Instructional Essays
Students can write how-to essays from a wide range of topics across many domains, such as sports, technology, cooking, and health. An Instructional essay educates the reader on the methodology of doing something. As a writer, ensure to be factual and include all the steps.
This article elaborates on what it takes to write an Instructional essay, objectives, characteristics of the essay, and tips on drafting a quality essay.
The Gist of an Instructional essay
Instructions are directions given to an individual to accomplish a task. That is basically what guides the writing of an instructional essay. The essay should provide clear information on how to do specific tasks.
An Instructional essay needs to procedural and clear to the readers. You should use simple language that readers can easily understand. Break the directions without going back and forth. That'll confuse the reader. In short, it has to be informative and factual. The idea here is to teach someone how to do something. Therefore, a quality essay should be impactful.
Objectives of writing an instructional essay
- Demonstrating knowledge of how to do a task
Instructional essays are about demonstrating that you understand how to complete activities. You must exude confidence while giving instructions to keep your readers engaged to the end. Also, be knowledgeable about what you are writing about. If you don't have a clue, research. For example, if you are writing instructions on playing soccer, you must be conversant with the terms in the sport such as offside, handball, and penalty, among others.
- Simplifying the process of performing some actions
A good Instructional essay uses simple language that is accessible to all readers. The description of how to do a task should be simple through clear one by one instruction. Let your readers see actions unfolding from one stage to another.
- Convincing readers that a task is doable
While giving out instructions, let your readers see the possibility of them trying it out. Where possible, remind them to see the task as achievable through the vivid descriptions you make.
Features of an Instructional essay
- Focus on one task at a time
An impressive Instructional essay focuses on one action and elaborates it from the beginning to the end.
- Descriptive
Any instructional essay has to describe actions vividly to enable readers to conceptualize the procedures and follow them.
- Objective
Instructional essays are not objective and thus avoid personal opinions at all costs. Since the aim is to give directions on how something, keep your opinions to yourself. For example, an instructional essay on how to cook rice should not include a belief from the writer that rice is or is not delicious when served with chicken.
Instructional Essay Topic Examples
- How to pitch a tent
- How to clean a carpet
- How to decorate a Christmas tree
- How to bake a cake
- How to ride a bicycle
- How to swim
Steps on writing an instructional essay
For you to write an excellent Instructional piece, the following steps can guide you.
1. Understand the task
There is no way you can give instructions on the steps by step procedure of completing an action if you do not understand it in the first place. Hence, familiarize yourself with the task until you are confident enough to share it with your readers. Learn the terms used in the specific field you have chosen to write about to avoid looking unprofessional.
2. Know where to start
To create a good essay, start from the beginning. Know the exact starting point to avoid confusing your readers. For example, an Instructional essay topic, how to cook a delicacy should not start with "serve the delicacy with..." Knowing where to start will create a clear path for the readers to follow to the end.
3. Link the steps
A good essay should connect the next action to the previous one to demonstrate progress towards completing a task. Words such as First, second, next, and then will guide the readers to understand that one action leads to another.
4. Pre-write your essay
Once you have mastered the procedures and the jargons to use, draft your essay. Write the steps one by one to the end while considering the need to make them simple as much as possible. Make use of conjunctions that will help your readers to connect from one stage to another with ease.
5. Edit and proof-read your draft
After completing your first draft, go through it to ensure that the steps are consistent. Proofread to correct errors, and the essay is flowing. Check to confirm you haven't skipped any steps-fix any mis orders.
Instructional essay writing tips
How well you write an Instructional essay depends on many things. Read these tips below that will help you produce quality essays.
1. Make clear the beginning of the task.
To have a convincing Instructional essay, locate your starting point so that readers can understand and follow the directions you are giving.
2. Write down the procedures with accuracy.
Ensure that the procedures are consistent. The first should precede the second and the order should continue until the end. Ensure that you do not skip or override any of the steps, however insignificant you might imagine.
3. Give instructions in second person view.
The use of a second-person point of view is authoritative. It commands action, which is the key substance in an instructional essay. By all means, avoid using the personal pronoun "I" or its equivalent in the plural.
4. Use present tense and verbs throughout the essay.
The purpose of the essay is to give directions without any restricted timeline. The instructions should have verbs that demand actions from readers. Write as though you are practically requesting the reader to take action. Hence, avoid words like "You should move A to B," instead, make it categorical by stating, "Move A to B."
Final Thoughts
Instructional essays thrive on precise steps towards completing a task. Conceptualize the actions vividly in mind as you pen it down. As a writer, you should not make assumptions that your readers know about some stages. All the directions are important and linked to the rest of the guidelines in entirety. Check out a few Instructional essay topics for more insights.
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