What Does an Essay Look Like? Tips and Answers to Succeed

What does an essay look like? At a glance, the answer is obvious. An essay looks like a mere piece of paper (one page or several pages) with an organized text. It’s generally divided into five paragraphs, though there may be more. The essential essay structure includes:

• introduction;
• 2-3 body paragraphs;
• conclusion.

Yet, will this description help you write a good essay? We suppose not because this piece of paper “hides” many secrets inside!

Let our team give you more details and describe what a good essay looks like in reality. We’ll show the inside and out of this academic paper with a few tips on writing it.

📃 What Does an Essay Look Like on the Outside?

First of all, you should know that a good essay should look pretty. How can you do that? By following all the requirements set by your teacher or of a particular formatting style.

1. What does an essay look like according to the teacher’s requirements?
   It is usually a paper with 1-inch margins on all sides typed using a 12 pt. standard font. Standard school and college essays have a five-paragraph format.
2. What does an essay look like if it should be arranged according to a format?
   Depends on the format. MLA and APA are the most popular ones, but there are many more (Chicago, Harvard, Vancouver, etc.). Besides, each of them has different editions. Before writing an essay, ensure that you understand what format is required.

APA Style	MLA Style
You have to provide a separate title on the page. Also, remember that a cover page is required in APA style papers.	It is not mandatory to provide a separate title on the page. The cover page is not required, either.
Bibliography in APA format is called “References.”	Bibliography in MLA is called “Works Cited.”
For the in-text quotation within APA guidelines, a year, a comma after the author’s name, and the page should be included.	For in-text quotations, MLA format does not require a year, a comma after the author’s name, or the page.
In APA, heading and subheadings are widely used.	In MLA, headings and subheadings are not used.

You will also have to set up 1-inch margins, use a 12 pt. font and double spacing throughout the text. However, it is better to get a specific style manual for more details. You can also check our article about MLA or APA styles.

✒️ What Does an Essay Look Like on the Inside?

What we mean is how the text itself should be organized. Its content relies on the task given and the paper’s type.

We recommend you follow the instructions and understand clearly what the tutor wants from you regarding the task. If you’re unsure, don’t hesitate to clarify before writing. Checking out some examples of academic essay writing would be helpful too.

The essay type defines the contents of your assignment, considerably affecting the main body of your text. To identify it, make sure you read the task well, and understand what the tutor asked you to do.

In other words:

Not everyone knows that what makes a good essay is how precisely you follow your essay guidelines. First, underline the keywords from your assignment that will help you in doing that. Then, complete the task.

Here is the list of the most common keywords:

1. Agree/Disagree. Identify your position and think about a list of arguments that can support your point of view. It can help come up with an essay plan at this point because it will allow you not to deviate from your arguments.
2. Analyze. Here, the college instructor or your school teacher wants to test your analytical abilities. They want to see if you can build bridges between the arguments and analyze the relationships between them.
3. Compare. This keyword means that you need to demonstrate differences and similarities between problems, ideas, or concepts in your essay.
4. Describe/Discuss. On a surface level, to describe is to examine an issue or an object in detail.
5. Explain. Similarly, to explain is to tell why the things the way they are.
6. Illustrate. Here, your teacher expects you to come up with some great examples to bring the topic alive.
7. Interpret. If you find this keyword in your assignment, you should give your understanding of the matter. It should provide some interesting angles of looking at the topic.
8. List/State. To write an essay with this keyword in the assignment, make a list of facts or points.
9. Summarize. Your essay should focus on the main ideas and problems.

🤩 What Does a Good Essay Look Like?

Writing a great essay is often a matter of sticking to the standard format. There is a universal structure of what a professor expects to see in every part of your paper. So, knowing the format is half of your writing success.

What A Good Essay Looks Like: General Information

Every essay consists of three basic parts:

1. Introduction. It’s the opening part of your essay that sets the scene and familiarizes the readers with your paper’s content. This paragraph:
   • introduces the subject
   • explains it briefly to help your audience understand you better
   • ends with a clear and concise thesis statement communicating your paper’s goal.
2. Main body. After you outline the essential details of your essay, it’s time to proceed to a more content-rich discussion. Each body paragraph should start with a topic sentence directly linked to your thesis statement and discuss a particular aspect of your chosen subject. A typical body paragraph includes the following:
   • topic sentence
   • supporting evidence
   • interpretation
   • transition to the next paragraph.
3. Conclusion. While the introduction of your essay or research paper usually starts broadly and moves on to the specific thesis statement, its conclusion goes the other way around. Usually, it goes like this:
   • Starts with the rephrased thesis statement,
   • Summarizes the key ideas you’ve discussed in the body,
   • Ends with a broader call to action or account of the study’s implications.

It is a standard structure that allows disclosing a topic properly, logically expressing all your ideas. What does an essay look like if you want to make it original? In this case, it will look like a paper with a couple of pictures, diagrams, or maps.

What a Good Essay Introduction Is Like?

Do you want to know how to write a winning introduction that will glue your readers to your text? Check out the tips below to help you maximize the impact of your opening paragraph.

Here’s what a great introduction does:

• Starts with a hook. Opening an essay with a catchy hook is a great writing technique to instigate the readers’ interest and help you capture their attention.
• Introduces the subject comprehensively. It’s essential to provide some background information about your research topic so that even laypersons understand the subject.
• Contains supportive evidence. It’s better to include key figures, stats, or facts from reliable resources proving that the chosen essay subject is indeed significant.
• Ends with a thesis statement. A thesis statement condenses the whole essay’s idea and gives signposts for the readers to follow your logic.

Pro tip: Use the power of AI to facilitate your writing process and get top-notch results. Tools like an attention grabber generator and introduction maker will help you write a perfect starting paragraph in a breeze.

What Makes a Good Essay Body?

So, what will you find in an example of an excellent stellar essay body? Here are a few pointers.

A well-written body of your academic paper will have the following features:

• Have topic sentences. A topic sentence should be placed at the start of every paragraph to tell the readers what this paragraph will be about. Ensure your topic sentences are connected to the thesis. Otherwise, you risk getting sidetracked.
• Include solid external evidence for every argument. The topic sentence is usually followed by proof you’ve collected from reliable academic sources to back up your points. Don’t forget to link them to the paragraph’s central claim. It’s also essential to synthesize the sources so that the presented evidence looks coherent and relevant. The more convincing evidence you have, the easier it will be for you to produce the intended impression on the readers.
• Feature transitions inside and between paragraphs. Essays should be coherent and cohesive, which is impossible without well-arranged transitions. Transition words and phrases explain your logic and help the readers embrace your reasoning. You can use a transition phrase generator or transition word adder to improve your text’s flow quickly.

What Does a Good Conclusion Look Like?

A great conclusion will have the following features:

• Contain a rephrased thesis. Rephrasing the thesis statement is a crucial element of a conclusion. It shows that you have achieved the set aim and have effectively wrapped up the argument.
• Cover the main points of your body. It’s essential to remind your readers of the key takeaways that link to your main goal.
• Give a broader, impactful ending. A great conclusion represents more than just a summary. It gives broader implications of the study’s findings for your research area, positive social change, or humanity.

Finally:

It is always useful to check some examples before getting down to work. Here you can check how 9th-grade essays should look like.

Thank you for reading this article. We hope you found it useful. Don’t forget to share it with your peers!

🔗 References

1. Essay Structure: Elizabeth Abrams, for the Writing Center at Harvard University
2. General Essay Writing Tips: Essay Writing Center, International Student
3. What is an Essay? How to Write a Good Essay: LibGuides at Bow Valley College