How To Write A Good Formal Essay
What is a formal essay? A formal essay is a piece of non-fiction writing that states a thesis and provides evidence to back it up. This type of essay is common to high school and college students in language arts classes as part of their writing education. Formal essays can range in length from a few paragraphs to many typed pages, depending on the complexity of the argument and, in many students' cases, the particular assignment's requirements. Below is an outline by iwriteessays.com on how to write a good formal essay
- Composition of the thesis statement-students must usually find an essay topic within the confines of a certain subject area. Writers should take their time in finding a unique, compelling subject they are interested in researching and writing about. A writer should be cautious not to exceed the word count.
- Find persuasive evidence to back up the thesis statement- essays make multiple claims that will need support through the course of the paper. Formal essays usually require evidence from reputable sources such as peer-reviewed books and periodicals. However, professional writers may have access to special information databases to help them find reliable evidence to back up their claims.
- Research on your topic- the goal of research is that the writer will uncover enough evidence to back up his initial thesis, although he may need to modify it or even find a new thesis, depending on what his research reveals. He should now be able to begin arranging his evidence and composing a rough draft of his formal essay.
- Include citations- writers must provide citations for any work in the essay that is not their own. These citations can take the form of endnotes or footnotes, depending on which style guide the writer is using. Failure to cite another writer's work is plagiarism and can result in serious consequences in both the academic and professional worlds.
- Revision and editing- writing and revising a formal essay can take a significant amount of time, even for a relatively short paper, so it is important for the writer to plan accordingly. After the essay is completed, a student should have someone else look over the essay for mistakes in grammar or structure. Professional writers may have an editor who oversees this process. While formal essay writing can be a laborious process, it is a necessary part of learning to develop ideas and prove their validity to readers. This type of essay writing makes up a large part of academic and policy development in many areas around the world.