would essentially promise to cover Mr. Trump’s judgment if he lost an appeal and failed to pay. In exchange, he would pledge cash and other liquid assets as collateral, and he would pay the company a fee as high as $20 million.

But Mr. Trump does not have enough liquidity to obtain the bond. The company would require Mr. Trump to pledge more than $550 million in cash and securities as collateral — a sum he simply does not have.

Although the former president boasts of his billions, his net worth is derived largely from the value of his real estate, which bond companies rarely accept as collateral. Mr. Trump has more than $350 million in cash , a recent New York Times analysis found, far short of what he needs.

He might have to post an appeal bond worth more than $454 million — possibly above $500 million, to reflect the interest he will owe — in order to prevent Ms. James from seizing his assets on March 25.

Under the law, Ms. James could have moved to collect from Mr. Trump as soon as Justice Engoron ruled, but she offered a 30-day grace period, until March 25. It is unclear whether she will provide Mr. Trump extra time or if she will move swiftly to collect. Nor is it clear whether the appellate court will rule on his plea for help before the deadline.

Mr. Trump could also seek to appeal to New York’s highest court, and it is unclear whether Ms. James will hold off on the seizure while he pursues that route.

A spokeswoman for Ms. James did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Mr. Trump has denied all wrongdoing and claimed that Ms. James and Justice Engoron, both Democrats, are out to get him.

“This is a motion to stay the unjust, unconstitutional, un-American judgment from New York Judge Arthur Engoron in a political witch hunt brought by a corrupt attorney general,” Steven Cheung, a spokesman for Mr. Trump’s campaign, said in a statement. “A bond of this size would be an abuse of the law, contradict bedrock principles of our republic, and fundamentally undermine the rule of law in New York.”

The looming deadline could not come at a worse time for Mr. Trump. He also faces four criminal indictments, including one in Manhattan that is tentatively set for trial in mid-April.

And just last week he finalized a $91.6 million bond in a defamation case he recently lost to the writer E. Jean Carroll, a costly deal that drained him of precious cash.

Mr. Trump, who obtained that bond from the insurance giant Chubb, pledged an investment account at Charles Schwab as collateral, records show. He most likely pledged more than $100 million in cash and stocks and bonds that he could sell in a hurry — investments that are now no longer available for him to use in the civil fraud case.

A nearly $500 million bond, Mr. Trump’s lawyers wrote on Monday, “is unprecedented for a private company.”

Yet Mr. Trump’s legal team “devoted a substantial amount of time, money, and effort” to finding one, according to a court filing by Alan Garten, the top lawyer at Mr. Trump’s family business.

Using four separate brokers, the lawyers approached more than two dozen companies that provide appellate bonds, including Chubb and Berkshire Hathaway, the conglomerate run for decades by Warren E. Buffett, Mr. Garten said. He added that most of the companies were either unable or unwilling to handle a bond of this size, and that none were willing to accept property as collateral.

Their best bet appeared to be Chubb, but within the past week, Chubb notified Mr. Trump’s lawyers that it, too, could not accept property as collateral.

“This presents a major obstacle,” Mr. Garten wrote.

Mr. Trump’s company has not ruled out the possibility of having the corporate entities declare bankruptcy, the people with knowledge of the discussions said. That move would automatically halt the judgment against those entities and prevent Ms. James from seizing some of the former president’s properties.

But Mr. Trump, scarred from an experience in the 1990s when some of his companies filed for bankruptcy, is likely to balk at a filing.

And even if he supported it, bankruptcy — which Mr. Trump used to describe derisively as “the b-word” — might not be a cure-all, legal experts said. Seeking court protection could trigger defaults in loans he holds, and would most likely set off litigation over whether Mr. Trump is still responsible to pay his company’s debts.

Mr. Trump’s lawyers on Monday also submitted a filing from one of his insurance brokers, Gary Giulietti, who said his team had for several weeks been “scouring the market” for a bond.

“Simply put, a bond of this size is rarely, if ever, seen,” he wrote.

Mr. Giulietti, who testified as an expert witness at the trial, also occasionally golfs and dines with Mr. Trump.

In his decision, Justice Engoron criticized his testimony, saying that in more than 20 years on the bench, he had never encountered an expert witness who “not only was a close personal friend of a party, but also had a personal financial interest in the outcome of the case.”

Ben Protess is an investigative reporter at The Times, writing about public corruption. He has been covering the various criminal investigations into former President Trump and his allies. More about Ben Protess

Maggie Haberman is a senior political correspondent reporting on the 2024 presidential campaign, down ballot races across the country and the investigations into former President Donald J. Trump. More about Maggie Haberman