Writing tips
This type of essay is exactly just that, an essay written in 500 words. This is unless off course your lecturer or professor has specified otherwise. This type of easy is not actually as difficult as most students assume. The first step to writing a successful article begins with anticipating the essay. The essay attempts to provide its reader with an understanding on a particular subject. Where there are a variety of topics, pick a topic that is not so broad, as this will help you achieve the word limit. The most important pointers in writing a five hundred essay are to stick to the topic and the recommended word count.
Writing the Essay
How long?
A 500 essay typically has three sections, the introduction, the body and the conclusion. Each of these parts has its own unique purpose. Therefore, it is important to know what appears where. The parts of the essay are:
- Introduction – This is the first section and it is typically a 100 words or less in length. It can be considered as the gateway that ushers the reader into the author’s arguments. A good introduction like a good doorway therefore, should be inviting. This is achieved by choosing an interesting aspect of the topic assigned. Relevance is also important and so ensures that the topic is relevant to the reader. A key feature of the introduction is the thesis statement. This part of the introduction informs the author of what the paper argues.
- Body – This is the main part of the essay. Typically, it is the longest part as well, and it focuses on supporting the thesis statement. For a 500 word essay with a five hundred word count, the body would be about three hundred words. In the body, ensure that your arguments are related to the topic. Secondly, focus your content on supporting your argument. Thirdly, ensure that you have a factual framework, rather than basing your content on opinion. This can be achieved by using references and citing them appropriately. A writer may choose to begin with the stronger points and finish with the weaker points, or begin with the milder ones and conclude with the strongest. The latter is a better choice since it offers a punch line effect where the reader gains a stronger opinion as they lead on. This is very important for the conclusion part.
- Conclusion – The conclusion focuses on affirming the writer’s stance. For a 500 word essay, the typical length of the conclusion would be a hundred words, just like the introduction. The conclusion leads the reader out of the writer’s world. A good conclusion therefore should reassure the reader of the importance and relevance of their literally voyage. It may begin by restating the thesis statement, probably in stronger terms. One or two of the strongest supporting points are then mentioned. Finally, the relevance of the topic is revisited, and further directions are given to the reader, on the applicability of the argument.
Tips and pointers
Due to the brief nature of 500 word essays, ensure that the topic you pick is not extremely broad. Represent your ideas in concise and succinct sentences. Secondly, plagiarism is a big no in 500 word essays just like in other academic pieces. Ensure that your paper has zero plagiarism. It is also important to proofread your work. This is an effective method of rooting out plagiarized sections. In addition to this, also check the spellings and grammar within the essay. While you read the essay, ensure that there is coherence and that there is a good and logical flow of ideas. Once you are satisfied, you could go through it again from your audience’s perspective, or that of your lecturer. This will help you assess whether it meets the conditions.
