How to write an essay introduction, how to write an english essay.

How to write an english essay

This introduction example is taken from our interactive essay example on the history of Braille.

The spread of the internet has had a world-changing effect, not least on the world of education. The use of the internet in academic contexts is on the rise, and its role in learning is hotly debated. For many teachers who did not grow up with this technology, its effects seem alarming and potentially harmful. This concern, while understandable, is misguided. The negatives of internet use are outweighed by its critical benefits for students and educators—as a uniquely comprehensive and accessible information source

When you’ve finished writing the essay body and conclusion, you should return to the introduction and check that it matches the content of the essay.

  1. An opening hook to catch the reader’s attention.
  2. Relevant background information that the reader needs to know.
  3. A thesis statement that presents your main point or argument.

Step 4: Map your essay’s structure

The length of each part depends on the length and complexity of your essay.

This introduction to an argumentative essay sets up the debate about the internet and education, and then clearly states the position the essay will argue for.

Particularly in longer essays, it’s helpful to end the introduction by signposting what will be covered in each part. Keep it concise and give your reader a clear sense of the direction your argument will take.

How to write an english essay

Learning to write in another language can be really difficult, especially when you’re first getting started

Once you and your friend have both reviewed your essay and marked any mistakes, rewrite the whole thing. This step is important. Just noting that you made some mistakes will not help you learn how to avoid them in the future.

We’re going to help you out with ten tips for writing better essays while you’re learning English.

The best part is that FluentU keeps track of the vocabulary that you’re learning and gives you extra practice with difficult words. It even reminds you when it’s time to review! Every learner has a truly personalized experience, even if they’re learning with the same video.

7. Combine and Separate Sentences

How to write an english essay

Is everything in the correct tense (past, present, future, etc.)? If you’re writing about plurals, are the possessive nouns plural? Are the apostrophes in the right places? Does every sentence end with a punctuation mark (period, question mark, exclamation point)? Reading the text backwards make you focus on the rules of grammar instead of the flow of the sentence.

For example, if you’re writing about cooking, the words “stir” and “add” might come up a lot. This repetition is boring for a reader.

It takes even more effort to become a strong writer in a new language, but these tips will help you get started.

So instead of constantly saying, “Add the tomato” and “add the eggs,” a thesaurus will teach you to say things like “whisk in the eggs” or “gently fold in the tomatoes.” See? It sounds a lot better and adds interest to your essay.

How to write an english essay

Choose the top three ideas and write each one at the top of a clean page. Now go through your notes again and pull out supporting ideas for each key point. You don't need a lot, just two or three for each one.

Anna Bryukhanova/E Plus / Getty Images

Anything you write will benefit from learning these simple parts of an essay:

Your best essays will be about things that light your fire. What do you feel passionate about? What topics do you find yourself arguing for or against? Choose the side of the topic you are "for" rather than "against" and your essay will be stronger.

Introduction

How to write an english essay

Some people will tell you to wait until you have finished writing to choose a title. Other people find that writing a title helps them stay focused. You can always review your title when you've finished the essay to ensure that it's as effective as it can be.

Your introduction is one short paragraph, just a sentence or two, that states your thesis (your main idea) and introduces your reader to your topic. After your title, this is your next best chance to hook your reader. Here are some examples:

In your introduction, you stated the reason for your paper. In your conclusion, you should summarize how your key points support your thesis. Here's an example:

  • America Needs Better Health Care Now
  • The Use of the Mentor Archetype in _____
  • Who Is the She-Conomy?
  • Why DJ Is the Queen of Pedicures
  • Melanoma: Is It or Isn't It?
  • How to Achieve Natural Balance in Your Garden
  • Expect to Be Changed by Reading _____

How to write an english essay

If you wanted to write a longer essay, you could include additional paragraphs under the ‘YES/AND’ category, perhaps discussing the ways in which Curley’s wife reveals her vulnerability and insecurities and shares her dreams with the other characters

For example, if I was answering the question, To what extent is Curley’s wife portrayed as a victim in Of Mice and Men? I might begin a mind map which looks something like this:

To return to Of Mice and Men once more, here is an example of the ideal difference between an introduction and a conclusion:

Think of your conclusion as the climax of your speech, the bit everything else has been leading up to, rather than the boring plenary at the end of the interesting stuff.

2. Have a clear structure

How to write an english essay

For example, you could structure the Of Mice and Men sample question as follows:

  • Tricolon – a group of three words or phrases placed close together for emphasis
  • Tautology – using different words that mean the same thing, eg ‘frightening’ and ‘terrifying’
  • Parallelism – ABAB structure

    Creative writing and essay writing are more closely linked than you might imagine

    How to write an english essay

    The first thing to keep in mind when you are asked to write an AP English essay on the first or any other day of your school or college is that you have to rely only on your memory.

    In your introduction introduce the reader to your topic and then give a hint of what you will be talking about in your essay.

    Many successful good writers always write an outline before starting writing. It saves you a lot of energy and time.

    Now that you have prepared a mind map of what you are going to write in your English essay, divided it into sections, you are better equipped to write it now.

    Writing an effective paper

    As a last step proofread and edit your paper for any minor mistakes like spelling, punctuation, and grammar.

    Always use information and quotes from reliable sources to support your argument.

    Most of the time in your school or college you are asked to write an English essay in a limited period of time.

    An AP English Essay is used to determine whether the student gets English credit in Advanced Placement (AP), hence exempting the college student from one or two classes of composition.

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