Home > Knowledge Base > Essay Writing Guidelines > Effective Strategies To Start And Write An Essay – Tips For Beginners

Effective Strategies To Start And Write An Essay – Tips For Beginners

Published by at March 10th, 2025 , Revised On March 10, 2025

Essay writing is an essential part of academic and professional life. It is a type of academic writing that develops an idea or argument through evidence, analysis, and interpretation. There are different types of essays, such as expository, argumentative, descriptive, or explanatory, that are given as assignments to students. 

Many of them are unable to craft compelling essays that get them high grades because of poor writing skills, lack of research sources, or citation problems. These are some of the many reasons why they turn to online custom essay writing services for expert help. 

In this blog, we will discuss how to write a compelling essay introduction, tips for essay planning and structure, how to create a strong thesis statement, and the most effective strategies to start and write an essay that will leave your professor impressed. Whether you are writing for college, school, or university, our essay writing tips will help you write a great essay in no time. 

What Is The Essay Writing Process?

The content and length of your essay depend on your study level, subject, and course requirements. For instance, if you are a high-school student who has been assigned a six-paragraph explanatory essay, then most of your time will be spent on the writing stage. However, if you are a university student, who has been assigned a complex argumentative essay, then you will probably spend more time researching online and analysing case-studies.  However, the essay writing process is the same for all and consists of three main stages. Let us take a look at each stage: 

Preparation
  • Choose a good research topic for your essay.
  • Gather information, data, and evidence from credible sources.
  • Think of a strong thesis statement that presents your argument in a clear way.
  • Plan the structure of your essay and create an essay outline.
Writing
  • Write the introduction of your essay and mention the thesis statement.
  • Write the main body and other paragraphs.
  • Conclude your essay and add correct references.
Revision
  • Conduct a thorough proofreading and editing session.
  • Revise each paragraph carefully and evaluate your essay.
  • Get feedback from peers and teachers.
  • Use plagiarism checkers to ensure the originality of your essay.

 Effective Strategies To Start & Write A Strong Essay

Before you start writing your essay, you need to prepare for it. This means that you should know what you want to say and how you are going to say it. Let us look at different strategies that can help you write a grade-worthy essay for your course: 

Understand Your Essay & Topic

Make sure you fully understand your assignment before you start writing it. Read the essay briefly and carefully and note the deadline, topic requirements, citation guidelines, and formatting rules. You also need to keep the following aspects in mind to understand what your essay demands from you: 

  • What is the goal of the essay? 
  • What type of essay will I write? (This depends on the topic you are assigned or the one you choose.)
  • Do I need to explain, argue, describe, or analyse? 
  • What are the main themes of the topic? 
  • What is the length and deadline of the essay?

For example, if you are assigned an essay topic on “Discuss the impact of social media on teenagers”, then you need to focus on the word “impact”. This means that you need to explain both the positive and negative effects of social media.   

Conduct Research For Your Essay

Conduct deep research for your essay by examining primary and secondary sources. You can analyse books, case studies, online articles, journals, research papers, and literature reviews to gather information and data to support your findings and arguments. Additionally, always note the bibliography information of sources so that you can use them for citation and referencing. Moreover, all the sources you use in your essay must be credible and reliable. 

Plan Your Essay

A good essay starts with a compelling introduction. However, you need to create an outline and plan the structure of your essay. This is helpful as it organises your thoughts and keeps you on track as you go. Let us look at the basic essay structure: 

  • Introduction: The introduction of an essay consists of the hook statement and a strong thesis statement that introduces your topic and presents the main argument of the essay. 
  • Body Paragraphs: These paragraphs explain your points with examples and case studies. 
  • Conclusion: The conclusion summarises all the final points of your essay and also presents the thesis statement uniquely and differently. 
  • References: This is the last part of the essay, where the writer references the sources he has used in his essay and gives credit to the authors. 

Fear of failing the essay? Get help from an expert!

We make sure our essays are:

  • Well formulated
  • Timely delivered
  • 100% plagiarism-free
  • 100% confidential
image

Write A Strong Introduction

The introduction sets the tone of your essay. It should catch the attention of your readers and inform them of what they can expect in the essay. This is also known as a hook statement. It can be a question, fact, or bold statement that emphasises the importance of a problem or topic and piques the interest of your readers. 

For instance, if the topic of your essay is the creation of Braille (the reading and writing system for visually impaired people). Then, an interesting essay hook or introductory line will be written as: “The development of Braille was a significant milestone in the history of disability.”

However, that is not all. You also need to provide relevant background information on the topic so that people who are unaware of the research problem or topic can gain knowledge about it and know what to expect in your essay. But, you should only provide information that is necessary and not elaborate much in the introduction. 

Next, present your thesis statement, which is the central argument of your essay. This statement is usually two or three sentences long. 

Example: “As the first system designed for blind people, Braille was a major breakthrough in accessibility. It not only provided exceptional benefits but also changed the cultural status of blindness”. 

Write Clear & Organised Body Paragraphs

To give your essay a clear structure, you need to organise your ideas and data in a structured manner. This means each body paragraph should focus on one idea only. That idea is introduced in the topic sentence of each paragraph. Let’s break down the components of body paragraphs: 

Topic Sentence: This introduces the main idea of the paragraph. 

Explanation: In this part of the body paragraph, you explain the main idea in detail, along with examples, case studies, and statistics. 

Example or Evidence: Support your points with facts and examples. 

Conclusion: This part of the paragraph concludes the main point and connects it to the next argument or idea. 

For example, if you are talking about the positive effects of social media, then this is how a body paragraph looks like:

“One of the many benefits of social media is that it connects teenagers with their friends and family. Many young people use Instagram and Facebook to chat with their loved ones, especially those who live far away. Studies show that 75% of teenagers feel that social media has helped them maintain friendships. This proves that social media plays a huge role in maintaining communication and relationships.”

In addition, you should use essay or paragraph transition words to connect ideas and ensure a smooth flow in your writing. However, you must always make sure that you use the right linking phrases that enhance the quality of your essay. 

Write A Strong Conclusion

The conclusion is the final paragraph of your essay. A well-written conclusion focuses on the main argument of the essay, returns to your thesis statement and effectively concludes all remaining points. A good essay writer always provides a suggestion or shares their opinion at the end of an essay. This gives readers something to reflect upon. 

However, a conclusion should only summarise, not add any new points in your essay. You should also avoid undermining your arguments. Let us take a look at an example: 

“In conclusion, social media has both positive and negative effects on teenagers. While it helps them stay informed and connected, it can also impact their mental health. Hence, it is important for teenagers to use social media wisely and balance their online and offline lives.

Edit & Proofread Your Essay

Once your essay is completed, do not submit it immediately. Every essay contains grammar mistakes, citation inaccuracies, spelling errors, and factual mistakes. To avoid submitting a poor essay, you need to proofread and edit your essay thoroughly. There is no use in writing effective essay body paragraphs if they contain punctuation or grammar mistakes. Students can use tools like Grammarly and other plagiarism-checkers to ensure the originality of their essay. 

Moreover, you can read it out aloud as this can help you find wrong sentences. Additionally, always check your teacher’s requirements, such as word count and formatting guidelines. This helps you see your mistakes clearly. 

Common Mistakes To Avoid While Writing An Essay

Students who do not plan their essay beforehand, end up making mistakes that ruin their chances of getting high scores. This is why they submit poorly written essays. However, here are some common mistakes that you must avoid while writing an essay: 

  • Always read the topic carefully and understand it before researching and writing it. 
  • Never skip the outline. Planning and structuring your essay saves time and makes writing easier. 
  • Try to keep your language simple and easy to understand. Do not use complex words or jargon. 
  • Always check for mistakes before submitting your paper. This will help remove any citation mistakes or grammar errors. 
  • Do not divert from the topic and stay focused. 

Frequently Asked Questions

An essay is a type of academic writing that presents an idea, argument, research, or explanation of a specific topic. It has an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Essays can be of different types, such as analytical, descriptive, persuasive, narrative, or expository.

A well-written introduction to an essay should include the following elements: 

 

  • A hook statement that grabs the attention of the readers, which can be a question, fact, bold statement, or a famous quote. 
  • A brief overview of the topic that provides background information. 
  • A strong thesis statement that explains the main argument or point of the essay.

Transition words are connecting phrases that ensure a smooth flow between paragraphs in an essay. Here are a few examples: 

 

  • To add information: Additionally, furthermore, moreover, in addition. 
  • To show contrast: However, on the other hand, although 
  • To conclude: In conclusion, finally, to summarise
  • To show cause and effect: Therefore, As a result, Because of this 

 

About Ellie Cross

Avatar for Ellie CrossEllie Cross is the Content Manager at Essays.uk, assisting students for a long time. Since its inception, She has managed a growing team of great writers and content marketers who contribute to a great extent to helping students with their academics.

You May Also Like