Preparation for Writing an Essay

Getting started on your essay

Before you start writing an essay, you need to decide three things. What are you writing about? Who do you imagine will be reading your essay? What do you want to tell them? A popular kind of essay is to offer your reader an opinion or argument.

You can write a successful essay by starting off with a plan. The key to doing a successful essay is to break the writing down into short, simple steps.

Pre-writing for your essay

Begin by brainstorming. Brainstorming doesn't involve writing complete sentences or paragraphs. Brainstorming involves coming up with ideas in words or short phrases.

Main idea for your essay
Write down the main idea of your essay. To express your main idea, write only a few words.

Brainstorming “for” your main idea
Write a word or a phrase that relates to your main idea. This should be something about your main idea that you agree with.
Next, write another word or phrase relating to your main idea. This should also be something about your main idea that you agree with.

Now, write a third word or phrase relating to your main idea that you agree with.

Brainstorming “against” your main idea
Write a word or a phrase that relates to your main idea. This should be something about your main idea that you disagree
Try writing a second or phrase relating to your main idea. This too should something about your main idea that you disagree with.

Now, write down a third word or phrase relating to your main idea that you disagree