How can I write a really good essay?

Question

We all know the basics about intro, body and conclusion, but what are the specific techniques that impress the reader? What is the difference between a solid B and an A essay?

Answer 1

Great question! I help writers almost every day with this question, so you are not alone! :)

The first thing you have to consider is called the Rhetorical Situation. That is kind of a fancy term for thinking about the following:

1. Who is my audience?
2. A question to constantly ask yourself when writing is "What does my reader need to know?" If your audience is someone who is already fairly familiar with your subject, you will need to explain less than if you were writing for someone completely unfamiliar with it. This helps especially in your introduction: What does your reader need to know before you begin your argument? In academic writing especially, you should not waste your reader's time by telling them things irrelevant to your essay. Thus, you need to know your audience well!
3. What is my purpose in writing this essay?
4. What are you trying to accomplish here? Is this a research paper designed to answer a specific research question? Is this an argumentative essay where you are trying to persuade your reader of your stance? Is this a personal reflection in which you are just trying to share your own thoughts about something? Whatever your purpose is, that purpose should be clear in every single paragraph of your essay.
5. What is the genre I am writing in?
6. Sometimes an essay is argumentative, sometimes it is merely a report, and sometimes it might just be a personal reflection. It could be a letter, a blog post, or a research paper. Different genres of writing have different standards you are expected to follow.

When in doubt, focus on communicating your purpose clearly with language appropriate for the audience while following the conventions of your genre. Keeping these things in mind will help with almost any kind of writing!

It is difficult to talk about "good writing" in general, because there are so many different kinds of good writing! It always depends on the specific audience, purpose, and genre of writing. That's why I love helping writers one on one!

I hope this answer helps. Best wishes as you write!

Abby

Answer 2

First, your hook or opening statement must be interesting. Shocking fact or statistic, rhetorical question or interesting quote--these are good starters. Then be sure to use interesting support including human examples and anecdotes when possible. In the conclusion, refer back to one of these; it's a clever wrap-up technique. There are other possible ways to make your essay unique and I'd be happy to work with you to learn them.