Is it correct to write your essay in point form? The answer to this question is both yes and no. The reason is that you can write your essay in points or paragraphs, depending on what works for you.
Points happen to be handy and crucial when breaking a large text into smaller ones. For more information about how to write such write top-notch essays, continue reading this article.
Can an Essay be written in Points?
It depends entirely upon the style of the essay. Points are a distinct way to write, but they do not lend themselves well to the essay format.
An essay or a paper can be written in points if they must be included in that format to strengthen the argument or provide further evidence. However, in normal academic writing, an essay should be written in prose so as to explore an idea or a concept and present arguments based on facts and examples.
Essays seek to provide analysis and depth with the points made, rather than simply listing them. This is made in an argumentative way.
However, a point-based approach is one that utilizes the listing of points with little exploration of those points. That is the essence of making arguments and a thesis statement, which we discussed in a guide to writing good essays and papers.
How to Include your Main Points in an Essay
The main point is the purpose an author is trying to make with a piece of writing. The main points should appear in the thesis, or what the author is trying to prove.
First, make sure that the main points of your essay are clear.
Then, make a list of the main points you want to cover in your essay.
Next, decide what words or phrases will help you connect each of these main ideas to the remainder of the paragraph
Finally, once you are ready to include your main points, select one or more sentences from each paragraph and rewrite them with transitions included.
Write two to four sentences that support the main point. Support consists of facts, examples and explanations for why the main point matters.
Facts can include statistics (such as percentages), quotes from experts, and research findings.
Examples include personal anecdotes, historical events, and current events. But prose personal points are done in personal narratives. Read how to write personal narratives in essay writing.
Explanations show how and why something happened or is true. The most effective explanations delve into cause-and-effect relationships.
Incorporating main points into your essay will help the reader focus on the topic at hand. This will also help you make sure you are teaching your readers everything they need to know about the topic.
Before including your main points in an essay, it is essential that you observe the following approach:
1. Begin with a topic sentence that summarizes the main point of the paragraph.
2. Transitions between introductory and body paragraphs should be clear and smooth.
3. Include transition words that add cohesion to the paragraph, such as first, furthermore, moreover and therefore.
4. Make sure that you use sentences that are varied in structure and length to maintain reader interest.
How to Use Bullet Points in an Essay
Bullet points work to draw attention to important information within a document so that a reader can identify the key issues and facts quickly.
There are no fixed rules about how to produce bullet points; it will depend on your topic, the discipline in which you are working, and your style.
Using bullet points in academic paper writing is one way to present information clearly and logically.
When used properly, bullets can highlight important elements of a paper and make it easier to scan important details at a glance.
However, there are some general principles that you can follow when creating bullet point lists as follows:
- Limit each list to five or six items. It is better to create two separate lists than one long list of 10 bullet points or more. A long list of bullet points makes it difficult for readers to focus on the information you want them to remember most.
- Start each bullet point with the same style of punctuation mark (for example, all bullets should begin with letters, or all bullets should begin with numbers). You can also use all-capitalized letters or lowercase letters throughout your list, but don’t mix both styles in one list.
- Bullet points are essential if there is a sequence of information. Do not use them if you have one item with sub-items.
- Bullet points should work for the main headings in your text and not for long paragraphs.
- There should be at least two bullet points. If there is only one item then reword it so that it becomes part of a sentence.
- Provide the main idea in the first bullet point and follow with supporting information.
Can an Essay be written in bullet Points?
Yes, an essay can be written in bullet points, but this depends upon the type of essay you are going to write. If it is a narrative essay, then you should mention a story with the use of points. If it is an argumentative essay, then you can present your arguments in points. If it is a descriptive essay, then also you can describe your topic in points.
The only thing is that when writing an essay in points, you have to be more specific. You do not just come up with the points without any explanations or illustrations.
I am an educator with vast experience in learning and pedagogy. Currently, I write to help people discover creative and insightful ways to make learning simpler. When not working, I love playing soccer.
