how long should an essay be in 9th grade

Have a language expert improve your writing

Run a free plagiarism check in 10 minutes, generate accurate citations for free.

• Knowledge Base
• How long is an essay? Guidelines for different types of essay

How Long is an Essay? Guidelines for Different Types of Essay

Published on January 28, 2019 by Shona McCombes . Revised on July 23, 2023.

The length of an academic essay varies depending on your level and subject of study, departmental guidelines, and specific course requirements. In general, an essay is a shorter piece of writing than a research paper  or thesis .

In most cases, your assignment will include clear guidelines on the number of words or pages you are expected to write. Often this will be a range rather than an exact number (for example, 2500–3000 words, or 10–12 pages). If you’re not sure, always check with your instructor.

In this article you’ll find some general guidelines for the length of different types of essay. But keep in mind that quality is more important than quantity – focus on making a strong argument or analysis, not on hitting a specific word count.

Instantly correct all language mistakes in your text

Upload your document to correct all your mistakes in minutes

Table of contents

Essay length guidelines, how long is each part of an essay, using length as a guide to topic and complexity, can i go under the suggested length, can i go over the suggested length, other interesting articles.

Here's why students love Scribbr's proofreading services

Discover proofreading & editing

In an academic essay, the main body should always take up the most space. This is where you make your arguments, give your evidence, and develop your ideas.

The introduction should be proportional to the essay’s length. In an essay under 3000 words, the introduction is usually just one paragraph. In longer and more complex essays, you might need to lay out the background and introduce your argument over two or three paragraphs.

The conclusion of an essay is often a single paragraph, even in longer essays. It doesn’t have to summarize every step of your essay, but should tie together your main points in a concise, convincing way.

The suggested word count doesn’t only tell you how long your essay should be – it also helps you work out how much information and complexity you can fit into the given space. This should guide the development of your thesis statement , which identifies the main topic of your essay and sets the boundaries of your overall argument.

A short essay will need a focused, specific topic and a clear, straightforward line of argument. A longer essay should still be focused, but it might call for a broader approach to the topic or a more complex, ambitious argument.

As you make an outline of your essay , make sure you have a clear idea of how much evidence, detail and argumentation will be needed to support your thesis. If you find that you don’t have enough ideas to fill out the word count, or that you need more space to make a convincing case, then consider revising your thesis to be more general or more specific.

The length of the essay also influences how much time you will need to spend on editing and proofreading .

You should always aim to meet the minimum length given in your assignment. If you are struggling to reach the word count:

• Add more evidence and examples to each paragraph to clarify or strengthen your points.
• Make sure you have fully explained or analyzed each example, and try to develop your points in more detail.
• Address a different aspect of your topic in a new paragraph. This might involve revising your thesis statement to make a more ambitious argument.
• Don’t use filler. Adding unnecessary words or complicated sentences will make your essay weaker and your argument less clear.
• Don’t fixate on an exact number. Your marker probably won’t care about 50 or 100 words – it’s more important that your argument is convincing and adequately developed for an essay of the suggested length.

Receive feedback on language, structure, and formatting

Professional editors proofread and edit your paper by focusing on:

• Academic style
• Vague sentences
• Style consistency

See an example

In some cases, you are allowed to exceed the upper word limit by 10% – so for an assignment of 2500–3000 words, you could write an absolute maximum of 3300 words. However, the rules depend on your course and institution, so always check with your instructor if you’re unsure.

Only exceed the word count if it’s really necessary to complete your argument. Longer essays take longer to grade, so avoid annoying your marker with extra work! If you are struggling to edit down:

• Check that every paragraph is relevant to your argument, and cut out irrelevant or out-of-place information.
• Make sure each paragraph focuses on one point and doesn’t meander.
• Cut out filler words and make sure each sentence is clear, concise, and related to the paragraph’s point.
• Don’t cut anything that is necessary to the logic of your argument. If you remove a paragraph, make sure to revise your transitions and fit all your points together.
• Don’t sacrifice the introduction or conclusion . These paragraphs are crucial to an effective essay –make sure you leave enough space to thoroughly introduce your topic and decisively wrap up your argument.

If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

• Ad hominem fallacy
• Post hoc fallacy
• Appeal to authority fallacy
• False cause fallacy
• Sunk cost fallacy

College essays

• Choosing Essay Topic
• Write a College Essay
• Write a Diversity Essay
• College Essay Format & Structure
• Comparing and Contrasting in an Essay

 (AI) Tools

• Grammar Checker
• Paraphrasing Tool
• Text Summarizer
• AI Detector
• Plagiarism Checker
• Citation Generator

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

McCombes, S. (2023, July 23). How Long is an Essay? Guidelines for Different Types of Essay. Scribbr. Retrieved August 21, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/academic-essay/length/

Is this article helpful?

Shona McCombes

Other students also liked, how to write an essay introduction | 4 steps & examples, how to conclude an essay | interactive example, how to write a statement of purpose | example, what is your plagiarism score.

Mr Salles Teaches English

Just How Easy is a Grade 9 Essay?

Getting a grade 9 is not intellectually difficult. (There are dozens of grade 9 ideas in my guide , and multiple essays).

Every year, dozens of students who were getting grades 4, 5 and 6 in their mocks write to me to say they got a grade 9 in the real exam.

We might think that it is only grade 7 and 8 students who would get to a 9. We imagine it is like running – in order to run a 4 minute mile, we must first learn to run a 4 minute and 15 second mile, and before that a 4 minute and 30 second mile.

We can’t just go from running a 5 minute mile to a 4 minute mile. It is just humanly impossible. Running is like that.

Essay writing is not like running.

Grade 9 students do these 6 things:

Memorise a few of the writer’s ideas

Memorise some context of the time (but only to write about the writer’s ideas)

Memorise a few key quotes, and what you want to write about them, linking these to the writer’s ideas

Memorise what you want to write about the beginning and ending of the text, as these will be relevant to every essay.

Write a thesis statement which shows what you are going to argue in the essay.

Write a conclusion.

Now, a lot of grade 9 students do a lot more than this, but this minimum standard will get you to grade 9. And, if you ‘fail’, you will still get grade 8.

Is There A Reason Not to Do This, Or Just an Excuse?

Ok, so pick an average student in your class. If they had a page or two of A4, with all those things typed up neatly for them, could they remember it? (It doesn’t have to be word for word – even quotes get full marks if they quoted incorrectly in the exam).

They could, right? You could.

The person in your class who couldn’t do that is the lazy one. It might be that they just don’t believe they can do it, that they lack confidence, that they are anxious about the exam. But these are excuses, not reasons. They are true, but only so far as the student believes they are true.

The easiest way to change that belief is to identify the knowledge, and then quiz yourself on it. You’ll find that you quickly learn it. Once you see that, you will suddenly get confidence, you will suddenly feel less anxious.

You will start to believe.

The ONE THING all 30/30 Students Do

There is one other thing. It might be the most important. Write as fast as you can. Most grade 9 answers are over 900 words long.

Why? Genius students learn to use the right words to say as much as possible. They can smash out a 700 word answer that covers everything.

But guess what, most grade 9 students are not genius students! They just learn the right stuff, and splurge it out on the page as quickly as they can.

This is why I am going to show you an essay which, in the exam, was 912 words long.

Once I have rewritten it, with exactly the same methods, quotes, references, ideas etc, but without the waffle, it is 645 words long.

This student is not a genius. They are not a particularly good writer. Yet they scored not just a grade 9, but 30 out of 30, 100%.

What You Will Learn From Reading the Essay

Ok, let’s find out how they did it so you can do the same. It is about Romeo and Juliet. If you haven’t studied that play, you will still see exactly how to write a full mark essay. It will totally make sense to you.

If you choose not to read it because you haven’t studied the play, that is an excuse. It is not a reason!

Examiner Comments

The essay begins with a strong thesis statement Because it shows that the interpretation of the lover’s love depends on understanding the context at the time Which means this is a conceptualised start And the thesis also provides a plan for the rest of the essay Which sets out to prove the argument made in the first sentence The explanation of the imagery of light is analytical Because it is linked to Shakespeare’s ideas The student uses many references from different parts of the text And they are used to construct an argument about Shakespeare’s ideas The essay combines the themes of love and violence very well And this makes the essay convincing

See – most of the skills the examiner is looking for are about how to write an essay and the comments would be the same on any full mark answer to any text.

My mission is to get thousands of students top grades. Will you help? This post is public so feel free to share it.

This was the extract (you don’t have to read it to understand the essay)

SCENE II. Capulet’s Garden.

Enter  Romeo .

ROMEO. He jests at scars that never felt a wound.

Juliet  appears above at a window.

But soft, what light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun! Arise fair sun and kill the envious moon, Who is already sick and pale with grief, That thou her maid art far more fair than she. Be not her maid since she is envious; Her vestal livery is but sick and green, And none but fools do wear it; cast it off. It is my lady, O it is my love! O, that she knew she were! She speaks, yet she says nothing. What of that? Her eye discourses, I will answer it. I am too bold, ’tis not to me she speaks. Two of the fairest stars in all the heaven, Having some business, do entreat her eyes To twinkle in their spheres till they return. What if her eyes were there, they in her head? The brightness of her cheek would shame those stars, As daylight doth a lamp; her eyes in heaven Would through the airy region stream so bright That birds would sing and think it were not night. See how she leans her cheek upon her hand. O that I were a glove upon that hand, That I might touch that cheek.

JULIET. Ay me.

ROMEO. She speaks. O speak again bright angel, for thou art As glorious to this night, being o’er my head, As is a winged messenger of heaven Unto the white-upturned wondering eyes Of mortals that fall back to gaze on him When he bestrides the lazy-puffing clouds And sails upon the bosom of the air.

This was the question

How does Shakespeare present Romeo’s love in this extract and the play as a whole?

Shakespeare portrays Romeo’s love for Juliet as all-consuming, unpredictable, brief and ultimately destructive, consuming all who are exposed to it in violence and death.

Yes, this is a good thesis statement. It contains lots of interpretations of Romeo’s love. But, it would have been even better if the student said why Shakespeare portrays Romeo’s love this way. Example: Is it a celebration of love and a criticism of the patriarchal, violent society which meant it couldn’t flourish? Or is it a cautionary tale to parents, portraying the naïve and sexually obsessed risk taking of their teenage children, urging them to pay more attention to threat they pose to family stability? Now, how long would it take you to memorise both of those questions? 10 minutes? That’s a thesis statement beyond grade 9, which you could take into any exam question. It just isn’t that hard. This is also a model of how you can write and memorise a thesis statement to any of your texts – find two different interpretations of the writer’s main ideas.

Mr Salles Teaches English is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts which help you get top grades, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

The extract repeatedly references light in order to suggest Romeo’s love is blinding. He feels “Juliet is the sun”, and the semantic field develops with “fairest stars” and “twinkle”, constant references to light. This implies that Romeo is blinded to the consequences of his love, believing that love will help him overcome all obstacles.

Ok, starting with the extract is more difficult if you want full marks, because you need to develop a convincing argument. Here it is that Romeo’s love is blind, naive and destructive. I always recommend going through the play chronologically instead, as it is much easier to build an argument. For example, we can examine the “saint seducing gold” which Romeo’s love for Rosaline was simply a way to buy her sexual favours. This would exactly match this student’s argument, wouldn’t it? Also, you would barely have to do any thinking – you start at the beginning and what you want to argue is just obvious. It will also fit any and every essay about Romeo. Starting with the extract makes it harder to write that argument. It makes the exam harder for you to do. But, if you want to start with the extract, and make it harder – this is how to do it. Normally. Why did this student find it a good method, even though they are not a genius? They got lucky. They were able to use the extract as the beginning, and the later references to the text could then move in chronological order, apart from one brief mention of Rosaline.

He also uses imagery of light to describe Juliet’s angelic characteristics as a heavenly body. This angelic imagery is picked up by Luhrmann in his film of the play, portraying Juliet in this scene with angelic wings. Shakespeare uses this angelic purity now so that her final death is jarring. Placing his love for Juliet on this pedestal feels romantic. But it also makes that love out of reach. His love is an unreachable ideal.

Notice that the examiner makes no comment about the Luhrmann reference. This is because it just as likely to lead to a student writing something which gets no marks. For example, if the sentence: “This angelic imagery is picked up by Luhrmann in his film of the play, portraying Juliet in this scene with angelic wings” was not in the paragraph, it would earn exactly the same marks. But, imagine how tempting it would have been to carry on writing about the film! So, avoid this. The analysis of the imagery, and its symbolism in the text itself is what earned the marks.

Paid subscribers get a new grade 9 answer every week except the summer holidays. They also get an archive of over 45 from last year.

When he compares Juliet to “the fairest stars” we can see that he is blind to reality. We know stars are simply balls of gas, without human emotion. We pity Romeo from the prologue onwards, as we know his love is out of reach, and his love for Juliet blinds him to this fact.

The interpretations of a contemporary audience are treated as context for AO3. But you have to acknowledge that this perspective is different. For example, “A modern audience might feel that Romeo’s romantic view of the stars is self-delusion, because we all know they are emotionless balls of gasses. However, a contemporary audience would see this reference as Romeo’s blindness to the power of his fate, which he can’t escape .” See the difference? Personally (because you can only write so much in exam conditions) I feel you get much more marks for the second sentence than the first. Much easier to explain the views of the contemporary audience. Also, that’s who Shakespeare was writing for, so that has to be the more interesting perspective.

We can see many of Romeo’s emotions change in an instant during the play, so we suspect his love of Juliet will follow the same pattern. Consequently, we remember that in Act 1 he doesn’t just compare Juliet to the “sun”, he used the same imagery to describe Rosaline. Describing Juliet as “the all-seeing sun” is no longer a purely romantic act, it exposes the superficiality of his love. We assume his love is shallow, as it is so quick to transfer to Juliet from Rosaline.

Ok, here I go again with my chronological order. This is a great argument. But, it leads perfectly into Romeo’s words about Juliet, comparing her to the sun, not having her before Rosaline. So it would have been more powerful placed before the analysis of the extract. And it also depends on the student remembering that Romeo compared Rosaline to the sun * . It took both luck and thought. But, I made exactly the same point with ‘saint seducing gold’ – this took zero thought. Because, like you should, I just memorised a few key quotes which I know will be relevant to many essays. For example, it fits an essay on masculinity, on love, on Romeo, on Juliet. I can link it to Capulet – after all he is selling his daughter to the highest bidder, Paris. I can link it to Lady Capulet who has been sold at 13 to be a wife by her father (because she had already given birth to Juliet at Juliet’s age). See, I can answer any essay, with no thought. I’ve already used that thought in my revision. * Now, remember when the student said that Romeo compared Rosaline to the sun? Not so. He actually said “the all seeing sun / ne’er saw her match”. In other words, the sun, which like God has been around since the dawn of time, has never seen anyone as beautiful as Rosaline. See what I mean? The student got lucky: they were wrong, and the senior examiner didn’t spot it, or didn’t care.

Romeo is self-absorbed elsewhere in the play. He rejects the Friar’s advice, claiming “thou canst not speak of that which thou dost not feel”.  Dominic Dromgoole’s staging of the play had Romeo weeping on the ground after murdering Tybalt, implying that this self-absorption is a dominant part of Romeo’s character.

Well, we’re English teachers. We all love a student who has actually gone to the theatre and thought deeply about the play. Our kind of people. But, does it get extra marks? No. The examiner doesn’t even mention it. The student could equally have said, “Romeo’s vanity and immature belief that only he can have experienced this kind of love, and that an older man who has devoted his entire life to the love of God, has no empathy for his feelings is intended to be ridiculous”. That would have been an even better argument.

The Friar also implies that Romeo’s love for Juliet is not sincere, but narcissistic. Romeo is in love with the image of himself as a lover. So the Friar observes, “young men's love then lies / Not truly in their hearts, but in their eyes”. We realise that Romeo’s love is fickle and so we are partly satisfied with the tragic ending which is a fitting consequence to his actions.

Now we are talking. This is exactly the sort of paragraph you can memorise in advance. You know it will be relevant to so many essays – exactly like the example earlier. Even to an essay on Lady Capulet (which, by the way, is very unlikely to come up). So, you would use it to show that Capulet never loved her, and was attracted only in her physical beauty and youth, and perhaps that, being so young, she would feel intimidated in refusing him anything.

Shakespeare also portrays Romeo’s love as the cause of death and violence. We can see this in Juliet’s final words before her suicide. Shakespeare portrays her decision as though his love has duped her, which is why we get the contradictions of “happy dagger” and “O loving hate”. These shocking oxymorons reveal that Romeo’s unreasonable love is the cause of her violent death.

I’m still excited. This is another of those memorable pre-prepared paragraphs. Can you think of any essay where writing about the ending is not relevant? I hope not – because it is 100% relevant to any conclusion. It is where we discover the writer’s final point of view. This happens 100% of the time, with any text you ever study, including the poems. And, as you are forced to write about the writer’s perspective when writing about the ending, you always get a very high mark.

Romeo also claims that Juliet prevented him from being his true, violent self, stating her “beauty hath made [him] effeminate”. This is the moment that he chooses to kill Tybalt, and so we see that he justifies his violence out of love for Juliet, and this desire for love finally leads to their tragic deaths. We no longer view their love as romantically pure, but rather toxic and built upon violence. We can see that violence and death follow the lovers, and we attribute this to Romeo’s love for Juliet.

I hope that this has also been prepared in advance. It would make better sense before the ‘happy dagger’, as this would make the argument chronological. You could write a beyond grade 9 reason why Juliet, infected by a patriarchal society, takes on Romeo’s violence as proof of love. And this leads to her mistaken belief that only the ultimate act of violence, erasing herself, will be proof of her love in a patriarchal world that values violence so highly. My point is, it is easy to develop above grade 9 or grade 9 ideas in pre-prepared paragraphs. Memorise them – the gist and vocabulary – you don’t need to be word for word – and getting the grade is almost inevitable. Once again, it fits any essay title – even one on Lady Capulet. We can argue that she refuses to support Juliet because of the threat of male violence, when she tells Capulet “you are too hot”. Or, link it to how she embraces the thought of assassinating Romeo with poison, the ‘unaccustomed dram’ she plans to kill him with.

To conclude, Shakespeare’s portrayal of love acting hand in hand with violence is relevant even now, where we live with rising cases of abuse in the home. The abuser often believes they love their victim, yet we can see that the price of love is its ability to change to sudden violence.

We can see how Romeo’s love has blinded both lovers, because its tragic and fickle consequences arrive so quickly that the lovers do not see them coming.

A good conclusion doesn’t just repeat what the essay has already shown, it also looks outwards, to other questions, or other interpretations. Here, the student thinks about how the play is still relevant today. AQA senior examiners love this, because they believe that any text is not just relevant to the time it was written. They believe that it is relevant because it describes the human condition, the part of us that is timeless, and always true, no matter when we were born. That is one way of looking at the purpose of literature. Personally, I like to question this – is the abuse a result of the human condition (and therefore always going to be prominent) or is it a patriarchal problem, and therefore open to change if we change society? To suggest that the problems of violence Juliet faced in her society, compared to what women face in Europe in the modern age is, to me, a ridiculous argument. Luckily for all of us, that doesn’t matter. The conclusion has done its job, linking to a further a question, which here is the parallel with modern society. It gets full marks.

Ready for more?

How To Improve Writing In Ninth Grade

Written by Dan

Last updated January 31, 2024

Improving writing in ninth grade can be a daunting task for many students. It requires skills such as critical thinking, creativity, and effective communication.

Whether it’s for a class assignment or personal interest, writing is a crucial skill that can benefit students in all areas of their lives. In this article, we will explore various strategies and techniques that can help ninth-graders improve their writing skills.

Related : For more, check out our article on  How To Make Writing Fun  here.

Understanding the basics of writing is the first step towards becoming a better writer. This includes understanding the different types of writing, such as narrative, persuasive, and expository.

Additionally, it’s essential to have a good grasp of grammar, punctuation, and spelling. In this article, we will cover the fundamentals of writing and provide tips on improving these basic skills.

From there, we will explore more advanced strategies to take your writing to the next level.

Table of Contents

Key Takeaways

• Understanding the fundamentals of writing is crucial for improvement.
• Incorporating reading into writing can enhance skills.
• Using technology and resources can be beneficial for writing enhancement.

Related : For more, check out our article on How To Improve Writing In Sixth Grade  here.

Understanding the Basics of Writing

Writing is an essential skill that every student should master. However, many ninth-graders struggle with writing, which can negatively affect their academic performance.

To improve writing in ninth grade, students need to understand the basics of writing, including language, grammar, composition, vocabulary, and phrases.

Language is the foundation of writing. Students must have a good grasp of English to write effectively. This includes understanding sentence structure, punctuation, and spelling.

Students should also be familiar with different types of sentences, such as declarative, interrogative, imperative, and exclamatory, and know when to use them.

Grammar is the set of rules that govern the structure of a language. Students need to have a good understanding of grammar to write well.

This includes knowing the parts of speech, such as nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, pronouns, prepositions, and conjunctions. Students should also be familiar with verb tenses, subject-verb agreement, and sentence fragments and run-ons.

Related : For more, check out our article on  How To Teach Children To Use Emotive Language  here.

Composition

Composition is the art of arranging words and sentences to create a coherent piece of writing. Students need to know how to organize their ideas and thoughts logically and coherently.

This includes understanding the different types of paragraphs, such as introduction, body, and conclusion, and knowing how to connect ideas with transition words and phrases.

Vocabulary is the set of words that a person knows and uses. Students need to have an excellent vocabulary to write effectively.

This includes knowing the meaning of words and how to use them correctly in context. Students should also be familiar with synonyms, antonyms, and homophones.

Phrases are groups of words that work together to convey a specific meaning. Students need to know how to use phrases effectively in their writing.

This includes understanding the different types of phrases, such as prepositional, participial, and infinitive, and knowing how to use them to add detail and variety to their writing.

Understanding the basics of writing is essential for improving ninth-grade writing skills. Students can write effectively and confidently by mastering language, grammar, composition, vocabulary, and phrases.

Related : For more, check out our article on  How To Teach Alliteration  here.

Strategies to Improve Writing Skills

Improving writing skills is a gradual process that requires consistent practice and dedication. The following strategies can help ninth-grade students to enhance their writing skills:

1. Read and Analyze Different Types of Writing

Reading and analyzing different types of writing can help students to understand different writing styles and techniques. This can help them to develop their writing skills. Students can read different genres of literature and analyze the writing style, tone, and structure of the text.

2. Practice Writing Daily

Writing daily can help ninth-grade students to improve their writing skills. They can start by writing short paragraphs or essays on different topics. This can help them to develop their writing skills and build confidence in their writing abilities.

3. Use Writing Prompts

Writing prompts can help students to develop their creative writing skills. Students can use prompts to write short stories, poems, or essays. This can help them to develop their imagination and creativity.

4. Keep a Journal

Keeping a journal can help students to improve their writing skills. Students can write about their daily experiences, thoughts, and feelings. This can help them to develop their writing skills and express themselves in writing.

5. Work on Writing Projects

Working on writing projects can help students to improve their writing skills. Students can work on projects such as research papers, book reports, or creative writing assignments.

This can help them to develop their writing skills and learn how to write for different purposes.

In conclusion, improving writing skills requires consistent practice and dedication. By using these strategies, ninth-grade students can enhance their writing skills and become confident writers.

Related : For more, check out our article on How To Improve Writing In Fifth Grade  here.

Incorporating Reading into Writing Improvement

Reading and writing are interconnected skills, and improving one can positively impact the other. By incorporating reading into writing improvement, ninth-grade students can enhance their writing skills and develop a deeper understanding of literature.

One effective way to incorporate reading into writing improvement is by analyzing the main idea and supporting details of a text. By identifying the main idea, students can better understand the author’s purpose and message.

This can help them develop their own ideas and arguments when writing. Additionally, analyzing supporting details can help students understand how the author supports their main idea and can inspire incorporating supporting details into their own writing.

Another way to incorporate reading into writing improvement is by improving reading comprehension. By practising reading comprehension skills, such as identifying the author’s tone and purpose, students can develop a deeper understanding of the text.

This can help them write more effectively by allowing them to better understand the context and message of what they are writing about.

Topic sentences are also an important aspect of writing, and reading can help students develop this skill. By analyzing how authors introduce and develop their topics, students can learn how to write effective topic sentences that clearly convey the purpose of their writing.

In conclusion, incorporating reading into writing improvement can significantly impact ninth-grade students’ writing skills.

Students can enhance their writing skills and gain a deeper understanding of literature by analyzing main ideas and supporting details, improving reading comprehension, and developing topic sentences.

Related : For more, check out our article on  How To Teach Children To Add Suspense To Their Writing  here.

Practical Applications of Writing in School

Writing is an essential skill that is used in various fields, including academics. Students must write different types of papers in school, including research papers, essays, and reports.

Writing assignments help ninth-graders develop their writing skills necessary for their future academic and professional endeavors.

In English language arts classes, ninth-graders learn how to write different types of essays, including narrative, descriptive, expository, and persuasive. They also learn how to analyze literature and write literary analysis papers. These skills are essential for success in high school and beyond.

Ninth-graders learn about history, government, and culture in social studies classes. Writing assignments in social studies classes help students develop their research skills and learn how to write historical and cultural analysis papers. These skills are essential for success in college and in professional careers.

In science classes, ninth-graders learn about different scientific concepts and theories. Writing assignments in science classes help students develop their research skills and learn how to write scientific reports and research papers. These skills are essential for success in college and in professional careers.

In language arts classes, ninth-graders learn about grammar, vocabulary, and writing mechanics.

Writing assignments in language arts classes help students develop their writing skills and learn how to write clear and concise sentences and paragraphs. These skills are essential for success in high school and beyond.

In conclusion, writing is an essential skill that is used in various fields, including academics. Writing assignments in school help ninth-graders develop their writing skills necessary for their future academic and professional endeavors.

Using Technology and Resources for Writing Enhancement

Technology and resources can greatly aid in improving writing skills for ninth-grade students. Various tools and platforms can help students enhance their writing skills, such as online writing tools, writing software, and educational websites.

One of the most significant advantages of technology is the availability of online writing tools. These tools can help students improve their writing skills by providing grammar and spelling checks, thesaurus, and other writing-related features.

For instance, Grammarly is a popular online writing tool that can help students improve their writing skills by providing real-time grammar and spelling checks, suggestions for better word choices, and sentence structure.

Another way to enhance writing skills is using software like Microsoft Word. This software provides various writing tools, including templates, formatting options, and spell checks.

Additionally, students can use various educational websites such as Khan Academy, Coursera, and EdX to improve their writing skills. These websites offer free and paid courses on writing, creative writing, and other related topics.

Videos and games can also be an effective way to enhance writing skills. Various educational videos on YouTube and other platforms can help students improve their writing skills. Additionally, writing games can be an engaging way to improve writing skills.

Games such as Scrabble, Boggle, and Bananagrams can help students improve their vocabulary, spelling, and word formation skills.

Lastly, the school library is an excellent resource for improving students’ writing skills. The library provides access to various books, magazines, and other reading materials to help students improve their writing skills. Students can read books on grammar, punctuation, and writing styles to enhance their writing skills.

Overall, utilizing technology and resources can significantly aid in improving ninth-grade students’ writing skills. Students can enhance their writing skills and become better writers by using online writing tools, writing software, educational websites, videos, games, and the school library.

Writing Activities and Exercises

Ninth-grade students can improve their writing skills through various writing activities and exercises. These activities help students practice their writing skills and develop their creativity. Here are some writing activities and exercises that can help ninth-graders improve their writing:

Writing Worksheets

Writing worksheets are an excellent way to practice writing skills. Ninth-graders can benefit from worksheets focusing on grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure. These worksheets can help students identify common mistakes and improve their writing skills.

Literacy Activities

Participating in literacy activities can help ninth-graders improve their writing skills. These activities can include reading, writing, and discussing literature. By engaging in these activities, students can develop their critical thinking and analytical skills.

Family Traditions

Writing about family traditions is an excellent way for ninth-graders to practice their writing skills. Students can write about their family’s traditions and why they are important. This exercise can help students develop their descriptive writing skills and learn more about their family history.

Biographies

Writing biographies can help ninth-graders improve their writing skills. Students can research and write about famous scientists, inventors, and other historical figures. Students can develop their research skills by writing biographies and learning more about history.

Writing poetry can help ninth-graders improve their writing skills and develop their creativity. Students can experiment with different forms of poetry, such as haikus and sonnets. This exercise can help students develop their descriptive writing skills and learn how to convey emotions through words.

Writing about space is an excellent way for ninth-graders to practice their writing skills. Students can write about space exploration, the solar system, and other topics. This exercise can help students develop their research skills and learn more about science.

Writing about Easter is an excellent way for ninth-graders to practice their writing skills. Students can write about the history of Easter, Easter traditions, and other Easter-related topics. This exercise can help students develop their descriptive writing skills and learn more about Easter.

In conclusion, ninth-graders can improve their writing skills by engaging in various writing activities and exercises. These activities can help students develop their creativity, research skills, and descriptive writing skills.

Related Posts

About The Author

I'm Dan Higgins, one of the faces behind The Teaching Couple. With 15 years in the education sector and a decade as a teacher, I've witnessed the highs and lows of school life. Over the years, my passion for supporting fellow teachers and making school more bearable has grown. The Teaching Couple is my platform to share strategies, tips, and insights from my journey. Together, we can shape a better school experience for all.

Join our email list to receive the latest updates.

Add your form here

How Long Is an Essay? The Ultimate Essay Length Guide

It’s safe to say that most students struggle with the word limit within an essay. Sometimes, it’s hard to find ideas for a text and meet the word requirement for every part of the paper. With so many factors influencing essay length, it’s easy to get confused.

Luckily, our custom-writing team has your back. In this article, our custom-writing experts will answer all your questions regarding essay length. We will also help you write papers with an ideal number of words!

📜 Is Essay Length Important?

📏 essay parts: recommended length.

• 🤔 How to Make Essays Shorter or Longer
• 📑 Essay Length & Formatting
• ❓ Different Academic Levels FAQ
• 📚 Essay Length: Different Types
• ⭐ Other Aspects
• 📝 Essay Examples

🔍 References

Often, the phrase “word limit” causes panic among students. After all, if an essay is too long or too short, your grade will be lowered. However, in reality, there’s nothing to worry about. When it comes to words, limitations are beneficial for both the students and the professors.

Let’s see what exactly it means.

Many people believe that the longer an essay is, the better. However, according to Frontiers, research shows that it’s a bias that couldn’t be further from the truth. A perfect-length paper is one that allows students to express their ideas and showcase their knowledge fully while keeping it clean and simple.

What Influences Essay Length

Various factors determine the length of an essay. Here are the most important ones:

Let’s start with the essentials. Usually, assignment length is given as a number of words rather than pages. Unless your supervisor or instructor mentions any specific limitations, it’s acceptable to be 10% below or above the word limit.

It’s also worth knowing the 80/20 rule . According to it, the body should constitute 80% of the text, while the intro and the conclusion take up the remaining 20%.

Keep reading to learn more about the recommended length of each essay part. The main numbers are shown in the table below:

How Long Should an Introduction Be?

An introduction is the first section and the face of your essay. For that reason, it needs to be compelling and well-thought-out. Usually, it consists of 3 to 5 sentences or 50 to 80 words .

An introduction must have a hook, some background information, and a thesis statement. While the attention grabber and the thesis are usually brief, you may need 2 to 3 sentences for the background. To avoid going overboard, try to stay on topic and don’t add any filler.

How Long Is a Body Paragraph in an Essay?

The length of a body paragraph may vary. Sometimes, it can be limited to a single sentence. In other cases, it may take up a whole page. Usually, it’s recommended to have between 80 and 200 words (5-8 sentences) per body paragraph.

Since the paper’s body contains the most information, it’s necessary to explain and support your ideas properly. That’s why it’s no big deal if your body paragraphs go slightly over the word limit.

How Many Body Paragraphs Should Be in an Essay?

Like the word count, the number of paragraphs is determined by the type of paper and its topic. The minimum is 1. Generally, however, the body consists of 3-5 paragraphs , 1 for each argument.

To improve your paper’s structure, ensure that there are as many paragraphs as there are points in your thesis statement. Each one should have a purpose and support your arguments. If there’s any fluff, it’s better to get rid of it.

How Long Should a Conclusion Be?

Like the introduction, the conclusion consists of 50-80 words . It’s essential to keep it simple and only mention the central ideas. A weak concluding sentence may affect the reader’s understanding of the topic and spoil the overall impression of your paper.

🤔 How to Make Essays Shorter or Longer: Best Tips

Undoubtedly the essay’s content is more important than the number of words you use. But there are times when students go more than 10-15% below or over the limit. Is there a solution to this problem?

Yes, there is! In this section, we will share the most useful tips to help you stay on point with your paper’s word count.

How to Make Essays Longer

Since having enough words is essential for a good grade, we’ve collected the best tips that can help you lengthen your essay without teachers noticing:

• Use relevant quotations.  You don’t need to litter your essay with citations, but using them whenever appropriate is a great idea. For instance, if you’re working on a book analysis, referencing a couple of direct quotes from the source text will make your essay more credible and increase the word count.

• Give examples.  Go through the claims in your paper and provide additional evidence where possible. It will make your essay longer and more informative.

• Use transitional expressions.  Adding transition words and phrases is a natural way of increasing the number of words. It will also improve your essay’s readability. 

• Add more references.  Providing references is always a good idea when writing a formal essay. That way, you will increase the number of words and make your paper more credible.

• Work on your descriptions.  If you struggle to develop new ideas, go over what you’ve already written and consider adding some descriptive words. It’s a great idea for creative essays to include more imagery. 

How to Shorten an Essay

Another struggle of academic writing is cutting down the number of words in your essay to meet a set limit. We are here to tell you that it’s not that hard. Writing straightforwardly and keeping your sentences short is a key to concise content. Here are several strategies you may use to tighten a lengthy essay:

• Choose the active voice.  It takes up less space than passive voice. Using it also makes your writing more professional and compelling.

• Remove needless transitions.  Transitions can indeed maintain the flow of the paper. But some transitional phrases can be easily removed.

• Get rid of unnecessary adverbs and adjectives.  Some students tend to overuse adjectives and adverbs. It adds wordiness to their writing.

• Avoid running starts.  Some students like to start their sentences with long phrases like: “there are,” “it is believed,” or “the fact that.” Getting rid of them makes texts much more concise.

• Delete “that.”  In most cases, the word “that” can often be easily removed from texts.

Another cool trick is to use our summarizing tool as essay shortener. Try it out!

📑 How Long Is an Essay Depending on Formatting?

As we mentioned earlier, the essay’s length is usually limited by the number of words. But sometimes, a teacher may ask you to write a specific number of pages. This is trickier because the amount of text you can place on the page depends on the formatting. By using the font size and spacing properly, it’s possible to make the paper visually longer or shorter. Let’s discuss it in more detail.

Essay Spacing: How Does It Affect the Length?

• Adjusting the spacing between lines.  Try to make the changes as slight as possible. For instance, if you were asked to double-space the paper, use 2.1 or 2.2 spacing instead. Another option is to slightly extend spaces between paragraphs.
• Extending the margin size.  You can increase the right and bottom margins by a quarter to make very subtle changes in length. For example, if the margins are 1 inch , you can set them at 1.25 inches instead. 
• Increasing the spacing between characters.  It is less noticeable than the line spacing. Still, try not to overdo it and keep the numbers between 1.2 and 1.5 . 
• Adjusting the footer.  Add a footer with page numbers to stretch the bottom margin even further.
• Lengthening the header.  You can extend your header by adding your name, e-mail address, or other relevant information. Another option is double-spacing it.

Length of an Essay: Font and Size

• Using the right type of font.  If your instructor didn’t specify which font you should use, go for the bigger ones. We suggest Arial, Bangla Sangam MN, Cambria, or Quicksand. They will make your text look longer without being too on the nose.  
• Using a bigger font size.  This is another technique that can come in handy. However, be careful and don’t increase your font by more than 0.1-0.5 pt.  
• Increasing the size of periods and commas.   This is one of the less noticeable tricks you can use. For instance, if your paper’s font is 12 pt. , increase it to 14 pt. only for punctuation marks. Italicizing periods and commas will also add several lines of length to your essay. 

What to Do if There Are No Length Guidelines

Sometimes a teacher sets no word limit for a written work. What to do in that case? Well, first, you can ask your professor to confirm if they have simply forgotten to mention it. But if that’s not the case, here are a couple of helpful solutions:

• Think of the paragraph number.  Sometimes, you may be given the number of paragraphs instead of words. In that case, you can decide on the number of words depending on how many paragraphs you have. 
• Think about the topic’s complexity.  The length of your paper is also directly dependent on the theme. If the topic is simple, 4-5 paragraphs will be enough. A more complex issue may require an in-depth explanation, so your essay can be 6-8 paragraphs long.

❓ Essay Length for Different Academic Levels FAQ

The length of the elementary school essay is usually short. Usually, a paper needs to have around 3-5 paragraphs, with 4-5 sentences per paragraph. Primary school essays can be 1-2 paragraphs long.

The word limit for a middle school essay is usually between 300 to 1000 words. The most common essay length is 500 words, which is about 5 paragraphs. However, it may differ from school to school.

The length of the high school essay may differ depending on the school and the complexity of the task itself. Usually, however, a paper can be between 300 to 1000 words long.

The length of the undergraduate college essay often falls within the range of 1500 to 2100 words. It translates into roughly 5-7 pages. 5 pages is the most common essay length at this level.

When it comes to the graduate school admission essay, the word limit is usually between 500 and 1000 words. It’s possible to go slightly over or below the set limit; however, it’s best to stick to the requirements as close as possible.

📚 How Long Should an Essay Be: Different Types

Now, let’s talk about different types of essays. How long should they be? Keep reading to learn about the length of college essays, short and extended ones, scholarship essays, and research papers.

How Long Is a College Essay?

When it comes to a college essay, it’s more important to stick to the word limit than with any other paper. Some teachers may refuse to read it unless it meets all the requirements.

The shortest limit for a college essay is about 250 words which is the shortest length of a Common App personal statement. It’s also rare to see a good college essay with over 650 words . So, an average piece usually has between 150 and 650 words ; you can go over or below the limit by 50.

How Long Is a Paragraph in College Essays?

A college essay usually consists of 4-5 paragraphs . One paragraph takes about 1/3 of the page, which is roughly 5 sentences . Each sentence corresponds with one of the following components:

• Topic sentence.
• Explanation.
• Transitions.

College Essay Length Requirements: Top 5 Schools

To understand the requirements for a college application essay even better, take a look at the table below. It showcases the top 5 schools and their length criteria for personal statements. Keep it in mind when writing your college essay:

How Long Is a Short Essay?

A short essay is usually 500 words long. Using 12pt Times New Roman font with standard margins and double spacing should result in about 2 pages of text.

Extended Essay Length

An extended essay is different from a short or a standard one. It requires extensive research and thorough explanation. That’s why the upper limit for this kind of essay is 4000 words . In this case, a typical essay length is 3500 words or 18 paragraphs .

Scholarship Essay Length

Generally, scholarship papers have a limit of 500 words , which is 1 page in length. Most scholarship programs provide additional requirements that indicate the minimum number of words or pages. If there are no set limitations, you can stick to the limit.

How Long Is a Research Paper?

Typically, a research paper is between 4000 and 6000 words long. Sometimes, there are shorter papers, which have around 2000 words, or in-depth ones with over 10000 words.

⭐ Other Aspects of Essay Length

When it comes to essay length, many different aspects come into play. Here, we’ve gathered all the essential information regarding an essay’s number of pages, paragraphs, words, and references.

How Many Paragraphs Are in an Essay?

Sometimes, it is more convenient to count paragraphs rather than words. Let’s now figure out how many paragraphs are in essays of different lengths. You may also check out the examples to see what such an essay looks like:

How to Count Paragraphs in an Essay Based on Word Count

You can also count the number of body paragraphs for your essay using the formula below:

Number of body paragraphs (average) = (TWC – TWC*0.16)/100

• TWC – total word count
• 0.16 – an average percentage of total word count for introduction and conclusion
• 100 – an average number of words per paragraph

How Many Pages Are in an Essay?

The number of pages in your essay may vary from subject to subject. But it’s still possible to determine the number of pages based on word count. Check out the numbers below to see the conversions with bonus examples:

You can also use a specialized calculator such as Word Counter to determine a number of pages in your essay.

What Does an Essay Look Like when Typed?

You might be wondering: what do essays of different lengths look like when typed? Well, here’s the table where you can find out the metrics for single- and double-spaced papers.

How Many Pages Are in a Handwritten Essay?

In case you need to turn in a handwritten paper, you should check out the table below.

Counting Words in a Handwritten Essay

If you don’t have enough time to count the words in your handwritten essay one by one, here’s what you can do:

• Count how many words there are in one line. Take the first and last lines and a line in the middle of a page. Let’s say there are 15, 14, and 15 words in them. Then, the average number of words per line is 15.
• Next, count how many lines there are on one page. Let’s say there are 17 lines on a page.
• Take the number of words per line and multiply it by the number of lines per page. In our case, we multiply 15 by 17. So, there are 255 words per page on average.
• Finally, multiply the number of words per page by the number of pages. If your essay has 3 pages, it is approximately 765 words long.

How Long Does it Take to Write an Essay?

It is crucial to know how long writing will take you, especially if you are working on an exam essay or just short on time. Note that you need to consider the time for typing and researching necessary to complete a piece. Research time may vary. Usually, it’s 1-2 hours for 200-250 words .

Below, we’ve gathered the average writing time for average and slower writing speed:

And here are the results in pages:

How Many References Does an Essay Need?

Another essential part of any composition is the reference list. Different academic levels require different references. You’ll find out how many of them should be in your paper in the table below!

📝 Essay Examples: Different Length

Finally, we’ve gathered some excellent sample essays of different lengths. Make sure to check them out!

We also recommend you check out our free essay samples sorted by pages:

• 1-Page Essay Examples
• 2-Page Essay Examples
• 3-Page Essay Examples
• 4-Page Essay Examples
• 5-Page Essay Examples
• 10-Page Essay Examples
• 20-Page Essay Examples
• 30-Page Essay Examples
• 40-Page Essay Examples
• 50-Page Essay Examples

Now you know all about essay length, word limits, and ways to lengthen or shorten your text. If you know other interesting tricks, make sure to share them in a comment! Good luck with your writing assignments!

You may also like:

• How to Write a Process Analysis Essay: Examples & Outline
• How to Write a Precis: Definition, Guide, & Examples 
• How to Write a Critical Analysis Essay: Examples & Guide
• How to Write a Narrative Essay Outline: Template & Examples
• How to Write a Formal Essay: Format, Rules, & Example
• Word Limits and Assignment Length: Massey University
• The Paragraph in the College Essay: California State University, Long Beach
• Introductions & Conclusions: The University of Arizona Global Campus
• How Long Should a Paragraph Be?: Daily Writing Tips
• Paragraphing (Length Consistency): Purdue University
• Hitting the Target Word Count in Your College Admission Essay: Dummies.com
• How Long Should Your College Essay Be? What is the Ideal Length?: College Vine
• Writing Personal Statements Online: Issues of Length and Form: Penn State University
• Pen Admissions: Essays: University of Pennsylvania
• Essay Questions: University of Michigan
• Essay Structure: Harvard University
• Components of a Good Essay: University of Evansville
• Write Your Essay: UNSW Sydney
• College Writing: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• 21 Helpful and Easy Tips to Make an Essay Longer: Seventeen
• How to Make a College Paper Longer: ThoughtCo
• Share to Facebook
• Share to LinkedIn
• Share to email

Do you dream of being successfully admitted to college? Well, you probably know that admission is a long process that includes many challenging steps. One of them is a recommendation letter: a document written on your behalf that describes your characteristics as a student. If done well, such a letter...

Almost everyone feels insecure when they start working on their first resume. Suddenly there are lots of questions that need to be answered. What should I write? How should I write it? What should I include in my resume to make it more appealing? If you’re looking for answers to...

What’s the first thing we do when facing the unknown? We Google it, of course! Google is fundamental to our experience of the Internet. According to the statistics, more than 100 000 people press “search” on Google every second! At first glance, the process is straightforward. You type in what...

Ever heard of a smart egg tray? Welcome to 2024! Today, there are gadgets for everything, and the variety of intelligent devices available increases every day. Some of them can improve your life. Others seem a bit useless. Will a smart egg tray actually add value to your life, or...

Dorms become like a second home to many students during their university experience. And while dorm life can mean making new friends and having exciting adventures, adjusting to new routines is not always easy. Since most students who come to the dorms have no prior experience living outside their parents’...

Imagine you’ve just written a paper. You’re going to proofread it, right? But is proofreading enough to ensure the absence of any factual errors or unfounded conclusions? Can you say with 100% certainty that you cited every reference correctly? If you want to learn how to fact-check like a pro,...

Every year, millions of U.S. students decide which university they want to attend. Around 20% of students rely on college rankings to make their final decision. Over the last two decades, such rankings have significantly grown in popularity. But are these lists reliable? Which criteria can be trusted? And which...

Have you ever seen someone else’s success and thought to yourself: “Why can’t I do the same?” What was your thought process like? Perhaps you believed you lacked some innate quality. Or did you think you could have achieved the same thing if you had put in enough effort? The difference in these attitudes is defined by two distinct mindsets—growth or fixed. You will read all about them in this article by Custom-Writing.org. You’ll also...

Are you interested in having a side hustle? If you have a hobby you are passionate about, look no further. A hobby-based side hustle is a great way to spend time doing something you love, a great source of income, and a way to boost your resume! In this article by Custom-Writing.org, you will find: a list of 7 inexpensive hobbies available to anyone; ways to monetize them; their benefits for...

In 2024, online education remains one of the most searched terms. Not only can you undertake short courses, but it is now commonplace to get Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees online. Is this the right fit for you? Keep reading to find out! In this article, our custom writing team will:...

What is the number one reason for becoming a volunteer? You may already know that charitable organizations help people in need and allow everyone to make a difference. However, there are some material benefits as well. Volunteer experience can boost your career prospects: it increases your chances of getting into...

Are you excited about grammar? Have you ever read the dictionary for fun? Do you become enthralled by your textbooks? Whether you are a language nerd or not, crossword puzzles are here to help. In this article, you will find dozens of exciting puzzle resources to support your learning. You...

• Essay Topic Generator
• Essay Grader
• Reference Finder
• AI Outline Generator
• Paragraph Expander
• Essay Expander
• Literature Review Generator
• Thesis Generator
• Text Editing Tools
• AI Rewording Tool
• AI Sentence Rewriter
• AI Article Spinner
• AI Grammar Checker
• Spell Checker
• PDF Spell Check
• Paragraph Checker
• Free AI Essay Writer
• Paraphraser
• Grammar Checker
• Citation Generator
• Plagiarism Checker
• AI Detector
• AI Essay Checker
• Proofreading Service
• Editing Service
• AI Writing Guides
• AI Detection Guides
• Citation Guides
• Grammar Guides
• Paraphrasing Guides
• Plagiarism Guides
• Summary Writing Guides
• STEM Guides
• Humanities Guides
• Language Learning Guides
• Coding Guides
• Top Lists and Recommendations
• AI Detectors
• AI Writing Services
• Coding Homework Help
• Citation Generators
• Editing Websites
• Essay Writing Websites
• Language Learning Websites
• Math Solvers
• Paraphrasers
• Plagiarism Checkers
• Reference Finders
• Spell Checkers
• Summarizers
• Tutoring Websites
• Essay Checkers
• Essay Topic Finders

Most Popular

13 days ago

How to Write a Song Title in an Essay

How to write a bridge in an essay, a guide to understanding essay length spectrum.

We all had those tasks where we spent hours and hours writing essays, trying to put together all our thoughts and available materials. Sometimes, even after an hour of writing you would find yourself sitting in front of a 350-word page, wondering how you could spend so much time only to write so little. Other times, you had so many ideas that could fit nicely into the topic that putting them all on paper would mean exceeding the intended word count. But have you ever wondered who sets those limits? And how long a normal essay should actually be and why? Well, we know this topic bothers many students, so we decided to finally address this issue and explore the spectrum of an average essay word count.

What Influences The Length of an Essay And Is It That Important?

There are a lot of various essays you can be asked to write: personal statements, literature analysis and reviews, persuasive and narrative essays, etc. And yes, the type of essay is one of the major factors that influence the word count set by your educators. After all, the number of paragraphs that you need to include also depends on the type of writing you are doing. Yet, it is not the only aspect that is considered, as other factors include topic, subject, and academic level. 

For instance, some themes might need more detailed explanations and supporting ideas, especially in subjects like literature, while topics related to science or management often require more concise writing. The academic level also plays a role. As you will see below, high school essays are generally shorter and less complex than those required in college or university. Additionally, different types of essays, like narrative or persuasive, have their own length requirements. 

❓Now, does the length of an essay determine its quality? 

Not necessarily. Short essays can be just as impactful and well-argued as longer ones, provided they cover the topic thoroughly despite their briefness. On the other hand, a lengthy essay filled with unnecessary information can detract from the overall argument and logic. As a whole, the quality of an essay is judged by how well it addresses the topic and supports its thesis, rather than its length. So yes, short essays can be good, and long essays can be bad—it all depends on the content and clarity of the writing.

How Many Words Should an Essay Be Depending on Its Type

As we have established, when it comes to essay lengths, it really depends on what type of essay you’re writing as well as the grade level you are writing for. 

High school essays typically range from 350 to 1,000 words. These are usually structured in the standard five-paragraph format, including an introduction, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Moving up to college admission essays, the word count is more concise, usually between 250 to 650 words. Here, applicants are expected to express their motivations and goals more briefly.

For undergraduate essays, the range broadens significantly, spanning from 1,500 to 5,000 words. The subject matter often determines the length here, the depth of analysis required, and the specific guidelines of the assignment. Graduate admission essays are similar to undergraduate admission essays but can be slightly longer, typically between 500 to 1,000 words. These essays often focus on the applicant’s achievements and aspirations for advanced study.

At the graduate level, essays can be much more extensive, often ranging from 2,500 to 6,000 words. These texts are usually research-heavy and demand a more complex structure to adequately cover the topic. It’s also important to note that these are general guidelines; specific requirements can vary by institution and discipline. Always check the provided requirements. When in doubt, consult your instructor to make sure you meet the expectations.

How Long is an Essay Introduction, Body, and Conclusion

Knowing the desired overall length of your essay is helpful and all, however, it is much better when you understand how much information you need to present in each of the separate paragraphs. Some essays may be just 1 paragraph long, so everything you need to write should be written there. Others are usually divided into 3,4, or even 5 parts, so knowing which ones to make shorter or larger can be rather useful. Besides, with this information, you are more likely to organize all the details logically and clearly.

🗣️Introduction

Typically, the introduction should be concise, usually, one paragraph for essays under 3000 words, providing a hook, background information, and a clear thesis statement (your key point or discussed topic). For more complex papers, the introduction might stretch to two or three paragraphs.

The body of the essay, being the core part, is the longest section, generally composed of 1 to 4 paragraphs, each developing a separate point or argument. In longer essays, the body might include even more paragraphs to cover the topic thoroughly. 

❗️Conclusion 

The conclusion, like the introduction, is usually brief, summarizing the main points in a single paragraph. It can be anywhere from 2 to 4 sentences, depending on how well you can condense the main points mentioned in the text above. 

Nonetheless, despite these guidelines, the number of paragraphs in an essay isn’t set in stone. The key is to write each section so it fulfills its purpose: 

• the introduction to engage and outline
• the body to argue and detail
• and the conclusion to wrap up convincingly. 

Thus, whether your essay is short or long, clarity and coherence are what truly count.

How Long Should an Essay Be to Grade High

To score high on an essay, meeting length requirements is important but not the only factor. Essays at different academic levels come with varying expectations. 

First, your essay should have a logical flow, with each paragraph connecting smoothly to the next. Critical thinking and depth of analysis are also vital. Examiners look for essays that go beyond surface-level understanding, demonstrating your ability to engage with the topic critically. This includes analyzing different viewpoints, synthesizing information, and drawing insightful conclusions. Additionally, the quality of your research and the reliability of your sources can make a big difference. Using credible sources to back up your arguments shows that you have done your homework and understand the subject matter well.

Length matters because it allows teachers to assess whether you have enough space to develop your argument thoroughly. Each paragraph should have a clear topic sentence, supporting evidence, and a concluding sentence to tie the ideas together. While it’s important to meet minimum word counts, adding fluff just to reach a certain length isn’t the right way to do it. On the contrary, it can even weaken your essay. Focus on developing your ideas fully and use evidence and examples to support your points.

If you find yourself under the word count, try adding more detailed examples or exploring different aspects of your topic. On the other hand, if you exceed the limit, check if every paragraph is necessary to your argument. Keep your writing concise and to the point, so that each sentence adds value to your overall argument. Remember, a concise and well-argued essay will always score better than a lengthy, unfocused one. 

Working with Essay Length: What to Do to Make It Shorter or Longer

Sometimes you just need to hit a couple more words to make your essay a perfect length. Or, on the contrary, you may be just a few sentences longer than needed. But no need to worry here. There are handy strategies for both shortening and lengthening your paper to meet the requirements. 

If you need to make your essay longer:

• Start by adding relevant quotations. They can improve your arguments and increase your word count without feeling like filler (besides, many professors actually like it when students properly use the given literature). 
• Including more examples and detailed descriptions is another effective way to expand your essay. 
• Don’t forget to use transitional expressions to connect ideas smoothly; they naturally add words and improve readability. 
• Also, adding more references can make your essay more credible and longer. Just don’t forget to add a few informational details from those references, all right? 

On the flip side, if your essay is too long:

• Try using the active voice instead of the passive voice—it’s more concise and makes your writing more direct. 
• Remove unnecessary transitions that don’t add value to the flow of your argument.
• Cutting out redundant adverbs and adjectives can significantly trim down your word count. 
• Avoid long introductory phrases like “it is believed that” or “there are” to keep your sentences straightforward and to the point. 
• See if you can remove the word “that” from your sentences without losing meaning.

Balancing your essay’s length with content quality can make your writing more effective and engaging and help you meet the requirements without sacrificing clarity or depth.

In wrapping up, hitting the right balance between essay length and quality is key for effective writing. Whether you need to add a few more words or trim down some excess, the tips we’ve covered can help without losing the essence of your essay. Focus on making your arguments clear and strong, and use the tricks for expanding or tightening your text as needed. Remember, a good essay isn’t just about hitting a word count—it’s about making your ideas come across well. Keep these pointers in mind, and you’ll find it easier to handle any word count challenges that come your way.

How long is a typical essay?

A typical essay usually ranges from 500 to 1,500 words. It really depends on the purpose and the guidelines provided. High school essays, for instance, are generally shorter, while college essays might require more in-depth analysis and therefore be longer.

How many paragraphs in an essay?

The number of paragraphs in an essay varies depending on its length and structure. A standard essay usually has at least five paragraphs: an introduction, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion. However, longer essays will naturally have more parts to cover all necessary points.

Is a 1,000 word essay too long?

A 1,000-word essay is pretty standard, especially for college assignments. It’s long enough to explore a topic in depth but short enough to stay focused and concise. As long as you stay on topic and organize your thoughts well, 1,000 words is a great length.

How long is a 9th grade essay?

The length of the 9th-grade essay typically ranges from 300 to 800 words. This word count allows students to develop their ideas clearly and practice their writing skills without feeling overwhelmed. Teachers usually provide specific guidelines, so it’s always good to check those first.

Follow us on Reddit for more insights and updates.

Comments (0)

Welcome to A*Help comments!

We’re all about debate and discussion at A*Help.

We value the diverse opinions of users, so you may find points of view that you don’t agree with. And that’s cool. However, there are certain things we’re not OK with: attempts to manipulate our data in any way, for example, or the posting of discriminative, offensive, hateful, or disparaging material.

Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

More from How to Write an Academic Assignment

How to Make a Cover Page for an Essay

Remember Me

Is English your native language ? Yes No

What is your profession ? Student Teacher Writer Other

Forgotten Password?

Username or Email

• Environment
• Information Science
• Social Issues
• Argumentative
• Cause and Effect
• Classification
• Compare and Contrast
• Descriptive
• Exemplification
• Informative
• Controversial
• Exploratory
• What Is an Essay
• Length of an Essay
• Generate Ideas
• Types of Essays
• Structuring an Essay
• Outline For Essay
• Essay Introduction
• Thesis Statement
• Body of an Essay
• Writing a Conclusion
• Essay Writing Tips
• Drafting an Essay
• Revision Process
• Fix a Broken Essay
• Format of an Essay
• Essay Examples
• Essay Checklist
• Essay Writing Service
• Pay for Research Paper
• Write My Research Paper
• Write My Essay
• Custom Essay Writing Service
• Admission Essay Writing Service
• Pay for Essay
• Academic Ghostwriting
• Write My Book Report
• Case Study Writing Service
• Dissertation Writing Service
• Coursework Writing Service
• Lab Report Writing Service
• Do My Assignment
• Buy College Papers
• Capstone Project Writing Service
• Buy Research Paper
• Custom Essays for Sale

Can’t find a perfect paper?

• Essay Guide

How Long Is an Essay and How to Achieve the Needed Length?

Table of content.

• 01. How Many Paragraphs Are in an Essay in General?
• 02. Guidelines for Average College Essay Length
• 03. Determining Essay Size Based on Its Type
• 04. Is It Possible to Go Under Suggested Length?
• 05. What About Going Over the Suggested Length?
• 06. Follow Instructions and Avoid Unnecessary Worries

How long is an essay? It’s such a simple question, and yet very few students know an answer to it. For some reason, many professors choose to focus on clarifying requirements, grammar rules, writing style, credible sources, and they forget about essay length. Sure, they’ll likely tell if they want 3 or 5 pages, but there will also be instances where you’re left guessing. 

The only way to resolve this issue once and for all is by learning whether there is a specific academic standard regarding an average length of papers. We’ve prepared detailed explanations that will address every possible question one might have.

How Many Paragraphs Are in an Essay in General?

There is an easy way to remember how long general essays should be: just think about paragraphs. In average-sized papers that take at least several pages, one paragraph usually ranges from 30 to 200 words. So, students should not write less or more than that. If you’re wondering about the specifics, keep this following fact in mind: a sentence should be at least 10 words long. 

So, at a minimum, paragraph must have 3 sentences (an opening statement, the heart of a paragraph, concluding remark). 200 words are the maximum in a five paragraph essay as going above that length will make an essay very wordy. People don’t like struggling through the paper where no breaks are in sight — even if you describe the most interesting topic, majority will find it hard to keep reading. Let’s see statistics of how long paragraphs should be depending on essay size.

• Short essays: between 100 – 500 words.

These papers have to have at least  3 paragraphs . Yes, it could be complex for students to write a 200 word essay and still divide it into several paragraphs, but the thing is, an essay is a special type of writing. It’s not a discussion post where you could express everything in one short passage: essays must have an introduction, body, and conclusion, with a minimum of 3 sentences present in each.

• Average essays: between 600 – 1000 words.

Here, you should compose at least  4-5 paragraphs.  Once again, there will be an intro along with conclusion, and the rest should go to a body.

• Longer essays: between 1100 – 1500 words.

Add at least  6-8 paragraphs  for papers of this length. There can be more in a 1000 word essay and above, but definitely not less.

• Long essays: between 1600 – 2000 words.

In such a long text, there should be between  8 and 14 paragraphs . Take some time to describe every point; don’t viola set limit — break your text into readable and coherent parts.

For even longer papers, calculate the number of paragraphs by using statistics or data we presented. Remember the main rule: passage of text should be 30 – 200 words long. It cannot have less than 3 sentences.

Guidelines for Average College Essay Length

Now that we’ve covered paragraphs, let’s talk about three major components of an essay. Intro and conclusion should be of specified length. Normally, they cannot be shorter than 5% of the overall content, but they also shouldn’t be longer than 10%. This way, body length is virtually unlimited — allow instructions from your teacher to guide you there. The reasoning here is simple: you should introduce your topic in sufficient details, but it is important not to overdo it. No need for presenting all details at once, better to leave it for the body. 

Same applies to conclusion: you have to re-state all major findings, but this must be done in a concise manner. Avoid copying stuff from previous paragraphs and simply finalize your point. A typical  essay example  in terms of length would be a 500 word essay. In this case, size of intro and body would have to be 50 words tops. Stick to these rules and you won’t have any issues!

Determining Essay Size Based on Its Type

You likely know that essays could be of many different kinds. For example, a letter-to-a-friend assignment isn’t long: it usually takes about 700 words max. Personal commentary tasks are of the same size or shorter. Narrative,  argumentative , or analytical works comprise 1200 words (4 pages) — this is standard word count for essays of this type. A term paper is more serious and longer task where you need to write at least 1500 words. Research and dissertation are even more complex: their format presupposes length of at least 3000 words. But it is better to regard the size depending on study level.

High School Essay

One of the most common types of assignments in high school is a 5 paragraph essay. It ranges between typical 300 – 1000 words (1 – 3+ pages respectively).

College Essay

College is tougher than school, so students should be prepared to work harder. Essays could start with 1500 and go up to 4000 words. The latter isn’t all that common, but it happens when you’re studying a complex subject where a lot of research is involved. You could be asked to write reports on companies or other businesses, and they usually are far from being short.

Admission Essay

How long are essays that are submitted as admission attempts? They should be relatively concise, but at the same time, they must present your personal story in a captivating and sufficiently detailed way. So, based on general standards, people should write 400 words as a minimum & 1200 words as an absolute maximum.

Graduate Essay

Students have lots of writing to do when they become graduates. For proving they are capable of maintaining this education level, they are expected to compose papers ranging between 2000 and 6000 words, sometimes more. Dissertations tend to be even longer, but they could fall within this word limit, too.

Is It Possible to Go Under Suggested Length?

This question concerns a big number of students. It’s understandable: you could be a great expert in your major or at any school subject, but being a good writer isn’t an automatic skill that could be acquired with no practice. In these cases, it’s a chore to write 750 word essay, working on combining hundreds upon hundreds of words, and desire to stop sooner than required could be overwhelming. Well, you can always violate that limit we suggested above — after all, it’s merely a standard, not a solid requirement.

Never go under the word count indicated by professor. This is the strict rule: if you write fewer words than that, there’s a risk of receiving failing grade or getting it reduced by a big, upsetting extent. Professors hate what they perceive as students’ laziness — many will simply refuse to read an essay that lacks even one word. Listen to them as they inform you of how long should an essay be and follow their instructions.

What About Going Over the Suggested Length?

While some people hate necessity of being writers as they’re studying, others absolutely love it. In fact, they love it so much that they can’t stop writing, so before they know it, they exceed the normal size limit. It is preferable to failing to reach set limit, but the reactions of teachers could differ. Imagine that you asked, “How long is a short essay we have to write?” The reply was, “500 words.” But you got so inspired when working on it that resulted in 700. 

Some professors praise for going above the length — they’ll be impressed. Others will reject your essay because they have no interest in dealing with disobedient students, even if writing more is technically a commendable thing. There is the third group, too: they’ll stop reading your essay after the limit, and give marks depending on what they’ve already read. It is really better to clarify or follow length guidelines you’ve been given.

Follow Instructions and Avoid Unnecessary Worries

No matter how hard it is, always try sticking to instructions. If you’re told to write a 250 word essay, do it. In case you went above the imposed length, try shortening content by cutting off redundant sentences (though if you clarified this with professor in advance, it’s perfect and you shouldn’t worry). Everything is more difficult in case a student fails to think of more paragraphs to write. They could look for help or give themselves some time for cooling off. Either way, put your best efforts into it, and you’re bound to succeed!  

A few hours till deadline?

Let experts write a unique essay and save your time

Blog Navigation

• Comparison and Contrast

Can’t come up with a topic for you paper? We’ve prepared a collection of essay topics for you

Want to write a winning essay but lack experience? Browse our free essay samples

Elizabeth provides educational materials, conducts research, explores and solves student challenges. Her posts are always helpful, innovative, and contain interesting insights.

Related Articles

These days, it s impossible to find a student who wouldn t have heard about a Chat GPT essay writer. AI keeps transforming the academic sphere: it consistently simplifies research, helps generate ideas, and now it also takes care of the entire writing process. But is it truly that efficient?...

Not all students know how to write a definition essay. This type of task is pretty rare as for the most part, professors prefer more complex papers, like argumentative or descriptive ones. But when they finally assign it, students start panicking because they don t understand what it means and...

A request for learning how to write a comparison and contrast essay is extremely popular in online spaces. Students from countries all over the world type it when they receive this kind of college assignment, hoping to find clear answers and instructions. If you re here, then you ve come...

A surprising number of students feel unsure about how to write an informative essay. On the one hand, everything seems pretty easy: the name of this college task speaks for itself. An informative paper is a piece of writing where you present objective facts about a specific topic, expanding your...

At some point, every college student wonders, how to write an argumentative essay? It s a common task in all educational establishments, regardless of what country you re from or what major you re specializing in. An argumentative essay is a piece of academic writing where you provide your view...

If you re wondering how to write an expository essay, you ve come to the right place. This common college task always wreaks chaos among the students, making them panic in their attempts to understand what they should be doing now. The first thing students need lies in understanding what...

11 Rules for Essay Paragraph Structure (with Examples)

Chris Drew (PhD)

Dr. Chris Drew is the founder of the Helpful Professor. He holds a PhD in education and has published over 20 articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education. [Image Descriptor: Photo of Chris]

Learn about our Editorial Process

How do you structure a paragraph in an essay?

If you’re like the majority of my students, you might be getting your basic essay paragraph structure wrong and getting lower grades than you could!

In this article, I outline the 11 key steps to writing a perfect paragraph. But, this isn’t your normal ‘how to write an essay’ article. Rather, I’ll try to give you some insight into exactly what teachers look out for when they’re grading essays and figuring out what grade to give them.

You can navigate each issue below, or scroll down to read them all:

1. Paragraphs must be at least four sentences long 2. But, at most seven sentences long 3. Your paragraph must be Left-Aligned 4. You need a topic sentence 5 . Next, you need an explanation sentence 6. You need to include an example 7. You need to include citations 8. All paragraphs need to be relevant to the marking criteria 9. Only include one key idea per paragraph 10. Keep sentences short 11. Keep quotes short

Paragraph structure is one of the most important elements of getting essay writing right .

As I cover in my Ultimate Guide to Writing an Essay Plan , paragraphs are the heart and soul of your essay.

However, I find most of my students have either:

• forgotten how to write paragraphs properly,
• gotten lazy, or
• never learned it in the first place!

Paragraphs in essay writing are different from paragraphs in other written genres .

In fact, the paragraphs that you are reading now would not help your grades in an essay.

That’s because I’m writing in journalistic style, where paragraph conventions are vastly different.

For those of you coming from journalism or creative writing, you might find you need to re-learn paragraph writing if you want to write well-structured essay paragraphs to get top grades.

Below are eleven reasons your paragraphs are losing marks, and what to do about it!

Essay Paragraph Structure Rules

1. your paragraphs must be at least 4 sentences long.

In journalism and blog writing, a one-sentence paragraph is great. It’s short, to-the-point, and helps guide your reader. For essay paragraph structure, one-sentence paragraphs suck.

A one-sentence essay paragraph sends an instant signal to your teacher that you don’t have much to say on an issue.

A short paragraph signifies that you know something – but not much about it. A one-sentence paragraph lacks detail, depth and insight.

Many students come to me and ask, “what does ‘add depth’ mean?” It’s one of the most common pieces of feedback you’ll see written on the margins of your essay.

Personally, I think ‘add depth’ is bad feedback because it’s a short and vague comment. But, here’s what it means: You’ve not explained your point enough!

If you’re writing one-, two- or three-sentence essay paragraphs, you’re costing yourself marks.

Always aim for at least four sentences per paragraph in your essays.

This doesn’t mean that you should add ‘fluff’ or ‘padding’ sentences.

Make sure you don’t:

a) repeat what you said in different words, or b) write something just because you need another sentence in there.

But, you need to do some research and find something insightful to add to that two-sentence paragraph if you want to ace your essay.

Check out Points 5 and 6 for some advice on what to add to that short paragraph to add ‘depth’ to your paragraph and start moving to the top of the class.

• How to Make an Essay Longer
• How to Make an Essay Shorter

2. Your Paragraphs must not be more than 7 Sentences Long

Okay, so I just told you to aim for at least four sentences per paragraph. So, what’s the longest your paragraph should be?

Seven sentences. That’s a maximum.

So, here’s the rule:

Between four and seven sentences is the sweet spot that you need to aim for in every single paragraph.

Here’s why your paragraphs shouldn’t be longer than seven sentences:

1. It shows you can organize your thoughts. You need to show your teacher that you’ve broken up your key ideas into manageable segments of text (see point 10)

2. It makes your work easier to read.   You need your writing to be easily readable to make it easy for your teacher to give you good grades. Make your essay easy to read and you’ll get higher marks every time.

One of the most important ways you can make your work easier to read is by writing paragraphs that are less than six sentences long.

3. It prevents teacher frustration. Teachers are just like you. When they see a big block of text their eyes glaze over. They get frustrated, lost, their mind wanders … and you lose marks.

To prevent teacher frustration, you need to ensure there’s plenty of white space in your essay. It’s about showing them that the piece is clearly structured into one key idea per ‘chunk’ of text.

Often, you might find that your writing contains tautologies and other turns of phrase that can be shortened for clarity.

3. Your Paragraph must be Left-Aligned

Turn off ‘Justified’ text and: Never. Turn. It. On. Again.

Justified text is where the words are stretched out to make the paragraph look like a square. It turns the writing into a block. Don’t do it. You will lose marks, I promise you! Win the psychological game with your teacher: left-align your text.

A good essay paragraph is never ‘justified’.

I’m going to repeat this, because it’s important: to prevent your essay from looking like a big block of muddy, hard-to-read text align your text to the left margin only.

You want white space on your page – and lots of it. White space helps your reader scan through your work. It also prevents it from looking like big blocks of text.

You want your reader reading vertically as much as possible: scanning, browsing, and quickly looking through for evidence you’ve engaged with the big ideas.

The justified text doesn’t help you do that. Justified text makes your writing look like a big, lumpy block of text that your reader doesn’t want to read.

What’s wrong with Center-Aligned Text?

While I’m at it, never, ever, center-align your text either. Center-aligned text is impossible to skim-read. Your teacher wants to be able to quickly scan down the left margin to get the headline information in your paragraph.

Not many people center-align text, but it’s worth repeating: never, ever center-align your essays.

Don’t annoy your reader. Left align your text.

4. Your paragraphs must have a Topic Sentence

The first sentence of an essay paragraph is called the topic sentence. This is one of the most important sentences in the correct essay paragraph structure style.

The topic sentence should convey exactly what key idea you’re going to cover in your paragraph.

Too often, students don’t let their reader know what the key idea of the paragraph is until several sentences in.

You must show what the paragraph is about in the first sentence.

You never, ever want to keep your reader in suspense. Essays are not like creative writing. Tell them straight away what the paragraph is about. In fact, if you can, do it in the first half of the first sentence .

I’ll remind you again: make it easy to grade your work. Your teacher is reading through your work trying to determine what grade to give you. They’re probably going to mark 20 assignments in one sitting. They have no interest in storytelling or creativity. They just want to know how much you know! State what the paragraph is about immediately and move on.

Suggested: Best Words to Start a Paragraph

Ideal Essay Paragraph Structure Example: Writing a Topic Sentence If your paragraph is about how climate change is endangering polar bears, say it immediately : “Climate change is endangering polar bears.” should be your first sentence in your paragraph. Take a look at first sentence of each of the four paragraphs above this one. You can see from the first sentence of each paragraph that the paragraphs discuss:

When editing your work, read each paragraph and try to distil what the one key idea is in your paragraph. Ensure that this key idea is mentioned in the first sentence .

(Note: if there’s more than one key idea in the paragraph, you may have a problem. See Point 9 below .)

The topic sentence is the most important sentence for getting your essay paragraph structure right. So, get your topic sentences right and you’re on the right track to a good essay paragraph.

5. You need an Explanation Sentence

All topic sentences need a follow-up explanation. The very first point on this page was that too often students write paragraphs that are too short. To add what is called ‘depth’ to a paragraph, you can come up with two types of follow-up sentences: explanations and examples.

Let’s take explanation sentences first.

Explanation sentences give additional detail. They often provide one of the following services:

Let’s go back to our example of a paragraph on Climate change endangering polar bears. If your topic sentence is “Climate change is endangering polar bears.”, then your follow-up explanation sentence is likely to explain how, why, where, or when. You could say:

Ideal Essay Paragraph Structure Example: Writing Explanation Sentences 1. How: “The warming atmosphere is melting the polar ice caps.” 2. Why: “The polar bears’ habitats are shrinking every single year.” 3. Where: “This is happening in the Antarctic ice caps near Greenland.” 4. When: “Scientists first noticed the ice caps were shrinking in 1978.”

You don’t have to provide all four of these options each time.

But, if you’re struggling to think of what to add to your paragraph to add depth, consider one of these four options for a good quality explanation sentence.

>>>RELATED ARTICLE: SHOULD YOU USE RHETORICAL QUESTIONS IN ESSAYS ?

6. Your need to Include an Example

Examples matter! They add detail. They also help to show that you genuinely understand the issue. They show that you don’t just understand a concept in the abstract; you also understand how things work in real life.

Example sentences have the added benefit of personalising an issue. For example, after saying “Polar bears’ habitats are shrinking”, you could note specific habitats, facts and figures, or even a specific story about a bear who was impacted.

Ideal Essay Paragraph Structure Example: Writing an ‘Example’ Sentence “For example, 770,000 square miles of Arctic Sea Ice has melted in the past four decades, leading Polar Bear populations to dwindle ( National Geographic, 2018 )

In fact, one of the most effective politicians of our times – Barrack Obama – was an expert at this technique. He would often provide examples of people who got sick because they didn’t have healthcare to sell Obamacare.

What effect did this have? It showed the real-world impact of his ideas. It humanised him, and got him elected president – twice!

Be like Obama. Provide examples. Often.

7. All Paragraphs need Citations

Provide a reference to an academic source in every single body paragraph in the essay. The only two paragraphs where you don’t need a reference is the introduction and conclusion .

Let me repeat: Paragraphs need at least one reference to a quality scholarly source .

Let me go even further:

Students who get the best marks provide two references to two different academic sources in every paragraph.

Two references in a paragraph show you’ve read widely, cross-checked your sources, and given the paragraph real thought.

It’s really important that these references link to academic sources, not random websites, blogs or YouTube videos. Check out our Seven Best types of Sources to Cite in Essays post to get advice on what sources to cite. Number 6 w ill surprise you!

Ideal Essay Paragraph Structure Example: In-Text Referencing in Paragraphs Usually, in-text referencing takes the format: (Author, YEAR), but check your school’s referencing formatting requirements carefully. The ‘Author’ section is the author’s last name only. Not their initials. Not their first name. Just their last name . My name is Chris Drew. First name Chris, last name Drew. If you were going to reference an academic article I wrote in 2019, you would reference it like this: (Drew, 2019).

Where do you place those two references?

Place the first reference at the end of the first half of the paragraph. Place the second reference at the end of the second half of the paragraph.

This spreads the references out and makes it look like all the points throughout the paragraph are backed up by your sources. The goal is to make it look like you’ve reference regularly when your teacher scans through your work.

Remember, teachers can look out for signposts that indicate you’ve followed academic conventions and mentioned the right key ideas.

Spreading your referencing through the paragraph helps to make it look like you’ve followed the academic convention of referencing sources regularly.

Here are some examples of how to reference twice in a paragraph:

• If your paragraph was six sentences long, you would place your first reference at the end of the third sentence and your second reference at the end of the sixth sentence.
• If your paragraph was five sentences long, I would recommend placing one at the end of the second sentence and one at the end of the fifth sentence.

You’ve just read one of the key secrets to winning top marks.

8. Every Paragraph must be relevant to the Marking Criteria

Every paragraph must win you marks. When you’re editing your work, check through the piece to see if every paragraph is relevant to the marking criteria.

For the British: In the British university system (I’m including Australia and New Zealand here – I’ve taught at universities in all three countries), you’ll usually have a ‘marking criteria’. It’s usually a list of between two and six key learning outcomes your teacher needs to use to come up with your score. Sometimes it’s called a:

• Marking criteria
• Marking rubric
• (Key) learning outcome
• Indicative content

Check your assignment guidance to see if this is present. If so, use this list of learning outcomes to guide what you write. If your paragraphs are irrelevant to these key points, delete the paragraph .

Paragraphs that don’t link to the marking criteria are pointless. They won’t win you marks.

For the Americans: If you don’t have a marking criteria / rubric / outcomes list, you’ll need to stick closely to the essay question or topic. This goes out to those of you in the North American system. North America (including USA and Canada here) is often less structured and the professor might just give you a topic to base your essay on.

If all you’ve got is the essay question / topic, go through each paragraph and make sure each paragraph is relevant to the topic.

For example, if your essay question / topic is on “The Effects of Climate Change on Polar Bears”,

• Don’t talk about anything that doesn’t have some connection to climate change and polar bears;
• Don’t talk about the environmental impact of oil spills in the Gulf of Carpentaria;
• Don’t talk about black bear habitats in British Columbia.
• Do talk about the effects of climate change on polar bears (and relevant related topics) in every single paragraph .

You may think ‘stay relevant’ is obvious advice, but at least 20% of all essays I mark go off on tangents and waste words.

Stay on topic in Every. Single. Paragraph. If you want to learn more about how to stay on topic, check out our essay planning guide .

9. Only have one Key Idea per Paragraph

One key idea for each paragraph. One key idea for each paragraph. One key idea for each paragraph.

Don’t forget!

Too often, a student starts a paragraph talking about one thing and ends it talking about something totally different. Don’t be that student.

To ensure you’re focussing on one key idea in your paragraph, make sure you know what that key idea is. It should be mentioned in your topic sentence (see Point 3 ). Every other sentence in the paragraph adds depth to that one key idea.

If you’ve got sentences in your paragraph that are not relevant to the key idea in the paragraph, they don’t fit. They belong in another paragraph.

Go through all your paragraphs when editing your work and check to see if you’ve veered away from your paragraph’s key idea. If so, you might have two or even three key ideas in the one paragraph.

You’re going to have to get those additional key ideas, rip them out, and give them paragraphs of their own.

If you have more than one key idea in a paragraph you will lose marks. I promise you that.

The paragraphs will be too hard to read, your reader will get bogged down reading rather than scanning, and you’ll have lost grades.

10. Keep Sentences Short

If a sentence is too long it gets confusing. When the sentence is confusing, your reader will stop reading your work. They will stop reading the paragraph and move to the next one. They’ll have given up on your paragraph.

Short, snappy sentences are best.

Shorter sentences are easier to read and they make more sense. Too often, students think they have to use big, long, academic words to get the best marks. Wrong. Aim for clarity in every sentence in the paragraph. Your teacher will thank you for it.

The students who get the best marks write clear, short sentences.

When editing your draft, go through your essay and see if you can shorten your longest five sentences.

(To learn more about how to write the best quality sentences, see our page on Seven ways to Write Amazing Sentences .)

11. Keep Quotes Short

Eighty percent of university teachers hate quotes. That’s not an official figure. It’s my guestimate based on my many interactions in faculty lounges. Twenty percent don’t mind them, but chances are your teacher is one of the eight out of ten who hate quotes.

Teachers tend to be turned off by quotes because it makes it look like you don’t know how to say something on your own words.

Now that I’ve warned you, here’s how to use quotes properly:

Ideal Essay Paragraph Structure Example: How To Use Quotes in University-Level Essay Paragraphs 1. Your quote should be less than one sentence long. 2. Your quote should be less than one sentence long. 3. You should never start a sentence with a quote. 4. You should never end a paragraph with a quote. 5 . You should never use more than five quotes per essay. 6. Your quote should never be longer than one line in a paragraph.

The minute your teacher sees that your quote takes up a large chunk of your paragraph, you’ll have lost marks.

Your teacher will circle the quote, write a snarky comment in the margin, and not even bother to give you points for the key idea in the paragraph.

Avoid quotes, but if you really want to use them, follow those five rules above.

I’ve also provided additional pages outlining Seven tips on how to use Quotes if you want to delve deeper into how, when and where to use quotes in essays. Be warned: quoting in essays is harder than you thought.

Follow the advice above and you’ll be well on your way to getting top marks at university.

Writing essay paragraphs that are well structured takes time and practice. Don’t be too hard on yourself and keep on trying!

Below is a summary of our 11 key mistakes for structuring essay paragraphs and tips on how to avoid them.

I’ve also provided an easy-to-share infographic below that you can share on your favorite social networking site. Please share it if this article has helped you out!

11 Biggest Essay Paragraph Structure Mistakes you’re probably Making

1.  Your paragraphs are too short 2.  Your paragraphs are too long 3.  Your paragraph alignment is ‘Justified’ 4.  Your paragraphs are missing a topic sentence 5 .  Your paragraphs are missing an explanation sentence 6.  Your paragraphs are missing an example 7.  Your paragraphs are missing references 8.  Your paragraphs are not relevant to the marking criteria 9.  You’re trying to fit too many ideas into the one paragraph 10.  Your sentences are too long 11.  Your quotes are too long

• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ 15 Green Flags in a Relationship
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ 15 Signs you're Burnt Out, Not Lazy
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ 15 Toxic Things Parents Say to their Children
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ 15 Red Flags Early in a Relationship

4 thoughts on “11 Rules for Essay Paragraph Structure (with Examples)”

Hello there. I noticed that throughout this article on Essay Writing, you keep on saying that the teacher won’t have time to go through the entire essay. Don’t you think this is a bit discouraging that with all the hard work and time put into your writing, to know that the teacher will not read through the entire paper?

Hi Clarence,

Thanks so much for your comment! I love to hear from readers on their thoughts.

Yes, I agree that it’s incredibly disheartening.

But, I also think students would appreciate hearing the truth.

Behind closed doors many / most university teachers are very open about the fact they ‘only have time to skim-read papers’. They regularly bring this up during heated faculty meetings about contract negotiations! I.e. in one university I worked at, we were allocated 45 minutes per 10,000 words – that’s just over 4 minutes per 1,000 word essay, and that’d include writing the feedback, too!

If students know the truth, they can better write their essays in a way that will get across the key points even from a ‘skim-read’.

I hope to write candidly on this website – i.e. some of this info will never be written on university blogs because universities want to hide these unfortunate truths from students.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Regards, Chris

This is wonderful and helpful, all I say is thank you very much. Because I learned a lot from this site, own by chris thank you Sir.

Thank you. This helped a lot.

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

What are your chances of acceptance?

Calculate for all schools, your chance of acceptance.

Your chancing factors

Extracurriculars.

9th Graders: How to Approach High School Successfully

Is your profile on track for college admissions?

Our free guidance platform determines your real college chances using your current profile and provides personalized recommendations for how to improve it.

Many students getting ready to start high school this fall wonder how they can ensure that the transition goes off without a hitch. After all, the double whammy of more responsibility and less oversight can leave some students feeling overwhelmed. It’s now up to you to structure your own time and study routines, and how you approach this now can make all the difference in how successful you’ll be.

Luckily, at CollegeVine we’re old pros at this sometimes intimidating transition. To learn how you can hit the ground running when you begin high school, don’t miss these top seven tips.

1. Be Realistic About Time

Losing track of time or underestimating the amount of time that you need to get ready or travel to school are easy ways to start your day off on the wrong foot. High school often starts earlier than your middle school or junior high did, so you’re going to need to get out the door on time.

One way to ensure that you know when to get up and when to leave is to a dry run a week or so before school. Keep track of how long it takes you to get up and go through your morning routine. Then time how long it takes you to get to the bus stop or school. Account for traffic and leave a time buffer so that you’re certain that if you stick to your schedule, you’ll make it on time.

Don’t skimp on planning your morning timeline, either. If you know that it usually takes you 20 minutes to shower and get dressed, don’t count on hurrying through the routine in 15 minutes when time really matters. Instead, get up five minutes earlier so you’ll have the time you really need.

2. Get a Planner

You’re going to need to keep track of your own assignments and commitments, which means having somewhere to record them. Purchase a planner ahead of time and start using it over the summer so that it becomes a habit.

Ideally, look for something that has large daily blocks with room for assignments in every subject. Use color coding when you write them down to keep track of them. Alternatively, consider an app in which to write your assignments and schedule. You can usually sync this calendar across your devices and set notifications for important deadlines and events.

Get in the habit of recording your assignments while you’re still in class. This way, you’re sure to leave class with everything you need to be successful in them.  

3. Time Your Assignments

At the beginning of the year, time how long your assignments are taking you. You should know about how long it takes you to do things like read 20 pages in your science textbook, to complete a math problem set, or to write a five paragraph essay. Keeping track of how long these common tracks generally take will allow you to better budget your time for them in the future.

4. Set a Realistic Wake Up Time

Some students tend to think that the easiest way to be more efficient in time management is to create more hours in the day, but if you count on getting up early every morning knowing that you’re not a morning person, you’re probably going to start your days with a deficit.

Rather than relying on earlier than normal wake up times, be more cognizant of how you use time throughout the day. Five minutes of free time here and five minutes of free time there can really add up if you’re conscious about making the most of them. This way, you won’t continually start your days feeling guilty for not having dragged yourself out of bed an hour earlier.

Discover your chances at hundreds of schools

Our free chancing engine takes into account your history, background, test scores, and extracurricular activities to show you your real chances of admission—and how to improve them.

5. Be Strategic About Work and Play

The old saying about all work and no play is true. You can’t expect to spend all of your free time engaged in school work and extracurricular commitments. Instead, make room in your schedule for social events and other downtime.

For example, if you want to go to dinner the movies on Saturday night with a group of friends and you have a football game on Saturday morning, plan on spending Saturday afternoon getting caught up on homework and putting in some study hours.

At the same time, account for study breaks in your schedule too. Getting up every half an hour to an hour to do something quick and active will keep you more focused during your actual study time. Try not to get engaged in video games or social media. Instead, do something like have a quick snack or go for a walk around the block.  

6. Make Your Environment Work For You

Saving a few minutes here and there can add up to hours over the long run. One way to do this is to create a productive working environment. Have a dedicated study space in your home and stock it with the tools you need to be successful. Choose someplace that is quiet and otherwise free of distractions. Make sure there are things like pencils, pens, a calculator, and any other reference tools you might need. Then, when it’s homework time you can sit down and get straight to work without having to hunt down any supplies.

7. Get a Big Wall Calendar

A planner or calendar app is great for getting a glimpse of what you can expect on any single day, but it doesn’t provide a great view of the big picture. A big wall calendar with a monthly view gives you a good idea of what you can expect over a longer period of time and allows you to write down commitments that are further in the future someplace where you’re bound to see them repeatedly. Seeing this everyday in color can help you become a strategic planner without always having to refer to your handheld planner.

Ninth grade is the foundation of your high school years. While you’re bound to experience a period of adjustment, there are many strategies for starting off on the right foot. By establishing good time management and organizational habits now, you’re laying the foundation for a strong future in high school. 

Want access to expert college guidance — for free? When you create your free CollegeVine account, you will find out your real admissions chances, build a best-fit school list, learn how to improve your profile, and get your questions answered by experts and peers—all for free. Sign up for your CollegeVine account today to get a boost on your college journey.

To learn more about ninth grade, don’t miss these CollegeVine posts:

Starting 9th Grade: 6 Things You Need to Do To Own Your Freshman Year

8th Graders: Here’s How You Can Prepare for High School This Summer

Make the Right Moves: Your 2018 Freshman Year Action Plan

5 Tips for Incoming High School Freshmen

What To Expect Your Freshman Year of High School

Related CollegeVine Blog Posts

Argumentative Essay Unit Breakdown

Argumentative essays are an integral part of the 9th grade curriculum. It can be difficult teaching the structure of the essay and its necessary components. So, we start with the basics.

1) We get familiar with the vocabulary. The vocabulary is on a separate page below. Most of the definitions come from the Springboard curriculum. We go over all of the definitions together, and the students can practice their familiarity with the definitions using Springboard online and the Zinc Reading Lab.

2) We practice identifying the vocabulary using assorted sample argumentative essays. The good thing about this part of the process is that you can find or create essays that best fit the needs of your students. I like to create essays that are relevant to topics that they are interested in. We go through each essay, identifying the hook, claim, concessions, refutations, evidence/support, and the conclusion/call to action. We also identify any ethos, logos, or pathos appeals that we find in the articles, as well as identifying the types of evidence. Some of my essays are shared below. This process helps them to see how to structure their counterclaims, refutations, and the body of their essay.

3) We then typically begin to read essays on a given subject. Due to the large amount of material in the Springboard curriculum on the value of a college education, we generally use this topic. I try to find more articles that shed light on the negative sides of college, because the Springboard articles focus more on the positive aspects of college. I want them to have an equal representation of both sides to maintain integrity, and so they will have enough information and evidence, no matter what side they choose.

4) After all of our research, I ask them to formulate a thesis on the subject. I give them a graphic organizer to help them keep track of their evidence and sources.

5) We go over the rubric and what each category of Exemplary, Proficient, and Emerging look like. We then look at an exemplary exemplar essay.

5) We go over a breakdown of the actual essay, in outline format. The first time we do this, it is extremely structured. You can create your own outline and the aspects of the essay you want included. Each time we write an essay, the outline is less structured, as I begin to wean them away from the outline.

6) They start their first drafts of the essay. They edit and revise. They start their final drafts of the essay, making sure they have used the correct format, and that they have documented all of their sources correctly.

7) They submit their essays. I grade the essays. We have a writing conference discussing the strengths and weaknesses of the essay.

Attachments

Argumentative essay vocabulary, argument article, argument article pg 1, argument article pg 2, elements of argument id sheet, support and evidence organizer, concessions and refutations organizer, essay outline, springboard updated essay rubric.

Leslie Perry-Hanley

Related items.

Third Grade OST Writing Scoring Camp

Animal adaptations, escape rooms in cs classrooms, responding to intervention.

• WellTrainedMind.com
• WTMAcademy.com
• High School and Self-Education Board
• Existing user? Sign In

How much do you expect for writing at 9th grade?

By Janeway , May 20, 2016 in High School and Self-Education Board

• Reply to this topic
• Start new topic

Recommended Posts

I felt like my 14 yr old's writing was very weak this past year. His class did not teach composition, but did have writing each week. Often, it was something short, like a short answer type thing. Other things, there was an actual essay. I did not like his papers when I saw them. He was clearly either unable to make a good solid paper, or he was trying to get away with writing as little as possible. He had fine structure, excellent grammar and spelling and word usage. He was very casual though. His papers generally were not more than a half page long. He had another class where he had to write and give speeches. Those, he did not bother with proper structure on paper. But when I listened to his speech, he did have good organization.

Figuring his writing was quite poor, I submitted his writing to Bravewriter to ask where to place him. They suggested Kidswrite Intermediate. Fine. I told my son and he said that is not fair. He said that was not his best work and he could do way better. 

So for both boys I assigned an end of year paper. I told them to write about our big field trip earlier this week. After about 36 hrs of not starting, I helped 14 yr old break it down in to an outline. We got the main points down. Then I told him to fill in the details and then put the paper aside and let me look at it and we will work together on the next step. Another 48 hrs has gone by. I have tried to offer him helpful hints and such, guidance to get him to write more. Nope. Finally, I told him he just had to sit there until he could fill in some details from each category. With him, a huge problem he has is rushing through papers and assignments. He does not want to take the time to do them. 

Now he is working on the details, but, he asks me "how long does this paper have to be?" I told him this is his final paper of the year and this is also sort of a test because I want to figure out where he needs to be placed in writing next year. So, the paper is likely to go on for an entire page, maybe even two pages. He thinks this is too long and way too much for him to do. Again, I think this is not about ability but rather about him trying to rush through everything. 

Can you all please tell me how much writing and the length and such you expect at 9th grade?

Link to comment

Share on other sites.

I think a good 1-2 page paper, well-organized and cogent, is a very reasonable expectation for 9th. 

That said, I have had kids who can easily write a very good 8-10 page paper with no issues at 9th, and I currently have one, rising 9th, who struggles to write one respectable page. So it certainly varies by kid.  However, my struggling writer is using WWS1, which I think is somewhat remedial for 9th.  So maybe the Intermediate Bravewriter placement was good?

I tell all of mine, that it's not just whether you can write well when all the stars align and you have lots of time and help.  You have to be able to write quickly and well on demand, before you really have achieved that level of skill. 

Hope that helps.

I would expect 1-2 pages for an essay. How much is variable depending on the child, but about a rate of 1-2 pages every 3 weeks (with paragraph answers in certain classes weekly) is reasonable.

I would work with him on writing a solid one page paper.  By the end of 10th you could work towards 2-3 pages, 5 pages by the end of 11th, and 8-10 pages by the end of 12th.  Obviously if you are assigning longer papers, you're going to need to give him more time to complete them.

I would also help him with understanding the audience for his papers.  Generally speaking, the audience for a paper produced for a class is not the instructor.  When students assume that the audience is the instructor, they tend to write less because they also assume that instructor knows all and so doesn't need any background information or to be reminded of anything.

I'd also let him know that when a certain length is specified, the point is not to fill up the appropriate amount of space.  It is to develop the essay to the extent that is appropriate for that particular length.  This means that a one page essay will contain less background and supporting details than a 10 page essay that discusses the same issue.

Also keep in mind that producing high quality writing on a topic that you have just learned about is quite difficult--even a one page paper can be time consuming.  The best thing I ever did to improve my own ability to teach writing was to take several graduate level courses that forced me to write lots of long (and short) papers about issues that I had only recently been thinking about.  What I discovered is that it is not trivial--and I was a professional scientific/medical writer for several years before I started homeschooling.

Carrie12345

    I would also help him with understanding the audience for his papers.  Generally speaking, the audience for a paper produced for a class is not the instructor.  When students assume that the audience is the instructor, they tend to write less because they also assume that instructor knows all and so doesn't need any background information or to be reminded of anything.    

I think THIS has made for a huge change in my 7th and 8th graders' writing.  We never specifically discussed the assumed audience of papers.  *I assumed they'd somehow naturally understand that they should be writing "to" a complete stranger expecting to learn from their words.  *They assumed, hey, Mom knows exactly what I'm talking about!  It wasn't until I recognized this gap and specified their purpose that I got some fairly decent writing out of them.  :huh:

Yes--my son's writing got much better very quickly when I attended to this issue.  I was alerted to the issue while reading the book Engaging Ideas by John Bean.  The book is intended for college instructors, but it is the best book about teaching writing that I've come across.

Great then. Thanks! This is the only paper I have personally assigned this year and his last paper from his outsourced classes was a month ago. So this assignment is reasonable then. Thanks!

My just completed 8th grader can easily pull together a very good 3-5 page essay.  We have been very intentional about teaching writing since 5th grade, and this year she has taken Potter's School English 1 which is writing heavy.

EndOfOrdinary

In my husband's public school 9th grade English, he expects at least 3-5 pages from 9th graders by the end of the year. He teaches at risk, remedial writers. For many this is a reach. It is supposed to be by the end of the year. Secondly, they are not helped with scaffolding. The scaffolding is what is taught during first and second semester. If you are helping create an outline, give bullet points, craft a thesis, then your ninth grader is definitely in remedial writing. Your assignment is more than adequate. It is too easy.

I think you might need to have a "coming to Jesus discussion." It sounds like writing is not a favorite subject and you just plain need to fail him a few times rather than jumping in to save him. If he can do it, you need him to know it is his obligation to do it. If he won't, then he needs some consequences. Nineth grade is hard for a lot of boys. It is a nig wake up that middle school is over and they might in fact have actually study.

First of all, the Bravewriter class suggested is the starter class they recommend at you sons level. IMO, it sounds beneficial- not remedial.

Second, my oldest is a reluctant writer and struggles with writing (for my assignments). My next two are younger and can turn out one page, nicely organized, cohesive papers without a lot of pain or gnashing of teeth. Different strengths, different kids.

The BW class should be helpful to him. It sounds like he has idea-generating or idea-organizing challenges. Good luck.

In my husband's public school 9th grade English, he expects at least 3-5 pages from 9th graders by the end of the year. He teaches at risk, remedial writers. For many this is a reach. It is supposed to be by the end of the year. Secondly, they are not helped with scaffolding. The scaffolding is what is taught during first and second semester.

That's my understanding of what they do in 9th grade at our local public school too.  It doesn't seem like the expectations are a lot higher in 9th grade for non "at risk, remedial writers," but the level steps up after 9th.

Writing is not easy for most people in my experience.  We devoted an entire class in 9th grade to "composition and rhetoric" in addition to a full class (credit) on literature.  I'm not sure if we'll do the same in 10th grade, but we will if we need to.  A major high school academic goal of mine for my DS is that he be able to express himself confidently, rationally and competently in writing, so YMMV.  Sure, I wish we would have gotten to that point in middle school, but we didn't. 

Loesje22000

QWhen my 13yo enrolled to BW Kidswrite intermediate she was - with some others - the youngest of the class.

Most were about 15yo

happypamama

Just had to say that this is a super helpful thread!  My rising ninth grader is not really a natural writer, or at least not of the "can crank out a three page paper without blinking" sort, and this is giving me good guidelines about what to expect from her.

almondbutterandjelly

My 9th grader did tons of outlining, several paragraphs, and a 4 page research paper, which was guided step by step by me.  I helped her learn to find books at the library on her topic.  I taught her how to do note cards (well, I used Seton Composition to do this) and source cards.  She took notes from her sources, a couple index cards every day.  Then we worked on organizing the note cards into general topics and making an outline from those.  Then she wrote her paper, a piece of the outline at a time.

It ended up being 3.5 pages, not counting the Works Cited page.

laughing lioness

I don't think "writing papers" comes easily for most people either, because it's so vague and undefined. We used Lost Tools of Writing this year for our CC Ch A program and the 10 kids (of varying abilities and skills) all wrote 10 essays of 2-5 pgs each in 30 weeks. They all also wrote a final apologetics paper- the longest was 6 pages. Our Ch 1 group (mostly 9th/10th graders) wrote 8 essays of 2-5 pgs each and then a 15 pg research paper for science. 

The research paper was very challenging because it was less defined and their Director is more of a science type vs. lit type. But they did it. 

I highly recommend Lost Tools of Writing. It takes ALL of the questions out of writing and follows the 5 Cannons of Rhetoric. These kids will never wonder what an essay is again- or how to write one. 

I'm glad I read this thread. My dd is working on a research paper for history and I was worried that requiring four pages was too lenient. I'm glad to see that if she can produce 2-3 pages in 8th grade, we are on track.

We have struggled some with this, too, mostly in my dd's logic curriculum. For short-answer questions, she tends to give the bare minimum, with the excuse that, "I know what I meant." I keep reminding her that she's not writing for herself; she's writing for someone who hasn't read the curriculum and is learning from her answers. I don't think she believes me.  :laugh:

We have struggled some with this, too, mostly in my dd's logic curriculum. For short-answer questions, she tends to give the bare minimum, with the excuse that, "I know what I meant." I keep reminding her that she's not writing for herself; she's writing for someone who hasn't read the curriculum and is learning from her answers. I don't think she believes me.   :laugh:

It's hard to convince homeschooled kids in particular of this--at least it is around here--when the only person who ever looks at their work is Mom and then it goes in a notebook never to be seen again!

MerryAtHope

Kidswrite Intermediate is a common placement for high school students who haven't done the BW classes before--maybe he just doesn't understand from the title of the class, that he's doing just fine? It's not "low" at all (I'd take that placement as an endorsement that he's doing just fine). From the BW website :

If you have kids 14 and older, consider starting with  Kidswrite Intermediate . Kidswrite Intermediate prepares students for the demands of academic writing in high school and beyond.

As far as what my kids could do--one was able to write a research paper of a couple of pages fairly independently (we discussed revisions, I asked questions to help the student flesh out info or make things clearer), and the other struggled with writing a decent paragraph. Both were still working through AAS at that point. Don't worry where they're at--work with them at that point and build from there. 

Julie of KY

What do I expect from a ninth grader - well mostly to start where they are at and work at progressing. For one, that was getting words onto paper at all. A paragraph was a struggle. His writing sounded like a 3rd grader, his younger siblings could write much better. He's very smart with learning dysabilities, so it was all about teaching him to get around his disabilities and write at all. Through many Brave Writer classes, he's now able to write a very good college paper (though it remains very difficult).

Kidwriter Intermediate IS a high school class and sounds like a fine place to start. It will focus more on what is said and how it is said rather than structure. I'd recommend Expository Essay after Kidwriter Int.

I wish they called it something else. Kidswrite just sounds too juvenile for high school. My son took it second semester of 8th and there were high school students in his class.

I think I'm going to enroll dd15 in Kidswrite Intermediate.  At first I didn't think I would, because she does already know how to write an essay and do MLA formatting.  But her writing is perfunctory and a bit lackluster.  After talking to Julie B, who strongly recommended I sign her up for KWI, I agreed.  I think what she most needs to work on is voice, to make the rather formulaic writing she's doing better, more than taking another class that teaches steps/parts of an essay.  If she actually comes out of the class feeling even the tiniest bit excited about writing rather than thinking of it as a tedious chore, that will be a huge win.

I do agree with this.  It's why I hesitated to sign her up.  It sounds very middle-school.  I'm happy to hear from someone else upthread that there were a lot of 15yos in the class when they took it.

Agreed. My 9th grader took it last fall. It was fine. I am not sure how much was gleaned, but it was a good class to boost confidence in various skill areas.

Expository Essay was done in the spring and was awesome. It has offered a great "blueprint" for us to follow for the final papers of the year. Unfortunately, my child has not transferred the skills from that class to the extent I would like. I wish we would have done it sooner in the year so I could have offered more practice using the techniques from that class and thus help cement the skills. My kid just needs an insane amount of repetition before transfer occurs. Poor first trial and error kid!

My current plan is to have my rising 7th grader take KWI in fall of 8th grade and EE in the spring of 8th. That child turns 14 early in the school year and I imagine will have a string grasp of the skills covered by EE at that point. Of course that is a year and a half away and at this point in my career as a hs'ing mom, I have learned not to plan too far ahead! 

  I do agree with this. It's why I hesitated to sign her up. It sounds very middle-school. I'm happy to hear from someone else upthread that there were a lot of 15yos in the class when they took it.

We also had some 16-17yo in the class, who were writing very well.

Dd was intimidated by their writings :)

14-15 yo is definetly not the older side of the course.

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

×   Pasted as rich text.    Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.    Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.    Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

• Insert image from URL
• Submit Reply
• Leaderboard
• Board Rules
• All Activity
• Classifieds
• Create New...

How To Write A Ninth Grade Essay

• Views 12368
• Author Sandra W.

Writing A 9 th  Grade Essay

Writing skills is one of the most tested things in both elementary and secondary curricula in many States. Ninth graders are one of the graders that get such task of writing an essay that is comprehensive enough. Often they are required to write on something of their interest which should relate to history, literature, or biological science. From either of this category they are required to develop a topic that they will write about. This task is not a big challenge for many 9 th  graders so long as they follow the necessary steps in essay writing.

Steps that will guide you when writing 9 th  grade essay

• Identify a topic that is relevant with the type of your essay. Use recognizable tone as well as theme that you can identify with.
• Gather enough information for your essay from website, books and in the library. Where necessary consult secondary sources like newspaper reports, encyclopedia information for more clarification. Primary sources can be used as well for example; interviews to write your essay.
• Do not start to write without drafting an outline of your essay which should contain just main points that will be covered. Do not be very much concerned on the level of accuracy at this point. For example, writing an essay analyzing reasons why U.S. got involved in Second World War may include the following.
• In the introduction discus how World War I ended and the impact of the war.
•  Body section looking how the climate was in the U.S.at that time.
• Using another body paragraph outlining the mood and how the situation was at that time.
• Finally why the United States found it unavoidable to get involved in the war.
• Take short break before you revise your draft several times as you eliminate unnecessary information. Ask for a second party to help in your revisions by asking them to read and give suggestions for improvement.
• Finally ensure that your essay meets minimum set requirements and does not overlook some key requirements. Proofread the essay by checking for spelling errors or grammatical mistakes that may be there. Have a final sentence of your essay that is appealing to the reader and can keep lingering in him for some time.

Recent Posts

• A Sample Essay on Birds 21-08-2023 0 Comments
• Is Homeschooling an Ideal Way... 21-08-2023 0 Comments
• Essay Sample on Man 14-08-2023 0 Comments
• Academic Writing(23)
• Admission Essay(172)
• Book Summaries(165)
• College Tips(312)
• Content Writing Services(1)
• Essay Help(517)
• Essay Writing Help(76)
• Essays Blog(0)
• Example(337)
• Infographics(2)
• Letter Writing(1)
• Outlines(137)
• Photo Essay Assignment(4)
• Resume Writing Tips(62)
• Samples Essays(315)
• Writing Jobs(2)

• Share on Facebook
• Tweet This Resource
• Pin This Resource

Khan Academy: How Formal Should the Tone of Your College Essay Be?

Sarah McGinty, college admissions expert, discusses how formal your college application essay should be and tips on how to bring out your natural voice. [2:48]

Additional Tags

Classroom considerations.

• Knovation Readability Score: 4 (1 low difficulty, 5 high difficulty)
• The intended use for this resource is Instructional

Start Your Free Trial

Save time and discover engaging curriculum for your classroom. Reviewed and rated by trusted, credentialed teachers.

• Collection Types
• Activities & Projects
• Assessments
• Graphics & Images
• Handouts & References
• Interactives
• Lab Resources
• Learning Games
• Lesson Plans
• Presentations
• Primary Sources
• Printables & Templates
• Professional Documents
• Study Guides
• Instructional Videos
• Performance Tasks
• Graphic Organizers
• Writing Prompts
• Constructed Response Items
• AP Test Preps
• Lesson Planet Articles
• Online Courses
• Interactive Whiteboards
• Home Letters
• Unknown Types
• Stock Footages
• All Resource Types

See similar resources:

Tone and mood, khan academy: writing tips and techniques for your college essay, khan academy: taking your college essay to the next level, khan academy: how to take a practice lsat, khan academy: student story: prioritizing size/campus/major for college search, college writing, khan academy: student story: searching for scholarships, khan academy: student story: admissions essay about community impact, khan academy: writing a strong college admissions essay, khan academy: the scale of formality.

• Translators
• Graphic Designers

Please enter the email address you used for your account. Your sign in information will be sent to your email address after it has been verified.

How Long Should My Academic Essay Be?

When you're given an academic essay assignment, it's easy to feel overwhelmed—especially if English is your second language or you have limited experience with academic writing. Academic essays can range from a few paragraphs to book-length dissertations, so the scope of expectations varies widely based on the school you're attending, the class you're taking, the departmental expectations, and (most especially) the professor giving you the assignment.

However, if you're new to academic essay writing and are stressing over the length it should be, keep in mind that in most situations, your questions will be answered by your professor or the admissions committee assigning you the essay in the first place. When an assignment is given, some professors are very specific on their expectations, including what they expect the word count to be.

For most assignments, you'll likely be given guidelines based on word count (for example, 1,000 to 1,200 words) or page count (3 to 5 pages, double-spaced). You might also be given guidelines on the citation format to use, how many sources you should have, and even the publication date range of those sources. Some professors like to be extremely specific on their expectations for each academic essay assignment, while others might be more lenient and less structured in their guidelines. And of course, these guidelines will vary based on the type of academic essay and its purpose.

General guidelines for essay length

Middle school.

Academic essay assignments typically start in middle school in the American education system and fall within the range of 300 to 800 words. In these grades, you'll be learning the basic 5-paragraph essay structure, which includes an introduction, a thesis statement, the body, and a conclusion. In the typical 5-paragraph essay format, the first paragraph should be the introduction, the second through fourth paragraphs should be the body of the essay, and the fifth paragraph should be the conclusion. In very rare instances would your introduction or conclusion take up more than one paragraph for these types of essays.

High school

In high school, you'll still likely need to write a 5-paragraph essay, although some teachers (especially English and Language Arts) will start to require longer essays (3 to 5 pages). This is to prepare you for the rigor of academic writing that you'll be fine-tuning in college. In these essays, you will still have the basic format of introduction, body and conclusion; however, you'll expand the body to more thoroughly explore or explain a topic. The conclusion of your 3 to 5-page essay will likely still fall within one paragraph, although the introduction might be more than one, depending on the topic.

University (Undergraduate level)

Once you get admitted into an undergraduate program, the length of your academic essay assignments will vary significantly, depending on the classes you take and the departments you take them in. You'll also encounter classes that require academic essays of varying length as the semester progresses, with a longer essay due as the final assignment for a greater percentage of the class grade. In most cases, these longer academic writing assignments will be structured in such a way in that parts of the essay assignment must be turned in at different times, with all sections being put together as a final paper.

For example, in an advanced-level English class, your professor might assign multiple shorter essays of 5 to 7 pages (or 1,500 to 2,100 words) and one final essay that explores a topic in more depth at 8 to 10 pages (or 2,400 to 3,000 words). Another class, such as a core curriculum survey course, might require fewer essays or more journal prompt-type writing assignments.

University (Graduate level)

Much the same as the undergraduate level of college, graduate-level academic writing assignments will vary based on several factors, such as the professor, the course, the department, and the program of study. One university program might require extensive writing while another might be more lab-based or hands-on experience.

Graduate level is also where you're likely to first encounter "thesis" and "dissertation" academic writing assignments, which can go up to 100,000 words or more. These types of assignments obviously require extensive planning, research, and writing time, but you'll likely be given very specific word count and citation requirements when being assigned the paper to write.

Graduate level writing is significantly more involved than the 5-paragraph essay format and contains elements such as sections related to a review of literature, background of the topic/theoretical framework, methodology of research, and your specific findings. These separate sections might have their own word count limits and requirements, with some requiring significantly more time and writing than others. As with some undergraduate assignments, you might be asked to submit these academic writing assignments in stages or sections, including a proposal, a list of your sources, etc.

Beyond word and page count

Even if you stay within a certain word or page count that is required for an academic writing assignment, you could still receive a poor grade for not using that count wisely. For example, it's possible to write a 3 to 5-paragraph paper that is disorganized and illogical, in the same sense that an 8-page essay might have the same faults.

Here are some important guidelines to follow when writing an academic essay, regardless of the word count required:

• Always carefully outline before you begin writing. An outline will help you cover everything that should be covered and ensure that you've included all of the required parts of the essay (introduction, thesis statement, etc.)
• Never allow your academic essay writing style to appear rambling, off-topic, or full of "filler" words. While the topic you're writing about might be new to you, your professor will likely know it extensively and will be able to tell if you're writing just to fill space.
• Do your best to avoid hedging. Hedging is when you essentially dance around a topic with vague statements but never have an actual stance on it. In most forms of academic writing, you're expected to make a clear assumption or thesis statement and then back up your claim with solid research and/or data.

So, can I go over or under word count?

Ultimately, it will always be in your best interest to stay within word count requirements given to you on assignments. Word count or page count limits are given to you for a reason—your professor knows exactly how in-depth you can explore a topic or topics given that word count restriction. If you find that you are significantly under word count when you've completed your writing assignment, it's likely that you haven't explored the topic to the depth expected of you by your instructor. A poor or failing grade might be the result, as it will be clear to your professor that you either didn't understand the topic or didn't take the time needed to research it correctly.

Some professors will allow word count that is over suggested limits a lot more readily than word count that is under them. However, keep in mind that if you have gone significantly over word count in your academic essay assignment, it's always a good idea to ask your teacher if this is acceptable. He or she might have such a heavy student and research load that they are simply unable to read hundreds of essays that are over the suggested word count limit, and might be forced to stop reading once you've reached it. This means that important parts of your writing will not be read and could affect your teacher's grade choice for the assignments.

This is also true for college admissions essay assignments. Admissions committees might be reading the essays of thousands of applicants and need those writers to stay within word count restrictions for the sake of time and logistics. Allowing one applicant to write extensively more could also put that applicant at an unfair advantage, so word count restrictions should always be followed. For a more in-depth look at what you should and shouldn't do on your college admissions essay, check out this article on writing a college admissions essay that stands out from the crowd .

How to Start Thinking About Your Future in 9th Grade

9th grade college and career planning checklist.

Students and parents often ask, “How early should we start planning for college?” The answer is it's never too early. As a 9th grader, you're starting an exciting journey that will shape your future. Planning and creating a vision board is a powerful way to turn your dreams into reality. It’s a visual representation of your goals and aspirations, helping you stay motivated and focused.  

Create a Vision Board.

Your vision board should include the following steps to help you plan for the rest of your time in high school. Creating a vision board is like crafting a four-year high school plan. It’s exciting to see your future ahead of you! 

Remember, your goals and interests can always be replaced and changed as you grow. Think about what you’d like to accomplish in high school. Then meet with your school counselor to ensure you're taking the right classes for your goals. Also, ask your teachers about the types of courses offered by your school to find the best fit for your interests.

• Take the Career Quiz: Discover careers that match your interests and strengths by taking the 10-minute  Career Quiz . Screenshot careers that inspire you.
• Review Interest Areas: Explore your  interest areas . Capture images of careers that spark your curiosity or align with your passions.
• Explore Majors:   Look into majors related to your interests. Note those that stand out to help guide your high school course selections.
• Take the College Quiz: Investigate colleges offering your chosen majors by taking the  college quiz . Save screenshots of schools that appeal to you and their highlights.
• Get Inspired: Look at key  actions to take in 9th grade if you want inspiration for your vision board.

Explore Advanced Placement® (AP®) Courses .

• Learn about the  AP Program  and how it can lead to  college credit , advanced placement, or both at most colleges in the U.S. 
• Consider which of the   40 AP courses you want to take during high school.
• Use the results from your career quiz to help guide your choices. Explore how specific AP courses are mapped to careers. Check out the  AP courses by major and career to help you choose the best courses for your goals.
• Find out your likelihood to succeed in AP. Identify AP courses that match your strengths. The AP Potential™ tool can help you choose the best AP classes for your skills and interests.

Participate in Extracurricular Activities.

• Participate in extracurricular activities such as sports teams, school clubs, drama clubs, or volunteering.
• The NCAA requires completion of certain core classes in high school for eligibility. Visit the  NCAA Eligibility Center for more information.
• Stay motivated over the summer. Colleges look for students who pursue meaningful summer activities.

Here's a breakdown of the steps in our  college planning checklist for 9th grade .

Related Topics