The essay is due in a few hours. You have been staring at the blank screen in front of you for so long, but words won’t flow. Take deep breaths! ESL essay writing is not rocket science and can be as easy as a walk in the park. Remember, you are not alone! You can always ask for help from an essay writing agency if you get completely stuck.
If you are an international student in America, the UK, or Australia, English is probably your second language. So you are an English as a Second Language (ESL) student.
English is one of the most widely spoken languages globally and is considered as the international lingua franca. But compared to the current 300 million native speakers, over 700 million English speakers use English as a second language.
The same challenges you are facing 700 million more people. So do not feel alone. ESL article writing can help organize factual information, undertake research, and coherently present your own opinions.
A Step-By-Step Guide To a Great ESL Essay Writing
1. Understand the Essay Outline
The first step to writing a great essay as an ESL student understands the general essay outline. There is a basic outline that applies to all types of essays. Although the length of your essay might vary, a standard short essay has five paragraphs which are divided as follows;
· Introduction
The first paragraph of your essay is the introduction. It is where you introduce the thesis statement. Your thesis statement should not be more than one paragraph, and it should be deep and debatable.
· Essay Body
For a five-paragraph short essay, the body covers three paragraphs. Each paragraph represents an argument supporting your idea. Ensure that there is flow and have the clearest idea in the last paragraph.
Include limitations and counter-arguments in your essay. Without these, your argument will look shallow and unconvincing. Convince the reader that you have evaluated the opposing arguments and prove that your argument is much stronger.
· Conclusion
The last paragraph of your esl essay should be the conclusion. Sum up your argument without repeating yourself. All you need to do is paraphrase the content you have written in the body of your essay.
2. Understand The Types of Essays Available
There are several different types of ESL essays, and each serves a different purpose.
Argumentative Essays
In this type of essay, you will be trying to convince the reader of something. You are required to demonstrate the validity or falsity of the topic by backing it with evidence.
Analytic Essays
This type of essay requires you to present an argument or claim about something you are analyzing. It is a way for you to share thoughts on a piece of literature, scientific study, or a historical event.
Expository Essays
This type of essay can be interpreted as an attempt to explain or describe something. It requires you to investigate, interpret and expound on an idea. It is usually a short assignment intended to test your understanding of the subject.
Process Essays
Just as it sounds, this essay’s main intention is to provide the reader with direction or guidance. You are required to discuss the process of how to do something.
Literary Essays
In a literary essay, you are required to analyze and examine a work of literature or a literature piece. It is summarizing the idea or theme around the literature according to your understanding.
3. Write the Actual Esl Essay
It can seem like a mammoth task for an ESL student. But it doesn’t have to be. Follow these steps to write an essay like a pro.Â
Read the essay question carefully.
You can do very little to meet the target if you do not understand the essay question. It is very important to read and understand the question that you are required to provide an answer to.
Do Background research and read more on the ESL essay question.
Take your time to do proper research on the topic and analyze what other people say about the topic. This will make it easier for you to develop your argument around the topic and present compelling statistics supporting your idea.
Brainstorm ideas in response to the question
Brainstorm ideas and pick an idea that related to the essay question. You can do this in a quiet place where there are no distractions to focus on the ideas.
Develop a thesis
It is useful to have a thesis statement before you start writing. A thesis statement is a sentence detailing the main idea around your topic. It gives the reader an idea of what your essay is about. A good thesis statement includes both the topic of the essay and your main argument.
Draft a plan
Creating an outline for will give you a much easier time when you are writing your essay. Lay down a roadmap. Ask yourself these questions to help you draw out a plan.
- What are my main ideas that I want to discuss?
- What statistics or data will I include?
- What are the counter-augments?
- How will I structure my essay?
Write the Introduction
Now it is time to write the first paragraph of your ESL essay. Make it interesting enough to grab the attention of the reader and use a professional tone. Include some proven statistics or a shocking anecdote.
Write the body
The body of your essay is where you present your arguments and back them up with evidence. Also, provide some counter-argument to give your argument legitimacy. Ensure that there is flow and each idea is linked with the next.
Write the Conclusion
In conclusion, summarize your points in a way that leaves the reader wanting more. Avoid introducing any new ideas and sum up your thoughts in the body or the essay.
Revise and Polish
Now that you are done writing your essay, it is time to clean up. It is important to edit and re-edit your essay before you submit it to your professor.
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Writing Esl Essay
For ESL students, there are some very common mistakes made when it comes to writing an essay. Not only in essay writing, but any form of writing also needs a main idea to guide you before you start writing.
Terrible paragraph use
Paragraphs are important in writing. They help the writer separate ideas and also with the flow of the essay. It is important to know how to use paragraphs correctly.
Long sentences
Allow the reader to take a breath. Long sentences are not only bad for your essay but also leave a bad impression on the reader.
Not editing
Even established writers editing their work like crazy. Learn to edit and re-edit over and over again.
Paraphrasing other people’s work
Do not do that. You are better than that.
Poor vocabulary
Word power is important, especially to ESL students. Read and write more to build your vocabulary. It doesn’t happen overnight, but it can be done.
Conclusion – Esl Essay Writing
Many ESL students have had writer’s block at least once in their life. The trick is never to give up and convince yourself that it can also be comfortable.
When writing, student, all you need is to ensure that you understand the basics and avoid all the common pitfalls, and you are good to go. Our Bright Writers English experts are also ready to help if you encounter any challenges.
