Academic Writing Blog For Students That Look for Professional Writing Tips

essay writing

Persuasive Writing: How to Craft + 10 Strategies to Follow

persuasive-writing-featured-picture

In college, you deal with many essay types: term papers, book reports, and personal narratives — all are important to write for a high final grade. Persuasive writing is the trickiest one:

It requires a lot of research and writing strategies to structure your work so you convince readers to agree with your point of view. Not only do you share information, but you also persuade the audience, using solid arguments and evidence in your paper.

In this article, you’ll learn how to write a persuasive assignment and what writing strategies can help you make it worth the highest grade.

What is Persuasive Writing?

Persuasive writing refers to any text aiming to convince the reader of a writer’s opinion. It can be an academic essay, a political or social speech, sales copywriting work, a marketing blog post, etc.

Unlike other writing forms meant to share information, persuasive texts include solid evidence and logical arguments. They appeal to emotions and need to be compelling enough to influence readers and make them agree with an author’s point of view.

persuasive-writing-cta

What is the Purpose of Persuasive Writing in College?

When a professor assigns persuasive writing in college, they want you to craft a paper where you’ll use logic, solid arguments, and evidence to convince readers.

It’s critical to understand the difference between persuasive and argumentative essays here:

persuasive-vs-argumentative

While both require research and arguments, a persuasive essay is about choosing a side and providing evidence only about that chosen aspect. You mention counterarguments here but explain why they don’t work.

Argumentative essays are about representing both sides of a topic. You don’t convince anyone here but describe arguments and counterarguments for readers to decide which side to choose.

What can you use as evidence to persuade the audience of what you say?

  • Academic research
  • Statistics
  • Expert quotes
  • Case studies with examples
  • Logical reasons

And now, to practice:

How to Write Persuasive Assignments

  1. Choose a topic
  2. Do research
  3. Choose your opinion
  4. Write an outline
  5. Write and edit your persuasive essay

Choose a Topic

Given that persuasive essays aim at convincing the readers, their topics are to be polemical. In other words, you take an issue with at least two points of view in society. No one needs a persuasive article on “People need air to breathe:” It’s common knowledge, and there’s nothing to prove here. But “People need cannabis for better health” might work: It’s an issue someone would agree while others would disagree with.

Some professors assign a particular topic for persuasive essays, but often they ask you to choose it. (They want to check your critical thinking skills and the ability to prove your point on polemical issues.)

If you want your essay to succeed, consider topics in spheres like animal rights, politics, gender issues, or climate change. However, ensure you write about what worries you and have enough arguments and evidence to persuade readers of your position.

persuasive-topics

Here go some topic ideas for your persuasive writing:

  1. Nuclear weapons are effective to prevent foreign attacks.
  2. Every American should learn a foreign language.
  3. Feminism is no longer a struggle for women’s rights.
  4. The power of kindness is in its weakness.
  5. It is necessary to cancel the mandatory exams in schools.

Two rules here:

(1) Consider topics that inspire you personally, and (2) take topics that are up-to-date and with enough discussion in literature and online: It won’t be problematic to research and find evidence on them.

Do Research

You won’t write an efficient persuasive paper with no research on the topic. Given that you need to convince readers of your opinion, you should understand the topic from multiple angles and decide what side you choose to prove in your writing.

So, once you choose a topic, it’s time to gather the information: Consider academic studies, relevant media news, expert opinions, and historical examples. You’ll need to examine and evaluate them to see what the world already has about this issue and which resources you can use as references in your essay.

Here’s how to evaluate sources: Consider those fitting the five following criteria.

  1. Current: check the publication date.
  2. Relevant: check if the info answers your question and is deep enough to cover the issue.
  3. Accurate: check where the info comes from (educational or governmental resources, reputable organizations, etc.).
  4. Authoritative: check the authors’ credentials.
  5. Purposeful: check the purpose of the resource (educate, entertain, persuade). Is their information based on facts? Is their point of view objective?

Choose Your Opinion

Remember the core difference between argumentative and persuasive writing:

Argumentative is about describing both sides of the issue and letting the audience choose which one to support. Persuasion is about convincing the audience of your opinion on the issue.

So, you need to choose a polemical topic and decide whether you agree or disagree with it. Which side are you going to support in your essay?

When choosing, ensure you have enough evidence in your references to prove your point to readers. You’ll need credible arguments to sway the audience to your side.

Write an Outline

Okay, now you have a topic, you’ve chosen the side to prove, and you’ve done research to find solid references that will help support your arguments. It’s time to outline your essay so you don’t miss anything when writing.

Persuasive essays have a standard structure:

  1. Introduction, with a hook, background, and thesis statement.
  2. Essay body, with 1-2 paragraphs describing your arguments and evidence + 1 paragraph describing your opponent’s arguments and your counterarguments why you disagree with that opposite point of view.
  3. Conclusion summing up your points and restating your thesis for the audience to have food for thought after reading your essay.

You are welcome to use the below template for outlining your persuasive essays. Once you fill it in, it will be much easier to write your paper step by step.

essay-outline-template

Write and Edit Your Persuasive Essay

Now you have everything to sit and start writing your persuasive essay’s draft:

  • In the introduction paragraph, describe the issue and state the point you’ll support throughout your paper.
  • In body paragraphs, remember to include evidence from credible resources to prove your point and convince readers to agree with you. You can also represent the opposite point on the issue but still provide arguments for why you disagree.
  • In the final paragraph (conclusion), wrap up your points and restate your thesis once again for readers to remember it. You can finish with a question for the audience to think about.

Once your essay draft is ready, don’t hurry to submit it to a professor. Wait for a couple of days — and then reread it with a fresh eye to proofread and edit it if necessary.

Re-check your arguments again, and ensure the essay structure is logical and all the paragraphs are clear and coherent. Are your points and evidence solid enough to persuade readers of your opinion? Remember to check your essay for grammar and style errors: Apps like Grammarly or ProWritingAid can assist you.

10 Successful Persuasive Writing Strategies

Here at CopyCrafter, our writers deal with many persuasive essays daily. They’ve shared several practical tips on how to work on your writing assignment so that it turns out successful and A-worthy.

We know you don’t have much time to deal with long reads, so the given persuasive writing strategies go in brief. 😉

1 — Choose a Topic You’re Passionate About

We bet you’ll agree with us on this one:

It’s much easier to research and write about something that is interesting to you. If your professor doesn’t assign any particular topic but invites you to choose yours, think of issues that bother you and that you’d like to share with the audience.

First, it will be easier to research such topics because you already know some facts and evidence about them. And second, they’ll motivate you to examine the question deeper and learn new facts rather than sit and hate your professor for assigning it.

2 — Know Your Audience

To persuade people of your opinion on the topic, you need to know who will read your essay. Do you know their age, interests, or background? What do they know and think about the issue you’re going to represent?

Depending on the audience, you might consider different arguments and evidence for your essay. Also, it will help you understand what words to use and what emotions to appeal to for readers to believe you.

3 — Speak Directly to the Reader

Speaking to the reader is an effective writing strategy, so do your best to address your audience directly as “you:” It makes your writing feel more like a conversation than teaching, encouraging readers to lower their objections and listen to your points.

4 — Research, Research, Research Both Sides

Let’s face it: No one cares about opinions if they don’t follow E-A-T (expertness, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness). Today, we all are online, with personal blogs and social media, sharing thoughts and trying to communicate something to the world. But why should the world care?

In persuasive writing, the depth of research and information matters. As an author, you need to know both sides of the issue to have enough arguments and evidence to prove your point.

So, don’t hurry up to write until you examine and evaluate the facts. For that, do not be lazy to research the topic you’re going to represent in your writing.

5 — Write a Clear Thesis Statement

A thesis statement is the central idea of your writing. It introduces your point of view to the audience and helps them understand what you’ll try to communicate in your paper. That is why it should be clear and transparent.

A clear statement is your weapon to avoid confusion. Otherwise, readers won’t understand the purpose of your essay and will leave disappointed.

6 — Hook the Reader from the Start

Get your audience interested in your writing: Think of a so-called hook to grab their attention from the very beginning. The first sentence of your essay can be an intriguing question about the topic you’ll cover, a quote from an expert sharing some controversial information, unexpected statistics, an interesting fact, etc.

Give them a reason to continue reading your work. What’s so special about it? What’s in there for them? Why should they care? But please do not manipulate readers’ emotions and do not lie: Use straightforward language, be concise, and choose words that sound persuasive. (More on that below.)

7 — Choose Words Carefully

Word choice is critical in persuasive writing because they help emphasize your points, evoke emotions, and convince readers that your opinion is correct and worth trusting. Words are your instrument to build connections and personal relationships with the audience, so do your best to use strong language in your essays.

What does it mean?

Use active verbs, the right tone of voice, and power words (those descriptive and helping the readers understand what you want to say). Avoid redundant adverbs, slang and jargon, and wateriness: be precise.

Don’t repeat linking words and sentences; say no to irrelevant information. If the reader can’t follow your thoughts or you make too many immaterial points, you will lose your reader’s interest and have no chance of persuading them.

8 — Emphasize Your Point

Make the most of exaggeration and hyperbolic statements to express urgency or support your point. It doesn’t mean to lie in an attempt to impress readers: It’s a great persuasive technique when you want to convey an impactful image for readers to “hear” you.

Another writing trick to try is appealing to emotions. Readers are more likely to believe you if they feel you understand them and can relate to their experience. Thus, you’ll target their sensitivities and provide arguments for why their opinions on the discussed topic may change.

9 — Repeat Your Arguments

We speak about strategic repetition here, when you find different ways to make the same point: metaphors, rephrasing, storytelling, and other literary devices. Don’t ignore them while writing:

They’ll prevent you from using monotonous language and the same patterns. Readers won’t think anything like, “Oh my, s/he has mentioned it several times already,” and you will be able to reinforce your point without annoying the audience with repetitiveness.

10 — Ask for Feedback

When you think you have completed your writing, read through it thoroughly and check every part. Invite a few friends or family members to check it and give you their honest opinion, take feedback from unbiased people, and use their comments to make any final and effective changes.

Ready to Write an Essay That Persuades Readers?

Writing persuasive texts that have the potential to change someone’s way of thinking is not an easy task. If you want to succeed here, you need to know your audience, state your point of view clearly, and support it with arguments you can prove with evidence like research, quotes from experts, statistics, and relevant emotional appeals.

More than that, it would help if you could anticipate and respond to objections your opponents might have.

We hope this article has answered all your questions on persuasive writing, its purpose, and how to craft it when assigned. Still in doubt? Feel free to contact our professional writers for assistance.

Short Story Writing: 7 Steps You Need to Ace This Assignment

Some students believe short story writing is the least challenging assignment they can get in college. They think it won’t take much time and effort to complete it because… well, it’s short, after all.

But there’s a catch:

Shorter doesn’t equal easier. Do you remember Mark Twain saying to his friend, “I didn’t have time to write a short letter, so I wrote a long one instead?” This writing form requires more diligence and clarity: You need an intriguing opening to hook readers, powerful words to communicate your character’s goal and conflict, and a compelling ending to wow readers and make them remember your story.

Short story writing’s structure reminds the format of a personal narrative, but here you don’t write about yourself. You craft fiction with all the components of storytelling in it.

Seems too challenging?

This article will help you learn how to write a short story. No time to read as the due date is coming? Ask our online assignment help to assist you with short story writing.

short-story-writing-featured-picture

What Is a Short Story?

Because of their length (1,000 to 5,000 words), short stories are less complex than longer narratives like novellas (typically 30,000 words) or novels.

In a short story, you can build a world and have multiple characters, but this world won’t be as extended as in a novel, and every character won’t have a backstory or a meaningful character arc like you’d provide in a lengthier work. So, here go the restrictions:

  • No big worlds or intricate plots like in The Lord of the Rings.
  • No backstories or meaningful character arcs like in Harry Potter.
  • No subplots or complex narratives like in Game of Thrones.

Okay, what’s in there in a short story instead?

Short Story Components

Your story is short, but it doesn’t mean its theme is less profound than a longer work’s theme. While you have fewer words, characters, and a simpler setting for writing a short story, it still needs to impact readers.

When planning your story, ensure to think of the following elements:

  1. Mood or feeling. What do you want to evoke in readers? Is it an emotion of joy, grief, or loss? An idea concerning some life lessons or morals? Do your best to define the clear goal of your story: It will help you decide on the language, plot, and other instruments for writing it.
  2. Descriptive language. Your story is short, so every word needs to be clear and essential to the concept, context, and plot development.
  3. Point. What do you want to say with your short story? You need to know a clear point before writing your story so you could reflect on it throughout the text.

Speaking of short stories, we often mean a traditional storytelling technique: setting, hero’s journey, conflict, resolution, and all this stuff. It works for a short story writing assignment in the college, either. However, if you write a fiction story outside your academic life, feel free to break the rules and play around with conventions:

You are welcome to try writing flash fiction or microfiction, aka stories under 1,000 words. Or, practice anecdotes, aka short narratives with a moral lesson. Regular writing of fables, feghoot, sketches, or vignettes can be a good practice, too: They are short scenes that can become a part of your massive literary work later.

stories-words-number

In the literary world, all these numbers are nominal. Take the famous, “For sale: baby shoes, never worn,” for example: In six words, the author provides all five elements every short story has:

  1. Character: a person, an animal, or a creature who does an action in your story.
  2. Plot: a series of events to illustrate the conflict of your story.
  3. Theme: the central message of your story, a point you want to communicate to readers.
  4. Conflict: what drives your story’s plot; the obstacles a hero overcomes or the goal they want to reach. A conflict can be internal or external.
  5. Setting: the time and place where your story occurs.

The above short story about baby shoes is a palmary example of how critical language patterns are for communicating the point. That story relies on the reader extrapolating meaning from the words, and it succeeds.

What’s in a Short Story College Assignment?

When it comes to college assignments, a six-word story is not an option, of course, but it’s a great way to practice your writing skills! Also, it may serve as a warm-up before you start working on a short story or any other assignment.

A short story college assignment is not that different from traditional short story writing. A professor will ask you to craft a 500-1,000 word piece that includes storytelling elements.

So, you will need to:

  • Choose a theme as the basis of your story.
  • Decide on a setting and a plot to communicate the theme to the audience.
  • Create a character who’ll have a goal and a conflict.
  • Use indirect characterization and descriptive pictures to bring your characters to life and make them and your whole story believable.
  • Think of a conflict resolution at the end of the story and the emotion (thought, idea) you want to evoke in readers. In other words, what’s the point of your short story?

Yes, the whole process looks challenging and time-consuming. No worries! Below is your step-by-step guide on how to write a short story.

Hint:

The prewriting phase is the most difficult one, and it takes much more time than writing a draft.

Reminder:

If you don’t have time and energy for short story prewriting and writing, you can ask professional academic writers for help. Here at CopyСrafter, we are ready to assist you 24/7.

How to Write a Short Story

  1. Decide on the idea
  2. Think of a character’s goal and conflict
  3. Choose a strong opening
  4. Outline your story
  5. Write a draft
  6. Decide on a compelling ending
  7. Edit, edit, edit!

1 — Decide on the Idea

Short story ideas are numerous. It’s a self-contained work of fiction, so do your best to mine imagination and craft an engaging story that evokes emotions from the audience.

It’s critical:

Before you sit and write a story just the way it goes in your mind, you need to decide on the theme and mood you want to convey. What idea or point of view do you want to communicate with your story? How will you represent it?

All the elements in your short story will work together to give your idea to the readers. What kind of story do you want to tell, and why? Start your brainstorming session — and write down the genre of your story (humor, horror, drama, romance?), its theme (a central message you want to convey), and the emotion you want to evoke (joy, grief, compassion, anger, etc.).

If you already have ideas on the setting and characters for your short story, write them down too. The key plot points are also worth noting: They’ll help you fill in details later.

2 — Think of a Character’s Goal and Conflict

Please don’t move on to outlining and writing a short story before you have a protagonist and a conflict. You need to know them beforehand; otherwise, you won’t understand what to write and how to move your story’s plot to the end (resolution).

A conflict is what shapes your characters, drives your plot, and allows you to communicate your theme to readers.

As you remember, your story is short and has a limited word number. That’s why one main character with one conflict is a great way to start. Think of the goal your protagonist wants to reach and a few obstacles they will overcome to succeed.

The following worksheet can help you create a character for your short story:

character-worksheet

If your story has several characters, try describing each of them with the above worksheet. It will allow you to understand each hero better and craft their words and deeds accordingly.

3 — Choose a Strong Opening

How to start writing a short story? Consider the restrictions of this format:

You won’t have a lot of room for wordy descriptions and exposition, and that is why start with a catchy opening that will hook readers and immerse them in your plot at once.

Some writers practice the in media res trick: Open your story in the middle of the action and fill in details later. In other words, take the reader straight to the central scene of your plot.

Or, you can try these ideas for opening your short story:

  1. Scene-setting. A reader joins the character in a pause before the action.
  2. Conflict establishment. The exact moment when a character gets into trouble.
  3. Mystifier. Throw a reader into a situation without giving any details yet.
  4. You, as the third-person narrator, speak to a reader.
  5. You, as the first-person narrator, speak to a reader.
  6. Quotation.
  7. Puzzler. You set up the conflict while making a reader guess what happens here.

Here go examples of each one:

short-story-openings

4 — Outline Your Story

Now it’s time to write a detailed outline for your short story. Fill in this plot diagram, and you won’t miss any critical moment while writing:

plot-diagram

5 — Write a Draft

You have a character worksheet and a plot diagram at hand, so the time has come to craft a rough draft of your short story. When writing, remember that you have a certain number of words to develop a plot, communicate a theme, and resolve a conflict:

Don’t waste space.

Your every sentence should be vital for driving a story. Focus on the story’s message and ask yourself, “Does this sentence need to be here? Does it serve to illuminate the story’s mood?”

Words and syntax matter in short stories to communicate mood and emotions and help readers “see” your setting and sympathize with the characters. Writers know it as the “Show, don’t tell” principle:

Use active verbs and descriptive adjectives that appeal to the human five senses and allow readers to “see, hear, smell, taste, and feel” what happens in your story. To make it easier, prepare a so-called setting worksheet beforehand: Write down metaphors, comparisons, images, associations, and other lexical items that will help you build a story using descriptive writing.

setting-worksheet

Tip: Don’t think of including all of them while writing a draft! Your goal is to get something out on the page and communicate your story’s overall aim. So, sit and write; avoid the temptation to edit your draft while writing. You’ll have a chance to improve the language when editing.

6 — Decide on a Compelling Ending

The end of your short story is even more critical than its opening: Readers wait for an exciting resolution, and they’ll be disappointed if you spoil your beautiful narrative with a weak finale. The most compelling resolutions center on your characters:

  • What has changed about the protagonist of your short story?

Your characters can’t stay the same. Otherwise, what was the reason for their journey? The changes can be positive or negative, but they should have a place.

Also, focus on the mood you planned to evoke in readers: What would be the best way to finish the story to capture that mood and convey the desired message? Ensure your ending follows naturally from where your story began, and don’t leave readers with too obvious resolutions.

7 — Edit, Edit, Edit!

So, your draft is ready. Congratulations, the hardest part of your short story writing is over! Now it’s time to re-read it several times and revise your story, if necessary.

When editing, think of the following:

  • Do I give enough information for my readers to picture the story’s characters and events?
  • Are my story details specific and relevant to the overall theme and mood?
  • Do I use descriptive language? Do my words and sentence structures fit the characters?

For your story to get an A+, it needs a vivid and descriptive setting, named and clearly described characters with problems that are easy for readers to understand, and a logical solution to the character’s conflict. Use dialogues to bring your characters to life and add creative details to contribute to the reader’s enjoyment.

And remember to correct spelling and grammar errors before submitting your story to a professor or publishing it somewhere. Meet all the written requirements (# of words or pages, font, margins, etc.): It would be a pity to get a lower grade because of such technical details, wouldn’t it?

Need Help With Short Story Writing Assignments?

Now that you know and have everything for short story writing, it’s time to craft a masterpiece that will impress your professor and all the readers who’ll see it. Are you ready to follow the tips from this post and structure your story in the best way possible? Maybe, you already have a theme or a protagonist with a conflict to describe in your work, huh?

If you still have questions or need practical help with short story writing assignments in college, please don’t hesitate to contact us. CopyCrafter’s professional writers assist with any academic paper type — just ask.

Expository Writing: How to Craft Such Essays When Assigned

Expository writing is among the most common assignments students get in college. A tiny problem:

While teachers assign expository essays often enough for mentees to get an idea of how to do this type of academic paper, many students still have difficulty writing them.

Indeed:

With so many essay types to deal with in college, it’s challenging to understand and remember all the differences between them: narrative, argumentative, persuasive, and others – it seems impossible to master and get high grades for all of them.

No worries! This article will tell you everything a student needs to know about expository writing. And if you still find it too hard or time-consuming to craft, feel free to ask Copycrafter’s assignment assistance professionals for help.

expository-writing-featured-picture

What is Expository Writing?

Below you’ll find more information on expository writing definition, purpose, and types.

Expository Writing Definition

Expository writing is a form of structured academic paper using facts to investigate a topic and inform readers about it.

It’s critical to understand the difference between expository and argumentative essays here:

  • Argumentative essays: A student uses arguments and counterarguments to prove their opinion on the topic.
  • Expository essays: A student doesn’t take any side, doesn’t develop any arguments, and doesn’t express their opinion on the topic. Focus on providing facts to inform and explain, with no personal evaluation: Do your best to have a neutral point of view.

The characteristics of expository writing aren’t that difficult to remember. Expository essays:

  1. Teach readers about the topic.
  2. Provide detailed information (insights) on the topic.
  3. Describe and explain facts on the topic.
  4. Are written with formal language, in the 3rd person (he, she, it, they), and in a precise, logical manner.

The Purpose of Expository Writing

Expository writing is about providing the reader with a factual and objective description of a topic. The purpose is to present the information in a linear and logical format, with no author’s opinion or attempts to change the reader’s mind or perspective.

Examples of expository writing include journalistic articles, business writing, or science papers.

Why do you need to write expository essays in college?

No, it’s not because your professors hate you and want to bury you in tons of writing assignments. They want to help you develop valuable skills that will also come in handy when the study years are over. When working on expository writing, you gain:

  • Critical thinking. Doing research for your paper, you learn to evaluate sources, evidence, and facts from different angles and perspectives, which is a must-have skill for Gen Z today. In the world of content shock and a short attention span, it’s critical to understand what information is worth your attention and trust.
  • Prioritization. While you gather information for your expository paper, you need to stay precise when writing it. Thus you learn to prioritize one fact or evidence over others and express your thoughts briefly.
  • Time management and organization. With expository writing, you learn to organize thoughts, express them logically, and save time communicating with people. These are must-have soft skills in many professional spheres today, so they won’t go in vain once you get them.

Types of Expository Writing

Expository assignment writing has several types, depending on how you want to structure it to represent the information better. The most common types of expository essays are five:

expository-writing-types

  1. Definition (descriptive). It’s an essay where you define a subject and explain its meaning. For example, you write about a historical figure and tell readers about his actions, motivations, places he visited, etc.
  2. Problem/solution (cause/effect). Here you explain an existing problem (the cause of something) and then explore effective solutions for it. Speaking of expository writing, these are usually papers about the relations between two subjects (cause and effect) or how specific problems have been solved.
  3. Classification. Such expository essays are about the characteristics of many subjects within one category. You break down a broad topic into categories, start with a general one, and then define and explain each subgroup within it.
  4. Compare and contrast. Here you define two or more subjects and describe their similarities and differences.
  5. Process (how-to). These essays explain a step-by-step process of something: how it works or how to do it. This blog post is a kind of process expository writing, by the way: Here we tell you how to write essays step by step.

How to Write an Expository Essay?

  1. Choose a topic
  2. Write a thesis
  3. Outline your expository essay
  4. Write an introduction
  5. Draft an essay body
  6. Write a conclusion
  7. Proofread and edit your essay

And now, to the most interesting part:

Let’s reveal the process of expository assignment writing, step by step!

Step 1: Choose a Topic

As a rule, teachers assign a topic for your expository writing. But sometimes they say you’re free to choose what to write about, and that’s when your brainstorming begins.

How to choose a good topic for your expository essay?

You can write about everything: health, politics, education, movies, science, history, social media, etc. Think of the niche you know best and make a list of topics that are interesting to you: Consider something you can explain to readers (it will be easier to research). Also, think of topics that will meet your teacher requirements (if they gave you any).

Try to avoid too general topics. Yours need to be specific for the audience to get interested. Here go a few topic examples:

  • Some practical advice to tackle bullying in schools.
  • How social media helps students pass exams.
  • The reasons for terrorism in modern times.
  • Where to invest money after college, and why.
  • The science behind love: how we need to understand this feeling.

So, here are the rules again: A topic should be interesting to you and easy to research as you’ll need to find credible references for it; also, you should be able to explain it to the reader.

Step 2: Write a Thesis

You can’t write an essay without a thesis statement: It’s the heart of your paper, and your teacher will pay much attention to it. No need to mention that your overall grade for expository writing will depend on how well you introduce a thesis.

What is a thesis in essays?

An essay thesis is a sentence or two in the introduction. It’s a claim that identifies the central idea and purpose of your writing.

Please note that a thesis is NOT a mere fact but a statement that gives readers something to think about. It’s an issue you’ll describe and explain throughout your essay.

Step 3: Outline Your Expository Essay

Before you sit and write your essay draft, it would be helpful to prepare a detailed outline, aka a plan for you to know what to include in every paragraph.

Speaking of paragraphs, by the way:

Expository essays have the standard structure of any academic paper you write in college: an introduction, body paragraphs (3-4, depending on your topic and teacher requirements), and a conclusion. When writing an outline, do your best to mention a thesis statement in the introduction, prepare factual and logical evidence for each body paragraph, and think of a thesis restatement in the conclusion.

This template can help you write detailed outlines for your expository writing assignments:

expository-writing-outline

Step 4: Write an Introduction

When the thesis and outline are ready, it’s time to write your expository essay. Start with an introduction and ensure to mention the following elements there:

  • 1 sentence: a general statement on the topic with an attention-grabbing hook for readers.
  • 2-3 sentences: the context for your readers to understand the topic.
  • 1 sentence: a thesis statement for readers to see what you’ll expose in the essay.

For many students, introductions are the most challenging part of essay writing. They sit and stare at a blank page, can’t find any words, and don’t know how to start an essay. If you’re among them, here’s a tip:

Write an introduction after the other parts of your essay. It’s okay to craft a body and a conclusion first: Thus, you’ll see all the covered points and extract a hook and a thesis from there.

Step 5: Draft an Essay Body

When writing essay paragraphs, refer to your thesis statement so you don’t miss any critical points. Each paragraph starts with a topic sentence to introduce what you will talk about, and it should contain the evidence (facts, data, quotes, etc.) to support your information.

Share facts that will help readers understand your point. Use straightforward language in your essay to avoid biased information or misunderstanding: active verbs, clear words, and meaningful adverbs.

Complete each paragraph with a logical transition to the next one: Use linking words and phrases to reinforce your message and make it easier for readers to follow your thoughts.

Step 6: Write a Conclusion

A conclusion is critical in expository writing because it wraps up your thesis and leaves readers with thoughts on the topic.

Important:

  • Do not repeat (rewrite) your thesis from the introduction. You need to explain how the information from the essay helps to come up with this conclusion.
  • Do not introduce any new points or ideas. You need to conclude the thoughts you’ve already covered in the essay body.

Your expository essay conclusion should have a minimum of three sentences:

The first one sums up what you said, the next one explains how your essay exposed your thesis, and the final one is something positive for readers to remember your essay and think about the topic you shared.

Step 7: Proofread and Edit Your Essay

Finally, the most crucial moment comes: Once the draft is ready, it’s time to proofread and edit it if necessary. But please do not do that just after writing. Give your text a few days to rest — and go back to check it later. It will help you see an essay with a fresh eye and notice tiny drawbacks you would have missed before.

So, first, read the draft to check if your essay:

  • has a clear thesis;
  • provides an unbiased analysis of facts and examples;
  • supports all the information with evidence from credible resources;
  • has logical transitions between sentences and paragraphs;
  • is clear, linear, and logical.

After that, proofread your essay to fix typos, grammar, and punctuation mistakes. A good practice for that is reading your text out loud: It helps notice words, phrases, and grammar constructions that sound weird. Ensure you use clear sentences and straightforward language.

If proofreading and editing still sound challenging, try some online looks like Grammarly or Hemingway App. Or, you can always ask for professional editing help from Copycrafter or other corresponding services: A specialist checks your essay and gives feedback on what to improve there.

Expository Essay Writing Tips to Follow

Now that you know a step-by-step process for expository essay writing, here go some tiny yet practical tips to make it easier:

  • Write a catchy headline for your essay for readers to get interested in it.
  • No matter how well you know the assigned topic, you’ll need to research it before writing.
  • It’s okay to start expository writing where you know the information best. It’s not a must to start with the introduction: Feel free to write an essay body or conclusion first; you’ll have time to revise and edit it anyway.
  • Be clear and use concise language: Remember that your task is to inform and share facts, not write about your thoughts on the topic.
  • Avoid biased information; use reputable resources for references: academic journals, studies, .edu sources, etc. Forget about Wikipedia.
  • Consider your writing voice and tone: Expository essays are formal and go from the 3rd person, remember? So, no slang, redundant information, jokes, creative writing tricks, “I” and “we,” etc.
  • Be linear and organize all the information in your essay logically so that it’s easy for readers to follow it. Use transitional words and phrases between paragraphs to link everything naturally.
  • When editing, read your draft out loud: It will be easier to notice typos or grammar mistakes; plus, you’ll “hear” how it sounds and revise all weak points if necessary.
  • Please do your best to complete the first draft of your expository paper a few days before the deadline and wait a day before revising it. Thus, you’ll look at it from a fresh perspective and can notice some drawbacks you didn’t see when writing.
  • Ask a friend to read your essay. As a reader, not an author, they can tell if you need to revise anything for it to sound better.

FAQs

  • What is expository writing?

Expository writing is a form of text that aims to inform readers and help them learn something new about the topic. It’s factual, linear, and objective. An author doesn’t express their opinion and doesn’t develop any arguments to persuade readers about the subject.

  • What is the purpose of expository writing?

The purpose of expository writing is to share facts and evidence on the assigned topic to inform and educate readers about it. There shouldn’t be any personal opinions, arguments, or biased information: Expository writing is factual and objective. The goal is to give facts readers need about the topic to deepen their understanding.

  • How does narrative differ from expository writing?

Narrative writing is about telling stories to readers. It can be a short personal story, fiction, or any other story that conveys emotions and experience. Expository texts are about facts, descriptions, and clear (logical) explanations to give information that educates readers about something.

  • What are examples of expository writing?

Examples of expository writing are journalistic articles in newspapers and magazines, science papers exploring and explaining some concepts, and business texts describing how different processes work or what a person needs to do to make them work. Textbooks, technical guides, news — all they refer to expository writing, either.

  • Can anyone help me with expository writing assignments?

Sure! Besides tons of online guides explaining how to write expository essays (like this one), you can go to thematic forums or communities to ask questions and get informative help there. Or, you are always welcome to ask for professional writing help here at Copycrafter: Our academic writers are happy to assist with any questions you might have on your expository writing assignment.

How to Title a College Paper – Our Academic Experts Show Here

One of the most important parts of writing a college paper is coming up with the title. Besides, it will be the first thing the reader sees. When the reader does not like it, he or she will probably lose interest. As a result, you will most likely get a bad grade. Hence, it is important to come up with a good title. It must be something that describes what is written on the college term paper. It would be terrible for the reader to think you were misleading him or her.

Before we start with actual writing tips, we would like to remind you that you can purchase cheap essays for sale on our website.

how to title college paper

You know the reader would want to get a clear view of what he or she is about to read. In other words, you are in a make or break situation when it comes to coming up with the title for the college paper. It can be a big hit or miss and you may end up regretting thinking of it in the first place. On the plus side, you may be proud of yourself if it ends up being one that sticks in the minds of professors for a pretty long time. Here are a few things to keep in mind when writing a title for your college paper:

Avoid Jargon

Avoid words that have nothing to do with the entire college paper. This is not the time to add words just to make it longer. There is no need to make it long as long as the main point is already present. In relation to that, it is important to avoid jargon in your college paper too. Yes, readers would know right away if you are using jargon so better take that out or they may think that you like using jargon. It would be better to get to the main point immediately as there is no need to squander around stuff that has nothing to do with the main topic.

Make it Short and Simple

In relation to the previous statement, there is no need to make the title pretty long. It would not leave a good image on the person who made the college paper. Also, making it too short would not be a good idea either. In fact, it should be ideally 5 to 15 words in length. Anything more than 15 words would also be a bad idea as you may consider trimming it down a little bit. A long title would not raise your grade so it would be better to not make it long. Furthermore, the right combination of words would also come into play. It is possible you have a good short title but it may be better to rephrase it a bit so that it would sound a bit better than it already has.

Follow Instructions

The professor may have given specific instructions with regard to the title. Hence, it is important to take note of all those directions so you won’t get a bad grade just because you did not follow instructions. That would hurt as it is not that hard to follow instructions. There are times when the professor would give specific instructions regarding the font style, font size, and even spacing. We will never know why he or she would give those specific instructions. The only important part is that you follow them or your college paper maybe the odd one out of all the college papers that were submitted. You know you would not want the faculty to be talking about your college paper that way.

In conclusion, titling a college paper is one of the hardest parts. You would have to do a lot of trial and error and getting the opinion of so many people. In the end, it is going to be worth it once you arrive with a title that everyone would love. Of course, the more people that approve of it, the bigger chance your professor would like it too. Why not get the opinion of students who were under that same professor? You must make sure they passed with flying colors though. Otherwise, it would be useless to get their opinion. Once you have a good title, there is no doubt you would look forward to having everyone read it.

How to Write a Term Paper Proposal? Here’s the Answer

A term paper proposal is a type of writing you should turn in to get the topic and the structure of your term paper approved by your teacher. As a rule, the proposal is required from undergraduate students who wish to get a master’s or a Ph.D. degree. This paper can be as long as several pages and its complexity and volume increase if you’re on a higher academic level. Basically, you compose this assignment for your teacher or supervisor who mentors your term paper to show him or her what you’re going to include in your degree’s assignment. This is the chance of your educational institution to steer you on the right path so you can write your term paper the right way and avoid major mistakes.

term paper proposal writing tips

What should a term paper proposal include?

A term paper proposal should answer some crucial questions concerning your term paper. For example:

  • Who will benefit from your research?
  • Will it add new value to your field of knowledge?
  • Does it have any applied meaning?
  • Will the results of your research influence the society or some specific communities?
  • Why do you find your topic important?
  • Is there enough information about your subject?
  • What sources and methods you will use while working on the custom written term papers?
  • What do other researchers say about your topic?

To have all these questions coherently and clearly answered, structure your proposal the right way. You can ask for some recommendations on your structure from your teacher, check out some examples of proposals made for similar term papers, you can get professional help from academic assistants, or you can check out the structure we offer.

How a term paper proposal should be structured?

The term paper proposal is a kind of abstract of your future piece of writing but without the results and the analytical part of your research. Of course, the structure of a proposal can vary depending on your discipline and the requirements of your college. However, there are some common chapters that all proposals should contain: Both for achieving the academic degree and for acquiring a grant for expensive research.

The subject of your term paper and why it is important

What of whom are you going to study in your term paper? Would it be cryptocurrencies and their influence on China’s microeconomics? Or it’s going to be the life cycle of Papilio Machaon in Western regions of Canada? In any case, indicate the exact subject of your future research. Explain the importance of your research for science, society, or the public good. Show your supervisor that you understand the difficulties you might encounter during your work and that you’re motivated to research the topic.

Methods you’re going to use

What kind of source will you use? Will there be a place for data collection and data analysis in your term paper or you’re going to make your research as theoretical as possible by analyzing pieces already written by other scholars? Demonstrate to your teacher that you know where from and how to start your term paper.

Literature review

Before you start any new research, you have to get prepared by checking out what information is already available on your topic. This will save you from frustration when you find out that the subject you were so passionate about was already researched one hundred and seven times. Some teachers might require the bibliography section in your proposal where you have to indicate both sources you’ve used and those you’re only planning to use during the research.

Be objective while revising the literature: indicate both arguments and counter-arguments for various perspectives on your topic. To bring new knowledge to your subject, try to find out the truth but not the proves for your own theories. Don’t speculate on the facts and don’t select only those sources you like.

The prospects of your term paper

You’ve already told why you consider your topic to be important. Now, try to predict the results your research can bring and think of the ways they can be applied to improve the situation or solve the problem you’ve indicated earlier in your proposal.

***

This is your first term paper proposal and it’s okay not to know some things. Remember that you can always ask for a piece of advice from your supervisor or get some professional academic assistance from expert writers.

Powered by Wordpress. Redesign Theme by RT