Georgetown University.

Sample Essays

The breadth of Georgetown’s core curriculum means that students are required to write for a wide variety of academic disciplines. Below, we provide some student samples that exhibit the key features the most popular genres. When reading through these essays, we recommend paying attention to their 

1. Structure (How many paragraphs are there? Does the author use headers?) 

2. Argument (Is the author pointing out a problem, and/or proposing a solution?) 

3. Content (Does the argument principally rely on facts, theory, or logic?) and 

4. Style (Does the writer use first person? What is the relationship with the audience?)

Philosophy Paper

  • Singer on the Moral Status of Animals

Theology Paper

  • Problem of God
  • Jewish Civilization
  • Sacred Space and Time
  • Phenolphthalein in Alkaline Solution

History Paper

  • World History

Literature Review

Comparative Analysis 

Policy Brief

  • Vaccine Manufacturing

White Paper

Critical Analysis

  • Ignatius Seminar

PrepScholar

Choose Your Test

Sat / act prep online guides and tips, 177 college essay examples for 11 schools + expert analysis.

author image

College Admissions , College Essays

body-typewriter-writing-desk-cc0

The personal statement might just be the hardest part of your college application. Mostly this is because it has the least guidance and is the most open-ended. One way to understand what colleges are looking for when they ask you to write an essay is to check out the essays of students who already got in—college essays that actually worked. After all, they must be among the most successful of this weird literary genre.

In this article, I'll go through general guidelines for what makes great college essays great. I've also compiled an enormous list of 100+ actual sample college essays from 11 different schools. Finally, I'll break down two of these published college essay examples and explain why and how they work. With links to 177 full essays and essay excerpts , this article is a great resource for learning how to craft your own personal college admissions essay!

What Excellent College Essays Have in Common

Even though in many ways these sample college essays are very different from one other, they do share some traits you should try to emulate as you write your own essay.

Visible Signs of Planning

Building out from a narrow, concrete focus. You'll see a similar structure in many of the essays. The author starts with a very detailed story of an event or description of a person or place. After this sense-heavy imagery, the essay expands out to make a broader point about the author, and connects this very memorable experience to the author's present situation, state of mind, newfound understanding, or maturity level.

Knowing how to tell a story. Some of the experiences in these essays are one-of-a-kind. But most deal with the stuff of everyday life. What sets them apart is the way the author approaches the topic: analyzing it for drama and humor, for its moving qualities, for what it says about the author's world, and for how it connects to the author's emotional life.

Stellar Execution

A killer first sentence. You've heard it before, and you'll hear it again: you have to suck the reader in, and the best place to do that is the first sentence. Great first sentences are punchy. They are like cliffhangers, setting up an exciting scene or an unusual situation with an unclear conclusion, in order to make the reader want to know more. Don't take my word for it—check out these 22 first sentences from Stanford applicants and tell me you don't want to read the rest of those essays to find out what happens!

A lively, individual voice. Writing is for readers. In this case, your reader is an admissions officer who has read thousands of essays before yours and will read thousands after. Your goal? Don't bore your reader. Use interesting descriptions, stay away from clichés, include your own offbeat observations—anything that makes this essay sounds like you and not like anyone else.

body-frog-cc0

Technical correctness. No spelling mistakes, no grammar weirdness, no syntax issues, no punctuation snafus—each of these sample college essays has been formatted and proofread perfectly. If this kind of exactness is not your strong suit, you're in luck! All colleges advise applicants to have their essays looked over several times by parents, teachers, mentors, and anyone else who can spot a comma splice. Your essay must be your own work, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with getting help polishing it.

And if you need more guidance, connect with PrepScholar's expert admissions consultants . These expert writers know exactly what college admissions committees look for in an admissions essay and chan help you craft an essay that boosts your chances of getting into your dream school.

Check out PrepScholar's Essay Editing and Coaching progra m for more details!

Want to write the perfect college application essay?   We can help.   Your dedicated PrepScholar Admissions counselor will help you craft your perfect college essay, from the ground up. We learn your background and interests, brainstorm essay topics, and walk you through the essay drafting process, step-by-step. At the end, you'll have a unique essay to proudly submit to colleges.   Don't leave your college application to chance. Find out more about PrepScholar Admissions now:

Links to Full College Essay Examples

Some colleges publish a selection of their favorite accepted college essays that worked, and I've put together a selection of over 100 of these.

Common App Essay Samples

Please note that some of these college essay examples may be responding to prompts that are no longer in use. The current Common App prompts are as follows:

1. Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story. 2. The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience? 3. Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome? 4. Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you? 5. Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others. 6. Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?

7. Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

Now, let's get to the good stuff: the list of 177 college essay examples responding to current and past Common App essay prompts. 

Connecticut college.

  • 12 Common Application essays from the classes of 2022-2025

Hamilton College

  • 7 Common Application essays from the class of 2026
  • 7 Common Application essays from the class of 2022
  • 7 Common Application essays from the class of 2018
  • 8 Common Application essays from the class of 2012
  • 8 Common Application essays from the class of 2007

Johns Hopkins

These essays are answers to past prompts from either the Common Application or the Coalition Application (which Johns Hopkins used to accept).

  • 1 Common Application or Coalition Application essay from the class of 2026
  • 6 Common Application or Coalition Application essays from the class of 2025
  • 6 Common Application or Universal Application essays from the class of 2024
  • 6 Common Application or Universal Application essays from the class of 2023
  • 7 Common Application of Universal Application essays from the class of 2022
  • 5 Common Application or Universal Application essays from the class of 2021
  • 7 Common Application or Universal Application essays from the class of 2020

Essay Examples Published by Other Websites

  • 2 Common Application essays ( 1st essay , 2nd essay ) from applicants admitted to Columbia

Other Sample College Essays

Here is a collection of essays that are college-specific.

Babson College

  • 4 essays (and 1 video response) on "Why Babson" from the class of 2020

Emory University

  • 5 essay examples ( 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ) from the class of 2020 along with analysis from Emory admissions staff on why the essays were exceptional
  • 5 more recent essay examples ( 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ) along with analysis from Emory admissions staff on what made these essays stand out

University of Georgia

  • 1 “strong essay” sample from 2019
  • 1 “strong essay” sample from 2018
  • 10 Harvard essays from 2023
  • 10 Harvard essays from 2022
  • 10 Harvard essays from 2021
  • 10 Harvard essays from 2020
  • 10 Harvard essays from 2019
  • 10 Harvard essays from 2018
  • 6 essays from admitted MIT students

Smith College

  • 6 "best gift" essays from the class of 2018

body-library-cc0-2

Books of College Essays

If you're looking for even more sample college essays, consider purchasing a college essay book. The best of these include dozens of essays that worked and feedback from real admissions officers.

College Essays That Made a Difference —This detailed guide from Princeton Review includes not only successful essays, but also interviews with admissions officers and full student profiles.

50 Successful Harvard Application Essays by the Staff of the Harvard Crimson—A must for anyone aspiring to Harvard .

50 Successful Ivy League Application Essays and 50 Successful Stanford Application Essays by Gen and Kelly Tanabe—For essays from other top schools, check out this venerated series, which is regularly updated with new essays.

Heavenly Essays by Janine W. Robinson—This collection from the popular blogger behind Essay Hell includes a wider range of schools, as well as helpful tips on honing your own essay.

body-writing-notebook-student-cc0

Analyzing Great Common App Essays That Worked

I've picked two essays from the examples collected above to examine in more depth so that you can see exactly what makes a successful college essay work. Full credit for these essays goes to the original authors and the schools that published them.

Example 1: "Breaking Into Cars," by Stephen, Johns Hopkins Class of '19 (Common App Essay, 636 words long)

I had never broken into a car before.

We were in Laredo, having just finished our first day at a Habitat for Humanity work site. The Hotchkiss volunteers had already left, off to enjoy some Texas BBQ, leaving me behind with the college kids to clean up. Not until we were stranded did we realize we were locked out of the van.

Someone picked a coat hanger out of the dumpster, handed it to me, and took a few steps back.

"Can you do that thing with a coat hanger to unlock it?"

"Why me?" I thought.

More out of amusement than optimism, I gave it a try. I slid the hanger into the window's seal like I'd seen on crime shows, and spent a few minutes jiggling the apparatus around the inside of the frame. Suddenly, two things simultaneously clicked. One was the lock on the door. (I actually succeeded in springing it.) The other was the realization that I'd been in this type of situation before. In fact, I'd been born into this type of situation.

My upbringing has numbed me to unpredictability and chaos. With a family of seven, my home was loud, messy, and spottily supervised. My siblings arguing, the dog barking, the phone ringing—all meant my house was functioning normally. My Dad, a retired Navy pilot, was away half the time. When he was home, he had a parenting style something like a drill sergeant. At the age of nine, I learned how to clear burning oil from the surface of water. My Dad considered this a critical life skill—you know, in case my aircraft carrier should ever get torpedoed. "The water's on fire! Clear a hole!" he shouted, tossing me in the lake without warning. While I'm still unconvinced about that particular lesson's practicality, my Dad's overarching message is unequivocally true: much of life is unexpected, and you have to deal with the twists and turns.

Living in my family, days rarely unfolded as planned. A bit overlooked, a little pushed around, I learned to roll with reality, negotiate a quick deal, and give the improbable a try. I don't sweat the small stuff, and I definitely don't expect perfect fairness. So what if our dining room table only has six chairs for seven people? Someone learns the importance of punctuality every night.

But more than punctuality and a special affinity for musical chairs, my family life has taught me to thrive in situations over which I have no power. Growing up, I never controlled my older siblings, but I learned how to thwart their attempts to control me. I forged alliances, and realigned them as necessary. Sometimes, I was the poor, defenseless little brother; sometimes I was the omniscient elder. Different things to different people, as the situation demanded. I learned to adapt.

Back then, these techniques were merely reactions undertaken to ensure my survival. But one day this fall, Dr. Hicks, our Head of School, asked me a question that he hoped all seniors would reflect on throughout the year: "How can I participate in a thing I do not govern, in the company of people I did not choose?"

The question caught me off guard, much like the question posed to me in Laredo. Then, I realized I knew the answer. I knew why the coat hanger had been handed to me.

Growing up as the middle child in my family, I was a vital participant in a thing I did not govern, in the company of people I did not choose. It's family. It's society. And often, it's chaos. You participate by letting go of the small stuff, not expecting order and perfection, and facing the unexpected with confidence, optimism, and preparedness. My family experience taught me to face a serendipitous world with confidence.

What Makes This Essay Tick?

It's very helpful to take writing apart in order to see just how it accomplishes its objectives. Stephen's essay is very effective. Let's find out why!

An Opening Line That Draws You In

In just eight words, we get: scene-setting (he is standing next to a car about to break in), the idea of crossing a boundary (he is maybe about to do an illegal thing for the first time), and a cliffhanger (we are thinking: is he going to get caught? Is he headed for a life of crime? Is he about to be scared straight?).

Great, Detailed Opening Story

More out of amusement than optimism, I gave it a try. I slid the hanger into the window's seal like I'd seen on crime shows, and spent a few minutes jiggling the apparatus around the inside of the frame.

It's the details that really make this small experience come alive. Notice how whenever he can, Stephen uses a more specific, descriptive word in place of a more generic one. The volunteers aren't going to get food or dinner; they're going for "Texas BBQ." The coat hanger comes from "a dumpster." Stephen doesn't just move the coat hanger—he "jiggles" it.

Details also help us visualize the emotions of the people in the scene. The person who hands Stephen the coat hanger isn't just uncomfortable or nervous; he "takes a few steps back"—a description of movement that conveys feelings. Finally, the detail of actual speech makes the scene pop. Instead of writing that the other guy asked him to unlock the van, Stephen has the guy actually say his own words in a way that sounds like a teenager talking.

body_coathangers

Turning a Specific Incident Into a Deeper Insight

Suddenly, two things simultaneously clicked. One was the lock on the door. (I actually succeeded in springing it.) The other was the realization that I'd been in this type of situation before. In fact, I'd been born into this type of situation.

Stephen makes the locked car experience a meaningful illustration of how he has learned to be resourceful and ready for anything, and he also makes this turn from the specific to the broad through an elegant play on the two meanings of the word "click."

Using Concrete Examples When Making Abstract Claims

My upbringing has numbed me to unpredictability and chaos. With a family of seven, my home was loud, messy, and spottily supervised. My siblings arguing, the dog barking, the phone ringing—all meant my house was functioning normally.

"Unpredictability and chaos" are very abstract, not easily visualized concepts. They could also mean any number of things—violence, abandonment, poverty, mental instability. By instantly following up with highly finite and unambiguous illustrations like "family of seven" and "siblings arguing, the dog barking, the phone ringing," Stephen grounds the abstraction in something that is easy to picture: a large, noisy family.

Using Small Bits of Humor and Casual Word Choice

My Dad, a retired Navy pilot, was away half the time. When he was home, he had a parenting style something like a drill sergeant. At the age of nine, I learned how to clear burning oil from the surface of water. My Dad considered this a critical life skill—you know, in case my aircraft carrier should ever get torpedoed.

Obviously, knowing how to clean burning oil is not high on the list of things every 9-year-old needs to know. To emphasize this, Stephen uses sarcasm by bringing up a situation that is clearly over-the-top: "in case my aircraft carrier should ever get torpedoed."

The humor also feels relaxed. Part of this is because he introduces it with the colloquial phrase "you know," so it sounds like he is talking to us in person. This approach also diffuses the potential discomfort of the reader with his father's strictness—since he is making jokes about it, clearly he is OK. Notice, though, that this doesn't occur very much in the essay. This helps keep the tone meaningful and serious rather than flippant.

body-oil-spill

An Ending That Stretches the Insight Into the Future

But one day this fall, Dr. Hicks, our Head of School, asked me a question that he hoped all seniors would reflect on throughout the year: "How can I participate in a thing I do not govern, in the company of people I did not choose?"

The ending of the essay reveals that Stephen's life has been one long preparation for the future. He has emerged from chaos and his dad's approach to parenting as a person who can thrive in a world that he can't control.

This connection of past experience to current maturity and self-knowledge is a key element in all successful personal essays. Colleges are very much looking for mature, self-aware applicants. These are the qualities of successful college students, who will be able to navigate the independence college classes require and the responsibility and quasi-adulthood of college life.

What Could This Essay Do Even Better?

Even the best essays aren't perfect, and even the world's greatest writers will tell you that writing is never "finished"—just "due." So what would we tweak in this essay if we could?

Replace some of the clichéd language. Stephen uses handy phrases like "twists and turns" and "don't sweat the small stuff" as a kind of shorthand for explaining his relationship to chaos and unpredictability. But using too many of these ready-made expressions runs the risk of clouding out your own voice and replacing it with something expected and boring.

Use another example from recent life. Stephen's first example (breaking into the van in Laredo) is a great illustration of being resourceful in an unexpected situation. But his essay also emphasizes that he "learned to adapt" by being "different things to different people." It would be great to see how this plays out outside his family, either in the situation in Laredo or another context.

Want to build the best possible college application?   We can help.   PrepScholar Admissions combines world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies. We've guided thousands of students to get into their top choice schools, from state colleges to the Ivy League. We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit and are driven to get you admitted to your dream schools. Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in:

Example 2: By Renner Kwittken, Tufts Class of '23 (Common App Essay, 645 words long)

My first dream job was to be a pickle truck driver. I saw it in my favorite book, Richard Scarry's "Cars and Trucks and Things That Go," and for some reason, I was absolutely obsessed with the idea of driving a giant pickle. Much to the discontent of my younger sister, I insisted that my parents read us that book as many nights as possible so we could find goldbug, a small little golden bug, on every page. I would imagine the wonderful life I would have: being a pig driving a giant pickle truck across the country, chasing and finding goldbug. I then moved on to wanting to be a Lego Master. Then an architect. Then a surgeon.

Then I discovered a real goldbug: gold nanoparticles that can reprogram macrophages to assist in killing tumors, produce clear images of them without sacrificing the subject, and heat them to obliteration.

Suddenly the destination of my pickle was clear.

I quickly became enveloped by the world of nanomedicine; I scoured articles about liposomes, polymeric micelles, dendrimers, targeting ligands, and self-assembling nanoparticles, all conquering cancer in some exotic way. Completely absorbed, I set out to find a mentor to dive even deeper into these topics. After several rejections, I was immensely grateful to receive an invitation to work alongside Dr. Sangeeta Ray at Johns Hopkins.

In the lab, Dr. Ray encouraged a great amount of autonomy to design and implement my own procedures. I chose to attack a problem that affects the entire field of nanomedicine: nanoparticles consistently fail to translate from animal studies into clinical trials. Jumping off recent literature, I set out to see if a pre-dose of a common chemotherapeutic could enhance nanoparticle delivery in aggressive prostate cancer, creating three novel constructs based on three different linear polymers, each using fluorescent dye (although no gold, sorry goldbug!). Though using radioactive isotopes like Gallium and Yttrium would have been incredible, as a 17-year-old, I unfortunately wasn't allowed in the same room as these radioactive materials (even though I took a Geiger counter to a pair of shoes and found them to be slightly dangerous).

I hadn't expected my hypothesis to work, as the research project would have ideally been led across two full years. Yet while there are still many optimizations and revisions to be done, I was thrilled to find -- with completely new nanoparticles that may one day mean future trials will use particles with the initials "RK-1" -- thatcyclophosphamide did indeed increase nanoparticle delivery to the tumor in a statistically significant way.

A secondary, unexpected research project was living alone in Baltimore, a new city to me, surrounded by people much older than I. Even with moving frequently between hotels, AirBnB's, and students' apartments, I strangely reveled in the freedom I had to enjoy my surroundings and form new friendships with graduate school students from the lab. We explored The Inner Harbor at night, attended a concert together one weekend, and even got to watch the Orioles lose (to nobody's surprise). Ironically, it's through these new friendships I discovered something unexpected: what I truly love is sharing research. Whether in a presentation or in a casual conversation, making others interested in science is perhaps more exciting to me than the research itself. This solidified a new pursuit to angle my love for writing towards illuminating science in ways people can understand, adding value to a society that can certainly benefit from more scientific literacy.

It seems fitting that my goals are still transforming: in Scarry's book, there is not just one goldbug, there is one on every page. With each new experience, I'm learning that it isn't the goldbug itself, but rather the act of searching for the goldbugs that will encourage, shape, and refine my ever-evolving passions. Regardless of the goldbug I seek -- I know my pickle truck has just begun its journey.

Renner takes a somewhat different approach than Stephen, but their essay is just as detailed and engaging. Let's go through some of the strengths of this essay.

One Clear Governing Metaphor

This essay is ultimately about two things: Renner’s dreams and future career goals, and Renner’s philosophy on goal-setting and achieving one’s dreams.

But instead of listing off all the amazing things they’ve done to pursue their dream of working in nanomedicine, Renner tells a powerful, unique story instead. To set up the narrative, Renner opens the essay by connecting their experiences with goal-setting and dream-chasing all the way back to a memorable childhood experience:

This lighthearted–but relevant!--story about the moment when Renner first developed a passion for a specific career (“finding the goldbug”) provides an anchor point for the rest of the essay. As Renner pivots to describing their current dreams and goals–working in nanomedicine–the metaphor of “finding the goldbug” is reflected in Renner’s experiments, rejections, and new discoveries.

Though Renner tells multiple stories about their quest to “find the goldbug,” or, in other words, pursue their passion, each story is connected by a unifying theme; namely, that as we search and grow over time, our goals will transform…and that’s okay! By the end of the essay, Renner uses the metaphor of “finding the goldbug” to reiterate the relevance of the opening story:

While the earlier parts of the essay convey Renner’s core message by showing, the final, concluding paragraph sums up Renner’s insights by telling. By briefly and clearly stating the relevance of the goldbug metaphor to their own philosophy on goals and dreams, Renner demonstrates their creativity, insight, and eagerness to grow and evolve as the journey continues into college.

body_fixers

An Engaging, Individual Voice

This essay uses many techniques that make Renner sound genuine and make the reader feel like we already know them.

Technique #1: humor. Notice Renner's gentle and relaxed humor that lightly mocks their younger self's grand ambitions (this is different from the more sarcastic kind of humor used by Stephen in the first essay—you could never mistake one writer for the other).

My first dream job was to be a pickle truck driver.

I would imagine the wonderful life I would have: being a pig driving a giant pickle truck across the country, chasing and finding goldbug. I then moved on to wanting to be a Lego Master. Then an architect. Then a surgeon.

Renner gives a great example of how to use humor to your advantage in college essays. You don’t want to come off as too self-deprecating or sarcastic, but telling a lightheartedly humorous story about your younger self that also showcases how you’ve grown and changed over time can set the right tone for your entire essay.

Technique #2: intentional, eye-catching structure. The second technique is the way Renner uses a unique structure to bolster the tone and themes of their essay . The structure of your essay can have a major impact on how your ideas come across…so it’s important to give it just as much thought as the content of your essay!

For instance, Renner does a great job of using one-line paragraphs to create dramatic emphasis and to make clear transitions from one phase of the story to the next:

Suddenly the destination of my pickle car was clear.

Not only does the one-liner above signal that Renner is moving into a new phase of the narrative (their nanoparticle research experiences), it also tells the reader that this is a big moment in Renner’s story. It’s clear that Renner made a major discovery that changed the course of their goal pursuit and dream-chasing. Through structure, Renner conveys excitement and entices the reader to keep pushing forward to the next part of the story.

Technique #3: playing with syntax. The third technique is to use sentences of varying length, syntax, and structure. Most of the essay's written in standard English and uses grammatically correct sentences. However, at key moments, Renner emphasizes that the reader needs to sit up and pay attention by switching to short, colloquial, differently punctuated, and sometimes fragmented sentences.

Even with moving frequently between hotels, AirBnB's, and students' apartments, I strangely reveled in the freedom I had to enjoy my surroundings and form new friendships with graduate school students from the lab. We explored The Inner Harbor at night, attended a concert together one weekend, and even got to watch the Orioles lose (to nobody's surprise). Ironically, it's through these new friendships I discovered something unexpected: what I truly love is sharing research.

In the examples above, Renner switches adeptly between long, flowing sentences and quippy, telegraphic ones. At the same time, Renner uses these different sentence lengths intentionally. As they describe their experiences in new places, they use longer sentences to immerse the reader in the sights, smells, and sounds of those experiences. And when it’s time to get a big, key idea across, Renner switches to a short, punchy sentence to stop the reader in their tracks.

The varying syntax and sentence lengths pull the reader into the narrative and set up crucial “aha” moments when it’s most important…which is a surefire way to make any college essay stand out.

body-crying-upset-cc0

Renner's essay is very strong, but there are still a few little things that could be improved.

Connecting the research experiences to the theme of “finding the goldbug.”  The essay begins and ends with Renner’s connection to the idea of “finding the goldbug.” And while this metaphor is deftly tied into the essay’s intro and conclusion, it isn’t entirely clear what Renner’s big findings were during the research experiences that are described in the middle of the essay. It would be great to add a sentence or two stating what Renner’s big takeaways (or “goldbugs”) were from these experiences, which add more cohesion to the essay as a whole.

Give more details about discovering the world of nanomedicine. It makes sense that Renner wants to get into the details of their big research experiences as quickly as possible. After all, these are the details that show Renner’s dedication to nanomedicine! But a smoother transition from the opening pickle car/goldbug story to Renner’s “real goldbug” of nanoparticles would help the reader understand why nanoparticles became Renner’s goldbug. Finding out why Renner is so motivated to study nanomedicine–and perhaps what put them on to this field of study–would help readers fully understand why Renner chose this path in the first place.

4 Essential Tips for Writing Your Own Essay

How can you use this discussion to better your own college essay? Here are some suggestions for ways to use this resource effectively.

#1: Get Help From the Experts

Getting your college applications together takes a lot of work and can be pretty intimidatin g. Essays are even more important than ever now that admissions processes are changing and schools are going test-optional and removing diversity standards thanks to new Supreme Court rulings .  If you want certified expert help that really makes a difference, get started with  PrepScholar’s Essay Editing and Coaching program. Our program can help you put together an incredible essay from idea to completion so that your application stands out from the crowd. We've helped students get into the best colleges in the United States, including Harvard, Stanford, and Yale.  If you're ready to take the next step and boost your odds of getting into your dream school, connect with our experts today .

#2: Read Other Essays to Get Ideas for Your Own

As you go through the essays we've compiled for you above, ask yourself the following questions:

  • Can you explain to yourself (or someone else!) why the opening sentence works well?
  • Look for the essay's detailed personal anecdote. What senses is the author describing? Can you easily picture the scene in your mind's eye?
  • Find the place where this anecdote bridges into a larger insight about the author. How does the essay connect the two? How does the anecdote work as an example of the author's characteristic, trait, or skill?
  • Check out the essay's tone. If it's funny, can you find the places where the humor comes from? If it's sad and moving, can you find the imagery and description of feelings that make you moved? If it's serious, can you see how word choice adds to this tone?

Make a note whenever you find an essay or part of an essay that you think was particularly well-written, and think about what you like about it . Is it funny? Does it help you really get to know the writer? Does it show what makes the writer unique? Once you have your list, keep it next to you while writing your essay to remind yourself to try and use those same techniques in your own essay.

body-gears-cogs-puzzle-cc0

#3: Find Your "A-Ha!" Moment

All of these essays rely on connecting with the reader through a heartfelt, highly descriptive scene from the author's life. It can either be very dramatic (did you survive a plane crash?) or it can be completely mundane (did you finally beat your dad at Scrabble?). Either way, it should be personal and revealing about you, your personality, and the way you are now that you are entering the adult world.

Check out essays by authors like John Jeremiah Sullivan , Leslie Jamison , Hanif Abdurraqib , and Esmé Weijun Wang to get more examples of how to craft a compelling personal narrative.

#4: Start Early, Revise Often

Let me level with you: the best writing isn't writing at all. It's rewriting. And in order to have time to rewrite, you have to start way before the application deadline. My advice is to write your first draft at least two months before your applications are due.

Let it sit for a few days untouched. Then come back to it with fresh eyes and think critically about what you've written. What's extra? What's missing? What is in the wrong place? What doesn't make sense? Don't be afraid to take it apart and rearrange sections. Do this several times over, and your essay will be much better for it!

For more editing tips, check out a style guide like Dreyer's English or Eats, Shoots & Leaves .

body_next_step_drawing_blackboard

What's Next?

Still not sure which colleges you want to apply to? Our experts will show you how to make a college list that will help you choose a college that's right for you.

Interested in learning more about college essays? Check out our detailed breakdown of exactly how personal statements work in an application , some suggestions on what to avoid when writing your essay , and our guide to writing about your extracurricular activities .

Working on the rest of your application? Read what admissions officers wish applicants knew before applying .

Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?   We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download them for free now:

The recommendations in this post are based solely on our knowledge and experience. If you purchase an item through one of our links PrepScholar may receive a commission.

author image

Anna scored in the 99th percentile on her SATs in high school, and went on to major in English at Princeton and to get her doctorate in English Literature at Columbia. She is passionate about improving student access to higher education.

Student and Parent Forum

Our new student and parent forum, at ExpertHub.PrepScholar.com , allow you to interact with your peers and the PrepScholar staff. See how other students and parents are navigating high school, college, and the college admissions process. Ask questions; get answers.

Join the Conversation

Ask a Question Below

Have any questions about this article or other topics? Ask below and we'll reply!

Improve With Our Famous Guides

  • For All Students

The 5 Strategies You Must Be Using to Improve 160+ SAT Points

How to Get a Perfect 1600, by a Perfect Scorer

Series: How to Get 800 on Each SAT Section:

Score 800 on SAT Math

Score 800 on SAT Reading

Score 800 on SAT Writing

Series: How to Get to 600 on Each SAT Section:

Score 600 on SAT Math

Score 600 on SAT Reading

Score 600 on SAT Writing

Free Complete Official SAT Practice Tests

What SAT Target Score Should You Be Aiming For?

15 Strategies to Improve Your SAT Essay

The 5 Strategies You Must Be Using to Improve 4+ ACT Points

How to Get a Perfect 36 ACT, by a Perfect Scorer

Series: How to Get 36 on Each ACT Section:

36 on ACT English

36 on ACT Math

36 on ACT Reading

36 on ACT Science

Series: How to Get to 24 on Each ACT Section:

24 on ACT English

24 on ACT Math

24 on ACT Reading

24 on ACT Science

What ACT target score should you be aiming for?

ACT Vocabulary You Must Know

ACT Writing: 15 Tips to Raise Your Essay Score

How to Get Into Harvard and the Ivy League

How to Get a Perfect 4.0 GPA

How to Write an Amazing College Essay

What Exactly Are Colleges Looking For?

Is the ACT easier than the SAT? A Comprehensive Guide

Should you retake your SAT or ACT?

When should you take the SAT or ACT?

Stay Informed

examples of english essay

Get the latest articles and test prep tips!

Looking for Graduate School Test Prep?

Check out our top-rated graduate blogs here:

GRE Online Prep Blog

GMAT Online Prep Blog

TOEFL Online Prep Blog

Holly R. "I am absolutely overjoyed and cannot thank you enough for helping me!”

English that goes straight to the heart

Essay Examples

An essay is a piece of writing that revolves around a particular theme and contains the academic opinions of the person writing it.

An essay can perform one or more of the following functions:

Daily Test - Attempt Now

  • Analyses and critically evaluates a topic
  • Presents the writer‘s argument for or against an idea
  • Describes something
  • Narrates a story
  • Persuades the reader

To write a good essay you need an Introduction, a Body (Supporting Paragraphs), and a Conclusion. In this post, we have added the top 20 Essay Examples.

Essay Examples

Essay Examples #1

Essay on my family (500+ words).

Family is the place where you learn your first lesson in life. Your family members are the only assets that will remain with you forever. Whatever the circumstances, family members are always there for each other to support us. Good values and good morals are always taught in a family.

In the family, we are prepared to respect our elders and love younger ones. We learn lessons consistently from our family, about honesty, dependability, kindness and so on. Although I am a student in my final year, my family always treats me like a child but always provides me with a sensation of so much love and care.

My family is the best family for me. I live in a nuclear family of five members. My father is a teacher. He is the man who heads and leads our family. He brings the family into reality. My father is my hero as he predicts the need of the time and raises his family by bearing all the responsibilities and discharging all the duties for giving a required shape. I respect him for his great deeds.

My father does not force me to go for a career his choice. He does not want that his son should follow only his profession. He wants that his son should go according to his own choice, suitability, and capability. But my father desires his son should go for a better future.

My mother is a housewife as well as a beautician. She is a lovely woman. My mother is everything to me. She is the one who understands me best and most closely. My mother is my co-partner in everyday work and different issues.

My mother was the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. She is my mother, who shapes me, to become a nobleman through her great, insightful, and elegant activities. My mother motivates me to learn by consenting to the activities which are important for character building and improvement. My mother creates an environment for me to learn enough in a natural manner.

My grandmother is the cutest person of all. In light of her, everybody has to get up early in the morning. She is fond of making sweet dishes and we love what she does. She is a focused woman and because of her everything needs to be in order.

My brother, who is elder than me, is the tallest. He is a Youtuber and is fond of cooking. He loves to play cricket and is a gadget freak. He doesn’t study much but is very sweet and gentlemanly.

I love my family because they are the jewels of my life. They work hard so that we can get anything we desire makes me love and respect my parents considerably more. We play games every night and discuss various topics to spend some quality time together.

I give deep respect and pay the highest regard to my family not just because they are my family, but for their unmatched and incredible sacrifices for me.

Also, Read 6 Types of Essay

Essay Examples #2

Essay on my father (500+ words).

My father is the man who heads and leads our family. He brings the family into reality. But in a real sense, my father predicts the need of the time and raises his family by bearing all the responsibilities and discharging all the duties for giving a required shape. I respect him for his great deeds.

My father is financially weak but fulfils my genuine requirements and guarantees that I should not be a survivor of feelings of inadequacy. My poor father does not hesitate to sweat heavily to enhance his earnings for my sake. He eats a little less but does not think twice about taking care of mine.

My father does not force me to go for a career of my papa’s choice. He does not want that his son should follow only his profession. He wants that his son should go according to his own choice, suitability, and capability. The tradition of specific jobs running in the family is literally dying. A doctor is not wanting his son to be a doctor, a professor is avoiding his profession for his children, an army officer is not forcing his son to join the defence forces, and so on. But my father desires his son should go for a better future.

My Father is a mature and agreeable individual who assists me make important decisions. Like most doting fathers, he plays a very important role in my life helping me build my career as well as resolve my everyday issues too. When I am looking for help and guidance against the odds, I, first of all, approached my father who comes forward leaving all his personal priorities and doing the needful. My father is a person who works tirelessly and makes countless penances to figure out my issues.

My father goes with me in all the activities ensuring my correct moves. He really looks at my problem and moulds me by giving lectures in the series in order to form a lovely sense in my mind. His concern is for my better career. My father is mature enough, knowledgeable, and very much aware of my cutting-edge needs, evaluates my inclination as well as decision, and does all-out efforts to develop me for accomplishing my objective.

My father is educated and has a logical vision. Today, my father has transformed into a trendy dad. His thinking is new which suits the time. He takes full advantage of his knowledge and modernization in raising me suitably and making me capable and confident to confront the competitive life that is prevailing today.

My father as an ideal father makes all efforts to meet my necessities. He would rather not leave any lacuna which may affect my development and career-building process.

We celebrate Father’s Day every year on 19 June to strengthen the relationship and remind a father of the sacrifices he endured towards his kids when they were in need.

It is very important that we should give deep respect and pay the highest regard to our fathers.

Essay Examples #3

Essay on my mother (500+ words).

The moment a child is born, the mother is born as well. When a child gets a sense, it looks up at its mother and starts to follow the mother’s movements. The mind of a child is generally very sharp. It copies the activities of the mother eagerly. Mother takes all the care of her kid from all points like health, dress, diet, entertainment, education, sports, and development of competitive aptitude. The mother attracts the kid through love and affection.

We can describe motherhood in terms of sacrifice. My mother ignores her comforts and works hard for good food, wear, and education for me. It is a natural and noteworthy quality that is wholly found in a mother. My mother bears the responsibility of motherhood not only from a young age, but she remains a trusted adviser throughout my life. It is very important that we should give deep respect and pay the highest regard to our mothers not just because they are mothers, but for their unmatched motherhood and incredible sacrifices towards us.

My mother is everything to me. She is the one who understands me best and most closely. My mother is my co-partner in everyday work and different issues. Sometimes my mother takes on a tremendous amount of responsibility and works under tension, when I need her, to take up its battle, both personally and professionally, to accomplish the troublesome objective in my work or business. We should owe our mothers for their everything.

There is an extraordinary job the mother does in influencing the kid. The foundation made by my mother through affection, persistence, discipline, direction, and tears permits me to cruise upon my ocean. It is my mother, who shapes me, to become a nobleman through her great, insightful, and elegant activities. My mother motivates me to learn by consenting to the activities which are important for character building and improvement. My mother creates an environment for me to learn enough in a natural manner.

Sometimes my mother uses specific hard measures to discipline me and teach me valuable lessons. She denounces me by denying me food. She forbids me to indulge in undesirable activities. Sometimes, she makes the dreaded beating with the rod. She shows her dismay. She warns of the carefulness. But I know, she is very soft from the inside. She is a well-wisher of mine. Her only point is that she needs her child free from inadequacies.

There are some cases when the children especially the individuals who are not depending on their parents and are working away, have forgotten their mothers. They don’t go home for quite a long time but their mothers still pray with all their hearts that they stay blissful and happy. She will ever remain a well-wisher of her children regardless of the circumstances.

It is very important that we should give deep respect and pay the highest regard to our mothers not just because they are mothers, but for their unmatched motherhood and incredible sacrifices towards us.

Write Essay by Academic Experts

Some students may ask: “Is paying someone to write my essay for me possible?” Yes, there is a great opportunity to have papers written online by academic experts.

Essay Examples #4

Balanced diet essay (500+ words).

People eat junk foods and other unhealthy food items only for taste. They don’t even have time to nourish their bodies with the required diet. A healthy and balanced diet reduces stress and promotes healthy life without suffering. Thus, it stands out of utmost importance to individuals to examine the significance of a healthy body.

A diet that contains all kinds of necessary ingredients in almost the required quantity is called the “Balanced Diet”. A Balanced diet is one that helps to maintain or improve overall health. We should consume a balanced diet consisting of essential nutrition: liquids, adequate proteins, essential fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, and calories. We must eat fresh fruits, salad, green leafy vegetables, milk, egg, yoghurt, etc. on time in order to maintain a healthy body.

Among the minerals, we require chiefly iron, calcium, sodium, potassium, and small quantities of iodine, copper, etc. They are found in green vegetables and most fruits, Vitamins have a number of kinds like A, B, C, D, etc. Vitamin A is found in fish oil, butter, carrot, papaya, etc., and Vitamin B is found in green leafy vegetables, wheat grain, etc. Vitamin C is found in green chilli, green vegetables, amla, lemon, and citric fruits. Vitamin D is found in the first oil, butter, and rays of the sun. We also need Vitamins E and K for our health. Milk is perhaps the only single item that can be called a balanced diet in itself.

Animal protein is found in meats, poultry, and fish. The white of an egg also contains protein. Another kind of protein is found in milk (casein), cheese, curd, pulses, soybean, dry fruits, etc. Fat is found in butter, pork, coconut, all edible oils, cod liver oil, the yolk of an egg, etc.

We should eat only fresh, well-washed and well-cooked food articles which are free from dust and flies. Fried foods and foods containing excess fat, spices, and chillis are harmful. Roadside eating should be avoided. We should take the last meal two or three hours before going to bed. There should be a good time gap between two meals so that the food gets digested in our stomachs.

A healthy body also needs some daily physical activities, proper rest and sleep neatness, a healthy environment, fresh air, and water, personal hygiene, etc. Also, we should drink more water at least 7-8 glasses of water. It balances blood pressure and supplies vital nutrients exceptionally quickly to the body. A fit and healthy individual turns out to be more resistant to infections and diseases.

Wealth matters, but, is not as important as health. Spending lots of money on junk food in five-star hotels or on other entertainment sources like watching films for a day and so on has no advantages other than self-satisfaction. Being physically and mentally healthy helps an individual to be socially and financially healthy as well.

Also, Read Academic Essay

Essay Examples #5

Health is wealth essay (500+ words).

The greatest wealth is our own health. A healthy body can earn great wealth but a wealthy person cannot earn great health.

Man is a reasonable creature. His predominance over different creatures lies in his superior mind. As a matter of fact, man has been able to control nature due to his highly developed brain. But man needs to keep his body and mind fit and healthy. It is said that “A healthy man is a wealthy one”. Regular exercise helps us to keep fit and simultaneously keep an alarm in mind. Good and sound well-being would guarantee an agile and active mind. Just as an individual’s state of mind and feelings are reflected in an individual’s health, a body that is feeble and ill-suited plays devastation on an individual’s psychological prosperity.

Recent studies have shown that the increased stress of the present speedy life is leading to various medical conditions. Major among those are heart and neurological problems. Good health assists an individual to keep a positive attitude toward work and life in general.

Regardless of anything else difficulties and obstacles, we go over, life is intended to be positive and cheerful. To enjoy and appreciate the wonderful things of life we need the energy and zest for life. This can happen only when the body is healthy enough to take on the difficulties of life.

An untalented man can also deal with his occupation through the excellence of his good health. We see a number of people having good physiques working on the farm the entire day by putting their energy into earning bread for themselves and their family members. It gives them mental satisfaction and a night of sound sleep during the night. Not only that a physically strong and intelligent man can stretch out better help to society and gain appreciation from individuals.

We realize that there is value in good health, so it ought to be improved. There are areas where people are badly suffering for want of healthcare centres. The hospitals in many rural areas are running without doctors and medicines. There are people who are suffering from multiple diseases or injuries but are not getting treatment, in the absence of proper medical facilities. The poor people can not afford the treatment after going to big cities. The treatment of major diseases in private hospitals is beyond their reach.

The medic.. facility alone can not solve the issue. There is a requirement for awareness among people for carrying out regular physical exercises to have sound health and efficiency to work. People who are cautious and aware of their health join Gymnasium and Yoga camps. The inspiration will intrigue others to follow these good frameworks for making them disease free and enabling them to enjoy robust health.

If a person can figure out how to free his mind of unhealthy and negative thoughts like self-indulgence, he can stir up the will to improve his body. That will free him of most illnesses that are of psychological origin. When he is on the way to good health, he will encounter a superior mind.

Also, Read Examples of Personal Essay

Essay Examples #6

Importance of history as a subject essay (500 words).

History is a very important and interesting subject. Those who are keen to know about the past events and heroism of great people, generally opt for history. History gives curiosities about the noble deeds of noble people who could make themselves fit to be chosen, by the excellence of their remarkable performance, for a record in the books of history. Such people and their acts, through which they could show wonder, always rouse others to follow. The study of history influences one’s character.

No doubt, the present generation has become materialistic as a result of modern science and very few students are going to study history. Their goal has changed. They are keener to earn more and more money for enjoying lavishly rather than philosophizing about historic events.

The study of history is very important to know about the major events which have happened within the nation and the world. An educated man ought to be aware of significant events of the past. The study of history makes a man savvy on various additional matters like religion, legislative issues, sociology, literature, economics, foreign policies, unity, freedom, trade, commerce, geographical aspects, and various indigenous and foreign races. A number of wars, victories, and treaties, which happened in the past inside the nation and outside, have been kept in the books of history. The reader of history knows all about these occurrences exhaustively after he goes through them.

History features differently. We know from history that in the past this world was a turning chunk of fire and a fragment of the Sun. It solidified after so many years and turned out to be increasingly cool step by step. Then life appeared with creatures, other living things, and plants. They were followed by apes and remote ancestors of man. There are countless different realities and happenings that are contained in the books of history.

History must be studied for many important reasons. Its study increases our understanding of caste, religion, tradition, and customs. Its study clarifies that all were man-made. The fundamental point behind it was to make a framework for work, feeling, and civilization in society. There is no religious sanctity attached to anyone. It is changing with the difference in time.

The study of history teaches us the lesson of courage, determination, and hope. A man may be feeble, however throughout ages, he has struggled against heavy odds and never looked back. He faced many disastrous wars and revolutions, yet, he has advanced. The study of history uncovers us the heroism of the man who empowered him to accomplish so much in different fields.

Now you realize the Importance of History as a Subject. Let us encourage the study of history in our country with a positive and helpful point. Let us arrange the study of history to give courage and strength to our childhood empowering them to grasp the element in it for making good use in building up a strong and prosperous country.

Also, Read Examples of Informative Essay

Essay Examples #7

Value of sports and games essay (500+ words).

Sports and games are as important as food, education, and other essential things for children. Games and sports are significant means of entertainment. Nowadays students are busy with their studies. They have a ton of books and various subjects to study. They need some change, which can be given by sports. The outdoor games and sports revive the students and make them able to regain their lost energy. Sports and games produce mental freshness and the students take an interest to concentrate on studying more.

Sports and games are also extremely valuable for good health. The outdoor games are more helpful, where the students share the company of nature and inhale fresh air. They get a lot of physical exercise while playing games outside on the playground. It keeps them physically and mentally fit. Sports and games make the students dynamic which is vital at that age.

Sports and games teach students the value of discipline, collaboration, leadership, judgment, courage, and determination to win. These things also assist the students to develop their traits of personality, which is very important for developing a talented person.

Sports and games teach them the requirement of sacrifice, discipline, elegance, liberality, and solidness, which enable them to effectively lead life. These characteristics in a man carry superfineness to act effectivity regardless of the circumstance and the task they come across. Citizens with such potential can contribute a lot to society and the country to which they belong.

Games likewise give an outlet to excess fat and weight and keep the students solid and dynamic. This aspect is crucial to keep the students healthy. Sports activities are the best means to utilize time in a positive way. They do not waste their time loitering and going on undesirable activities.

We see that the majority of the great athletes are from western and other developed countries. The reasons are obvious. They play games and sports right from childhood and primary school. India is progressing rapidly. We are now capable of affording expenditure on sports activities right from primary standard to empower us to improve the image of the country in sports.

That can be possible only when the children are provided opportunities right from the beginning. If required sports can be made a compulsory subject and marks can be added to the result, which will attract the students towards hard work with an interest in succeeding in sports. That will make an equation to create an ever-increasing number of athletes. The Government and the school administration have to ensure adequate sports facilities in all the schools and colleges. That will inspire the students to take part with a more prominent interest.

It is very clear that games and sports have extraordinary value in life. The games should be played keeping their nobility in mind. The nobility of the games should be maintained. There is a need to create a sports atmosphere in all the schools and colleges for attracting a maximum number of students to take part in the events.

Essay Examples #8

Essay on science and technology (500+ words).

This is the age of science and technology. Its benefits have arisen as a significant determinant of the wealth and power of the nation. The development of science and technology has significant ramifications on the management of the future pattern of social and economic growth.

In a fast-changing world, the fate of the country can be moulded through our ability to harness modern science and technology, which is a road to boost the development programs of the country.

Rapid technological advances have reduced the dependency on natural resources or the factors in proportion to it. Man is performing precisely by machines with a regular improvement in his work because of quick technological changes by virtue of scientific advancement all around the world.

The foremost important aspect that the world is perceiving today is consistent endeavours to consolidate the gains of science for improving the human condition. Scientific discoveries have to be converted by human efforts into technological innovation which have to be developed to achieve significant improvement in the human condition.

Our agricultural scientists have proactively made an exceptional commitment to giving new innovations for growing the crop with scientific methods, which have developed our national economy and human welfare by empowering ourselves completely independent in food grains. This could be accomplished through related technology and scientific methods by providing machines and developing quality seeds, fertilizers, and insecticides, which are suited to bringing a green revolution to the field of agriculture.

We have accomplished desired scientific and technological advancement and have succeeded in boosting various important national activities like information and telecommunication, television, meteorological services, medical advancement, industrial development, nuclear research, Space Research Oceanographic Research, etc.

Over the years a strong science and technology infrastructure base has been established for giving modern shape to world industries. It covers a chain of laboratories, specialized centres, various academic and research institutes, training centres, and useful development programs, which continuously provide skill, technically trained manpower, and technological support to industries for better execution.

Science has advanced a great deal in the field of medical care. New technology has given a compelling medical care framework at a reasonable cost. The new technology that medical science has invented provides the system, under which critical cases can be handled Confidently for saving human life. Medical research has been carried out, broadly on nutrition, tuberculosis, reproduction, child care, leprosy, drugs, communicable diseases, cholera, and malaria, which has an extremely certain result. Man is in a position today where he can undertake to treat these dreaded diseases according to the new invention which has given an established method of treatment and care.

If we look at the global scenario, the modern world is moving exceptionally fast. There are rapid scientific and technological changes that are occurring in a steady progression. Our country, as a global competitor, in the race of becoming a world power, needs to accomplish more in the area of Science and Technology emphasizing it as its foremost national priority in order to accomplish its objective.

Also, Read Summarizing an Essay

Essay Examples #9

Essay on co education (500 words).

Co-education is a system of education in which boys and girls study together in a common school or college. Co-education was not prevalent in ancient times. It is a groundbreaking thought. The parents supported the case for adequate education for the children irrespective of their sex. The countrymen realized that the boys and girls have to move together and shoulder to shoulder in every walk of life in the free world. They started educating their children in co-educational institutions.

Co-education has various advantages. It is useful in producing a sensation of solidarity and a feeling of equivalent obligation among boys and girls. When young boys and girls come closer to each other, they take more care in understanding each other. That helps in creating a friendly atmosphere between the two. The boys and the girls partake in their joint exercises consistently in schools and universities.

Co-education assists in carrying out a change in society according to the need of modern times. Young boys and girls get the opportunity to blend in with one another frankly and conveniently. They act together on different events and occasions in society. They demonstrate examples of cooperation before individuals, which inspires and produces a healthy spirit of working among the masses.

Co-education produces good citizens who have sufficient quality and development in them. That is a direct result of acquiring various experiences of good and terrible nature during their student life in coeducational institutions. This sort of value in an individual separates him respectably during his further course of life. Such citizens are mostly successful in their work because of their characteristic potentiality and maturity.

Ours is a male-overwhelmed society. There is a sensation of mediocrity among women. There is a need to educate the public opinion that the rights of women and men are equal and that they have an equal role to play in society. Their aim and interest are one, and both the men and the women possess the equal ability to act. The aim should be to remove the feeling of an inferiority complex and bring oneness between the two. That will generate confidence in the female community and will give great working strength to the country.

Co-education is the only answer to this issue. When the boys and the girls live and study together for a long time, the disparity of gender goes off and the feeling of equality is seen apparently among them. By prudence of this improvement, both the young boys and the young girls speed up their working with their equivalent and joint endeavours during their life and accomplish their objectives all the more without any problem.

In a democratic country, women are similarly valuable and can work side by side with men. We can not disregard the significance of women in the current circumstances. As a matter of fact, we need to give equal responsibility to women for taking our country ahead smoothly and making its dream of becoming a world power come true.

Essay Examples #10

Essay on disaster management (500+ words).

Numerous disasters are striking the people and the properties, which are causing great loss and we merely watch helplessly in the absence of prior management planning. Every government is spending immense cash on different issues, yet it is uninterested in chalking out the necessities against anticipated disasters.

Poor disaster management fails in handling the situation during it the happening. That could be checked or the outcomes diminished with earlier preparation and effective disaster management. That management can be trustworthy, which consists of certain essential norms like good training, the latest types of equipment, allocation of responsibilities, alertness, drill to tackle the situation on short notice, fast communication system, economic arrangements, and order of precedence depending upon the situation, security arrangements, adequate medical cover, rehabilitation where applicable and standing orders for essential services like transport, food and supplies, medicines and so on.

There is a necessity to set up teams independently for each anticipated disaster as per the preparation and capacity of the individuals for empowering them to tackle the situation with skill.

The disasters, which are generally occurring are either natural causes or accidental.

Disasters, which are caused due to natural reasons are always wide-ranging and more terrible. It needs greater arrangements by setting up an appropriate establishment and infrastructure. On the other hand, disasters which are caused accidentally need limited arrangements, but the time factor is more important to executing rescue operations in it.

Various other accidental occurrences have been occurring in our nation bringing about enormous disasters. These are chiefly accidents of aeroplanes and buses, blasts in mines, explosions due to mishandling of ammunition scraps, accidents while dealing the nuclear substances and during their disposal, hijacking, etc. There is a necessity to set up disaster management forces, which can manage the circumstances and salvage men and materials as timely as possible.

If we look at developed countries like America, Britain, France, etc, they have previously presented a different subject on disaster management in schools and universities with the aim to train and equip the students for handling emergency situations. There is a necessity to follow a similar arrangement of schooling in other countries for empowering the country to prepare every single resident to face and battle difficulties effectively during any sort of disaster.

As a matter of fact, the students ought to be prepared by training, drill, or practice for growing more certainty to deal with the circumstances in the genuine term on the ground. It is vital in the present life to have precautionary measures and adequate disaster management forces for tackling emergency situations when disasters are on increase due to the virtual effect of the advancement of science.

You Asked, We Listened – Get Free Access to All Writing Lists 😍😍

Essay Examples #1 1

My native place.

My parents hail from a small village in Kerala which is nestled among mountains in a scenic district of the state. Every year, I visit my native place with my family. It is a trip that I look forward to all year. My father books the ticket two months in advance as it is difficult to procure reservations on short notice. Although I have lived in the city all my life, I feel that I never belonged to it. I have always felt at home in the quaint mountain village that is far removed from the hustle and bustle of city life.

It takes us 18 hours by train to reach the railway station that is closest to my village. The journey is usually gruelling in the summers but very pleasant in the winters and the monsoons. We plan our trip in the summer months since we get a two-month vacation in April. To beat the heat, we travel by air-conditioned coaches every year. We board the train at noon and we reach our destination at 6 am the next day.

The morning air is heavy with the scent of flowers and wet foliage. The temple bells start ringing at 6:30 am and the sound of bhajans fills the air. The village is only a 20-minute rickshaw ride away from the station. When we enter my grandmother‘s house, we are welcomed by her diminutive figure holding a lamp. According to her, it is auspicious to welcome loved ones by lighting the lamp at the altar of God. The moment we set foot into the house, we are filled with a sense of nostalgia and love. After a sumptuous yet simple breakfast, we relax with our family in the courtyard.

The cool mountain air is laden with scents of the rustic countryside. From afar, we hear the sounds of birds. My sister and I make paper boats and run to the little babbling brook that flows southwards. We set the boats on the water and watch them bob up and down. Far away from the world of video games and television, we seek fun in a world of simplicity.

The house itself has a personality. Simple, two-storeyed, made of stone walls and a thatched roof, the house is an old friend who warmly embraces you every time you meet. The rooms are small but well-maintained. On the ground floor is a room that my grandmother uses for storing condiments and grains. It is illuminated with a single light bulb and an old-fashioned lock-and-key style door. In its corner is a small bed. The calming silence of the room soothes my ears and transports me into a magical place. I feel weightless. The smell of spices envelops me.

On many occasions, I have spent hours sprawled on that bed reading a book or listening to music. If I ever have to pick a favourite place, then I have no doubt this would be it. When twilight descends on the little hamlet, large clusters of stars start appearing in the sky. Such a sight is never seen in the city as the lights obscure the stars that appear in the sky. My grandmother lights the lamp again and we all gather around her to say our evening prayers. After enjoying her simple, rustic yet delicious meal, we retire for the night.

Sometimes when I am upset, I think of my quaint little house in the village, my grandmother‘s warm embrace, and the small room that smells of spices. They immediately help me put my worries away and bring a smile to my face.

Essay Examples #12

Conquering my fear.

I am a fairly brave person. I can confidently say that I am the go-to girl if somebody wants to flick a bug away from his or her collar or pacify a growling dog. Sometimes, I have stayed up late at night trying to calm the frayed nerves of a friend a week before the exams. Is there anything that a fairly brave person like me is frightened of? I am afraid, (pun intended) the answer is yes.

From a very young age, I was frightened of water. Picnics on river banks were nightmares. Never did I appreciate the beauty of a setting sun without dreading the rolling waves that crashed against the shore. In clinical terms, I was aquaphobic – someone who had a pathological fear of water bodies.

Was I happy about it? Of course not! I didn’t want to be the one sitting plastic chair when my family enjoyed a game of throwing a ball in the pool. This summer, I swore to myself that I will conquer this irrational fear at any cost. To put my plan into motion, I joined a swimming class. I told my instructor wasn‘t like the other students who have no trouble getting into the water. The fundamental challenge in coaching me is that I had to be coaxed into the water first.

Thankfully, the instructor was a patient person who took me seriously. He asked me to take my time and come back when I had figured out the reason for my fear. It took me a while but I went back when I found out that my phobia stemmed from my fear of drowning. As a child, I was pushed into the water and survived the scary drowning experience. He smiled and said, “Now that you know the reason, let me introduce you to your adversary.” I was about to perform the most daring act of my life, stepping into the pool.

I took my first step and found myself shivering. I immediately retreated. My instructor said benevolently, “Enough for today. Let‘s take baby steps.” The next day I took two steps. Just when I felt the urge to run back, I told myself, “It‘s just water. It will not harm you.” I stayed in the water for full 10 minutes. I repeated the feat the day after and this time, I waded deeper into the water. I never thought I would see this day; here I was, standing in the pool with water that came up to my chest. Across the pool, I heard my instructor applauding.

In the weeks that followed, I was already preparing for my swimming lessons. In a matter of months, I could say that I tamed my bête noir and had become a decent swimmer. I surprised my family by diving into the pool during a family picnic. I could finally see the beauty of the setting sun without worrying about missing my step and falling headfirst into the sea. For me, the greatest victory was challenging the limitations of my own mind and conquering my worst fears.

Also, Read Will Literature Prosper in an Age of Computer?

Essay Examples #13

How to optimise your time as a student.

It is generally believed that students have a lot of free time. They can afford to spend their time without a care in the world and have the liberty to live as they please. Nothing can be further from the truth. Childhood and adolescence are not simply about whiling away time with immature pursuits; those years play a fundamental role in building one‘s ambitions and shaping one‘s career. Students have to juggle their studies along with their social and familial commitments. Some students are naturally attuned to using their time wisely, but some may not be blessed with those skills. To optimize one‘s time, students should discipline themselves by incorporating some time-saving tips.

Being organized is the cardinal rule in saving time. It simplifies one‘s life. Being a student involves extensive perusal and note-making. Students also take down notes in class which is dictated by their teachers. The lazy ones do not keep a track of where these notes are. As the exams are near, such students may find themselves in a chaotic situation. The diligent ones can access all their notes and use them with ease. To save time, students should start by adopting small practices. They could maintain separate notebooks for different subjects and organize notes in a folder that is labelled according to date and subject.

Keeping the right company also matters. Good fruits when left with spoilt ones turn rotten themselves. Similarly, the company of lazy, insincere people can turn any diligent student bad. Good habits, like bad ones, rub off on others. So, students should make a conscious effort to avoid falling into bad company. They should seek out the ones who could instil more discipline into their lives.

Focus on understanding the basics of every subject. The bedrock of the subject lies in its basics. Without it, education will not have a strong foundation. Knowing the basics also helps students in grasping difficult concepts easily. Therefore, students intent on saving time should go back to their textbooks. Prioritizing tasks can help students save time if they are on a tight deadline. Create a timetable by prioritizing the difficult subjects so that more time can be spent on them.

Following these basic rules can help students optimize their time. They needn‘t fret about balancing studies with recreation if they were to make some smart choices.

Essay Examples #14

The process of digestion.

Your digestive system is one of the most wondrous processes in your body. It is uniquely designed to convert your food into nutrients that are needed for your body‘s functioning. If not for the process of digestion, the human body would be deprived of nutrients and may slowly degenerate. Let us learn how it works.

The food which you eat is broken down partially in the mouth. Your saliva aids in the process by making it pliable and breaking down the starch. Your teeth grind the food into a fine paste-like consistency. From the mouth, the food travels through the pharynx to the oesophagus.

The oesophagus is a muscular tube that connects the pharynx to the stomach. The food reaches the stomach using systematic contractions called peristalsis. These contractions facilitate the movement of the food.

Your stomach is the next destination of the food. It is a pouch-like organ that processes food. Here, the food is completely broken down. Powerful muscles of the stomach along with strong gastric juices blend the food into a paste-like consistency. From the stomach, the paste-like mixture moves further down into the small intestine. It has three parts—duodenum, jejunum, and ileum. It is coiled inside the abdominal cavity and can be about 20 feet in length. In the small intestine, the process of breaking down food is continued. Your pancreas and liver supply enzymes and bile, respectively.

Bile helps in the digestion of fat and eliminates the waste products in the blood. Through peristalsis, the food is moved and mixed with the digestive juices. The duodenum breaks down the food, while the jejunum and ileum absorb all the nutrients and release them into the bloodstream. Your colon is a 5-6-foot-long tube that connects the caecum to the rectum. It absorbs all the water in the stools and releases debris and bacteria into the rectum. The residue is passed into the anus, from where it is eliminated as faeces.

In the complicated procedure, all the digestive organs work in unison each fulfilling its duty with precision. Even if one of these procedures fails, your body may stop functioning properly. Such is the beauty of digestion.

Essay Examples #15

Ajji’s treats.

Appetizing foods are those that appeal both to the eyes and the palate. You may have seen on television how great chefs go to any lengths to make sure that the carefully crafted food is aesthetically presented to taste. They meticulously measure the colour, feel, smell, and dimensions of the food when they mount it onto the plate. Whenever I watch such shows, I am reminded of Ajji who had the ability to give any seasoned chef a run for his money.

She never bothered to follow any of the fastidious rules of modern-day chefs or appealingly presented her culinary creations. She did not believe in fussing over how food was presented, but she did believe in how food was cooked.

Ajji‘s food was not attractive to look at. The laddoos were sometimes not round enough. Lumps and chunks would be barely holding onto one other in a hastily crafted sphere. Her Puran polis reminded me of the map of Europe. The dal curry looked pallid without any garnishing. My heart did ache at the sight of rosy basundi served in ugly plastic bowls. Her food was definitely not meant for someone who feasted with his eyes; it was meant to be enjoyed with the soul.

The haphazardly made laddoos were made with so much love that we would not let a crumb go to waste. Her golden Puran polis with jagged edges was filled with a delicious mixture that would melt in your mouth. The fragrance of her pallid dal curry was welcomed into the homes of the neighbours. We joked that the neighbours would be full by the aroma alone.

On special occasions, she made basundi by stirring the milk meticulously for hours. Even though it was served in ugly bowls, we would never pass a chance to enjoy it. Today she is not with us and neither are her recipes. As a token of her love for me, she bequeathed her personal cookbook to me. No matter how well I try to recreate her laddoos, I can never make them look as beautifully lumpy as she did.

Essay Examples #16

How education enriched me.

The importance of education for men and women cannot be understated. It plays a crucial role in the personal development of an individual and enriches the socio-economical fabric of society. Today, education is necessary for success, and each individual is pitched against the other in a bid to outperform one another. Education is something that can give a person the necessary edge over others. It is definitely an instrument of social progress.

Education does not merely end with sending children to school. It is a fire that has to be stoked repeatedly. I was born to intelligent parents who understood the importance of imparting education to children. They not only sent me to a very good school but also whetted my interest in a variety of subjects by buying books and educational toys for me. Games such as Scrabble, Taboo, math puzzles, and the Rubik’s Cube stimulated my brain cells and strengthened my intellectual faculties.

My childhood was spent reading books of all kinds. Exposure to classical works of literature enriched my knowledge of the language. Thanks to my extensive reading, I also possess a very vibrant vocabulary. Encyclopedias on subjects like science and geography made me aware of the basic scientific principles and cultures of people all around the world. History made me realize how human follies can change the course of our progress. Historical figures like Gandhi and Martin Luther King made me understand that social change can be brought about without the need to shed blood.

Math introduced me to the mesmerizing world of numbers. It challenged my mind and made it sharper. Physics, Chemistry, and Biology helped me understand the laws governing the physical world around me. It made me appreciate the universe more. I often ponder how the world as we know it came into being. Though I am left without answers most of the time, I feel fortunate enough to have a mind that can question its own existence. I can weigh my actions morally and assess the repercussions of my words thanks to my education.

Without the benison of education, my life would have been no better than that of an animal. Apart from providing us with the knowledge to get by in life, it makes us rise above our primal tendencies. It expands our worldview and makes us more civilized. Educated people can become the driving force in the success of a nation. Education has made me what I am today. I am thankful that I, unlike many of my countrymen, have been fortunate enough to receive it.

Essay Examples #17

Who are we.

I have always thought about the nature of my existence. What am I? What is my identity? Made of flesh, blood, and a complex system of internal organs, is my body my identity? My countenance expresses my various moods and emotions, is my face my identity? Are my thoughts that make me who I am? We are much more than what we perceive ourselves to be. We need to move beyond the obvious to ponder upon the truth of our existence. Ask yourself, ‘Who am I?’

The Upanishads state, ‘Aham Bhrahmasmi’, meaning ‘I am Brahman’. The term Brahman here does not refer to the caste; it refers to the ultimate truth that underlies all the phenomena in the universe. According to the Vedas, the real self is not the body or the mind. Beyond the realms of the body and the mind is the soul. The soul represents our consciousness; consciousness is nothing but the awareness of the self by the self. It does not arise out of our material interactions.

Physically, we are composed of various elements—oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, calcium, etc. These elements constitute our bodies. If so, we are our bodies. What role does consciousness play in our identity?

Consciousness is a difficult term to define or understand. It cannot be explained with the help of numbers or explained with words. We identify ourselves with materials because they pleasure our physical selves. We form attachments for our need to be loved. We form ties that we cannot break free from. This further wedges a gap between us and our consciousness and we lose ourselves in the maze of worldliness.

We should never get distracted from our quest to uncover mysteries about ourselves. Only then will we realize our purpose in the vast system of planets, stars, life, and galaxies.

Essay Examples #18

Next to love, sympathy is the most divine passion.

The word ‘Sympathy’ is derived from the Greek prefix ‘syn’ or ‘sym’ which means together or joint and the root word ‘pathy’ which means to feel. Therefore, sympathy means to have a fellow feeling towards another living thing. It is characterized by the ability to understand the suffering of others and feel sorry for their plight. It is a trait that makes us distinctly human. It sets man apart from the beast; the civilized apart from the uncivilized; and the kind apart from the cruel.

The feeling of sympathy has a role to play in human society. It facilitates bonding between human beings and makes the burden of suffering lighter. Sympathy makes us extend a helping hand to someone in need and fosters a feeling of fellowship. Often the kind words of a stranger, a reassuring embrace of a friend and the patient ears of a dear one take the sting away from our pain.

Sympathy also ensures harmony in society. Apart from the role it plays in abating somebody‘s pain, sympathy also acts as a deterrent against crimes. It prevents us from wrongdoing through the voice of our conscience. Lack of sympathy is the foremost trait of a criminal.

The ability to shed a tear for someone is seen as a sign of weakness by a shallow society. But the perpetrators of this belief often forget that the strongest of individuals sometimes yearn for sympathy. Only hearts as cold as a stone would be devoid of this beautiful emotion since sympathy is a celebration of everything that makes us human.

Essay Examples #19

Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.

The proverb in its literal sense may seem counterintuitive. Why in the world would anybody want to keep their enemies closer than they keep their friends? The answer to this can be sought in the figurative implications of the proverb. The quote ‘Keep your friends close and your enemies closer is sometimes attributed to Nicolo Machiavelli, Sun Tzu, and even to Don Corleone, the protagonist of the novel The Godfather.

In the heart of the proverb lies the message that one can learn more from enemies than one does from friends. There are many reasons why this proverb holds water.

First, you can learn a lot from someone whom you despise. The best wisdom does not necessarily come from being with friends. A friend is someone who is agreeable and who does not become an obstacle or a threat to your ambitions. Chances are that you and your friend share a similar worldview. He or she is an extension of your own self.

An enemy, on the contrary, is someone who you don’t trust and who is aiming for the same things as you are. They are your opposites. Their ideas, beliefs, and worldviews may be in stark contrast with your own. By observing them, you can get a fresh perspective on a situation that you may not receive from your friends.

To outwit your enemies, you should pay close attention to their moves. This can help you stay ahead of them all the time. Keeping them at close quarters helps you in determining their motives. This helps you in anticipating all their moves.

Your enemy may have a lot of weaknesses that he does not like to bring to the fore. On the outside, he may seem like a formidable foe, but on the inside, he may be hiding some flaws which he does not wish to show the world. Knowing your enemy‘s weakness is the biggest instrument in anybody’s arsenal.

Sometimes, unexpectedly, you may find that your enemy may not be the ‘scheming’ and ‘evil’ villain you have imagined him to be. You may be surprised to find that he shares some of your values as well. An enemy may cease to be an enemy and you may learn to empathize with him/her. Hence, to be successful, you should be able to exploit your friendships and gain wisdom by observing your enemies.

Essay Examples #20

The lazy tiger.

Once upon a time, there lived a tiger. His mother named him Mkali, which means fierce. But that was a misnomer because Mkali was a lazy little cat. Nothing in the jungle could excite him. His mother Jasiri was an expert hunter. She had single-handedly provided for the entire ambush once when food was scarce in the jungle. She had also taught her other children how to prey on hippopotamuses and how to tackle prey with antlers. She was very well respected in the Tiger community and had held the title of ‘Tigress Extraordinaire’.

The carnivores of the jungle sniggered when they spoke of her perpetually sleepy son. “How could he be born to Jasiri?” the Hyena Cheka said. Tiririka the python added, “That boy wouldn’t swat a fly if it were to be sitting on his nose all day.” Mkali was never bothered. He loved his life; lazing around the river all day, returning home for dinner, feasting on the prey his mother had painstakingly caught and then sleeping on the thickest branch of his favourite tree.

One day, the unthinkable happened. Jasiri had cornered a water buffalo and was preparing to strike it down in one swift move. Suddenly, the beast swung its head goring her grievously. Her den was at a distance so she had to drag herself all the way. Mkali wondered why his mother didn’t call him for supper that day.

Once he entered the den, he saw his mother moaning in pain. She said, “Son, I think I am going to die. I don’t know how you would feed yourself.” Mkali’s eyes welled up. He was aware of his prodigal ways, but he didn‘t want to let his mother die thinking that her son could not provide for himself.

Something changed in him that day. He walked to a nearby pool and looked at his own reflection. He saw in himself a fierce tiger who had finally realized his life‘s purpose. He had to make his mother proud.

Mkali started providing for his ailing mother. He hunted small animals first. He then graduated to preying on larger animals such as sambars. He gathered medicinal herbs and ground them. Jasiri’s wounds were very deep, but with Mkali’s loving care she could walk again. The other animals were dumbfounded by his metamorphosis. Jasiri, on the other hand, was proud that her son proved everyone wrong.

Dussehra

Essay on Dussehra

Read More »

Essay on Christmas

Essay on Christmas Day

Daily reading comprehension test - attempt now, discover more from english luv.

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Type your email…

Continue reading

Examples

Embark on your essay writing journey with our comprehensive guide, rich in diverse essay examples. This guide is crafted to assist students, educators, and writing enthusiasts in mastering the art of essay composition. From structure to style, it covers all facets of essay writing, supplemented with illustrative essay examples for clear understanding. Whether for academic, professional, or personal purposes, this guide is an invaluable resource for anyone looking to enhance their essay writing skills with precision and creativity.

Essay Bundle

Download Essay Bundle

Most of us are probably familiar about what essays are. I would also have to assume that most of us have already  written essays  one even when we were younger. We were either tasked by our teacher to write one as a part of an examination or as a take-home project to be presented in the next session. Some consider essay writing a burden while others see it as an opportunity to express their thoughts and opinions. Because through writing, you get to write about things that you want others to know about and share a reflection through reflective essay . Your imagination becomes boundless and your ideas are limitless.

Short Essay Example

Short Essay

Free Download

College Essay

College Essay

Essay For Students

Essay For Students

Free Biography Essay Outline Format Template

Free Biography Essay Outline Format Template

  • Apple Pages

Free Essay Writing Plan Template

Free Essay Writing Plan Template

  • Google Docs

Size: 24 KB

Free Essay Plan Mind Map Template

Free Essay Plan Mind Map Template

  • Google Slides
  • Apple Keynote

Size: 59 KB

Free Simple Essay Plan Template

Free Simple Essay Plan Template

Size: 20 KB

Sample Illustration

Sample Illustration

Size: 34 KB

Reflective Essay

Reflective Essay

Autobiography Example

Autobiography Example

Size: 65 KB

Sample Descriptive

Sample Descriptive

Size: 18 KB

What Is the Format of an Essay?

Essays, whichever type they come in, have a similar format. This serves as a guide for a writer to express his/her thoughts and ideas in a structured manner.

  • Introduction. This is the opening part of the essay . It provides a brief overview and a preface of what the topic is all about. It is usually short but has to be interesting.
  • Body. This is where the writer places his/her arguments and supporting statements for the topic. It can contain two to three paragraphs or depending on the length and scope of the subject.
  • Conclusion. The summary writing of the whole essay is contained in the conclusion. It is a short recap of the main point presented in the essay.

How to Structure an Essay

To structure an essay, you need to simply follow the above format. Every essay, whether it be an informative essay or an analysis essay , has to contain the essential elements common among all essays. By following this format, the writer will have a guide to follow throughout the entire writing course.

It is a difficult process in essay writing when you do not have a structure to follow. You will have throw all of your ideas from here and there with no direction at all. Your paragraphs do not connect each other’s meaning as well as the entire thought of your essay could be incomprehensible.

Free Argumentative

Free Argumentative

Size: 76 KB

Observation Essay

Observation Essay

Free Response Sample

Free Response Sample

Size: 30 KB

Narrative Essay

Narrative Essay

Size: 209 KB

Free Service Example

Free Service Example

Size: 36 KB

Free Personal

Free Personal

Size: 26 KB

Analytical Essay

Analytical Essay

Size: 14 KB

Different Kinds of Essay

Writing an essay is a crucial part in academe life. You need to know how to write an effective essay as it is a common basis for a student’s grade. It is given as a common school assignment and a critical part in an examination set. To write an impressive short essay , especially during an examination, you need to be able to hit the question and provide a straightforward answer while at the same time observing the right structure of an essay.

Writing an essay could be difficult especially if you do not know the different kinds of essays which for sure, your teacher will be obliging you to write.

The easiest way to determine the type of an essay is to understand the writer’s point of view. Ask yourself what is the writer trying to tell and that by itself should provide a definite answer as to what type of essay it is. But to provide you a more comprehensible answer, here are the most common kinds of essay.

  • Descriptive essay. A descriptive essay is aimed at portraying a picture through the use of words. The writer describes in great details a character, a place or a certain scenario which is directed at calling up the reader’s emotions.
  • Reflective essay. In a reflective essay , the writer stirs the emotions of the readers by sharing a specific experience in life which is rather more important to him/her and which has a special place in his heart. It narrates a story and tells of the lessons and life-changing realizations drawn out from that experience.
  • Expository essay. While a reflective essay deals on the emotions of the writer, an expository essay presents facts and verifiable data which presents a fair and unbiased analysis of a topic.
  • Persuasive essay. The goal of persuasive essay is to present ideas and thoughts to readers and to convince them to believe or accept these. The writer aims at demonstrating his/her statements in a logical manner while at the same time appealing to the judgment of the readers.

Free Comparative Example

Free Comparative Example

Size: 32 KB

Dialogue Essay

Dialogue Essay

Free Economics Sample

Free Economics Sample

Size: 722 KB

Free Expository

Free Expository

Size: 22 KB

Exploratory Example

Exploratory Example

Importance of Essay

Essay writing is commonly practiced is schools. Students have to write essays depending on the teacher’s instructions or their desired style in writing.

Since there are different types of analysis essays , students can be creative and choose any style they want for as long as they can express their thoughts and of course, as long it as it is appropriate to what their teachers ask them to do.

However, essays have a very good importance not just to get good grades but also in expressing one’s emotions. An essay could be a channel for a student to workout his/her creative imagination and put it into writing.

Purpose of an Essay

We have all been through the struggles of having to think seriously of what to write about a topic that our teachers wanted us to write. I understand because I myself was at one time pressured because my classmates were all enthusiastic to write while I was sitting blank unsure of what I was supposed to do.

However, I realized that writing an content winning essay made me a better person. I was able to put into writing my thoughts which I have always kept in myself afraid of being laughed at. The purpose of an essay is to convey those emotions through words which we cannot do through actions.

Informative Essay

Informative Essay

Free Leadership

Free Leadership

Size: 530 KB

Marketing Example

Marketing Example

Nursing Essay

Nursing Essay

Size: 176 KB

Free Persuasive Sample

Free Persuasive Sample1

Process Essay Example

Process Essay Example

Size: 77 KB

Scholarship Essay

Scholarship Essay1

Guidelines for Essay Writing

Although we have to admit that writing an essay is not an easy task, being able to finish one is such a rewarding experience especially if it is an assignment you have to pass the next day. There is no perfect solution on how to write an effective essay .

However, there are certain guideline which you can use in order for you to make that outstanding essay.

  • Choose your topic. Deciding what essay to write starts with choosing the right topic. Don’t just write something that everybody is interested to write about. Rather, pick a topic that you are most excited to write about so it would be easier for you to express your thoughts.
  • Create a mind map . A mind map is a sketch of form or an essay outline used to organize information. This is best in order for you to logically express your thoughts and to present it in a coherent manner. Write your ideas in a draft paper and choose which ones to come first and which ones to use as your supporting arguments.
  • Compose yourself. Having the right disposition is important in writing an essay. You need to have focus so that while you are writing, you are not distracted by outside thoughts which could ruin your momentum.

Our exploration of essay examples offers invaluable insights for effective essay writing. This guide has provided practical strategies and illustrative examples, empowering writers to craft compelling essays with confidence. Whether for academic achievement or personal expression, these tools and techniques are essential in navigating the diverse landscape of essay writing, ensuring your work is not only well-structured but also engaging and impactful.

Essay Generator

Text prompt

  • Instructive
  • Professional

Write an Essay on the benefits of reading for personal development.

Create an Essay exploring the impact of climate change on global weather patterns.

Essay samples for every taste and need

Find the perfect essay sample that you can reference for educational purposes. Need a unique one?

examples of english essay

Choose samples by essay type

The font type, compare and contrast, how to craft a good essay writing sample.

Additionally, it's important to understand the essay prompt and requirements before starting to write. Brainstorming, creating an outline, and conducting research are also crucial steps. Once these steps are completed, you can begin writing your essay by following the outline and incorporating your research. Finally, proofread and edit your essay to ensure it is error-free and flows well.If you need more guidance, you can always seek the help of a professional writer from a custom essay writing service. Alternatively, you can find inspiration and guidance by looking for high school sample essays that cover a similar topic to the one you're working on. These can provide you with ideas on how to structure your essay, what to include, and how to approach your argument. So, if you're struggling to write an essay , don't hesitate to find a great sample essay or ask a professional writer to write an essay for you!

  • Choose both an essay type and its format
  • Brainstorm to find a topic
  • Develop a thesis statement
  • Make an essay outline
  • Write the first draft
  • Expand on the drafts
  • Edit and proofread

Regular new academic essay sample

William shakespear romeo and juliet, how to stop cyber bullying essay, what rights should animals have, essay about police brutality, overpopulation as a global environmental crisis: concept and prevention, teenage pregnancy prevention programs, how to use our essay samples.

Think of the essays on this website as inspirational research. They are not meant to be presented as your own work. Any sample of essay writing found here is intended to be a tool to help students further understand the topic and develop their own ideas. Copying sections of an essay sample for college would be considered plagiarism and would violate the honor code and may result in disciplinary action. Please think of the material as an additional study aid, but we strongly recommend that students develop their own ideas and write their own words.

Writing is challenging, so use our samples as a basis for new viewpoints, how to structure your essay, and as a source of inspiration.

examples of english essay

Frequently asked questions

Where to find a free essay sample online, where to find good sample essay papers to ignite your inspiration, how do i properly cite my sources, is it legal, how to avoid accidentally plagiarizing when i paraphrase a quote, why are your samples better, examples as study materials.

Essay samples have a proven track record of improving a students academic performance. Many high-schools and higher education institutes give essay examples as study materials, especially to explore a topic more deeply. Many academic institutions don't have access to a diverse range of high quality essay samples though, and that's where Studyfy steps in! Our samples cover a huge variety of topics and will be invaluable in helping you to study.

Always here to help

Having trouble with finding the right sample for your topic? Don't worry! The first thing you should do is reach out to a member of our support team and ask them if they can source the right sample. If they can't, then you can always order an essay sample from one of our professional writers. We are committed to helping students with the assignments that they find challenging!

No more struggle

Over the course of your higher education, you will be asked to write papers on a wide variety of topics. While certain topics might be of interest to you, others won't be. It's often these papers that students struggle with the most. Maybe you're not a fan of classic literature, maybe the dreaded foundation or general education courses have forced you to take a science class. Don't let a single course affect your grades! Essay samples, your creativity, Studyfy homework help, online proofreading and essay editing service, custom essay , admission essay writing service , and " write paper for me " services are the perfect tools to give you inspiration and help you with unpleasant essays!

Free features

examples of english essay

Essay – examples & model answers | B2 First (FCE)

AdobeStock_309384658-scaled.jpeg

FCE Essay Examples:  Topic (Environment) 

Example exam task:, example answer (grade: 3), example answer:.

I think that my country has problems with pollution to the environment like all other countries. This problem is normal for Russia. We have big problems with transport because there are too much cars in our country. And because of that we have problems with atmospeer, air in my city and in all Russia is really dirty and sometimes I can’t make a sigh because it smells around me and of course around that cars on the road. I’ve heard about tradition of one country. They don’t go anywhere by car one day a month or a year, they just use bycicle or their feet. I think it could be very good if we had a tradition like that.

So, what about the rivers and the seas? Yeah, there are some really good and clean rivers and seas where you can go, but there are not many of them. Once I saw the river OB in my city, it was about two years ago but I stil remember that in some places it was not blue, it was green or purple I didn’t really understand because it had different colours.

I don’t know what should we do. Maybe we should just open our eyes and look what we did. But Russian people don’t care about the world around them many people care only about themselves an that’s all.

So, the best idea is look around and try to do something good for our planet and for us and our children.

FCE, CAE, CPE

Practice, write & improve, examiners comments & grade:, example answer (grade: 3-4).

To begin with pollution and damage to the environment is the most serious and difficult problem for countries of all over the world. Scientists of different countries predict a global ecocatastrophe if people won’t change their attitude to our planet.

First of all a huge damage to the environment brings a transport. People can’t imagine their living without cars, buses, trains, ships and planes. But it’s an open secret that one of disadvantage of these accustomed things is harmful exhaust. Needless to say that use of environment friendly engines helps us to save atmosphere from pollution.

In addition to this our rivers and seas are in not less danger situation. It’s a fact of common knowledge that numerous factories and plants pour off their waste to ponds. Obviously that cleaning manufacturing water helps to avoid extinction of ocean residents.

Apart from this I’m inclined to believe that every person can and must contribute to solving this important problem. Doing a little steps for protection our environment every day we will be able to save our Earth. And it’s a task of each of us.

Model Answer (Grade: 5)

DEVELOPMENT VS ENVIRONMENT

If we surf the web looking for pollution and environmental catastrophes, we will find out that every country in the world suffers them. This is a natural consequence of the struggle between development and environment.

If a country decided to live isolated from the rest of the world, living on what it can naturally grow and produce, it surely wouldn’t be highly polluted. But we all want exotic food and technological items from all over the world, so we have to pay the price.

Investing on electrical transport would benefit the environment a lot. Even more if this electricity came from a natural source of energy like wind, rivers and solar boards. It’s difficult to achieve this because petrol companies will fight against these actions.

We also have to take care of our rivers and seas. We all have heard about factories throwing highly toxic substances to rivers, without minimizing their poisoning effects. A really strict law should be applied to fine these factories and make them change their policy.

But what about ourselves? We also can do a lot! If, when possible, we bought larger packs of food, we would be producing less rubbish. And this is only an example!

FCE Essay Examples: Topic (Fashion) 

In today’s world, the fashion industry has a strong importance in people’s lives. The fashion industry say to the society what to wear and creates new types of clothes all the time.

Some people claim that the fashion industry has a bad effect on people’s lives, they say that the fashion industry creates clothes that the society has to wear. Furthermore, the clothes’ price is extremely high and people, who can’t afford it, should not be in the society.

In the other hand, the fashion industry guide the people to be in a good appearance, because, nowadays, the appearance of the person is more important than the person itself.

In my opinion, the fashion industry doesn’t has a bad influence on people’s lives. It’s something which was created to help people what to wear.

Example Answer (Grade: 4)

Fashion industry is very a discussed subject nowadays: they create and design new clothes everyday in order to satisfy some people needs.

There are many people who claim that the fashion industry is important and good for society. According to them, this industry design beautiful clothes and thanks to that every person can wear shirts, trousers or any acessory which is on today’s fashion.

On the other hand, the fashion industry in some people opinion, controls the market of clothes and because of that they can’t wear what they want to. In addition, the industry can increase the price of clothes, forcing people who don’t want to be “oldfashioned” to buy and pay a large amount of money to keep “beautiful”.

In my opinion, we can’t let the fashion industry decide what we must or musn’t wear. We shouldn’t judge people for its appearance,because that is not important. We must wear whatever we like, want and feel confortable with.

The society we live today is characterised by technology in constant development, fast speed processes, information travelling and getting to people at a blink of an eye and a complex web of social networking. In this context, the fashion industry is becoming increasingly important and having a more and more paramount role in our lives.

On one hand, the fashion industry is undeniably a source of profit and income. It hires millions of people all over the world and generates millions of dollars every year. Furthermore, such profitable business is also believed to be able to spread and make known the culture of a people, encouraging and enhancing a better understanding of each other.

Nevertheless, for those who are neither impressed nor motivated by numbers and figures, the fashion industry is seen as one which segregates people, isolating those who not fit their laws and commands. It is stated that people place too much importance on appearance and the material, world, sadly true, and the fashion industry just spurs on such situation. Moreover, not only are the costs of fashion item unrealistically high, it is thought to be a money better spent on more pressing issues, such as poverty and hunger.

I do believe that the fashion industry, as it is today, has a harmful effect, because it values a minority of people in detriment to the majority. However, it has such a wide reach that, it put into a good use, it can save lives.

FCE Essay Examples: Topic (Languages) 

“There are more reasons to learn a foreign language than to pass a test”

Everything around us revolves around language(s), it is the most important thing in our lives. Society would just not function without it. They are It is our future and I would personaly love to learn as many as I possibly can.

Not everything in life is done because it is necessary. Learning a new language can be a lot of fun. Many people only do it as a hoby, or their knowledge is something that brings them pride and pleasure.

Secondly, we have people who do it simply to challenge themselves. Truly I believe that having a great outcome that stems from your hard work and dedication to learn something new is a wonderful way to challenge prove your ability to yourself and others. Then there is travelling. It is very important to be able to understand and have a conversation with someone abroad, unless you would like to get lost or worse.

To conclude, I think that learning a new language is an amazing thing no matter why you do it. It is always better to do things out of enjoyment, but even if you do it for a test, that knowledge will always be useful.

Learning a a foreign languages is very important nowadays. English, in particular, is essential because it allows is spoken all over the world. That’s the reason why we start studying it from the age of six years old. Going abroad and being able to speak to native people is very satisfying and that’s why I want to improve my knowledge about foreign languages.

I decided to take this exam to know how high my level of English is, but also because I need this certification to go abroad next summer. I really want to come back to Cornwall, an amazing region in the South-West of England. I’ve been there twice with my family, but now I want to go alone. Only being there to England I can really improve my English comprehension and speaking skills.

Fortunately I can will have some English lessons which taught in English at university and I can’t wait for it because it will be an interesting challenge for me. Studying foreign languages is essential to live and to travel. It isn’t simple and I surely have to challenge myself everyday, but the result is so satisfying that we I can’t do without it.

FCE Essay Example: Topic (History) 

A very common topic that is being discussed nowadays is wether schools should teach subjects that some may consider useless later in life. A clear example is history, since it is quite difficult to learn and does not help us in day-to-day activities.

However, many people do not realize the importance of it or that it affects our lives today. For example, our political system would not be this way if it weren’t for the Ancient Greeks, numerous politicians and wars who helped shape democracy and our constitution. Yet it is still thought that it’s useless.

In addition, it is very important that we never forget about our past since we must know where we were standing years ago. Moreover, there are some things, such as World War II, that we have to remember to prevent them from happening again. We should also know where we we were standing a century ago: our origins, our identity. The more you learn about your ethnicity, the better.

All in all, I think that it is extremely important to learn about one’s own country’s history. Anyone who gets the chance to do this should not waste it, since they are very fortunate to have this opportunity

What is your level of English?

  • IELTS Scores
  • Life Skills Test
  • Find a Test Centre
  • Alternatives to IELTS
  • Find Student Housing
  • General Training
  • Academic Word List
  • Topic Vocabulary
  • Collocation
  • Phrasal Verbs
  • Writing eBooks
  • Reading eBook
  • All eBooks & Courses
  • Sample Essays

IELTS Sample Essays

Here you will find IELTS Sample Essays for a variety of common topics that appear in the writing exam.

The model answers all have tips and strategies for how you may approach the question and comments on the sample answer.

You can also view sample essays with band scores on this page. 

Looking at IELTS essay topics with answers is a great way to help you to prepare for the test. 

These IELTS sample essays have been categorised in a way that makes it easy for you to see how certain essay question types require you to provide certain responses to ensure the question is fully answered. 

Specifically these are:

  • Agree / Disagree
  • Discuss Two Opinions
  • Problems and Solutions
  • Advantages and Disadvantages
  • Other Types

Agree / Disagree Type Questions

In these types of question you are given one opinion and you then have to state the extent to which you agree or disagree with that opinion:

  • Advertising
  • Alternative Medicine
  • Spending on the Arts
  • Human Cloning
  • Social Interaction & the Internet
  • Airline Tax
  • Free University Education
  • Scientific Research
  • Banning Smoking
  • Employing Older People
  • Vegetarianism
  • Paying Taxes  
  • Examinations or Formal Assessment 
  • Multinational Organisations and Culture
  • Internet vs Newspapers
  • Technology Development  
  • Dying of Languages
  • Animal Extinction
  • Truth in Relationships
  • Role of Schools
  • Return of Historical Artefacts

Discuss Two Opinions Type Questions

In this essay question type you are given two opinions, and you have to discuss both of these and then give your own view:

  • University Education
  • Reducing Crime
  • Animal Rights
  • Child Development
  • Diet & Health
  • Donating Money to Charity
  • Closing Zoos   
  • Becoming Independent  
  • Formal and Informal Education  
  • Influence of Scientists and Politicians
  • Sources for Stories
  • Searching for Extraterrestrial Life

Cause Type Questions

There are a variety of 'cause type' essay questions. In these you first have to give the reasons why something has happened, in other words the causes, but then discuss a different aspect of it, such as the effects, solutions or the extent to whether it is a positive or negative development:

Causes & Effects:

  • Child Obesity
  • Skin Whitening Creams
  • Family Size
  • Having Children Later in Life
  • Time Away from Family

Causes and Solutions:

  • Youth Crime
  • Global Warming
  • Paying Attention in Class
  • International Travel & Prejudice 
  • Museums & Historical Places
  • Disappearance of Traditions
  • Communication Between Generations

Causes, Pros & Cons:

  • Family Closeness
  • Living Alone
  • Rural to Urban Migration

Problems & Solutions Type Questions

In these type of questions, instead of discussing the causes of a problem, you need to discuss the problems related to a particular issue in society, and then suggest what can be to solve these problems:

  • Overpopulation
  • Competing for Jobs  
  • Professionals Immigrating

Advantage & Disadvantages Type Questions

In these type of questions you are asked to discuss the positive and negative sides of a particular topic. You will usually be asked this in the context of giving an opinion ( e.g. Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages? Is it a positive or negative development? ): 

  • Traffic Problems
  • Food Additives
  • Computer Games
  • Age Discrimination at Work  
  • Children using Tablets and Computers  
  • Cell Phones, Internet, & Communication  
  • Working from Home 
  • Eating Locally grown  Produce  
  • Oil and Gas Essay  
  • Peer Pressure on Young People
  • Online Fraud
  • Decreasing House Sizes

'Hybrid' Types of Essay Question

There are sometimes questions that don't fit easily into a particular category as above. I've called these 'hybrid', as they are of mixed character, are composed of different elements from other types of essay, or are perhaps just worded differently. 

  • Protecting Old Buildings
  • Animal Testing
  • Fear of Crime
  • Communication Technology
  • Influence of Children's Friends  

Sample Essays with Band Scores

You can also view some sample essays that have been written by candidates practising for the test and have band scores and comments by an experienced ex-IELTS Examiner based on the IELTS marking criteria. 

  • IELTS Band 8 Essay Samples
  • IELTS Band 7 Essay Samples
  • IELTS Band 6 Essay Samples
  • IELTS Band 5 Essay Samples
  • IELTS Band 4 Essay Samples

Student Sample Essays

For more IELTS essay topics with answers you can also view essays that have been written by students. Some have feedback from other students or IELTS teachers:

  • Student Model Essays  (with comments by other students)
  • Student Model Essays (with comments by IELTS buddy)

Any comments or questions about this page or about IELTS? Post them here. Your email will not be published or shared.

Before you go...

Check out the ielts buddy band 7+ ebooks & courses.

examples of english essay

Would you prefer to share this page with others by linking to it?

  • Click on the HTML link code below.
  • Copy and paste it, adding a note of your own, into your blog, a Web page, forums, a blog comment, your Facebook account, or anywhere that someone would find this page valuable.

Band 7+ eBooks

"I think these eBooks are FANTASTIC!!! I know that's not academic language, but it's the truth!"

Linda, from Italy, Scored Band 7.5

ielts buddy ebooks

IELTS Modules:

Other resources:.

  • All Lessons
  • Band Score Calculator
  • Writing Feedback
  • Speaking Feedback
  • Teacher Resources
  • Free Downloads
  • Recent Essay Exam Questions
  • Books for IELTS Prep
  • Student Housing
  • Useful Links

examples of english essay

Recent Articles

RSS

Decreasing House Sizes Essay

Apr 06, 24 10:22 AM

Decreasing House Sizes

Latest IELTS Writing Topics - Recent Exam Questions

Apr 04, 24 02:36 AM

Latest IELTS Writing Topics

IELTS Essay: English as a Global Language

Apr 03, 24 03:49 PM

examples of english essay

Important pages

IELTS Writing IELTS Speaking IELTS Listening   IELTS Reading All Lessons Vocabulary Academic Task 1 Academic Task 2 Practice Tests

Connect with us

examples of english essay

Copyright © 2022- IELTSbuddy All Rights Reserved

IELTS is a registered trademark of University of Cambridge, the British Council, and IDP Education Australia. This site and its owners are not affiliated, approved or endorsed by the University of Cambridge ESOL, the British Council, and IDP Education Australia.

Essay Topics – List of 500+ Essay Writing Topics and Ideas

List of 500+ essay writing topics and ideas.

Essay topics in English can be difficult to come up with. While writing essays , many college and high school students face writer’s block and have a hard time to think about topics and ideas for an essay. In this article, we will list out many good essay topics from different categories like argumentative essays, essays on technology, environment essays for students from 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th grades. Following list of essay topics are for all – from kids to college students. We have the largest collection of essays. An essay is nothing but a piece of content which is written from the perception of writer or author. Essays are similar to a story, pamphlet, thesis, etc. The best thing about Essay is you can use any type of language – formal or informal. It can biography, the autobiography of anyone. Following is a great list of 100 essay topics. We will be adding 400 more soon!

But Before that you may wanna read some awesome Essay Writing Tips here .

500+ essay topics for students and children

Get the Huge list of 100+ Speech Topics here

Argumentative Essay Topics

  • Should plastic be banned?
  • Pollution due to Urbanization
  • Education should be free
  • Should Students get limited access to the Internet?
  • Selling Tobacco should be banned
  • Smoking in public places should be banned
  • Facebook should be banned
  • Students should not be allowed to play PUBG

Essay Topics on Technology

  • Wonder Of Science
  • Mobile Phone

Essay Topics on Festivals on Events

  • Independence Day (15 August)
  • Teachers Day
  • Summer Vacation
  • Children’s Day
  • Swachh Bharat Abhiyan
  • Janmashtami
  • Republic Day

Essay Topics on Education

  • Education Essay
  • Importance of Education
  • Contribution of Technology in Education

examples of english essay

Essay Topics on Famous Leaders

  • Mahatma Gandhi
  • APJ Abdul Kalam
  • Jawaharlal Nehru
  • Swami Vivekananda
  • Mother Teresa
  • Rabindranath Tagore
  • Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
  • Subhash Chandra Bose
  • Abraham Lincoln
  • Martin Luther King
  • Lal Bahadur Shashtri

Essay Topics on Animals and Birds

  • My Favorite Animal

Essays Topics About Yourself

  • My Best Friend
  • My Favourite Teacher
  • My Aim In Life
  • My Favourite Game – Badminton
  • My Favourite Game – Essay
  • My Favourite Book
  • My Ambition
  • How I Spent My Summer Vacation
  • India of My Dreams
  • My School Life
  • I Love My Family
  • My Favourite Subject
  • My Favourite Game Badminton
  • My Father My Hero
  • My School Library
  • My Favourite Author
  • My plans for summer vacation

Essay Topics Based on Environment and Nature

  • Global Warming
  • Environment
  • Air Pollution
  • Environmental Pollution
  • Water Pollution
  • Rainy Season
  • Climate Change
  • Importance Of Trees
  • Winter Season
  • Deforestation
  • Natural Disasters
  • Save Environment
  • Summer Season
  • Trees Our Best Friend Essay In English

Essay Topics Based on Proverbs

  • Health Is Wealth
  • A Stitch in Time Saves Nine
  • An Apple a Day Keeps Doctor Away
  • Where there is a will, there is way
  • Time and Tide wait for none

Toppr provides free study materials like NCERT Solutions for Students, Previous 10 Years of Question Papers, 1000+ hours of video lectures for free. Download Toppr app for Android and iOS or signup for free.

Essay Topics for Students from 6th, 7th, 8th Grade

  • Noise Pollution
  • Environment Pollution
  • Women Empowerment
  • Time and Tide Wait for none
  • Science and Technology
  • Importance of Sports
  • Sports and Games
  • Time Management
  • Cleanliness is next to Godliness
  • Cleanliness
  • Rome was not Built in a Day
  • Unemployment
  • Clean India
  • Cow Essay In English
  • Describe Yourself
  • Festivals Of India
  • Ganesh Chaturthi
  • Healthy Food
  • Importance Of Water
  • Plastic Pollution
  • Value of Time
  • Honesty is the Best Policy
  • Gandhi Jayanti
  • Human Rights
  • Knowledge Is Power
  • Same Sex Marriage
  • Childhood Memories
  • Cyber Crime
  • Kalpana Chawla
  • Punctuality
  • Rani Lakshmi Bai
  • Spring Season
  • Unity In Diversity
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Online Shopping
  • Indian Culture
  • Healthy Lifestyle
  • Indian Education System
  • Disaster Management
  • Environmental Issues
  • Freedom Fighters
  • Grandparents
  • Save Fuel For Better Environment
  • Importance Of Newspaper
  • Lal Bahadur Shastri
  • Raksha Bandhan
  • World Environment Day
  • Narendra Modi
  • What Is Religion
  • Charity Begins at Home
  • A Journey by Train
  • Ideal student
  • Save Water Save Earth
  • Indian Farmer
  • Safety of Women in India
  • Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan
  • Capital Punishment
  • College Life
  • Natural Resources
  • Peer Pressure
  • Nature Vs Nurture
  • Romeo And Juliet
  • Generation Gap
  • Makar Sankranti
  • Constitution of India
  • Girl Education
  • Importance of Family
  • Importance of Independence Day
  • Brain Drain
  • A Friend In Need Is A Friend Indeed
  • Action Speaks Louder Than Words
  • All That Glitters Is Not Gold
  • Bhagat Singh
  • Demonetization
  • Agriculture
  • Importance of Discipline
  • Population Explosion
  • Poverty in India
  • Uses Of Mobile Phones
  • Water Scarcity
  • Train Journey
  • Land Pollution
  • Environment Protection
  • Indian Army
  • Uses of Internet
  • All that Glitters is not Gold
  • Balanced Diet
  • Blood Donation
  • Digital India
  • Dussehra Essay
  • Energy Conservation
  • National Integration
  • Railway Station
  • Sachin Tendulkar
  • Health And Hygiene
  • Importance Of Forest
  • Indira Gandhi
  • Laughter Is The Best Medicine
  • Career Goals
  • Mental Health
  • Save Water Save Life
  • International Yoga Day
  • Winter Vacation
  • Soil Pollution
  • Every Cloud Has A Silver Lining
  • Indian Culture And Tradition
  • Unity Is Strength
  • Unity is Diversity
  • Wildlife Conservation
  • Cruelty To Animals
  • Nelson Mandela
  • Of Mice And Men
  • Organ Donation
  • Life in a Big City
  • Democracy in India
  • Waste Management
  • Biodiversity
  • Afforestation
  • Female Foeticide
  • Harmful Effects Of Junk Food
  • Rain Water Harvesting
  • Save Electricity
  • Social Media
  • Social Networking Sites
  • Sound Pollution
  • Procrastination
  • Life in an Indian Village
  • Life in Big City
  • Population Growth
  • World Population Day
  • Greenhouse Effect
  • Statue of Unity
  • Traffic Jam
  • Beti Bachao Beti Padhao
  • Importance of Good Manners
  • Good Manners
  • Cyber Security
  • Green Revolution
  • Health And Fitness
  • Incredible India
  • Make In India
  • Surgical Strike
  • Triple Talaq
  • A Good Friend
  • Importance of Friends in our Life
  • Should Plastic be Banned
  • Nationalism
  • Traffic Rules
  • Effects of Global Warming
  • Fundamental Rights
  • Solar System
  • National Constitution Day
  • Good Mother
  • Importance of Trees in our Life
  • City Life Vs Village Life
  • Importance of Communication
  • Conservation of Nature
  • Man vs. Machine
  • Indian Economy
  • Mothers Love
  • Importance of National Integration
  • Black Money
  • Greenhouse effect
  • Untouchability
  • Self Discipline
  • Global Terrorism
  • Conservation of Biodiversity
  • Newspaper and Its Uses
  • World Health Day
  • Conservation of Natural Resources
  • A Picnic with Family
  • Indian Heritage
  • Status of Women in India
  • Child is Father of the Man
  • Reading is Good Habit
  • Plastic Bag
  • Terrorism in India
  • Library and Its Uses
  • Life on Mars
  • Urbanization
  • Pollution Due to Diwali
  • National Flag of India
  • Vocational Education
  • Importance of Tree Plantation
  • Summer Camp
  • Vehicle Pollution
  • Women Education in India
  • Seasons in India
  • Freedom of the Press
  • Caste System
  • Environment and Human Health
  • Mountain Climbing
  • Depletion of Natural Resources
  • Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar
  • Health Education
  • Effects of Deforestation
  • Life after School
  • Starvation in India
  • Jan Dhan Yojana
  • Impact of Privatization
  • Election Commission of India
  • Election and Democracy
  • Prevention of Global Warming
  • Impact of Cinema in Life
  • Subhas Chandra Bose
  • Dowry System
  • Ganesh Chaturthi Festival
  • Role of Science in Making India
  • Impact of Global Warming on Oceans
  • Pollution due to Festivals
  • Ambedkar Jayanti
  • Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat
  • Family Planning in India
  • Democracy vs Dictatorship
  • National Festivals of India
  • Sri Aurobindo
  • Casteism in India
  • Organ trafficking
  • Consequences of Global Warming
  • Role of Human Activities in Global Warming
  • Issues and Problems faced by Women in India
  • Role of Judiciary in the Country Today
  • Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan
  • PUBG Mobile Game Addiction
  • Role of Youths in Nation Building
  • Value of Oxygen and Water in Life/Earth
  • Farmer Suicides in India
  • Start-up India
  • Pollution Due to Firecrackers
  • Life of Soldiers
  • Child Labour
  • Save Girl Child
  • Morning Walk
  • My School Fete
  • Essay on Financial Literacy
  • Essay On Sustainable Development
  • Essay On Punjab
  • Essay On Travel
  • My Home Essay
  • Child Marriage Essay
  • Importance Of English Language Essay
  • Essay On Mass Media
  • Essay On Horse
  • Essay On Police
  • Essay On Eid
  • Essay On Solar Energy
  • Animal Essay
  • Essay On Mango
  • Gender Discrimination Essay
  • Essay On Advertisement
  • My First Day At School Essay
  • My Neighborhood Essay
  • True Friendship Essay
  • Work Is Worship Essay
  • Essay On Self Confidence
  • Essay On Superstition
  • Essay On Bangalore
  • Sex Vs Gender Essay
  • Essay On Social Issues
  • Time Is Money Essay
  • Essay About Grandmothers
  • Essay On Hard Work
  • First Day Of School Essay
  • Flowers Essay
  • My Favorite Food Essay
  • Essay on Birds
  • Essay on Humanity
  • Essay on Sun
  • Essay on Kargil War
  • Every Cloud Has a Silver Lining Essay
  • Francis Bacon Essays
  • Importance of Cleanliness Essay
  • My Sister Essay
  • Self Introduction Essay
  • Solar Energy Essay
  • Sports Day Essa
  • Value Of Education Essay
  • Essay On Isro
  • Essay On Balance Is Beneficial
  • Essay On Reservation In India
  • Essay On Water Management
  • Essay On Smoking
  • Essay On Stress Management
  • Essay On William Shakespeare
  • Essay on Apple
  • Essay On Albert Einstein
  • Essay On Feminism
  • Essay On Kindness
  • Essay On Domestic Violence
  • Essay on English as a Global Language
  • Essay On Co-Education
  • Importance Of Exercise Essay
  • Overpopulation Essay
  • Smartphone Essay
  • Essay on River
  • Essay on Cyclone
  • Essay On Facebook
  • Essay On Science In Everyday Life
  • Essay On Women Rights
  • Essay On Right To Education
  • Essay on Quotes
  • Essay On Peace
  • Essay On Drawing
  • Essay On Bicycle
  • Essay On Sexual Harassment
  • Essay On Hospital
  • Essay On Srinivasa Ramanujan
  • Essay On Golden Temple
  • Essay On Art
  • Essay On Ruskin Bond
  • Essay On Moon
  • Birthday Essay
  • Dont Judge A Book By Its Cover Essay
  • Draught Essay
  • Gratitude Essay
  • Indian Politics Essay
  • Who am I Essay
  • Essay on Positive Thinking
  • Essay on Dance
  • Essay on Navratri
  • Essay on Onam
  • Essay on New Education Policy 2020
  • Esasy on Thank you Coronavirus Helpers
  • Essay on Coronavirus and Coronavirus Symptoms
  • Essay on Baseball
  • Essay on coronavirus vaccine
  • Fitness beats pandemic essay
  • Essay on coronavirus tips
  • Essay on coronavirus prevention
  • Essay on coronavirus treatment
  • Essay on essay on trees
  • Essay on television
  • Gender inequality essay
  • Water conservation essay
  • Essay on Gurpurab
  • Essay on Types of sports
  • Essay on road safety
  • Essay on my favourite season
  • My pet essay
  • Student life essay
  • Essay on Railway station
  • Essay on earth
  • Essay on knowledge is power
  • Essay on favourite personality
  • Essay on memorable day of my life
  • My parents essay
  • Our country essay
  • Picnic essay
  • Travelling essay

Customize your course in 30 seconds

Which class are you in.

tutor

  • Letter Writing
  • It So Happened Summary
  • Honey Dew Chapter Summaries
  • The Alien Hand
  • Malu Bhalu Summary
  • Sing a Song of People Summary
  • The Little Bully Summary
  • Nobody’s Friend Summary
  • Class Discussion Summary
  • Crying Summary in English

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Download the App

Google Play

Have a language expert improve your writing

Run a free plagiarism check in 10 minutes, generate accurate citations for free.

  • Knowledge Base
  • How to write an argumentative essay | Examples & tips

How to Write an Argumentative Essay | Examples & Tips

Published on July 24, 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on July 23, 2023.

An argumentative essay expresses an extended argument for a particular thesis statement . The author takes a clearly defined stance on their subject and builds up an evidence-based case for it.

Instantly correct all language mistakes in your text

Upload your document to correct all your mistakes in minutes

upload-your-document-ai-proofreader

Table of contents

When do you write an argumentative essay, approaches to argumentative essays, introducing your argument, the body: developing your argument, concluding your argument, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about argumentative essays.

You might be assigned an argumentative essay as a writing exercise in high school or in a composition class. The prompt will often ask you to argue for one of two positions, and may include terms like “argue” or “argument.” It will frequently take the form of a question.

The prompt may also be more open-ended in terms of the possible arguments you could make.

Argumentative writing at college level

At university, the vast majority of essays or papers you write will involve some form of argumentation. For example, both rhetorical analysis and literary analysis essays involve making arguments about texts.

In this context, you won’t necessarily be told to write an argumentative essay—but making an evidence-based argument is an essential goal of most academic writing, and this should be your default approach unless you’re told otherwise.

Examples of argumentative essay prompts

At a university level, all the prompts below imply an argumentative essay as the appropriate response.

Your research should lead you to develop a specific position on the topic. The essay then argues for that position and aims to convince the reader by presenting your evidence, evaluation and analysis.

  • Don’t just list all the effects you can think of.
  • Do develop a focused argument about the overall effect and why it matters, backed up by evidence from sources.
  • Don’t just provide a selection of data on the measures’ effectiveness.
  • Do build up your own argument about which kinds of measures have been most or least effective, and why.
  • Don’t just analyze a random selection of doppelgänger characters.
  • Do form an argument about specific texts, comparing and contrasting how they express their thematic concerns through doppelgänger characters.

Receive feedback on language, structure, and formatting

Professional editors proofread and edit your paper by focusing on:

  • Academic style
  • Vague sentences
  • Style consistency

See an example

examples of english essay

An argumentative essay should be objective in its approach; your arguments should rely on logic and evidence, not on exaggeration or appeals to emotion.

There are many possible approaches to argumentative essays, but there are two common models that can help you start outlining your arguments: The Toulmin model and the Rogerian model.

Toulmin arguments

The Toulmin model consists of four steps, which may be repeated as many times as necessary for the argument:

  • Make a claim
  • Provide the grounds (evidence) for the claim
  • Explain the warrant (how the grounds support the claim)
  • Discuss possible rebuttals to the claim, identifying the limits of the argument and showing that you have considered alternative perspectives

The Toulmin model is a common approach in academic essays. You don’t have to use these specific terms (grounds, warrants, rebuttals), but establishing a clear connection between your claims and the evidence supporting them is crucial in an argumentative essay.

Say you’re making an argument about the effectiveness of workplace anti-discrimination measures. You might:

  • Claim that unconscious bias training does not have the desired results, and resources would be better spent on other approaches
  • Cite data to support your claim
  • Explain how the data indicates that the method is ineffective
  • Anticipate objections to your claim based on other data, indicating whether these objections are valid, and if not, why not.

Rogerian arguments

The Rogerian model also consists of four steps you might repeat throughout your essay:

  • Discuss what the opposing position gets right and why people might hold this position
  • Highlight the problems with this position
  • Present your own position , showing how it addresses these problems
  • Suggest a possible compromise —what elements of your position would proponents of the opposing position benefit from adopting?

This model builds up a clear picture of both sides of an argument and seeks a compromise. It is particularly useful when people tend to disagree strongly on the issue discussed, allowing you to approach opposing arguments in good faith.

Say you want to argue that the internet has had a positive impact on education. You might:

  • Acknowledge that students rely too much on websites like Wikipedia
  • Argue that teachers view Wikipedia as more unreliable than it really is
  • Suggest that Wikipedia’s system of citations can actually teach students about referencing
  • Suggest critical engagement with Wikipedia as a possible assignment for teachers who are skeptical of its usefulness.

You don’t necessarily have to pick one of these models—you may even use elements of both in different parts of your essay—but it’s worth considering them if you struggle to structure your arguments.

Regardless of which approach you take, your essay should always be structured using an introduction , a body , and a conclusion .

Like other academic essays, an argumentative essay begins with an introduction . The introduction serves to capture the reader’s interest, provide background information, present your thesis statement , and (in longer essays) to summarize the structure of the body.

Hover over different parts of the example below to see how a typical introduction works.

The spread of the internet has had a world-changing effect, not least on the world of education. The use of the internet in academic contexts is on the rise, and its role in learning is hotly debated. For many teachers who did not grow up with this technology, its effects seem alarming and potentially harmful. This concern, while understandable, is misguided. The negatives of internet use are outweighed by its critical benefits for students and educators—as a uniquely comprehensive and accessible information source; a means of exposure to and engagement with different perspectives; and a highly flexible learning environment.

The body of an argumentative essay is where you develop your arguments in detail. Here you’ll present evidence, analysis, and reasoning to convince the reader that your thesis statement is true.

In the standard five-paragraph format for short essays, the body takes up three of your five paragraphs. In longer essays, it will be more paragraphs, and might be divided into sections with headings.

Each paragraph covers its own topic, introduced with a topic sentence . Each of these topics must contribute to your overall argument; don’t include irrelevant information.

This example paragraph takes a Rogerian approach: It first acknowledges the merits of the opposing position and then highlights problems with that position.

Hover over different parts of the example to see how a body paragraph is constructed.

A common frustration for teachers is students’ use of Wikipedia as a source in their writing. Its prevalence among students is not exaggerated; a survey found that the vast majority of the students surveyed used Wikipedia (Head & Eisenberg, 2010). An article in The Guardian stresses a common objection to its use: “a reliance on Wikipedia can discourage students from engaging with genuine academic writing” (Coomer, 2013). Teachers are clearly not mistaken in viewing Wikipedia usage as ubiquitous among their students; but the claim that it discourages engagement with academic sources requires further investigation. This point is treated as self-evident by many teachers, but Wikipedia itself explicitly encourages students to look into other sources. Its articles often provide references to academic publications and include warning notes where citations are missing; the site’s own guidelines for research make clear that it should be used as a starting point, emphasizing that users should always “read the references and check whether they really do support what the article says” (“Wikipedia:Researching with Wikipedia,” 2020). Indeed, for many students, Wikipedia is their first encounter with the concepts of citation and referencing. The use of Wikipedia therefore has a positive side that merits deeper consideration than it often receives.

Here's why students love Scribbr's proofreading services

Discover proofreading & editing

An argumentative essay ends with a conclusion that summarizes and reflects on the arguments made in the body.

No new arguments or evidence appear here, but in longer essays you may discuss the strengths and weaknesses of your argument and suggest topics for future research. In all conclusions, you should stress the relevance and importance of your argument.

Hover over the following example to see the typical elements of a conclusion.

The internet has had a major positive impact on the world of education; occasional pitfalls aside, its value is evident in numerous applications. The future of teaching lies in the possibilities the internet opens up for communication, research, and interactivity. As the popularity of distance learning shows, students value the flexibility and accessibility offered by digital education, and educators should fully embrace these advantages. The internet’s dangers, real and imaginary, have been documented exhaustively by skeptics, but the internet is here to stay; it is time to focus seriously on its potential for good.

If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

  • Ad hominem fallacy
  • Post hoc fallacy
  • Appeal to authority fallacy
  • False cause fallacy
  • Sunk cost fallacy

College essays

  • Choosing Essay Topic
  • Write a College Essay
  • Write a Diversity Essay
  • College Essay Format & Structure
  • Comparing and Contrasting in an Essay

 (AI) Tools

  • Grammar Checker
  • Paraphrasing Tool
  • Text Summarizer
  • AI Detector
  • Plagiarism Checker
  • Citation Generator

An argumentative essay tends to be a longer essay involving independent research, and aims to make an original argument about a topic. Its thesis statement makes a contentious claim that must be supported in an objective, evidence-based way.

An expository essay also aims to be objective, but it doesn’t have to make an original argument. Rather, it aims to explain something (e.g., a process or idea) in a clear, concise way. Expository essays are often shorter assignments and rely less on research.

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 .

The majority of the essays written at university are some sort of argumentative essay . Unless otherwise specified, you can assume that the goal of any essay you’re asked to write is argumentative: To convince the reader of your position using evidence and reasoning.

In composition classes you might be given assignments that specifically test your ability to write an argumentative essay. Look out for prompts including instructions like “argue,” “assess,” or “discuss” to see if this is the goal.

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

Caulfield, J. (2023, July 23). How to Write an Argumentative Essay | Examples & Tips. Scribbr. Retrieved April 6, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/academic-essay/argumentative-essay/

Is this article helpful?

Jack Caulfield

Jack Caulfield

Other students also liked, how to write a thesis statement | 4 steps & examples, how to write topic sentences | 4 steps, examples & purpose, how to write an expository essay, unlimited academic ai-proofreading.

✔ Document error-free in 5minutes ✔ Unlimited document corrections ✔ Specialized in correcting academic texts

IMAGES

  1. The Example of Essay

    examples of english essay

  2. Writing Example Essay

    examples of english essay

  3. Essay Writing Examples

    examples of english essay

  4. FREE 9+ College Essay Examples in PDF

    examples of english essay

  5. FREE 9+ College Essay Examples in PDF

    examples of english essay

  6. What is the best way to structure an essay?

    examples of english essay

VIDEO

  1. English Essay Writing. #english #essay #learnenglish #writting #englishessay #shorts #education

  2. Introduction to English Essay || Composition|| English Grammar|| Mureed Hussain Jasra||CSS PMS

  3. English Essay

  4. English Essay Writing Basic Idea (part 2) #essaywriting #republicpolicy #youtubeshorts #podcast

  5. English Essay for CSS PMS

  6. ENGLISH ESSAY & PRECIS SESSION

COMMENTS

  1. Example of a Great Essay

    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.

  2. Sample Essays

    Sample Essays. The breadth of Georgetown's core curriculum means that students are required to write for a wide variety of academic disciplines. Below, we provide some student samples that exhibit the key features the most popular genres. When reading through these essays, we recommend paying attention to their ...

  3. Top 10 English Essay Writing Tips

    In our sample English essay provided here, the essay prompt asks:. In the past, almost all office workers did their job in their company's offices five days a week. Nowadays, however, many employers allow more flexible work arrangements, and employees often choose to work from home a few days per week.

  4. 14 College Essay Examples From Top-25 Universities (2024-2025)

    College essay example #1. This is a college essay that worked for Harvard University. (Suggested reading: How to Get Into Harvard Undergrad) This past summer, I had the privilege of participating in the University of Notre Dame's Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program .

  5. 27 Outstanding College Essay Examples From Top Universities 2024

    This college essay tip is by Abigail McFee, Admissions Counselor for Tufts University and Tufts '17 graduate. 2. Write like a journalist. "Don't bury the lede!" The first few sentences must capture the reader's attention, provide a gist of the story, and give a sense of where the essay is heading.

  6. 177 College Essay Examples for 11 Schools + Expert Analysis

    Technique #1: humor. Notice Renner's gentle and relaxed humor that lightly mocks their younger self's grand ambitions (this is different from the more sarcastic kind of humor used by Stephen in the first essay—you could never mistake one writer for the other). My first dream job was to be a pickle truck driver.

  7. What Is an Essay? Different Types of Essays with Examples

    Here are the different types of essays with examples: Narrative Essay: A narrative essay tells a story about a real-life experience. It includes characters, a plot, and a setting. For example, "My First Day at College." Descriptive Essay: A descriptive essay provides a detailed description of a person, place, or thing.

  8. Essay Examples and the 4 Main Types

    Become an essay expert with these essay examples to prepare you on your academic journey. ... Using these writing techniques, you can write many different types of essays. English author Edward Bulwer-Lytton wasn't kidding when he said, "The pen is mightier than the sword." With the right words and a well-developed argument, you can shape ...

  9. Best 20 Essay Examples (500+ Words Each)

    Analyses and critically evaluates a topic. Presents the writer's argument for or against an idea. Describes something. Narrates a story. Persuades the reader. To write a good essay you need an Introduction, a Body (Supporting Paragraphs), and a Conclusion. In this post, we have added the top 20 Essay Examples.

  10. Free Essay

    From structure to style, it covers all facets of essay writing, supplemented with illustrative essay examples for clear understanding. Whether for academic, professional, or personal purposes, this guide is an invaluable resource for anyone looking to enhance their essay writing skills with precision and creativity. Download Essay Bundle.

  11. Free Essay Samples for College Students

    Popular essay samples. Though we have an extensive range of samples and are always adding and writing more, you'll find . a selection of the topics that students search for most often down below. Search. Social Issues: Animal Rights. Teenage Pregnancy. Сyber Bullying. Racism.

  12. College Essay Examples

    Table of contents. Essay 1: Sharing an identity or background through a montage. Essay 2: Overcoming a challenge, a sports injury narrative. Essay 3: Showing the influence of an important person or thing. Other interesting articles. Frequently asked questions about college application essays.

  13. How to write an essay

    An essay is a piece of non-fiction writing with a clear structure: an introduction, paragraphs with evidence and a conclusion.Writing an essay is an important skill in English and allows you to ...

  14. Essay

    In your English class you have been talking about the fashion industry. Write an essay using all the notes and giving reasons for your point of view. Some people say the fashion industry has a bad effect on people's lives. Do you agree? Write about: 1. whether people's appearance is important. 2. the price of clothes. 3 ...

  15. IELTS Sample Essays

    IELTS Sample Essays. Here you will find IELTS Sample Essays for a variety of common topics that appear in the writing exam.. The model answers all have tips and strategies for how you may approach the question and comments on the sample answer.. You can also view sample essays with band scores on this page.. Looking at IELTS essay topics with answers is a great way to help you to prepare for ...

  16. How to Structure an Essay

    The basic structure of an essay always consists of an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. But for many students, the most difficult part of structuring an essay is deciding how to organize information within the body. This article provides useful templates and tips to help you outline your essay, make decisions about your structure, and ...

  17. Essay Topics

    While writing essays, many college and high school students face writer's block and have a hard time to think about topics and ideas for an essay. In this article, we will list out many good essay topics from different categories like argumentative essays, essays on technology, environment essays for students from 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th grades.

  18. How to Write an Argumentative Essay

    Examples of argumentative essay prompts. At a university level, all the prompts below imply an argumentative essay as the appropriate response. Your research should lead you to develop a specific position on the topic. The essay then argues for that position and aims to convince the reader by presenting your evidence, evaluation and analysis.