what is a process essay example

How to write a process essay

• August 25, 2023

Process essays are one of the most common types of essays . It’s simply explaining a process of how to do something. 

In this article, we’ll show you how to write a process essay in steps with interactive examples. 

Process essay definition

Let’s take a look at the steps outlined below to write a clear and effective process essay. 

Choose a topic

You should start by choosing a topic that not only interests you but also attracts your target audience. 

Whether it’s brewing the perfect cup of coffee or conquering the art of origami, your topic should be engaging and well-defined.  Let’s have a look at topic examples:

• Crafting Exquisite Miniature Bookbindings
• Building a Sustainable Vertical Garden
• Making the Perfect Cup of Coffee

So for this guide, I’ve chosen “Making the Perfect Cup of Coffee”. Now let’s continue with the next steps.

Create a process essay outline

Now that you’ve your topic at hand, it’s time to create an outline to present the steps chronologically. Outline will also help you organize your thoughts and ideas so you won’t get lost during the writing process.

Let’s examine this step with an example of a process essay explaining “Making the Perfect Cup of Coffee”.

Process essay outline example

• Thesis statement
• Provide safety precautions if necessary.
• Address to the reader
• Provide any variations or customization options if applicable.
• End with a memorable concluding thought or call to action.

By presenting the steps in chronological order, your readers can follow the process smoothly. 

During this step, just make sure to:

• Expand on each step you outlined earlier.
• Use clear and concise language.
• Make use of bullet points or numbered lists to make the process visually appealing.

After completing the outline, it’s time to write an interesting introduction.

Write an introduction

• Hook the reader's interest with a hook sentence
• Offer a brief overview of the topic and its significance
• Introduce and explain the process with a thesis statement at the end of introduction

Process essay introduction example

Introduction

Now that we have an intro on our hand, you need to tell what materials you need to finish the process.

Write the materials needed for the process

Listing the necessary materials for the process is a best practice for process essays. Typically found just after the introduction, this paragraph is devoted to outlining the necessary materials.

Here, p rioritizing the list is important; the more influential a component is, the higher its position on the list should be.

Example material list for process essay

Body paragraphs

Materials needed

• High-quality coffee beans that align with your flavor preference.
• A grinder for optimal flavor extraction.
• Equipment for brewing methods, such as a pour-over apparatus, a drip coffee maker, a French press, or an espresso machine.
• Fresh and clean water for brewing.
• Optional additives like milk, cream, sugar, flavored syrups, or other preferred elements.

Start writing the process

Right after listing the materials needed, it’s time to start writing the process itself.

When describing your process, be careful not to make it too complicated. To keep your readers on track, use transitional words like “after,” “eventually,” “first,” “then,” and others help you maintain an understandable tone.  

Or simply use a 1,2,3, bullet point structure as seen in example below to remind readers of their step during the process.

Body paragraphs - Process writing example

Materials needed ...

• Grind the beans just before brewing for optimal freshness. Use a burr grinder and adjust the coarseness to match your brewing method (coarse for French press, fine for espresso).
• Weigh your coffee grounds using a scale. A standard ratio is 1 to 2 tablespoons of coffee per 6 ounces of water, but adjust to your taste.
• Ensure the water is heated to the ideal temperature, typically between 195-205°F (90-96°C). Water that's too hot or too cold can affect the taste.
• Pay attention to the brewing time. Generally, 4-5 minutes is suitable for most methods, but again, adjust based on your preference.
• After finishing, regularly clean your coffee maker or French press to prevent rancid oils and residue from affecting your coffee's taste.

As seen from the example above, using an imperative language structure is generally preferable. It makes total sense as you’re describing a process in steps and usually don’t need a full sentence structure. 

Give tips and supporting details

After explaining the process above, it’s now time to provide tips and supporting details. Here, make use examples, tips, and even warnings if necessary. 

In other words, anticipate the questions your readers might have and address them as you go along. 

Body paragraphs - Supporting details

Supporting details & tips

• Ensure safe handling of hot water and coffee-making equipment.
• Water that's too hot can result in over-extraction, while water that's too cold won't extract enough flavor.

Write a conclusion

At this step, you simply need to write a conclusion paragraph to end your process essay. First summarize the key points, and restate the process in a concise and short sentence. And finally, finish your process essay by a memorable sentence or a call-to-action. 

Process essay conclusion example

Revise and polish your essay.

Now that you’ve written your essay, take a breath, and then come back for some editing. Check for consistency, correct sentence structure, efficient transitions , tense selection , and other linguistic issues that may arise. 

If possible, make use of proofreading tools like QuillBot or Grammarly . 

• Think about potential reader misunderstandings and address them. If needed, explain what should be avoided.
• Offer explanations for steps that might seem unusual or complicated.
• Define any unfamiliar terms or materials that the reader might not understand. This ensures clarity in your essay.

So  you’ve successfully learned how to write a captivating process essay. Remember, practice makes perfect. The more you write, the better you’ll become.

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5 Process Essay Examples

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A process essay is a type of essay that explains a process in detail. Good process essays don’t just explain the process but provides details about common mistakes to avoid as well as tips and methods to achieve success. Below are some example essays:

Process Essay Examples

#1 how to bake a chocolate cake.

1337 Words | 4 Pages

Thesis Statement: “The purpose of this essay is to guide readers through the enjoyable and straightforward process of baking a chocolate cake, highlighting the essential steps and tips to ensure a delicious and successful outcome.”

#2 How to Write a Resume

Thesis Statement: “This essay aims to provide a comprehensive guide on crafting an effective resume, detailing each step from gathering relevant information to finalizing the document, while offering practical tips and common pitfalls to avoid, ensuring a polished and professional presentation of one’s career achievements and qualifications.”

#3 How to Train for a Marathon

1508 Words | 5 Pages

Thesis Statement: “This essay provides a comprehensive guide to marathon training, detailing a strategic approach to building endurance, strength, and speed, coupled with essential advice on nutrition, hydration, and mental preparation, to equip runners of all levels with the knowledge and tools necessary for successfully completing a marathon.”

#4 How to Prepare for a Job Interview

1309 Words | 5 Pages

Thesis Statement: “This essay outlines a comprehensive strategy for job interview preparation, encompassing in-depth company research, personalized response formulation, professional presentation, and logistical planning, to equip candidates with the tools necessary for making a compelling and confident impression in their pursuit of career opportunities.”

#5 How to Write an Essay

1473 Words | 5 Pages

Thesis Statement: “This essay outlines a comprehensive, step-by-step approach to essay writing, from understanding the prompt to the final stages of revision and editing, providing essential tips and strategies to enhance writing skills and ensure the creation of a well-structured, persuasive, and effectively communicated piece.”

How to Write a Process Essay

The following template provides an overview of a process essay structure:

Grab this process essay template here.

Instructions: To write a process essay, start by introducing the process and its significance, ensuring the reader understands the purpose and value of the instructions. Next, present the preparation and materials required, before outlining each step of the process in a logical order, offering detailed explanations, tips, and potential pitfalls to avoid, ensuring clarity and ease of understanding. Conclude by summarizing the main steps and reinforcing the benefits or results of completing the process, leaving the reader with a clear understanding and the confidence to undertake the task.

How to Write a Thesis Statement for a Process

To write a thesis statement for a process essay, identify the process you’re explaining and clearly state the purpose or goal of the essay. Concisely outline the primary steps or stages involved in the process, ensuring clarity and direction for the reader. The thesis should be informative, indicating what the reader can expect to learn and achieve by following the essay.

💡 AI Prompt For Writing a Process Essay Thesis Statement “Create a thesis statement for a process essay on [TOPIC] that clearly identifies the specific process being explained. The thesis should state the purpose of the essay and briefly outline the main steps or stages involved in the process. Ensure that the statement is concise, informative, and guides the reader on what they will learn and achieve by reading the essay.”

Read Also: 101 Thesis Statement Examples

Suggested Process Essay Topics

For Grades 4 to 8:

• How to Organize a School Backpack.
• Steps to Create a Simple Science Fair Project.
• The Process of Planting and Caring for a Vegetable Garden.
• How to Write a Book Report.
• Making a Handcrafted Greeting Card.

For Grades 9 to 12:

• How to Prepare for the SATs.
• Steps for Conducting a Basic Scientific Experiment.
• Crafting an Effective Persuasive Essay.
• Planning and Executing a Community Service Project.
• The Process of Creating a Personal Budget.

For University/College:

• How to Conduct a Literature Review for a Research Paper.
• Writing a Successful College Application Essay.
• The Process of Developing a Mobile App.
• How to Create a Comprehensive Marketing Plan.
• Steps for Conducting a Qualitative Research Study.
• Preparing and Delivering an Effective Oral Presentation.
• The Process of Writing a Business Plan.
• How to Analyze a Case Study in Business School.
• Crafting a Dissertation or Thesis Proposal.
• Developing and Implementing a Personal Fitness Plan.

Ready to Write your Essay?

Take action! Choose one of the following options to start writing your essay now:

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How to Write a Process Essay

Last Updated: December 6, 2023 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Jake Adams . Jake Adams is an academic tutor and the owner of Simplifi EDU, a Santa Monica, California based online tutoring business offering learning resources and online tutors for academic subjects K-College, SAT & ACT prep, and college admissions applications. With over 14 years of professional tutoring experience, Jake is dedicated to providing his clients the very best online tutoring experience and access to a network of excellent undergraduate and graduate-level tutors from top colleges all over the nation. Jake holds a BS in International Business and Marketing from Pepperdine University. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 169,001 times.

A process essay, otherwise known as a how-to essay, tells a reader how to perform a particular task. The best process essays follow a clear step-by-step organization. Start by providing your reader with a time estimate and general summary of the task. Then, move on to a more detailed explanation of each and every necessary step. When you are finished with your essay, read it over carefully to ensure that you haven’t left anything out.

Getting Ready to Write

• For example, a process essay intended for professional chefs could probably skip a description of how to chop carrots and just say, “Finely chop the carrots,” instead.

• You could also include a comprehensive “Things You’ll Need” section at the beginning of the paper. Or list the materials needed after the introduction.
• If an item on the list is a bit unusual, such as a particular type of hand tool, then make sure to clearly introduce it within the text. For example, “The pin hammer has a finer tip than a standard hammer, making it suitable for more detailed work.” You can also include a picture of the item, particularly if the essay will be published online.

• If you are writing an essay about how to cook lasagna, your initial outline might just state, “Mix in basil.” Before you start writing, you could expand your outline to say, “Briefly mention taste differences between dried and fresh basil.”
• Note that the more specific your article or essay topic, the more specific your details needs to be.

Crafting an Introduction

• For instance, you might write, “The process of preparing lasagna has a rich heritage all of its own.”

• If your process essay focuses on a cooking task, this is where you might advise your readers to consult the ingredients or materials list and put every item on the counter.
• For example, you might write, “This recipe requires 30 minutes of active preparation time, along with 45 minutes of baking time.”

• For example, your thesis might be, “This essay will explore how to create a complicated lasagna dish in a short period of time by preparing the noodles and sauce in advance.”

Writing Your Body Paragraphs

• Be especially careful with items that contain multiple steps. Make the transitions clear and acknowledge prior steps regarding a particular item, if applicable.

• For instance, when making pasta, consider writing a paragraph on how to boil pasta and another paragraph on how to make the sauce. This separates the ideas for easy clarification.

• For instance, you could write, “Next, place the pot on the stove,” to move from one paragraph to the next.

• For example, you could write, “This essay shows…” instead of “I’ll show.”

• For example, you might caution a reader to, “Cook the meat until it is no longer red in the center.” This advice will help them to avoid a foodborne illness.

Wrapping It Up

• In the case of the recipe, you could write something like, “You now have a bowl of boiled pasta and finished Bolognese sauce. Serve up plates of pasta and sauce to your family, topping them with parmesan, if desired. You can serve garlic bread or a side salad with this dish, too.”

• A simple example for our newly-made dinner might be, "And there you have it! A delicious yet quick meal fit for the entire family that you can make over and over again without complaint. Next time, experiment with different herbs and spices to find your own spin on this classic dish."

• Look to see if there are places where you can eliminate steps or condense your instructions. A reader is more likely to finish directions that they can easily skim through.
• Ask someone to read through the essay to see if they can understand the process. If possible, pick someone from your intended audience demographic.

• Don’t rely on spell-check alone, as it cannot account for context and doesn’t catch every error.

Expert Q&A

• If there are alternative ways to do a particular step in the process, make sure to mention these as you go along. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

• Give your readers pacing instructions as well. If they need to go slowly while performing a certain task, tell them early on. The same rule applies if a task requires speed for success. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

You Might Also Like

• ↑ Jake Adams. Academic Tutor & Test Prep Specialist. Expert Interview. 20 May 2020.
• ↑ https://www.grammarly.com/blog/essay-outline/
• ↑ https://www.georgebrown.ca/sites/default/files/uploadedfiles/tlc/_documents/hooks_and_attention_grabbers.pdf
• ↑ https://courses.lumenlearning.com/atd-clinton-englishcomp/chapter/2-the-process-essay/
• ↑ http://www.butte.edu/departments/cas/tipsheets/style_purpose_strategy/procress_paper.html
• ↑ https://www.grammarly.com/blog/readability-scores/

About This Article

To write a process essay, begin by writing an introduction that grabs the reader’s attention so they’ll want to keep reading. Then, end the first paragraph with a thesis statement presenting a problem for which you are offering a solution. Next, explain the process, making each step its own paragraph, and using transitions like "next" or "then" to move from one task to another. As the final step, let the reader know what to expect from the finished product and what to do with it. Finally, close your essay by reiterating why the process is helpful to the reader. For tips from our Education reviewer on how to proofread for common errors in a process essay, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Posted: 06 June, 2017

Process Essay: How-To, Structure, Examples, Topics

Process essays aren't as common as other essay types at university, but they are still assigned. If you've been assigned to write one, this guide will have everything you need to get started.

Table Of Contents

What is Process Essay?

Process essay structure, how to write process essay, process essay topics, process essay examples.

A process essay can be one of two things. It can be an essay that explains how to do something, or it can be an essay that explains how something works. It'll be more common if you study a subject that follows linear protocols, such as the sciences.

The essay structure for a process essay is one of the simplest ones around. The goal of the essay is to explain the process itself, so you'll break it down into different steps. Your essay should look like this:

• Introduction: Introduce the process you're going to explain, and talk about why it's important to the reader.
• Main body: Each section in this part will take on a different topic, or step in the process. Remember to include all the steps that are needed.
• Conclusion: You'll wrap up your explanation, but won't include anything new at this stage.

To write your essay, here's every step you'll need to take.

• First, research the process you're going to be explaining. Make sure you have all the information to hand. These kinds of essays aren't as reliant on evidence, but you still will need some to prove your points.
• Now, you'll need to write your outline. Use the structure above for guidance. This outline will ensure that you miss nothing out of your explanation.
• Once you have your outline, sit down to write. The outline will give you the guidance you need, making the writing process easier. Remember to leave lots of time to write my essay for me request, or you could rush it and make mistakes.
• Finally, proofread and edit your essay. This will ensure that no mistakes were made and that it's ready to hand in.

The topics you could be given in this genre of essay writing can vary wildly. You could be asked to write about how to draw a cow, or set up an email account. Whatever topic you're given, you'll be expected to write a full and thorough account of how to undertake that activity. Remember, you need to write so someone else could follow your steps and get the right result.

If you want some practice at writing your own process essays, here are some example topics:

• How to train your dog to sit.
• How to send a text message.
• How to start a small business online.
• How to change the oil in your car.

If you don't know how to do any of these things, you'll need to research first. Make sure you don't miss out any important steps!

Now you know how to write the perfect process essay. Use this guide when you next need to get one written.

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A process essay is a step-by-step guide on how to do or make something. It is important to include every step of the process, even if something appears self-explanatory. Your audience might not be as familiar on the topic as you are.

What may be equally important, and is often overlooked, is what not to do. For example, the process of making caramel is deceptively simple. The sugar mixture needs to be swirled to prevent burning. However, stirring the mixture will cause the molecules to agitate, making the syrup crystalize into a solid unusable lump. So, when writing a process essay on caramel it is equally important to define swirling and to caution against stirring.

Since a process essay is a series of instructions, transition words are an important component. Transitions establish connections between ideas. They can be a single word that imparts a logical order or sequence to your writing, or it could be an entire sentence that connects one paragraph to the next.

Transition Words

If you have not been given a topic, choose one that you feel confident in explaining to your audience. Refer again to the introduction section of this guide to find information on progression and organization. Brainstorming and creating an outline will help you avoid missing any steps or directions. Here are a few topic suggestions for a process essay:

• Car Mechanic
• Cellular Structure
• Applying for a Green Card
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• Last Updated: Jan 23, 2024 2:52 PM
• URL: https://jefferson.kctcs.libguides.com/Essay

How to Write a Process Essay?

18 June, 2020

14 minutes read

Author:  Tomas White

What is a “process essay”? What makes it different from dozens of other papers you create on a daily basis? What are its main components and what the main goal of this type of writing you need to bear in mind? If you're looking for answers to these questions, you're in luck! You can get them all from our academic guide on how to write a process essay.

Composing a process essay can be rather complicated especially if you are not familiar with this type of writing and do not know what pitfalls and specifications to pay attention to.

That is why our custom essay writing service has created this guide to help you tackle this task. We will answer all these questions in our article below and even provide you with great process essay examples and topics you can write on to stand out. So, if that sounds like something you need right now, read on: we are here to help and equip you with knowledge!

But first things first. Since it is impossible to create an excellent process essay without crystal clear understanding of the term, we will start with the definition. So, let’s dive in!

What is a process essay?

A process essay is commonly written either to explain how something works or to guide a reader through the process of completing a particular task, states the process essay definition.

Process essays also go under the “How-to articles” title and aim to teach the target audience how to achieve certain goals or complete specific assignments.

So, look at it like this. In case of “How to quit smoking” process essay, your primary goal is to provide several helpful ways of quitting this habit. These might be evidence-based recommendations if you have experience in this area, or simply common sense ideas you found while conducting your research.

Now that you realize what you will be working with, let’s look into different types of process essays and practical ways to compose them. Our essay writing guide will walk you through the process essay writing step by step.

Types of process essays

There are two main types of such papers: the ones that explain how something works , and those that show you how to complete a particular task .

1. How to do something.

Though it sounds quite self-explanatory, we’d like to emphasize the importance of clear instructions in case you are writing a process essay.

Your readers must be able to follow your guidance and complete each step successfully. So, split the process into small steps, keep it short and to the point at each stage of crafting a process essay.

For instance, in a “How to quit smoking” process essay , you can split the whole process into seven steps:

• Choose a date for a quit day;
• Imagine life without cigarettes and expect it;
• Have one last cigarette as a “Goodbye!”;
• Be among people to support you;
• Keep your goal in perspective not to give up;
• Don’t fall for substitutes;
• Be accountable.

2. How something works.

By contrast, this is an informative type of writing that aims to achieve one goal – explain the principle of work behind some process. Unlike the mentioned above type, this process essay type does not encourage a reader to take an action and do something step by step.

However, you must make sure that by the end of your essay, the audience will know for sure how something functions.

As an example of this type of a process essay, let’s see how an earthquake happens .

• First, the energy within the earth core builds up due to various moves in the earth crust;
• The energy level grows up and causes tension in the tectonic plates;
• After some time, the pressure radiates outwards by moving the plates from each other;
• The seismic waves shake the earth as they get from the core of the earth to the surface;
• That is when the earthquake takes place.

Before we go any further, let’s look at another example. In case of “How to prepare for a vacation” process essay, your task is to compose a few steps that your readers can take when getting ready for their vacation. In other words, you are describing how to do something.

Meanwhile, “What happens to your brain when you sleep” process essay is merely an explanation of the principle. In it, you are not encouraging readers to take any actions whatsoever. So, here is the fundamental difference.

How to write a process essay?

Getting started with process essay writing

When developing a process essay outline, take some time to answer the following questions:

• Who is your target audience? How deep is their knowledge of the subject? The complexity of your essay depends on their skills level. Thus, for instance, when explaining to your peers how to stretch a dollar to see the world, you can use basic terminology and examples they can relate to. However, your vocabulary should be way more sophisticated if you are writing a process essay on how to improve the overall quality of higher education in your state to the City Council.
• How can you divide the process into small steps? You do not want to bore your audience to death with unnecessary details in a process essay. Yet, you cannot afford to skip valuable steps if they are crucial to the overall understanding of the subject of your process essay. So, try to find the golden cut and figure out the most suitable amount of steps.
• What sources will you use for the task? It goes without saying that you can only use reliable sources to support your argument in a process essay. These sources should be all mentioned in the end of your essay. And remember about proper in-text citation styles. Read the materials carefully and take only the information that will add value to your essay and helps make it shine.

How to write a process essay outline

Finally, let’s look into the process essay structure. Needless to say that you must start with something that will grab readers’ attention, or in other words, “a hook.”

It is true for any essay, and process essay writing is not an exception.

The structure of your essay regardless of the process essay topics should consist of:

• A powerful introduction.
• Main body paragraphs.
• An interesting conclusion.

Related Post: Essay outline | Research Paper outline

Sounds simple, yet there are several things you should not forget about process essay writing.

How to write an introduction to a process essay

Once you compose a hook, mention why you believe that readers should use your approach to solve a problem even though there are dozens of other ones. We know two effective ways to achieve this in your process essay:

• Show how much time this task will take . People don’t have all the time in the world to tackle just this one task. So, you’ll really help them by stating how much time completing something using your approach will take and underline that with your approach described in a process essay it will take less time than if they opt for a different one. “Writing can be tough, especially if you always felt that it is not exactly your suit. However, Michael D. Pollock, a credible expert in this area, has recently presented 10 effective tips that will help you learn writing fast and make you able to craft a 1000-word article in 30 minutes. So, keep reading to find out how you can write this fast too.”
• Introduce your audience to the historical background of the approach (if any) you’re using in a process essay. Let them see the roots of your solution. Here is what a good introduction of a process essay should look like: “Giving a speech with lots of eyes concentrated on you is not an easy task. No wonder so many students dread this task. However, speech can be a powerful tool, and we can teach you how to give them right. Steve Jobs is known as one of the best public speakers of our time. People were sitting on the edge of their seats when he spoke. And we’ll teach you how to grab attention like he did using just five simple tricks he applied.”

At last, compose an engaging thesis of a process essay. Many students consider it a scary part. But it all goes down to this.

Your thesis statement should reason why your way is the best and why readers looking for answers should search no more and give your solution a chance.

It’s easier than you think. Here is a good thesis statement example:

“With more than 580 million tons of household waste produced all over the world, Every tiny effort you make to become eco-friendly counts. And if you don’t want to spend extra money on sustainable products but want to save the environment, use our guide on ten simple eco-friendly steps you can do daily without even noticing it!”

This is what a thesis statement for a process essay on how to be eco-friendly would look like. Yours can be different, but you get the idea!

How to plan main body paragraphs

• Dedicate one body paragraph to one point you want to bring to light.
• Provide enough details on each step including the ultimate goal of this step and reasons why this method was chosen for its achievement.
• Keep it short and to the point.

How to write a conclusion

Now is that time you reminded the readers about the purpose of a process essay, reasons why you chose this particular approach, and briefly mentioned steps needed to accomplish the task.

Besides, you can call your audience to action but only in case you are writing an essay that shows how to do something. Otherwise, it will be inapplicable.

Finally, help them set their expectations right: what results can they count on in the end? How long will it take them to achieve those results after reading your process essay and applying its tips?

How to use transition words in a process essay

Transition words can help you create a seamless reading experience. You can take readers smoothly from one step to another. And what is more you can help them immerse into the process!

Therefore, begin each new paragraph with a transition word, add one in between examples you provide, and summarize your instructions with them, too.

Think of transition words as of bridges that connect paragraphs and sentences. They make smooth communication between the two possible. And with them in your process essay, no reader feels irritated or frustrated with your writing style, as they have to stumble upon every other sentence in your piece.

Good process essay topics

It is not enough to just know the theory to create a good process essay. One should also come up with a topic that will be both interesting and useful to his readers. Here’s a list of our suggestions on process essay ideas:

• How to choose a perfect future career.
• How to survive college and stay sane.
• How to eat healthy on campus.
• How to balance your social and academic life.
• How to pay out a student loan while still at college.
• How to improve your public speaking skills.
• How to see the world with only $100 in your pocket.
• How to learn a foreign language.
• How to renovate your apartment and not go bankrupt.
• How to start your own business.
• How to prepare for your first interview.
• How to get volunteers to help you clean the neighborhood.
• How to write a life list.
• How to set boundaries in the relationship.
• How to study overseas for free.

Related Posts: Argumentative essay topics | Compare&Contrast essay topics

Process essay writing tips

Wrapping up, we would like to introduce you to a couple of vital recommendations on process essay writing:

• Your process essay subject cannot be too broad or too narrow. Look out for the golden cut!
• Introduce your readers to possible complications of the process. After all, forewarned is forearmed.
• Create a short vocabulary your audience can use in case they are not familiar with the terminology essential to the general understanding of the process essay in question.
• Develop a list of resources your readers will need as they deal with certain tasks. This way you will have them prepared to put your recommendations to action right away.
• Always write a process essay using Active Voice!

Need help with your process essay writing? Handmadewriting is here for you to help. Drop us a line to get our professional essay writers to develop an excellent piece for you!

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Process Analysis: How to Write a Process Analysis Essay

Writing a process analysis essay sounds like a problematic task to do, but in reality, it’s just another writing assignment. In this article, our college essay writing service will explain how to write a process analysis essay, list some process analysis essay topics and give you useful writing tips and examples. But first things first — let’s start with a process analysis definition.

What Is a Process Analysis Essay

Before jumping to the How To section, let’s answer the question of what is process analysis. Process analysis is an essay which explains how something is done, how something occurs, or how something works. In this type of essay, the writer is required to present the steps of the process in sequential order, from first to last. All concepts or terms that might appear uncommon are defined.

For Example: When writing a process analysis essay about becoming a better person, you count and describe some actions — from small to bigger ones — like lifting peoples’ self esteem around you when you were young, to becoming a motivational speaker when you’re older.

Sometimes, your professor will assign you a process analysis topic. And sometimes, you will have to pick a topic by yourself.

You should also read the article on discursive essay format . It will help expand your understanding in writing any type of paper.

Stuck on the Steps of Process Analysis?

Journey through your essay with ease. Our expert guides are ready to help you analyze every step of the way!

Process Analysis Essay Structure

Process essays may be divided into two categories: informative and directive. A directive process analysis gives instructions on how to accomplish a certain goal (for example, how to prepare the best waffles). An informational process analysis essay describes a topic to the reader (for example, how an aircraft engine functions). A process essay may be written in three easy steps:

• Split the task

The workflow should be broken down into simple, well-defined phases that generally maintain a temporal sequence and have a clear objective. You can better arrange the document with a process paper outline.

• Make smooth transitions

A process analysis essay remains more engaging when you use transitional terms—the audience benefits from phrases like - therefore, subsequently, afterward, etc.

• Study the essay thoroughly

Inspect any potential gaps, such as missing ingredients from a recipe, by going through the process essay point by point.

Process Analysis Essay Examples

Referring to an example can save you time. Our free samples can provide insight into what a process analysis essay should look like.

How to Pick a Process Analysis Essay Topic

Imagine you need to describe something in steps: what would they be? Don’t rush with making a final decision and try to rationalize your choice by following our recommendations:

• Pick a topic you have a good understanding of.
• Choose a theme that will involve the readers.
• Focus your topic on a specific thing.
• Make sure you can explain your topic without pictures. Focus on words.
• Ensure that the topic is helpful and has practical worth.
• Your topic must be relevant. If you decided to write about using a pager, we suggest you rethink your idea.

It’s okay if you don’t have a lot of process analysis essay topics in mind; just focus on the writing process and pick one of the ones we’ve prepared for you below.

Check out our ARTICLE TO FIND MORE ESSAY TOPIC IDEAS

Writing a Process Analysis Essay Step-By-Step

Process analysis essay structure is as follows:

Let's overview that structure in more details:

• The introductory part should explain the actual process and why it’s relevant or necessary. Avoid any unnecessary information such as the background, history or origin. If for instance, a recipe needs tomato sauce, the reader should be informed so. In other words, go directly to the issue and provide only the necessary information.
• The next paragraph should present a list of all the equipment, tools or resources necessary for the particular process. For instance, if some ingredients cannot be found in the locality, explain where you can find it, or them. Potential risks or side effects that are likely to occur in the process should be stated so that the reader remains informed. Furthermore, it is essential to inform the reader about what might go wrong and what can be done to avoid potential mistakes.
• Then, outline the process in sequential order. If the process requires some steps to be undertaken at particular stages, these should be stated and explained clearly, at relevant points in the sequence. The writer should be very keen to avoid confusion. For processes that appear complicated, the steps should be subdivided accordingly. Additionally, the writer needs to vary their use of transitional words such as “after”, “then”, “next” to make sure the essay does not become repetitive.
• The final part should present a general review of the whole process so the writer can reinforce the main points succinctly, without details.

You can also read the essay example from our essay writer . If you still need help, contact us and we will do everything in the best way.

Process Analysis Essay Outline

The structure for this type of analysis essay outline is as follows:

Introduction:

• Introduce your topic and briefly outline what the process will achieve.
• Demonstrate where this process is relevant or when it is useful.
• It’s a good idea to offer a real-world example of the outcome of the procedure.
• The processes should be presented in paragraphs.
• Perform each step in its section.
• Appropriate transitions should be employed for each step.
• Be descriptive in your presentation.

Conclusion:

• In your conclusion, summarize the procedure. You don’t have to repeat all the individual steps, but you need to reinforce the main points and milestones.
• Describe the expected result.

Writing Tips

• Appropriate Use of Language and Vocabulary Making good use of vocabulary and technical terms can often make or break an assignment. This impacts the degree of depth and clarity the reader can get out of it. Thus, if your audience is meant to be doing the procedures while reading, the steps should be simple and to the point.
• Give the Reader a Sense of Direction When including comments in your essay that are tailored to give a sense of direction, like “once that’s done” or “wait until”, it’s best to do so where relevant. Try to avoid over-complicating the steps, while keeping everything clear and concise.
• Use Chronological Progression For example, if it’s a cooking recipe, it should always include the steps in sequential order, while also indicating how much of each ingredient to add. Additional information like cooking techniques can be added at the end—to be as detailed as necessary.

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Process Analysis Got You Puzzled?

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How to Write the Perfect Process Analysis Essay (With a Sample Essay)

A process analysis essay is a kind of expository essay that explains the process or actions someone needs to take to complete a task. You can think of it like a recipe, stating all of the necessary ingredients and steps, allowing the reader to follow along in logical order.

A process analysis essay can be written about a wide scope of topics, from highly technical processes to cleaning and organizing your closet. Writing a process analysis essay forces you to slow down and consider every tool and step involved in completing a task, and then explain what's needed in logical order for your reader to do the same.

Format of a process analysis essay

For this type of essay assignment, you will not be following the traditional five-paragraph essay outline. There is still an introduction and body to your essay, but your conclusion is more like the "analysis" part and the essay will end when you've completed explaining the steps involved in a process. Below, we'll break down exactly what should be included in each of these parts. Also keep in mind that you can still create an outline before beginning writing your process analysis essay, although it might look more like a list of bullet points rather than a traditional five-paragraph essay outline.

Introduction

The introduction to your process analysis essay will include information about the process you are analyzing and why it is important. This will likely be the shortest part of your essay. If there is a unique history to the process you'll be analyzing, the introduction is where you might mention that. You basically want to use this paragraph as a brief introduction to your reader of 1) what process you'll be analyzing and 2) how or why that process might be useful information to know.

The body of your process analysis essay will mention any prerequisites, materials, or instruments needed to complete the process. It should also mention any risks or warnings involved that are relevant to the process. It's important to include everything that the reader will need to complete the process, and even extra tools that might help the process go smoother but are not necessary. For example, in the sample process analysis essay provided below on how to make apple butter, I included a spoon to stir the butter as part of the list of tools that will be needed. Additionally, I mentioned that a food processor will make the apple butter cook better and have a more butter-like consistency, but it's not necessary to have as a tool to cook apple butter.

Following these sections, you'll write the actual process in sequential order required to complete the task. Make sure you include transitional words within and between paragraphs, as these are required to show the sequence of the process in logical order. Your analysis will likely be across several paragraphs, so make sure each paragraph describes a separate part of the process to avoid confusion for your reader.

Sample process analysis essay

To show you how a process analysis essay might look, we've provided a sample essay that includes the separate sections discussed above. Notice that the introduction paragraph is short, providing basic information about the process that will be discussed, while the remaining paragraphs are longer and more detailed.

Sample essay

Apple butter is similar to apple sauce but is different in that it is highly concentrated and used more often as a butter-like topping on bread or crackers. It's cooked long and slow, allowing the sugar in the apples to caramelize and turn it a deep brown color.

To make apple butter, you will need a slow cooker, food processor, cutting board, peeling knife, large spoon, apples, sugar, and spices for the desired flavoring (usually cinnamon and nutmeg). You might also want to use an apple slicer, which cuts down on the preparation time. Note that when you begin cooking your apple butter, the more minced the peeled apples are, the smoother the final product will be. If you want your apple butter to have a true butter-like consistency, mince the apples well in the food processor before cooking.

Now, let's look at the process of cooking apple butter. To begin, prepare a large, clean space for cutting and processing the apples. Five to six cups of fresh apples will likely only result in a few cups (at most) of apple butter, so depending on how much butter you want to make, you could be peeling and preparing apples for several hours. Each apple will need to be sliced, peeled, and minced in a food processor for maximum butter-like consistency.

Next, add the minced apples to a slow cooker and place the slow cooker on "high". You will notice that the top of the mixture is watery, once the larger pieces settle. Add sugar and spices until you reach the taste you want for the apple butter. Keep in mind that apples vary in sweetness, depending on what type of apple you are using, and sugar can be added slowly throughout the cooking process. Be careful not to add too much sugar at first, as the butter will get sweeter as the apples cook down. In fact, you might even choose to not at sugar at all at this stage of the cooking process, especially if you want a final product that is not too sweet. The spices can also be added as the apple butter cooks or not at all (if that's your preference). Be sure to stir every 10-15 minutes during the first hour as the apple butter is cooking on high and let it cook uncovered.

After one hour of cooking on high, turn the slow cooker to low and cover it. Depending on the type of apple you have used, it should cook for 8-10 hours, until there is no water left at the top and around the sides of the slow cooker. During this slow cooking time, stir occasionally (once per hour should be fine). This is also when the apple butter makes your kitchen smell amazing!

Finally, when the apple butter has reached the consistency and taste you want, remove it from the slow cooker. If you choose to can the apple butter, you can do that immediately or keep the apple butter in the refrigerator until you are able to can it.

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Process Essay

Process essay generator.

Do you know all those YouTube do-it-yourself (DIY) tutorials that they post online? When you consider posting that other than a process essay, it usually attracts more viewers and generates more subscribers on your YouTube channel as people these days are considered more visual in terms of learning new skills or facts. But process essays are just more than how-to videos or DIY videos, an accurate description of a process essay is that it simply describes a procedure. You may also see a  short essay .

• 22+ examples of free essays .
• 10+ Essay Writing Examples

This kind of essay provides a step-by-step explanation of a process that leads to an expected or planned outcome. What people do not know that the aforementioned process may either be concrete or abstract. Simply put, there are two types of process essays: directional process essays (give instructions in steps on how to accomplish a specific task), and informational process essays (explains or analyzes a process). You may also see self-introduction essay

Student Process Essay Example

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Process Analysis Essay Example

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Plain Process Essay Example

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Preparation in Writing a Process Essay

1. assess your audience’s skill level.

Before you begin, you need to first take your audience’s skill level into consideration. In a lot of DIY videos and how-to videos that you see in numerous TV shows, you can see that the hosts will often make use of very simple language so that the people who decide to subscribe on their YouTube channels and watch those DIY videos will be able to understand them very easily. Another thing that you should assume is that everyone who decides to check out your videos or read your process essay has little to no knowledge of the said topic, depending on the content you decide to release or publish. Before you even begin to write your essay, you have to understand the parts that comprise an essay .

For example, a process essay intended for professional chefs could probably skip a description of how to chop carrots and just say, “Finely chop the carrots,” instead.

2. Make a list of the materials needed

If you already have an idea on what kind of process you are going to release or publish, the next thing to do would most probably be to draft a list of the materials or ingredients that your audience or viewers might need so that they can follow along. It may be easier to do so in your own DIY or “How To” videos, as it is more visual and that the viewers could clearly see as to what these products look like should they get confused, but for process essays, it is a bit tricky. One tip that you could follow would be to include a comprehensive “Things You’ll Need” section at the beginning of the paper or simply list the materials needed after the introduction so that the readers of your essay will prepare the materials needed beforehand to save precious time. There are moments in your life that you will be asked to draft up self-introduction essays as part of a class assignment.

There are times that an item on the list would seem very unusual for a person to procure. Should that be the case, such as a particular type of hand tool, be sure to clearly introduce it within the text. For instance, “The pin hammer has a finer tip than a standard hammer, making it suitable for more detailed work.” If at all possible, make sure to include a picture of the said object you are planning to use if you intend to publish the said essay online. You may also see a  formal essay .

3. Create an outline of the task

In order to make things simpler for you on your end, it would be best if you created an outline that can help you create the flow of the process essay that you are working on. Keep in mind that the outline simply acts as the guide for the essay and is not the essay itself. Outlines are normally made with bullet points and at least 1 to 2 sentences per point. Creating an outline will be most helpful to especially informational process essays. Keep in mind that the more specific your article or essay topic, the more specific your details need to be. Here are some examples of how different people would write their essays .

• If your essay happens to be about cooking lasagna, you may want to begin your initial outline by saying, “Mix in basil.” Before you start writing, you could expand your outline to say, “Briefly mention taste differences between dried and fresh basil.”
• When writing an informational process essay outline about how journalists write a news report, you can include some details about journalists select a news story and the criteria they would use to determine a story’s newsworthiness.

Simple Process Essay Example

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Process Essay Example from Kool-Aid

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Crafting Your Introduction

1. Grab your reader’s attention within the first 1–2 sentences. Today’s readership has a very short attention span. You see books being made into movie adaptations. Some books are being even made into TV shows for a longer and more detailed story line. Although there are some people who also prefer reading compared to watching, there are people who can tell a good book just by the first few paragraphs of the first page alone. You get that right, then you would have gained new readership. DIY and “How To” videos may be easy to create and draft a new introduction, but essays, not so much. It is usually the make or break stage for the essay. They say that when you start strong, it is just as important and vital to end strong as well. Leave the audience wanting to do more of your DIY projects or videos in the near future. Should you be interested in writing a reflective essay , you may want to click on the hyperlink on this sentence.

For instance, you might write, “The process of preparing lasagna has a rich heritage all of its own.”

2. Provide a general time estimate. Providing time estimates are very essential especially in writing these process essays as everyone might have some other plans other than doing the DIY video or following the process essay they happen to be reading. In cooking or baking, time is considered very critical. An example would be when the participants of MasterChef are asked to cook one of Gordon Ramsay’s signature dishes to avoid elimination. Even when cooking something as simple as scrambled eggs, one of the steps that Gordon suggested would be to stir over medium heat until the eggs start to cook.

The next step would be to remove the egg mix from heat and then continue stirring eggs for about 30 seconds. Return to heat, continue to stir eggs until they start to clump. He suggested that it is important to keep it “on and off” from the heat, otherwise, the eggs might be overcooked which as a result becomes watery. You would not want that to happen to your eggs, would you? Should you find yourself in need of writing an analytical essay , you may want to refer to the hyperlink found on the sentence.

3. If your process essay focuses on a cooking task, this is where you inform your audience to have some sort of clock or timer nearby for them to keep track of the number of minutes that have passed by and to place all the ingredients on the table beforehand.

4. Present the thesis statement as a problem. A thesis statement focuses your ideas into one or two sentences. It should present the topic of your paper and also make a comment about your position in relation to the topic. The thesis statement is considered to be the most important sentence of your paper as it informs the reader not only which problem you will be examining, but it should give them an idea as to how you will be able to solve the issue at hand. Your thesis statement should tell your reader what the paper is about and also help guide your writing and keep your argument focused. The thesis statement should be the last sentence of your introductory paragraph. Here are some examples of short essays that might serve as a reference in case you need assistance in formulating one.

5. You can start off your thesis statement like this, “This essay will explore how to create a complicated lasagna dish in a short period of time by preparing the noodles and sauce in advance.”

The Writing Process

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Process Essay Example about Bathing Your Dog

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Basic Process Essay Example

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Writing Your Body Paragraphs

1. consult your outline.

People have the tendency to be sidetracked, especially when making their own stories or novels or any written work for their personal use or for their schoolwork. From time to time, it is best to try and consult with the outline that you have made as not to get lost and personally confused to where you currently are in your essay making process. As aforementioned, outlines are considered an excellent way to draft the flow of your speech or essay should you ever get lost somewhere in the middle of your essay writing. Always refer back to your bullet points if ever your point was not made somewhere in the body of the paragraph. The outline is not always right, it is merely temporary. The possibility of not following your outline might not actually exist if you have happened to draft a better one. For more ways to help start up your essay , you may refer to this hyperlink.

Try to be very careful with items that consist of multiple steps. Make the transitions clear enough and acknowledge prior steps regarding a particular item, if at all applicable.

2. Structure the body of the essay in paragraphs

The outline simply serves as the guide for your essay and is not really the speech itself. Since you have already given some thought into making the outline, now is high time to formulate the body of your essay. As much as possible, when you decide to do the initial draft of your essay, keep it in paragraph form. Bullet points may be simpler, but it is first and foremost an essay. For instance, if your process essay is about making the best shepherd’s pie, try drafting a paragraph on how to make the filling below and another paragraph on how to create good mashed potatoes on top of the lamb filling below. This, in turn, separates the two ideas for easy clarification.

Scholarship essays  are normally written by applicants who wish to get their education at a lesser price, considering they uphold to the following conditions.

3. Add transitions in between steps

And since it is a process essay, it is very important that you place transitions on the steps to allow your readers to help identify as to what is Step 1 and what is Step 2. These transitions make it easier for the readers to help proceed to the next step without worrying they might have missed something on the previous step. Examples of some transitions would be the words next , first , later , then , finally , before , afterward , etc. For some examples of formal essays , you may refer to the hyperlink.

For instance, you could write, “Next, place the pot on the stove,” to move from one paragraph to the next.

4. Avoid using first-person pronouns

Including I , we , us , me , mine , our , and ours  within your writing can make it seem less declarative and authoritative. In a process essay, this can make a reader less likely to trust your instructions. Instead, stick with a second and third-person perspective by using words, such as it or they . Here are some examples of argumentative essays for your reference.

For example, you could write, “This essay shows…” instead of “I’ll show.”

5. Mention any cautionary notes

Some people would normally forget to add that at the end of the process essay. This is perhaps one of the worst things that the author will not bother doing since he or she did not think that the reader will go to that extent of not following what was written. As someone who has written the process essay in the first place or a notable DIY star on YouTube, please mention some of the mistakes or actions that people tend to do when performing the said task. By doing so, you might actually save a life when you warn people beforehand. These cautionary notes serve as a warning to people as it might have already happened to some unfortunate people already. So when you are warned not to microwave your electronic devices for the sake of fun, just do not. For reference in writing personal essays , you can go through our website to find out more.

For example, you might caution a reader to “Cook the meat until it is no longer red in the center.” This advice will help them to avoid foodborne illness.

Process Essay Example about Hosting the Pre-Homecoming Dance Dinner

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Process Essay Writing Example

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The Process of Building Stonehenge Research Paper

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Wrapping It Up

1. Mention the end product and what to do with it. At the last few minutes of the DIY video or the process essay, you can see that you are almost through making the said product. Now, there are some people who might already have an idea of what to do with them. For example, let us say that you are done making the recipe for the coffee jelly dessert. You can provide suggestions as what to do with the coffee jelly that you have made (e.g., After cutting the coffee jelly into cubes, pour it into a tall glass and pour some cold-brewed coffee to give it that extra flavor. And finally, top it off with some ice cream and place a spoon or straw. Best served chilled with family and friends). Here are some tips and examples that you might need when writing a thesis statement for your narrative .

2. Restate the importance of the task. Cooking has proven itself to be quite a challenge, especially when one has no background or experience in cooking. It can otherwise be daunting, and there will be times that you will feel like passing out or giving up. But if you hold on to the very reason as to why you are doing it in the first place, it will keep you focused on completing the task at hand quicker than expected. To be quite fair and frank, this is often utilized by marketing stunts everywhere even in making DIY arts and crafts projects for Father’s Day and Mother’s Day. Here are some examples of persuasive essays  that can serve as a reference when writing essays.

3. A basic example of a newly-made dinner intended for your parents’ anniversary might be, “And there you have it! A delicious yet quick meal fit for the two of them to enjoy which looks complicated and sophisticated but is actually simple enough with enough practice. Next time, experiment with different herbs and spices to find your own spin on this classic dish.”

4. Check your essay for ease of reading. Now that you are through writing your essay, the next best logical thing to do would be to actually take some time to review them. If you think you are satisfied with the flow of the essay that you have written, then you may publish it with ease. But if you do not think you are comfortable or assume that there is something lacking in the process essay, take the time to double-check the content and add the necessary content to the essay. While you are in the middle of double-checking, try adding a few final touches to your essay for it to sound better. Lend your essay to a friend or family member to check if they had understood the whole process. Here are some examples of academic essays .

5. One tip would be to see if there are certain steps that you can eliminate or condense your instructions as not to take up too much space in the essay. A reader is more likely to finish directions that they can easily skim through.

6. Proofread your essay. Finally, proofread your essay. Don’t rely on spell-check alone, as it cannot account for context and doesn’t catch every error. But other than spell-checking your essay, make sure to also check for typographical errors in terms of grammar and preposition, subject-verb agreement, etc. Keep in mind that people from all over will be reading your essay, so make sure that it is written professionally in whatever language you will be using. Here are some examples of high school essays that you can refer to.

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Expository or Process Essay Example

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Interesting Process Essay Ideas to Write in 2019

2019 is considered the “Year of the Earth Pig.” This could indicate laziness; however, it could also depict enthusiasm for some people. Considering that the usage of social media and the internet in this year is prevalent, people tend to view loads of various information that shape their own perspective. Moreover, this era strongly pushes the empowerment for every individual to showcase themselves, abling them to do what they want to do. Conclusively, the freedom of this age provides people a wide variety of interests.

A process essay explains the how-tos of a certain topic. Now that you already tackled the basics of this composition as well as the steps in making one, we are giving you in this section some exciting ideas that you can use in writing your own process essay for this year, 2019. According to your preference, you may consider selecting from these topics:

1. Technology-based ideas

2019 is a year that belongs to an era of rapidly innovating technology where gadgets and internet are major tools for almost everybody. Hence, it is not a surprise that people commonly ask some steps regarding technology. In writing your 2019 process essay, here are some examples of technology-based ideas:

• How to create your own Facebook account?
• How to reboot your phone?
• How to create your own Instagram account?
• How to upload several pictures on Facebook in 3 simple clicks?
• How to invite someone to play an online game?
• How to rank up in Mobile Legends?
• How to call someone via Messenger?
• How to use Snapchat as a newbie?
• Step-by-step guide in composing your first tweet
• How to perform a factory reset on your phone?

 2. Smart aesthetic hack ideas

The presence of the internet also paved the way for beauty online influencers to showcase their own intelligent ideas. Consisted of mostly females, different channels and blogs fascinate their audience with their various mind-blowing hacks in grooming oneself. They also give some out-of-the-box solutions to the common aesthetic dilemmas. Basically, topics under this section range from fashion to beauty tips bonanza which include:

• How to transform a shirt into a skirt?
• How to rescue your shattered face powder?
• DIY T-shirt printing
• How to brush teeth the correct way?
• Alternative ways to curl hair
• How to make your own anime costume?
• How to make your own natural body scrub?
• How to do your full-face make-up in 3 easy steps?
• How to select the perfect sunglass for you?
• How to distinguish fake jewelry from genuine ones?

An important reminder, try to talk about processes that do not involve your audience’s health, especially if you are not a professional or your step is not yet widely studied.

3. Cooking hack ideas

Food is a basic necessity for each individual and just like the previous one, the internet also provided the cooking pros a medium to share their impressive easy-to-do recipes and strategies in preparing edibles. This extends from simple snacks and desserts to meals of rare occasions, turning simple white plates to something you can boast your friends of. These ideas may include:

• How to make a home-made chocolate fudge?
• Simple steps in making a no-bake cake
• How to slice onions the correct way?
• Impressive ways to plate your meal
• Easy-to-make soup recipes
• How to brine a turkey?
• How to make the perfect sandwich for your kids?
• How to boil eggs perfectly?
• How to remove avocado seed fast?
• Step-by-step guide in assembling cake layers

Text prompt

• Instructive
• Professional

Write a Process Essay on how to prepare for a high school exam.

Discuss the steps involved in writing a research paper for your Process Essay.

Process Essay

Definition of process essay, transition in a process essay, examples of process essay in literature, example #1: community re-discovered (by heidi ramirez).

“In any community , there are several and varying ways in which residents fulfill a sense of  community: participating in intramural sports, attending farmers’ markets, walking with neighbors, attending political meetings, helping the elderly, visiting the library, and volunteering for youth groups. It’s knowing the people in these interchanges, not just being familiar with faces, that build strong community.  Unfortunately, when this basic engagement is overlooked, communities can begin to disintegrate.”

Example #2: A Homemade Education (by Malcolm X)

“I was so fascinated that I went on—I copied the dictionary’s next page. And the same experience came when I studied that. With every succeeding page, I also learned of people and places and events from history. Actually, the dictionary is like a miniature encyclopedia. Finally the dictionary’s A section had filled a whole tablet—and I went on into the B’s. That was the way I started copying what eventually became the entire dictionary. It went a lot faster after so much practice helped me to pick up handwriting speed. Between what I wrote in my tablet, and writing letters, during the rest of my time in prison I would guess I wrote a million words.”

Example #3: Perspectives on “Borders” (by Luis Valdez)

“Let’s go back to the Popol Vuh. We’re talking about borders now . There is a border that defines the human being as a material and spiritual being. We have all learned that we’re Homo sapiens, wise monkeys. The monkey is a symbol of intelligence in the Popol Vuh, and in the classic Chinese novel Monkey. The wise monkey is a symbol for humanity. Now let me offer you another symbol for our human being—the feathered serpent. You are a feathered serpent that is evolving and crawling out of the seeds of your being. And once in awhile you get caught up in the dead skins of your life. You know biologically we go through a complete cellular change every seven to nine years. We’re totally renewed. So in one sense, biologically, you crawl out of a dead skin. You evolve out of yourself. The feathers are necessary because they represent our spiritual being.”

Function of a Process Essay

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How to Write a Great Process Essay

Otherwise Known as a How-To Essay

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• Writing Essays
• Writing Research Papers
• English Grammar
• M.Ed., Education Administration, University of Georgia
• B.A., History, Armstrong State University

How-to essays , also known as process essays, are much like recipes: They provide instruction for carrying out a procedure or task. You can write a how-to essay about any procedure that you find interesting as long as your topic fits the teacher's assignment.

Start by Brainstorming

The first step in writing your how-to essay is brainstorming. Here are tips to help you:

• Draw a line down the middle of a sheet of paper to make two columns. Label one column "materials" and the other column "steps."
• Write down every item and every step you can think of that will be needed to carry out your task. Don't worry about trying to keep things in order yet. Just empty your head.
• Number your steps on your brainstorming page. Just jot a number beside each item/step. You may need to erase and scribble a few times to get the order right. It's not a neat process.

Create an Outline

First, determine the format required for your essay; ask your teacher if you are unsure. Your essay could contain a numbered list (like the one in the previous section), or it could be written as a standard narrative essay. If you are instructed to write a step-by-step without using numbers, your essay should contain all the elements of any other essay assignment, including an:

• Introductory paragraph : the section that identifies the  topic , arouses interest, and prepares the audience or readers for the development of the thesis
• Body : the part of an essay that develops the main idea
• Conclusion : the sentences  or paragraphs that bring the essay to a logical end

Regardless of the essay format—whether your teacher allows for numbered paragraphs or sections or simply wants you to craft a narrative report—your outline should center on these three areas.

Creating the Essay

Your introduction will explain why your topic is important or relevant. For example, your paper about "How to Wash a Dog" would explain that dog hygiene is important for your pet's good health.

• Your first body paragraph should contain a list of necessary materials. For example: "The equipment you will need depends somewhat on the size of your dog. At the very minimum, you will need dog shampoo, a large towel, and a container large enough to hold your dog. And, of course, you will need a dog."
• The next paragraphs should contain instructions for following steps in your process, as enumerated in your outline.
• Your summary, or conclusion, explains how your task or process should turn out if it is done correctly. It may also be appropriate to restate the importance of your topic.

Topics to Write About

You may believe that you are not expert enough to write a process essay. This is not so. There are many processes that you go through every day that you can write about, including:

• How to make a perfect paper airplane
• How to dye your hair
• How to wear makeup
• How to survive a weekend with your family
• How to play basketball
• How to play (a popular video game)

The goal in this type of assignment is to show that you can write a well-organized essay and clearly explain to the reader how to do what you are instructing.

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• 501 Topic Suggestions for Writing Essays and Speeches
• How to Write a Narrative Essay or Speech (With Topic Ideas)
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• The Ultimate Guide to the 5-Paragraph Essay
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How to Write a Process Essay: A Complete, Step-by-Step Guide

by  Antony W

February 16, 2023

A process essay, also known as “how-to-essay”, is a common type of paper that informs the reader how something is done. Being able to write a process essay is about talking the reader through a set of instructions or step-by-step guide on how to do something such as performing an experiment, preparing a meal, or carrying out a specific process. 

Writing a process essay should involve enough details to lead the reader successfully to the desired goal.

You need to follow the step-by-step process until the reader has achieved what you’re leading them to do.

Any missteps or poor explanations at any point can cause bad mistakes or even ruin the entire project, so process essays need to be highly detailed and instructional.

This guide will show you how to write a brilliant and effective process essay and be sure of that A-grade.

Pre-Writing: Planning Your Process Essay 

The first requirement if want to write a good process essay is preparation.

Preparing the small stuff goes a long way in ensuring you deliver the best of the report. 

Some of the things to look into for an essay that meets expectations include;

Understand the Target Audience 

Before you start writing, you have to understand your target audience and their expectations from the essay.

The target audience determines the language to use and the general complexity of the essay. 

Ask yourself about the education level of the audience on the topic. Understand if you have to explain basics for them to understand.

I t’s also essential that you the language and terminologies best suited to the audience. 

Create a List of Materials Needed

Anything that involves creating something new will require materials.

The same applies to writing a process essay which details how a thing is done. Before you start writing, create a list of all the materials and tools the reader will need for the whole process. 

Place each item either in the order of use or importance. The more impactful or useful a tool is, the earlier it comes on the list. 

Create an Outline 

Once you have understood your audience and listed the needed tools, it’s time to note what you want to include in the content.

It is easy to forget important things that you need to include in your essay, but an outline creates a structure that you can flesh out with details. 

Note down every step, detail the important all the important steps, and try to  make your ideas flow clearly .

You don’t have to go into a detailed explanation at this point. Just have the steps down with the important tools. 

Structure of a Process Essay

Introduction.

The introduction is where you get to draw in the reader and get them interested in the essay.

You can talk to them about why the particular process they are about to undertake is important without jumping ahead of yourself. 

You can also mention briefly what the essay will cover, thus creating anticipation for what is to come.

Another tactic is to d raw the reader’s interest by giving some historical background of whatever you are working on. It also helps to refer to the timeframe so that they prepare well in advance. 

Body Paragraphs 

The body paragraphs are where you introduce the step-by-step guide to your the readers.

Let the readers understand why they each step in the process is important and why they need to take it instead of alternative methods. 

The length of the paragraphs depends on the complexity of the whole process. Every section should have enough details such that the reader would complete the process properly.

Be sure to mention what equipment and tools will be necessary for the procedure. Also, let the reader know of possible troubles and other difficulties to expect during the process. 

Ensure the smooth flow of everything by using transitions. The transitions make the Essay easy to read and follow. Use terms like then, so that, next, now, and others. 

Your process essay's conclusion is where you can go through the expected results of the process.

It summarizes everything about the guide and provides the reader with a reinforcement of the procedure’s significance.

Explain to the readers the result.

State what it looks like and what follows, whether there are other processes or its final. Ensure your read is accomplished by the end of the essay. 

Process Essay Writing Tips

There is more to writing a process essay than identifying the audience and using the right format.  

1. Focus on Simplicity 

As a guide on doing something, most probably for the first time, a process essay should be easy to follow and understand.

Use simple language with clear directions on how to perform all the processes. 

The choice of words and the construction of sentences must meet the reader’s understanding. 

2. Choose the Right Topic. 

Your choice of topic is crucial when it comes to process writing.

Choosing a technical topic might not resonate with the audience, as you can also have little to write about.

Common issues are also hard to write about as you never seem to be helpful. Look for the readers’ probable needs and solve them. 

3. Proofread the Essay

Once you are done writing, revisit the whole of your work to ensure everything is in place. Revise the work with the reader in mind.

Ensure the language resonates with the target audience. Pass the work through checkers for  plagiarism-free work .

Ensure your work is well detailed with all the necessary guidelines. Include all the steps while you eliminate anything unnecessary.

Only hand in your work once you have achieved a desirable result.

4. Seek Help For Your Process Essay Assignment

No matter how much you have mastered the art of writing a process essay, you can never be all-knowing.

Do not shy from seeking help from a friend or professional to help you through the writing and proofreading.

Working with a professional team like Help for Assessment helps in creating high-quality work for assured high grades.  Our essay writing experts are experienced in delivering top-notch papers on various topics. 

Related Reading

• This Guide Will Help You to Write an Opinion Essay

About the author 

Antony W is a professional writer and coach at Help for Assessment. He spends countless hours every day researching and writing great content filled with expert advice on how to write engaging essays, research papers, and assignments.

Step-By-Step Guide on How To Write A Process Essay (W/ Essay Example)

Feb 8, 2024 | 0 comments

Feb 8, 2024 | Blog | 0 comments

Are you struggling with writing an effective process essay? Whether you’re a student needing help with an academic essay or just want to learn how to write a good process essay, understanding the writing process is essential. To effectively describe the process of completing a certain task, it’s important to know how to structure your essay in a way that flows logically and is easy for your audience to follow. In this step-by-step guide, we’ll show you how to write a process essay, complete with an essay example to help you understand the concept better. First, we’ll discuss the different types of process essays, such as the expository essay and the process analysis essay. Then, we’ll delve into the writing process, including how to create an outline, use transition words, and ensure your essay is in chronological order. By the end of this article, you’ll have the tools you need to start writing your process essay, no matter the subject. 

Table of Contents

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What Is a Process Paper?

A process paper is a written guide that explains how to complete a certain task or achieve a specific goal. It provides detailed instructions and clear steps to follow to complete the process. Process papers are commonly used in a variety of fields including education, business, and technical industries. They are a valuable tool for providing clarity and guidance for individuals who may be unfamiliar with a particular process. By following the instructions laid out in a process paper, individuals can effectively accomplish their desired tasks or goals.

The difference between a Process Essay and a Process Analysis Essay

 The main difference between a Process Essay and a Process Analysis Essay lies in the approach and focus. A Process Essay describes the process of how something is done or how something works, providing a step-by-step guide to the reader. It is often more general and can cover a wide range of topics. On the other hand, a Process Analysis Essay goes into much more detail and analysis, focusing on the specific steps and techniques involved in a particular process. It delves deeper into the intricacies of the process and aims to provide a thorough understanding of the topic at hand. Both essays aim to inform and educate, but they differ in the level of detail and analysis they provide.

Benefits of Writing a Process Essay

• Improves Explanation Skills: Writing a process essay requires breaking down a task or process step by step. By doing so, you become better at explaining complex concepts clearly and understandably. This skill can be impactful in various aspects of your life, from explaining instructions to others to clarifying procedures at work.
• Enhances Proofreading Abilities: Since process essays aim for clarity and conciseness, you’ll need to proofread your work meticulously. This practice helps you catch typos and grammar mistakes, ensuring your essay is error-free. Additionally, it teaches you to be careful with items that contain imperative sentences, ensuring they are precise and easy to follow.
• Strengthens Writing Skills: Writing a process essay follows the structure of an essay, including an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Through this process, you refine your ability to organize your thoughts logically and cohesively. Each part of your essay must flow smoothly from one step to another, reinforcing the importance of structure in writing.

Process Essay Outline: Structuring Your Paper

How to Plan a Successful Party: A Step-by-Step Guide I. Introduction A. Explanation of what a party planning process essay is B. Importance of planning a successful party C. Overview of the steps to be covered in the essay II. Understanding the Party Planning Process A. Defining the purpose and type of party B. Setting a budget and determining the guest list C. Choosing a date, time, and location for the party III. Selecting a Theme and Décor A. Brainstorming theme ideas based on the occasion and preferences B. Selecting appropriate decorations, colors, and ambiance C. Planning for any specific decorations or props needed IV. Organizing Food and Drinks A. Planning the menu based on the theme and preferences of guests B. Creating a shopping list for ingredients and supplies C. Considering dietary restrictions and preferences of attendees V. Arranging Entertainment and Activities A. Deciding on music, games, or entertainment options B. Renting or purchasing any necessary equipment or supplies C. Planning for any special performances or activities VI. Sending Invitations and Confirmations A. Designing and sending out invitations with necessary details B. Following up with RSVPs and guest confirmations C. Providing directions or instructions for attending the party VII. Preparing the Venue and Setting Up A. Cleaning and decorating the party space B. Setting up tables, chairs, and other furniture as needed C. Arranging food and drink stations, entertainment areas, and seating arrangements VIII. Hosting the Party A. Welcoming guests and ensuring they feel comfortable B. Managing food and drink service throughout the event C. Facilitating entertainment and activities to keep guests engaged IX. Wrapping Up and Cleaning Up A. Thanking guests for attending and expressing gratitude B. Collecting feedback and suggestions for future parties C. Cleaning up the venue and disposing of any waste or leftover items X. Conclusion A. Recap of the key steps in planning a successful party B. Emphasis on the importance of thorough planning and attention to detail C. Encouragement to apply the process outlined for future party planning endeavors.

How to Write a Process Essay

Learning how to write a process essay is essential for effectively guiding readers through a series of steps to complete a task or understand a process. This comprehensive guide provides step-by-step instructions and practical tips to help you craft a clear, concise, and informative process essay.

Step 1: Understanding the Topic

Understanding the topic is the first crucial step in writing a process essay. Before diving into the writing process, you must have a clear grasp of the task or process you’re explaining. Here’s how to understand the topic effectively:

• Analyze the Assignment Prompt: Start by carefully reading the assignment prompt or guidelines. Pay attention to any specific instructions provided by your instructor regarding the topic, scope, and objectives of the process essay.
• Research and Gather Information: Conduct thorough research to gather information about the process you intend to explain. Utilize credible sources such as books, articles, websites, or personal experiences to gain a comprehensive understanding of the topic.
• Identify Key Steps and Components: Break down the process into its essential steps and components. Consider the chronological order of these steps and any additional details or variations that may be relevant to your audience.
• Consider the Audience Perspective: Put yourself in the shoes of your audience and consider what they already know about the topic. Tailor your explanations to their level of understanding and anticipate any questions or areas of confusion they may have.
• Clarify Ambiguous or Complex Concepts: If there are any ambiguous or complex aspects of the topic, take the time to clarify them. Use simple language and clear examples to ensure that your readers can follow along easily.
• Define Key Terms: Define any technical terms or jargon associated with the process to ensure clarity for your readers. Avoid assuming prior knowledge and provide explanations for terms that may be unfamiliar.

Process Essay Topics

• How to Bake a Perfect Chocolate Cake
• Planning a Budget-Friendly Vacation
• Organizing a Successful Garage Sale
• Crafting the Ideal Study Schedule
• Mastering Basic Cooking Techniques
• Building a DIY Birdhouse for Your Garden
• Creating a Personalized Workout Routine
• Growing Your Vegetable Garden
• Designing an Effective Resume for Job Applications
• Setting Up and Managing a Home Recycling System
• Establishing Healthy Sleep Habits for Better Rest
• Writing an Engaging Blog Post from Start to Finish
• Planning and Hosting a Memorable Movie Night
• Developing a Morning Routine for Productivity and Success
• Creating a Travel Itinerary for Your Dream Destination

Step 2: Crafting the Thesis Statement

Crafting a strong thesis statement is a crucial step in the process of writing a process essay. Your thesis statement serves as the roadmap for your essay, guiding readers on what to expect and helping you maintain focus throughout the writing process. Here’s how to tackle this step effectively:

• Importance of a Strong Thesis Statement: In a process essay, a robust thesis statement sets the tone and direction for the entire essay, providing clarity on the purpose and goal of the process being explained. It informs readers about the specific process they will learn about and why it is significant. Without a clear thesis statement, your essay may lack direction, leaving readers confused about the purpose of the essay and the steps involved in the process. A strong thesis statement ensures that your essay remains focused and cohesive, guiding readers through each step of the process with clarity and purpose.
• How to Formulate a Clear and Specific Thesis Statement: Start by identifying the main goal or objective of the process you are explaining. What is the result or outcome that readers should expect to achieve by following the process? Next, clearly state the specific process or task that your essay will explain. Be concise and specific, avoiding vague language or broad statements. Your thesis statement should clearly outline the steps involved in the process without providing unnecessary details. Lastly, consider the audience’s perspective and tailor your thesis statement to their level of understanding. Use language that is accessible and easy to follow, ensuring that readers know exactly what to expect from your essay.

Step 3: Drafting the Introduction

Drafting an engaging introduction is essential in capturing the reader’s attention and setting the stage for your process essay. Here’s how to approach this step effectively:

• Hooking the Reader’s Attention: Begin your introduction with an attention-grabbing hook that piques the reader’s curiosity and encourages them to continue reading. This could be a compelling question, an intriguing fact, a relevant anecdote, or a thought-provoking quote. The goal is to draw readers in and make them eager to learn more about the process you’ll be explaining in the essay. By sparking their interest from the outset, you set a positive tone for the rest of the essay.
• Introducing the Process to be Explained: After hooking the reader’s attention, provide a brief overview of the process that will be the focus of your essay. Clearly state what the process entails and why it is important or relevant. Keep this introduction concise and to the point, giving readers a clear understanding of what they can expect to learn from the essay. Avoid delving into too much detail at this stage, as that will be covered in the body paragraphs.
• Providing Some Background Information on the Process: Depending on the complexity of the process and the knowledge level of your audience, it may be helpful to provide some background information or context to help readers better understand the significance of the process. This background information should be brief and relevant, offering insights into why the process is important or how it fits into a larger context. However, be mindful not to overwhelm readers with unnecessary details at this stage. By hooking the reader’s attention, introducing the process, and providing some background information, your introduction sets the stage for the rest of the essay, laying the groundwork for a clear and engaging exploration of the process at hand.

Step 4: Writing the Body Paragraphs

Writing the body paragraphs is the core of your process essay, where you’ll provide detailed instructions for each step of the process. Here’s how to approach this step effectively:

• Organizing the Steps of the Process in a Logical Order: Begin by organizing the steps of the process in a logical and sequential order. Consider the natural progression of the process and arrange the steps accordingly. Each step should build upon the previous one, leading readers through the process clearly and systematically. Avoid jumping around or presenting steps out of order, as this can confuse readers.
• Using Transitional Words and Phrases to Guide the Reader Through the Process: Use transitional words and phrases to smoothly transition from one step to the next. Words like “first,” “next,” “then,” and “finally” can help signal the progression of the process. These transitions act as signposts for readers, guiding them through each step and helping them understand how the steps are connected.
• Including Clear and Detailed Explanations for Each Step: Provide clear and detailed explanations for each step of the process, ensuring that readers understand exactly what needs to be done at each stage. Use simple language, avoiding unnecessary jargon or technical terms that may confuse readers. Break down each step into manageable chunks and explain each part thoroughly.
• Integrating Visuals or Illustrations to Enhance Understanding (if applicable): If appropriate, consider including visuals or illustrations to complement your written instructions and enhance understanding. Visual aids such as diagrams, charts, or photographs can provide additional clarity and help readers visualize the steps of the process more effectively. Be sure to integrate visuals seamlessly into your essay and provide clear captions or explanations to accompany them.

Step 5: Creating the Conclusion

Creating a strong conclusion is essential for wrapping up your process essay effectively and leaving a lasting impression on your readers. Here’s how to approach this step:

• Reinforcing the Significance of the Process: Begin by reinforcing the significance of the process you’ve explained in your essay. Remind readers why the process is important or relevant, emphasizing its impact or benefits. This helps to underscore the value of the information they’ve gained from reading your essay and reinforces the importance of understanding and mastering the process.
• Summarizing the Key Points of the Essay: Next, summarize the key points of your essay, briefly revisiting each step of the process and highlighting its significance. Keep this summary concise and focused, providing a quick overview of the main ideas without delving into unnecessary detail. By summarizing the key points, you help reinforce the main takeaways of your essay and ensure that readers have a clear understanding of the process you’ve explained.
• Offering Final Thoughts or Potential Outcomes of the Process: Finally, offer some final thoughts or reflections on the process. Consider discussing potential outcomes or results that readers can expect if they follow the process successfully. B. You might also offer suggestions for further exploration or experimentation with the process, encouraging readers to apply what they’ve learned in their own lives or endeavors. By offering final thoughts or outcomes, you provide closure to your essay and leave readers with a sense of satisfaction and direction moving forward.

Step 6: Revising and Editing

Revising and editing your process essay is a critical step in ensuring its clarity, coherence, and overall effectiveness. Here’s how to approach this step:

• Reviewing the Essay for Clarity and Coherence:   Start by reviewing your essay from start to finish, focusing on its overall clarity and coherence. Check that each step of the process is explained in a logical and easy-to-follow manner. Pay attention to the flow of your essay, ensuring that each section transitions smoothly into the next. Make any necessary revisions to improve the organization and coherence of your essay.
• Checking for Grammatical, Spelling, and Punctuation Errors: Next, carefully check your essay for grammatical, spelling, and punctuation errors. Look for common mistakes such as incorrect verb tense, subject-verb agreement errors, misspelled words, and misplaced punctuation. Proofread your essay multiple times, reading it aloud if necessary to catch any errors that may have been overlooked. Use grammar and spell-check tools as additional aids in identifying and correcting mistakes.
• Seeking Feedback from Peers or Instructors: Consider seeking feedback from peers or instructors who can provide valuable insights and suggestions for improving your essay. Share your essay with them and ask for their honest feedback on its clarity, organization, and effectiveness.  Be open to constructive criticism and use it as an opportunity to make further revisions and improvements to your essay. Consider incorporating any helpful suggestions or recommendations that are offered.

Essay Example: “How to Bake a Perfect Chocolate Cake”

Get help with your process essay paper.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Process Essay

What is a process essay.

A process essay is a type of writing that explains a step-by-step process of doing something. It aims to guide the reader through the actions required to complete the task .

How is a process essay different from other types of essays?

A process essay , also known as a how-to essay , focuses on the process of doing something and the parts of the process . Unlike other types of essays, it emphasizes the step-by-step process rather than simply presenting information or arguments.

What is the main body of a process essay?

The main body of a process essay should detail each step-by-step process necessary to complete the task. Each paragraph should focus on a certain process and serve as a guide for the reader.

Why is it important to pick something you know well when writing a process essay?

It is important to pick something you are familiar with when writing a process essay because it allows you to provide detailed and accurate instructions. Your knowledge of the subject will help in explaining the step-by-step process effectively.

What is the goal of a process essay?

The goal of a process essay is to explain the step-by-step process clearly and concisely. It should provide the reader with a complete understanding of how to complete the task .

What are some common mistakes to avoid when writing a process essay?

Some common mistakes to avoid when writing a process essay include using ambiguous language like “next ” or “then ” instead of providing specific instructions, and not considering the reader’s level of knowledge on the topic. It is also important to ensure that the words like “next and “now used are appropriate for the type of paper .

With a passion for helping students navigate their educational journey, I strive to create informative and relatable blog content. Whether it’s tackling exam stress, offering career guidance, or sharing effective study techniques

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How to Write a Process Analysis Essay: Examples & Outline

Process analysis is an explanation of how something works or happens. Want to know more? Read the following article prepared by our custom writing specialists and learn about:

• process analysis and its types
• a process analysis outline tips
• free examples and other tips that might be helpful for your college assignment

So, let’s start digging deeper into this topic!

• ♻ Process Analysis Definition
• ✏️ Process Analysis Types

☑️ How to Write a Process Analysis Essay

• 📑 Examples & Bonus Tips

♻️ What Is Process Analysis?

A process analysis describes and explains the succession of actions, points out a specific result, and provides a detailed plan.

To be more precise, process analysis is targeted at explaining:

• how things work;
• how to do or make something;
• how something operates or happens.

So, if you want to know how an aircraft flies or how to start a business, you need to deal with process analyses that detail these procedures. You might be asking yourself: Are these two processes similar to each other? In fact, they are different. Moreover, there exist other types of processes. That’s why we have united some basic types into categories for your convenience.

Let’s get into the details.

• Processes that are either related to people or performed by them, such as relationships, psychological aspects, or some manuals. These include descriptions of how to overcome depression, work in a team, or change the oil in your car.
• Processes that take place within a society. For example, it can be a description of the electoral process or how the judicial system works.
• Processes that occur in nature. It may be an explanation of cell division, the process of season change, or the life cycle of an organism. Process analysis plays a crucial role in scientific research. It helps to describe complex mechanisms and procedures, leading to advancements in science.
• Processes that are performed by machines. It can be an explanation of how a car engine works or how a helicopter flies.
• documenting knowledge;
• analyzing some separate actions;
• finding problematic issues;
• identifying the options for further improvements.

As you can see, some of these processes just need to be described , while others should be explained . There is a considerable difference between a description and an analysis. If you want to find it out, read the following part of this article.

✏️ Two Types of Process Analysis

As you already know, a process can be either described or explained. Following this, the two types of process analysis are:

• Directive process analysis: a description of a process.
• Informational process analysis: an explanation of how something works.

The primary difference concerns the purpose of these analyses. Now, let’s go into details.

Directive Process Analysis: Examples & Definition

Directive process analysis (also called prescriptive) answers the question of how to do or make something . In other words, it serves as an outline of specific steps a person should take to achieve the desired result. For example, it may be a description of how to plan a party or write a particular essay type (like this article.)

This type of process analysis is used in tutorials, manuals, or policy guides. In most cases, technicians and decision-makers utilize it.

Informational Process Analysis Essay: Examples & Definition

In contrast, an informational process analysis (also called explanatory or descriptive) demonstrates how something works or is done . To be more precise, it presents information about the way some things or phenomena function. For example, it can describe how a disease affects our bodies.

A descriptive analysis consists of two parts:

• data gathering;
• identifying casual relationships.

This combination helps find out the essence of the process.

An informational process analysis may be found in essays, magazine or newspaper articles, or videos. Mostly, students, researchers, or just curious people are interested in this type.

We have talked about the process analysis definition and types. Now, it’s time to find out about a process analysis essay and how to write it correctly. In this section, you will find lots of interesting and helpful information on how to write each part of the essay, some tips on topics selection, and examples.

Process Analysis Essay Outline

Let’s start with the essay structure. Keep in mind that a process analysis should be written in chronological order. If you want your readers to understand the presented process clearly, divide it into stages and then into steps. It will make your essay more coherent.

A process paper outline consists of 4 parts. Here they are:

Process Analysis Essay Topics: How to Choose

Choosing a topic may seem confusing. You have many things you want to talk about, and you simply can’t decide. Sounds familiar? Don’t worry; these tips will help determine what process analysis essay topic to choose.

To select a topic, you need to:

• Analyze your interests and hobbies;
• Choose a process related to your interests;
• Look for something you are familiar with and don’t need any further research;

To sum it up, write about something you like and know about.

How to Start a Process Analysis Essay

You’ve chosen the topic but don’t know how to start writing about it? Don’t worry; we’ve collected the most effective strategies to help you create an excellent introduction.

It’s worth mentioning that your introductory part depends on the type of your process analysis. If it’s a directive essay, you need to explain the process to your readers. If it’s an informational essay, you describe the process.

STEP #1: Start with a definition . It’s necessary to mention the purpose and importance of your paper. The audience should have a meaningful reason for reading your essay.

Writing a perfect essay is easier than you think (directive.)

Stress is one of the reasons for health problems (informational.)

STEP #2: Add some background information . Expand on the details and define the process.  

Baking requires particular skills and time. However, if you do everything correctly, you will get an excellent cake (directive.)

Constant stress exposure leads to the development of various health disorders, resulting in complex treatment (informational).

STEP #3: End your introduction with a thesis statement . Present the steps or stages of the process in one sentence.

To write a perfect essay, one needs to search for information from different sources, analyze the gathered data, and organize the ideas into a coherent text (directive.)

Chronic stress leads to the rise of blood pressure, the release of histamine, and a change of insulin level (informational.)

Just follow these steps to make sure you included all the necessary aspects in your introduction.

Process Analysis Thesis Examples and Tips

A thesis statement is a roadmap of your essay. That’s why it’s important to make it an effective one. Here’s what to keep in mind when writing a powerful thesis.

• Its content. It should contain all the essential information on your topic. A thesis is like a presentation of your paper in one sentence. That’s why you need to be clear and concise. Each of the aspects mentioned in a thesis should be expanded in a body paragraph.

Baking a pie is a simple process as all you need to do is to mix all the products, prepare the filling, and bake the combined ingredients in the oven.

When you see such a thesis, you understand that the paper will be about baking a pie rather than changing a tire.

• The number of parts. In fact, a process analysis thesis consists of two parts: the main point and the organizational format. The first element focuses on the purpose of the thesis. It’s worth mentioning that the content of the second part depends on the type of your process analysis essay.

• Its place in the text. Your thesis should be situated at the end of your introduction. To be more precise, it’s the last sentence of this part. In such a way, our audience will get a hint about the content of the following body paragraphs.

Feel free to check out the additional tips below. They will make your thesis perfect.

• Make it an affirmative sentence . Don’t write your thesis in the form of a question. This statement should be the answer to the question of the audience.
• Try to make it emphatic . Don’t start your thesis with trite phrases such as   “this essay will explain,” “I will inform you about,” or “I will describe.”
• Add more aspects if necessary.  For example, the thesis may state the inefficiency or unfairness of the process in question.

Process Analysis: Paragraphs for the Main Body

Similar to a thesis statement, the content and structure of the main body depend on your essay type. We have prepared several useful strategies for both types.

Informational Process Analysis: Body Paragraphs

Directive Process Analysis: Body Paragraphs

Transition Words for Process Essay & Examples

Each process has a beginning, a middle part, and an ending. To present a process analysis, divide it into meaningful parts and organize them properly. The readers should always have a clear understanding of a succession of actions.

That’s why you need to use transitional words. They can help the readers follow the text. We have prepared a list of transition words with some examples. Check it out below.

Process Essay Conclusion Writing Strategies

Finally, we get to the concluding part and how it should be arranged. Here are some helpful strategies for you to write an effective conclusion.

• Briefly summarize all the information you mentioned in your body paragraphs.
• Don’t introduce any new details. This part intends to conclude the essay.
• Paraphrase your thesis statement.
• Relate your conclusion with the introduction. There should be a logical ending for your essay. Sum up the information presented in all the parts of your paper.

To conclude, stress produces a negative effect on health. That’s why you should do something to reduce its impact. Include meditation and yoga in your daily routine. Don’t forget to have enough sleep. If you follow all these recommendations, your mental and physical health will improve very soon.

📑 Process Paragraphs Examples & Bonus Tips

We have already composed the process analysis essay. Now you know what to include and what to pay attention to while writing such a type of essay. However, we would like to share a list of some additional tips with you. They will help you to look at your paper from different angles and make it perfect.

Bonus tips:

• Consider the tone of your writing. Try to sound as professional as possible.
• Don’t forget about the formal style. Avoid writing in 1 st person. Instead, use the 2nd person in directive and the 3rd person in informational process analyses:

• You can interrupt the chronology of your process description. Sometimes, it’s essential to specify the terms or concepts, show how the preceding and following steps are connected, or clarify why it’s necessary to do some steps simultaneously.
• Give your readers a specific reason to care about your essay. Before writing your thesis statement, ask yourself: Why do people need to know about this process? The thesis should reflect the answer to this question.

Finally, we would like to present you with a process analysis essay example. Pay attention to the contents of each essay part:

Below, you can find even more process analysis essay topics. Make sure to check them out to get some inspiration for your paper.

• A Medical Committee’s Group Process Analysis
• How to Groom Your Pet Dog: Process Analysis
• Agency Supervisory Process Analysis
• Passing a Test: Process Analysis

Process Analysis Essay Topics

• Analysis of engineering process.
• Steps to successful aging.
• Analysis of quality improvement process.
• The process of data analysis .
• How to lose weight .
• Process of selecting a suitable theory or model in health intervention.
• The important steps of images processing.
• Strategic planning process analysis: stakeholders and initial agreement guidelines.
• How to write: process analysis.
• Steps for maintaining your mental health during pandemic.
• Process for financial accounting cycle.
• Steps for creating a realistic buyer persona.
• How to make a final decision .
• Stages of problem-solving strategy .
• The risk management in healthcare: process analysis.
• How to organize a group: stages.
• Describe the contingency planning process.
• Steps to planning a career.
• Enhancing wireless network performance: process analysis.
• How to cope with grief: five stages theory.
• Process for conflict resolving .
• How to analyze a primary source.
• Communication problems at workplace: stages analysis.
• How to conduct sociological research .
• Process of prenatal development : main stages.
• Stages of developing a new product.
• Clear steps to conducting community-based research.
• Making a dental public health policy: process analysis.
• Conducting a utility test: process analysis.
• The key steps to facilitate parent participation process.
• The implementation plan for treating patients with cancer.
• Discuss the steps of buying a product.
• Describe the process of business development.
• Analyze the brewery process.
• Cognitive development of children: process analysis.
• Describe the stages of different types of interviews .
• Analyze the process of employees’ talents development.
• How to buy a used motorcycle .
• Steps to making ethical decision.
• Analyze the ways of managing s diverse international team.
• Process analysis for proper teeth cleaning.
• Describe the steps of project management .
• Four stages of business development.
• How to cope with distress in nursing.
• External auditing process analysis.
• Analyze the stages of Alzheimer’s disease.

We hope you find our article useful and apply these strategies to your process analysis essay. We wish you success with all your future assignments.

Further reading:

• Case Study Analysis: Examples + How-to Guide & Writing Tips
• How to Write a Visual Analysis Essay: Examples & Template
• How to Write a Film Analysis Essay: Examples, Outline, & Tips
• How to Write a Literary Analysis Essay Step by Step

🔍 References

• Process Analysis: The University of Toledo
• Business Process Analysis: UNICE
• Process Analysis: University of Minnesota Twin Cities
• Informative Process Analysis: Saint Leo University
• How to Write a Thesis for Process Analysis Essay: Seattle PI
• Informative Process Analysis: Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
• Introductions and Conclusions: University of Toronto
• Process Description: How to Write about a Sequence of Events: Seton Hill University
• Essay Introductions: University of Maryland
• Essay Structure: Harvard University
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Process Essay Examples

A process essay is an essay that explains or outlines the process for making something or completing a process or activity. Process essays are most often organized in a chronological or step-by-step manner, such that the reader is lead through the process of making something or completing an activity.

Because of the step-by-step nature of a process essay , transition words are critically important in the process essay. The reader has to know what to do first, next, and finally. The reader also has to know what to do "before" something else, "while" something else is happening, or even "eventually."

While they are not technically full essays, recipes are a good example of a process writing. Recipes include a step-by-step process for making a food or dish. Process essays have the same purpose as recipes-to lead the reader through the process.

This is an excerpt from an essay on how to make the best peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

Some people say that you should spread the peanut butter on one slice of bread and the jelly on the other. However, these people have never experienced the best peanut butter and jelly sandwich ever made.

You begin with a bowl-not too big, and not too small. You gather the ingredients-peanut butter, jelly, and white bread. The best peanut butter is the creamy kind, and make sure the bread is fresh and soft.

After gathering the ingredients, spoon a large clump of peanut butter into the bowl. Adjust the amount depending on the number of sandwiches you plan to make. Then, spoon a large clump of jelly into the bowl with the peanut butter. Using the spoon, mix the peanut butter and jelly together. You will need to stir briskly to mix the two. This is the secret to the best peanut butter and jelly!

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• A step-by-step guide to the writing process

The Writing Process | 5 Steps with Examples & Tips

Published on April 24, 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on December 8, 2023.

Good academic writing requires effective planning, drafting, and revision.

The writing process looks different for everyone, but there are five basic steps that will help you structure your time when writing any kind of text.

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Table of contents

Step 1: prewriting, step 2: planning and outlining, step 3: writing a first draft, step 4: redrafting and revising, step 5: editing and proofreading, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about the writing process.

Before you start writing, you need to decide exactly what you’ll write about and do the necessary research.

Coming up with a topic

If you have to come up with your own topic for an assignment, think of what you’ve covered in class— is there a particular area that intrigued, interested, or even confused you? Topics that left you with additional questions are perfect, as these are questions you can explore in your writing.

The scope depends on what type of text you’re writing—for example, an essay or a research paper will be less in-depth than a dissertation topic . Don’t pick anything too ambitious to cover within the word count, or too limited for you to find much to say.

Narrow down your idea to a specific argument or question. For example, an appropriate topic for an essay might be narrowed down like this:

Doing the research

Once you know your topic, it’s time to search for relevant sources and gather the information you need. This process varies according to your field of study and the scope of the assignment. It might involve:

• Searching for primary and secondary sources .
• Reading the relevant texts closely (e.g. for literary analysis ).
• Collecting data using relevant research methods (e.g. experiments , interviews or surveys )

From a writing perspective, the important thing is to take plenty of notes while you do the research. Keep track of the titles, authors, publication dates, and relevant quotations from your sources; the data you gathered; and your initial analysis or interpretation of the questions you’re addressing.

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Especially in academic writing , it’s important to use a logical structure to convey information effectively. It’s far better to plan this out in advance than to try to work out your structure once you’ve already begun writing.

Creating an essay outline is a useful way to plan out your structure before you start writing. This should help you work out the main ideas you want to focus on and how you’ll organize them. The outline doesn’t have to be final—it’s okay if your structure changes throughout the writing process.

Use bullet points or numbering to make your structure clear at a glance. Even for a short text that won’t use headings, it’s useful to summarize what you’ll discuss in each paragraph.

An outline for a literary analysis essay might look something like this:

• Describe the theatricality of Austen’s works
• Outline the role theater plays in Mansfield Park
• Introduce the research question: How does Austen use theater to express the characters’ morality in Mansfield Park ?
• Discuss Austen’s depiction of the performance at the end of the first volume
• Discuss how Sir Bertram reacts to the acting scheme
• Introduce Austen’s use of stage direction–like details during dialogue
• Explore how these are deployed to show the characters’ self-absorption
• Discuss Austen’s description of Maria and Julia’s relationship as polite but affectionless
• Compare Mrs. Norris’s self-conceit as charitable despite her idleness
• Summarize the three themes: The acting scheme, stage directions, and the performance of morals
• Answer the research question
• Indicate areas for further study

Once you have a clear idea of your structure, it’s time to produce a full first draft.

This process can be quite non-linear. For example, it’s reasonable to begin writing with the main body of the text, saving the introduction for later once you have a clearer idea of the text you’re introducing.

To give structure to your writing, use your outline as a framework. Make sure that each paragraph has a clear central focus that relates to your overall argument.

Hover over the parts of the example, from a literary analysis essay on Mansfield Park , to see how a paragraph is constructed.

The character of Mrs. Norris provides another example of the performance of morals in Mansfield Park . Early in the novel, she is described in scathing terms as one who knows “how to dictate liberality to others: but her love of money was equal to her love of directing” (p. 7). This hypocrisy does not interfere with her self-conceit as “the most liberal-minded sister and aunt in the world” (p. 7). Mrs. Norris is strongly concerned with appearing charitable, but unwilling to make any personal sacrifices to accomplish this. Instead, she stage-manages the charitable actions of others, never acknowledging that her schemes do not put her own time or money on the line. In this way, Austen again shows us a character whose morally upright behavior is fundamentally a performance—for whom the goal of doing good is less important than the goal of seeming good.

When you move onto a different topic, start a new paragraph. Use appropriate transition words and phrases to show the connections between your ideas.

The goal at this stage is to get a draft completed, not to make everything perfect as you go along. Once you have a full draft in front of you, you’ll have a clearer idea of where improvement is needed.

Give yourself a first draft deadline that leaves you a reasonable length of time to revise, edit, and proofread before the final deadline. For a longer text like a dissertation, you and your supervisor might agree on deadlines for individual chapters.

Now it’s time to look critically at your first draft and find potential areas for improvement. Redrafting means substantially adding or removing content, while revising involves making changes to structure and reformulating arguments.

Evaluating the first draft

It can be difficult to look objectively at your own writing. Your perspective might be positively or negatively biased—especially if you try to assess your work shortly after finishing it.

It’s best to leave your work alone for at least a day or two after completing the first draft. Come back after a break to evaluate it with fresh eyes; you’ll spot things you wouldn’t have otherwise.

When evaluating your writing at this stage, you’re mainly looking for larger issues such as changes to your arguments or structure. Starting with bigger concerns saves you time—there’s no point perfecting the grammar of something you end up cutting out anyway.

Right now, you’re looking for:

• Arguments that are unclear or illogical.
• Areas where information would be better presented in a different order.
• Passages where additional information or explanation is needed.
• Passages that are irrelevant to your overall argument.

For example, in our paper on Mansfield Park , we might realize the argument would be stronger with more direct consideration of the protagonist Fanny Price, and decide to try to find space for this in paragraph IV.

For some assignments, you’ll receive feedback on your first draft from a supervisor or peer. Be sure to pay close attention to what they tell you, as their advice will usually give you a clearer sense of which aspects of your text need improvement.

Redrafting and revising

Once you’ve decided where changes are needed, make the big changes first, as these are likely to have knock-on effects on the rest. Depending on what your text needs, this step might involve:

• Making changes to your overall argument.
• Reordering the text.
• Cutting parts of the text.
• Adding new text.

You can go back and forth between writing, redrafting and revising several times until you have a final draft that you’re happy with.

Think about what changes you can realistically accomplish in the time you have. If you are running low on time, you don’t want to leave your text in a messy state halfway through redrafting, so make sure to prioritize the most important changes.

Editing focuses on local concerns like clarity and sentence structure. Proofreading involves reading the text closely to remove typos and ensure stylistic consistency. You can check all your drafts and texts in minutes with an AI proofreader .

Editing for grammar and clarity

When editing, you want to ensure your text is clear, concise, and grammatically correct. You’re looking out for:

• Grammatical errors.
• Ambiguous phrasings.
• Redundancy and repetition .

In your initial draft, it’s common to end up with a lot of sentences that are poorly formulated. Look critically at where your meaning could be conveyed in a more effective way or in fewer words, and watch out for common sentence structure mistakes like run-on sentences and sentence fragments:

• Austen’s style is frequently humorous, her characters are often described as “witty.” Although this is less true of Mansfield Park .
• Austen’s style is frequently humorous. Her characters are often described as “witty,” although this is less true of Mansfield Park .

To make your sentences run smoothly, you can always use a paraphrasing tool to rewrite them in a clearer way.

Proofreading for small mistakes and typos

When proofreading, first look out for typos in your text:

• Spelling errors.
• Missing words.
• Confused word choices .
• Punctuation errors .
• Missing or excess spaces.

Use a grammar checker , but be sure to do another manual check after. Read through your text line by line, watching out for problem areas highlighted by the software but also for any other issues it might have missed.

For example, in the following phrase we notice several errors:

• Mary Crawfords character is a complicate one and her relationships with Fanny and Edmund undergoes several transformations through out the novel.
• Mary Crawford’s character is a complicated one, and her relationships with both Fanny and Edmund undergo several transformations throughout the novel.

Proofreading for stylistic consistency

There are several issues in academic writing where you can choose between multiple different standards. For example:

• Whether you use the serial comma .
• Whether you use American or British spellings and punctuation (you can use a punctuation checker for this).
• Where you use numerals vs. words for numbers.
• How you capitalize your titles and headings.

Unless you’re given specific guidance on these issues, it’s your choice which standards you follow. The important thing is to consistently follow one standard for each issue. For example, don’t use a mixture of American and British spellings in your paper.

Additionally, you will probably be provided with specific guidelines for issues related to format (how your text is presented on the page) and citations (how you acknowledge your sources). Always follow these instructions carefully.

If you want to know more about AI for academic writing, AI tools, 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
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Revising, proofreading, and editing are different stages of the writing process .

• Revising is making structural and logical changes to your text—reformulating arguments and reordering information.
• Editing refers to making more local changes to things like sentence structure and phrasing to make sure your meaning is conveyed clearly and concisely.
• Proofreading involves looking at the text closely, line by line, to spot any typos and issues with consistency and correct them.

Whether you’re publishing a blog, submitting a research paper , or even just writing an important email, there are a few techniques you can use to make sure it’s error-free:

• Take a break : Set your work aside for at least a few hours so that you can look at it with fresh eyes.
• Proofread a printout : Staring at a screen for too long can cause fatigue – sit down with a pen and paper to check the final version.
• Use digital shortcuts : Take note of any recurring mistakes (for example, misspelling a particular word, switching between US and UK English , or inconsistently capitalizing a term), and use Find and Replace to fix it throughout the document.

If you want to be confident that an important text is error-free, it might be worth choosing a professional proofreading service instead.

If you’ve gone over the word limit set for your assignment, shorten your sentences and cut repetition and redundancy during the editing process. If you use a lot of long quotes , consider shortening them to just the essentials.

If you need to remove a lot of words, you may have to cut certain passages. Remember that everything in the text should be there to support your argument; look for any information that’s not essential to your point and remove it.

To make this process easier and faster, you can use a paraphrasing tool . With this tool, you can rewrite your text to make it simpler and shorter. If that’s not enough, you can copy-paste your paraphrased text into the summarizer . This tool will distill your text to its core message.

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How I Got Into Stanford GSB as a Deferred Applicant – An Interview with DJ Fernandez

An admit to Stanford GSB's deferred MBA program talks about his application, including the challenges, what made his story stand out, how to navigate the interviews, approaching the essays, whether to take the GMAT or GRE, and more.

Posted August 10, 2024

Featuring Nate S.

How to write a "Why Stanford" essay that stands out

Starting tuesday, august 13.

12:00 AM UTC · 30 minutes

Table of Contents

Introduction, from community college to uc berkeley haas.

My name is DJ Fernandez, and I was born and raised in the Bay Area. My path to higher education has been anything but traditional. As a first-generation college student, I began my academic journey at Chabot Community College in Hayward before transferring to UC Berkeley Haas School of Business on a full ride. Navigating this transition brought its own challenges, including a strong sense of imposter syndrome. I quickly realized that I wasn’t alone—many transfer students and first-generation students were experiencing the same struggles.

Starting My First Organizations

Networking at Berkeley was difficult, especially since many students already had established networks and were well-versed in the application processes for competitive fields like investment banking, consulting, and tech. To address this, I founded Core Consulting Group (CCG), an organization designed to support non-traditional students like myself. We provided professional workshops, hosted guest speakers, and took on consulting projects with clients such as Adobe, Tesla, and Apple. What started at Berkeley quickly grew to include over 120 members across universities like USC, Columbia, and Cornell.

My entrepreneurial journey didn't stop there. In my junior year, I suffered a life-threatening bike accident that nearly cost me my hand. Prior to the accident, I was a music major, a saxophonist, and a state-record-holding powerlifter. The accident forced me to give up these passions, but it also sparked the idea for my next venture.

During my recovery, I noticed inefficiencies in the physical therapy (PT) market, particularly how much time physical therapists spent on administrative tasks. This led me to co-found a startup that developed an electronic medical record system, reducing the administrative workload by 66%. This venture even attracted angel investment, marking another milestone in my entrepreneurial career.

Why a Deferred MBA? Why Stanford GSB?

Stanford was the only business school I applied to, and my motivation evolved significantly over time. Initially, I was driven by the prestige, but I soon realized that the leaders I admired most, especially those from Stanford, were not only intellectually brilliant but also highly empathetic. I want to be that kind of leader—one who leads with both IQ and EQ.

Another key factor was my desire to stay in the Bay Area to be close to my family. As the eldest of four children raised by a single mother, I wanted to remain a present figure in their lives.

Read: Stanford GSB — MBA Program & Application Overview and The Different Types of MBA Programs—and Which One is Right for You

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Navigating the Deferred MBA Application Process

How i approached my stanford gsb application.

I didn’t start my application until three and a half weeks before the deadline, which made for a very stressful process. I had to balance getting my test scores, securing recommenders, and writing essays, all while pulling several all-nighters.

Despite the tight timeline, I spent significant time on my essays, particularly because my test scores were lower than I’d hoped. I worked closely with Dione , a coach on Leland, who helped me refine my application, prepare for the interview, and guide my recommenders.

Read: The Ultimate MBA Application Guide (2024)

GMAT vs. GRE: My Experience and Advice

Having taken both the GMAT and GRE , I found the GMAT to be more challenging quantitatively, while the GRE was tougher on the verbal side. I ultimately submitted my GRE score because I scored higher on the verbal section, which aligned better with my background as a "poet" vs. “quant.” My advice to other applicants is to take practice tests for both exams and focus your preparation on the one where you perform better.

How to Tackle Stanford’s MBA Essays

Stanford GSB is known for its challenging essay prompts, particularly "What matters most to you and why?" and "Why Stanford?" I tackled these by blending my past, present, and future aspirations. My focus on resilience—drawing from my family's history, my personal challenges, and my entrepreneurial ventures—allowed me to craft a narrative that tied directly into why Stanford was the perfect fit for my goals.

Read: 3 Things You Need for Successful Stanford MBA Essays and Craft a Powerful Essay for Stanford GSB: What Matters Most & Why?

Securing Strong Letters of Recommendation

Given my tight timeline, choosing recommenders was a challenge. I selected my manager from KPMG and a sports management professor for whom I had TA'd. Dione helped me create a recommender package that highlighted specific qualities I wanted them to address, such as problem-solving and strategic orientation. My advice to future applicants is to start early and ensure your recommenders can provide detailed insights into your strengths.

Read: How to Get the Perfect MBA Letter of Recommendation—With Examples and MBA Recommender Questions and Criteria for the Top 10 Business Schools

Preparing for the Stanford GSB Interview

My interviewer was a fellow Berkeley alum, and we immediately bonded over our shared experiences in the Bay Area. Stanford typically does a good job of matching interviewees to interviewees with similar backgrounds. Preparing with Dione allowed me to articulate my story concisely and anticipate follow-up questions. Despite a minor mishap—a bloody nose during the interview—I managed to use humor to diffuse the situation and build rapport. In my follow-up, I even joked, “At least you know I bleed Cardinal red.”

The questions were largely scenario-based, focusing on specific challenges I faced in my entrepreneurial ventures and how I addressed them. I also made sure to ask my interviewer personalized questions that demonstrated my genuine interest in her experiences and the GSB.

Read: How to Nail Your Stanford GSB MBA Interview: Overview, Questions, & Tips

Biggest Challenges in the MBA Application Process

One of the biggest challenges was the limited time I had to prepare my application. My low test scores were disheartening, but I focused on what I could control—my essays, interviews, and recommenders. Another significant challenge was the deep self-reflection required to present a cohesive narrative of my life’s twists and turns. A course on self-reflection at Berkeley helped me immensely in this aspect, and I highly recommend that future applicants invest time in understanding themselves before applying.

What Made My Application Stand Out

I believe what set my application apart was my entrepreneurial spirit and my ability to contribute to the Stanford GSB community. I highlighted my journey from selling Pop-Tarts in high school to building CCG and my startup, all of which were rooted in a desire to give back to my communities.

I also addressed a potential weakness—my age—by demonstrating how I had successfully contributed to teams with older, more experienced individuals, such as in the Social Sector Solutions class at Berkeley. This experience showed that I could hold my own in a room full of MBAs and McKinsey partners, further solidifying my fit for the GSB.

In the end, I focused on being true to myself and showcasing what made me unique. I believe that’s what resonated with the admissions committee. My advice to future applicants is to embrace your story, be authentic, and trust that your unique experiences will make you stand out.

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How to cite ChatGPT

Use discount code STYLEBLOG15 for 15% off APA Style print products with free shipping in the United States.

We, the APA Style team, are not robots. We can all pass a CAPTCHA test , and we know our roles in a Turing test . And, like so many nonrobot human beings this year, we’ve spent a fair amount of time reading, learning, and thinking about issues related to large language models, artificial intelligence (AI), AI-generated text, and specifically ChatGPT . We’ve also been gathering opinions and feedback about the use and citation of ChatGPT. Thank you to everyone who has contributed and shared ideas, opinions, research, and feedback.

In this post, I discuss situations where students and researchers use ChatGPT to create text and to facilitate their research, not to write the full text of their paper or manuscript. We know instructors have differing opinions about how or even whether students should use ChatGPT, and we’ll be continuing to collect feedback about instructor and student questions. As always, defer to instructor guidelines when writing student papers. For more about guidelines and policies about student and author use of ChatGPT, see the last section of this post.

Quoting or reproducing the text created by ChatGPT in your paper

If you’ve used ChatGPT or other AI tools in your research, describe how you used the tool in your Method section or in a comparable section of your paper. For literature reviews or other types of essays or response or reaction papers, you might describe how you used the tool in your introduction. In your text, provide the prompt you used and then any portion of the relevant text that was generated in response.

Unfortunately, the results of a ChatGPT “chat” are not retrievable by other readers, and although nonretrievable data or quotations in APA Style papers are usually cited as personal communications , with ChatGPT-generated text there is no person communicating. Quoting ChatGPT’s text from a chat session is therefore more like sharing an algorithm’s output; thus, credit the author of the algorithm with a reference list entry and the corresponding in-text citation.

When prompted with “Is the left brain right brain divide real or a metaphor?” the ChatGPT-generated text indicated that although the two brain hemispheres are somewhat specialized, “the notation that people can be characterized as ‘left-brained’ or ‘right-brained’ is considered to be an oversimplification and a popular myth” (OpenAI, 2023).

OpenAI. (2023). ChatGPT (Mar 14 version) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com/chat

You may also put the full text of long responses from ChatGPT in an appendix of your paper or in online supplemental materials, so readers have access to the exact text that was generated. It is particularly important to document the exact text created because ChatGPT will generate a unique response in each chat session, even if given the same prompt. If you create appendices or supplemental materials, remember that each should be called out at least once in the body of your APA Style paper.

When given a follow-up prompt of “What is a more accurate representation?” the ChatGPT-generated text indicated that “different brain regions work together to support various cognitive processes” and “the functional specialization of different regions can change in response to experience and environmental factors” (OpenAI, 2023; see Appendix A for the full transcript).

Creating a reference to ChatGPT or other AI models and software

The in-text citations and references above are adapted from the reference template for software in Section 10.10 of the Publication Manual (American Psychological Association, 2020, Chapter 10). Although here we focus on ChatGPT, because these guidelines are based on the software template, they can be adapted to note the use of other large language models (e.g., Bard), algorithms, and similar software.

The reference and in-text citations for ChatGPT are formatted as follows:

• Parenthetical citation: (OpenAI, 2023)
• Narrative citation: OpenAI (2023)

Let’s break that reference down and look at the four elements (author, date, title, and source):

Author: The author of the model is OpenAI.

Date: The date is the year of the version you used. Following the template in Section 10.10, you need to include only the year, not the exact date. The version number provides the specific date information a reader might need.

Title: The name of the model is “ChatGPT,” so that serves as the title and is italicized in your reference, as shown in the template. Although OpenAI labels unique iterations (i.e., ChatGPT-3, ChatGPT-4), they are using “ChatGPT” as the general name of the model, with updates identified with version numbers.

The version number is included after the title in parentheses. The format for the version number in ChatGPT references includes the date because that is how OpenAI is labeling the versions. Different large language models or software might use different version numbering; use the version number in the format the author or publisher provides, which may be a numbering system (e.g., Version 2.0) or other methods.

Bracketed text is used in references for additional descriptions when they are needed to help a reader understand what’s being cited. References for a number of common sources, such as journal articles and books, do not include bracketed descriptions, but things outside of the typical peer-reviewed system often do. In the case of a reference for ChatGPT, provide the descriptor “Large language model” in square brackets. OpenAI describes ChatGPT-4 as a “large multimodal model,” so that description may be provided instead if you are using ChatGPT-4. Later versions and software or models from other companies may need different descriptions, based on how the publishers describe the model. The goal of the bracketed text is to briefly describe the kind of model to your reader.

Source: When the publisher name and the author name are the same, do not repeat the publisher name in the source element of the reference, and move directly to the URL. This is the case for ChatGPT. The URL for ChatGPT is https://chat.openai.com/chat . For other models or products for which you may create a reference, use the URL that links as directly as possible to the source (i.e., the page where you can access the model, not the publisher’s homepage).

Other questions about citing ChatGPT

You may have noticed the confidence with which ChatGPT described the ideas of brain lateralization and how the brain operates, without citing any sources. I asked for a list of sources to support those claims and ChatGPT provided five references—four of which I was able to find online. The fifth does not seem to be a real article; the digital object identifier given for that reference belongs to a different article, and I was not able to find any article with the authors, date, title, and source details that ChatGPT provided. Authors using ChatGPT or similar AI tools for research should consider making this scrutiny of the primary sources a standard process. If the sources are real, accurate, and relevant, it may be better to read those original sources to learn from that research and paraphrase or quote from those articles, as applicable, than to use the model’s interpretation of them.

We’ve also received a number of other questions about ChatGPT. Should students be allowed to use it? What guidelines should instructors create for students using AI? Does using AI-generated text constitute plagiarism? Should authors who use ChatGPT credit ChatGPT or OpenAI in their byline? What are the copyright implications ?

On these questions, researchers, editors, instructors, and others are actively debating and creating parameters and guidelines. Many of you have sent us feedback, and we encourage you to continue to do so in the comments below. We will also study the policies and procedures being established by instructors, publishers, and academic institutions, with a goal of creating guidelines that reflect the many real-world applications of AI-generated text.

For questions about manuscript byline credit, plagiarism, and related ChatGPT and AI topics, the APA Style team is seeking the recommendations of APA Journals editors. APA Style guidelines based on those recommendations will be posted on this blog and on the APA Style site later this year.

Update: APA Journals has published policies on the use of generative AI in scholarly materials .

We, the APA Style team humans, appreciate your patience as we navigate these unique challenges and new ways of thinking about how authors, researchers, and students learn, write, and work with new technologies.

American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.). https://doi.org/10.1037/0000165-000

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