Academic essay writing is an essential aspect of high school and college education. They’re perfect for assessing the students’ knowledge on a topic and their capacity to collect and deliver facts and information. We’ll teach you how to write an academic essay efficiently in this article and the various varieties you may select from.

Academic Essay: Definition 

You must first understand what an academic essay is before learning how to write an academic essay. In summary, an academic essay is a type of organised writing assigned to students. They have to write as part of their curriculum in schools, colleges, and universities. The primary goals of such assignments are to either deliver new information or present certain concepts using existing facts and information. Such assignments allow students to exhibit their skills and creativity while encouraging them to build their thoughts into a narrative.

Essays are generally shorter than most other types of academic papers, and they present the authors’ points of view to support their arguments. Here are some notable characteristics to consider when learning how to write an academic essay:

• Conciseness —

Essays are typically short, with lengths ranging between two hundred and five hundred words.

• Theme —

Because of their brief lengths, a good essay topic must be focused on.

• Well-structured text —

Even though essays are among the least formal forms of writing, one needs a strong format; therefore, one must adhere to the appropriate academic paper format when learning how to write an academic essay.

• A strong core idea —

Every academic essay must make a clear and persuasive topic (thesis statement).

• Individual drive —

Contrary to other forms of assignments, essays frequently indicate that the authors are personally invested in the topic that is being covered.

• Proof, facts, and illustrations to back up your claim —

While essays may reflect the author’s concepts and opinions, they must also give evidence to back them up.

It is beneficial to start building your academic writing abilities as soon as possible, as these are skills that you will need throughout your educational life and career. In addition, academic essay writers are better at articulating themselves and expressing themselves with confidence.

Academic Essay: Types

Before learning how to write an academic essay, let us look at its different types.

Academic essays can be divided into four broad types, each serving a different purpose—though some have similar forms. These include 

1. Descriptive essay, 
2. Narrative essay, 
3. A persuasive essay, and 
4. Expository essay.

Expository and persuasive styles are increasingly frequent in the university curriculum because they are more factual and objective. On the other hand, descriptive and narrative essays are more personal and express yourself more freely. Let’s look at each form to better understand how to write an academic essay.

1. Narrative Essay

The writing necessitates the author’s ability to tell a fascinating tale about almost anything. To put it another way, it’s a concise summary of a story. Students must exhibit their ability to be innovative in this writing style when learning how to write an academic essay. Consequently, it needs the frequent use of strong adjectives. Such utilization will help an essay writer create an engaging, pictorial portrayal of their narrative and boost the audience’s perception of the topic. Even though the primary aim of this type of essay is to tell a compelling story, there is much more to it than meets the eye. In a well-crafted narrative essay, there ought to be a message “written between the lines.” In other words, the writing should provide a powerful and unambiguous message. You entice the audience to read the entire article by putting a secret message in the text that piques their curiosity.

2. Descriptive Essay

In a nutshell, the writer chooses a specific subject, event, sentiment, or idea to portray for the audience in this type of essay writing. The approach, like narrative writing, necessitates the subjective and innovative thinking of the author. Moreover, just like a narrative essay, the writer is expected to create an image in the readers’ minds when writing an academic essay. Therefore, one aspect of preparing a descriptive essay that must be carefully considered is word choice. A paper like this should elicit specific emotional responses and tie them to the topic at hand. Lastly, the essay should explain the topic in layman’s words. You know you’ve written a great descriptive essay when the message is clear to the readers after reading it.

3. Expository Essay

An expository essay is a type of essay that provides contextual information and facts to assist readers in exploring the academic content. The writing necessitates that the writer use credible evidence to back up all the claims made in the essay. When writing an expository essay, personal opinions and biases on a topic should not be expressed. An excellent essay will always rely on research founded on facts regarding the subject. The writer’s primary purpose is to use clear reasoning and evidence to educate the reader and keep them informed when learning how to write an academic essay. For instance, this page on “How to Write an Academic Essay” might be classified as an expository essay.

4. Persuasive Essay

To write a convincing persuasive essay, you must adopt the position of a salesperson. You can express a perspective, a plan, or a concept and then try to persuade your reader to accept it. The rationale behind how the information is provided to the reader should be well proved, leaving no doubt in the reader’s mind that what you’re saying is the only thing they need to hear. To avoid coming out as aggressive, properly craft your ideas and conceal your sales pitch using well-crafted language. You can employ analytical tactics, psychological tactics, or a combination of both while maintaining an argument when learning how to write an academic essay; it all depends on what you’re trying to prove.

Topics for Academic essays

Naturally, topics will differ depending on the topic you are covering. Although several academic essay types may include similar topics, the core substance will always differ based on the type of essay you write. Following are some excellent academic essay themes for students to learn how to write an academic essay:

Topics for Narrative Essays

• Explain how you and your family got through the lockdown. Describe how it impacted you.
• Tell us about your experiences with distance learning. What kind of impact did it have on your scores and general performance? Do you believe online learning is superior or worse than conventional learning?
• Develop a narrative demonstrating the significance of technology in today’s life.
• Write a story to depict the importance of individual contributions to the global challenge of climate change.

Topics for Descriptive Essays

• Describe someone who had the most significant influence on you while growing up.
• What has been the most important recent innovation in world history?
• Discuss what it’s like to find love. What impact does it have on one’s character?
• Discuss the most powerful work of art or music you’ve ever seen or heard.

Topics for Expository Essays

• The reason behind the rising number of teen suicides. What drives young people to take such drastic steps.
• What can each of us do to avert global warming and mitigate the hazards it poses?
• What approaches can our society use to rehabilitate as swiftly and gently as possible following a worldwide pandemic?
• What can be done to prevent similar incidents like George Floyd’s killing and police’s misuse of authority?

Topics for Persuasive Essays

• Must the government revise the constitution to limit the activities that police officers are allowed to do during arrests?
• Should we continue to observe distancing norms now that the threat has passed?
• Make a case for stronger gun laws in the United States.
• Can technology be prohibited at colleges (except those utilized for instructional purposes)?

Academic essay: Format

Now that you have understood the different types of academic essays, let us check out their proper format to understand better how to write an academic essay.

A typical academic essay has a five-paragraph form. It includes the introduction, three main body sections, and a conclusion. In addition, each of the parts will have a distinct inner structure. The primary aim of the introduction is to introduce the subject and expose the essay’s principal theme (the thesis statement). The fundamental aim of the body paragraphs is to argue the premise with the help of three sub-arguments. Lastly, the conclusion is used to sum up the entire case and make an impression in the style of a conclusion. 

The outline

You must first develop four vital components that must be answered before learning how to write an academic essay. These include the 

• Thesis statement, 
• Subpoints, 
• Link, 
• Summary.

Thesis Statement:

It would be the focus of your work and one of the essential components of your introduction section. It’s the fundamental point that the author is attempting to make. ‍

Subpoints (Body Points):

These would be the main points or assertions to back up your claim. ‍

Connection:

When learning how to write an academic essay, connecting it explicitly or implicitly to the everyday world is critical. Give an example of why it matters to you or why it is significant in general. It will give your essay fresh life and allow you to show off your distinct perspective. ‍

Summary:

It is a brief and powerful statement that summarises your main ideas.

Here is an example outline for a piece written on “The impact of police brutality on society” to gain a clear idea of designing a flawless outline for your essay and learn how to write an academic essay:

• Introduction

Hook sentence:

According to statistics, about 2,000 individuals were killed by police violence in 2019.

Background information and a glossary of significant terminology:

The use of disproportionate, unnecessary, and frequently unlawful force by police officers is referred to as “police abuse or brutality.” There have been several examples of lethal force in the United States throughout history, ranging from assaults to torturing and even homicide. Furthermore, statistics found that the proportion of police violence in the United States is unrelated to violent crimes. As a result, police brutality has lately emerged as a serious and widespread issue publicly debated and addressed by the press. ‍

Thesis statement:

Unjustified use of power is a severe problem that impacts people’s impressions of their community; therefore, such issues need to be addressed appropriately to avoid further hatred and hostility.

Main Body:

• 1st subpoint: arguments and evidence
• 2nd subpoint: arguments and evidence
• 3rd subpoint: arguments and evidence

Conclusion:

• The essential ideas mentioned in the body are summarised in this section.
• The thesis statement is restated.
• A concluding statement that keeps the reader curious.

It’s time to discover how to write an academic essay after you’ve produced a thorough outline, stated your primary arguments, and gathered evidence to back up your claims. Many people prefer to create a title for the essay before beginning with the writing since it lets them set the tone. Others like to write first and then develop something good based on what they’ve written. Because the title’s concept may be abstract, the second alternative is more suited to narrative or descriptive papers. Choosing a particular essay title and sticking to it is critical when learning how to write an academic essay.

Academic essay: Introduction

The structure of an academic essay that we’ll be discussing below is rather straightforward. Such a structure has been frequently utilized to develop high-quality university essay samples for a long time. The big reason students who are learning how to write an academic essay continue to use it is that it is seen as most successful in conveying messages to the readers.

Where to begin: A student must begin every academic writing project by crafting a strong introduction.

A quick tip: If you’re learning how to write an academic essay for the first time, don’t be afraid to look at an academic paper sample to get a sense of how to create a solid opening. Looking at strong examples would assist you in getting started.

Since the reader’s interest is highest when they first begin reading an essay, the opening section will effectively help set the tone for the entire essay. Fortunately, we can provide a few simple yet powerful ideas to assist you in creating an engaging introduction when learning how to write an academic essay.

First, you must always start with a strong hook. The first line of the introductory paragraph is the “hook,” whose primary objective is to catch the reader’s interest and persuade them to continue reading. Here are some of the finest strategies for writing a hook that succeeds to get you started:

• Quote: One of the most common ways for opening an essay is, to begin with, a fresh and significant quote when learning how to write an academic essay. When a quotation is chosen carefully, it would significantly influence the audience and establish the tone for the entire paper. As a result, quotations are frequently used as openings. Nevertheless, it’s critical to choose a quotation relevant to your issue and, therefore, not detract from the core premise.
• Fact: Beginning an essay with a scientific remark or statistic is another typical starting strategy. It is especially useful when producing an expository or argumentative paper since such an introduction will give your article more validity. Beginning with a fact also shows that you’ve researched the subject.
• Rhetorical Question: Lastly, starting your paper with a rhetorical inquiry is another option. This strategy will assist you in making a stronger connection with your audience. An excellent rhetorical question will linger in the minds of your audience while they read the full text of the essay. Also, it is critical to address the rhetorical question that was posed in the opening in the body sections of the essay, or at the very least, direct your readers to a relevant insight when learning how to write an academic essay.

Example of a bad hook:

‍“It is time to put an end to police brutality.” – While it offers the reader a sense of what the paper is about, it is not engaging and does not capture the attention of the audience.

‍Example of a good hook:

“I don’t have a gun. Stop shooting.” – Since it is a renowned quotation from a police-brutality survivor, the hook would have a bigger influence on the audience. As a result, it teases the essay’s topic while maintaining the suspense.

When you’ve come up with a strong hook, you will need to present the audience with a taste of the essay’s central theme. Since the essay’s main subject might not be obvious during this stage, you’ll need to simplify your paper’s emphasis by providing some useful and relevant additional context when learning how to write an academic essay. In addition, readers should be provided with a background to help them understand how the topic would be developed throughout the essay. Finally, after you’ve established the context, it’s time to craft the thesis statement for the essay.

In a word, the thesis statement is your essay’s core idea, topic, or argument. In simpler terms, it is a single statement that encapsulates the whole message you are about to convey.

Handy tip: Avoid cramming it with too much information whenever writing your thesis statement. Maintain brevity and clarity in your writing when learning how to write an academic essay. Understand that the primary goals of this line are to establish the paper’s topic and expose the audience to the key points you’ll discuss in the body of the essay.

Example of a bad thesis statement:

“Police brutality can pose a threat to society.” – Such a thesis statement is far too brief and does not imply that the writer has a definitive opinion.

Example of a good thesis statement:

“Unjustified use of violence is a serious issue that has a substantial impact on society, and it must be tackled effectively to prevent additional dissatisfaction and conflict.” – This is brief but thorough enough for readers to comprehend the point of the essay. Moreover, it is rational and expresses the author’s clear perspective.

Academic essay: Body paragraphs

The essay’s body paragraphs will provide your viewers with information. The largest and most crucial element of a five-paragraph essay is often the main body sections. The main points must be provided in the body of the paper in the sequence of the outline you created, and your thesis statement must be supported by reliable evidence and reasoning. If you deviate from it, the audience, especially those paying careful attention to the path of your essay, will be puzzled.

The following are the essential requirements for developing an effective body section when learning how to write an academic essay:

• Accuracy: When it comes to information, avoid contradicting yourself. Also, include appropriate subpoints you mentioned in your thesis depending on the body paragraphs.

Bad Example: 

We may presume that climate change is a serious concern based on the rapid increase in carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere. (Point 1) Meanwhile, some reports claim that Antarctica is regaining ice, indicating that the situation is now being remedied. (Point 2)

Good Example: 

We may presume that climate change is a serious concern based on the rapid increase in carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere. (Point 1) Moreover, experts and studies based on satellite data suggest that Antarctica continues to lose land ice faster, indicating substantial global warming. (Point 2)

• Evidence: Sufficient evidence should be presented to the audience to back up any claims you made. Remember to present appropriate data and statistics from credible sources when learning how to write an academic essay.

Bad Example: 

Because of the increased carbon footprint produced by people, global warming has become a huge threat.

Good Example: 

As per an official NASA study, carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere have now nearly hit 420 parts per million. This figure is significantly higher than the carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere measured in 1950, just 320 parts per million. Such findings lead us to infer that climate change is now an undeniable fact.

• Word Choice: When writing persuasive or descriptive essays, keep your vocabulary in mind. The language you employ should appropriately reflect the facts you’re presenting. Use powerful adverbs and expressive adjectives when learning how to write an academic essay. Misappropriated words, lingo or technical terminology that confuses the readers, jargon or unacceptable language, clichés, verbiage, and so on are all things to avoid when word choices.

Bad Example:

Finally, police brutality creates social unrest, leading to major riots and further atrocities.

Good Example:

Finally, police brutality fosters unrest, which causes widespread riots and further bloodshed.

• Maintain Consistency: The body paragraphs should ideally be five and seven sentences long. Essentially, they should all have the same layout, with the only difference being the presentation of the different subpoints. When studying how to write an academic essay, we usually urge students to look for a good academic writing sample to feel how the complete work should seem.

The objective of the main body sections is to address any difficulties that may have developed in the audience’s mind as a result of the introduction. Each new point you make in your article should help the reader understand the entire issue you’ve covered. Your ultimate goal should be to return them to the same level of competence in the field you had when studying how to write an academic essay. Therefore, it’s essential to switch to the conclusion part when you’ve completed this.

Academic essay: Conclusion

You must start strong and finish even better with each essay you write. When you reach the end of your project, your audience may fail to recall what you mentioned in the first section. You’ll need to repeat yourself when learning how to write an academic essay. In general, a strong essay conclusion will include:

• Summary:

The data are given in the thesis and the subtopics concisely (If you’re composing a descriptive, expository, or argumentative essay).

• Personal or Social Relationship:

To put it another way, why is this knowledge essential to society? Making such a relationship emphasizes the subject’s importance and current relevance.

• Overall Statement of Conclusion:

It will usually be the closing statement, and it will assist to tie knots. If you used a rhetorical question to open your essay, it’d be a lovely touch to offer the reader response here. Rewrite a quotation in your own words if you’ve mentioned one. It’s critical to impress the readers with a powerful remark that will stick with them.

How to write an academic essay?

Now that you are clear with the outline of an academic essay let us look at how to write an academic essay.

Drafting

The writing process usually takes you from the stage of collection of facts to a well-structured presentation of your topic in your essay. No essay of exceptional quality has ever been done in a single edit. The procedure starts with a draft version, where you put all of the material you have collected from research. Here you can only include the most critical aspects of your essay topic. Every new edition must address content issues, structural weaknesses, and basic mistakes. The final version would be far shorter than the first version.

Word Choice ‍

One aspect that determines the effectiveness of an academic essay is word choice. It’s also frequently overlooked or ignored when learning how to write an academic essay. It’s no surprise that certain words are superior to others at transmitting thoughts. And it is no mystery that vocabulary is quite essential in writing. When composing a descriptive essay, it’s essential to pay attention to word choice because you’re trying to build an image in readers’ minds. When you’re composing a paper about a specific field of research, it’s critical to utilize terms relevant to the topic rather than simply neutral phrases that add nothing to the text.

Putting the finishing touches ‍

Your essay should be refined at this point in the writing process. After you’ve gone through with a formal review and revisions on your paper, be sure to:

• Correct any grammatical and punctuation faults.
• Finalize the title
• If necessary, provide a bibliography (essentially, a “citations” section that lists the resources you utilized).
• Ensure your essay follows the formatting guidelines for academic papers.

We hope that this article has aided you in understanding how to write an academic essay. Keep in mind that an academic paper aims to articulate your thoughts and ideas so that you may explain them. Therefore, you should convey yourself more clearly and write more successfully if you practice and enhance your academic essay writing skills.

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