How To Write an Essay

Writing an essay is like making a hamburger. Think of the introduction and conclusion as the bun, with the "meat" of your argument in between. The introduction is where you'll state your thesis, while the conclusion sums up your case. Both should be no more than a few sentences. The body of your essay, where you'll present facts to support your position, must be much more substantial, usually three paragraphs. Like making a hamburger, writing a good essay takes preparation. Let's get started!

Structuring the Essay (aka Building a Burger)

Think about a hamburger for a moment. What are its three main components? There's a bun on top and a bun on the bottom. In the middle, you'll find the hamburger itself. So what does that have to do with an essay? Think of it this way:

The top bun contains your introduction and topic statement. This paragraph begins with a hook, or factual statement intended to grab the reader's attention. It is followed by a thesis statement, an assertion that you intend to prove in the body of the essay that follows.
The meat in the middle, called the body of the essay, is where you'll offer evidence in support of your topic or thesis. It should be three to five paragraphs in length, with each offering a main idea that is backed up by two or three statements of support.
The bottom bun is the conclusion, which sums up the arguments you've made in the body of the essay.

Like the two pieces of a hamburger bun, the introduction and conclusion should be similar in tone, brief enough to convey your topic but substantial enough to frame the issue that you'll articulate in the meat, or body of the essay.

Choosing a Topic

Before you can begin writing, you'll need to choose a topic for your essay, ideally one that you're already interested in. Nothing is harder than trying to write about something you don't care about. Your topic should be broad or common enough that most people will know at least something about what you're discussing. Technology, for example, is a good topic because it's something we can all relate to in one way or another.

Once you've chosen a topic, you must narrow it down into a single thesis or central idea. The thesis is the position you're taking in relation to your topic or a related issue. It should be specific enough that you can bolster it with just a few relevant facts and supporting statements. Think about an issue that most people can relate to, such as: "Technology is changing our lives."

Drafting the Outline

Once you've selected your topic and thesis, it's time to create a roadmap for your essay that will guide you from the introduction to the conclusion. This map, called an outline, serves as a diagram for writing each paragraph of the essay, listing the three or four most important ideas that you want to convey. These ideas don't need to be written as complete sentences in the outline; that's what the actual write my essay is for.

Here's one way of diagramming an essay on how technology is changing our lives:

Introductory Paragraph

Hook: Statistics on home workers
Thesis: Technology has changed work
Links to main ideas to be developed in the essay: Technology has changed where, how and when we work

Body Paragraph I

Main idea: Technology has changed where we can work
Support: Work on the road + example
Support: Work from home + example statistic
Conclusion

Body Paragraph II

Main idea: Technology has changed how we work
Support: Technology allows us to do more on our own + example of multitasking
Support: Technology allows us to test our ideas in simulation + example of digital weather forecasting
Conclusion

Body Paragraph III

Main idea: Technology has changed when we work
Support: Flexible work schedules + example of telecommuters working 24/7
Support: Technology allows us to work any time + example of people teaching online from home
Conclusion

Concluding Paragraph