How to make an essay
If you want to know how to make a good essay, the first step is to forget the myths that only some people are good at writing and are able to get good grades in college entrance exams, contests, etc.
You may be surprised, but to get the maximum score in an essay , just follow the criteria of the evaluator team .
We are going to cover these details here and prove how anyone can do very well on the essay test, even if they don’t have much practice in writing. It is worth noting that the argumentative essay text is usually the most demanded in entrance exams and competitions , so we will pay special attention to it.
In this post, we will explain the main steps for you to make an essay properly. Check out!
1. Get in the habit of reading
First of all, to write well, it is important to read often. So this should be the first step on the journey of great writing. Even if it’s difficult at first, don’t be discouraged. Start with shorter, more accessible books, but be sure to read.
This habit helps the student to stimulate imagination, expand vocabulary and have a greater repertoire during the writing process. You know those essays grade 1.000 from ENEM? You can earn a great score if you use references and strengthen your arguments. With books as best friends, you’ll be even better equipped to write better texts in reviews .
2. Learn the ideal structure
To get a good grade, it is worth understanding the minimum structure of the essay and the evaluation criteria of the bank. In vestibular and contests, it is very common for the argumentative text (also known as dissertation) to be charged.
This type of writing usually has up to 30 lines and at least 4 paragraphs. Basically, the text should contain:
- introduction: opening paragraph with about 2 to 3 sentences that summarizes what will be covered in the essay. In it, you present the theme and begin to give indications of a positioning;
- development: main part of the text composed of 2 to 4 argumentative paragraphs. They must be convincing and direct;
- conclusion: closing paragraph of the essay. Here, it is possible to summarize what was presented previously, to resume the introduction or to present the “moral of the story”.
In this textual genre, as the name implies, you need to defend your idea with arguments, in an objective and coherent way. The text needs to be chained so that the writing as a whole makes sense , not just the paragraphs.
Remember that unrelated information, departure from the topic and lack of fluidity count as negative points in the evaluation. Clichés and platitudes are also not well accepted. So, before you start writing, get the main ideas down on paper and think about how to connect them.
3. Write simply
It doesn’t take a literary genius to get an excellent grade in writing. The main thing is to follow the criteria of the evaluation team. So don’t try to use too fancy vocabulary — the chances of making the text tiring and confusing are much higher when you invest in it.
Just write simply, focus on the topic chosen by the bank and avoid grammatical and spelling errors. A well- organized and coherent text is enough to guarantee a satisfactory result in the evaluation . Want to know more how to write simply? Check out some tips below.
use short sentences
Avoid very long periods that take up an entire paragraph. They are generally more susceptible to errors. Prefer to divide the thought into short sentences so as not to confuse the reader. However, remember to connect the ideas so as not to impair the flow of the text.
Be clear and objective
Avoid being wordy and repeating ideas. It’s no use embellishing the text too much and using a series of adjectives just to increase lines. The essay doesn’t have to be very long. The most important thing is that it conveys the point of view defended clearly and objectively.
Also make sure that you have been able to detail your arguments in an intelligible way. Do not leave anything implied to avoid problems in interpreting the text, as the reader cannot guess what you meant. Sometimes everything seems very obvious in our head, but it may not be so for other people.
Pay attention to cohesion and coherence
These two words are very important for good writing. In addition to creating a logical and coherent sequence of ideas in the text, it is necessary to make good grammatical articulation in order to cohesively connect the sentences.
4. Train hard
Once you understand the structure of the text and the rules you need to follow, it’s time to practice — just like athletes do for physical events, for example. You have to write, reread what you wrote, review, make corrections and train a lot , in addition to reading and studying on the subject. Only then will you be fully prepared.
Practice is also important for you to get used to writing and be more prepared for the test. Even with a lot of knowledge, some candidates do poorly in exams and entrance exams due to nervousness, haste or lack of attention.
Since emotional and psychological factors also count a lot, it is worth doing simulations and exercises with minute timing, so that you get used to writing essays at predetermined times.
If possible, ask a teacher or other person with writing knowledge to help you with your study routine . This person can read the essays, make observations about the text, point out the most common possible mistakes and, in this way, show ways for improvement.
Do not forget also that readability is a relevant criterion for the evaluation of the writing. So pay attention to the way you write and respect the page indentations. In exams, only the text that has been placed in the proper space is analyzed, so do not exceed the number of lines or margins.
5. Stay well informed
An important step in writing good essays is to stay well informed about current affairs and social issues. Often, the examination boards and entrance exams choose subjects that are being discussed that year or that have to do with the Brazilian reality as the subject of evaluation.
Therefore, also read news in newspapers, magazines and websites. If you have the opportunity, bring these topics into conversations with friends and family. Exercise your ability to argue with current issues — that way, you won’t be taken by surprise and you’ll be able to get along, regardless of the topic.
6. Write down ideas that you can use as an argument
This is a method used, even by professional writers and teachers, who enjoy writing and know how to write a good essay. While you are reading and researching a particular topic, write down questions that can be developed to bring good arguments to the writing . This helps to follow a directional line of reasoning and not forget important points that you intended to address.
At the time of the exam, you will not have access to other content to use as supporting text. Still, read the writing direction carefully, and before you start writing, score ideas you can explore and put them in a coherent sequence.
7. Expand your cultural repertoire
Even if you have a strong interest in the world of games and technology — like most young people today — it’s worth going a little beyond your usual universe to gain insight into other subjects. This is because it is much easier to write a good essay if you have at least a minimum of prior knowledge about the topic addressed.
Whenever possible, read diversified content that can enrich your cultural repertoire — about art, cinema, literature, politics, economics, social behavior, etc. The more subjects you know, the greater your collection of arguments to use both in newsrooms and in conversation circles.
8. Emphasize the main points
Whenever you bring rich reflections and ideas to the text, know how to use resources to emphasize the main information, but in a spontaneous and fluid way. This can be done with the help of discursive connectors, elements responsible for linking ideas between different clauses.
To emphasize your arguments and build a good essay, you can use connectors that bring back an idea that has already been presented — examples: as we have seen, it is indeed worth mentioning, etc. But make sure the text is well articulated and cohesive.
9. Keep the unity of the text
Those who already know how to write a good essay do not dispense with this technique when they practice writing. In order to maintain the unity of the text, it is necessary that all parts are connected and functioning in a harmonious way , as happens in our organism.
From the introduction, through all the periods of development and to the conclusion, you should bring in varied ideas, but without losing the main train of thought. That is, the greater your repertoire of arguments, the richer the essay will be, as long as they lead to the central theme.
10. Read and reread
Lines above, in this post, we talk about the importance of training hard to be able to write a good essay and about how it is necessary to reread what you wrote. This is a way to correct possible errors, reorganize and improve the text , if necessary.
As you write, your focus remains on the paragraph you are producing. Sometimes, there may be a deviation in reasoning from previous information or even repetition of ideas. Thus, when rereading the content — as many times as necessary — it is possible to check for errors and still reinforce the point of view developed.
Now you know how to write a good essay. Don’t forget that to be successful at the time of the test — and to be closer to the dream of going to college — it is necessary to train a lot. So, focus on your studies, write several times and prepare calmly.
