Write an Essay in less than 1 Day

Essay Outline
An essay is about making an argument, not simply a narrative listing of ideas. So take a stand and build a clear argument! Do you state a clear position at the beginning? Do you maybe try to spell out 2-4 general reasons why you think your position is correct? Do you take each of those reasons one at a time and support each reason with examples from the reading?. So usually, the thing that separates a “B” from and “A” isn’t the facts you know. It’s the argument you make with those facts.

1. Preliminary Web Research (15 min) Google Scholar for ideas. Here you are looking for a springboard to build your Thesis and Arguments/Evidences. List all facts. save citations and quotes. Use Word & Cornell Note Template to copy and paste web articles for quick review. Our Pre-built Word Template for Cornell Notes.
   
2. Develop a great Thesis (45 mins)
   
3. Write a Killer Introduction (15min) - 1-2 introductory sentences + Thesis statement
   
4. Brainstorm (30 min) how to defend your Thesis statement - write down key "mini-thesis" arguments, for each supporting paragraphs
   
5. For each argument/evidence phrase into question format for additional Google search
6. Time to Write (4-5 hrs) - select best arguments (with citations), use as introduction for each supporting paragraphs
7. Think of critics (1hr) and what they might say about your arguments. Strengthen by responding and answering objections
8. Summarize your thesis (30 min) - wrap-up by restating thesis (with some support). Leave the Prof. with something to think about!
   
9. Clean-up (1hr) - trim the fat. Eliminate everything that does not support Thesis, weaken arguments.
10. Get a 2nd opinion
    

Common Knowledge is not Plagiarizing!

How to Paraphrase
Paraphrase ("...") a lot but cite your source. Rearrange words, use synonyms, add a new sentence.

For example, consider this sentence from the Zebra article on Wikipedia:
“The Plains Zebra (Equus quagga, formerly Equus burchelli) is the most common, and has or had about twelve subspecies distributed across much of southern and eastern Africa.”

If I were writing a report on Zebras, I might write something like:
“The most common Zebra in Africa, the Plains Zebra, has around twelve subspecies scattered around both southern and eastern Africa. Currently, the Plains Zebra is known as Equus quagga, but was known as Equus burchelli previously.”

I took the basic facts presented in the original article, rearranged words and used synonyms, and then added a new sentence based on what was in parenthesis. Paraphrasing is essential, especially for long reports based on information in textbooks, biographies, and the like. Remember to always cite your sources (even if you aren’t taking direct quotes, because ideas are property of the person who came up with them). I feel that you can stretch most sentences if you need more length on your paper.