1.1. What Is an English Essay?

An English essay is a short, structured piece of writing aimed at expressing, proving, or analyzing a certain topic in English. English learners may be required to write essays on a wide variety of topics and at any academic level.

1.2. How to Write a Complete English Essay in 8 Steps

Step 1: Choose the Type of Essay

Before you begin writing, you need to determine the type of essay you are going to write. There are many ways to classify essays, but typically, the four most common types are:

Narrative Essay

Persuasive Essay

Expository Essay

Descriptive Essay

Step 2: Brainstorm Ideas for Your Essay

This is a crucial step that many people skip, thinking it wastes time. However, all ideas come to life when you start writing them down, so don’t let your essay lose its appeal just because you overlooked a great idea.

All you need is a piece of paper and a pen—write down any keywords or ideas related to your essay topic. At this stage, you don’t need to worry about the order or spelling—just focus on expressing your ideas.

Brainstorming helps generate enough content and diverse ideas. Once you have a list of topics or ideas, choose the one that suits your essay best.

Step 3: Create an Essay Outline

The next step in writing an English essay is to organize your ideas into a clear outline. Arrange the points you’ve brainstormed in a logical order, and add supporting ideas to your main points if needed.

Creating an outline helps you follow a logical flow and ensures you don’t miss important information.

A thesis statement is a brief sentence that presents the central argument or purpose of your essay. It acts as the “backbone” of the entire essay, guiding the writer to stay on topic and write in a coherent and consistent manner.

From the thesis statement, supporting points (arguments) will be developed.

The thesis should be a complete sentence with broad coverage that provides readers with a general view of the essay's content and ideally should include a unique and engaging element.

Example:

If your topic is family, instead of vaguely saying “I’ll write about my mom,” you should create a focused thesis like: “My mother is my best friend.”

 

Step 5: Write the Introduction

The introduction is always the most important part of any essay, regardless of the language, because it’s the first thing the reader sees. A clear and compelling introduction will encourage the reader to continue.

A great introduction should include three elements:

Capture the reader’s attention right away

Present the thesis statement

Give the reader a clear idea of what will be discussed

For example, when writing an essay about the meaning of life, you might begin with a quote from a famous person:

The legendary author Mark Twain once said: “The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why”…

Step 6: Write the Body Paragraphs

Using the outline you prepared, write each idea as a separate paragraph. In this part, focus on your main points and expand them with supporting details.

Each paragraph should have a topic sentence that reinforces the thesis, along with a few examples to make the essay more engaging.

Estimate how many words you plan to write, and use linking words or phrases to ensure a smooth flow.

Example:

For a 500-word essay, you might allocate 100 words for the introduction and 100 words for the conclusion. The remaining 300 words can be divided into 2–3 body paragraphs, each about 100–200 words.

Step 7: Write the Conclusion

There are many ways to end an essay. You can summarize the main points or offer a broader perspective on the topic. A unique and memorable conclusion will leave a lasting impression on the reader, so choose your approach carefully.

Step 8: Review and Finalize Your Essay

Think you're done after writing the conclusion? Not quite. You should review your work to ensure coherence between paragraphs. Also, check carefully for spelling and grammar errors. Finally, make sure your sentences flow smoothly—consider adding transition words or phrases to connect your ideas clearly.