This document provides advice on the academic essay writing process. It discusses preparing by choosing a topic and type of essay. It recommends making an outline to organize ideas. When writing, an introduction should engage the reader and include a thesis statement. Body paragraphs should each address a main idea using a topic sentence. Evidence and analysis are also important. The conclusion should not introduce new information but reflect on the significance of the argument. Revision helps strengthen writing by checking structure, logic, and language.

1. Advice on Academic
Essay-Writing

2. • An essay is a piece of writing on a
particular theme or subject; which
argument should prove something, that is
to say, it should answer a question or a few
set of related questions.

3. PRE-WRITING
STAGE

4. ORGANIZE YOUR PAPER
A good organization allows you to pay more attention to sentence-level issues
when you sit down to write your paper.
To begin your planning, ask the following questions:
• What topic am I going to write about?
• What type of essay am I going to be writing?
• Does it belong to a specific genre?

5. TYPES OF WRITING
• Book Review or Article Critique
• Literature Review:
• Abstract
• Comparative Essay
• History Essay
• Literature Essay
• Philosophy Essay
• Sciences Essay
• Application Letters and Résumés
• Academic Proposal
• Academic Proposals in Graduate School
• Lab Report
• Oral Presentations

6. MAKE AN OUTLINE
• An outline allows a writer to categorize the main points that will
be developed along the essay. It provides a structure and a
guidance to the writer and allows him to make sure that each
paragraph/idea can be fully developed in an organized and
coherent way.

7. READING AND RESEARCHING
• Focus your approach to the topic before you start detailed research
• First, review the commonly known facts about your topic, and also become aware of the
range of thinking and opinions on it.
• Choose a component or angle that interests you, perhaps one on which there is already
some controversy.
• Formulate your research question. It should allow for reasoning as well as gathering of
information.
• Write down every idea, quotation, facts and theories that help answer your question.

8. WRITING
STAGE

9. Introduction
A good introduction should capture the reader´s interest. It suggests the
importance of the essay´s topic and it usually ends with a thesis statement
• The introductions for most papers can be effectively written in one paragraph occupying half to
three-quarters of the first page. Your introduction may be longer than that, and it may take more
than one paragraph, but be sure you know why. The size of your introduction should bear some
relationship to the length and complexity of your paper. A twenty page paper may call for a two-
page introduction, but a five-page paper will not.
• You may be the kind of writer who writes an introduction first in order to explore your own
thinking on the topic. If so, remember that you may at a later stage need to compress your
introduction.
• It can be fine to leave the writing of the introduction for a later stage in the essay-writing process.
Some people write their introduction only after they have completed the rest of the essay. Others
write the introduction first but rewrite it significantly in light of what they end up saying in the
body of their paper.

10. Strategies for capturing reader´s attention and
writing an effective Intoduction
•A) Highlight the seriousness the topic addresses by using a statistic
that illustrates it
•B) Quote an expert of the topic
•C)Mention a common misperception that your thesis will argue
against
•D) Give background information in order the reader can
understand the topic the essay is developing

11. Thesis statetement
This summary statement demonstrates your position regarding the topic
developed. It is usually included in the first paragraph of the essay, however
there is no rigid rule about the possition of it.
• A thesis statement makes a definite and limited assertion that needs
to explained and supported
• It shows the emphasis and indicates the methodology of your
argument
• It shows awareness of difficulties and disagreements regarding a
topic

12. Body paragraphs
The main body of the essay is organized in paragraphs,
• A paragraph is a series of related sentences developing a central idea, called the topic.
• Probably the most effective way to achieve paragraph unity is to express the central idea
of the paragraph in a topic sentence.
• Topic sentences are similar to mini thesis statements. Like a thesis statement, a topic
sentence has a specific main point.. Like the thesis statement, a topic sentence has a
unifying function. But a thesis statement or topic sentence alone doesn’t guarantee unity.
An essay is unified if all the paragraphs relate to the thesis, whereas a paragraph is
unified if all the sentences relate to the topic sentence.
• Not all paragraphs need topic sentences. In particular, opening and closing paragraphs,
which serve different functions from body paragraphs, generally don’t have topic
sentences.

13. CONCLUSION
The conclusion, as the rest of the paper, involves critical thinking. It reflects
upon the significance of what you’ve written and it tries to convey some
closing thoughts about the larger implications of your argument.
• Broaden your focus a bit at the end of the essay.
• A good last sentence leaves your reader with something to think about, a
concept in some way illuminated by what you’ve written in the paper.
• For most essays, one well-developed paragraph is sufficient for a conclusion.
In some cases, a two-or-three paragraph conclusion may be appropriate.
• As with introductions, the length of the conclusion should reflect the length
of the essay.

14. REVISING AND EDITING
STAGE

15. • Revision is much more than proofreading, though
in the final editing stage it involves some checking
of details. Good revision and editing can transform
a mediocre first draft into an excellent final paper.

16. What to revise
• First check whether you have fulfilled the intention of the assignment
• Have you performed the kind of thinking the assignment sheet asked for (e.g.,
analyse, argue, compare, explore)
• Have you written the genre of document called for (e.g., book review, critique,
personal response, field notes, research report, lab report, essay)?
• Have you used concepts and methods of reasoning discussed in the course?
• Have you given adequate evidence for your argument or interpretation.
• Does your introduction make clear where the rest of the paper is headed
• Is each section in the right place to fulfil your purpose?
• Have you drawn connections between the sections
• Would a person reading your conclusion know what question you had asked and
how you had arrived at your answer?

17. Appearence
• Include a cover page giving the title of your paper, the name of the course,
your name, the date, and the instructor’s name.
• Number your pages in the top right-hand corner. Double-space your text,
• Leave margins of one inch (2.5 cm) on all sides of the page.
• Use a standard font in twelve-point size.
• Put the reference list or bibliography on a separate page at the end.
• Staple your pages; don’t use a bulky binding or cover.

18. Bibliography
• Prof. C. A. Silber, “Some General Advice on Academic Essay-Writing” Writing at the University of Toronto,
https://advice.writing.utoronto.ca/general/general-advice/
• Jerry Plotnick, “Organizing an Essay” Writing at the University of Toronto,
https://advice.writing.utoronto.ca/planning/organizing/
• Margaret Procter, “Using Thesis Statements”, Writing at the University of Toronto,
https://advice.writing.utoronto.ca/planning/thesis-statements/
• Leora Freedman and Jerry Plotnick, “Introductions and Conclusions”, Writing at the University of Toronto,
https://advice.writing.utoronto.ca/planning/intros-and-conclusions/
• Jenny Hall and Jerry Plotnick, “Using Topic Sentences”
• https://advice.writing.utoronto.ca/planning/topic-sentences/
• Margaret Procter, “Taking Notes from Research Reading“ Writing at the University of Toronto”
https://advice.writing.utoronto.ca/researching/notes-from-research/
• Margaret Procter, “Revising And Editing“ Writing at the University of Toronto”
“https://advice.writing.utoronto.ca/revising/revising-and-editing/
• Margaret Procter, “Paragraph” Writing Support, https://advice.writing.utoronto.ca/planning/intros-and-
conclusions/
• Procter, Margaret. “Using thesis statement.” Writing at the University of Toronto,
https://writing.utoronto.ca/