If you are a student, you know a lot about the differences between essay types. A certain piece may be easy to handle. On the contrary, another piece may cause serious obstacles. A thematic essay is surely one of them.
This essay type focuses on serious issues and tries to resolve them. Commonly, a thematic essay analyzes historical events or a definite literary piece. However, it can focus on other issues and can be assigned in merely every academic subject. Therefore, many students want to know how to write thematic essay effectively. Our useful guide serves this purpose. It explains how to handle this particular piece of writing fast and easily.
How to Start a Thematic Essay to Set a Positive Working Tone
A lot depends on the topic you will choose for your academic project. A good topic has certain features you should look for. These are as follows:
- Relevance;
- Importance;
- Solution of a problem;
- Clarity;
- Meaningfulness;
- Usefulness.
When you choose your topic, be sure to review it from different angles. It is supposed to suit all the requirements mentioned above. Make this checklist, and you will surely understand if the chosen topic is relevant to your audience.
Research and Outline
The next step to take is to research the selected topic. As it is a scientific paper, you must operate with proven facts. It requires in-depth research in a local library and on the Internet. Compile all the facts that are related to the studied question. Afterward, you should take notes. Refine those notes to leave the evidence, which surely suits the chosen issue.
Once you are through with refining your notes, go to the creation of an outline. The outline is not a compulsory demand, and so many students ignore it. Nonetheless, they don’t realize its importance. It helps to gather all your ideas in a good plan with all stages of writing. It makes you organized and thus saves heaps of precious time.
A good outline has the next essentials:
- The main writing parts – introduction, main body, and conclusion.
- Methods of research and analysis.
- Working tools – pens, paper, devices, learning apps, etc.
- Revision methods – reading, using checking tools, etc.
Where to collect the information? Digital libraries, as well as open university libraries, are good for this.
- University of Southern California
- Columbia Southern University
- Grand Canyon University
- Colorado Christian University
- Saint Leo University
- Northcentral University
Drafting a Thematic Essay
After all preliminary steps are passed, you may focus on the process of writing. You should start with the introductory section. It familiarizes your readers with the general facts of your research and offers a thesis statement. This section consists of 3-5 sentences only. Its main goal is to make your readers interested in what will follow. Use a “hook” to grab their attention instantly. If you don’t know how to start, here are a few vital tips for the intro:
- Rhetoric question;
- Shocking statement;
- Citation;
- Anecdote, etc.
The main body of your thematic essay develops the thesis statement, which comes in sub-theses. It’s vital to make smooth transitions between the paragraphs. Make sure that you cover only one point per paragraph. For example, you have chosen the topic “Reasons and Consequences of World War II”. You may use the next structure:
- 1st paragraph – reasons to begin the war.
- 2nd paragraph – the main triggers that stated it.
- 3rd paragraph – the consequences of the war for winners.
- 4th paragraph – the consequences of the war for losers.
- 5th paragraph – the outcomes for world history in general.
When you write the main body paragraphs, make sure they aren’t overcrowded with unknown terms, clichés, and jargon. Use appropriate lexicon, which is familiar to most people. It’s also better to stick to the active voice, as it is dynamic and requires fewer words in comparison to the passive voice.
Your conclusion is a logical summarization of your essay. Rewrite your thesis statement and point out the main moments. Mention the outcomes and explain their value to your readers.
Polish Your Paper
If you think that the creation of the last draft means the end of your work, you are wrong. Unfortunately, many students stop after the drafting stage. Nonetheless, it’s always better to revise it. Every teacher or professor will prove this recommendation. You should reread every piece you write twice or thrice (if you have enough time left).
It should be done differently and by using certain smart apps. Of course, you should read the text in your head and aloud. Besides, we recommend reading from the last line to the first one. It’s weird and may take a bit longer to finish. Nonetheless, this approach helps to identify more mistakes and provides greater focus.
We likewise recommend applying checking apps. They save your time and help to identify some drawbacks that may be omitted by the human eye. These are:
- Grammar and spell-checkers;
- Editors;
- Citation generators;
- Plagiarism checkers;
- Quotation generators;
- Lexicon checkers and vocabularies.
Most of these apps are free of charge!
You can use some of the following apps
Good Topics for Students
Oftentimes, students cannot choose a good topic. They seem to be unable to identify what question is relevant and interesting. If you have a similar issue, we can help you out. Just look at our list of topics that can suit a thematic essay in various academic subjects:
- Major movements in U.S. history.
- The influence of colonization on world history.
- How did globalization affect relationships between countries?
- The impact of politics on life in Ancient Rome.
- Hidden symbolism in William Shakespeare’s masterpieces.
- The value of loyalty in The Lord of the Rings by John Tolkien.
- Why do religions struggle with one another?
- The value of technological progress in our life.
- The meaning of sex education in children’s development.
- How is the economy related to politics?
- Reasons for poverty in Africa.
- Why Ancient Egypt failed to withstand Rome.
- Migration of peoples and its consequences.
- The role of technology in modern life.
- Historic background for racism.
- Why Hitler’s Germany hated Jews.
- The rise and fall of Alexander the Great.
- The impact of Ancient Greece on sciences.
- Why is Joan Rowling’s Harry Potter so popular?
- Reasons to start the war in Vietnam.
The Bottom Line
A thematic essay may become a challenge for many students because it is scientifically based. Therefore, it requires in-depth research, attention to detail, and good writing skills. Nonetheless, you would hardly face serious obstacles if you follow our smart tips and tricks. They will help to easily solve any issue and write a perfect thematic essay.