Essay writing is a common activity among university students, especially those studying international programs taught in English. In addition, if you are studying for the IELTS exam, you should also familiarize yourself with the structure and types of essays to prepare for the IELTS Writing Task 2 test.

An essay is a type of writing in which the writer presents opinions, views, thoughts, or information about a particular topic. Essays are usually logically structured and may contain argument, analysis, or description, depending on the purpose and type of essay. Common types of essays include:

1. Argumentative Essay
2.  Classification Essay
3. Opinion Essay
4. Agree or Disagree Essay
5. Compare and Contrast Essay
6. Cause and Effect Essay
7. Discussion Essay
8. Narrative

 Essay structure usually consists of three main parts: introduction, body, and conclusion. The introduction introduces the topic and purpose of the essay, the body develops the main ideas and provides supporting evidence or arguments, and the conclusion summarizes the ideas and draws a conclusion. The introduction usually consists of one paragraph, which should include an introductory sentence (paraphrase the topic) and a thesis statement (briefly stating the purpose of the essay or presenting the author's position on the question of the topic). To attract the reader's attention, the writer can start with a question, a quote, or an interesting statistic, but for academic essays, this should not be done, but only briefly introduced the topic. The writer can then state his or her personal opinion on the issue and briefly present the arguments that will be presented in the body.

The body of an essay usually consists of many small paragraphs, however, the writer needs to ensure that these paragraphs have a clear main idea for each paragraph and they are linked together, focusing on solving the problem stated in the topic. Each paragraph can start with a topic sentence, followed by supporting sentences and evidence to reinforce and explain the thesis. The last sentence summarizes the main idea of ​​the entire paragraph. To increase coherence and connection between paragraphs, the writer can use conjunctions such as: Firstly/Secondly/…, However, Additionally…. Conclusion of the essay - Conclusion Paragraph The conclusion usually consists of only 1 paragraph to summarize the opinion. The writer should summarize the main points discussed in the body and reaffirm his/her point of view. In addition, for long essays, the writer can also expand on the point of view or propose the next direction in research or discussion. Finally, end with a concise and impressive conclusion to leave a final impression in the reader's mind.

Guide to Steps to Writing an Essay

Preparation before writing

Step 1: Read and understand the requirements of the topic: In this step, the writer needs to read and list the keywords to understand the requirements of the topic. Otherwise, the writer will easily get off topic or not fully address the requirements of the topic.

Step 2: Research and find ideas: This is the step of "brainstorming" the ideas that will be developed for the article. While searching, the writer can list all the ideas in a notebook for easy classification and arrangement later. For example, with the topic: "Discuss the effects of climate change", the writer needs to summarize the ideas about the consequences of climate change such as: frequent natural disasters, faster melting ice, destroyed ecosystems, global warming... In addition to the internet, learners can also learn more about the issue through books, specialized magazines... 

After this step, learners will understand more about the topic as well as have a preliminary idea of ​​what will be developed in the article. 

Step 3: Outline the article From the ideas that have been synthesized, the writer can outline the article based on the structure mentioned above.

Introduction: Introduce the issue and present personal opinions

 Body: Each paragraph will be a thesis that needs to be developed and clarified. 

Paragraph 1: Thesis 1 

Paragraph 2: Thesis 2

 Paragraph 3: Thesis 

Conclusion: Summarize the issue, the main points that have been discussed and reaffirm your own point of view. 

Start writing

After completing the outline, the writer can start developing the writing. In the body, develop the main ideas by providing evidence or examples. In addition, the writer needs to ensure that each paragraph is linked together and aims to solve the problem stated in the topic.

Check and edit after completing the article

Check the structure and logic: After finishing writing, the writer should check the overall structure of the article to ensure that each part is logically and reasonably linked, without using too many or too few connecting words.

 Edit language and grammar: Check grammar, spelling and syntax to ensure that the article does not have errors such as word usage, spelling, incorrect verb tenses, etc. 

In addition, using rich vocabulary is also a plus for the article. Reread and improve: 

Finally, reread the entire article and improve the unclear or incorrect parts, focusing on making the article more concise and convincing.

To be able to write a good essay, each person needs to actively search for information and ideas for the article, at the same time practice regularly and constantly reread and improve.