English Literature

When writing an essay, we should all remember the following ten points. These points help develop a structure and flow in the essay.

Select your topic
To be able to write an essay, you should select a topic on which to write the essay. The topic of the essay should be something that interests you on a personal level. As students we write many essays with topics assigned by the teachers.

Analyze your audience
Before you conduct research and start writing the essay, it is important to know who the audience is. This helps in developing a tone of the essay and knowing what type of information should be shared. For example when writing an essay which will be read by experts, it is better to quote facts and figures to substantiate the point you are trying to make.

Research your topic
Before selecting any topic for the essay it is imperative to research about it. In this research, you should find out about the topic and any interesting facts. The research should not only be limited to the internet, even though it provides you with the most research, but also include libraries and journal articles. Primary research can also be conducted.

Develop your thesis and main point
The starting point of writing any essay is developing the thesis and the main point. The thesis statement clarifies what will be discussed in the essay and it also shows the viewpoint of the writer.

Support your main points
An essay should not be based on assumptions of the writer. Any point which is made by the writer should be substantiated with research and figures. This helps in strengthening the position and tone of the essay.

Organize your speech materials
The main points and the facts and figures need to be organized. The most important points should come first while the least important should come in the end. The material that has been gathered from the research needs to be organized. This can also be referred to as a rough draft of the essay. This helps the writer understand where the essay is going and what the flow should be like.

Word your speech
Any essay is weak if it is not worded correctly. Words play an important in creating points and evoking feelings. Using the right words is considered an art by some. The writer should use the right words.

Construct your introduction, conclusion, and transitions
An essay has a flow and to create this flow within the writing of the essay, the writer needs to start with an introduction and end with a conclusion. A conclusion is a summary of the major points within the essay. Another important part of the essay is the transitions. There should be a flow and the writer should not jump from one point to another. All the paragraphs should be linked to one another.

Rehearse your speech
Before reading out the essay, the writer should always rehearse it. This helps in the correct wording, avoids errors when giving the speech and the speaker will also know where to pause and where to emphasize the point.

Deliver your speech
Writing and rehearsing the speech is useless until or unless it is delivered. Thus to end the process, the writer needs to deliver the speech and actually submit the essay.