Essay Writing Format

The word essay is derived from 'exagium', which is a Latin word, translating as presenting one's case. Hence, an essay is a written document explaining somebody's situation, thoughts, etc. For someone on this earth, it seems to be very easy to write an essay. They see it as easy as taking a pen and paper and start scribbling or sitting on their computer and soon begin typing. They might either make the framework on paper, on their computer or in their mind themselves. These people have a large store of vocabulary, along with massive catch on various topics of public interest and current affairs.

Those, who have not written an essay before, initially struggle with it. They find it challenging to hold their writing pace and put their ideas systematically. This struggle can be made more accessible by following a process. This will gradually increase the writing speed and improve the other related skills. So, the steps to be followed while writing an essay include the following:

1. Decide the type of essay you suppose to write from the following types :
   • Narrative essay
   • Persuasive essay
   • Expository essay
   • Descriptive essay
   • Argumentative essay
   • Compare and contrast essay
   • Problem solution essay
   • Informative essay
2. Think what topic you are supposed to write on then think of the connected points of the essay and type of essay.
3. For getting more information to feed into the essay, do some research through various means, such as books, the internet, friends, etc.
4. Select the type of style in which the essay would be written :
   • MLA (Modern Language Association): It is the most common style of writing amongst high school and collegiate students. It is developed for essays on language art and humanities.
   • APA (American Psychological Association): It is the second most common style, developed for writing psychology and social science research papers.
   • Chicago Manual of Style: It is an American English style and guide, which is generally used in various academic areas.
5. Create a thesis
6. Create a frame for your essay. In this, you will create a base for your essay, including what to write and where.
7. Start writing and expanding

Format of an Essay

Every single author has developed their own personalized style of writing. And they are known for that specific style only, as they got their fame, due to that style. However, there is no specified format to write an essay. There are no hardcore rules to writing an essay. But, a basic structure is in common, followed by everyone while writing an essay. It comprises the following parts.

1. Introduction
2. Body
3. Conclusion

Let's look at each of them in brief:

1. Introduction:

This is the initial paragraph after the topic's heading. This is here where for the first time author will introduce the readers to the topic. A short piece of information about the topic is given here. In general, it is not too long. A quote or proverb related to the case can be used to start. Or else, a definition can also initiate the essay. Using questions or data can also be a very catchy idea too. The first paragraphs put the first impression of the author. It attracts the reader to keep on reading the complete essay. Thus, writing an attractive introductory paragraph is hence one of the essential parts of essay writing.

2. Body:

This is the central part of the essay. It is your space to express your ideas and thoughts in the article. The most important content will be in this part of the essay. Here the data can be explained, questions can be answered, and expectations and plans be laid. Caution should be taken to keep the information clear, so the reader is not confused. It should also be made sure that the written data flows systematically; it should be in flow, connecting the topics one by one. This can be done by organizing the thoughts. The length of this part will depend on the total word count the essay is written with. It is comparatively more significant than the introductory paragraph.

3. Conclusion:

This is the paragraph in the last part of the essay. It may sometime last just for 2-3 lines. This gives in the real crux of essay writing. Some interpretation of the data can be provided in this part, along with wrapping the story or information. It should ensure that all the topics explained in the essay are appropriately closed, and nothing should be left incomplete.