What's a Good Essay?

Introduction Always Follow the Directions How to Instruct the Reader How to Delight the Reader How to Move the Reader Take Your Reader on a Trip How to Make the Reader Like You How to Show That You Did the Reading How to Show That You Thought About the Reading How to Show That You Did Additional Reading Other Ways to Make the Reader Like You Five Ways to Turn Off the Reader

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How to Show That You Thought About the Reading

Good writers usually place the specific subject of the essay in relation to one or more of the central points of the book. Doing this shows that you are thoughtful.

Also, a thoughtful essay often challenges something that a quick reader of the book might think. For example, "The frequent jokes in the play lead many readers to think it is a comedy. But the jokes among the main characters hide a pervasive sadness that affects almost everything they do, which makes this play a tragedy."

• Academic Essays
• Admission Essays
• Scholarship Essays
• Essay Writing: First-Person and Third-Person Points of View
• Elements of a Successful Research Paper
• Removing Redundancy: Writing Clearly and Concisely
• Avoiding Commonly Misused Words
• Active Voice vs. Passive Voice
• Choosing an Effective Essay Topic
• An Overview of Literary Genres
• What Makes Classic Literature Classic?
• Determining Your Writing Style
• APA vs. MLA: What Style Guide Do I Use?