How to Write a Brief Essay

Many states and schools have have begun to require brief essays as a tool to assess a student's writing skills. Often students will be asked to write an impromptu essay with a question that is given to them in class. This is done in an effort to prepare students for exams and college. A brief essay has a purpose in not only teaching organization skills but in techniques for keeping the reader interested.

Things You'll Need

• Paper Pen or pencil Dictionary Thesaurus

Instructions

1. Brainstorm the topic. You may brainstorm or mind map by placing the main idea in the center of your paper, and placing outward spokes (much like a bicycle) emanating from the main idea. The outward spokes will have sub ideas of the main topic. For example, if your main topic is "Healthy Eating and Its Benefits," you may want to have subtopics such as disease prevention, weight management and anti-aging affects. If you do not like brainstorming using a circular map, you may use a linear map that extends from the top left of your paper down to the bottom, with your main topic on top, followed by sub topics slightly angled to the right.

2. Develop a thesis statement for your essay. A thesis statement contains a single declarative statement that will assist you in stating what it is you want to say in your essay.

3. Compose your introductory paragraph with three or four sub points in mind, noting that this is to be a brief essay. The order that you list your sub points in this paragraph will be the order that you discuss each one in paragraphs two through four, leaving paragraph five for a conclusion. Note that each paragraph, including your introductory paragraph, should have three to five sentences.

4. Write your second paragraph, using the first sub point you listed in your introductory paragraph. As you begin to write this paragraph, use your mind map and see what points you listed underneath the first subtopic.

5. Compose paragraphs three and four using the same technique that you used in Step 4, proceeding in the order that you listed the subtopics in accordingly.

6. Write a conclusion to your essay. This should be your fifth paragraph. A conclusion should tie up the main points that you discussed in your essay. The emphasis on the main points without reiterating the exact wording used throughout the essay serves as a reminder to the reader of your focal points within the essay, and nicely summarizes your essay.