Composing A 4-Page Essay: General Directions

When writing an essay there are certain steps and protocols that should be followed for success. The major steps include selecting a strong topic, completing thorough research, creating an outline, and executing your writing. When writing an essay that needs to be a specific length there is a little more planning involved. Below we have provided some tips and tricks to help you plan properly. With the right approach you will be able to stay on track and meet your page count when composing a 4-page essay.

Select Appropriate Topic

The first step you will take when composing a paper will be to select the topic. When selecting your topic in consideration to the essay’s length requirement, you will want to be sure these factors match. A longer paper can do well with a broad topic, whereas shorter papers will need to be more specific.

Plan an Outline

With your appropriate topic you will complete your research. The research will be used to organize the outline. The outline is what is used as a roadmap for your paper, guiding you through your introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. When you are planning an outline you can estimate length, and include or exclude information to help you reach the right mark.

Provide Balanced Research

While writing your outline it will be easier to identify whether or not your research is balanced. For instance, if the section of your outline reviewing body paragraph 1 is much longer than that of body paragraph 2—we can see a disruption in balance. You want to try to provide equally strong research for all body paragraphs.

Word Count

Finally, while you are executing your writing you will want to be mindful of your word count. It can even be helpful to designate an estimated amount of words to spend on each section of your paper. If you provide these estimates, and remain mindful while writing, you can be precise in your length.

By selecting an appropriate topic, planning and outline and providing balanced research, you will be able to more easily provide word count estimates and stay on track as you write. When you reach the end of your paper you should be pretty close to the 4-page mark. The final step to perfect your essay and its length will be to edit. By editing you can highlight areas that need further elaboration, and trim away the fluff. Your paper will be well-organized and meet length requirements with this kind of thoughtful planning and execution.

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