COMMENTS

  1. Sample Essays

    Sample Essays. The breadth of Georgetown’s core curriculum means that students are required to write for a wide variety of academic disciplines. Below, we provide some student samples that exhibit the key features the most popular genres.

  2. Example of a Great Essay

    This example guides you through the structure of an essay. It shows how to build an effective introduction, focused paragraphs, clear transitions between ideas, and a strong conclusion. Each paragraph addresses a single central point, introduced by a topic sentence, and each point is directly related to the thesis statement.

  3. How to Write a Formal Essay: Format, Rules, & Example

    A formal essay aims to critically analyze facts, details, and ideas to prove a point. Addresses the reader directly and uses 1st-person pronouns. Uses 3rd-person pronouns and doesn’t address the reader. Expresses the writer’s thoughts and opinions and tends to be more subjective.

  4. Formal Essay Format, Types & Example

    Examples of formal essays include a compare and contrast essay, a cause and effect essay, an expository essay, and a argumentative essay.

  5. Strategies for Essay Writing

    Verbs like analyze, compare, discuss, explain, make an argument, propose a solution, trace, or research can help you understand what you’re being asked to do with an assignment. Unless the instructor has specified otherwise, most of your paper assignments at Harvard will ask you to make an argument.

  6. Definition and Examples of Formal Essays

    In composition studies, a formal essay is a short, relatively impersonal composition in prose. Also known as an impersonal essay or a Baconian essay (after the writings of England's first major essayist, Francis Bacon ).

  7. The Four Main Types of Essay

    The introduction provides your topic and thesis statement. The body presents your evidence and arguments. The conclusion summarizes your argument and emphasizes its importance. The example below is a paragraph from the body of an argumentative essay about the effects of the internet on education.

  8. The Beginner's Guide to Writing an Essay

    To write a strong essay, you need an introduction, a main body organized into paragraphs, and a conclusion. See how it's done with examples.