If you have any questions about the topic, ask your instructor. If your essay doesn’t respond to the prompt, you likely won’t receive full credit.
If you’re writing an essay for an in-class test or for an application, tailor the essay to the given prompt and topic. Quickly brainstorm a few ideas; for example, think of positive things you can say about yourself for a college-entrance essay. For example, the topic “depression in American literature” is far too broad. Narrow down your topic to something like “Willie Loman’s depression in Death of a Salesman. ” Or, you could write about a narrow topic like “the increase in the USA’s national debt in the 1950s” rather than a broad topic like “the American economy in the 20th century. ”
Depending on the field in which you’re writing the essay—e. g. , hard sciences, sociology, humanities, etc. —your instructor will direct you towards appropriate databases. For example, if you’re writing a high-school or college-level essay for your English class, visit online literary databases like JSTOR, LION, and the MLA Bibliography. If you’re writing the essay for a college or graduate-school application, it’s unlikely that you’ll need to include any secondary sources. If you’re writing a timed or in-class essay, you may not be able to find research articles. But, still do draw information from texts and sources you’ve studied both in and out of class, and build from points made in any provided reading passages.
If you’re writing about current events or journalism topics, read articles from well-known news sites like CNN or the BBC. Avoid citing unreliable websites like blogs or any sites that have a clear bias about the topic they’re reporting on.
If you write the essay without outlining, the essay will be poorly organized.
This thesis statement is far too weak: “Death of a Salesman shows the difficulty of living in America after WWII. ” Instead, hone your thesis to something like: “Arthur Miller uses Death of a Salesman to show that the American Dream is materialist and impractical. ”
So, avoid beginning the paragraph by writing something like, “Since the beginning of time, all people have been consumed with the desire for their father’s approval. ” Instead, write something like, “In the play Death of a Salesman, Willie Loman’s sons compete for their father’s approval through various masculine displays. " Then, you can say, “To examine this topic, I will perform a close reading of several key passages of the play and present analyses by noted Arthur Miller scholars. "
In a short essay, the conclusion should do nothing more than briefly restate your main claim and remind readers of the evidence you provided.
So, take the example about Death of a Salesman. The first body paragraph could discuss the ways in which Willie’s sons try to impress him. The second body paragraph could dive into Willie’s hopelessness and despair, and the third paragraph could discuss how Miller uses his characters to show the flaws in their understanding of the American Dream.
Always cite your sources so you avoid charges of plagiarism. Check with your instructor (or the essay prompt) and find out what citation style you should use. For example, if you’re summarizing the inflation of the American dollar during the 1930s, provide 2 or 3 years and inflation-rate percentages. Don’t provide a full-paragraph summary of the economic decline. If you’re writing an in-class essay and don’t have time to perform any research, you don’t need to incorporate outside sources. But, it will impress your teacher if you quote from a reading passage or bring up pertinent knowledge you may have gained during the class.
If no one agrees to read the essay, read over your own first draft and look for errors or spots where you could clarify your meaning. Reading the essay out loud often helps, as you’ll be able to hear sentences that aren’t quite coherent. This step does not apply to essays written during a timed or in-class exam, as you won’t be able to ask peers to read your work.
It’s always a mistake to submit an unrevised first draft, whether for a grade, for admissions, or for a scholarship essay. However, if you’re writing an essay for a timed exam, it’s okay if you don’t have enough time to combine multiple drafts before the time runs out.
So, if you’re writing about Death of a Salesman, an article about symbolism in Arthur Miller’s plays would be useful. But, an article about the average cost of Midwestern hotels in the 1940s would be irrelevant. If you’re writing a scholarship essay, double-check the instructions to clarify what types of sources you’re allowed to use.
A common cliche you might find in an essay is a statement like, “I’m the hardest working student at my school. " For example, this sentence is too verbose: “I have been a relentlessly stellar student throughout my entire high school career since I am a seriously dedicated reader and thoroughly apply myself to every assignment I receive in class. ” Shortened, it could read: “I was a stellar student throughout my high school career since I was a dedicated reader and applied myself to every assignment I received. ”
Avoid writing something like, “Willie Loman can be seen as having achieved little through his life because he is not respected by his sons and is not valued by his co-workers. ” Instead, write, “Arthur Miller shows readers that Willie’s life accomplishments have amounted to little. Willie’s sons do not look up to him, and his co-workers treat him without respect. ”
For example, if you’re trying to prove that WWII pulled the USA out of the Great Depression, focus strictly on an economic argument. Avoid bringing in other, less convincing topics. For example, don’t dedicate a paragraph to discussing how much it cost the USA to build fighter jets in 1944.
