Essay: definition, challenges and objectives
An essay is a written document that serves as a reflection on a subject, personal or not, imposed or not. Depending on the case, the essay can be argumentative or didactic, this varies depending on the audience. Generally, an essay must respond to a problem. It reflects a personal work, the author gives his opinions and relies on concrete data, whether it is experiences or the work of other authors, which he can then cite in his writings.
Issues and objectives
The trial responds to a series of issues and objectives. The most important thing is that it is most often a university work, and which highlights the student/author's ability to think about a specific problem.
It is a question of understanding how ideas are developed and acquiring a certain logic through an exercise that is intended to be rigorous.
In addition, the essay is communicative, it puts forward ideas, theories, which will be read by other people. An essay allows you to develop persuasion, and must respect the academic stakes, or a fortiori the university issues.
Areas of use
The essay is a document used in several fields of activity.
The first remains the universities and more generally the academic/training field. This is a frequent job to assess students and analyze their ability to think.
Essays are also found in the journalistic sector, and more generally in the world of media, as well as in philosophy or literature. The writers who have published and sold their essays are relatively numerous, and today some are part of the cultural heritage of the countries in which they were written.
Other areas can include trials, such as professional reports that can be carried out in companies.
How to Write an Essay: The Beginner's Guide, with Steps and Examples
The steps:
The first step is to become familiar with the subject. It is a question of determining the theme, namely what it is about, the statement as well, because each subject can have specific requirements. Finally, how should the essay be articulated, around an argument, an analysis or information to be given, etc.?
Example: dating sites: a real vector of lasting bonding or smoke and mirrors?
The theme is dating sites, and the objective is to be able to analyze them from several different angles, most of the time, it is the positive and negative axis.
The second step is the research that will have to be done to develop the subject.
It goes without saying that the writing of an essay is subject to a set of research, and the author or candidate will have to take a series of notes in order to find his way around when moving on to the writing work. What are the main ideas, the arguments for, the arguments against, also called the counterarguments?
The third step is to create a specific plan. Often, an essay consists of an introduction, a development in two or three paragraphs, although the most frequent is two paragraphs. A conclusion is also present, and the accompanying documents if necessary and according to the sector of activity.
Concrete example, with the following topic: social networks and influencers: effective or not in the field of marketing?
Introduction, with a dissertation-type hook, the problem and the announcement of the plan. The introduction is quite short, the essay is shorter than an essay, it is important to adapt to academic standards.
In a subject of this type, highlight the influence of social networks in the business world but also in the lives of consumers. How they have radically changed the way brands orient their marketing strategy, for example by using influencers. These can bring real added value to a company, but they can also be very harmful to it. There are therefore two different points of view in an essay like this.
Two parts, one with the arguments for the use of influencers by brands, and the second with the limits that this may entail.
First, highlight all the arguments for the use of influencers by brands. When well chosen, they can bring a higher volume of sales and be closer to Internet users. Brands choose icons that consumers can more easily identify with, making the concept of advertising less intrusive, and therefore more relevant to current demand.
On the other hand, influencers can also negatively impact a brand, especially when they are subjected to various scandals. It can also happen that the latter do not represent the brand as it should be, that they behave in a way that is totally contrary to the message that the brand wants to convey to the outside, in their private lives.
A conclusion is finally given, in which there will be a summary and a clearer, more opinion.
The fourth step is that of proofreading, and correction if necessary.
What comes into play here are spelling, syntax, but also the personal style of the author. Indeed, in the current context, the authenticity of writings is taking an increasingly important place in the academic and other worlds. A series of controversies around plagiarism, or the use of artificial intelligence to write is a subject that tends to come up often.
Additional Tips:
To write an essay that is intended to be impactful, it is important to understand the subject, and in this step, which is of course one of the most important, its reformulation can help with understanding.
Its writing must be clear and written in a style that is adapted to the request stated in the subject. Finally, do not hesitate to give precise illustrations to support the arguments.
Conclusion
Writing an essay is a job that requires rigor and precision. Used in many fields, it highlights the author's ability to argue and deal with a specific problem while relying on concrete illustrations.
https://www.student.unsw.edu.au/writing-your-essay
https://www.monash.edu/student-academic-success/excel-at-writing/how-to-write/essay/how-to-build-an-essay
