A big chunk of time and other resources of students is spent in learning and writing. In schools and colleges, they need to attend lectures, take notes, and then write unique assignments on the given topics.
Apart from mental stress and physical toll, writing is not for everyone. We have seen brilliant students failing at it during average students acing exams because they knew how to string five words together.
Essay writing is an important aspect of learning in academic institutions. In addition to dedicated subjects and classes, students write essays in all classes, including Economics, Maths, Literature, Chemistry, Physics, and more.
In this blog, let us cover different elements of essay writing along with its different types and the whole process of writing an essay in an hour!
Essay Writing In Schools & Colleges
In simple terms, an essay is a piece of writing where a writer explains a point using appropriate references and tools. The most important elements of essay writing include its structure, thesis, intent, and tone of the text.
Students write four common types of essays in schools and colleges. These include narrative, descriptive, argumentative, and expository essays. We will take a look at each one of them in the coming section.
The purpose of writing an essay is to inform or entertain the reader. The writer needs to showcase his skills and make sure that the meanings and purpose of the writing are not lost on the readers.
Common Types of Essays
Based on different aspects, there are four major types of essays. They are different in their scope and depth, with narrative and descriptive essays comparatively easier, compared to argumentative and expository essays that heavily rely on research and analysis.
In this section, let us explore each essay type further before moving on to our guide.
Descriptive Essays
Descriptive essays are based on both subjective and objective explanations or descriptions of a subject. The subject in this essay can be a person, a place, a thing, or an idea. The writer employs figurative language and sensory details to bridge the space and time between the reader and the subject. These are relatively simple and easier as they depend on the writer’s discretion.
Narrative Essays
A narrative essay is a story based on a real or imaginary incident that changed the course of events succeeding that. This is often based on personal experiences that writers might have faced. The elements of narrative essays include a thesis statement, characters, theme, setting, and conflict. Narrative essays closely resemble fictional forms of literature because of the plot points and personal conflicts.
Argumentative Essays
When a writer proposes a point and then defends it through evidence and the power of narration, it becomes an argumentative essay. This essay has a single focal point and the whole essay revolves around it. There are multiple types of argumentative essays, including persuasive essays. Writers need to be on top of the developments and aspects of research and writing to ace this essay.
Expository Essays
Expository essays are based on factual information to help readers achieve a specific goal. The most common examples of expository essays include manuals, tutorials, and newspaper stories. There are also different types of expository essays such as classification essays, process essays, compare and contrast essays, and cause and effect essays. The main elements of expository essays are objective content, neutral tone, and solid thesis statement.
Writing An Essay In One Hour
Many students would find it to be absurd but the idea holds merit. We have seen that much of the time in writing an essay is lost in distractions and counterproductive tasks. Much of the work can be done in lesser time if students can plan their course – from start to finish.
The most time-consuming things in the process are the topic selection and outline. After that, if you are determined enough, you can touch the finish line in the stipulated time.
So, it is possible, as we will demonstrate through our guide, to write a unique essay in an hour.
Essential Steps To Write An Essay In An Hour
This is the moment of truth. If you have a due assignment on your hands that you want to write quickly, this guide will help you cruise through it.
We have divided the whole process into different sections and steps to make it easier to follow. To sure success, students need to follow each and every step according to its rationale. Otherwise, they might face problems arising down the line.
So, let’s begin!
Before Getting Started
If one hour does not seem like a lot, it is probably true. When you are planning to start and finish the whole essay in this period, you are racing against time and need to employ everything you have to get the results.
Eliminating Distractions
This is the least that you need to cover if you want to cover big. The distractions can be the people around you, your smartphone, or any other thing. Make sure when you get down to write, they are not there to bother you.
Setting A Timer
Even when you are racing against time, a clock can be your friend. By dividing tasks through timelines, you can set the timer and ensure that all bases are covered on time.
Racing Against Time
The preliminary steps are as important as the actual ones. Before getting started, writers need to cover certain bases so that their writing phase is as smooth and effortless as possible.
Research & Outline
No matter which type of essay you are writing, you need to collect information and research through primary and secondary sources. The trick here is to research and outline the essay at the same time as it will define the scope and depth of the essay as you go.
Setting A Dedicated Space
It could be hard for you to write a complete essay in the middle of a cafe or a party. The best results come when you have a dedicated space with your computer and other support devices.
Writing The Initial Draft
After completing the research and outline, it is time to put the pen to the paper and start writing. The initial draft must touch all the points and be finished at the earliest. Here are some of the steps in writing the initial draft.
Developing A Thesis
A thesis statement is a succinct and bold sentence that clears up the writer’s stance and encapsulates the whole idea or theme of the essay. You must have a working thesis to write the essay but you can rephrase it later on for better results.
Major Ideas With Empirical Evidence
Whether you are writing a narrative essay or an expository one, you need to connect with the readers. For the former, you need to have complete command over language and elements like characters, conflict, theme, and setting.
Following Rigid Essay Structure
Every essay type has almost a common structure with opening remarks for a hook and context, a thesis statement, and then the main body. There, the writer needs to propose his stance and cover all the evidence through it. In the end, the conclusion ties it all up.
Editing & Proofreading
Merely writing the first draft of your essay is not enough. You need to make sure that it is in its best form and iteration. That’s why no matter how much less time you have, you need to make the best of it and spare some in the end for editing and proofreading.
Removing Grammatical & Syntactical Errors
Grammatical errors are inevitable when you are writing quickly. Instead of stopping every mid-sentence, leave them for the end and then rectify the error. The same goes for syntactical issues and more.
Enhancing Clarity & Coherence
An essay is not just a collection of random paragraphs indicating and shedding light on a common subject. They must have cohesion and clarity across the length of the essay from start to finish. For readers, it must feel like a complete whole.
Tallying The Essay With Instructions
Teachers and instructors often connect some guidelines with the assignment. After completing the essay, you need to tally it with the instructions to make sure that all requirements are fulfilled. Otherwise, you may suffer a loss in grades even after writing the whole essay.
Summing Up The Conversation
Essay writing is a tough nut to crack as it is more of an art than a science. There are many elements and aspects that can be reproduced and shared with others, but many can only come intuitively. Since many students face a shortage of time, we have shared with students a simple yet effective guide to writing an essay in an hour.
Whether you are a seasoned writer or a student in school or college, you can take advantage of this guide and score high in the exams.