An essay is a short literary composition on a particular theme or subject. Be sure as you compose your essay, that you look
at it from the reader’s point of view. That will help in how you compose your writing. Careful organization helps. First you should read up on your subject. Take notes. Use your notes to make an outline to follow as you write your essay. A good essay will have an beginning, middle, and ending. These three facets should be easily discernible. Next, the beginning of the essay should state your
argument so the reader will know right off what the essay contains. It should capture your reader’s attention. The middle of your essay is the meat of your message. This is where you’ll state any background information to support your argument. It is common to have at least three parts or
paragraphs in the middle. The ending is where you wrap up your essay. You’ll restate your argument and remind the reader of what conclusion you’ve come to. Once you’ve written your essay, review it for grammatical and spelling errors. Spellcheck doesn’t catch everything! Check for any run-on or unclear sentences. Turn passive voice sentences into active voice if possible. Remember that your reader may not know your subject matter as well as you, and you may need to put more explanation into your essay to make it clearly understood. Finally, make sure your essay is presentable. The reader’s first impression will be how it ‘looks.’ Margins should be at least one inch on all sides, double-spaced, with indented paragraphs. Use an easily readable font such as Times Roman and print in black ink. Put page numbers a ½ inch from the top or bottom edge and flush with the right margin. Put your last name before the page numbers. Make sure you have a title and that it tells the reader what your essay is about. If you are writing your essay for a class, always follow your instructor’s specifications.