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Third Grade Essay Writing Worksheets and Printables

• Grades 6-12
• School Leaders

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50 Creative 3rd Grade Writing Prompts (Free Printable!)

Taking the leap from the primary level to the intermediate grades.

Third grade is a huge transitional year in elementary school. Third grade writers have learned foundational concepts and skills and have had time to practice. Now they are developing more complex skills as they dig deeper, learn to make connections, and analyze the topics they write about. Here are 50 third grade writing prompts to help your students master and refine their writing skills.

If you’d like even more upper elementary writing prompts, we publish new ones twice a week on our kid-friendly site: the Daily Classroom Hub . Make sure to bookmark the link!

(Want this entire set in one easy document? Get your free PowerPoint bundle by submitting your email here, so you’ll always have the prompts available!)

1. Tell about a special event in your life.

2. What are you best at?

3. What do you want to learn more about?

4. I could never live without______.

5. If you could go anyplace in the world, where would you go and why?

6. Interview one of your parents or grandparents and ask them to tell you a story from their childhood. Share their story here.

7. Describe one of your favorite book characters. Tell three things about their personality.

8. Do you think third graders should have to do chores at home? Why or why not?

9. What is something you would change about school if you could?

10. Tell about a time you helped somebody.

11. Tell about a time somebody helped you.

12. Tell about a memorable “first” in your life. For example, the first time you ate a particular kind of food, the first time you met your teacher, etc.

13. Describe step by step how to make a pizza.

14. What does it mean to be a hero?

15. I am afraid of _______ because_______.

16. What is the difference between being polite and rude? Give three examples.

17. What is the most important rule in the classroom?

18. What are the three most important qualities you look for in a friend?

19. Do you think kids should be assigned homework? Why or why not?

20. Nature gives us many beautiful things—plants, animals, water, weather, stars and planets, etc. What is one of your favorite things in nature and why?

21. If I were a spider, I’d _______.

22. Three things that make me happy are ______.

23. What is your favorite holiday and why?

24. Tell about one of your family’s unique traditions.

25. If you could have a pet, what would you choose? How would you take care of it?

26. Write about a dream you recently had.

27. Tell about a person that inspires you and why.

28. Name five things you are thankful for and why you are thankful for them.

29. What are ways you can be a good citizen?

30. When you and a friend disagree, how do you work it out?

31. What do you think the world will be like in one hundred years?

32. What is your favorite type of weather? Why?

33. What superpower do you wish you had? Why?

34. What famous person would you like to meet? Why?

35. In your opinion, which animal makes the best pet? Give three reasons for your answer.

36. If someone gave you $100, how would you spend it?

37. Should third graders have cell phones? Why or why not?

38. If you could be an Olympic athlete, what sport would you participate in?

39. Write about your “getting ready for school” routine.

40. Write about your “getting ready for bed” routine.

41. If you could travel through time like Jack and Annie in the Magic Tree House, where would you go?

42. In your opinion, what does a perfect weekend look like?

43. Write about the last time you felt really angry. What happened and how did it all work out?

44. Pretend there was a special zoo where animals could talk. Which animal would you talk to and what are three questions you would ask?

45. What is your favorite thing with wheels? Why?

46. Tell the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears from the point of view of Baby Bear.

47. What do you think would grow if you planted a magic bean?

48. Which would you rather be able to do—fly or read people’s minds? Why?

49. Tell about an adult in your life that you admire.

50. If you were traveling for a week and could only bring a backpack, what would you pack?

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Essay Writing: A complete guide for students and teachers

P LANNING, PARAGRAPHING AND POLISHING: FINE-TUNING THE PERFECT ESSAY

Essay writing is an essential skill for every student. Whether writing a particular academic essay (such as persuasive, narrative, descriptive, or expository) or a timed exam essay, the key to getting good at writing is to write. Creating opportunities for our students to engage in extended writing activities will go a long way to helping them improve their skills as scribes.

But, putting the hours in alone will not be enough to attain the highest levels in essay writing. Practice must be meaningful. Once students have a broad overview of how to structure the various types of essays, they are ready to narrow in on the minor details that will enable them to fine-tune their work as a lean vehicle of their thoughts and ideas.

In this article, we will drill down to some aspects that will assist students in taking their essay writing skills up a notch. Many ideas and activities can be integrated into broader lesson plans based on essay writing. Often, though, they will work effectively in isolation – just as athletes isolate physical movements to drill that are relevant to their sport. When these movements become second nature, they can be repeated naturally in the context of the game or in our case, the writing of the essay.

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Planning an essay

The Boys Scouts’ motto is famously ‘Be Prepared’. It’s a solid motto that can be applied to most aspects of life; essay writing is no different. Given the purpose of an essay is generally to present a logical and reasoned argument, investing time in organising arguments, ideas, and structure would seem to be time well spent.

Given that essays can take a wide range of forms and that we all have our own individual approaches to writing, it stands to reason that there will be no single best approach to the planning stage of essay writing. That said, there are several helpful hints and techniques we can share with our students to help them wrestle their ideas into a writable form. Let’s take a look at a few of the best of these:

BREAK THE QUESTION DOWN: UNDERSTAND YOUR ESSAY TOPIC.

Whether students are tackling an assignment that you have set for them in class or responding to an essay prompt in an exam situation, they should get into the habit of analyzing the nature of the task. To do this, they should unravel the question’s meaning or prompt. Students can practice this in class by responding to various essay titles, questions, and prompts, thereby gaining valuable experience breaking these down.

Have students work in groups to underline and dissect the keywords and phrases and discuss what exactly is being asked of them in the task. Are they being asked to discuss, describe, persuade, or explain? Understanding the exact nature of the task is crucial before going any further in the planning process, never mind the writing process .

BRAINSTORM AND MIND MAP WHAT YOU KNOW:

Once students have understood what the essay task asks them, they should consider what they know about the topic and, often, how they feel about it. When teaching essay writing, we so often emphasize that it is about expressing our opinions on things, but for our younger students what they think about something isn’t always obvious, even to themselves.

Brainstorming and mind-mapping what they know about a topic offers them an opportunity to uncover not just what they already know about a topic, but also gives them a chance to reveal to themselves what they think about the topic. This will help guide them in structuring their research and, later, the essay they will write . When writing an essay in an exam context, this may be the only ‘research’ the student can undertake before the writing, so practicing this will be even more important.

RESEARCH YOUR ESSAY

The previous step above should reveal to students the general direction their research will take. With the ubiquitousness of the internet, gone are the days of students relying on a single well-thumbed encyclopaedia from the school library as their sole authoritative source in their essay. If anything, the real problem for our students today is narrowing down their sources to a manageable number. Students should use the information from the previous step to help here. At this stage, it is important that they:

●      Ensure the research material is directly relevant to the essay task

●      Record in detail the sources of the information that they will use in their essay

●      Engage with the material personally by asking questions and challenging their own biases

●      Identify the key points that will be made in their essay

●      Group ideas, counterarguments, and opinions together

●      Identify the overarching argument they will make in their own essay.

Once these stages have been completed the student is ready to organise their points into a logical order.

WRITING YOUR ESSAY

There are a number of ways for students to organize their points in preparation for writing. They can use graphic organizers , post-it notes, or any number of available writing apps. The important thing for them to consider here is that their points should follow a logical progression. This progression of their argument will be expressed in the form of body paragraphs that will inform the structure of their finished essay.

The number of paragraphs contained in an essay will depend on a number of factors such as word limits, time limits, the complexity of the question etc. Regardless of the essay’s length, students should ensure their essay follows the Rule of Three in that every essay they write contains an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion.

Generally speaking, essay paragraphs will focus on one main idea that is usually expressed in a topic sentence that is followed by a series of supporting sentences that bolster that main idea. The first and final sentences are of the most significance here with the first sentence of a paragraph making the point to the reader and the final sentence of the paragraph making the overall relevance to the essay’s argument crystal clear. 

Though students will most likely be familiar with the broad generic structure of essays, it is worth investing time to ensure they have a clear conception of how each part of the essay works, that is, of the exact nature of the task it performs. Let’s review:

Common Essay Structure

Introduction: Provides the reader with context for the essay. It states the broad argument that the essay will make and informs the reader of the writer’s general perspective and approach to the question.

Body Paragraphs: These are the ‘meat’ of the essay and lay out the argument stated in the introduction point by point with supporting evidence.

Conclusion: Usually, the conclusion will restate the central argument while summarising the essay’s main supporting reasons before linking everything back to the original question.

ESSAY WRITING PARAGRAPH WRITING TIPS

●      Each paragraph should focus on a single main idea

●      Paragraphs should follow a logical sequence; students should group similar ideas together to avoid incoherence

●      Paragraphs should be denoted consistently; students should choose either to indent or skip a line

●      Transition words and phrases such as alternatively , consequently , in contrast should be used to give flow and provide a bridge between paragraphs.

HOW TO EDIT AN ESSAY

Students shouldn’t expect their essays to emerge from the writing process perfectly formed. Except in exam situations and the like, thorough editing is an essential aspect in the writing process. 

Often, students struggle with this aspect of the process the most. After spending hours of effort on planning, research, and writing the first draft, students can be reluctant to go back over the same terrain they have so recently travelled. It is important at this point to give them some helpful guidelines to help them to know what to look out for. The following tips will provide just such help: 

One Piece at a Time: There is a lot to look out for in the editing process and often students overlook aspects as they try to juggle too many balls during the process. One effective strategy to combat this is for students to perform a number of rounds of editing with each focusing on a different aspect. For example, the first round could focus on content, the second round on looking out for word repetition (use a thesaurus to help here), with the third attending to spelling and grammar.

Sum It Up: When reviewing the paragraphs they have written, a good starting point is for students to read each paragraph and attempt to sum up its main point in a single line. If this is not possible, their readers will most likely have difficulty following their train of thought too and the paragraph needs to be overhauled.

Let It Breathe: When possible, encourage students to allow some time for their essay to ‘breathe’ before returning to it for editing purposes. This may require some skilful time management on the part of the student, for example, a student rush-writing the night before the deadline does not lend itself to effective editing. Fresh eyes are one of the sharpest tools in the writer’s toolbox.

Read It Aloud: This time-tested editing method is a great way for students to identify mistakes and typos in their work. We tend to read things more slowly when reading aloud giving us the time to spot errors. Also, when we read silently our minds can often fill in the gaps or gloss over the mistakes that will become apparent when we read out loud.

Phone a Friend: Peer editing is another great way to identify errors that our brains may miss when reading our own work. Encourage students to partner up for a little ‘you scratch my back, I scratch yours’.

Use Tech Tools: We need to ensure our students have the mental tools to edit their own work and for this they will need a good grasp of English grammar and punctuation. However, there are also a wealth of tech tools such as spellcheck and grammar checks that can offer a great once-over option to catch anything students may have missed in earlier editing rounds.

Putting the Jewels on Display: While some struggle to edit, others struggle to let go. There comes a point when it is time for students to release their work to the reader. They must learn to relinquish control after the creation is complete. This will be much easier to achieve if the student feels that they have done everything in their control to ensure their essay is representative of the best of their abilities and if they have followed the advice here, they should be confident they have done so.

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How to help at home

There are lots of ways you can help your Year 3 child with writing. Here are our top ideas.

1. Read to your child

While children do learn new language and ideas from speaking and listening, the type of language we use in writing is often very different from that in speech. Reading regularly to your child, especially longer chapter books that they might not be able to yet read independently, is a great way to support their writing.

While your child will have some favourite books and types of book that they’ll want to listen to again and again, try to make sure they get to hear a range of different types of books, including fiction and non-fiction. This is useful for their writing because it models lots of language styles.

For books to read with your child, take a look at our free eBook library .

2. Have your child to read to you

Making time to hear your child read isn’t just good for their reading. Seeing words in print helps them to understand the words, to spell them, and to see how grammar and punctuation are used to make meaning.

When you read, occasionally talk about why the author has decided to include something and how they written it. For example:

‘I wonder why the author has chosen to describe the castle as “gloomy”? I wonder what that tells us about what might happen there?’

3. Try some real-world writing

Writing for a real purpose can be a great way to fit in some practice. Writing cards, shopping lists, or letters/emails to relatives can be motivating real life reasons for writing, and can show children how useful it is to be able to write well.

Your child might enjoy keeping a diary or writing short stories based on books they have read or toys they enjoy playing with. Be sure to encourage your child to write about what most interests them, as this is the best way to keep them enthusiastic.

4. Tell stories aloud

Giving your child the opportunity to tell stories orally is a great way to get them used to structuring their ideas and using adventurous language. If they’re not sure where to start, see if they can retell a story that they already know well, like The Magic Paintbrush  or Rumpelstiltskin .

If your child finds it useful to plan out their story first, try our free Story mountain to make a great plot with a beginning, middle, and end. Your child might also enjoy reciting poetry – see if your child can memorise and perform ‘Who has seen the wind?’ with our Perform a poem activity sheet .

Activity: Story mountain

Complete the story mountain to plan your story with a beginning, middle, and end.

Activity: Perform a poem

Read the poem, talk about what it means, and perform it to an audience.

5. Find story inspiration

You can find fun story ideas anywhere! Why not raid your kitchen cupboards or hunt through the attic to find lost treasures? Anything from an old hat to a telescope will do the trick. What could the object be used for? Who might be looking for it? What secrets could it hold? Suggest different genres such as mystery or science fiction and discuss how the item might be used in this kind of story.

Real-world facts can also be a great source of inspiration. For example, did you know a jumping flea can accelerate faster than a space rocket taking off into orbit? What crazy story can your child make out of this fact? Newspapers and news websites can be great for finding these sorts of ideas.

Activity: Story idea generator

Mix together a genre, character, and setting to think up an imaginative story idea.

Activity: Character profile

Come up with lots of interesting details about the lead character in your story.

6. Draw your ideas first

If your child isn’t sure where to start with a story or even a piece of non-fiction, it can sometimes be helpful to sketch out their ideas first. For instance, can they draw a picture of a dastardly villain or a brave hero? How about a scary woodland or an enchanted castle?

Your child might also find it useful to draw maps or diagrams. What are all the different areas of their fantasy landscape called? How is the baddie’s base organised?

What your child will learn

In Year 3 (age 7–8), your child will work towards being able to:

• Discussing writing similar to that which they are planning to write in order to understand and learn from its structure, vocabulary and grammar
• Discussing and recording their ideas.
• Composing and rehearsing sentences orally (including dialogue), progressively building a varied and rich vocabulary and an increasing range of sentence structures
• Organising paragraphs around a theme
• In narratives, creating settings, characters and plot
• In non-narrative material, using simple organisational devices (for example, headings and sub-headings).
• Assessing the effectiveness of their own and others’ writing and suggesting improvements
• Proposing changes to grammar and vocabulary to improve consistency, including the accurate use of   pronouns   in   sentences .
• Proof-read for spelling and punctuation errors.

Handwriting, spelling, grammar, and punctuation are all important aspects of writing too. You can find out more about them on our dedicated pages:

Handwriting in Year 3 (age 7-8)

Find out more about handwriting in Year 3 at Primary School.

Find out more

Spelling in Year 3 (age 7-8)

Find out more about spelling in Year 3 at Primary School.

Grammar and punctuation in Year 3 (age 7-8)

Find out more about grammar and punctuation in Year 3 at Primary School.

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Free Online Essay Writing flashcards for Year 3

Boost Grade 3 Essay Writing Skills with Quizizz! Explore our curated collection of interactive flashcards designed to enhance creativity and grammar.

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Explore Free Essay Writing flashcards for Year 3

Essay Writing flashcards for grade 3 are designed to enhance the writing skills of young learners. These interactive tools introduce students to the basic elements of essay writing, including brainstorming ideas, structuring paragraphs, and crafting compelling conclusions. The flashcards are visually appealing, easy to understand, and tailored to the learning level of third graders. They serve as a fun and effective way to reinforce writing concepts, improve vocabulary, and stimulate creative thinking. Quizizz is a preferred educational tool for teachers due to its versatility and user-friendly interface. It offers a rich library of resources, including our Essay Writing flashcards, enabling teachers to monitor individual student progress effectively. The platform's flexibility extends to various game modes, making unit reviews, test preparations, and independent practices engaging. With its AI features and diverse question types, Quizizz ensures a more educational and interactive learning experience than other tools. Teachers can easily create tailored quizzes, making learning personalized and fun.

Year 3 Writing

Discover year 3 writing standards.

As your child starts their Key Stage 2 writing journey, they should be accustomed to the learning pace at primary school level, and will now be expected to spend longer periods of time writing independently. Young writers should call on the writing skills they built in Year 1 and Year 2 as the foundation they need in order to tackle more challenging writing activities .

Year 3 writing requires children to demonstrate:

• Effective communication of ideas through written texts
• Structured writing pieces, including an introduction , main body and conclusion
• Paragraph-writing skills
• Using correct spelling and grammar in their writing (such as tenses and capitalisation )
• Longer and more complex sentence forms
• Research and identify facts using reading comprehension skills
• Factual knowledge in informative reports
• Successfully writing about past experiences
• Writing improvement through revision
• Writing based on a given prompt
• Using technology to compose different writing pieces
• Applying literary devices for the purpose of developing details
• Writing for different audiences and purposes

Your child can keep these aims in mind when thinking about the writing process for the following text styles:

Informative Writing

Opinion writing, narrative writing.

Informative writing in Year 3 calls for a focus on a specific topic and putting together factual details with the aim to inform the reader.

Here are our top tips for creating a high-quality informative writing piece:

• Introduce the topic
• Group all related information clearly, to form the text
• Include facts, definitions, details and, if necessary, analogies to support the text
• UIse illustrations or diagrams (when or if necessary) to further the reader’s understanding
• Use linking words to connect points of information
• Include a concluding sentence, stating findings clearly

Some informative writing text styles in Year 3 are:

• Explanations

Practice Tip

Your tyoung writer can work on their informative writing skills with Night Zookeeper’s Explanation Writing Activity Pack . This pack introduces examples of linking words and phrases that can help connect ideas in informational writing!

Opinion writing in Year 3 requires more attention to detail, a stronger argument, and consistency throughout the text.

In Year 3, your child is expected to demonstrate their point of view on a chosen topic and provide valid reasons for their perspective. Your child’s writing should also include linking words and phrases to piece together a compelling argument. Year 3 learners should be working on writing to persuade or influence an audience.

How to write an opinion piece in Year 3

• Start with a short introduction, stating a clear opinion on the topic
• Give a reason for this opinion, followed by a convincing example that validates the point
• Always refer back to the original statement, to ensure that the argument is consistent and coherent
• Finish with a summary of the argument, stating the original opinion once again, to leave the reader thinking about the perspective shared

Encourage your child to develop opinions on specific topics by engaging in topical discussions. Choose a theme and start a conversation about it - you’ll be surprised by the opinions your child has already formed!

Stories at Year 3 level should rely on descriptive writing techniques to create a cohesive plot of events , which provide the reader with as much information on the characters , settings and actions as possible!

As it’s not the first time your child will be asked to write a narrative text, they’ll already be familiar with the standard rules of story writing . As the complexity of their work increases however, here are a few tips on how the narrative writing process should happen in Year 3:

• Plan and develop a well-structured plot
• Establish characters, settings and actions according to the theme of the story (be as descriptive as possible)
• Use figurative language and literary devices to enhance the plot
• Include an introduction, paragraphs which allow the story to progress chronologically and finish with a great narrative ending

Why not get your child to draw the characters and settings of their story before writing the piece? Not only will this encourage them to think about more details which can be described in the story (such as the clothes worn by the characters or the type of setting), but it will also improve their ability to think creatively about the chosen topic or theme!

How Night Zookeeper can help

Our writing program for kids has been created to make writing fantastically fun for primary school students!

The program covers the English National Curriculum and our extensive collections of lesson series are especially relevant for Year 3 students, such as The Persuasive Professor , Building Story Tension with the General , and Story Endings with the Guardians . Along with pre-defined lesson plans that your child can access at any time, Night Zookeeper also offers thousands of Year 3 writing activities, including games on spelling and grammar, creative writing prompts , printable resources, and much more!

All writing resources are determined by year group, to ensure that your child has access to everything they need to become a budding young writer.

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Developing Informative Writing Skills Unit Plan - Year 3 and Year 4

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This English unit addresses the informative text type; specifically, how to write a well-structured informative text.

It consists of 10 lessons of approximately 60 minutes duration.

The sequence of lessons and suggested time frames should be regarded as a guide only; teachers should pace lessons in accordance with the individual learning needs of their class.

An independent writing task, which may couple as an assessment task, is included in the unit. The number of lessons required to complete this task may vary from class to class.

This unit of work addresses the broad textual focus of informative writing. Teachers are encouraged to select a specific informative text type to focus on throughout the unit e.g. information report, factual description, explanation. In addition to this, teachers may also wish to select a specific content focus for students to write about e.g. animals, objects, people. The resources accompanying this unit have been specifically designed to provide choice for teachers in these two areas.

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Understand that paragraphs are a key organisational feature of written textsElaborationsnoticing how longer texts are organised into paragraphs, each beginning with a topic sentence/paragraph opener which predicts how the paragraph will develop and i...

Identify the audience and purpose of imaginative, informative and persuasive textsElaborationsidentifying the author’s point of view on a topic and key words and images that seem intended to persuade listeners, viewers or readers to agree with t...

Plan, draft and publish imaginative, informative and persuasive texts demonstrating increasing control over text structures and language features and selecting print,and multimodal elements appropriate to the audience and purposeElaborationsusing pri...

Re-read and edit texts for meaning, appropriate structure, grammatical choices and punctuationElaborationsusing glossaries, print and digital dictionaries and spell check to edit spelling, realising that spell check accuracy depends on understanding ...

Understand differences between the language of opinion and feeling and the language of factual reporting or recordingElaborationsidentifying ways thinking verbs are used to express opinion, for example ‘I think’, ‘I believe’, and ...

Identify characteristic features used in imaginative, informative and persuasive texts to meet the purpose of the textElaborationsdescribing the language which authors use to create imaginary worlds; how textual features such as headings, subheadings...

Use comprehension strategies to build literal and inferred meaning to expand content knowledge, integrating and linking ideas and analysing and evaluating textsElaborationsmaking connections between the text and students’ own experience and oth...

Plan, draft and publish imaginative, informative and persuasive texts containing key information and supporting details for a widening range of audiences, demonstrating increasing control over text structures and language featuresElaborationsusing re...

Re-read and edit for meaning by adding, deleting or moving words or word groups to improve content and structureElaborationsrevising written texts: editing for grammatical and spelling accuracy and clarity of the text, to improve the connection betwe...

Plans, composes and reviews a range of texts that are more demanding in terms of topic, audience and language

Identifies and uses language forms and features in their own writing appropriate to a range of purposes, audiences and contexts

Uses effective and accurate sentence structure, grammatical features, punctuation conventions and vocabulary relevant to the type of text when responding to and composing texts

Responds to and composes a range of texts that express viewpoints of the world similar to and different from their own

Understand that paragraphs are a key organisational feature of written texts

Plan, draft and publish imaginative, informative and persuasive texts demonstrating increasing control over text structures and language features and selecting print and multimodal elements appropriate to the audience and purpose

Reread and edit texts for meaning, appropriate structure, grammatical choices and punctuation

Identify features used in imaginative, informative and persuasive texts to meet the purpose of the text, and understand how texts vary in complexity and technicality depending on the approach to the topic, the purpose and the intended audience

Use comprehension strategies to build literal and inferred meaning to expand content knowledge, integrating and linking ideas and analysing and evaluating texts

Plan, draft and publish imaginative, informative and persuasive texts containing key information and supporting details for a widening range of audiences, demonstrating increasing control over text structures and language features

Reread and edit for meaning by adding, deleting or moving words or word groups to improve content and structure

Understand differences between the language of opinion and feeling and the language of factual reporting or recording

Understand that paragraphs are a key organisational feature of the stages of written texts, grouping related information together

Identify the audience and purpose of imaginative, informative and persuasive texts through their use of language features and/or images

Plan, create, edit and publish imaginative, informative and persuasive written and multimodal texts, using visual features, appropriate form and layout, with ideas grouped in simple paragraphs, mostly correct tense, topic- specific vocabulary and correct spelling of most high-frequency and phonetic

Identify the subjective language of opinion and feeling, and the objective language of factual reporting

Identify the characteristic features used in imaginative, informative and persuasive texts to meet the purpose of the text

Use comprehension strategies such as visualising, predicting, connecting, summarising, monitoring and questioning to build literal and inferred meaning, to expand topic knowledge and ideas, and evaluate texts

Plan, create, edit and publish written and multimodal imaginative, informative and persuasive texts, using visual features, relevant linked ideas, complex sentences, appropriate tense, synonyms and antonyms, correct spelling of multisyllabic words and simple punctuation

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• Knowledge Base

The Beginner's Guide to Writing an Essay | Steps & Examples

An academic essay is a focused piece of writing that develops an idea or argument using evidence, analysis, and interpretation.

There are many types of essays you might write as a student. The content and length of an essay depends on your level, subject of study, and course requirements. However, most essays at university level are argumentative — they aim to persuade the reader of a particular position or perspective on a topic.

The essay writing process consists of three main stages:

• Preparation: Decide on your topic, do your research, and create an essay outline.
• Writing : Set out your argument in the introduction, develop it with evidence in the main body, and wrap it up with a conclusion.
• Revision:  Check your essay on the content, organization, grammar, spelling, and formatting of your essay.

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Table of contents

Essay writing process, preparation for writing an essay, writing the introduction, writing the main body, writing the conclusion, essay checklist, lecture slides, frequently asked questions about writing an essay.

The writing process of preparation, writing, and revisions applies to every essay or paper, but the time and effort spent on each stage depends on the type of essay .

For example, if you’ve been assigned a five-paragraph expository essay for a high school class, you’ll probably spend the most time on the writing stage; for a college-level argumentative essay , on the other hand, you’ll need to spend more time researching your topic and developing an original argument before you start writing.

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Before you start writing, you should make sure you have a clear idea of what you want to say and how you’re going to say it. There are a few key steps you can follow to make sure you’re prepared:

• Understand your assignment: What is the goal of this essay? What is the length and deadline of the assignment? Is there anything you need to clarify with your teacher or professor?
• Define a topic: If you’re allowed to choose your own topic , try to pick something that you already know a bit about and that will hold your interest.
• Do your research: Read  primary and secondary sources and take notes to help you work out your position and angle on the topic. You’ll use these as evidence for your points.
• Come up with a thesis:  The thesis is the central point or argument that you want to make. A clear thesis is essential for a focused essay—you should keep referring back to it as you write.
• Create an outline: Map out the rough structure of your essay in an outline . This makes it easier to start writing and keeps you on track as you go.

Once you’ve got a clear idea of what you want to discuss, in what order, and what evidence you’ll use, you’re ready to start writing.

The introduction sets the tone for your essay. It should grab the reader’s interest and inform them of what to expect. The introduction generally comprises 10–20% of the text.

1. Hook your reader

The first sentence of the introduction should pique your reader’s interest and curiosity. This sentence is sometimes called the hook. It might be an intriguing question, a surprising fact, or a bold statement emphasizing the relevance of the topic.

Let’s say we’re writing an essay about the development of Braille (the raised-dot reading and writing system used by visually impaired people). Our hook can make a strong statement about the topic:

The invention of Braille was a major turning point in the history of disability.

2. Provide background on your topic

Next, it’s important to give context that will help your reader understand your argument. This might involve providing background information, giving an overview of important academic work or debates on the topic, and explaining difficult terms. Don’t provide too much detail in the introduction—you can elaborate in the body of your essay.

3. Present the thesis statement

Next, you should formulate your thesis statement— the central argument you’re going to make. The thesis statement provides focus and signals your position on the topic. It is usually one or two sentences long. The thesis statement for our essay on Braille could look like this:

As the first writing system designed for blind people’s needs, Braille was a groundbreaking new accessibility tool. It not only provided practical benefits, but also helped change the cultural status of blindness.

4. Map the structure

In longer essays, you can end the introduction by briefly describing what will be covered in each part of the essay. This guides the reader through your structure and gives a preview of how your argument will develop.

The invention of Braille marked a major turning point in the history of disability. The writing system of raised dots used by blind and visually impaired people was developed by Louis Braille in nineteenth-century France. In a society that did not value disabled people in general, blindness was particularly stigmatized, and lack of access to reading and writing was a significant barrier to social participation. The idea of tactile reading was not entirely new, but existing methods based on sighted systems were difficult to learn and use. As the first writing system designed for blind people’s needs, Braille was a groundbreaking new accessibility tool. It not only provided practical benefits, but also helped change the cultural status of blindness. This essay begins by discussing the situation of blind people in nineteenth-century Europe. It then describes the invention of Braille and the gradual process of its acceptance within blind education. Subsequently, it explores the wide-ranging effects of this invention on blind people’s social and cultural lives.

Write your essay introduction

The body of your essay is where you make arguments supporting your thesis, provide evidence, and develop your ideas. Its purpose is to present, interpret, and analyze the information and sources you have gathered to support your argument.

Length of the body text

The length of the body depends on the type of essay. On average, the body comprises 60–80% of your essay. For a high school essay, this could be just three paragraphs, but for a graduate school essay of 6,000 words, the body could take up 8–10 pages.

Paragraph structure

To give your essay a clear structure , it is important to organize it into paragraphs . Each paragraph should be centered around one main point or idea.

That idea is introduced in a  topic sentence . The topic sentence should generally lead on from the previous paragraph and introduce the point to be made in this paragraph. Transition words can be used to create clear connections between sentences.

After the topic sentence, present evidence such as data, examples, or quotes from relevant sources. Be sure to interpret and explain the evidence, and show how it helps develop your overall argument.

Lack of access to reading and writing put blind people at a serious disadvantage in nineteenth-century society. Text was one of the primary methods through which people engaged with culture, communicated with others, and accessed information; without a well-developed reading system that did not rely on sight, blind people were excluded from social participation (Weygand, 2009). While disabled people in general suffered from discrimination, blindness was widely viewed as the worst disability, and it was commonly believed that blind people were incapable of pursuing a profession or improving themselves through culture (Weygand, 2009). This demonstrates the importance of reading and writing to social status at the time: without access to text, it was considered impossible to fully participate in society. Blind people were excluded from the sighted world, but also entirely dependent on sighted people for information and education.

See the full essay example

The conclusion is the final paragraph of an essay. It should generally take up no more than 10–15% of the text . A strong essay conclusion :

• Returns to your thesis
• Ties together your main points
• Shows why your argument matters

A great conclusion should finish with a memorable or impactful sentence that leaves the reader with a strong final impression.

What not to include in a conclusion

To make your essay’s conclusion as strong as possible, there are a few things you should avoid. The most common mistakes are:

• Including new arguments or evidence
• Undermining your arguments (e.g. “This is just one approach of many”)
• Using concluding phrases like “To sum up…” or “In conclusion…”

Braille paved the way for dramatic cultural changes in the way blind people were treated and the opportunities available to them. Louis Braille’s innovation was to reimagine existing reading systems from a blind perspective, and the success of this invention required sighted teachers to adapt to their students’ reality instead of the other way around. In this sense, Braille helped drive broader social changes in the status of blindness. New accessibility tools provide practical advantages to those who need them, but they can also change the perspectives and attitudes of those who do not.

Write your essay conclusion

Checklist: Essay

My essay follows the requirements of the assignment (topic and length ).

My introduction sparks the reader’s interest and provides any necessary background information on the topic.

My introduction contains a thesis statement that states the focus and position of the essay.

I use paragraphs to structure the essay.

I use topic sentences to introduce each paragraph.

Each paragraph has a single focus and a clear connection to the thesis statement.

I make clear transitions between paragraphs and ideas.

My conclusion doesn’t just repeat my points, but draws connections between arguments.

I don’t introduce new arguments or evidence in the conclusion.

I have given an in-text citation for every quote or piece of information I got from another source.

I have included a reference page at the end of my essay, listing full details of all my sources.

My citations and references are correctly formatted according to the required citation style .

My essay has an interesting and informative title.

I have followed all formatting guidelines (e.g. font, page numbers, line spacing).

Your essay meets all the most important requirements. Our editors can give it a final check to help you submit with confidence.

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An essay is a focused piece of writing that explains, argues, describes, or narrates.

In high school, you may have to write many different types of essays to develop your writing skills.

Academic essays at college level are usually argumentative : you develop a clear thesis about your topic and make a case for your position using evidence, analysis and interpretation.

The structure of an essay is divided into an introduction that presents your topic and thesis statement , a body containing your in-depth analysis and arguments, and a conclusion wrapping up your ideas.

The structure of the body is flexible, but you should always spend some time thinking about how you can organize your essay to best serve your ideas.

Your essay introduction should include three main things, in this order:

• An opening hook to catch the reader’s attention.
• Relevant background information that the reader needs to know.
• A thesis statement that presents your main point or argument.

The length of each part depends on the length and complexity of your essay .

A thesis statement is a sentence that sums up the central point of your paper or essay . Everything else you write should relate to this key idea.

The thesis statement is essential in any academic essay or research paper for two main reasons:

• It gives your writing direction and focus.
• It gives the reader a concise summary of your main point.

Without a clear thesis statement, an essay can end up rambling and unfocused, leaving your reader unsure of exactly what you want to say.

A topic sentence is a sentence that expresses the main point of a paragraph . Everything else in the paragraph should relate to the topic sentence.

At college level, you must properly cite your sources in all essays , research papers , and other academic texts (except exams and in-class exercises).

Add a citation whenever you quote , paraphrase , or summarize information or ideas from a source. You should also give full source details in a bibliography or reference list at the end of your text.

The exact format of your citations depends on which citation style you are instructed to use. The most common styles are APA , MLA , and Chicago .

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• Year 3 Writing Examples
• Class Pages

In this page, you will find some examples of what is expected of Year 3 writers who are meeting all the age-related requirements.  SCROLL DOWN  to find out what to expect from your children and some of the reasons why this is expected at Year 3. All the examples below are from "extended writing" sessions, which are generally over two lessons and are completed independently having spent previous lessons building up and practising writing skills.

Why is this writing at the age-related expectation (ARE) for the end of Year 3?

• Use paragraphs to group information.
• Capital letters, full stops, question and exclamation marks, possessive apostrophes and commas are used accurately.
• Spell all common words correctly and spell a range of Year 3 and 4 common exception words.
• Neat, legible and joined handwriting.
• Use inverted commas to show speech.
• Accurate use of tense, including present perfect (e.g. She has walked to the shops).
• Proof read their writing to check for errors and correct these independently.
• Use adjectives and adverbs to add detail to their writing.
• Parents notes for year 3 - ARE.pdf

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Wednesday 6 January 2021

Year 3 step by step writing module part 1.

25 comments:

tqvm teacher Ash

Tq so much. You are great!

May god bless u abundantly teacher..

Yes the module is very good and helpful...tq Teacher Ash

TQ TICER ASH.. MAY ALLAH GRANT ALL UR WISHES

Tq Teacher Ash. .

Thank You So Much Teacher Ash. Great and helpful materials!

Tqsm for sharing.. The materials so good.. May God bless you

Thank you so much, very useful and helpful

TQVM Miss Ash..very useful and helpful..

TQSM Miss Ash . You are doing a great job. MGBU. .

Thank you Miss Ash.

Thank you Miss Ash..

THANK YOU TEACHER ASH. GOD BLESS

TQVM Teacher Ash

Thank you teacher. May ALLAH grants you health and takwa

Thank you teacher. May ALLAH grants you health and selalu diberi kemudahan yg baik di dunia & Akhirat.

thank you so much..really help me a lot..

Why dont hv answer?

Alhamdulillah...tqsm

tq so much for the material

Tq so much for the material.....

This is my first year teaching CEFR class. Your module really help me a lot. Thank you for sharing it with us. God Bless you abundantly,

Alhamdulillah..Tq so much for the material.

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Writing Assessment Year 3

Subject: English

Age range: 7-11

Resource type: Assessment and revision

Last updated

4 February 2022

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Year 3 English objectives on one handy sheet. Separated into transcription, composition and grammar.

Useful for remembering what to cover, assessing work and for planning for progress.

You could have one sheet for each child or use as a resource on its own.

All reviews welcome.

You might also be interested in these resources for teaching English with the New Curriculum:

• Year 3 SMART Writing Targets
• Year 3 Writing Assessment Guidance
• Year 3 Reading Assessment Questions

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Writing Assessment Sheets Whole School

All the new curriculum writing objectives on one handy sheet for every year group. Separated clearly into transcription, composition and grammar so you can quickly see a child's strengths and areas for development. Useful for remembering what to cover, assessing work and for planning for progress. You could have one sheet for each child or use as a resource on its own. All reviews welcome. You might also be interested in these resources for the New Curriculum: * [Whole School SMART Targets](https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/whole-school-smart-writing-targets-new-curriculum-11700281) * [Whole School English Writing Assessment Guidance](https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/new-curriculum-whole-school-writing-assessment-guidance-11779170) * [Whole School Guided Reading Questions](https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/whole-school-reading-questions-new-curriculum-11703868)

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Writing essays can be straightforward when you have a clear essay plan.

Students are introduced to composing more complex and extended texts as they progress through their schooling.

• In Stage 2 (Years 3 and 4), students write longer texts with multiple paragraphs.
• From Stage 3 (Years 5 and 6), students are writing complex, longer texts.
• In high school, students write extended responses or essays in most subjects.

The following general advice will be helpful to read through with your child – Year 5 and above.

Teachers of individual subjects and year levels will have more specific information related to individual tasks.

Essay structure

An essay is an extended answer to a set question. Most extended responses follow the same structure of 3 main parts: introduction, body and conclusion. All essays should be thoroughly planned before starting writing.

1. Introduction

The first paragraph answers the question and outlines the ideas to be presented in the essay. It makes a first impression on the reader – the reader now knows what to expect. Do not just rewrite the question; it is important to give a point of view.

The body of an essay should be at least 4 to 6 paragraphs in length. Each paragraph introduces one major idea. Each idea should be fully explained and supported by evidence such as statistics, examples, quotes from a text or authority, or an explanation of events. If an idea is particularly complicated it may require more than one paragraph.

Never cram lots of different ideas into one paragraph. On the other hand, if all paragraphs are very short, the extended response will be a series of disjointed points rather than a coherent, logical argument.

The basic structure of each paragraph is:

• topic sentence (a generalisation to introduce the paragraph’s purpose) – this  will normally be the first sentence
• explanation and elaboration of your point
• examples, quotations or evidence
• final concluding sentence which links with the paragraph that follows.

A good way to remember the structure is TEEL – Topic sentence, Explanation, Examples and Link.

3. Conclusion

A conclusion shouldn’t only restate the question or repeat the introduction. Don’t start with ‘In conclusion, to sum up etc.’ A conclusion should be a summary of the various points of your argument. Don’t throw in new information – that shows a lack of planning.

Writing an essay

The most important thing to do when writing an essay is to answer the question asked. Questions never require students to ‘tell us everything you know about the topic’ so it is important to carefully read the question asked. The best students circle or highlight the main words in the question so they stay focused on what they are writing about.

Extended responses usually have a key word which directs the structure such as, ‘explain’, ‘describe’, ‘analyse’ and so on. This helps students understand the structure their essay should take.

Writing essays at home, in class, or during an exam requires the same steps – the time taken will be different.

• The most important step is planning –  work out what the question is asking. Circle or highlight the important words – including the key words that tell you how to approach your answer.
• Brainstorm facts, examples, evidence and so on relevant to the question – remember your focus is to answer the question asked – no question is going to ask you to write everything you know about a topic.
• Sort your brainstorm into a logical order – link ideas that go together – an essay needs to flow logically.
• Once there is a clear and logical plan to follow, start writing. It is important to stay on message – use topic sentences which focus on answering the question asked. Remember, one idea equals one paragraph.
• Provide elaboration, evidence, explanation, examples, evaluation or analysis as required by the question.
• Ensure the essay flows logically. Linking sentences can be used to connect ideas in paragraphs.
• Read over the response carefully to make sure the answer to the question is clear, that there is evidence and/or examples to support the answer. Read as a reader, not as a writer. If the task is done at home, having a fresh set of eyes such as a parent or sibling read the essay will highlight possible issues as it’s easy to miss mistakes in your own writing, as you know what you meant.
• Regardless of the subject, using formal English is important when writing a formal essay. Use clear, logical paragraphs, full sentences, correct spelling and punctuation and an effective vocabulary – no slang or writing like you speak.

Use the following checklist when reading through an essay.

• answers the question asked
• uses paragraphs to logically structure ideas – each focuses on the question asked
• has an introduction which outlines reasons for the answer to the question
• has a body made up of several paragraphs – each paragraph elaborates on a point
• uses topic sentences in paragraphs
• uses effective language so your point of view is clear
• has a conclusion which reiterates the main points but does not include any new information
• does not re-tell the story
• contains no colloquial language or slang
• has correct spelling and punctuation
• adheres to the word limit.

Under exam conditions, there is limited time for students to write their essays – generally about 40 minutes. Impress upon them the importance of planning and checking, even when writing a response under exam conditions.

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These worksheets and writing prompts help students express their opinions in writing in a structured manner.

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Grade 3 opinion writing worksheet

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Essays and Short Answer Prompts

The Penn application process includes a personal essay —which is sent to most schools you apply to—as well as a few short answer prompts . We read your words carefully, as they are yet another window into how you think, what you value, and how you see the world. Through your writing, we get a glimpse of what you might bring to our community—including your voice and creativity. 

Remember, you are the expert on your story. This is an opportunity for you to reflect and understand who you are now, and who you want to be in the future. You have the agency to choose the information you want to share. This is your story: your experiences, your ideas, your perspective.   

A Few Writing Tips

• Review the prompts thoroughly.  Be sure you’re answering the question or prompt being asked. Topics are chosen because the Admissions Committee wants to know specific things about you. If you don’t address them directly, we are left to make decisions regarding your application with incomplete information. 
• Consider your response carefully.  We understand that you may be writing responses for different schools and you may want to reuse material, but be sure to read through your response to make sure it is relevant to the prompt. 
• Double-check your writing.  Give yourself time to revisit your response. Try to avoid rushing your writing process so you have time to revise your work. Ultimately, it is up to you to polish and proofread your writing before you submit. 
• Do your research. Are there classes you’re eager to take? Research opportunities you’d love to pursue? A group or club you want to be a part of? This kind of specificity shows us you’re serious about Penn and have thought about how you’d spend your time here. 

2023-24 Short Answer and Essay Prompts

When answering these prompts, be precise when explaining both why you are applying to Penn and why you have chosen to apply to that specific undergraduate school. Some of our specialized programs will have additional essays to complete, but the  Penn short answer prompts should address your single-degree or single-school choice.  

• Write a short thank-you note to someone you have not yet thanked and would like to acknowledge. (We encourage you to share this note with that person, if possible, and reflect on the experience!) (150-200 words, not required for transfer applicants) 
• How will you explore community at Penn? Consider how Penn will help shape your perspective, and how your experiences and perspective will help shape Penn. (150-200 words) 
• The school-specific prompt is unique to the school to which you are applying. (For example, all applicants applying to the College of Arts and Sciences will respond to the prompt under the “College of Arts and Sciences” section). Considering the undergraduate school you have selected for your single-degree option, please respond to your school-specific prompt below.  

Transfer Essay (required for all transfer applicants): Please explain your reasons for transferring from your current institution and what you hope to gain by transferring to another institution. (4150 characters) 

Undergraduate School-Specific Short Answer Prompts

For students applying to coordinated dual-degree and specialized programs, please answer this question about your single-degree school choice; your interest in the coordinated dual-degree or specialized program may be addressed through the program-specific essay.  

Penn Nursing intends to meet the health needs of society in a global and multicultural world by preparing its students to impact healthcare by advancing science and promoting equity. What do you think this means for the future of nursing, and how do you see yourself contributing to our mission of promoting equity in healthcare? (150-200 words) 

To help inform your response, applicants are encouraged to learn more about  Penn Nursing’s mission and how we promote equity in healthcare . This information will help you develop a stronger understanding of our values and how they align with your own goals and aspirations. 

The flexible structure of The College of Arts and Sciences’ curriculum is designed to inspire exploration, foster connections, and help you create a path of study through general education courses and a major. What are you curious about and how would you take advantage of opportunities in the arts and sciences? (150-200 words) 

To help inform your response, applicants are encouraged to learn more about the  academic offerings within the College of Arts and Sciences .  This information will help you develop a stronger understanding of how the study of the liberal arts aligns with your own goals and aspirations. 

Wharton prepares its students to make an impact by applying business methods and economic theory to real-world problems, including economic, political, and social issues.  Please reflect on a current issue of importance to you and share how you hope a Wharton education would help you to explore it.  (150-200 words) 

To help inform your response, applicants are encouraged to learn more about  the foundations of a Wharton education . This information will help you better understand what you could learn by studying at Wharton and what you could do afterward. 

Penn Engineering prepares its students to become leaders in technology, by combining a strong foundation in the natural sciences and mathematics, exploration in the liberal arts, and depth of study in focused disciplinary majors. Please share how you hope to explore your engineering interests at Penn. (150-200 words) 

To help inform your response, applicants are encouraged to learn more about  Penn Engineering and its mission to prepare students for global leadership in technology . This information will help you develop a stronger understanding of academic pathways within Penn Engineering and how they align with your goals and interests. 

Coordinated Dual Degree and Specialized Program Essay Prompts

For students applying to coordinated dual-degree and specialized programs, please answer the program-specific essay below. 

** Numbers marked with double asterisks indicate a character count that only applies to transfer students applying through Common App.  

Why are you interested in the Digital Media Design (DMD) program at the University of Pennsylvania? (400-650 words / 3575 characters**) 

We encourage you to learn more about the DMD: Digital Media Design Program . 

The Huntsman Program supports the development of globally minded scholars who become engaged citizens, creative innovators, and ethical leaders in the public, private, and non-profit sectors in the United States and internationally. What draws you to a dual-degree program in business and international studies, and how would you use what you learn to contribute to a global issue where business and international affairs intersect? (400-650 words) 

The LSM program aims to provide students with a fundamental understanding of the life sciences and their management with an eye to identifying, advancing, and implementing innovations. What issues would you want to address using the understanding gained from such a program? Note that this essay should be distinct from your single degree essay. (400-650 words) 

• Explain how you will use the M&T program to explore your interest in business, engineering, and the intersection of the two. (400-650 words) 
• Describe a problem that you solved that showed leadership and creativity. (250 words) 

Describe your interests in modern networked information systems and technologies, such as the internet, and their impact on society, whether in terms of economics, communication, or the creation of beneficial content for society. Feel free to draw on examples from your own experiences as a user, developer, or student of technology. (400-650 words / 3575 characters**) 

Discuss your interest in nursing and health care management. How might Penn's coordinated dual-degree program in nursing and business help you meet your goals? (400-650 words) 

How do you envision your participation in the Vagelos Integrated Program in Energy Research (VIPER) furthering your interests in energy science and technology? Please include any past experiences (ex. academic, research, or extracurricular) that have led to your interest in the program. Additionally, please indicate why you are interested in pursuing dual degrees in science and engineering and which VIPER majors are most interesting to you at this time. (400-650 words)