Essay assignments in English exam. To objectify an essay,

Compositions or essays in English are one of the main tasks in the exams. It is written from year to year within the framework of the Unified State Examination, and new generations of graduates will write it. According to rumors, big changes in attestation in foreign languages are approaching: in 2020, all Russian schools are going to conduct a trial exam in Chinese. But there are no plans to cancel the English essay, so let's focus on writing it in 2018.

English-speaking countries have their own analogues of the USE: in the UK these are A-level exams, in the USA - SAT and ACT. The tests are not easy, but quite doable. Before writing an essay in English, read this article - we tried to make it as useful and practical as possible. And if you had to take a break in learning English - by all means.

Essay structure in English

Is writing essays easy for you? Unfortunately, this will hardly help in writing an English essay. On the other hand, this is not bad, because you do not have to show creative originality at all costs - it is much more important to know and follow the rules and criteria for writing an essay in English. And the structure, or, more simply, the plan of an essay in English is known:

header. Essay title. Directly depends on the topic given in the ticket. The title of the essay should be short, but expressive and capacious. Practice using English essay topics from previous years.

Introduction. The introductory part of the essay, the task of which is to briefly describe its essence. Brief - this is usually 2 to 4 simple sentences.

Main part. The most voluminous and meaningful part of the essay. It is here that the main tasks of the essay are revealed. The main part evaluates your ability to develop a topic using logical arguments. The approximate volume of this part is 2-3 paragraphs of 3-4 sentences each.

Conclusion. The final of the essay, in which you need to draw conclusions based on the reasoning of the main part. A couple of sentences are enough to sum up and finish the text beautifully.

An essay plan is a written reflection of the structure of an essay. Only next to each item, from 1 to 4, write a suitable title for this section. And in the letter, separate the structural parts with paragraphs. Write the title in the center of the sheet; start the introduction on a new line; divide the main part into 2-3 paragraphs according to the meaning; State the conclusion in the last paragraph of the text: For example:

(colored markers are used for clarity, they do not need to be used in the examination paper).

Topics and types of essays in English with examples

The types of essays in English are, in fact, their styles. Usually, the exam ticket contains a detailed description of the task: the topic and style of the essay. There are three possible styles, and we will consider each of them in detail.

Opinion essays, or opinion essays.

The main feature of this text is a first-person narrative, during which you must defend your definite point of view on the subject of the topic with arguments. The main task is to demonstrate your own thoughts and the ability to justify them.

For and against essays, or essays for and against.

This is the same type of essay that in Russian we used to call “essay-reasoning”. Its main feature is the presence of arguments that reveal the topic from different (preferably opposite) points of view. The plan is this:

Suggesting solutions to problem essays, or problem solving.

The simplest and at the same time complex type of essay in English. Its job is to test your vocabulary. The theme of such an essay becomes some global, well-known problem. You need to be told how you can solve it and / or how to put up with it. In plan it looks something like this:

Even if the exam task does not directly indicate the style of the text, you will immediately understand how to write an essay, depending on the topic. For example, an essay on a topic about sports may contain arguments for (health) and against (injuries). The topic related to ecology will be maximally disclosed in the essay-solving the problem.

Speech clichés for an essay in English

There are certain phrases, even phrases that help to write an essay in English. Their first advantage is that you have certain “support points”, guidelines for building proposals. And secondly, they let the examiners understand that you own these speech structures and can correctly apply them in the text. Here are examples of basic verbal clichés for essays in English:

This essay deals with...

This assignment will examine...

This report will analyze...

First(ly) ... second(ly) ... third(ly)

To begin with ... then ... to conclude (To begin ... then ... finally)

Owing to/owing to the fact that

It is believed that...

It cannot be argued that...

Try not to repeat the same words. It will be great if you can enrich the synonymic series. Even if sentences are similar in structure, use synonyms. For example, to contrast: but, however, on the other hand, yet; for examples: for example, that is; for additions: similarly, moreover, furthermore, in addition; for enums: then, after that, ultimately; in conclusion: therefore, consequently, as a result, thus.

And remember - pure and concise speech is always preferable to florid and complex, in which you yourself are confused. First, think and structure in order to understand exactly how to write an essay in English. Then on paper the text will turn out to be collapsible and without errors. Good luck on your exam!

The assignment contains a statement. You need to write an essay-reasoning in which you express your own opinion regarding this statement (opinion essay).

WRITING AN ESSAY IN THE USE 2018 IN ENGLISH

The essay should be clearly structured and include the following parts (each begins with a new paragraph):

Introduction. Here you should indicate the problem indicated in the assignment. It is important to paraphrase it, not rewrite it word for word. For example, task “In order to get a good academy one should go abroad” can be reformulated like this: “Nowadays, the problem of studying abroad causes great argument and controversy” . This thesis should also be supplemented with a small comment-explanation. You can end the introduction with a rhetorical question.
Expression of one's own opinion. In this paragraph, it is necessary to briefly reflect your personal attitude to this problem and back it up with 2-3 detailed arguments. It is important that the arguments are convincing, capacious and logical. Arguments are introduced using universal linking words and phrases.
Expression of opposite opinion. The third paragraph of the essay should contain the point of view of the opponent. This thesis also needs to be supported by 1-2 arguments. It is important that the opponent has 1 fewer arguments (i.e., if you have three arguments in the 2nd paragraph, there should be two in the 3rd), because our goal is to prove ourselves right.
Disagreement with the opinion of opponents. Here you should refute the opponent's opinion, express your disagreement and support it with 1-2 counterarguments. Remember that you are giving counterarguments to the opponent's arguments, their number should be the same (2 arguments of the opponent = 2 of your counterarguments).
Conclusion. The last paragraph should contain a generalized conclusion regarding the issue under discussion, which is also supplemented by a commentary. You can use a generic phrase that will make the reader think about the problem.

Work plan for task No. 40

I. Read the stimulus phrase carefully

II. 1 paragraph: introduction to the problem See in the task 2 opposite points of view Paraphrase the phrase Write 3 sentences 2 paragraph: your opinion 2-3 arguments 3 paragraph: opposite opinion 1-2 arguments 4 paragraph: counterarguments DO NOT list your already named arguments 5 paragraph: conclusion Rephrase 1 paragraph

III. Join paragraphs with introductory words.

V. Check spelling and punctuation (be sure to separate introductory words with a comma)

Below is a table with sample introductory words and phrases.

STRUCTURE OF THE ESSAY IN THE USE 2018 IN ENGLISH

Paragraph	Sentence	Sample
1. Introduction	Problem designation	nowadays,		the problem of … causes great argument and controversy.
		In today's world
				the issue of … is considered to be a matter of common concern/the main concern of …
	Comment on the problem	Some people believe that … while others think…
		On the one hand, ... on the other hand ... .
	Rhetorical question	Where is the truth?
		Who is right?
2. Expressing one's own opinion	Thesis	In my opinion, …
		As for me, I believe that…
		My personal view is that…
	1 argument	to begin with,
		to start with,
		firstly,
	2 argument	What is more
		Furthermore,
		Secondly,
	3 argument	finally,
		Additionally,
		thirdly,
3. Expression of an opposite opinion	Thesis	However, there exists another point of view on this issue.
		Nevertheless, one can consider this problem from another angle.
	1 argument	first of all,
		The first thing to be considered is …
	2 argument	Another fact is that…
		besides,
4. Disagreeing with the opinion of opponents	Thesis + 1st counterargument	Despite my respect for this opinion, I cannot share it because …
		Nevertheless, I cannot agree with this statement, because…
	2nd counterargument	Moreover, one should not ignore the fact that…
		Finally…
5. Conclusion	Output		in conclusion,		I would like to say that	the problem of… is still to be discussed.
			Taking into consideration all mentioned above,			It is impotant to understand…
	A comment		As far as I am concerned, the point is to…

UNIVERSAL ESSAY TEMPLATE IN ENGLISH

Nowadays, the problem of … causes great argument and controversy. Some people believe that … while others think … . Who is right?

In my opinion, … . To begin with, … . What is more, … . Additionally, in addition… .

However, there exists another point of view on this issue. First of all, … . Besides, … .

Despite my respect for this opinion, I cannot share it because… . ….

In conclusion, I would like to say that the problem of … is still to be discussed. As far as I am concerned, the point is to…

Another template:

Opinion essay template
What can be written in each paragraph (sample template):

1) The problem of _____ (topic) ______ has always aroused heated debates. Some people are convinced that ___________. However, the others believe ___________. Let us speculate what makes them think so.

2) I cannot but agree that ______ (an opinion you agree with) _____. Firstly, _____(first argument)______. Secondly, _____(second argument)______. Thirdly, _____(third argument)______.

3) Some opponents might argue that ______ (opinion with which you disagree) ______. They suggest that ______(first argument of opponents)______. Moreover, ______(second argument of opponents)______.

4) Nevertheless, I do not support the above mentioned ideas . One should take into account the fact that ______( destruction arguments opponents) ______. Besides, ______(destruction of opponents' arguments)______.

5) All in all, ______ (an opinion you agree with) ______. Despite the arguments of various skeptics I am convinced that our ______(SOCIETY / PLANET / FAMILIES / CHILDREN / ENVIRONMENT / SENIORS / SOULS)______ need(s) ______( briefly opinion, from which youagree) ______.

Thus, we already have 76 words, and they seriously facilitate the work on the essay!

SAMPLE OF THE READY ESSAY OF THE USE IN ENGLISH

Comment on the following statement:

In order to get a good adecation one should go abroad.

What is your opinion? Write 200–250 words. Use the following plan:

− make an introduction (state the problem)

− express your personal opinion and give 2–3 reasons for your opinion

− express an opposing opinion and give 1–2 reasons for this opposing opinion

− explain why you don't agree with the opposing opinion

− make a conclusion restating your position

Examples of finished essays:

One language for the whole planet. Pros and cons

No doubt that learning languages takes up a lot of time. That is why some people think that it would be better to have only one language on our planet. But will it be really beneficial for mankind?

In my opinion, the reduction of the number of languages is a disaster because it will totally destroy our great cultural heritage. With each loss of a language comes a loss of a culture, a loss of a way of life that deserves to be protected and treated as valuable. I also believe that leaving one language for communication will greatly reduce the linguistic diversity of our planet, which is the key to our survival. What is more, it will be rather difficult to choose which language to use and it may even lead to wars.

Many people think that if we have only one language, communication will become easier and there will be no need to learn foreign languages. I cannot agree with them because knowledge of foreign languages makes a person educated and well rounded. You cannot broaden your mind if you see the world only from the perspective of your own culture. Besides, people are a lot more helpful if you speak their language.

In conclusion, I would argue that we should try our best to preserve the linguistic diversity of our planet. I think that larger cultures should have a respect for minority languages, but first of all the younger generation must want to preserve their native language.

Animals in the zoo. What do you think about it. Is it fair

There are a lot of zoos in the world and millions of people visit them every year. But are zoos harmful or helpful to animals which are caged there?

I strongly believe that we should not keep animals in zoos because captivity is not natural for them and it is a constant stress to a wild animal. Keeping animals in zoos harms them by denying them freedom of movement and association. What is more, zoos are like prisons for animals as they live in small cages and do not get necessary food. In addition, animals become very aggressive and unpredictable as they get older and often attack zoo keepers and other people.

However, most people think that zoos help endangered species survive. But this is not true because most rare animals are extremely difficult to breed in captivity. Besides, in zoos, it is almost impossible to meet the animals’ natural needs. Another argument for keeping animals in zoos is that people learn something new about these animals. Actually, zoos do not teach us much because animals do not act the way they would in the wild. I think we can learn more about animals by watching wildlife programs on TV.

In conclusion, I would argue that zoos do not seem to help endangered species and keeping animals behind bars only for the sake of our entertainment is not quite fair. In my opinion, people must create nature reserves, where wild animals will be able to live in their natural environment.

Prohibition of cars in the centers of big cities. For or against

There is no doubt that the invention of the car changed the world and nowadays we can hardly find a family without a car. Nevertheless, some people are against cars, especially in the centers of big cities.

In my opinion, cars should not be allowed into the city centers as they add to pollution and poison the air we breathe. We must also think about the people who live in the center and suffer from the noise made by cars. The streets in the center are usually narrow therefore people are moreover often stuck in traffic for many hours and, as a result, arrive late at their destination. Finally, with ho cars in centers city, there would be no need for large ugly car parks, which would allow more space for parks.

However, many people believe we would not be able to survive without cars because most of the products for shops and other businesses are transported by cars. Besides, they are afraid that public transport would be overloaded. I am sure it is possible to solve these problems by introducing a reliable high frequency tram service as well as developing the underground. As for goods, we could use electric vehicles for their delivery.

To sum up, I believe that a clean, reliable and environmentally friendly public service would encourage people to use public transport and help smooth the transition to a car-free zone.

Learning a foreign language is the best thing to do in a country where it is spoken. Do you agree

Nowadays people spend lots of money in order to go to an English-speaking country to improve their language skills. But is it really the most effective way of learning a language? In my view, studying in a foreign country has certain drawbacks.

Firstly, this way is very expensive as the tuition fee for overseas students is rather high. Besides, when you study abroad, you have to adapt to a very different way of life, which can be quite stressful. What is more, English teachers do not speak Russian so if you don’t know English well, you will not understand their explanation.

It is often assumed that it is better to study a language abroad because you can always use it speaking with native speakers. However, I doubt that we will have lots of opportunities to speak abroad as we do not know many people there. It is also believed that Russian teachers are not as qualified as those in England. I totally disagree with this opinion because Russian teachers can compare two languages and explain grammar rules better.

To sum up, I would argue that the best way to learn a language is to study it in your native country because you can always get the necessary help from your teachers. Moreover, today we have lots of opportunities to improve our skills such as communicating with English pen-friends over the Internet. I think that we should travel abroad so as to practice a language but not to study it.

Foreign languages. Now in schools they study 2-3 languages. Pros and cons

Most people understand that without knowledge of foreign languages it is difficult to survive in the modern world. Therefore they send their children to schools where they can study two or even three foreign languages. However, is it good to study several languages simultaneously?

On the one hand, foreign languages are the main part of our culture so they help us to expand our outlook. We cannot broaden our minds if we see the world only from the perspective of our own culture. In addition, learning languages is a good exercise for the intellect. Moreover, if pupils know at least one foreign language, they learn new languages much faster.

On the other hand, many pupils find it confusing to learn two or three languages at a time, especially languages that are similar, because children usually mix up lots of words. Besides, some languages are tricky enough to learn. For example, in English there are more exceptions than rules. In this case, children can be overloaded with homework. More than that, some pupils do not know their native language well and learning several foreign languages could prevent them from mastering their own language.

In conclusion, I want to say that learning languages is extremely beneficial and I would like to know different foreign languages. However, I believe children should not learn too many languages at the same time so as not to get confused. They ought to get a solid base in one language before they start learning a new one.

Internet. Pros and cons

We live in the age of information technology and nowadays the Internet is nearly as common as the telephone. No doubt that it is a unique invention, which has influenced all areas of our lives. However, some people consider the Internet one of the greatest evils of our time.

On the one hand, the Internet is very useful, because it lets us access a world of facts, figures and knowledge. In addition, with the Internet, it is now possible to speak to friends and relatives any-where in the world cheaply and quickly. Other services are also available through the Internet such as booking tickets or buying things. Moreover, the Internet allows a lot of talented people to show the world their achievements and makes it easier to find a job.

On the other hand, the Internet can become a disaster for our society, because people spend hours in front of their computers and neglect their everyday duties. Another worry is the activities of cybercriminals. For example, hackers can steal your money or even your property while cyberterrorists may ‘attack’ the world’s computers, causing chaos, and making planes and trains crash. What is more, leaders of different terrorist or oppositional organizations can use the Internet to find new followers.

In conclusion, I strongly believe that despite the criticisms by some and the fears of others, the Internet seems to have changed our world to the better and we must try to make the best use of it.

Cloning. Pros and cons

Recent advances in genetic biology have led us to quite a doubtful situation. People all over the world argue whether human cloning research should be controlled by the government as solving problems connected with human cloning is definitely not a piece of cake.

In my opinion, human cloning experiments are extremely dangerous because there are huge risks of abnormalities in human clones. if clones have been made, they will obviously have serious psychological problems connected with their unusual birth. Finally, there is no doubt that human cloning will change our perception of what is the value of a human life as we might change from having children to manufacturing them.

However, scientists claim that human cloning could be very beneficial as therapeutic cloning could provide stem cells for regenerative medicine and tissues for transplantation. Besides, re-productive cloning will probably give parents who are both infertile an opportunity to have children. I am afraid that this technology is not safe enough to use on humans. It is also possible that clones will age quicker since the cell used in the cloning procedure has already been used in a real life individual.

To sum up, we must question whether human cloning is really worth it when weighed against the problems it raises. From my point of view, human reproductive cloning should be under the tight control of the government and the UN because it is dangerous to interfere with nature and the consequences can be really disastrous.

Books or computers. Who will win in the future

The latest advances in information technology make people think that schools of the future will use computers instead of printed books. Although electronic books have not been widely accepted yet, they have certain advantages over traditional paper volumes. But will they be able to replace printed books?

In my opinion, students will be widely using computers for studying in the future. To begin with, computers can store lots of books in their memory and modern software allows us to find quickly the necessary information. Besides, with the interactive programs on computers studying will be much more exciting. What is more, electronic books will not degrade overtime like their printed counterparts.

On the other hand, lots of disbelievers argue that computers will not replace printed books because a printed book is better for human eyes than a computer screen. In addition, books are cheaper and easier to use since they do not need electricity or the Internet connection. I cannot agree with this because modern computer screens emit no radiation and allow us to read even in low light conditions. Of course we will have to pay for electricity but I think it will be cheaper than to pay for printed books, which are very expensive nowadays.

To sum up, I think computers and printed books will peacefully coexist for years to come, but in the future technological progress will make it possible for students to carry laptops or even palmtops instead of traditional bags with lots of heavy books.

Computer games. Pros and cons

People have always had different hobbies but technological progress has caused the appearance of computers and computer games, which can keep a child occupied for hours. However, adults consider computer games a complete waste of time.

As for me, I believe computer games are more than mindless entertainment. To begin with, computer games can teach people to achieve their aims as they regularly put obstacles and traps in the way of players which are necessary to overcome in order to progress through the rest of the game. Additionally, computer games can be a valuable source of accidental learning that can be applied to school, home, and social events. Moreover, teachers have also started to appreciate educational games as an opportunity to make their lessons more exciting.

Nevertheless, quite a few people are against this activity as they find it rather addictive and harmful for children’s health. They argue that computer games make students neglect their school work. However, if we learn to control our computer use and play games for an hour just to relax after a hard day at school, this will not do us any harm. What is more, modern technology made it possible to eliminate the bad effect of computers on our eyes.

To sum up, I believe that computer games have more advantages than disadvantages. They make us persistent, develop our logical reasoning and help us to escape from everyday problems. The thing is to find a right balance between virtual reality and everyday reality.

Space. Pros and cons of space exploration

Space exploration can mean a major leap for mankind. However, it is often criticized because the price for these space experiments is too high, especially while poverty still exists in many parts of the world.

On the one hand, space research is extremely beneficial as it advances technology. As a result of this work, we have lots of inventions, which have made our lives much more comfortable. In addition, through the exploration of space, we could find new elements, minerals or even discover new laws of physics and eventually learn more about ourselves. What is more, space exploration will allow us to establish a human civilization on another planet as a hedge against the catastrophe that might occur on the Earth.

On the other hand, the benefits of space exploration are not self-evident, no matter how real they are. It costs billions of dollars to fund the projects of space science whereas this money should rather be spent on meeting the needs of the underprivileged. Besides, some of the technology we develop through space science can be used in a destructive manner if it is in the wrong hands. Finally, a travel to space can be dangerous as we may discover something that is extremely harmful for the living beings on Earth.

To conclude, I want to say that space exploration satisfies the human desire for adventure therefore most people are interested in space research. Nevertheless, I believe our governments should find the right balance between social and space programs.

RULES FOR WRITING AN ESSAY IN THE USE

count the words

Be sure to meet the specified volume: 200-250 words (a deviation of 10% in both directions is allowed, i.e. 180-275 words). If the essay is ≤179 words, then 0 points are given for the task. If ≥276 words, then only the first 250 words are checked. Remember that 1 word is everything between two spaces. Hyphens (-), and apostrophes (') are not spaces, so world's, open-minded, UK are counted as one word. Practice writing letters on exam papers - this way you will learn to determine the number of words by eye and spend less time counting them.

Write in a formal style

You can't use abbreviations (only full forms) I am, cannot), as well as start sentences with informal linking words well,also, but). Use the impersonal forms of the verb ( one should). A rich vocabulary and a variety of grammatical and syntactic constructions demonstrate a high level of knowledge of the English language.

Get the timing right

Give yourself 40 minutes to complete this task: 20 minutes for draft, 15 minutes for writing. for a clean and 5 min. for word count and verification. Be sure to proofread your essay before submitting!

Believe in yourself and everything will work out! Good luck with exams!

Hello my beloved readers.

If you are sure that you write great essays - forget about it!

Okay, that's kind of rough. But in reality it turns out to be true. All of us - Russian-speaking people - write essays in Russian perfectly, but when it comes to essays in English for the Unified State Examination, then we start having problems (to put it mildly). The thing is that we do not follow their rules and structure, but we should ...

Therefore, today we will learn how to write an essay correctly, what requirements to obey, and I will also give you ready-made essays so that you can clearly see how they should look.

For high-quality preparation for the exam, you need to use simulators that bring you as close as possible to the exam situation. You can use this trainer here . Train and get 100 points!

What is an essay and its types

Let's start with the main question. It is probably already obvious that an essay is a kind of essay on a specific topic. But everything is not so simple. The first thing to be clearly understood is the difference between the two types of essays. These include essays expressing personal opinion, as well as compositions of the structure "for and against". And here is the difference between them you should know by heart.

Essay Requirements

The main requirement for this assignment in 2017 is the amount of words. Alas, you are limited to 180-275 words. In addition, your essay must be grammatically correct, and vocabulary, of course, must correspond to the level of the language. I do not recommend using words from the Elementary level when you are trying to pass an exam.

Also a very important element in assessing the quality of a written work is its style. Yes, usually we are not very attentive to this aspect. With us, the “richer” and “more informal” language you use, the better. But the British love a clear structure, so I don’t just advise you to do anything other than the formal style of writing, but even forbid it!

Planessay

Plans for different types of essays are also different.

Essay plan for and against

For an essay of the pro-against type, the following structure is usually used:

Introduction.

Start with a clear statement of the existing problem, as well as a sentence that expresses duality.

Arguments for".

Decide on the arguments for. Express them clearly and, most importantly, do not forget that they are still related to the problem.

Arguments against".

Decide on the arguments against. You can even combine them with the previous paragraph. The main thing is that your thoughts are clearly defined and argued.

Conclusion.

In conclusion, summarize what has been said clearly and clearly, but still repeat the controversial topic again, expressing some hope for its solution.

What I usually recommend to my students is to plan your essay before you write it. The worst mistake is to write randomly. Then a lot of mistakes await you, as well as a complete discord in thoughts.

Essay plan "personal opinion"

If you need to express your opinion, then the structure of the text will be completely different:

Introduction.

In this type of essay, the beginning is identical to the previous one: you just need to identify the exciting question.

Expressing your opinion.

Here you express your point of view and give several arguments why you think it is correct. Don't waste all your arguments on this part. One or two will still be useful to you in the future. Here you can give 2-3 arguments.

Expressing an opinion opposite to yours.

Every point of view has its opposite arguments. So imagine them here. Less than two is undesirable.

your counterarguments.

And here already and use those couple of arguments that I advised you to save. In this case, 1-2 will be enough.

Conclusion.

Words- assistants

Essay writing rules are an important step, but it is equally important to use introductory constructions and expressions that will show your level of language proficiency, as well as dilute boring formal text with neutral phrases. Let's see some translation examples:

People say…/ It is thought… - They say…

Firstly… / Secondly… - Firstly/Secondly…

To begin with… - Starting from…

In addition to… - In addition to…

Besides… - Besides…

Despite… - Despite…

As a result ... - As a result ...

On the one hand… on the other hand… - On the one hand… / On the other hand…

The problem is/might be/seems to be…

While ... - While ...

What is more… - Moreover…

Summing up… - Summing up…

In conclusion ... - In conclusion ...

Examples

Of course, I could not leave you with nothing, and not even give a template or sample of how to cope with this task. Read and analyze.

Have household appliances improved the quality of our lives?

Nowadays, many people have a great variety of devices at home that are thought to make our life easier. However, they also have some disadvantages. (Remember to start with a clear problem statement)

On the one hand(don't forget to use introductory words ) , they definitely reduced the amount of time we spend on doing household chores. Cleaning, for example, has become much easier due to the invention of vacuum cleaner. What is more, washing clothes does not seem to be a big problem anymore. Women do it far more quickly than they used to. In addition, the process of cooking for a big family has become much easier. You can have a microwave as long as multi-cooker to prepare food in an hour insteadofspending the whole evening in the kitchen. (In this type of writing, it is important to make a clear structure: write only about the advantages at once, and then only move on to the disadvantages. Or vice versa. But never mix).

However, even though all this equipment was made to save our time, it also encourages people to work more, or spend their free time in front of television or computer. And that does not necessarily make people happy. They become lazier and in case something happens- they will no longer be able to survive without all these appliances.

Summing up, it must be said that although technology has made the life easier it should not define thequality of our lives. (Don't forget to conclude at the end, but thereby emphasize your point of view).

The structure of an essay, as I said, differs depending on the type. Therefore, I will give you an example with a variety of clichés and the second type.

Is it better to go on holiday with family or friends?

It is usually thought that going on holidays with friends is much better than spending free time with your family. I completely disagree with it. ( Similar to the previous comment - don't forget to fix the issue and mention it).

First of all, it is much more economical as parents usually pay for their children so you do not have to spend much of your money. Secondly, it may seem that going on holidays with your parents may be boring, but the reality shows that you can have as much fun with your relatives as you could have with your friends. (We express 2-3 arguments in support of your opinion).

There is also an opinion that spending time with your friend or without your parents makes you more responsible and confident. It is thought that you learn to live on your own. (Do not forget that it is also necessary to indicate someone else's opinion opposite to yours).

I cannot agree with this point of view as the adolescence is the process that cannot be fulfilled during your holidays. And sharing time with you family, on the other hand, strengthens your relationship and encourages you to develop core human values. (Contrasting the new arguments against the counterarguments you've received).

So whether there is a question who to spend your vacation with, make sure that it will be spent with those who love you most-your family. (And, in the end, do not forget to draw the right conclusion, stating your opinion).

Common Mistakes

Of course, no mistakes anywhere. But there are mistakes that are typical for almost 50% of students taking the exam. Therefore, I want to highlight those for which it will be a shame:

Forget about structure. Use informal words, phrasal verbs, or simply inappropriate vocabulary in style and format.
Write abbreviations don't, haven't, etc.
Do not use introductory structures.
Write less or more than the prescribed word limit.
Do not reveal the topic of the essay or “walk away” from it, hoping that you will be appreciated for writing at least something.
Stupid grammar mistakes. It is better to check and correct 10 times.

Guys, if you seriously want to structure your knowledge and improve your skills for the USE 2017 under the guidance of a class teacher:

Quicker sign up for a free introductory lesson at the EnglishDom online school. There determine your level language proficiency, learning weak sides, pick up most suitable a teacher for you, and you can study individually through convenient online platform at the best time for you and at a reasonable cost.

Well, my dears, I am sure that your essay is no worse, and maybe even better. I hope that after today's lesson it will become much easier for you to write, and the word "composition" will move from the category of "oh, what a horror" to the category of "well, wonderful".))

And in order to improve not only your writing skills, but also everything else that you will need when you surrender your formidable three-letter look that frightens everyone - subscribe to my blog mailing list. There I regularly share useful materials, tips and tricks based on personal experience.

Until then, I say goodbye to you.

See you again.

P.S. If you are interested in learning about my experience of passing the entrance exams and just reading my thoughts on this topic, then forward to my article ""

Dear readers!

The purpose of this article is to help you develop or improve your essay writing skills in accordance with the requirements for the exam. I suggest that you first familiarize yourself with these requirements, and then with the structure of the essay and the technology for writing it.

In part C2 of the exam, you will be given an essay writing plan that you need to follow in order to get the highest possible score, i.e. - fourteen.

According to the explanations for the demo version of the Unified State Examination in English 2014, on the official website, task C2 is completed completely if you have shown excellent command of written English according to the following five criteria:

Solving a communicative problem, i.e. the content reflects all aspects specified in the assignment; the style of speech is chosen correctly (neutral style is observed). Maximum - 3 points.
The text is organized as correctly as possible, i.e. the statement is logical, the structure of the text corresponds to the proposed plan; the means of logical connection are used correctly; the text is divided into paragraphs. Maximum - 3 points.
Excellent vocabulary was demonstrated, i.e. the vocabulary used corresponds to the set communicative task; there are practically no violations in the use of vocabulary. Maximum - 3 points.
The correct grammar is used, i.e. grammatical structures are used in accordance with the set communicative task. There are practically no errors (1-2 minor errors are allowed). Maximum - 3 points.
Demonstrated excellent knowledge of spelling and punctuation, i.e. spelling errors are practically absent; The text is divided into sentences with correct punctuation. Maximum - 2 points.

The essay must be a minimum of 180 and a maximum of 275 words. It is important to learn how to write the right amount of words! If you write less than 180 words, then the task is not subject to verification and is estimated at 0 points. If you write more than 275 words, then "only that part of the work that corresponds to the required volume is subject to verification." In other words, everything superfluous will be separated by a line and will not be checked. And if there is no completeness in what was removed in the first 275 words, then the communicative task will not be solved and the maximum score (3) for this criterion will not be given to you. The organization of the text will also be not quite correct, which will also lead to a decrease in points in the second evaluation criterion. You will lose 1 or 2 points.

How to count words? The answer is given in the annex to the demo version of the Unified State Examination in 2014: “When determining the compliance of the volume of the submitted work with the above requirements, all words are read, from the first word to the last, including auxiliary verbs, prepositions, articles, particles. In a personal letter, the address, date, signature are also counted. Wherein:

contracted (short) forms can "t, didn" t, isn "t, I" m, etc. are counted as one word;
numerals expressed in numbers, i.e. 1, 25, 2009, 126 204 etc. count as one word;
numerals expressed in numbers, together with the symbol for percentages, i.e. 25%, 100%, etc. are counted as one word;
numerals expressed in words are counted as words;
compound words such as good-looking, well-bred, English-speaking, twenty-five count as one word;
abbreviations (for example: USA, e-mail, TV, CD-ROM) count as one word.”

Well, now let's talk about the structure of the essay. You will be offered the following plan:

Use the following plan:

make an introduction (state the problem);
express your personal opinion and give 2-3 reasons for your opinion;
express an opposing opinion and give 1-2 reasons for this opposing opinion;
explain why you don't agree with the opposing opinion;
make a conclusion restating your position.

Thus, we see that this is the so-called opinion essay. It involves the statement by the author of a certain idea and defending it. You can defend your opinion:

by argumentation - but this is usually not enough for the exam;
by arguing and refuting the opinions of opponents, which is required in paragraphs 3 and 4 of the essay plan.

In other words, refuting the opinion of opponents, one must first be able to explain why they think so.

Let's take a closer look at each paragraph of the essay plan. Each paragraph is equal to 1 paragraph. Let's say the essay topic is: "Do athletes deserve their high salaries?"

1. First paragraph.

"Make an introduction (state the problem)" - "Introduction".

Two sentences suffice here, because the body of the essay will be voluminous. You can appeal to the reader, urging him to think about the problem of the essay. For example: "Have you ever wondered whether sportsmen's huge salaries should be paid to them?" Or you can simply state the problem: "The issue of high salaries paid to professional athletes has been the subject of a heated debate lately."

Here are some other useful phrases for introducing the topic in the introduction:

"It is common knowledge that ..." - "Everyone knows that ...".
"The / issue / question of ... has always aroused heated / sharp problem disputes / debates / discussions / controversy" - "The problem ... has always caused a lively debate."
“The sight of smb Ving*… is familiar to everyone. But have you ever wondered whether…?” “The sight (of someone doing something) is familiar to everyone. But have you ever wondered… did…?”
“Our modern world is unthinkable / unimaginable / inconceivable without… However, there are plenty of people who believe that it is not necessary / doubt the necessity / importance / use / benefit / good of…” - “Our modern world is unimaginable without… However, there are a lot of people who don't think it's important/question the importance….
"Let's speculate what makes them think so" - "Let's think about what makes them think so."
“There has been a dispute on… Let's speculate who is right: to proponents / defendants / fans of… who claim that… or the opponents / adversaries, who believe in…” (something) who claim that… or opponents who believe in…”.
“…has become an integral / inalienable / imprescriptible part of our life. Let's speculate, however, what stands behind it" - "... has become an integral part of our lives. However, let's think about what's behind it."
"New technology and advances in ... have raised ethical dilemmas" - "New technologies and advances in ... have led to a dilemma that affects the ethical side of this issue."
“…gaining increasing popularity today, many still dispute / doubt / challenge / bring into question / cast doubt on its use for the society” ".
“It is often difficult to decide which position to take whenever there is a debate regarding a choice between… and…”
"Development in... seems to have had an adversary effect on..." - "Development in... seems to have had the opposite effect on...".

*Ving - Participle I = actual participle in Russian. For example: reading - reading, being - being, earning a big salary - earning a big salary.

In our case, we could write the following in the introduction: “The world has often heard about million dollars’ prizes awarded to sports champions. At the same time there has been a dispute on whether athletes should receive such high salaries at all.”

2. Second paragraph.

"Express your personal opinion and give 2-3 reasons for your opinion" - "Your opinion."

Here, in the first paragraph of the main part, you first need to state your opinion and give its justification. It is advisable to give at least 2 arguments with supporting sentences. In total, ideally, you will get 4 sentences for 2 arguments with their support, or 6 sentences for 3 arguments and their complementary proposals.

For example:

“I personally favor high salaries in sports, providing they are earned honestly. (1) Indeed, sportsmen dedicate their whole life to break records and win golden medals. Far from anyone could stand such heavy loads that professional athletes endure on a regular basis.

(2) Secondly, being a professional sportsman is an art of its own, since only talent together with hard work can bring prominent results; and as outstanding persons, champions should be rewarded adequately.

(3) Moreover, high salaries are usually paid to sportsmen by private organizations or governments who expect to get even bigger benefits later. The athlete wins gold to the team attracting further investments into it, or advertises a company’s product.”

Below I offer examples of phrases that introduce an opinion. It can be either yours, or someone else's opinion, or the opinion of the opposite side. Therefore, the pronouns in these phrases can be different.

“I think / I believe / I consider that…” - “I believe / I believe that…”.
"Some opponents of ... might argue / contend that ..." - "Some opponents ... may argue that ...".
"They assume / suppose ..." - "They assume ...".
"I am convinced that ..." - "I am convinced that ...".
"I don't share the above-given view" - "I do not share the above opinion."
"You would probably agree with me that ..." - "You will most likely agree with me that ...".
“To my mind… / In my opinion… / It seems to me that…” - “In my opinion… / It seems to me that…”.
"They look upon it as ..." - "They look at it as ...".
"I can't but agree that ..." - "I cannot but agree that ...".
“They are in favor* of… / They approve of… / They favor…” - “They are for… / They approve…”.
“I am against… / I don't approve of… / I don't support the idea of… / I personally frown on… ... "
“It is said / believed that…” - “It is believed that…”.
"...is believed to V1**" - "It is believed that someone is doing something ...".
“It goes without saying that…” - “It goes without saying that…”.

* to favor - American spelling; respectively, to favor - British. When writing a letter and essay, you must follow either ONLY the British or ONLY the American version, i.e. ensure uniformity. Otherwise, you may lose points.

** to V1 = indefinite / initial form of the verb (infinitive), for example: to live, to cause, to lead to, to result in. In this expression, the subject performs the action expressed by the indefinite form of the verb. For example: "Sport is believed to take away health and free time" - "It is believed that sport takes away health and free time."

3. Third paragraph.

“Express an opposing opinion and give 1-2 reasons for this opposing opinion” - “Opinion of opponents”.

In the next paragraph of the body of the essay, you need to give the opinion of opponents and explain why they think so. It is enough to use 2 arguments, each of which is expressed by two applications. Here again, the table of phrases that introduce an opinion, given above, may come in handy.

For example:

“A lot of people think that athletes’ salaries are really overrated. Firstly, in their opinion, many sportsmen take doping. So their results may not reflect exceptional efforts. Secondly, opponents of high salaries in sport claim that there are occupations which are more important for our society, like scientists, for example, whose achievements help progress.”

4. Fourth paragraph.

"Explain why you don't agree with the opposing opinion" - "Refutation of the opinion of opponents."

In the next paragraph of the main part, it is necessary to refute the conviction of opponents. This is the most difficult part of the essay. Because it is always easier to come up with arguments "for" or "against", but to find in them incorrectness, irrelevance or inconsistency is another effort of your logic. In some cases, you need to try to be tactful, recognizing the relevance or regularity of the opposition's opinion. But at the same time, one must be able to find the weaknesses of the point of view under consideration and provide additional information that fills in the gaps in their logical sufficiency.

In our case with athletes, the doping argument sounds quite weighty, but it has a logical weakness - doping control is forgotten, as well as sacrificing one's free time, as in the case of scientists. Therefore, this argument can be refuted as follows:

“That may be true, but isn’t there doping control which is aimed at disqualifying cheating athletes? As for scientists, yes, they deserve high incomes for their inventions, but sportsmen, not less than scientists, devote all their free time to get outstanding results, sacrificing rest, health and private life.”

Here are other phrases that can be used when refuting or questioning the opinions of opponents:

“To a certain extent, it is right, but isn’t there…? / don't smb V1? /…” - “To some extent it is, but doesn’t it exist…? / isn't (someone doesn't do something)."
“To a certain extent, it is right, but we shouldn’t forget that… / we consider should the fact that… / we shouldn’t underestimate… / one shouldn’t disregard… / one should take into account…” - “ To some extent this is true, but we must not forget that ... / we must take into account the fact that ... / we must not underestimate ... / we must not neglect ... / we must take into account ... ".
"However veracious it sounds, I wouldn't agree with the above mentioned idea" - "However true it may sound, I would not agree with the idea mentioned above."
"Defenders of… may be applauded for seeking to V1, but what they propose would in fact seriously damage / decrease / threaten, etc." “You can applaud the defenders…for their attempts (to do something), but what they are proposing is actually seriously harming/reducing/threatening….”
"However, I disagree with these contentions" - "However, I do not agree (sleep) with these points of view."
“While… could lessen / worsen / decrease, etc… this is a small loss that could be offset by…”
“However, this idea cannot go further than being an immature claim because / since…” - “However, this idea cannot be anything but a superficial statement, because…”.
“This point has merit on the surface and could be acceptable to an extent. Yet, serious doubts can be raised against this view when one considers…” - “This view has some advantages on the surface and can be accepted to some extent. At the same time, this idea can be called into question when we consider…”.

5. Last paragraph.

"Make a conclusion restating your position" - "Conclusion".

Here you need to give your opinion, but in other words, thus stating it again. It is more professional to state a generalization or make an additional observation in the conclusion. Be sure to try to avoid repeating phrases that have already been written. According to the specification of the FIPI control and measuring materials in 2014, “if more than 30% of the answer is unproductive (i.e. textually matches the published source), then 0 points are given according to the criterion“ Solving the communicative problem ”, and, accordingly, the entire task scores 0 points. Therefore, it is not recommended to repeat the words in the task. Express your main idea in different words. How to do it?

In our case, it might sound like this:

“All in all, sports stars really deserve their huge incomes due to the uniqueness and social value of their achievements. Evidently, it is the feature of a market economy where famous personalities of sportsmen are in demand being used to promote goods.”

Here we have characterized the profession of athletes in terms of their value to society, i.e. they looked at it not from the side of the athlete himself or his manager, but from the side of society.

Other phrases for writing a conclusion can be as follows:

"To conclude / sum up, / in conclusion ..." - "In conclusion ...".
"All in all ..." - "In general ...".
"All things considered ..." - "Given all of the above ...".
“Taking everything into account… / Taking all this into account / consideration…” - “Considering all this…”.
“…is a controversial issue, so it is up to a person whether to V1 or to V’1. Yet, I am convinced that ... "-" ... a controversial issue, so everyone here must decide personally (to do something or not to do something). And yet I am convinced that…”
“Although numerous skeptics frown on… our society need(s)…”
“But to all who… I have only one response: we cannot afford to wait / ignore / neglect / disregard…”

Here's what we ended up with:

“The world has often heard about million dollars’ prizes awarded to Olympic champions. At the same time there has been a dispute on whether athletes should receive such high salaries at all.

I personally favor high salaries in sports. Indeed, sportsmen dedicate their whole life to break records and win golden medals. Far from anyone could stand such heavy loads that professional athletes endure permanently. Secondly, being a professional sportsman is an art of its own, since only talent together with hard work can bring prominent results; and as outstanding persons, champions should be rewarded adequately. Moreover, high salaries are usually paid to sportsmen by private organizations or governments who expect to get even bigger benefits later. The athlete wins gold to the team attracting further investments into it, or advertises a company’s product.

A lot of people however think that athletes’ salaries are really overrated. Firstly, in their opinion, many sportsmen take doping. So their results may not reflect exceptional efforts. Secondly, opponents of high salaries in sport claim that there are occupations which are more important for our society, like scientists, for example, whose achievements help progress.

That may be true, but isn't there doping control which is aimed at disqualifying cheating athletes? As for scientists, yes, they deserve high incomes for their inventions, but sportsmen, not less than scientists, devote all their free time to get outstanding results, sacrificing rest, health and private life.

All in all, fortunes are earned in sports unquestionably due to the uniqueness and social value of their achievements. Evidently, it is the feature of a market economy where famous personalities of sportsmen are used to promote goods.”

Only 275 words.

So, we examined the requirements for writing an essay in the USE in English, as well as the features of the content of each of the paragraphs of the essay, sorted out their communicative features. Simply put, we realized how to write an essay. But what exactly to write specifically in each individual topic is another question that will be covered in the article “How to learn to generate thoughts when writing the exam in English and other languages and how to maximize the baggage of pre-prepared thoughts.”

The ability to write an essay requires a fairly high level of knowledge of the language. And few people know this art. We will give you some very useful tips for writing an essay or essay in English, which will come in handy more than once in your life.

Training

It's difficult, but start early. The sooner you start thinking about the topic of the essay, the more time you will have to collect material. When your brain is set to think about a question, the information seems to catch your eye.

The same thing happens when you memorize a new word: it begins to seem that it occurs more often in the text. The thing is that you become more receptive to a certain type of information, paying more attention to it.

To begin with, it is best to sketch out what you know about the topic of the essay: perhaps you know even more than you thought. This will give you ideas on which direction to go next. To act purposefully, make a plan and formulate a preliminary set of questions. When you start to study the material, you will have new, more specific questions, and you will be able to look for answers already to them.

How to overcome the "fear of a blank slate"

Even the most experienced writer at the beginning of work on a new work is sometimes visited by feelings of indecision and fear. But, as they say, the main thing is not in the desire and not in the ability: just start writing. It doesn't matter where you start: the main thing is not to stop writing and for the time being do not worry about style and spelling. Make preliminary sketches of the main ideas of the story and after that proceed to the design of the structure of your future creation.

If you write on a computer, it will not be difficult for you to swap fragments of what you have written, grouping them differently. If you prefer paper and pen, leave a space of one or two lines between abstracts so that you can add something later.

You can even take scissors and cut the sheet into strips to make this process easier. Try to arrange the future essay in the order of development of the main idea. If as a result you get the “golden three”: the beginning (introduction), the middle (the main part of the essay) and the ending (conclusion), then you did everything right.

General essay structure

Introduction

The introduction should contain some commentary on the topic of the essay - perhaps definitions of key concepts or an explanation of how you understand the question. Also in this section, you need to list which aspects of the topic you will consider and why.

Remember that an essay is not a novel, so you need to choose only a few main arguments that reveal the topic. The introduction should give a clear idea of what will be discussed next, and the teacher should see that you are answering a specific set of questions.

So a good introduction should:

demonstrate your intention to answer the question;
show that you understand the topic;
outline the structure of your answer and the main aspects that you will consider (your plan);
confirm that you have done some research and cite one of your sources;
fully correspond to the topic;
be concise and occupy about 8-9% of the total text (for example, 120 words in a 1500-word essay).

Note: For those who find it easier to navigate not in the number of words, but in the number of characters, the following formula is useful: on average, one English word is taken as 6 characters (including spaces), that is, a 500-word essay contains approximately 3000 characters with spaces.

Start your essay with a key phrase that will indicate the direction of your answer. For example:

This essay deals with... ( « This essay is about... » )
This assignment will examine... ( « This work examines... » )
This report will analyze... ( « This report analyzes... » )

Use the same or similar wording as in the essay topic. If the question sounds like "Discuss recent developments in communication technology" ("Consider current developments in communication technology"), then in the introduction you can write: "This essay will consider recent developments in the field of communication technology ..." ("In this The essay will examine current developments in communication technology...”). More certainty: leave no room for the reader to doubt.

You can also use these words and expressions to highlight your work plan, for example:

The essay is divided into four sections... ("This essay consists of four parts...")
It will first consider...
It will then continue to describe...
The third part compares...
Finally, some conclusions will be drawn as to...

Main part

The main body should explain each of the arguments using examples and illustrations. Information should be clearly divided logically (for this, the text is divided into paragraphs). You need to think over the structure of the essay and make sure that the body of the essay logically leads to a conclusion.

Conclusion

The conclusion should summarize the ideas expressed. Here it is necessary to answer the question formulated in the topic of the essay. Or, depending on the topic, indicate the prospects or consequences of the problem under consideration.

Also, in this section, you can formulate related topics worthy of further reflection and express personal views - if they are supported by the arguments that you have given earlier.

A good conclusion is:

not just summarizing. The conclusion should be a thoughtful conclusion to the work, for example, applying what has been written to a real situation.
quintessence, that is, a short list of the main ideas. It is worth referring to the introduction and draw parallels using the same keywords or images, but using a different wording. Do not repeat word for word.
reinforcing the ideas of the main part of the work. Different types of essays require different conclusions. A short work does not need a detailed repetition of the main ideas, but a longer one may need it.
perhaps a suggestive question, a vivid image, a quote, if appropriate.
as an option - a forecast of results or consequences, a possible solution, a call to action.

However, there are points that should be avoided in the conclusion of the essay:

come up with completely new ideas. If they are really important, include them in the body.
use an apologetic tone. Be confident in your statements. Avoid phrases like "I may not be an expert" or "At least this is my opinion" ("I may not be an expert" or "At least I think so").
focus on too small details.
refute the validity of previous arguments.

According to many teachers, the conclusion is the most important part of the essay. In it, you demonstrate that you have a good command of the material and thoughtfully approached the consideration of the problem. Don't worry if the conclusion forces you to rewrite other parts of the text. Actually, this is a good sign!

As a general idea of the length of each section, you can use the following formula (this is a recommendation, but not a hard and fast rule):

Introduction - 7-8% of the essay volume
Conclusion - 12-15% of the essay volume

Do not overuse complex words and expressions, but avoid slang and abbreviations. In general, try to write in short, simple sentences, breaking them up with longer ones from time to time. The goal is to state the essence clearly and clearly so that the reader can easily follow the course of thought and not be distracted by extraneous reasoning (also read about styles in English).

Needless to say, there should be no grammatical and spelling errors in the essay - make every effort to do so. In addition, you need to remember that you are not writing for yourself, but for another person, so punctuation, division into sentences and paragraphs, general structure - all this should help the reader.

Avoid elements of colloquial speech:

do not use abbreviations (don "t, they're, it's), always use the full form;
do not use slang and colloquial expressions (kid, a lot of/lots of, cool);
write to the point and do not deviate from the topic;
try to avoid phrasal verbs (get off, get away with, put in - more about phrasal verbs), use one-word synonyms;
avoid too general words (all, any, every), be specific and precise;
do not abuse brackets, exclamation marks.

Stick to the academic style:

if possible, avoid first-person personal pronouns (I, my, we, our);
avoid too categorical judgments and generalizations;
support what is said with quotes and data indicating sources;
Gender equality is important in English: when talking about an abstract person, use person instead of man. Whenever possible, it is better to pluralize the subject and use the pronoun they instead of he or she;
use the active voice whenever possible, do not complicate the sentences. For example, instead of "Crime was increasing rapidly and the police were becoming concerned," write: "The rapid increase in crime was causing concern among the police." police").

Strive to give the text objectivity:

use impersonal constructions: It is believed that... (“It is believed that ...”) , It cannot be argued that ... (“Undoubtedly ...”);
use the passive voice if you do not want to indicate the performer of the action: Tests have been conducted ("Tests were conducted ...");
use non-categorical verbs, for example: suggest (offer, suggest, express an opinion), claim (assert, declare), suppose (consider, believe, assume);
to show your attitude to the issue, but to avoid personal judgments, you can use adverbs: apparently (obviously), arguably (probably), ideally (ideally), strangely (strange), unexpectedly (unexpectedly);
use modal verbs would, could, may, might to soften the categoricalness;
to avoid generalizations, use qualifying adverbs: some (some), several (several), a minority of (smaller part), a few (several), many (many).

paragraphs

Each paragraph usually touches on one aspect of the main idea. The two paragraphs may touch on different aspects, but be interrelated - for example, cause and effect, positive and negative sides, the state of affairs before or after.

Sometimes the first sentence of a paragraph is introductory, that is, explaining what will be discussed.

Connectivity

The logical transition from one paragraph to another sometimes causes serious difficulties for the author. To preserve the coherence of the text, it is necessary to guide the reader, give him signals. Introductory and linking words that perform various functions can help with this. For example:

opposition: but, however, on the other hand, yet;
example: for example, that is;
addition: similarly, moreover, furthermore, in addition;
conclusion: therefore, consequently, as a result, thus;
enum: then, after that, ultimately.

Quotes and links

When you quote a book or other written source, or convey information in your own words, you must include the author's name and publication date. You can do this in the following way:

According to Smith (1998), writing a good essay is difficult at times, but definitely not impossible. (“According to Smith (1998), writing a good essay is sometimes difficult, but certainly possible.”)

Writing a good essay is difficult at times, but definitely not impossible (Smith 1998). (“Writing a good essay is sometimes difficult, but certainly possible (Smith 1998).”)

Checking and editing

"Lifehack": You can dictate an essay on a sound recording device yourself and listen to it. Often this is how it is possible to detect inconsistencies in grammatical structures or inconsistencies in the logical course of things.

Be sure to use a spell checker in a text editor, but don't forget to proofread the text yourself. For example, Word sometimes misses rather curious errors that can greatly spoil the impression of your written work. If you're not sure about something, look it up in a dictionary.

And another useful technique: before you finish the work, set it aside for a couple of hours (even better - for a day) so that you can then return to it with a fresh look. This is another reason why you need to start writing an essay in advance, with enough time left.