Writing an essay in English

During your time at school, you'll probably have to write an essay in English once or twice in English class. But it's not just English students who have the task of writing an English essay. You, too, will have to write an English essay every now and then during your English studies.

Moreover, writing an essay in English can be a good practice to improve your written English. Therefore, it is important to study the topic of writing essays in English and get some helpful writing tips.

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» Essay writing tips
» The structure of your essay
» Sample English essay

Tips and hints for your English essay

When writing an essay for your English class, you should always take a structured approach and use good English skills to present your arguments in a targeted manner. In addition to good English skills, there are also some important formal requirements for a successful English essay. We will go into these in more detail later. First, however, we would like to give you some helpful tips and tricks that will help you write better and more convincing essays in English in the future.

Have a clear thesis and structure
Do sufficient research and use reputable sources.
Use examples and arguments to support your thesis.
Avoid plagiarism and cite correctly
Check your structure, grammar and spelling.

When writing your essay at school or university, you should make sure that the overall structure of your essay, the presentation of the arguments, and most importantly, your English language skills play a role in your English essay grade. Therefore, you should definitely take a closer look at the structure of an essay as well as the most important grammar rules and formulations for English essays

The structure of an English essay

In an essay, you deal with a usually given topic at length and cover it in detail. When writing an English essay, there is a certain structure that you must follow when writing. Below, we'll show you what that structure looks like and give you some tips for writing the most important parts of your English essay.

The introduction of your essay

The introduction prepares the main body of your English essay. You think of a meaningful title for your English essay, describe your thesis or question, give some background information on the topic and prepare your argumentation with an overview of your most important arguments.

Below you will find some examples and phrases that you can use to write the introduction of your English essay.

Headline

The headline should be meaningful, concise, and reflect the content of the essay.

A Critical Examination of [topic] A Closer Look at [topic] "The Pros and Cons of [topic]"	Examining [topic] [topic]: An In-Depth Analysis. The Impact of [topic] on [related aspect]

Introduction paragraph

The first paragraph of your English essay should give a brief introduction to the topic and pique the reader's interest. Here are a few examples to get you started writing your English essay:

In recent years, [topic] has become a hotly debated issue, with [brief overview of arguments]. The [topic] has been a subject of controversy for many decades, with [brief overview of different perspectives]. In this essay, we will explore the various facets of [topic], and assess its [impact/influence] on [related aspect]. As our society continues to evolve, it is becoming increasingly important to examine the impact of [topic] on [related aspect].

Proposition or question

The proposition or central question of your English essay should be a clear and concise definition of the goal of the essay. Use these examples to get a better picture of how to write English-language theses:

The increasing globalization of the world economy has both advantages and disadvantages for developing countries. The death penalty is an ineffective and unethical solution to reducing crime. The use of social media has both positive and negative effects on personal relationships. Climate change is a pressing issue that must be addressed by individuals and governments alike.

Overview of arguments and structure

At the end of your introduction, describe the structure of the main part of your essay and roughly describe your argument. Here are a few English phrases that will surely help you in English essay writing:

In this essay, I will argue that [thesis statement] by presenting [number of arguments] perspectives. The following discussion will outline [number of arguments] main arguments in support of [thesis statement]. The following discussion will explore [number of arguments] key arguments that validate the thesis that [thesis statement]. To demonstrate the validity of [thesis statement], I will present [number of arguments] compelling arguments.

The main body of your essay

The main part of your essay in English deals with the given topic in detail. The topic is examined from all points of view. The main body of your essay follows a thread of argumentation and deals in detail with the main arguments of your thesis previously formulated in the introduction.

In the main body, you must discuss the topic of your essay in clear and concise language. In order for you to succeed in this, we will give you some formulation aids as well as vocabulary and phrases that you can use when writing your English essay.

Phrasing tools:

To begin with, [argument 1] is a strong point in favor of [thesis statement]. For example, [provide evidence]. Another aspect to consider is [argument 2]. It can be seen that [provide evidence]. In light of this evidence, it can be seen that [thesis statement] is well-founded. [Briefly restate main arguments and evidence]. Additionally, [argument 4] supports the notion that [thesis statement]. This can be demonstrated by [provide evidence]. The first argument I will present is [argument]. Another aspect to consider is [argument]." One of the strongest arguments for [thesis statement] is [argument]. To strengthen my argument, I will present [evidence/example].

English vocabulary for essays

Firstly Secondly To reiterate To restate To emphasize To recapitulate Nevertheless	In addition Moreover Furthermore Also In contrast On the one hand On the other hand

The final part

In the conclusion of your English essay, you address the thesis of your essay, summarize the main points of your discussion from the main body, and draw a conclusion. Based on the arguments and the conclusions drawn from them, in the conclusion part of your English essay you formulate final thoughts and suggestions for the future. It is important that you do not add new information or make new arguments. This should only be done in the body of your essay.

Here are some phrasing guides to help you write your English essay:

In conclusion... To summarize... Finally... It can be inferred that... In light of this evidence...	In essence... Overall... Therefore... In summary... In conclusion...

Sample English Essay

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