Formatting an essay into Harvard style

How to format an essay into Harvard style?

It is an incomplete research paper which is not properly formatted. To format in a standard style there are several formatting styles available. Out of them, Harvard formatting style has been given the primary importance. 

Harvard formatting style and its importance:

Harvard style of formatting is one of the most simplified formatting styles which has been accepted by most of the universities worldwide. The main objective of writing a paper in Harvard style is to provide proper citation and referencing. There must be an inclusion of in-text citations which must direct the readers towards the paper in a proper way. 

The other important reasons to format an essay are:

1.Support the arguments laid with facts or proof by referencing it.

2.Allow the readers to view the sources cited for investigative purpose.

3.Protect yourself from plagiarism. 

Formatting an essay into Harvard style:

• Indentation:Indentation is required for the better appearance of a paper which is written.To indent a paper, all paragraphs must begin with flush. They must always follow double spacing throughout the paragraphs.

• Margins:For the margin, the paper must be 1” of margin from all the side (i.e. top, bottom, left, right) you must sure enough to double space all the lines. 

• Spacing:For better understanding of the paper, it is encouraged to write with double spaces throughout.

• Paper size:Paper size must be 8.5 x 11 inches.

• Font:The content must have 12 pts as its font size and font can be Arial or Times New Roman. This will make it look presentable.

• Page numberings:Page number must be flushed to the right.Numberings are important as they make it more readable and easy for reference.  Page number must appear on the top right of every page. Numerals like 1,2,3 must be used instead of Arabic numbers like I, II, III.It is advisable to add  “- the number -“ while page numbers are added.

• Alignment:The alignment always should be fixed to the left margin of a page. It must never be justified which is a bad practise of formatting

• Figures and table:Adding figures and tables in the paper will give it more clarity. They must be closely placed where they are cited.

Sections of Harvard reference style: 

The following are the elements that are used while writing a research paper using Harvard reference style:

 1.Header: For the header, the cover page must have three below three lines and must be in bold type.

 1.Essay title

 2.Author’s name

 3.College name

2.Title:A title for a paper is as important as the content being written. From the beginning of the document which is prepared, there are page headers which should appear on top right of the page. Other important things to cover are:

3.Introduction: This section contains all the important elements to start an essay. It must contain a hook statement so that it can hook reader’s attention.

4.Thesis statement: This is an element of an introduction section. Thesis statement is required to support an essay like a hypothesis. Thesis statement created in the introduction section must be continued throughout an essay which is written.

5.Main Body: This section being the most part of essay must be written with three or more paragraphs and supporting statements. It is suggested to use tables and graphs as per the standard Harvard formatting style.

6.Headings: APA uses headings to separate information appropriately and connect them well. Each heading must contain individual information properly indented with other formatting necessary.            

How to write a CCOT essay

How to write a CCOT essay very easily?

What is CCOT essay?

CCOT essay stands for “Change and continuity over time”. It is an essay which is used in the AP world history exam.

It is an essay where there is a comparison between two periods. Here it becomes important to differentiate between two time periods. Comparing the cinemas of 90’s and 80’s is an example of a CCOT essay where two generations of cinemas are discussed and compared with the continuity that it follows.

Elements of a CCOT essay

1.Thesis statement: Thesis statement is an important element that must be included in the CCOT essay. The thesis must contain how from x time period there are changes that occurred to y time period.

There must be inclusion of continuities also which will have a huge impact on the essay.

2.Changes and continuities: These two are the elements which are considered as heart of the essay.

Continuous is an element which indicates the one which is still running and has not changed between two time periods. Change is an element which indicates the changes that occurred during the two time periods.

3.Evidence: To prove that there are changes between two time periods, there must be some evidence. These pieces of evidence also collectively form as an element for an essay. This must be brought out in a honest manner.

Best tips to write a CCOT essay

1.Know about the topic to write: The step to write a CCOT essay is to know about the topic which is being written. Such topic must be chosen which will have the difference between two time periods. It must represent continuity as well as changes.

2.Research about the topic to be written: Once a topic is selected, it must be researched upon. Appropriate evidence must be collected in order to differentiate between two time periods.

3.Structure your essay: After researching for the topic, an essay must be structured into a proper format. Read along to know more about the format. This format must be followed properly so that the essay brings out optimum results.

4.Write the thesis:  Thesis as discussed earlier must be formulated according to the changes and continuity. Thesis forms a major element for an essay which will have a huge impact over the essay.

5.Include body section: The next step is to write the body section. This section must include content in a paragraph format. These paragraphs must include all the necessary changes and continuities explained in detail.

How an x time period differed from y period and what impact it had made in the current, what are the changes and continuities must be discussed.

6.Write the conclusion:  The last part of the essay is the conclusion. This section must be written so that an essay gets concluded in a convincing way. Here is a link which will show how to end an essay with convincing conclusion. 

Structure of a CCOT essay

Thesis

Body section (change)

Body section (continuities)

Conclusion

How to construct sentence for writing an essay

What are the ways of constructing sentences for writing an essay?

What is a sentence?

A sentence is a unit or group of words, phrases, clauses. Written in a sequence, a sentence is an important part of English grammar. It becomes necessary to construct good sentences to write an essay. Though a sentence may look tiny but when they are clutched together knowing its appropriate usage, it can form a beautiful essay.

How to write the best essay by properly constructing sentences? How to write formulating ultimate sentences? Here is an article which helps in writing an essay and how to construct sentences for the same.

Importance of sentences in an essay

1.A structured sentence gives a complete meaning thereby communicating impactful information to the audience.

2.An essay which is coupled with complex sentences along with compound sentences makes it more interesting to read; it basically hooks the readers to continue reading the essay.

3.A sentence helps in building link within an essay. Thus it builds a logical connection making it clear to understand.

Types of sentences:

1.Declarative sentence- A sentence that informs a facts or a point is a declarative sentence. It ends with a full stop.

2.Imperative sentence –A sentence which gives a command or a polite request is an imperative sentence. It ends with either exclamation mark or a period.

3.Interrogative sentence- A sentence which poses a question is an interrogative sentence. It ends with a question mark.

4.Exclamatory sentence- A sentence which conveys an emotion along with presenting facts. It ends with an exclamation mark.

How to construct sentences? A step by step guide

1.Note on punctuation marks: Appropriate use of punctuation marks in a sentence will help in building a better sentence. Each punctuation mark has its own importance. Below are some important punctuation marks which must be taken note of:

1.Period(full stop)- It indicates the termination of a sentence.

Example: I went to the Disneyland.

2.Comma- It indicates merger of two clauses or words. Each clause is dependent on each other hence must be connected.

Example: She came here by noon, went back only by evening.

3.Question mark- It indicates a question being posed.

Example: How are you?

4.Colon- it lists the series of items.

Example: These are the items in the menu: Pizza, French fries, and coke.

5.Exclamation mark: It indicates an expression or an emotion

Example: Hurray! We won!

2.Use transitions words:  Transitional words are important linking words which are very useful while forming a sentence. Transitional words link two sentences thereby giving a clear meaning to the essay being written.

Example: Even more, as long as, either way, namely, so on and so forth, however, such as, further, for example etc.

3.Use conjunctive words to merge sentences: Conjunctive words are the words which conjoins words, sentences, phrases, clauses. These conjunctions help in building relation which makes up for a better essay.

The conjunctive words are: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so.

4.Usage of verbs: Usage of verbs in a sentence will have more impact than other parts of speech. Verb means an action.  An action indicates energy and directness in an essay. Thus making use of verbs will be useful.

5.Include compound sentences: A compound sentence is a sentence which contains more than one subject or a predicate. These compound sentences must be utilized so as to increase readability of the essay.

Example: The sky is clear; the stars are twinkling.

6.Include complex sentences:  A complex sentence is a sentence which contains an independent clause and at least one dependent clause.

Example: Even after twenty years, he had not forgotten her.

7.Use the types of sentences effectively: As mentioned above, the types of sentences must be used effectively. These sentences behave differently from each other hence must be used according to the situation. 

8.Workout on the tenses: The tenses in English grammar must be thoroughly read. These tenses are helpful in building a meaningful sentence. Click here to know more about it. 

9.Make use of parts of speech properly: The parts of speech namely noun, pronoun, adverb, verb, adjective, interjection, conjunction, prepositions, article. These must be used appropriately which will make an essay better structured.

10.Clever use of simple sentences: A simple sentence is one single independent clause that derives one single meaning.

Example: I went home early today.

These are few of the tips assembled to construct sentences for writing an essay.

How to write hook sentences

How to write a hook statement that will make your essay glorious?

How do I write my essay so well that it receives accolades? How can I make myself better to write the best essay? These are some of the most common questions that are asked by the students while an essay is to be written.

The first few sentences; they decide the credibility of the complete essay. Audience or the readers in general judge the whole essay just by reading the first few sentences. This does not mean that the whole essay will lose its meaning; it will only lose its readership.

As you can see, if you have read the above lines and reached till here, then I must say, I have succeeded in hooking your attention towards this article? Haven’t I?  Now what is a hook statement?
Why do I have to write hook statements? To know more about these questions, read along.

What is hooking?

Hooking is nothing but grabbing the reader’s eyes with catchy headlines.  This is a term that is generally used very casually but it’s a real challenge to implement it well in the essay. 

The sentences which are used to hook the sentences are called hook statements. These are to be placed in the introductory paragraph so that it catches the reader’s attention.

Easy ways to write hook statements

1.Ask a question: To begin with, all hook statements cannot be the same. There is no fixed formula to write successful hook statement. But there are certain ways to write hook statement, one of them is to pose a question.

Questioning or asking something which an audience can relate to is the first successful step of creating a hook. Not every topic necessarily has to start with a question mark but few of them should have this trick.

2.Have more descriptive words: Including descriptive words or catchy headlines is another way of hooking the readers to the essay that you have written.

This is very important to understand that descriptive words, flowery descriptions must be utilized only in some types of essays such as descriptive essays, narrative essays etc. Academic paper must have minimal usage of this.

3.Induce interest: The main idea of writing a hook statement is to induce interest. The first step is to select a topic.

Based on the topic chosen, derive the essential points out of it. These points must be condensed together so that it forms hook statement.

4.Stress  on an informative point:  The main point which is informative as well as eye catching must be selected. This must be used it as a hook. This is one of the easiest tricks that can be used to write hook statement.

Another tip that can be given is to write the whole essay without taking much stress about hook statement. Once an essay is written, its gist or essential thing must be taken out. This must be used to form a hook statement and add it in the editing stage.

5.Strike with a chord: The hook statements that are to be written must strike a balance with what is being written. It must not go off the track to make it look interesting.

6.Continue the curiosity: Hook statements are just the introductory statements which are added in the introduction section. This must not end with this section.

It must continue till the end of the essay. There are many forms of hooking the readers; they can be transitional sentences, arguments and thesis statement. The major point is to continue the curiosity that is created.

7.Start with a quote: The best tip that could be given is to start the hook statement with a quote.

8. Start with a small anecdote: Anecdote is nothing but a short piece of story or a description of any occurrence or an event. 

9.Surprise them: Surprise elements works for any write-up. For writing a hook statement too, the surprise element must be added so that readers will be further interested to read.

10.Implement active voice: Writing an essay using active voice will help in making it even more effective. Click here to know how to use active voice in your essay.

These are few of the tips which can be helpful while writing hook sentences for an essay. 

How to write a feature article

How to write a stellar feature article?

Feature article is an article which has an insight on the people, places, things, opinions, and other important elements of our daily lives.

Feature article ranges from showcasing emotions, a real life story to an outlook of an experience. It has a human touch to it.

Unlike a regular academic essay, an article will have more stories that get covered supplementing necessary facts and sources. To know the fine line between an article and an essay, follow this link.

Characteristics of a feature article:

1.The story that is covered is based on facts.

2.It uses elements like charts, images, diagrams which will bring out the article into better scope of area.

3.The article which gets published must be analytical in nature and should have a bent of mind towards critical thinking.

4.It has the elements like an introduction section, a body section, and a conclusion section.

5.Feature articles must have anecdotes present in them which will have a better impact on the readers.

Types of feature writing:

Writing comes under the sun. With its vastness that can be witnessed, feature writing has its own types that need to be focused upon. The various types of feature writing are:

1.Writing about a personality

2.Stories related to technology and science

3.Stories related to news

4.Articles regarding How-to do and What-to do

5.Lifestyle articles 

Simple steps to feature a feature article in a spectacular manner

1.Get a topic to start with: To start writing a feature article, a topic must be chosen, there are several topics available online which can become a source for finding the topics.

The topics chosen must be interesting to read and informative at the same time.

2.Research on the topic chosen:  After choosing a topic, it must be researched upon. Researching information for a topic is a crucial part hence only reputable sources must be cited or used.

3.Draw an outline based on the research:  Upon the researched points that are collected, there must be an outline which should be created. Outlining helps in forming the structure of an article. It gives a clear idea of an article should be presented to the readers.

4.Write an introduction: The first section of an article is an introduction section. This section must contain what the topic is all about. It should not delve into the topic but should give out the essential information of the topic.

5.Include paragraphs in a body section: The critical part of an article is to include paragraphs in an article. A body section must contain two or more paragraphs which will have an in-depth explanation about the topic that is being written.

6.Conclude with a conclusion: Conclusion section is the last part of an article which must be concluded convincingly. It is a step towards the end which must be planned and executed properly.

It must include all the necessary elements such as summary or the gist of it, the experiences that can be drawn from it, and a powerful end line which will have an impact on the overall article.

Tips to include while writing a feature article

1.Include active voice: It is encouraged to use active voice while an article is being written. Energy and directness towards the subject being focused can be gained if active voice is utilized.

2.Have headings that catch reader’s eyes: There must use of catchy headlines which will help in catching the reader’s  eyes. These headlines must have the gist of what exactly that section has to say.

3.Have transitions between each paragraph: Transitions between each section is significant. Including these transitions will not build a link between them but also acts as a hooking aid to catch reader’s attention.

Some examples of transitional sentences are The point is, In my opinion, that is to say etc.

4.Pose different set of questions which will help in digesting the news properly: Journalistic words such as how, what, where, when ,why must be used or taken into consideration so that it will help in circulating the news to the targeted audience in a proper way.

5.Have a follow-up: Having a follow-up on the answers that were given by the people you interviewed for will make a huge difference to the article. This will allow to use it in the editing process to add up more information.

These are few of the tips that can be included while writing a feature article

How to write an exploratory essay

How to write an exploratory essay in a simple manner?

What is an exploratory essay?

Exploratory means to explore something. Here a problem of an essay is explored. More than solving a problem, an exploratory essay brings in a perspective into the problem which will help in finding a solution. There is no specific objective or a goal for an exploratory essay but just a platform to explore different ideas and perspectives of a topic.

Introspective mind is required in order to write an exploratory essay. Here the writer is allowed to explore a topic in all different manners and in different angles.

Characteristics of an exploratory essay

1.Exploratory essays do not bring conclusion or an exact solution but different perspective about a problem.

2.It explores an issue hence no arguments are required to prove any point.

3.Exploratory essays do not have a thesis statement.

4.It uses a neutral tone to express.

5.Exploratory essay does not focus on a particular point to convince the readers but highlights significant aspects of an essay topic.

5 Steps to write an exploratory essay 

1.Find a topic to write: To start writing an exploratory essay, a topic must be found. These topics can be found online or other platforms. Such topic must be chosen which should not be biased over an opinion. Instead,it must present different set of ideas and opinions on the topic being written.

2.Prepare an outline: An outline must be prepared in order to write an essay. The outline must consist of an introduction section, body section and a conclusion section. This will help in forming an essay in a better way.

3.Include the perspectives:  The next step to write an exploratory essay is to include your opinions, perspectives, and ideas. These ideas must be presented in a non-biased manner. This will allow it to have a proper meaning, giving it a new dimension.

4.Introduction section: The first part of an essay is the introduction section. This section must introduce the topic that is being written. It must have necessary elements such as a hook statement to attract the readers.

As opposed to other types of essay, an exploratory essay should not have a thesis statement. As thesis statement are written in order to prove something.

5.Body section: Body section of an essay must consist of content which should be divided into paragraphs. Each paragraph must stress on the point that you are trying to make.

Usually,an exploratory essay consists of 3paragraphs in the body section.

6.Conclusion section: The last part of an essay is a conclusion section.This section must have sufficient points which will bring light to the topic that is being written.

Instead of restating the introduction section, it must bring out the gist of the topic. 

Example topics of an exploratory essay

1.How to manage time effectively.

2.Should the government take more responsibility towards the citizens?

3.What are the effects of over pampering a child.

4.Benefits of staying in a joint family.

5.Effects of advancement of technology over family life.

6.Equality between men and women.

7.How to save nature from destruction

8.What are the best strategies for studying?

9.What is the effect of globalization?

10.How to stop injustice over poor people? 

How to write a response essay

How to write a response essay in easy steps?

What is a response essay?

Response essay is a type of essay which gives reaction or response to an object or a topic chosen. Also called as a reaction essay, it is a reaction to the summary of what you have read. It includes expressions of thoughts about a particular topic.

Responsive essay involves critical reading, critical thinking and reaction to a topic that is being written. For example, writing a summary of a television show that you have watched and writing a responsive essay about it.

Parts of a response essay:

To write a responsive essay, it must have two parts to it,

1.Summary of the topic- The topic must be researched well in order to write a summary on it.

2.Your reaction to the topic - Once a summary for the topic is prepared, it must then have your reaction towards it. This part of an essay is called response essay. 

Elements of a response essay

1.Introduction section:  The important element for a response essay is an introduction section. An introduction section must be written which should introduce an essay subtly. Care must be taken not to give in all the details of the topic as it should be discussed in the body section.

2.Thesis statement: A ship which is on the surface of the water is put to hold with the help of an anchor. An anchor helps in keeping it still.

The same way, an essay’s quality can be enhanced only when it has a strong and supportive thesis statement. A thesis statement is a focus on the idea of the topic which is written. It must be passed on in each section so that it builds a strong essay.

3.Hook statement: To develop for the readers to read an essay, they must be hooked onto it. To do this, an essay must include hook statements.

Hook statements help in grabbing reader’s attention inducing interest towards it.

4.Body section:  A body section is the heart of an essay. It must include all the necessary arguments to prove its credibility.

Generally, an essay will have 3 paragraphs to it, where each paragraph must have a response or a reaction to it. There must be transitional statements within the body section to have a greater quality essay.   

5.Conclusion section: A conclusion is very much important, it summarizes the whole essay that has been written. Conclusion to an essay must be synthesized and should be repeated as a thesis statement once again. 

5 simple steps to write a response essay

1.Brainstorm for ideas: To write any essay, a topic must be chosen. The best way to choose a topic is to brainstorm ideas for it. Here is a link on how to brainstorm for an essay.  

2.Organizing the essay: Once a topic is chosen to write, the next step towards writing a response essay is to organize it. As mentioned earlier, there are parts included while writing a response essay.

1.Write a summary on the topic

2.Write a reaction on the summary created

This helps in organizing an essay in a better manner.

3.Draft the essay: While drafting a response essay, it must always include three sections. They are an introduction section, a body section and a conclusion section.

4.Edit the essay which is written: After the completion of writing an essay, it must be edited. Editing is a skill which comes only by practice. Necessary things are added and discarded in this stage of essay writing.

5.Proofread the content: The last stage of essay writing is proofreading. Any grammatical errors, misplaced punctuation marks or misspelled words are given a check here.  

Things to be considered while writing

1.The reaction must be in terms of strong agreement or strong disagreement along with strong opinion created for it.

2.Evaluation of the analysis done to make it more effective.

3.The author’s name and title that is being discussed must be mentioned.

4.Summary of an article which is used to write a responsive essay.

5.Reflection on the topic that is read.

6.Signposting for response essay 

Example topics to write a response essay

Some of the example topics for a response essay are:

1.Responsibility of a student

2.Animal cruelty

3.Physical abuse

4.Impact of social networking sites

5.Single parenting