How to Write an Essay: Step by Step Guide With Examples
Writing an essay is a common task for most people, and to do it correctly, it’s essential to understand what it is and its rules. Here you will learn how to write an essay, step by step.
An essay is a very useful, practical, and simple learning and expression tool; however, its correct preparation requires attention to certain rules and specifications in both its form and its content. This naturally raises questions such as:
- Does the essay need a title?
- How many paragraphs does an essay have?
- Does it have headings and a conclusion?
- Does the essay have a full stop?
- Are the introduction, body and conclusion on separate pages?
- How do you make the cover of an essay?
All that and more is addressed here.
What is an essay
An essay is a brief piece of writing that explains, analyzes, and interprets a specific topic. It is an explanatory and analytical summary of a particular subject, in which the author not only presents or explains the issue but also, based on solid information, expresses their opinion about it.
Unlike conventional informational text, an essay is freer in its structure, and its parts are not separated by headings.
The format of an essay and most common doubts
The format of the essay consists of its arrangement and appearance, governed by APA standards that aim for order and aesthetics. The main guidelines are:
- Font: Arial or Times New Roman, size 12.
- Line spacing: 1.5 lines.
- Margins: 2.54 cm (1 inch) on all four sides (top, bottom, left, and right).
- Text justification: The text should be justified to form uniform blocks (like a square). However, this rule can be flexible with elements like lists.
- Absence of explicit headings: The headings “Introduction,” “Body,” and “Conclusion” are not used. These parts are present in the essay but are integrated into the continuous writing without identifiers. (An example can be seen at the end of this article).
- Paragraph breaks: Paragraph breaks are used to separate paragraphs.
- Paragraph length: An essay needs to have at least 5 paragraphs, each paragraph should have a minimum length of 3 lines and a maximum length of 10 lines.
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The parts or structure of an essay
The structural organization of an essay comprises three fundamental parts:
- Introduction.
- Body.
- Conclusion.
1. Introduction
The introduction, as its name implies, introduces the reader to the essay, indicating what it is about, by following these steps:
- Expression of a general idea: This involves presenting a broad or macro idea of the topic to be addressed. For example, if you are going to write an essay about one of the types of personal pronouns that exist, you start with the definition of what a pronoun is. Or, if it is about a sport, like soccer, you begin with the definition of sport.
- Indication of a less general idea: You begin to narrow down and focus the theme of the essay. For example, after having defined what a sport is, you mention that there are several, and one of them is soccer, and you define it.
- Indication of an update: The purpose is to locate the essay in time and space, that is, in the historical moment and/or geographical location where it has context. For example, discussing human rights violations would involve mentioning current occurrences and the geographical areas where they are happening.
- An example.
- Thesis statement, research question (if it’s a research-based essay), depending on the essay.
2. Body of the essay
The body elaborates on the key points of the essay. Following the soccer example, it could cover its history, the rules of the game, and the most important championships.
Form and Organization of the Body
- Each topic is developed in a separate paragraph.
- It is preferable to begin each paragraph with a connector (e.g., Regarding…, In relation to…, As for…).
- The body contains the detailed and fundamental information of the essay, so it is usually longer than the introduction and the conclusion.
3. Conclusion
- The conclusion is preferably written in a single paragraph.
- It is also preferred that it be the same or similar length as the introduction.
- It begins with a connector (To conclude…, In conclusion…).
- One or two themes discussed in the body should be mentioned.
- The author’s personal opinion is expressed. (You, who are writing the essay, your opinion). While personal opinions are included in the body, this personal opinion should be emphasized in the conclusion. Phrases such as “In my opinion,” “In my judgment,” “I think,” “I maintain that,” “From my perspective,” etc., can be used.
- In the final part, the stance on the essay’s topic should be explicitly stated, in the case of a topic-posing essay. Similarly, depending on the type of essay, the answer to the question or the solution to the problem posed will be presented.
Examples of essays
Example 1. Relaxation Techniques and Their Impact on Mental Health
University (Name of the university, or college, school, as applicable)
Area of Administration and Accounting (The subject can go here)
Relaxation Techniques and Their Impact on Mental Health
Relaxation techniques have been practiced throughout history by various cultures as a means to achieve calm and well-being. In a modern world characterized by a fast pace and constant demands, stress and anxiety have become significant public health issues. Understanding how relaxation techniques can positively influence our mental health is, therefore, crucial.
A clear example of the growing awareness of this is the proliferation of mobile applications and online programs dedicated to meditation and conscious breathing, accessible to millions of people worldwide. This essay will explore the intrinsic connection between the practice of various relaxation techniques and the improvement of mental health in the contemporary context. (Introduction)
Relaxation techniques encompass a wide spectrum of practices designed to reduce physical and mental tension, promoting a state of calm. Regarding stress reduction, techniques such as deep breathing and progressive muscle relaxation activate the parasympathetic nervous system, counteracting the “fight or flight” response associated with stress. In relation to anxiety, mindfulness meditation, by focusing attention on the present moment without judgment, has proven effective in reducing rumination and excessive worries.
As for improving sleep, practices such as gentle yoga and guided imagery can calm the mind and prepare the body for restful sleep, thus addressing one of the fundamental pillars of mental health. Furthermore, the regular practice of these techniques can foster greater self-awareness and emotional resilience, allowing individuals to cope with life’s challenges with a more balanced perspective. (Body)
In conclusion, relaxation techniques represent a valuable and accessible tool for promoting and maintaining good mental health. By directly addressing the physiological and psychological mechanisms of stress, anxiety, and sleep disorders, these practices offer significant benefits.
In my opinion, consciously integrating relaxation techniques into the daily routine can not only alleviate the symptoms of mental distress but can also strengthen the individual’s ability to cultivate inner peace and long-term emotional well-being. Therefore, I maintain that the promotion and teaching of these techniques should be considered an essential component in the comprehensive approach to mental health in today’s society. (Conclusion)
Example 2. The administrative process
University (Name of the university, or college, school, as the case may be) Administration and Accounting Area (The subject can go here) The administrative process A process can be defined as a set of successive steps, phases or actions of a natural or artificial phenomenon. In the context of the study and practice of management, there are different approaches that have contributed to this discipline with a large number of theories, ideas or concepts from different points of view. Administration has been studied through experience, decision-making, human relations, it has been studied as a social system, also with a quantitative approach and through the tasks performed by the professionals in the field. Today, the concept of the administrative process is a fundamental part of management theory. Each one of the functions must be understood and carried out correctly by the management professional, and they have factors, principles, or aspects that, if not taken into account, the administrative process could not fulfill its objectives. (Introduction) Having said that, the process begins with its first phase, which is planning. Organizations seek to achieve a goal in the future, and there are questions such as: What actions should be taken? How to reach that goal? When? Where? Why? Planning is thinking before acting, it is a decision-making process that takes into account internal and external factors that can influence the achievement of the objective. External factors are not directly controlled and come from the environment, for example, the economy, government regulations and competition. On the other hand, internal factors are controllable, such as the human and technological factor. (Body) The body of the essay continues… When all the topics have been explained, you write the conclusion. To conclude, it highlights that the administrative process is related to each activity of the company and that the planning, organization, direction, and control are all part of the functions carried out there, such as marketing, finance, production, and personnel management and I can think it’s evident that none of its principles or factors can’t be ignored if the organization wants to be successful. The stages are not isolated actions, but they make up a whole, i consider that the process is very easy to understand and also, it is easy to adapt and apply in all areas of life, because beings Humans have objectives both inside and outside the organization, they use resources and need to give effectiveness and efficiency to their actions to accelerate their achievement and satisfy their needs, so it is important both as business professionals and as individuals to know the functions of management that constitute the basic and important process explained in this essay. (Conclusion) |
More examples
How to write a reference in style
In the references section, you only include the texts that were directly cited in the essay, not all the materials consulted. These bibliographic references should be presented in alphabetical order and following APA style.
Books:
Author(s) Last Name, First Initial. Middle Initial. (Year of Publication). Title of Book. Publisher. (Optional: Edition).
Example:
Thomas, A., & Thomas, A., Jr. (1956). Non-intervention: The law and its import in the Americas. Southern Methodist University Press.
Articles in Journals:
Author(s) Last Name, First Initial. Middle Initial. (Year of Publication). Title of Article. Journal Title, Volume (Issue Number), Page Numbers.
Websites (with author and date):
Author(s) Last Name, First Initial. Middle Initial. (Year, Month Day). Title of Webpage. Website Name. URL
Example:
Smith, A. B. (2024, May 2). The Importance of APA Style. Purdue OWL. https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/reference_list_electronic_sources.html
Websites (no author, with accessed date for potentially changing content):
Title of Webpage. (Year, Month Day if available). Website Name. URL. Accessed Month Day, Year.
Example:
How to Write an Essay: Step by Step Guide With Examples. (n.d.). Transtle.com. https://www.google.com/search?q=https://transtle.com/blog/how-to-write-an-essay. Accessed May 7, 2024.
These formats incorporate the key updates for the 7th edition of APA Style, including the omission of publisher location, the full URL format for DOIs, and the nuanced use of “Retrieved from” and accessed dates for websites.
At Transtle, we ensure that our articles and content are reliable and of high quality by using trusted and verified sources to support our work. These sources may include bibliographic sources, academic research institutions, government data, and interviews with industry experts.
- Bolett, M. (2001). Lengua y Comunicación. Caracas: UNA.
- Madrid: Edit. Escuela Española. Alvarez L y R. Russotto. (1996). Cómo mejorar la redacción del ensayo escolar. Investigación y Postgrado
- Spa style
- Universidad Nacional Abierta. (2020). Lengua y Comunicación. Selección de Lecturas. Comp. Rada, N. Caracas