An essay itself is a relatively short academic assignment, especially if one compares it with a research paper, thesis, or dissertation. So, students reasonably start asking their more experienced colleagues and online experts the same question: what is considered a short essay? The answer is much more trivial than you might assume.
Writing a short essay is nothing significantly different than composing a regular one. So, if you completed at least one academic assignment of that type previously, there won’t be a problem for you to do this one well.
However, there is a difference. Obviously, short essays are shorter than regular ones. A standard paper can have up to two, three, or more pages of length. A short essay is rarely longer than half a standard page.
Mostly, students think that the shorter the assignment is, the easier it would be to complete it. That’s only one part of the truth when speaking of short essays. Yes, you’ll have to write a less wordy paper. But on the other hand, you’ll have to insert your thoughts into significantly tighter size frames. Let’s see how to do that correctly.
How to Write a Short Essay: Main Guidelines
As we said above already, the basic recommendations working for short essays and regular essays are quite common. First of all, that refers to the elements of the paper’s structure and format. So, the main bricks to build a worthy paper are:
- introduction;
- main body;
- conclusion.
As always, you’ll have to devote two paragraphs to the intro and the concluding part (one paragraph per each). The size of the main essay body relies on the topic you choose. In case an issue or a subject you are discussing is complicated, you’ll most probably need more space to maneuver in your paper, so there will be more paragraphs in the body. A narrowed-down subject can have enough with even one paragraph.
As always, the best way to find out the number of paragraphs you are going to need is to develop a plan for your essay. That’s how an outline appears. Check the basic structure and format recommendations applying to short essays below to come up with an effective outline later.
Short Essay Format & Structure Outline
Okay, you have your question precisely determined. How many paragraphs is a short essay? You might already understand on your own that the answer is: three or more. Here are the advanced recommendations on short essay elements.
IntroAn introductory part of your essay has a critical meaning for the success of the entire paper. Your intro is the first thing the professor will go through when evaluating the final draft of the paper. That is why you’ll need to disclose the topic and give some clearly visible signs for that qualified reader to see the potential of that particular essay’s development.
If the professor leaves the choice of the topic to you, try to come up with an issue that is relevant, controversial, and discussable. That’s how you’ll make your paper engaging. Show that your thoughts are worth attention from the very first paragraph or even sentence. Hooking your professor with something intriguing and original is the best decision here.
And the most effective way to finalize the hooking intro is to come up with a thesis statement that’ll have their attention and make them read all the paper through while keeping it. Also, an intro is critical because it lets the prof understand the topic, your position, and potential paper’s development in just a few seconds.
Despite the need to come up with the essay’s essence in the intro (speaking more precisely, it shows up in your thesis), don’t make it too extended and rich for details. Otherwise, you risk making your professor (or any other person who would decide to read your paper once) bored right at the beginning. It will be much more effective to add a powerful quote having some reference to the essay’s topic and further turns of your discussion.
BodyAs always, the main body is the focal point of an essay. The short assignment is not an exception. Here, a professor expects you to reveal:
- facts;
- arguments;
- supporting proofs;
- all the viewpoints.
The info should be presented in a coherent manner. The best result would be to get the properly connected chain of logical milestones that the professor could read smoothly. That’s how you’ll make it easier for them to understand your thoughts and increase your chance of getting the highest grade for your short essay.
ConclusionAfter you have completed displaying and explaining the facts, arguments, and proofs in the body, it is time to wrap your writing up. A conclusion is probably the shortest part of an essay, but that property doesn’t make it less important.
The thoroughly written conclusion restates the thesis statement given in the intro regarding the details mentioned previously in the body. A perfect concluding paragraph finalizes the paper and shows what it is supposed to teach or reveal clearly. In other words, the reader should have no doubt about the main idea of an essay and also understand for sure that the paper is finished.
How Long Is a Brief Essay? Essential Information
A short essay assignment wants you to keep up with the commonly accepted academic structure, come up with a relevant, powerful intro containing a clearly visible thesis, present ideas, proofs, and facts in the body, and wrap the entire discussion in a conclusion paragraph. The word count of a short essay is most frequently not less than 250 and not more than 500.
So, how to make an essay shorter? Try to limit its size by planning not more than five paragraphs: intro, three main body parts, and a summary. If you keep the word count above in mind, the space distribution should look like the following:
- introduction – between 50 and 100 words;
- main body – between 150 and 300 words;
- conclusion – between 50 and 100 words.
That structural strictness will simplify your work a lot. Additionally, it will increase your chance of getting a high grade as a result. Think about that: short to-the-point sentences make it much simpler for your professor to track the flow of your thoughts, ideas, and proofs.
Now, let’s see how exactly you can make it through difficulties. Here is the action plan developed by professional writers to compose excellent short essays.
Short Essay Writing: You Can Get a Top Grade
First of all, in case your professor didn’t specify the requirements directly beforehand, don’t be afraid to ask them directly: what is a short essay format to keep up with? After you know all the demands and guidelines regarding the format (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.), topic (if any), and other critical frames, it is time to start completing your assignment.
Choose the Topic
Some professors prefer coming up with topics for short essays on their own, while others give students some freedom of choice. In case your prof belongs to the latter category, use that opportunity they give for your advantage: pick the topic that is interesting for you and that you know better than other fields.
Have a Map of Thoughts
After the topic is known, you just need to put those untied concepts in your head to order. First, determine the main idea, arguments to use, and facts to support them. Then, think over the sequence of their presentation and interconnection while keeping the described essay structure and its frames in mind.
Come Up With a Worthy Thesis
A worthy thesis means a thesis that is understandable and clearly visible. Simply put, this is the core of your paper. Two main elements of a thesis statement are a short topic explanation and the other one related to the essay’s milestones.
Unpack the Body
Here comes the time to develop the outline that you have crafted earlier. Using the map of your thoughts, you should expand the focus points of your writing to make them become your essay’s paragraphs.
A paragraph starts with the idea or argument introduction (topical sentence). Then, you add proofs, illustrations, and other elements to support it.
Build a Suitable Intro
Yes, you should craft an intro after you know what your thesis and main body look like. Don’t forget about the hook able to get the prof involved.
Conclude Thoroughly
Remember that the concluding paragraph should just sum up things mentioned in the main body by restating and tying them together. The last essay part is not a place to come up with new concepts.
Check Things Twice
Check the formatting style requirements. Check the word count. Check whether there is a clearly visible connection between all the elements of your essay. See if you’ve kept the word count limitations applying for the short essays. And of course, edit and proofread your final draft to exclude the probability of even the slightest mistakes and typos.
Final Thoughts
A short essay is relatively easy to complete. If you want to get the top grade, keep up with the common 5-paragraph structure, come up with a suitable topic and thorough outline, add the hook and thesis statement to your intro, use facts and evidence to support your main body ideas, end things up with a short conclusion, and edit your final draft attentively.
If you are not sure you’ll be able to finish a short essay on your own without breaking deadlines or missing some critical details, don’t forget that you can call professionals for help. They are always available online and ready to assist you with academic writing.