3 Steps to Writing Essays

What is the first step in the essay writing process?

What is the purpose of brainstorming in the essay writing process?

How many paragraphs does a basic essay typically consist of?

What is the main purpose of the introduction in an essay?

What should support the main idea in an essay?

What is the purpose of the introduction paragraph in an essay?

How many paragraphs should the body of an essay typically consist of?

What should the conclusion paragraph of an essay do?

Why is it important for each paragraph in the body to focus on one specific supporting detail?

What is the purpose of stating an interesting fact or asking a compelling question at the beginning of an essay?

The 3-Step Essay Writing Process

The 3 steps to writing an essay are: choosing a topic, brainstorming, and writing
These steps are similar to making a new friend, where a good introduction is key

Choosing a Topic

The first step is to choose a topic, which can be assigned by a teacher or based on personal interests
A good topic example is "How to Be Happy"

Brainstorming

Brainstorming involves coming up with ideas for the essay
It's where you develop your thesis, or main idea, which should be one sentence that summarizes the main point of the paper
A good brainstorming technique is creating a mind map, where you write the main idea in the center and branch out into sub-topics
The thesis statement should be supported by all the writing in the essay
Example thesis statement: "Happiness is the result of doing positive things every day"

Writing the Essay

A basic essay consists of five paragraphs: introduction, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion
Each paragraph should be around four sentences long
The introduction paragraph should grab the reader's attention, introduce the topic, reveal the thesis statement, and provide three supporting points
Example introduction sentence: "When you think of the happiest you've ever been, what comes to mind?"
The body paragraphs should each focus on one supporting detail only
The conclusion paragraph summarizes the main idea and supporting points, and reiterates the thesis statement

Learn how to write an essay in three easy steps: choosing a topic, brainstorming, and writing. Understand how introducing oneself is similar to introducing an essay. Break down the process and start writing!