As such, you must master various tips for writing an essay and the tips to make your essay writing process more bearable. This article will cover the elements of essay writing for high school students and highlight some essay prompts for high school. 

How to write a high school essay

Hitting the research and jotting down any idea relating to your topic is not always the best approach to writing a high school essay. A good essay requires intricate planning, quality research, and thorough editing to ensure that you communicate your ideas properly.

Some steps for high school essay writing include:

1. Conduct thorough research

The research phase is the first stage when working on your essay. This step should be scheduled early on your plan and start with a brainstorming session on the ideas you are already properly versed with on the topic.

Next, narrow your topics to three topics that grab your interest the most and research for primary and secondary sources to use in structuring your argument. After your preliminary research, settle for the topic with the most resources.

2. Outline your arguments

After coalescing your research, organize your arguments and plan the information into various relevant parts. Doing so allows you to gauge the completeness of your paper, helping you gauge whether more research is needed to establish your claims and support. 

3. Prepare your first draft

After writing your outline, draft your paper and seek help to analyze how well the assignment has been tackled. RankMyService will assist you in avoiding bad service providers and choosing the proper ones. Also, take this chance to correct various structural and grammatical issues that are recurrent in your paper before drafting your final essay.

4. Writing, editing, and proofreading

After analyzing your draft, write your paper and buff out the small issues which could compromise your final score. Refrain from editing and writing your paper in one sitting as this may limit your capacity to pinpoint various errors in your work.

Ideally, take some time off to gain clarity as you peruse your essay. Alternatively, consult experts and friends for assistance as they are better positioned to notice various errors in your work. 

High school essay format

The high school essay unlike the thesis and dissertation is divided into an introduction, the body, and a conclusion section.

The introduction highlights the background of your paper, a hook to capture your reader’s attention, and introduces your thesis. The introduction may also set the stage for your argument, allowing you to transition to your first point and sell your standpoint in an argumentative essay.

The body comprises paragraphs, each carrying an individual component of your argument. Each chapter presents a new topic sentence, and its evidence, and finally ties the evidence down to the thesis statement. 

Your conclusion should then highlight the importance of your work and the key components of your argument. We recommend that you start with the body of your paper to gain a good understanding of your argument.

How long is an essay in high school?

A high school essay ranges between 1000 to 5000 words. However, many tutors will guide you on the desired essay length when they are offering the assignment.

Sample high school essay topics

1. Surrogate moms and the societal perspective.
2. What is it about you that your parents don’t get? 
3. There is violence in the media. 
4. Describe a rite of passage that you’ve experienced and how it affected you. 
5. In middle school, students are taught about sex. 
6. Future of The Internet.
7. Methods for lowering air pollution. 
8. How may alternative energy sources aid in the preservation of the Earth’s natural resources? 
9. Why do so few ladies choose to work in the exact sciences? 
10. The significance of sports in today’s world.
11. Should the wealthy pay a higher tax rate? 
12. Is sex education something that should be taught in schools? 
13. Is it necessary to use physical punishment to maintain good discipline? 

1. Know your audience

It is easy to write things about yourself, but if you want approval, you should write something that other people would like you to. You need to research all the scholarship organizations and know the purpose, activities, and working style. Ensure that you write an essay that revolves around the mission of the organization. If the situation wants candidates with leadership skills, you need to provide some instances where you used your leadership to help achieve other goals or initiatives. You can also read more about some winners of the past in the same scholarship.

2. Provide examples

An excellent way for you to make appointments is to provide examples. You need to write about what you have garnered in terms of education so far. It could be in your school, voluntary work or maybe some extracurricular activities. Ensure that you utilize some words that will help the team visualize your situation. If you are working as you study in school, then ensure that you show them how you balanced your studies and work. If you’ve got skills in public relations and want a medical course, then show them how their skills in public relations will assist you to be a better performer in your field.

3. Be unique

The scholarship essay should be exclusive only to you. You can read other winning articles done by previous applicants but try not to imitate them. Personalize the content that you’re writing and put all your focus on the passion you’re chasing. Right things that will compel your readers to know or understand the importance of the course to you.

4. Understand the main themes

Ensure that you go over there is a statement several times to extract the main themes. For instance, if the information wants you to describe some events that had you demonstrating your leadership to impact the community, then they keep him here will be the community and leadership impact.

5. Use vital keywords

Utilize the keywords that got mentioned in the statement. It will show that you have adhered to the question you have been asked. For instance, if you have keywords of leadership and innovation, you should discuss all the attributes of these elements for about 80% of the essay.

6. Begin the essay with a boost

The first impression always wins, and therefore you need to be careful about what you write in your first sentence. If you believe you can start with some engaging content, then you will understand what’s to input next. You can begin by having a striking statement that will make you know whatever you’re going to put in the essay. You may also use a quote, but you are advised to use your own. Please stay away from famous quotes because other people might use them.

7. Maintain the essay structure

Most of the time, students deviate from the central story and begin explaining a single point. You need to develop your outline and organize all your thoughts together. Sit down and decide the elements you will include in the introduction, the body, and the conclusion. You can always use phrases or sentences that fit within the story. Ensure that each paragraph you start has a new idea, and it is always better to include shorter sections than bulky and hard-to-read blocks. If the lecturer or the committee has not specified the structure you need to use in your paper, then try double spacing your work. You can stick to using the 12-point font, writing in the Times New Roman font, and including margins of 1 inch on the top, side, and bottom margins of the paper.

Argumentative essays are usually prompted by trigger words such as ‘argue’ or a question e.g., ‘do violent movies have a negative psychological impact on children?’ Owing to the fact-based nature of argumentative essays, many students often dread the task placed on them when they are assigned an argumentative essay.

This article will highlight the parts of an argumentative essay and some tips to help you structure your argument. We will also offer some argumentative essay ideas to guide you toward selecting a good topic for your paper. 

Parts of an argumentative essay

The parts of an argumentative essay may vary depending on the approach you select for writing your essay. Some of the popular approaches include the Toulmin approach and the Rogerian approach.

The Toulmin approach comprises the claim, the grounds, the warrant, and the counterclaim. This approach starts with a claim regarding the argument, followed by the evidence that supports your standpoint.

Next, show the points that warrant your claim followed by an analysis of the counterarguments and the reason why they are baseless. 

The Rogerian approach starts with stating the strength of the counterarguments followed by an analysis of the weaknesses of these counterarguments. Next, you are required to show your position on the argument and to indicate the compromises that would make the counterarguments better. 

Both approaches thus require you to be well versed with the claims, evidence, and counterarguments of the topic. However, there are many styles for presenting your argument. As such, we recommend that you consult your tutor to determine the approach they recommend for your paper. 

Steps to writing an argumentative essay

Like all research-based content, an argumentative essay requires intricate planning to present a quality argument. The proper style for an argumentative essay introduction is:

1. Perform adequate research to establish the grounds of your argument and various counterarguments. Next, size the arguments and determine how they hold in light of the evidence. This information will allow you to select the side that you’ll represent and to determine various objections your reader may have in mind. 
2. Next, draw an outline of your argument based on the data you have collected from your research. The outline allows you to connect related arguments, ensuring a logical flow of the components of your paper. The outline is a great guide as it informs you on when to go back to the drawing board and also highlights various weaknesses that require your attention. 
3. Write your paper and proofread it for various errors, ensuring that your paper is free of contradictory claims. 

How to start an argumentative essay

The introduction of your argumentative essay is crucial in making an impression on your reader. It is thus crucial that you prepare a quality introduction that captures your reader’s attention and sets the ground for your argument.

The best way to start your essay is to:

1. Follow a logical format

Your introduction should start by hooking your reader in and describing the topic you are handling. Here, you should discuss the background of your study and various shortcomings in the common views of your topic.

Next, the introduction should state your thesis and highlight your standpoint on the topic under discussion. 

2. Come up with a quality hook

A good hook is a critical piece of your argumentative essay. Without a hook, it may be hard to convince your reader to give your paper a look. 

Ideally, start your paper with a fact, a statistic, or a story that highlights a problem that warrants your position. You may also start by stating a common fallacy and highlighting various reasons why this approach is skewed in light of the research.

This will nudge your reader to peruse other portions of your paper and set a base from which you can convince your reader of your stance. 

3. Offer some background to your study

You must offer a background to your study to allow your reader to view the argument from your perspective. Be keen to include all the data that supports your claims and refutes various objections. 

4. State your thesis

Finally, your introduction should restate the thesis without bias. The thesis should be an arguable statement that clearly shows your standpoint. e.g., nazi military leadership in WW2 was ineffective.

Argumentative essay outline

The argumentative essay can be divided into three major parts. The introduction, the body, and the conclusion.

The introduction

• The hook
• The background
• Your thesis statements

The body

• Topic sentence
• Claim
• Evidence
• Concluding sentence

The conclusion

• Restate the thesis
• Summarize your sub-arguments

Selection of the best argumentative essay topics

Topics for argumentative essay

1. Should doctors be permitted to genetically change unborn infants at the request of their parents? 
2. Has the internet improved society? 
3. Should everyone have free access to the internet? 
4. Should student-athletes be paid by colleges and universities? 
5. Is it true that single-gender education is preferable to co-education? 

Argumentative essays for middle school

6. Should teachers give pupils grades? 
7. Is it ethical to test animals? 
8. What is the best age for children to begin school? 
9. Is it appropriate for pupils to review their teachers? 
10. Is home-schooling a better option than the public school system? 
11. Are test results the only way to assess a student’s ability? 

Funny argumentative essay topics

12. Why you should never put your faith in a dog
13. Why is the sky blue?
14. Why should individuals avoid eating vegetables?
15. Why is the human race on the verge of extinction?
16. Would the world be a better place if religion didn’t exist?
17. Should the wealthy be subjected to higher taxes?

Argumentative topics for kids

18. Should smoking be prohibited in public places?
19. Students should be allowed to use their iPhones in class.
20. Is it true that cats are superior to dogs?
21. Children should have extended vacations.
22. Is it true that vampires exist?
23. When it comes to exercise, how often should people do it?

The purpose of a body paragraph

The body paragraph proves the thesis statement of your essay that you ought to provide in the introduction paragraph. The body paragraph must relate to the introduction that forecasts the essay’s structure and the conclusion that summarizes the arguments in the body paragraph.  Each of your paragraphs in the body section of your essay should be focused on a single idea. Avoid lengthy paragraphs that will make readers of your essay pause frequently to ensure they are within your line of thoughts. Too short sentences in your body paragraphs are underdeveloped sentences that you should avoid.

The effective steps in writing your body paragraph

You may be worried about how to write a body paragraph for an essay, and these are the basic tips you have been missing out on.

1. Writing the topic sentence

You need to look at the first sentence in your body paragraph section of your essay as a mini-thesis statement for the particular paragraph you are writing. Your topic sentence should build on the main points that the paragraph will address. It also has to be related to the general thesis statement of your essay.

2. Unpacking your topic sentence

Unpacking involves dispersing out your discussion points to ensure it supports the topic sentence. Ensure you place one major idea in each paragraph to avoid too length paragraph or irrelevance.

3. Giving evidence

Providing evidence means providing facts, arguments, and data from reputable research sources. An essay paper is used to promote arguments based on original ideas and opinions by other researchers or scholars who have written articles, journals, books, etc.

4. Analyzing the evidence

In your body paragraph, ensure that the main ideas you present are connected to the evidence you have provided to bring out the main idea you intended to bring out. You could explain, expand, interpret or comment on your evidence or instead oppose the evidence by providing a counterargument.

5. Proving your objective

Proving your objective requires tying up your body paragraph by restating the exact topic sentence that your essay was based on. Use different phrases to avoid repetition. The paragraph needs to prove the argument in the thesis statement.

6. Providing a transition

The section of providing a transition aims to take the reader away from a paragraph and then head to take the reader into an albeit related topic. Such a transition needs to be smooth enough, and the connection you create between the two ideas should come out strong and clear.

Conclusion

Crafting a compelling and attractive body paragraph requires you to break down any complex topic sentences to make it easy for the reader of your essay to read and absorb your content more easily.  Avoid extremely long paragraphs that are more than three-quarters of a page formatted with margins of one inch and font size of 12, Times New Roman. Be keen not to repeat any information between paragraphs, and your essay will be interesting to your reader with proper touches on the introduction and conclusion sections.