Short Essay Format: Structure and Overall Look
Students of any academic level will agree that a short essay is one of the most assigned tasks in academics. It comes as no surprise that many assignments require students’ personal response. To get it, professors give a short essay to complete. However, there are many questions regarding this task because it may reflect upon many subjects. Let’s cover the most crucial aspects of a short essay, providing a model example.
What Is a Short Essay Format?
A short essay format is to be expected. The work consists of three central parts: the introduction, the main part, and a conclusion. Each section has its peculiar sub-parts, which require a broader analysis.
How Long Is a Short Essay?
Short texts vary in topics and word count. That is, your assignment might be a 250-word, a 400-word, or even a 500-word piece. It all depends on the subject and an instructor’s requirements. Take a look at a standard short essay format:
- Introduction
The first paragraph of a short essay is divided into three following units: an attention-getter, background information, and a thesis statement. Each has a unique purpose of sparking the reader’s attention and helping them understand what the piece will be about.
- Body
Depending on your word count, you might have to write several body paragraphs. Short assignments have 500 words. You need to have five paragraphs, and three of them will relate to the body part. Each body section has a topic sentence, the demonstration of a specific aspect stated in a thesis statement, an explanation (frequently, you have to back up your arguments with credible data), and a transition word.
- Conclusion
The last part focuses on recapping the content stated above. Moreover, you have to provoke the reader to start a discussion or delve into the topic afterward. This strategy is called a CTA, which stands for Call to Action.
How to Write a Short Essay
Like with every task, be it a dissertation, coursework, or case study, you need to be prepared to research, outline, and draft. The most useful techniques are the most straightforward ones. That is why pay attention to the following step-by-step ways to complete a short essay promptly:
- Wisely choose the topic
It might be easy to write about something you are proficient at. However, the odds are high that you will get stuck right after writing the first sentences. To prevent this, brainstorm the topics and ideas that come to your mind. If you are sure that you can elaborate and provide the reader with a solid piece of information, go for it. - Research the selected topic
Once you choose the topic for your assignment, you have to delve into it. Depending on your major and professor, you might have to include sources in your essay. When researching, make sure to retrieve information from credible sources, such as online libraries, Google Scholar, or websites with the .edu domain. - Outline
Outlining is a great way to organize your thoughts, bring them together, and build a solid, understandable piece. Simply jot down all the arguments and choose the most accurate and persuasive ones. Repeat the process once again, doing the same with the ideas you have selected. Once you have three convincing thoughts, you can outline the entire work. A layout doesn’t have to be extensive. You may even want to note only the first sentences from every section. This will be enough to help you remain organized. - Write the first draft
Once you have an outline, writing the essay’s first version is a no-brainer. You have all you need. So you may start crafting the first draft. - Edit and proofread
These steps are critical if you wish to polish your piece to a shine. It might take plenty of time to correct possible mistakes and do similar steps. However, proofreading and editing are necessary because they increase your chances of getting the highest degree. If you can, ask your friends, peers, or competent family members to analyze the piece.
How to Start a Short Essay
There are various ways to start a short assignment. Before choosing one of them, make sure to analyze your target audience and decide on the most appropriate hook. An opening sentence can be in the form of:
- Anecdote
Although it is an excellent way to start your paper, you have to be sure your joke doesn’t offend anyone. - Quotation
Choosing a quote from a respected person, you draw the reader’s attention and make them read or listen carefully. - Debunk misconceptions
With this technique, you pick a stereotype regarding your topic and disprove it. - Fact
The safest option is to provide the audience with a point that relates to your subject.
As to the length, make sure it is neither extensive nor concise. Your hook has to have one to two sentences.
Short Essay Template
What is the difference between the quarrel and the argument?
People always have arguments, quarrels, disagreements, and disputes. Sometimes it can be a troublesome aspect of the conversation, worsening people’s relationship ties. However, many people don’t know the fundamental differences between quarrels and arguments. The most predominant dissimilarities between them are the closeness between persons, diplomacy, and their unexpected effects.
While speaking of a quarrel, it is oftentimes related to family affairs, especially when it comes to problems connected with everyday life. A quarrel may well be an angry conversation between two or more friends or family members. For example, it can correlate with arranging cutlery in a specific place in the kitchen. That is, a wife offers the highest drawer, but a husband does not agree and proposes to put it on in the middle one. What is more, per the Collins Dictionary, quarrels can occur between countries or groups of people and have some political background, be diplomatic in nature, even cause fighting. Hence, the quarrel is suggested to be an angry debate either between family members, including swear words, or consular representatives of different nations.
Regarding the definition of an argument, the dictionary states that the argument is a set of statements that one uses to persuade people of a particular thought. This view tends to be more neutral, formal, and polite than a quarrel. Although the conversation’s overall tone may well be increased, the argument doesn’t involve physical interaction or hot polemics. Other than that, such an idea includes a diversity of valid points, which makes the overall meaning of the argument fruitful. Accordingly, the quarrel only relates to emotions and the increase of the voice pitch. An argument might be a proper and courteous debate. Its main reason is to prove an individual something by adding accurate information.
In conclusion, the contrast between the quarrel and the argument might be a vague one. Having lots of similarities in common, they have different senses, aims, and applications. A quarrel is agreed to be a debate between close individuals, such as parents or siblings, which can include an increased volume and swear words. Conversely, an argument is suggested to be a statement that is extensively used between people trying to convey their message, backing it up with valid information.
Research Summary Writing: Comprehensive Guide with Writing Tips
Research summary writing is an occasional assignment. However, it doesn’t mean that students have to neglect its importance. Summary of research paper is a handy piece that helps you understand what the given study is about. It is especially vital when working on an extensive task that requires a thorough analysis of the topic. But what is research writing, why is it important, and how to write a summary paper? The article answers these and other crucial questions.
Research Summary Definition
A research summary is a written piece that wraps up the content of the article you have read. It is a condensed version of the scholarly document on the given topic. It is not the most assigned task, but it has gained its significance within the last years. When it comes to the purpose of research summary writing, it aims to develop students’ formal writing and critical thinking abilities. Apart from that, it helps with completing theses and dissertations and synthesizes scientific sources that can be used to write the mentioned final works.
How to Write a Research Summary
Before beginning, you have to define the article’s word count. The more extensive the article is, the larger your summary should be. For instance, take a look at the following criteria. Meeting it, you ensure getting a full-fledged, professional piece. An excellent summary:
- Condenses the original text
As a rule, it has to be one-fourth to one-third as long as the original text. Overall, the length depends upon the purpose of the piece. As for research summary writing, your piece has to be no longer than 30% of the original article.
- Consists of only the most crucial information
If you are not sure whether the included information is essential, ask yourself a question, “Is this element important enough for the reader to know about the topic?”
- Includes the article’s main points
It has to demonstrate only the ideas portrayed by the authors of the given article. Make sure to avoid including biased information, opinions, or other assumptions.
- Demonstrates your style
Meaning, it has to be written by you. You shouldn’t copy and paste it. Whenever you paraphrase or quote sentences, you have to give credit to the authors.
- Is written in one of the formats
When crafting this piece, ensure following a proper formatting style and structure.
How to Write a Research Summary: a Step-By-Step Guide
The process of research summary writing doesn’t differ from, let’s say, research paper writing. There are several standard steps to follow when composing a top-notch paper in the long run. They are:
- Go quickly through the article
Try to point out the main ideas from every section to get a clear picture of what the authors try to convey to the reader. Depending on your major, you may observe specific examples. They aim to help you understand the importance of content and its possible implications. - Examine the article in-depth
You have to be competent in the topic and analyze several sources to know how to write a summary paper. Keep in mind that sometimes you will have to read much more literature that you may be required. Neglecting to do that results in a low-quality and unconvincing piece. - Note down crucial information
While reading, don’t forget to summarize content gradually. For instance, if the article you are reading is divided into several sections, write a brief summary of each paragraph. It will help you organize your thoughts, and you will get a peerless summary at the end of a research paper. However, write the most necessary information only. There is a thin boundary between informative and wordy. - Craft an outline
An outline is one of the most underrated but useful elements of successful and productive writing. In short, it is a layout that helps you remain organized and include the most important ideas in the paper. You are free to write it in whatever style you want, as you don’t have to submit it to the teacher (unless required otherwise). - Write the first draft
Compose the first version of your work, paying no attention to possible mistakes. Just make sure to include all the characteristic elements (keep reading to learn them).
Research Summary Structure
Although a summary is a shortened version of the research paper, it has to be as informative as possible. That is why it is highly recommended to follow the same structure as the original piece has. A standard format of a summary may be as follows:
- Research question/problem
A good summary starts with a research question that will be answered by the author. - Relevance
This section aims to explain the importance of such research. - Theoretical framework
Here, you have to demonstrate within what framework the author conducts the investigation. Meaning, which models or scientific theories the author uses to answer the research question. - Methods
When working on this paragraph, you have to explain how the analysis has been carried out. You don’t have to delve into this section too much. Remain on the surface and deliver a short description of the data collected and processed. - Outcomes and implications
Simply point out the most critical findings and their implications. - Conclusion
Answer the research question without adding any new information. - Your take
This is an optional section. Depending on your major and discipline, you may have to explain the study from your perspective. If your professor encourages you to include this component, then make sure to write the elements you agree and disagree with. Explain why you think the arguments are relevant or otherwise. Barring this section, the entire summary needs to be objective.
How to Write a Summary of a Research Paper: Useful Tips
Below is a checklist of some handy tips you may want to use when working on research summaries:
- Abolish wordiness
Academic writing is famous for its extensive sentences, passive voice structures, and adverbs. To make your piece readable, eliminate adverbs and hard-to-follow sentences. - Avoid the first person
Since you have to remain unbiased, you can’t include “I” when writing. Instead, use the third-person perspective. - Use accurate language
To prove the hypothesis, you have to analyze most works on the given topic. Instead of proving, support them, or fail to find support. - Re-read your piece
It is always great to proofread everything. By reading it, you will polish your text to a shine. If you can, ask your peers to check it, as well.
Entrust Your Assignments to Professionals
Any type of task can be time-consuming. It is especially burdensome when you don’t have enough time because of work or something else. Our team of qualified writers is ready to get you covered with any writing, visual, or speaking project. If you happen to be trapped by rigid time frames and feel like you can miss the deadlines, you have come to the right place. With us, you will get top-notch academic assistance that by no means will break your bank. Ready to make your first order? Click a couple of times, and get your essay done promptly!
The Costco Essay — a Guide
If you are graduating from high school and aspire to get into the desired college, you have to write an application essay. An application piece, also known as an entrance essay and a personal statement, is a piece, usually not exceeding 700 words, about yourself. Students often have freedom of choice and can write nearly about anything. The topic must reveal the candidate’s writing and critical thinking skills and answer why a specific college or university should accept the author.
Hundreds of thousands of application essays are written annually, and it is getting hard to distinguish the most prominent types. One of the most outstanding examples of a successful personal statement is the Costco essay, written by Brittany Stinson. This article will analyze what the Costco essay is, why it serves as a model application, and how to write a unique piece relying on this text.
The Costco Essay: What Is It?
Each of us knows what Costco is. It is a wholesale corporation where you can find almost anything you need. But how does it correlate with an essay? The story occurred in 2016 when Brittany Stinson composed a Costco Essay. This piece went viral, and as a result, she was accepted into dozens of educational institutions. The story was so popular the newspaper agencies couldn’t stop posting articles describing her success.
In some sense, she even became a role model for high schoolers, and many students tried crafting similar texts. Sadly enough, they didn’t succeed, aside from one student, who composed a “Yale Pizza Essay” in 2017. The authors of both works explain their experiences using services from the mentioned companies.
We love working with students of different academic levels. Many undergraduates reach out to us and seek help with their writing tasks. Apart from that, we got hundreds of questions regarding application essays, the Costco essay in particular. If you are a graduate and want to get into the desired college, remember — the admission committee wants you to stand out not because of a unique topic; it wants you to reveal your mindset, your takes on specific events that occurred to you. To write an excellent personal statement, you don’t necessarily need to travel across the world, participate in different assemblies, or be fully involved in extracurricular activities. Even the most common subject may well make you a student of the best college, and this type proves it entirely.
Costco Essay College: What to Focus on
Stinson’s essay may be excessively simple at first glance. But there wouldn’t be various guides on how to write a Costco Stanford Essay and Costco Essay Ivy League if her piece was ordinary. In reality, her writing goes way deeper than talking about a warehouse. Costco is just a surface, which is nevertheless indispensable to her. Stinson mentions a wide range of different items, such as her scientific interest, physical activities, and pastimes. Also, she draws parallels between simple life, philosophy, and other things that might torment a human being. Such short stories presented in a 650-word essay make this college essay about Costco an overarching, full-fledged narrative about who the author is.
When it comes to the writing style, Stinson followed the most important rules of formal writing. She starts her essay with an opening sentence, also known as a hook. Then she proceeds to background information and a thesis statement. Her essay is full of vivid pictures that together make a complete story. The adjectives were eloquent, sometimes even a bit old-fashioned. But she included them intentionally, to show the entire atmosphere of her surroundings.
Aside from writing, her overall tone was extremely amiable. She knew where to include jokes and where to remain semi-official. That is why her essay ended up being jocular and solid simultaneously. Stinson made a perfect balance, and she didn’t fall into the trap of excessive casual writing. Nor did she make grammatical mistakes, typos, and misspellings. To make her essay polished, she shared her final version with an educator before the submission. Which is a great idea because no spell checker can spot every single mistake you might commit.
How to Write an Exclusive Costco Essay
You don’t have to borrow ideas from Stinson’s essay and write a similar piece about 7/11, Walmart, or other stores. She selected this subject because it was valuable to her.
First and foremost, brainstorm subjects that are connected with your everyday life and academics. Think about what parallels can be drawn between these two aspects. There are many prompts on the Internet; you can look at them to get a clear picture of what you can write about.
Elaborate on the topic
No matter what topic you select, make sure to develop it, and unveil your worldview. Don’t forget about the reader: an officer wants to see what you think about the chosen topic. Start with a reflection or a citation and describe the situation in a broader scope. Remember that a committee pays close attention to your way of conveying the main message (structure, grammar, lexicon, style, and tone).
Demonstrate impeccable writing skills
Not only does the committee focus on you as an individual, but also it checks your writing abilities. Educational institutions require a robust command of English, and you have to prove that you are ready to communicate efficiently. Therefore, it is good to start writing an entrance piece way before the application process begins (it would be ideal if you started working on it a couple of months beforehand).
When writing an essay, you are free to use the following helpful tools to perfect your style:
- Grammarly
The app’s primary purpose is to spot grammatical mistakes and other typos. The application has a free version, and it shows errors regarding spelling, punctuation, and grammar. - Thesaurus Synonyms
To make your writing style diverse, eloquent, and peerless, you must include numerous synonyms for specific words. No one wants to see repetitive words, as they significantly lower your chances of getting accepted. Thesaurus dictionary of synonyms strives to help you make a written piece professional.
Although the mentioned apps should be used daily, they can’t spot every mistake. Thus, it is always good to have a fresh set of eyes that can proofread your essay and edit it if need be. Should you need one, feel free to contact our professional writing team.
Remain Original
Stinson’s essay teaches us lots of things. Humor is vitally essential, and so is a simple topic. However, you don’t have to rigorously stick to this type, rejecting your exclusive writing style. If you don’t know whether or not the joke is suitable, better avoid including it. Don’t forget that your style is one of the most critical aspects, as it showcases your character.
Final Words
You don’t necessarily have to be a wiz-kid, involved in numerous activities. Your story has to be exclusive, demonstrate your viewpoint, and persuade admission officers you fit a specific course. Your goal is to show that you are ready to be a part of the academic society.
Research Paper about Education Worthy of an A with the Help of Our Guide
What is a research paper? How to write one on education? This post reviews the structure, writing tips, and a list of topics.
Start with an Impressive Introduction
Begin your journey with an introduction. To catch someone’s attention, you should involve an attention-grabber. You may choose one of the following ideas for a research paper introduction:
- Provocative question
- Interesting fact or stat
- Joke
- Quotation
One of the ways to start an intro is a shocking fact to stress the significance of the problem and make the audience want to read the full text. An example of a fact could be, “In 2014, 61 million children of primary school age were not enrolled in school.” You should add the reference to the source where these statistics first appeared. If it is not a printed source and the author is not specified, you may simply provide a link.
You don’t have to sound boring, but you should stay formal. After a bang, share the background info, list the objectives of your study (e.g., define the reasons for the low literacy rates), and select a research method. The last sentence of an introduction is a thesis statement. Don’t make it longer than one or two sentence(s). The example of a thesis for a research paper on education could be, “Literacy rate in the US is still higher among boys as fewer girls attend higher educational institutions and graduate.” The rest of the text is the place for you to support your statement.
Come up with a Compelling Body
The primary struggle is to structure the info well. To do so, students should prepare an outline before starting to work on the paper’s body. An outline is not an obligatory part, but you may earn extra credits if you create one. Not to get lost, keep on recalling the thesis statement and your claim. Here is what to consider:
- Claims versus the thesis statement;
- Claims versus each other (detect similarities and order);
- Every sentence versus the claim.
Mind those parts that talk about the same ideas – the goal is to present the same point from different aspects. It is necessary to come up with smooth transitions between various parts of the research paper about education to show how they are all interconnected.
Leave out any points that have nothing to do with the main ideas (arguments). You should keep in mind the so-called rule of three. Discover supporting points for every idea; introduce a powerful idea first, and then include even more powerful statements, and end with the primary point.
On the whole, a body must include methodology when it comes to research papers on teaching. Emphasize the importance of your study results. Based on those outcomes, recommend some actions or solutions or offer ideas for further study on the topic.
Finish with a Conclusion
The concluding part is developed to create a sense of closure. Thus, an author should trace the vectors of their work. Focus on the general consequences of the thesis statement, stress what students can retrieve from your paper and use in the future, and make the audience realize the way that you have settled the problems.
Wrap up all the claims stated throughout your paper. If you decide to conclude with a restated thesis, which is the most popular way to finish, still provide a summary of everything said above without making it too long. One or two paragraph(s) should be enough. Take a moment to interpret the main ideas and show how they support the thesis. Does the subject matter bear further study? That is how to conclude a research paper for education.
Revise the final draft
Do not hurry to submit your project. Proofread and check the text for grammar, spelling, punctuation errors, and revise the structure. Add transitions where they are missing. You do not necessarily have to do it all manually – many online applications can check your text within minutes. You may want to try Strunk, Copywritely, or Grammarly.
Also, do not forget to insert your text into the plagiarism checking tool, like Copyscape, to find out how original it is. Teachers expect to see no less than a 95% uniqueness level for research papers on education (without counting direct citations). Not to skip the important stage of revision, start working on your assignment ASAP – do not postpone everything to the last minute. It would be a pity to receive a bad grade only because of several mistakes. Here is what you must check:
- Incomplete ideas
- Illogical flow of thoughts
- Dangling modifiers
- Spelling mistakes
- Apostrophes for possessives and plurals
- Comma use
- Unnecessary contractions
- Odd phrases
- Formatting
As for the last one, download the latest writing style manual that you need to use. For instance, if you have to format your research paper about education in MLA, obey the guidelines provided by the eighth edition, which is the most recent one.
Excellent Ideas for Your Research Paper about Education
We should go through some topics for a research paper about education. Before choosing one of them, investigate the Internet and other sources to make sure you find enough relevant information. We recommend focusing on one topic at a time. Otherwise, you risk falling off the main idea and get lost in the flow of points. Also, we recommend talking to your tutor regarding the selected topic for a research paper about education. Here is the list of possible ideas:
- Study on education for deaf people and real-world applications.
- The outcomes of Brexit for UK values.
- Is public education in the US a less popular trend now?
- Methods to develop an effective inclusive educational institution.
- The principles of the inclusive school.
- The reasons for including sports clubs as compulsory subjects.
- The role of every college board member.
- Should teachers command A students to work with and support F students in order to improve the performance of the latter?
- What are the origins and usage of the least limited environment in special education?
- Are high school teachers sufficiently equipped to mentor and educate young adolescents?
- What should tutors and family members keep in mind when teaching disabled students?
- Should educational institutions emphasize language and mathematics classes less than environmental protection and other relevant issues?
- Which tools do Montessori-trained teachers use? How effective are their approaches?
- Fighting school bullying: the responsibilities of all sides.
- Is tutoring a job or career option, and why?
- Segregation in schools. Is it still happening?
Those are the topics for your research papers on teaching that you can use whenever you have to prepare this assignment.
CSE Format Paper: Basic Rules for College Students
Why is the CSE essay format important for writers? When writing a CSE format paper or another academic project, it is necessary to cite primary and secondary sources well. Citations from field experts serve as unquestionable evidence. Each time a student inserts an image, quote, or statistic into their work, they should recall the original source. The CSE writing format is one of the available citation styles.
Introduction to the CSE Citation Format
CSE stands for the Council of Science Editors and is a common paper formatting applied across multiple subjects in physics and other sciences. The research paper starts with a CSE format title page. Here are the systems to keep in mind:
- Name-year
A student is encouraged to use direct and indirect in-text quotations (the first one should go in the brackets while the second one is just rephrased words of the original author). A writer must include such information as the work’s author and year of publication. The final reference list should go in alphabetical order. - Citation-sequence
A student must assign a superscript number to a doc when the source is recalled for the first time. Further in the text, a writer should insert this number whenever the same source pops up again. One should list titles numerically in the order they are recalled in the paper. - Citation-name
Organize the references alphabetically by the original writer(s) surname and provide a number with respect to their order. Choose the superscript font to add numbers in your papers.
Where to look for the correct CSE format paper guidelines
Most often, educational establishments ask students to use the name-year system as it is the most common one. The last edition of CSE is the seventh edition, so find and download it.
In this guide, writers can find all the requirements for a CSE paper. Start with the CSE format cover page, which includes the title of your work, your name, course name, professor’s name, and date of submission.
How to Insert In-text Quotations
In a CSE format paper, decide whether to use direct or indirect quotes. Keep in mind the three different cases when the citations are used.
A student should list the names of the original writers and publication dates in parentheses at the end of the sentence. The example is: “The argument offered by Law initially was refused by him in his later studies” (Miles 2007).
In case the name is stated in the work before, just follow it with the date of publication: Miles (2007).
In case the author and date are recalled in the work before, you should not insert a parenthetical reference: In 2007, Miles…
Whenever a student cites a certain part of a paper like a chart or an image, add the number of the page on which the info is retrieved from the original source. An example would be, “These outcomes do not match the findings offered by Jenny Calendar in 2003.” (Manson 2003, p. 37).
How a Reference List Should Look Like
A reference list is a CSE format annotated bibliography. It contains the full list of sources that were cited or used in another way to support the writer’s arguments in a research paper or scholarly article. One should keep in mind the following rules for this part of the project:
- It is necessary to abbreviate journal titles. It is possible to find how to do that on different websites.
- References to textbooks and sites must have the publication date, place of publication, and name of the publishing house (if any of these details are unknown, write it down).
- In case a student deals with a source written by two or more researchers, it is important to recall all of them; if this number is higher, list only the first ten authors, and add “and others” after that.
Here is an example: 13. Winslow BH, Neil KS, Carroll S, Joyce P, Harris PI, Hobbes DE, Filth GA, and others. The consequences of the Japanese tsunami. N Engl J Med. 2011; 228: 2328-93.
A bibliography is an integral part of CSE research paper format, so never forget to add it.