If involved with writing – as a student or an employee whose job requires constantly putting something on paper – you’re bound to encounter the short essay format sooner or later.
And don’t be deluded by its name – the short essay’s length does not necessarily make it easier to understand and compose than its lengthier keen.
In fact, it is quite the opposite – for some people, the limited number of words and sentences may prove to be a real panic-inducing disaster. A short essay requires quickness of thought and a poignant execution.
Every word counts. Every statement has to be swiftly and clearly articulated, leaving nothing to the imagination. This, of course, is not an easy thing to do.
Luckily enough, we’re here to save the day!
Read on to find out all the details about writing short essays to the nines.
What is a Short Essay?
Before we go on, let’s sort out the basics – what is a short essay?
Well, as its name suggests, a short essay is an essay, usually between 200 and 500 words long. This particular format tends to be primarily encountered as an exercise in school.
In a context like this, the main point of the short essay is to limit the number of words with which the writer – the student – has to express their ideas.
As such, a short essay is a sort of a test on how clearly you articulate yourself, state your opinions, and provide arguments for them. By wrapping all this up in a short format, you will develop skills like writing precision and succinctness.
This is exactly what short essays are all about – the ability to discuss any topic, from any sphere, regardless of how broad it may be, without losing “control” of your material.
What ultimately matters the most is the ability to express your ideas clearly, and organize them according to the usual short essay structure.
The Essentials: Structuring Your Short Essay
The structure of your short essay should almost always be divided into three parts – usually corresponding to three different paragraphs. Of course, this “rule” is not obligatory, but it is very useful, and we recommend that you stick to it.
In essence, you need to organize your thoughts into an Introduction, the Main Body, and a Conclusion.
Introduction – 15%
As the first section of your short essay, the introduction serves to suck the readers into your topic. It shouldn’t be more than 4-5 sentences long and should, at the same time, be both interesting – so that it prompts people to read more – and relevant to the main topic so you don’t have it discredited.
If your essay is, for example, about the contemporary usage of social media, the introduction could include some basic information on the development of the internet, or the increasing popularity of social networks.
Your introduction should end by clearly stating the main idea of your short essay, thus paving the way for the main part.
The Main Body – 70%
The main segment of the essay should take up the most space and should focus on developing your ideas on the topic. Usually, you’re expected to propose at least one or two main arguments and to support them with evidence.
Of course, you’re not expected to attach additional documents or pictures to the document. It’s enough to clearly state an opinion or idea about the topic, and immediately back it up with a real-life example, or a logical explanation.
Depending on the length of the essay, you can add more arguments, or subtract excess information.
Conclusion – 15%
The conclusion serves to summarize your previous points and bring the essay to a close. It should provide a sense of completeness and should clearly state why the topic is important to discuss, and how your particular essay contributed to said discussion.
Some Short Essay Tips
Before concluding this text, we have a few tips which you may find helpful!
- Opt for a topic that you’re interested in – if possible, talk about something you know well and are enthusiastic about.
- Educate yourself thoroughly – do some research on the topic.
- Have a target audience in mind – it helps tighten the scope.
Final Thoughts
That pretty much covers it! Go through our guide and try your luck at writing your first short essay.
Don’t falter – it may be difficult at the beginning – and a service like Essay Company may prove to be incredibly helpful in terms of doing much of the work for you.
You’ll watch and you’ll learn – what could be better than that? After all, readers make the best writers.
