the definition of process essay

Process Essay

Definition of process essay.

As the name suggests, this type of essay explains a process of making or breaking something. These essays are often written in chronological order, or in numerical order to show step-by-step processes. They are written in descriptive or prescriptive modes. Although it is not a technical communication, it sounds like having all the qualities of a technical document. The only difference is that it is often written in descriptive mode, while a technical document is mostly in imperative mode.

Transition in a Process Essay

As process essay provides step-by-step approach of doing something, they have typical transition words. These transition words make readers understand what has been done and what will follow next. Some of the specific transition words could be immediately, initially, in the end, in the future, in the meanwhile, later, next, soon, eventually, finally or firstly , and secondly .

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.”

This an excerpt from a process essay by Heidi Ramirez. It sets the tone of a process how communities integrate with each other. It clearly shows the sequence of the integration process.

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.”

In this essay, Malcolm X has stated some of the ways through which he learned writing. He states how he “went on” copying the dictionary from one page to the next page. Some of the transition words such as “finally” and “actually” are quite obvious.

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.”

Although written in second person, this excerpt shows that the essay presents a process. It follows the same structure and same pattern of using things or doing tasks in a sequence. Specifically, the last lines show it clearly.

Function of a Process Essay

A process essay gives reader a sense of complete how-to-do process of making or creating some objects or things. Readers, after going through the essay, are able to create and make things. Although it is not like imperative instructions, it gives full details in a descriptive or prescriptive mode. It is because its major objective is not to present trite and dry instructions, but lively language to make readers read it with interest and do the act with enthusiasm.

Elements of an Essay
Narrative Essay
Definition Essay
Descriptive Essay
Types of Essay
Analytical Essay
Argumentative Essay
Cause and Effect Essay
Critical Essay
Expository Essay
Persuasive Essay
Explicatory Essay
An Essay on Man: Epistle I
Comparison and Contrast 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.

List of transition words for a process essay

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!

A life lesson in Romeo and Juliet taught by death

Due to human nature, we draw conclusions only when life gives us a lesson since the experience of others is not so effective and powerful. Therefore, when analyzing and sorting out common problems we face, we may trace a parallel with well-known book characters or real historical figures. Moreover, we often compare our situations with […]

Ethical Research Paper Topics

Writing a research paper on ethics is not an easy task, especially if you do not possess excellent writing skills and do not like to contemplate controversial questions. But an ethics course is obligatory in all higher education institutions, and students have to look for a way out and be creative. When you find an […]

Art Research Paper Topics

Students obtaining degrees in fine art and art & design programs most commonly need to write a paper on art topics. However, this subject is becoming more popular in educational institutions for expanding students’ horizons. Thus, both groups of receivers of education: those who are into arts and those who only get acquainted with art […]

How to Write a Process Essay

The process essay, also known as the "how-to" essay, is commonly written for people or companies that need tutorials or a set of instructional steps. Whether it's building a robot or cooking a chocolate cake, process essays use a similar format for any variations. They follow a step-by-step style, with the initial step influencing the second, which influences the third, and so on. Each step carries its own importance, and a poor explanation of one step can ruin the entire process. It's important to stay concise and efficient. However, before you begin writing your essay, you should do some small preparations. Let's discover them with our research writing service .

What Is a Process Paper?

A process essay is a type of essay that explains a process step by step and gives guidance for a certain process, working mechanism, procedure, etc. Process essays range from very simple ones, such as instructions for how to ride a bicycle, to more complex ones, such as a chemistry lab report of an oxidative reaction experiment. The goal of a process paper is to give its readers guidance and directions.

Feeling Overwhelmed Writing a Process Essay on Your Own?

Simply send us your paper requirements, choose your paper writer and we’ll get it done fast.

A process paper is characterized, first of all, by explaining a process using a description. Some words that are frequently used in process essays are “further”, “then”, “next”, “first”, “last”, “finally”, and “initially”. It is really important to remember that every process essay includes features, such as:

clear and straightforward narration - the last thing you want to do is to confuse your reader with complex language and an unorganized thought thread;
chronological order - avoid skipping steps and shifting them around, as it will result in misunderstanding and frustration for the readers;
transition words - make sure to separate the next step from the previous ones by using transition words;
descriptions of the steps - make sure your steps are clear and easy to follow.

There are several types of process essays. The first one is directional - it explains the “how to” for something. It can take on a wide range of subjects, such as how to apply for a credit card, how to get your driver’s license, how to plan a wedding, etc. The outcome of the directional essay should be a result. In the cases of the examples above: a credit card, a driver’s license, or a carefully planned wedding. The other type of process paper is informational - it explains how something works. Here are some examples: how a weather forecast is determined, how a space rocket works, how intermittent fasting changes your body, etc. An informational essay explains something to a reader and does not necessarily end up with a result, like directional does.

Another type of essay that is similar to a process essay is a process analysis essay. The biggest difference is that a process analysis essay not only explains the steps, but also analyses them in depth. It has all of the characteristics of a process essay, although goes into more detail about the causes and consequences of every step.

If you need any additional information for process analysis essays, check out our article: HOW TO WRITE A PROCESS ANALYSIS ESSAY

Writing a process essay is not extremely difficult. By following simple rules and a set of steps, a successful, well-structured essay can be guaranteed.

Prepare The Small Stuff

Here we gathered some small general tips and advice that you should follow throughout your writing process to make sure that all of the expectations of a process paper are met.

Determine the Audience's Skill Level. It's important to base the level of complexity of the essay on who the readers will be. For example, if you need to teach a friend how to do a simple fix or create a certain tool, then it would be most reasonable to stick to more basic terminology. However, if you are writing an essay for your astrophysics professor about the creation of a black hole in the universe, use more sophisticated and informative terminology.
Make a List of Materials. Obviously, the creation of anything comes with some prerequisites. Whether it's items or ideas, the importance of knowing the necessities beforehand and having them ready to go is essential. Make sure to place each item in accordance with its importance. The more impactful a part is, the higher up on the list it should be.
Write out Each Task. In a step-by-step tutorial, each individual task carries some sort of weight. Since an entire process can not be complete if a step is skipped, it's crucial to write out every single step. However, don't go overboard in your explanations. It's not necessary to bring the tutorial to a microscopic level, but each step should be understandable and competent.

If you still have difficulty writing, you can get essay help online from our service.

Process Essay Topics

Choosing a topic for a process paper can be quite challenging. A good place to start is with your passions. If you pick something you are excited about, you can make it interesting for your readers and fun for yourself to write about. If your professor limits you to write a process essay on something you have very little knowledge of, choose a topic that is intriguing and triggers your interest. Then, conduct enough thorough research to make sure you understand everything perfectly before you go ahead and try to explain it to someone else.

How to Pick a Process Analysis Essay Topic

Another very important thing to consider while writing a process essay is your audience. It is highly unlikely that college students are interested in instructions for “How to Get Into Your Dream School” or “How to Pass Your SATs”. Make sure your topic relates to the subject you are studying and you are following your professor’s prompt guidelines.

Here are some ideas that might be of interest for you:

How to lose weight on a keto diet
How your immune system fights COVID-19
How to start selling on Amazon
How to improve your credit score
How to decrease your social media usage
How to apply for unemployment insurance
How to improve your college performance
How to open your first bank account

It's important to note that these essay topics are just some common examples used by several college students for their course papers. Feel free to use any one of them if you want, or think of one on your own. Just make sure it's a PROCESS!

Process Essay Outline

Most essay outlines follow the standard scheme: Intro > Body Paragraphs > Conclusion . follow the standard scheme: Intro > Body Paragraphs > Conclusion. A good process essay outline should look like this:

Introduction — brief your reader on your topic, explain why you have chosen it and how you are planning to approach the explanation of the process.
Body — the biggest part of your essay that should be divided into paragraphs for easier understanding and structure. Make sure each paragraph is flowing smoothly into the next one with connective words.

Paragraph 1. First step of the process. Explain what the step is, what the best way to perform it is, and how to avoid common mistakes when doing it.

Paragraph 2. The next step of the process (the same as in Paragraph 1). Thoroughly explain what this step is about.

Conclusion . Here you need to explain why your instructions are valuable. It is your opportunity to persuade your reader(s) that the steps you presented and the process they learned will be useful for them in the future.

Every process is different: some can take a couple of minutes, while others can take months or years to complete. The length of the essay is generally based on the difficulty and number of steps it takes. However, the structure doesn't maneuver.

Introduction

The first thing that you want to do as a writer for your process paper is to help your readers be interested in your individual process. Be descriptive about it, paint a picture for your readers. A joke or a personal reference can be a great attention grabber and can pull your reader right in. For somebody to be keen on approaching your process, they have to express interest in it. Though, it generally goes without saying that many writers ignore this fact. Let's break it down into subsections:

Give a little bit of historical background. People often want to know the origins of whatever it is that they're working on. Introducing this part of the process helps to intrigue your readers, as well as give them a sense of purpose for the task.
Create an approximate timeframe. Unfortunately, your readers don't have all day to spend on this one event. In addition to learning about its purpose, people want to know how long the task will take. This way, they can decide how to break up the work. If it's a quick fix, then they can knock it out in one session. However, if it's a large-scale operation, then your readers will obviously have to create their own time schedule.

For example, let’s say that the topic of your essay is “How to Save Money”. You can start the introduction of your process essay by explaining that as a college student, you often find yourself in need of extra money and you are stuck with bad money habits. This will create a good connection with your readers, because almost everyone has been in a situation of needing to be savvy with their finances. Another thing you can mention is the importance of saving money and the multiple opportunities it presents, such as being able to invest it, being able to pay off a credit card debt, or being able to save up to avoid taking out a student loan.

Feeling Overloaded and Stressed?

Our professional writers are ready to help you 24/7!

Body Paragraphs

This is the point in the process essay where you start introducing the step-by-step process your readers will need to take. A lot of the time, it helps to break down each process into subsections. For example, if a step has many parts to it, it would be clever to create a paragraph on its own just for that step. Remember, it's important to keep things smooth and efficient. Break down the body paragraphs in unity with the steps. Let's go into more detail about each step:

Each step should be carefully explained. Every step will vary in length. Think about it: every instruction manual has several steps. Some are more difficult to comprehend or perform than others. For this reason, create your steps and explanations accordingly. You should be able to get a sense of their length and difficulty based on the explanation.

Don't forget to explain the purpose. People don't want orders barked at them aimlessly. Besides just accomplishing a task, people want to learn as they perform.

Why did they do this?
What was the purpose of this method?
Why did we do it this way and not this other way?

To make everything flow smoothly use transitions. Make the steps flow one after another to create a well-structured essay. As you introduce the next step, consider using transition words like “next”, “now”, “then”, “so that”, etc.

Before writing the steps out in full sentences, it is a great idea to create an outline for your body paragraphs. Here is an outline for the body paragraphs of a process essay on “How to Save Money”:

Paragraph 1:

keep track of your expenses
organize your collected data
decide what you can skimp on in your spendings

Paragraph 2:

create a realistic budget
check weekly to ensure you are sticking to it
save 15% of every monthly income
set a tangible goal for saving, such as a car

These process essay examples use only two body paragraphs, but feel free to include more to ensure a better understanding and cohesive flow for your paper. Although, do not include excessive unnecessary details that clutter your essay and make understanding it even more difficult. While writing your essay, include small brief explanations for each statement. For example, “Even though eating out and grabbing a coffee on your way to class sounds tempting, setting a budget and saving 15% of each of your monthly earnings aside can help you have enough to put down a downpayment on a new car.” Here the reader will understand that there is a direct relationship between each step and the result it is going to give.

Showing the readers that they are learning and not just repeating is one of the most effective ways to lock down their attention and keep them coming back!

After going through every step meticulously and explaining the whole process, a process essay needs a confident conclusion. This paragraph should be short, sweet, and to the point. It's main goal is to accomplish the following tasks:

Discuss the main result. After the readers have completed the process, they should be left with a final result. It's important that you explain to your readers what the end result will look like, and what can be done with it.
Restate the process’s general purpose. After completing the task, you obviously would like to know its overall purpose. When your readers feel that they have accomplished a challenge, learned something from it, and have a path to take the result towards, they will be satisfied!
State your Overall Conclusion. To put a pretty tie around your process essay means that you need to neatly wrap things up! Restate some of the highlightable points as well as the process’s key overall purpose. Make sure that your readers feel accomplished after going through your process, and ensure that you strengthen the necessity of its purpose with a nice concluding sentence!

The conclusion of an essay on “How to Save Money” would explain that the completion of all of the steps will result in saving money that can be used for a specific goal or for rainy day fund purposes. You can mention the importance of every step and briefly repeat some of the key points.

Post-Writing Tips

Here are some final tips to wrap up your writing process. Use them as a checklist for a successful and coherent essay.

Make sure the work is simple enough to follow. Worst-case-scenario: its author creates a feeling of absolute confusion in the reader’s mind. To avoid this problem, always remember that your readers can be beginners. Do not try to impress them with complicated words or sentences, use simple language to provide clear directions on how to do something. Give as many details as possible, but do it plainly. "Why is he making me do this?" "What was the purpose of this?" "I don't understand this step at all!" If the reader is asking themself these questions, then it's time to do some editing!
Experiment and try it for yourself or ask a friend. There's no better way to experience success than to actively attempt your process through your own instructions. If everything truly makes sense, then you should have no problem solving the task using your own words. Even better, ask a peer to try it through your words to get an outside point of view.
Choose the right topic for you and research it well
Maintain a logical order of steps, make it easy to follow
Avoid using imperative sentences - you do not want to sound like an Apple TV manual
Explain terms that are most likely outside of most people’s range of common knowledge

If you have a ready-made essay but need to make significant changes to it, you can use our rewrite my essay service .

Process Essay Examples

Now that you know all about process essays and how to write them, we have prepared some great essay topic ideas in case you are stuck and cannot choose one:

Building a business from scratch is an intricate process that entails a number of steps. Each of these steps should have specific objectives and measurable outcomes.The following analysis gives the basic steps followed when building any business from scratch.

Saving can be defined as a differed consumption or keeping aside a portion of your income for unexpected future uncertainties or plans. Read for reason and actual steps for saving more money

Read also a thesis statement example from our author. In this article, you can learn something useful for yourself.

Still Need Help?

If you still feel like you could use some help with your process essay, do not hesitate to seek help from our writing service. Our writers specialize in a wide range of essays of different types including creative writing essay , process essays, and would be more than happy to assist you with writing, editing, or direction if you are feeling uneasy. Click the button below and college admission essay writer will process your requests fast.

How to Write a Policy Analysis Paper Step-by-Step

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.

Recently on Tamara Blog

How to write a discussion essay (with steps & examples), writing a great poetry essay (steps & examples), how to write a process essay (steps & examples), writing a common app essay (steps & examples), how to write a synthesis essay (steps & examples), how to write a horror story.

school Campus Bookshelves
menu_book Bookshelves
perm_media Learning Objects
login Login
how_to_reg Request Instructor Account
hub Instructor Commons
Download Page (PDF)
Download Full Book (PDF)
Periodic Table
Physics Constants
Scientific Calculator
Reference & Cite
Tools expand_more
Readability

selected template will load here

This action is not available.

7.2: 2. The Process Essay

Last updated
Save as PDF
Page ID 87349

Now that you have completed the narrative essay , we are going to move on to “expository” writing. The rest of the essays you write will “explain” a topic. You will provide your reader with a specific thesis and then support that thesis through a series of related paragraphs, all tied together by the topic.

Your first expository essay will be the process essay. In some ways, this essay is similar to the narrative: you are writing about a moment in time, doing something that doesn’t take very long, and you are using chronological order. Your steps, identified in a series of paragraphs in the body of your essay, should be placed in a manner where your reader can begin with the first step and carry through to the last step.

There are two types of process essays: those that explain how to do something (how to tune a guitar; how to build a bird house; how to study for a test) and those that explain how something works (transmitting a fax; describing the growth of a cell; going through the steps of a piece of equipment at work). In the first, you are expecting your reader to complete the task and understand it fully. In the second, you may be providing information to satisfy your reader’s curiosity. In other words, you could describe the process of sending a fax, dialing the number and all the other physical steps; or you could describe how the fax actually transmits information from here to there- the hidden intricacies of the process.

There are also concrete and abstract processes. A concrete process is one that has clearly defined steps and obvious tools and equipment. Things like recipes and car repairs and craft work are concrete processes. Then there are processes that don’t have obvious tools involved: how to get rid of the blues; how to influence someone to like you; how to prepare for that test.

You need to be an expert at the process you choose to write about. Pick something you are interested in- a hobby or a skill you have, something you might do at work or have done often in school. You have to be able to develop your steps into complete, thorough paragraphs. An expository essay typically has well-developed paragraphs of 8 to 10 sentences each. If you have a series of paragraphs with only two or three sentences each, your reader will wonder why you don’t have more to say, will feel the info is incomplete.

I have a few pointers I’d like to share with you about developing process paragraphs. Using one or combining several might help you add depth and support to your writing:

Be specific- Use exact amounts. Great chefs can approximate; we need to know exactly what to include. If you’re writing about how to build a campfire, give specific sizes for the wood you want your reader to gather. Large wood thrown on the fire early will only smother it. Be as specific as you possibly can be.
Define terms- If you tell your reader to gather kindling for the fire, is your reader going to know what that means? If you have any doubts, explain what the term is. No one needs a definition for a screw driver, and very few would not know what a Phillips screwdriver is (you may just give a brief description: star-tipped). But if you have a complex tool that the reader won’t recognize, define it.
Include reasons- Readers love to take short cuts. You have to be prepared to guide your reader through the steps correctly. So explain to them why they might be doing a step the way you want them to do it. In baking cookies, you may say “preheat the oven.” Most people ignore that. If you give a reason why it is important, your reader may be convinced to do as you say.
Include don’ts- It’s not a good idea to check to see if the electricity is out by putting your finger in an empty socket while changing the light bulb. Advise your reader against it. Sometimes it’s easier to say what not to do than what to do. Warnings are wonderful influences.
Mention possible pitfalls- Sometimes, things go wrong. Let your reader know before hand that success may sometimes be out of their control. They’ve got the cake in the oven and a big truck goes by outside. The vibrations cause the cake to fall. Knowing this before hand can at least reduce the heartache if something does go wrong.

As with all expository essays, this paper should have an introduction and a conclusion. The intro should state a thesis and give the reader some kind of background info that will attract his/her interest. The conclusion should suggest benefits to the process or point to related processes the reader may try in the future. Both intro and conclusion should be shorter than body paragraphs. They are more emphatic.

Authored by : Jeff Meyers. Provided by : Clinton Community College. License : CC BY: Attribution

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.”

This an excerpt from a process essay by Heidi Ramirez. It sets the tone of a process how communities integrate with each other. It clearly shows the sequence of the integration process.

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.”

In this essay , Malcolm X has stated some of the ways through which he learned writing. He states how he “went on” copying the dictionary from one page to the next page. Some of the transition words such as “finally” and “actually” are quite obvious.

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

A process essay gives reader a sense of complete how-to-do process of making or creating some objects or things. Readers, after going through the essay , are able to create and make things. Although it is not like imperative instructions, it gives full details in a descriptive or prescriptive mode. It is because its major objective is not to present trite and dry instructions, but lively language to make readers read it with interest and do the act with enthusiasm.

Customer Reviews
Extended Essays
IB Internal Assessment
Theory of Knowledge
Literature Review
Dissertations
Essay Writing
Research Writing
Assignment Help
Capstone Projects
College Application
Online Class

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.

10.5 Process Analysis

Learning objectives.

Determine the purpose and structure of the process analysis essay.
Understand how to write a process analysis essay.

The Purpose of Process Analysis in Writing

The purpose of a process analysis essay is to explain how to do something or how something works. In either case, the formula for a process analysis essay remains the same. The process is articulated into clear, definitive steps.

Almost everything we do involves following a step-by-step process. From riding a bike as children to learning various jobs as adults, we initially needed instructions to effectively execute the task. Likewise, we have likely had to instruct others, so we know how important good directions are—and how frustrating it is when they are poorly put together.

Writing at Work

The next time you have to explain a process to someone at work, be mindful of how clearly you articulate each step. Strong communication skills are critical for workplace satisfaction and advancement. Effective process analysis plays a critical role in developing that skill set.

On a separate sheet of paper, make a bulleted list of all the steps that you feel would be required to clearly illustrate three of the following four processes:

Tying a shoelace
Parallel parking
Planning a successful first date
Being an effective communicator

The Structure of a Process Analysis Essay

The process analysis essay opens with a discussion of the process and a thesis statement that states the goal of the process.

The organization of a process analysis essay typically follows chronological order. The steps of the process are conveyed in the order in which they usually occur. Body paragraphs will be constructed based on these steps. If a particular step is complicated and needs a lot of explaining, then it will likely take up a paragraph on its own. But if a series of simple steps is easier to understand, then the steps can be grouped into a single paragraph.

The time transition phrases covered in the Narration and Illustration sections are also helpful in organizing process analysis essays (see Table 10.1 “Transition Words and Phrases for Expressing Time” and Table 10.2 “Phrases of Illustration” ). Words such as first , second , third , next , and finally are helpful cues to orient reader and organize the content of essay.

Always have someone else read your process analysis to make sure it makes sense. Once we get too close to a subject, it is difficult to determine how clearly an idea is coming across. Having a friend or coworker read it over will serve as a good way to troubleshoot any confusing spots.

Choose two of the lists you created in Note 10.52 “Exercise 1” and start writing out the processes in paragraph form. Try to construct paragraphs based on the complexity of each step. For complicated steps, dedicate an entire paragraph. If less complicated steps fall in succession, group them into a single paragraph.

Writing a Process Analysis Essay

Choose a topic that is interesting, is relatively complex, and can be explained in a series of steps. As with other rhetorical writing modes, choose a process that you know well so that you can more easily describe the finer details about each step in the process. Your thesis statement should come at the end of your introduction, and it should state the final outcome of the process you are describing.

Body paragraphs are composed of the steps in the process. Each step should be expressed using strong details and clear examples. Use time transition phrases to help organize steps in the process and to orient readers. The conclusion should thoroughly describe the result of the process described in the body paragraphs. See Chapter 15 “Readings: Examples of Essays” to read an example of a process analysis essay.

Choose one of the expanded lists from Note 10.54 “Exercise 2” . Construct a full process analysis essay from the work you have already done. That means adding an engaging introduction, a clear thesis, time transition phrases, body paragraphs, and a solid conclusion.

Key Takeaways

A process analysis essay explains how to do something, how something works, or both.
The process analysis essay opens with a discussion of the process and a thesis statement that states the outcome of the process.
The organization of a process analysis essay typically follows a chronological sequence.
Time transition phrases are particularly helpful in process analysis essays to organize steps and orient reader.

4. Process Writing

2. the process essay.

I have a few pointers I’d like to share with you about developing process paragraphs. Using one or combining several might help you add depth and support to your writing:

Be specific- Use exact amounts. Great chefs can approximate; we need to know exactly what to include. If you’re writing about how to build a campfire, give specific sizes for the wood you want your reader to gather. Large wood thrown on the fire early will only smother it. Be as specific as you possibly can be.
Define terms- If you tell your reader to gather kindling for the fire, is your reader going to know what that means? If you have any doubts, explain what the term is. No one needs a definition for a screw driver, and very few would not know what a Phillips screwdriver is (you may just give a brief description: star-tipped). But if you have a complex tool that the reader won’t recognize, define it.
Include reasons- Readers love to take short cuts. You have to be prepared to guide your reader through the steps correctly. So explain to them why they might be doing a step the way you want them to do it. In baking cookies, you may say “preheat the oven.” Most people ignore that. If you give a reason why it is important, your reader may be convinced to do as you say.
Include don’ts- It’s not a good idea to check to see if the electricity is out by putting your finger in an empty socket while changing the light bulb. Advise your reader against it. Sometimes it’s easier to say what not to do than what to do. Warnings are wonderful influences.
Mention possible pitfalls- Sometimes, things go wrong. Let your reader know before hand that success may sometimes be out of their control. They’ve got the cake in the oven and a big truck goes by outside. The vibrations cause the cake to fall. Knowing this before hand can at least reduce the heartache if something does go wrong.

Authored by : Jeff Meyers. Provided by : Clinton Community College. License : CC BY: Attribution

How to Write a Process Essay: Basic Guidelines, Writing Steps, and Tips

6 July 2023

last updated

Process papers are rare and unique compositions that follow a rhetorical style to provide step by step directions to make or break something. Basically, students must engage in a rigorous preparation process to ensure that readers understand various levels. In this case, three main writing steps on how to write a process essay include preparation, setting up the stage, and drafting and revising of a paper. Also, the planning stage supports the identification of credible sources, the gathering of relevant ideas and evidence, preparation of the outline, and writing of the draft. In turn, adequate research is the first step towards assembling credible information on the theme. Besides, drafting and revising stages enable authors to alter their evidence and outlines to meet primary objectives. In practice, scholars tend to add new and credible sources to enhance the overall quality of a composition.

General Aspects of Writing a Process Essay

Process works provide steps that one can follow when giving directions to complete an important activity. Basically, the structure of the composition allows readers to understand the steps required to execute a new operation or action. In this case, writers must follow a specific process to communicate the intended information. Moreover, adequate preparation helps to avoid the omission of particular and essential ideas. In turn, some of the crucial steps on how to write a process essay include gathering and validating scholarly sources that must support the topic created. Then, credible evidence leads to justifiable arguments that support and clarify every action that one can follow in the process established. Although process papers are rare and unique compositions, authors must engage in a rigorous preparation process to ensure that target audiences understand various steps.

Definition of a Process Essay

A process essay or “how-to” essay follows a rhetorical style that provides step by step directions to make or break something. Basically, writers structure this composition to give readers with guidelines or guidance. In practice, students must follow a specific sequence of steps that can help authors to execute a particular goal. Also, skipping an action makes essays vague and prevents scholars from achieving anticipated goals. Hence, in order to answer what is a process essay or “how-to” essay, this paper focuses on giving specific directions to complete a task successfully.

Other Aspects

One may need a process essay when creating recipes or brochures. For instance, recipes contain clear directions to complete an essential activity like cooking. In this case, students can follow through the guidelines to achieve the intended task. Moreover, advertisements are information papers that focus on specific topics. In turn, they allow the target audience to acquire knowledge on a particular subject. Thus, one should use process papers when writing recipes or brochures.

What Are the Steps in Writing a Process Essay

Step 1: preparation.

Adequate preparation enhances the quality of process papers. Basically, competent writers should begin writing an essay through the definition of the topic. Also, this step involves a detailed assessment of the facts at hand. In this case, one should select a problem that can interest the target population. Then, authors should choose topics that act as a source of inspiration. In turn, following such guidelines assist authors in gathering adequate details concerning the issue and creating a unique subject for the paper. Therefore, sufficient preparations allow writers to develop individual problems for a process essay.

Gatherting the Information

One must gather and prepare relevant details after identifying the main topic. In particular, adequate research is the first step towards gathering credible information on the theme. Also, the most effective way is to focus on scholarly materials related to the subject matter. For example, libraries, newspapers, and websites are among the most effective sources of information that one may consider. In turn, a critical review of research sources and their pieces of evidence leads to credible evidence. Therefore, one must focus on searching for adequate details to support the necessary information for writing a process essay.

Considering the Audience

Authors must consider the target audience when writing a process essay. For instance, one must identify the academic level, cultural factors, social values, or religious beliefs of the intended readers. In turn, this strategy ensures that booklovers benefit maximally from the composition. Moreover, understanding the audience enables students to write papers with relevant documents that can enhance skills. Therefore, successful process papers require writers to examine readers analytically.

Step 2: Set Up the Stage

Setting up the stage for writing enhances the quality of process essays. In this case, some of the essential activities that one should consider are finding sources, creating an annotated bibliography, and developing an outline. Basically, these three aspects ensure that writers organize their concepts effectively. Besides, students must avoid missing some critical information for entire papers. Therefore, such papers require one to set up the stage for writing the entire text.

Source Identification

Students should consider identifying sources that contain relevant details. Basically, some of the factors that scholars should consider include the credibility of causes, date of publication, and relevance. In this case, useful peer-reviewed articles and other secondary sources contain new details about a topic. Besides, credible sources should provide irrefutable evidence to justify the steps presented in a process essay. Therefore, writers should identify specific sources to support the theme.

Developing an Annotated Bibliography

Authors should use identified sources to develop an annotated bibliography. Basically, the method requires scholars to provide accurate bibliographic details for every source. In this case, one should follow the relevant referencing style required. Also, other essential information on considering includes the summary and relevance of materials. In turn, writers must consider the credibility of sources. Besides, they should determine if the information presented supports a process essay’s topic. Therefore, students must create an annotated bibliography for the sources identified.

Moreover, the annotated bibliography should allow writers to identify the most suitable source to create the outline. For instance, authors should recognize scholarly materials that support the topic directly. In this case, this aspect plays a curial role in rejecting vague sources and relying on those that support an initial thesis statement . Therefore, students should rely on annotated bibliography to identify the most credible sources for use in a process essay.

Creating an Process Essay Outline

Outlines form an essential part of a process essay writing procedure. Basically, rough drafts contain a list of the main points presented in the essay. In practice, they include an introduction, an initial thesis statement, main points, and a concluding paragraph. Also, the opening section provides an overview of the topic identified. In this case, the central claim informs about the scope of the issue identified. Then, the outline’s body contains the main facts that support the initial thesis. Besides, they require credible citations for support and authentication. In turn, the concluding section in the framework restates the initial claim and summarizes the main ideas. Moreover, a comprehensive sketch of process papers ensures that writers identify all critical details. Therefore, students should focus on developing an outline for their works.

Step 3: Start Writing – Drafting and Revising

The stage of writing plays an essential role in helping students to create original process essay examples. In practice, this stage of writing the work takes several steps. For instance, some of the crucial phases include developing an early draft, combining essential facts, and changing the sources to meet the needs. In turn, other important writing activities involve changing the outline and creation of a working thesis. Therefore, effective writing follows specific steps that allow writers to communicate intended messages.

Writing a First Draft of a Process Essay

Creating a draft of a process essay allows writers to combine different ideas. Basically, the method leads to the determination of the most appropriate approaches for the target essay. In practice, drafts reveal the ideas that one must omit or include. Besides, they show the weaknesses in the outline used. In turn, students should use blueprints to review the effectiveness of scholarly sources used previously. Sometimes, one may find it necessary to use a new journal article or book to improve the efficiency of an essay.

Writers should use revised outlines and documents to create a working thesis for a process essay. For instance, one should create a statement that asserts the specific topic and position taken. Basically, this central claim resembles the final dissertation, but one should revise it after completing writing an essay. In this case, authors should remember to state the full details of the support that they use for justifying the primary argument. Therefore, writers should use the revised information to develop a working thesis for an essay.

Important Tips to Remember

Revising rough drafts improves the overall quality of final essays. In this case, the main aspects that one should consider are editing topic sentences, concluding phrases, and transitional constructions. Basically, these factors enhance the quality of ideas presented to support the main arguments. For instance, effective process papers contain simple sentences that enable readers to understand the intended procedures. In turn, writers must ensure that transitional words are used to enhance the flow of ideas. Therefore, the revising stage improves the overall quality of a process essay.

The revision stage allows learners to improve the overall quality of their work. Some essential factors that writers should remember when revising their process papers include:

Formatting the paper – Process essays must follow the stated format.
Final central claim – One must revise the working thesis to capture all the relevant facts presented in the essay.
Peer review – Successful writers share their essays with their peers to read through and identify possible mistakes. In turn, peer-reviewing improves the overall quality of a paper.
Preparing the final draft – Writers should include the changes identified in making the final draft. From a practical perspective, they deliver a flawless process essay.

Summing Up on How to Write a Process Essay

Process essays are rare and unique compositions. In this case, authors must engage in a rigorous preparation step to ensure that the target audiences understand the various steps. Basically, these types of papers follow a rhetorical style that provides step directions to make or break something. Also, three main writing steps include preparation, setting up the stage, and drafting and revising the essay. Then, the planning stage supports the identification of credible sources, the gathering of relevant ideas and evidence, the development of the first version of the central claim, and writing the first draft. In turn, the revising stage enables authors to alter their evidence and outlines to meet the primary objectives. In practice, scholars tend to add new and credible sources to enhance the overall quality of the composition. Also, students must consider the following points:

Process essays must follow the specified formatting guidelines.
Peers assist in revising and improving the quality of rough drafts.
One can make the necessary changes to enhance the quality of the process papers.

To Learn More, Read Relevant Articles

Mla footnotes, the great gatsby mla citation with examples and explanations.

Essay Guides
Main Academic Essays

How to Write a Process Essay: Useful Tips and Examples

Speech Topics
Basics of Essay Writing
Essay Topics
Other Essays
Research Paper Topics
Basics of Research Paper Writing
Miscellaneous
Chicago/ Turabian
Data & Statistics
Methodology
Admission Writing Tips
Admission Advice
Other Guides
Student Life
Studying Tips
Understanding Plagiarism
Academic Writing Tips
Basics of Dissertation & Thesis Writing

Research Paper Guides
Formatting Guides
Basics of Research Process
Admission Guides
Dissertation & Thesis Guides

Table of contents

Use our free Readability checker

A process essay is a type of expository writing that explains a series of steps or procedures to achieve a particular outcome or complete a task. It provides detailed, step-by-step guidelines for the reader to follow.

If you want to understand how to write a “how to” essay, the best solution is to turn for help to the professional academic essay writers with a rich writing experience. Review this article, which contains everything a student should know before writing your process essay.

What Is a Process Essay: Definition

Before learning how to write a process paper of A level, it is critical to define the term. A process essay refers to the type of academic writing which contains a detailed description of the particular process in the shape of the step-by-step guide. This form of essay is popular in business & technical writing. Some of the best examples of process essays include:

Instruction/owner’s manual;
User’s guide;
“How to…” articles;
Security instructions;
Recommendations.

Students should test the process themselves before writing an instruction or manual. It would be the best answer to the question “ what is a process essay ?”

Process Essay Outline: Structuring Your Paper

There is not much to say about the process essay outline because structure repeats steps required to complete a certain procedure. Having an outline is helpful in any situation associated with academic writing. Put down every stage in chronological order. Once the student has an outline, they may later add some details depending on the process development to come up with the whole body. Maybe you will ask " How to structure an essay of this type?" The structure of a process outline is common:

Introduction paragraph (mention the process to discuss).
Body paragraphs (list the stage and provide details).
Conclusion (specify what the expected outcome should be + share some success indicators).

The length of a “how to” essay depends on whether the chosen procedure is time-consuming or not. Do not pick something extra fast not to have a few-sentence essay in the end.

Process Essay Introduction

Let’s talk a little about the process essay introduction. It does not matter whether an essay is describing the way to get chocolate out of milk and coconuts, explaining some procedure of vaccination, or interpreting steps required to write a book. It is important to identify the target audience from the start! If it is an average user, avoid difficult terms. In case you write to satisfy the curiosity of advanced users, do not mind including various professional terms to prove your competence in the chosen field. Do not worry about structure. The best thing about this type of academic assignment is that step-by-step process itself provides a student with correct structure. Still, experts recommend having an outline. Would you like to know good ways to start an essay of this type? Start an opening paragraph by determining an analyzed procedure and share personal ideas on why this specific process is interesting & important to observe. Formulate a process essay thesis. It is not necessary to cover history or background of some discussed procedure.

Process Essay Body Paragraph

Do not include any details that do not relate to the process itself. If some required tools & equipment are rare, tell readers some ways to get these resources. Write down warnings about possible safety hazards to prevent readers from falling into trap/injuring. Describing steps alone might be dull. To enrich your writing, add some common mistakes to avoid. And provide helpful tips to make this process simpler & quicker. Main body of a process essay is usually written in chronological order. Add every step in chronological order with the help of clear words. If there are similar steps or those that can be performed at different stages, mention it to acknowledge the reader. To prevent confusing situations/failures, experts recommend subdividing the steps of especially long processes (example: Step 1A, 1B, etc.) Professional hint from essay order experts!

“A good process essay always uses the second person – “you.” It sounds more personal, and readers trust its writer. Be ready to apply a plenty of transitional words & phrases! They make this procedure description logical and clear to every reader. Try to insert different transitions to prevent text from being repetitive. During the process of writing an instruction or manual, do steps described in text to check whether everything works the way it should before offering the same actions to your target audience.” Professor Pryce, academic counselor and online writing tutors at StudyCrumb

Writing Process Essay Conclusion

Let’s see how to end writing a how-to essay. By the end of an instruction, reader/user must be able to repeat provided actions to activate the process or solve some problem alone. If readers cannot do that, it means that writer failed giving clear, correct instructions. How to start a conclusion in an essay ? Do it with some short review of an entire process from A to Z. It will help readers recall what they were doing, how long, and what expected results should be. While body paragraphs provide detailed interpretation of each stage, a conclusion must contain a single short sentence summarizing every step of a process. It should look like an opening sentence of this article.

How to Write a Process Essay: 10 Simple Steps

Process essay writing is not a difficult task. Even though a process essay is easy to write, it is crucial to know the essential steps of writing. Knowing all nuts and bolts will help you write an article quickly and correctly. Below you will find 10 basic steps you should know to write an outstanding process essay. Step 1: Think of some topic you want to write about. What interests you most? What will be useful for your readers? Consider all these questions and create the best topic. Browse our process essay topics we prepared for our users. Step 2: Start your research. Look for some sources that have relevant information. Collect all important data. Step 3: Read sources you collected carefully and analyze information. Make notes when reading and have quick access to needed information. Step 4: Create an outline for your paper. Plan your future paragraphs beforehand. Step 5: Collect all parts of your guide together and think what you may add to the main body. Write body paragraphs. Step 6: It is not a good idea to compose your introduction at the beginning. Start writing your introduction paragraph only after you have main part. Step 7: Don’t forget about a strong hook for your paper. It should be concise, informative, and grab attention of your reader. Step 8: Finally, summarize all points you mentioned in your text and create your conclusion. Highlight the result again. Show readers what they will get after they follow all steps mentioned in your essay. Step 9: After all these steps are done, create a catchy and informative title. It should not only display what your essay is about but also grab your reader's attention and make them want to read your guide. Step 10: Proofread your process essay and edit mistakes. Read your text again, check for typos and grammar mistakes. Make sure it is readable and understandable. Following these steps will help you create a truly brilliant process essay that you will get an A+ for. Buy essays papers to enjoy even higher odds to succeed with your submission.

Helpful Tips on How to Write a Process Paper

While writing this type of academic essay, recall these professional tips & tricks and earn A+!

Say what you are doing to describe an action. It would be paper’s topic, precise, clear, and educating. Narrow down your topic if it sounds broad. Example: Instead of calling some instruction “How to Install Windows” make it “How to Install Windows 10 on the most recent Asus models (name them).”
Get ready with outline of an essay , which is structure of your essay.
Name requirements like resources, equipment, instruments, stuff, skills, and knowledge person will need to complete their process. If more than one person is required, mention it.
Identify technical & professional terms in text. In case manual explains a procedure based on special, technical knowledge/skills, such as carpentry, it is better to include some definitions of some specific terms readers might not know. If your teacher allows, enrich your essay with images, signs, graphs, and tables to explain some word.
Each good instruction should contain warnings/cautions. List all possible threats & security hazards. Along with some obstacles readers may face in the process. Use an active voice in this part.
Finish manual/instruction with an explanation of what person should be ready to obtain once the procedure is over (stress the importance of experiment). It is important to list success factors. Example: “Cooked dumplings should not look tenderized/taste raw.”
Add images & more techniques so readers follow instructions simpler. For instance, “peach color” may be perceived as various textures by various individuals.”

Interesting Process Essay Examples

Of course, we won’t leave you without a real example of a process essay. Only reading this article may not be enough. Before you start your writing, it is better to look at how other students organized similar works. Here is one of professional how-to essay examples shared by college students.

If you want a similar essay customized to your needs, just say " write my essays " and StudyCrumb will provide tailored assistance. Our writers prepare such orders daily and know how to make your process essay beautiful.

How to Write a Perfect Process Essay: Final Thoughts

As you see, writing a professional essay is not as difficult as you might think. This type of essay does not require some special writing skills or use of high academic language . So following our simple tips we provided in our article will help you create an excellent essay that will guide readers through some steps easily.

Get in touch with our essay writing service and have your assignment done with great quality in mind.

Frequently Asked Questions about Process Essay

1. what are good transition words for process essay.

The most appropriate process essay transition words are ones that help readers distinguish different stages of a guide described in your essay. To define stages of your paper try using following transition words:

After that,
Eventually,
Afterwards,

2. How to write a thesis of a process essay?

Thesis statement for process essay should be clear, concise, and informative. In your thesis you should briefly inform a reader of result they will get after reading your guide and following all steps. Mention benefits readers will gain.

3. What is a process essay outline example?

Process essay outline example may look as follows:

Prepare list of ingredients
Prepare an oven
Prepare chocolate chips or dried fruit
Mix ingredients together
Bake muffins
Cool muffins
Serve muffins.

4. What are final steps after finishing writing process essay?

After you finished writing your process essay, you still should edit and proofread your text:

Read your text and correct mistakes and typos.
Delete unnecessary words and sentences.
Check your instructions again and make sure it is easy to read and understand.
Give your paper to your friend and ask them to read it. After that ask if they fully understood all instructions. If not, make corrections.

Daniel Howard is an Essay Writing guru. He helps students create essays that will strike a chord with the readers.

Process Essays

Process Essay Example 1
Process Essay Example 2
Writing Skill: Unity
Revise A Process Essay
Timed Writing (Choose a Position)
Integrated Writing (TOEFL Task 2)
Comparison Essays
Comparison Essay Example 1
Comparison Essay Example 2
Writing Skill: Cohesion
Revise A Comparison Essay
Timed Writing (Plans & Problems)
Integrated Writing (Word Choice)
Problem/Solution Essays
Problem/Solution Essay Example 1
Problem/Solution Example Essay 2
Writing Skill: Summary
Revise A Problem/Solution Essay
Timed Writing (Revising)
Integrated Writing (Summary)
More Writing Skills
Punctuation
Simple Sentences
Compound Sentences
Complex Sentences Part 1
Complex Sentences Part 2
Using Academic Vocabulary
Translations

Choose a Sign-in Option

Tools and Settings

Questions and Tasks

Citation and Embed Code

In this chapter, you will write a process essay. To write a process essay, think about things that you know how to do. How would you teach someone to do one of those things?

A process essay is written to teach the reader how to do something (e.g., how to break a bad habit). This essay should describe any steps that are necessary in order to complete the process.

This content is provided to you freely by BYU Open Learning Network.

Access it online or download it at https://open.byu.edu/academic_a_writing/process_essays .

Process Analysis Essay

Learn How to Write the Perfect Process Analysis Essay

11 min read

What is a Process Analysis Essay?

A process analysis essay is a type of essay that tells how to do something or how to perform a specific task. It is an essay that outlines the procedure or steps that an individual must undertake to accomplish a particular task.

According to the process analysis essay definition :

“It is a type of expository essay that aims to describe some actions or process.”

A process essay is somewhat like explaining a recipe: first, you specify the ingredients, then the steps of what to do with them. In other words, it lists down all the steps in a logical order.

Types of Process Analysis Essay

There are two types of process analysis essays: directive and informational. When you begin to write your essay, you first need to decide which type you should write.

1. Informational Process Analysis Essay

The informational essay tells the reader how something should be done without giving directions on how to do it. The writer’s tone is informative, and they are not directly talking to the reader.

2. Directive Process Analysis Essay

It explains to the reader how to do something or perform a task by giving proper directions. The body section is organized into steps, with each paragraph explaining one step in the process.

Paper Due? Why Suffer? That's our Job!

How to Write a Process Analysis Essay?

Process analysis essay writing requires you to consider every step and tool involved in completing a task. Furthermore, it requires you to explain the logical order that the reader should follow.

In general, it is similar to the typical five-paragraph essay with a few differences. Here is a step-by-step process of writing a process analysis essay

Step 1. Choose a Topic

When you are choosing an essay topic, do not rush to make a final decision. Take your time to decide which topic suits your needs best. Try to rationalize your choice by keeping the following tips in mind:

Choose a topic idea that involves the reader
Find a topic that you have a good understanding of
Focus your theme on one particular thing
Choose something that has practical worth and is useful for the reader
Think about your targeted audience and make sure your topic is relevant to them

Step 2. Draft a Process Analysis Essay Outline

The outline helps you analyze the topic and how you should write your essay. Organize the steps into a logical sequence and incorporate them into the process analysis essay structure.

Take a look at the following outline template of the process analysis essay to get an idea.

Process Analysis Essay Outline Template

Remember that the process analysis essay structure is almost the same as any other type of essay. The only difference is the body section because it is not built on evidence or arguments.

Step 3. Starting the Process Analysis Essay

Starting a process essay is like setting the stage for keeping the reader hooked. Your goal is to grab the reader’s attention in the essay introduction. Read on to understand what makes up for a captivating process essay introduction.

How to Craft The Essay Introduction?

Kickstart the essay by explaining the process you are going to describe in your essay. The following points are involved in writing a process analysis essay introduction:

Start with an engaging hook statement
Formally introduce the topic and define the purpose of the process
Tell the significance of the process, and why it is useful and worth learning
Establish a thesis statement for the process analysis essay
Do not dig deep into the theme’s background or provide historical facts, also avoid unnecessary details
Discuss the result that can be achieved if everything is performed in the right sequence

Read this process analysis essay introduction example that brilliantly summarizes all the key points mentioned above:

Step 4. Write the Body Paragraphs

The body paragraphs are where you break down each step in detail. In typical fashion, you may use as many paragraphs as the number of steps involved in the process.

Start your paragraphs with a topic sentence . It will help the reader understand what that particular step is going to be about. Use a descriptive writing style in the body.

For complicated steps, you should divide them into several parts. But try not to confuse your readers with overly detailed steps, as they might lose track!

Always use transition words for a coherent flow in your essay. Make sure that the paragraphs follow a logical order and combine the results at the end after the last step.

Below are some process analysis paragraph examples that you can read for a clear understanding:

Note : In the above example, the headings are only mentioned to give you an idea of what the step is about. You don’t actually have to give headings before every paragraph in your essay.

Step 5. Conclude The Essay

In the conclusion , summarize all the steps involved. Inform your audience about the risks or any side effects associated with the process. Discuss the consequences if something goes wrong and how to make it right.

Always tell your readers the significance of following the process in the given sequence. Define the final result that will be achieved when the process is followed in the proper sequence.

The following conclusion paragraph example gives a wonderful closure to a process analysis essay:

Step 6. Revise Your Essay

The most important part of the writing process is proofreading and revision. Read your essay once you are done writing it to filter out any errors. Make sure that your essay follows the right process analysis essay format.

Tough Essay Due? Hire Tough Writers!

Process Analysis Essay Examples

Below are some good process analysis essay samples. These examples will help you learn how to write a process analysis essay in a better way.

Process Analysis Essay Sample PDF

Informational Process Analysis Essay Example

Directive Process Analysis Essay Example

How to Make a Pizza Process Analysis Essay Example

Process Analysis Essay Topics

Recipes are just simple examples of process analysis essay topics. There are many other topics that you can write about. A fun thing about a process analysis essay is that you can even write an essay on how to write a process analysis essay.

Below, you can find some amazing topics for writing an incredible process analysis essay.

How to bake a cake?
How to make a presentation on PowerPoint?
How to treat coronavirus?
How to do laundry?
How to write an essay?
How to make an apple pie?
How to make a sketch?
How to succeed in college?
How to lose weight in just 20 days?
How to learn belly dance?

Process Analysis Essay Topics For College Students

In your high school or college, you may be asked to write a process analysis essay by your instructor. Get an idea of process analysis topics from the ones given below:

How can college students implement effective time management strategies?
What steps are involved in writing a winning college application essay?
The meticulous methods used to preserve historical artifacts.
How can students become efficient note-takers during college lectures?
What are the steps involved in writing and publishing a novel?
What is the process of organizing a successful event on a college campus?
Step-by-step guide to creating a professional resume for college students
The process of designing and developing a video game
What are the steps involved in starting and running a non-profit organization?
How do you develop and deliver a business presentation as a student?

Funny Process Analysis Essay Topics

If you’re asked to write a process analysis essay on a funny topic, get an idea from the topics we’ve gathered below:

The art of mastering the perfect procrastination technique
How to avoid eye contact in a crowded elevator?
How to craft the most unconvincing excuse for missing school?
How to successfully time your arrival just as the party is ending?
How to not get awkward when the instructor catches you cheating?
What are the steps to prolong a simple task to an all-day project?
How to successfully navigate a buffet without filling your plate sky-high?
Mastering the skill of parallel parking without causing a minor fender bender
How to convert your messy room into a disaster zone?
How to make the ugliest costume for Halloween?

If you want to know even more exciting topics, head over to our process analysis essay topics blog!

Process Analysis Essay Writing Tips

The given writing tips will make your essay writing process simple and manageable. Follow them and finish writing your essay quickly.

Use appropriate vocabulary and language and try to avoid complicated technical terms
If using technical terms, make sure to explain them properly so that the reader can understand them
Use transitional words for moving from one step to another
The steps should be simple and easy to follow
Give the reader a sense of direction by keeping everything concise and clear
As it is a process analysis essay, it should follow the chronological sequence

To wrap it up, After reading this guide, you can easily pen down a process analysis essay. We have covered all the essentials of process analysis from the standard format to examples, and writing tips.

But if you still feel unconfident while writing your process analysis essay, getting professional assistance is always an option.

MyPerfectWords.com is the best essay writing service that you can rely on for getting a process analysis essay. Our writers are experienced and highly educated. They can handle any type of academic writing assignment with ease.

So, do not hesitate to reach out to us and let us help you craft a stellar process analysis essay.

Happy Writing!

Write Essay Within 60 Seconds!

Dr. Barbara is a highly experienced writer and author who holds a Ph.D. degree in public health from an Ivy League school. She has worked in the medical field for many years, conducting extensive research on various health topics. Her writing has been featured in several top-tier publications.

Paper Due? Why Suffer? That’s our Job!

Keep reading

5 Process Essay Examples

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

how to back a chocolate cake process essay

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

Ready to Write your Essay?

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

Chris Drew (PhD)

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

Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 5 Top Tips for Succeeding at University
Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 50 Durable Goods Examples
Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 100 Consumer Goods Examples
Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 30 Globalization Pros and Cons

How To Write A Process Essay

Essay Writing Guides

The first thing to know about a process essay is that it isn’t like anything you have written before. That is why it’s so common for students of all academic levels to feel confused when they are sitting down to write a process essay for the first time. Our college paper writing service understands your confusion, and here is everything you need to know about writing process essay.

What Is a Process Essay?

You cannot learn how to write a process essay without learning the definition of this term first. So what is a process essay and how is it different from any other paper you have written throughout your academic career?

A good way to think about a process essay is to consider it a how-to essay. In this paper, the author provides step-by-step instructions that will allow the readers to achieve the expected result.

Types of process essays

At the same time, the definition of a process essay isn’t that straightforward and universal. In fact, there are two types of process essays, which may have similar features, but are completely different in nature.

An informational process essay explains a process or offers its detailed analysis. A directional process essay lists and details the steps required to achieve a specific result. That is why, when you are assigned with writing a process essay, you need to make sure you fully understand the task.

Process Essay Outline

Defining and writing down a process essay outline will help you streamline your thoughts and achieve a cohesive narrative. This is what a process essay outline looks like:

Description of the subject
Thesis statement
Step in the process
Explanation
Additional discussion

How to use transition words in a process essay

There are a few ways to elevate your academic writing and make it more impressive for your readers, but one of them is particularly important for a process essay. We are talking about transition words, which help make your narrative seamless and help the readers understand the instructions better.

At the same time, you can easily go overboard with using transition words and make your writing oversaturated with the words and phrases designed to create a smooth transition. A rule of thumb in this situation is to use a transition phrase at the beginning of each paragraph, include one or two of them in the examples, and then put one in the summary.

How to Write a Process Essay

We have already talked about the process essay definition and outline, and now you can finally find out how to write a process essay with our guide.

Introduction

In the case of a process essay, the introduction plays an essential role in the success of your paper. After reading the introduction, your readers will either be intrigued enough to continue writing or will close your essay and will never come back to it again.

At the beginning of the introduction, you need to include a hook — an eye-catching statement about the most interesting aspect of the process you’re describing. Then you need to provide some scientific and historical background to the process, so that your readers know where you’re coming from.

Finally, the last sentence of your process essay introduction should be a thesis statement — a phrase that can summarize your whole upcoming paper. Your thesis statement will sound like this: “In this essay, I will demonstrate a quick and easy way to mend ripped jeans that is suitable even for beginners.”

Body paragraphs

Now you know how to start a process essay, but what about the main part of the paper — the body paragraphs? The body paragraphs are where the instructions will take place, so you need to make them easily understandable and informative for the readers.

Each body paragraph will be dedicated to a separate step in the process, so there will be more body paragraphs than the usual three you’d include in any other essay. Each body paragraph should contain a brief version of the step, its explanation, and evidence that supports your way of performing the step.

At the end of each body paragraph, you can also include a fragment of free discussion. Talk about additional tips, warnings, or alternative ways to complete this step if you feel like this information can be useful to the readers.

As it’s always the case with academic essays, the job of a conclusion is to put a logical end to your writing. You should not include any new information in your conclusion and need to instead convince the readers that your way of doing things is the correct one.

The conclusion of your process essay needs to remind the readers why they should repeat your procedure in the first place. If you feel like the procedure may be too complicated for most readers, you can also add some words of encouragement to convince them to give the procedure a try.

Process Essay Topics

A good topic can account for up to 50% of the success of your essay. If you are struggling with finding a suitable topic for your essay, here are 15 great process essay topics for your inspiration:

How to become more efficient in college.
How to limit your use of social media.
How to get rid of insomnia.
How to cook more at home instead of eating takeouts.
How to give up smoking for good.
How to find a job straight out of college.
How to give medicine to a cat.
How to travel on a budget.
How to look more presentable for job interviews.
How to set up a video conference call.
How to get rid of toxic people in your life.
How to become a more confident person.
How to plan your meals and grocery shopping.
How to find your true calling.
How to open a hot dog stand.

Process Essay Writing Tips

To make the job of writing a process essay easier for you, we have prepared these five final tips:

Find the perfect balance between broad and narrow process essay topics. You don’t want to get too specific to make your essay useful only to professionals, but you also don’t want to provide information that is too general — it may turn out to be useless.
Try to use active voice in your instructions. That way, you will set the right tone for your essay and will make it easier for the readers to follow the steps to recreate the process.
At every step of the process, think of your readers and the way they will recreate your steps. If they will need any specific equipment or skills to cover one of the steps, make sure to include that information in the essay.
Your readers should know not only about the potential benefits and positive results of your instructions, but also about the possible side effects and unwanted consequence, as well as ways to resolve them.

You don’t always need to finish your assignment on your own if you don’t have the time or skills to do it. We are one of the leading essay writing services USA that specializes in process essays and we will do your essay exactly when and how you need it.

Academic Writing Guides
Citation Guides
Essay Samples
Essay Topics
Research Paper Topics
Research Paper Writing Guides
Study Tips and Tricks

Featured articles

Start Writing Formal Emails

In today’s digital age, formal emails are a crucial form of communication in various professional settings. They reflect one’s professionalism and competence, making them essential for effective communication in workplaces, academic institutions, and business environments. Crafting well-written formal emails is invaluable for building and maintaining professional relationships, and they are often the initial point of […]

Author: Marina Kean

We’ll Help You Write Career Goals Essays

Career goals essays are important for expressing personal ambitions and objectives in the professional realm. They can greatly impact college applications, job interviews, scholarship submissions, and career advancement initiatives. These essays about career goals have the power to showcase an individual’s determination, visions, and unique brand, opening doors to academic programs, job opportunities, and funding. […]

Process Analysis in Composition

Guidelines and examples

An Introduction to Punctuation
Ph.D., Rhetoric and English, University of Georgia
M.A., Modern English and American Literature, University of Leicester
B.A., English, State University of New York

In composition , process analysis is a method of paragraph or essay development by which a writer explains step by step how something is done or how to do something.

Process analysis writing can take one of two forms, depending on the topic :

Information about how something works ( informative )
An explanation of how to do something ( directive ).

An informative process analysis is usually written in the third-person point of view ; a directive process analysis is usually written in the second person . In both forms, the steps are typically organized in chronological order --that is, the order in which the steps are carried out.

Process Analysis in Academics

Academics and grammarians have explained the actual "process" of process analysis, as well as the specific steps a writer should follow in using this method as these items demonstrate.

G. H. Muller and H. S. Wiener

Planning a good process analysis requires the writer to include all the essential steps. Be sure you have all the tools or ingredients needed. Arrange the steps in the correct sequence. Like all good writing, a process essay requires a thesis to tell the reader the significance of the process. The writer can tell the reader how to do something, but also should inform the reader about the usefulness or importance of the endeavor." ( The Short Prose Reader . McGraw-Hill, 2006)

Robert Funk, et al.

Process analysis in popular culture.

Of course, the notion of using a step-by-step method, which is the definition of process analysis, provides plenty of fodder for works in popular culture, ranging from explanations of how to remove items from a child's hair to notating a book. Even humorists and popular poets have demonstrated process analysis.

Joshua Piven et al.

With one hand, hold the stuck section of the hair between the gum clot and the scalp, and break the frozen gum into small pieces.

Gently pull the frozen gum pieces from the hair using your other hand. If the warmth of your hand begins to melt the gum, refreeze and repeat until all the gum has been removed from the hair. ( The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook: Parenting . Chronicle Books, 2003)

Mortimer Adler

Underlining: of major points, of important or forceful statements.

Vertical lines at the margin: to emphasize a statement already underlined.
Star, asterisk, or another doo-dad at the margin: to be used sparingly, to emphasize the ten or twenty most important statements in the book. . . .
Numbers in the margin: to indicate the sequence of points the author makes in developing a single argument.
Numbers of other pages in the margin: to indicate where else in the book the author made points relevant to the point marked; to tie up the ideas in a book, which, though they may be separated by many pages, belong together.
Circling of keywords or phrases.
Writing in the margin, or at the top or bottom of the page, for the sake of: recording questions (and perhaps answers) which a passage raised in your mind; reducing a complicated discussion to a simple statement; recording the sequence of major points right through the book. I use the end-papers at the back of the book to make a personal index of the author's points in the order of their appearance. ("How to Mark a Book." Saturday Review , July 6, 1940)

Izaak Walton

"[I]f he be a large Chub, then dress him thus: "First scale him, and then wash him clean, and then take out his guts; and to that end make the hole as little and near to his gills as you may conveniently, and especially make clean his throat from the grass and weeds that are usually in it (for if that be not very clean, it will make him to taste very sour); having so done, put some sweet herbs into his belly, and then tie him with two or three splinters to a spit, and roast him, basted often with vinegar, or rather verjuice and butter, with good store of salt mixt with it.

"Being thus drest, you will find him a much better dish of meat than you, or most folk, even than Anglers themselves do imagine; for this dries up the fluid watery humor with which all Chubs do abound.

"But take this rule with you, that a Chub newly taken and newly drest, is so much better than a Chub of a days keeping after he is dead, that I can compare him to nothing so fitly as to Cherries newly gathered from a tree, and others that have been bruised and lain a day or two in water. Being thus used and drest presently, and not washt after he is gutted (for note that lying long in water, and washing the blood out of the Fish after they be gutted, abates much of their sweetness), you will find the Chub to be such meat as will recompense your labour." ( The Compleat Angler , 5th edition, 1676)

Shel Silverstein

"First grow a moustache A hundred inches long, Then loop it over a hick'ry limb (Make sure the limb is strong). Now pull yourself up off the ground And wait until the spring-- Then swing!" ("How to Make a Swing With No Rope or Board or Nails." A Light in the Attic . HarperCollins, 1981)

"Lay the suit on its back on a flat surface such as a tennis court. Take the sleeves and place them at the side. Take the left sleeve and place it on the suit's hip, and hold the right sleeve over the suit's head as though the suit is waving in a jaunty manner. Now put both sleeves straight up over the suit's head and shout, 'Touchdown!' Ha ha! Isn't this fun? You may feel silly, but trust me, you're not half as silly as the people who think they can fold a suit so it won't come out wrinkled." ( Dave Barry's Only Travel Guide You'll Ever Need . Ballantine Books, 1991)

Evaluating a Process Analysis Essay
How to Break in a New Baseball Glove
50 Great Topics for a Process Analysis Essay
Development in Composition: Building an Essay
Understanding General-to-Specific Order in Composition
Focusing in Composition
Learning Ideas for Students with a Tactile, Kinesthetic Learning Style
Thinking About Reading
Definition and Examples of Analysis in Composition
Conclusion in Compositions
Composition Type: Problem-Solution Essays
Understanding What an Expository Essay Is
Analysis of 'The School' by Donald Barthelme
What Is an Indentation?
Simple Chemistry Life Hacks
detail (composition)

order now ✕
How It Works
Discount Program
Additional Services
Free Essays
Affiliate Program

Process Essay Definition and Writing Steps

Table of contents, good ideas for preparing interesting process essays, the points that help you in producing a process essay.

Steps to Produce an Excellent Process Essay Writing

15 Sensible Process Essays Topics

Process essay sample.

Best Process Essay to Buy

You can choose any topic for your process paper, from baking a pie to organizing a corporate monopoly. If you want to learn how to write a process essay, then deep knowledge of the selected topic is a must. Your how to essay must be fascinating and complete enough to let your readers follow your process.

Get a Price Quote

Process Essay Definition

If you want to know what a process essay writing is, then you should know that it is a unique type of academic assignment, in which you describe and explain how you do something, or how something works, or how things happen.

College and university students are often assigned to write process essays, as it is the most effective method of evaluating students’ ability to deal with the issue in the right way. Here, it goes about being able to accurately describe each stage of the process and properly explain why the very process is essential. In order to create a quality process essay, you may either follow the guidelines provided below or buy a paper from a reliable online writing company.

A process essay is focused on examining the way something is done. In other words, this paper gives a detailed description of a particular procedure. You need to provide all details of the process so that readers understand everything correctly.

What procedure does your essay describe? Why is it important?
What is the effect of the process?
What are the components of the described process?
How much time is needed to go through the process?
What stages does the procedure consist of?
Why is each stage of the described procedure meaningful?
Is it possible to skip a particular stage of the process? Is there a more effective way of completing the issue?
Are there any points readers should be aware of to make sure the process goes smoothly?

After answering these questions, you need to identify your readers. It is important to know whether they are aware of the process or not. Bear in mind that many processes presuppose using specific technical terms. Thus, you need to strive mightily to prepare an easy-to-follow piece of writing. You should refer to the notions and concepts which your readers are knowledgeable about. It is rather useful to give good examples to illustrate each stage of the process.

When writing the paper of such type, you should logically describe each of the stages of the very procedure and explain the principles of each of them. Clarity plays a very important role in producing such a work. Thus, readers will understand why it is required to follow the described directions and not any others.

As to the topic, try to choose an extraordinary one. Remember that no one likes reading essays written on the topics that have already been explored hundreds of times. You should understand that your professor deals with a large number of such essays. If your topic is similar to that of another student, your professor may unintentionally compare the papers. However, if your process essay is created on an unusual subject, your teacher will primarily concentrate on its main idea, style, structure and the way it is written in.

Producing academic papers on exceptional topics helps students develop their artistic skills and, as a result, achieve complete mastery of writing. Exploring such topics as baking apple pies, doing laundry, and alike may be more interesting than you think. This is the very case when writers can express them fully and create worthy pieces of writing astonishing readers.

As to the structure of the process essay, it consists of an introductory paragraph, body, which in its turn includes three paragraphs, and a conclusion. It should be admitted that the introduction and conclusion of the process essay are similar to those of another types of papers. However, the main body is exclusive, as it identifies three main levels of the process you are describing. Your body may include several paragraphs. Usually, one paragraph is devoted to one-step. Still, if the very procedure is rather complicated, each of its stages may be analyzed in two or more paragraphs.

The main task of the writer is to accurately identify the key steps of the very procedure. Once you have managed to do it, you need to provide a comprehensive description of each of the steps within the stages of the process. Remember that it is of utmost importance to provide detailed information about the issue, i.e. the very process. Thus, you will not miss any chief points and present the steps in a logical manner. Note that creating a good paper requires making a clear plan that will help you achieve great results.

Follow a Number of Steps to Produce an Excellent Process Essay Writing

Whatever the process essay definition you decide to focus on, you cannot go without conducting at least some research. Even if you have brilliant knowledge of the process, you still need to learn the academic terminology and use evidence from other sources to support your claims. While conducting your research, make notes. List the key considerations and thoughts you have on the topic, so that you do not miss anything when writing the paper. This way, you will find it easier to write a logical step-by-step process essay for your audience.
Apart from describing the process itself, you may wish to mention the equipment and instruments your readers might need to accomplish your task.
Finally, this is the point where you organize your material around the core idea and start writing your paper. After you manage to create the first draft, revise and edit it thoroughly. Make sure the paper does not contain any mistakes, when you submit it for review.
Writing a process essay can be much easier and academically sound, if you use topic sentences and transitional words. You can use many such words to develop logical associations between your ideas and paragraphs.
Also, do not miss any steps in the process you are describing, so that the reader does not feel confused.
Use as many examples as you can in your process essay. Be accurate and specific.
Emphasize which steps are the most important and why.
Do not hide your emotions. If you really want your reader to enjoy what you do, emotions can become your success factor in writing.
Do not use “after that” too often.
Do not forget about an introduction, so that the reader has some basic idea about what you are going to describe.
Don’t include any information or details you think could be successfully avoided.

If you are searching for process essay topics, we recommend you read the following list. The suggestions we have included here are designed to give you inspiration for your next process essay. Use your essay to explain the following processes to your readers:

Show another person how to write and send text messages

While it is true that the majority of people nowadays are familiar with texting, it is still likely you know someone who has not mastered the art. For example, a grandparent, a great-grandparent, or a young child may need to be taught how to create and send a text.

When writing this process, select the words you use with care. Some technologies can be quite complex to grasp so be careful not to use an excessive amount of terms your readers may not be familiar with.

How to create a good profile for an online dating website

The tricky part here is understanding what constitutes a good profile in terms of how other online users will view it.

People look for a range of personal characteristics and traits in their ideal partner. Therefore, when writing this process essay, your main task is to decide on the type of partner you would hope to get the attention of and then describe to your readers how to go about attracting a person like this. If, for example, you are a dog-lover but do not want to attract people who like cats, you should say so when creating your online profile.

How to change the privacy settings in Facebook

Almost every Facebook user – at some time or other – needs help altering the privacy options on this site. However, it is easy to let an essay explaining this process to become a list of technical directions. Therefore, it can help to try and find a smart or witty way of describing the steps involved in changing these settings i.e. without causing readers to want to tear their hair out!

How to take a great selfie

It may be that you have previously taken a selfie you did not like and immediately deleted it without uploading it to a social media site. In this case then, it is likely you understand what users should not do when they set about taking selfies.

The question is, what are the key components of a satisfactory selfie? Does how a person pose, how they smile, who is with them, or what is in the background have a bearing? Your task is to explain how to handle all of these aspects in order to end up with an enviable selfie.

How to look fashionable

It may be that you have a real flair for style and feel that people you know could do with a bit of advice. So why not use your process essay to assist them. Explain what is required to look great by giving guidance on, for example, hair re-styling, a makeover, a fantastic new coat, and whatever you think fits the bill.

How to make a great first (and lasting) impression

Although there are many times in life when it is important to make a great first impression, there are two occasions that really stand out. These are job interviews and first dates. Needless to say, your advice on how a reader should dress, act, and speak will differ for each of these scenarios. Therefore, this type of essay cannot be too general since each situation will require a particular approach. Choose a specific situation and write about that.

Starting a business on Etsy

It may be that you hand-make some type of product and have become adept at selling your wares on the e-commerce site Etsy? Maybe you have generated sufficient money to be able to quit your other part or full-time job? If this is the case, why not share your inside knowledge, experiences, and tips for succeeding with other potential Etsy users by way of a process essay?

Changing the oil in a car

Because this process tends to involve a set of step-by-step instructions, it can be quite challenging to describe in an essay. Try not to just write a list of instructions. Do your best instead to incorporate some practical tips and advice on what the reader should not do. You could even consider including the odd funny story about the mistakes you made yourself and the valuable lessons you learned from these!

How to draw a cat

If you choose to explain the process of drawing something – in this case a cat – it can help to include some sketches. These can help the reader see the process you are describing.

You may, of course, want to choose some other animal or object, but drawing cats can be quite fun.

How to play a video game, e.g., Call of Duty

If you are a seasoned gamer, you may have made it your mission to beat, say, Call of Duty. In the event you would like to help other gamers by sharing your expertise, you could consider giving tips on mastering this game or just on how to get through an especially challenging part of it.

How to bathe your cat

It is difficult to say how many people have successfully managed to bathe a reluctant cat. However, if you belong to the small few who can claim success, you should consider explaining your technique to others who may be struggling with this often difficult task.

Perfecting the art of shooting a free (basketball) throw

If you choose to explain to readers how to master the art of the free throw, one of the first considerations is the level of experience or proficiency that your readers have.

For example, do your readers already play basketball and just want a few tips on improving their existing game? Or, are you addressing people who have not previously played basketball and are not even familiar with the term “free throw.” Hence, the information you include – as well as the style and language you choose – will be influenced by how proficient or inexperienced those reading your essay are.

Surviving yet another class you find boring

There is no doubt that a lot of people find lectures boring. For instance, it is only possible to listen to a lecturer drone on and on about metaphor and symbolism in an English class for a certain amount of time before you start dozing off. So, what is the best way of getting through these boring lectures? Use your process essay to offer practical advice on note taking and engaging with their class materials.

You could also try making your piece quite light-hearted e.g. by explaining how class-related doodling is one way of staying awake.

Using Foursquare (or a similar platform) to meet local people

You might want to use this essay to explain to readers how to use available technology to their advantage rather than explaining how the app actually works. Explain to your audience how technology can help them meet other people, and how or why it is advantageous to network in this manner.

How to teach your dog a trick, e.g., to sit

Some people will tell you how hard they have tried to train their dog, but he or she just ignores them. If you choose dog training as the subject for a process essay, it may help to show readers – using examples – what they should not do. This is certainly a good way of helping people who have not hitherto had much success in this area.

Best Process Essay to Buy

Our writing team is the best one in the industry of academic writing. Our writers, editors and proofreaders have graduated from the best universities and hold no less then bachelor, PhD and master’s degrees. They know all the modern standards of academic essay paper writing and know what modern professors require from the students.

The professors want you to be great specialists in chosen fields of study. They burden the students every day with more and more assignments forgetting that young people have a lot of interesting activities.

EssayStore.net can make your life easier once and for all. Cooperating with us you may not be afraid about the academic grade because it will be in safe hands. EssayStore.net has a lot of permanent customers who come to us again and again because once we have helped them and saved their grades. We are happy when our customers are totally satisfied. You can easily be one of them just placing an order at EssayStore.net.

Filling out an Order Form

Payment Process

Assigning a Writer

Conducting Research

Work Delivery

Extremely Simple Procedure of Buying Best Essays Here

So, if you need some help with process essay writing or comparison essay writing, it is not a problem for EssayStore.net! Our writers are able to handle any assignment! Along with discount system, we have developed a flexible system of bonuses. Unlike other writing agencies, when you buy a custom essay paper from EssayStore.net you will get a lot of valuable services absolutely free of charge.

We do not allow our writers to use the copy-paste option, since we understand that plagiarism is a serious crime and if you are caught on it, you will have serious problems. Every paper is thoroughly checked via a specially designed plagiarism detection software in order to make sure that the client will get a unique and creative paper.

We have predicted all your needs and prepared useful suggestions for your convenience. No matter what sort of writing assistance you are looking for, be sure to send your request to us when you need it.

Remember, if you need some help with essay paper writing, term paper writing, research paper writing, case study writing, lab report writing, movie review writing, book review writing, book report writing, PowerPoint presentation writing, thesis writing or even a professional dissertation writing, you are free to contact us by any convenient method – by e-mail or live chat. Our support managers will be glad to answer your questions any time of day or night since they are available online24/7!

Understanding that the students from all over the globe live on the tight budget, we have developed the best price and quality relationship. It allows you to buy a paper without fear that the price will hit your pocket. Our prices are not unbelievably cheap, but they are extremely attractive!

Have a language expert improve your writing

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

Knowledge Base
How to write an expository essay

How to Write an Expository Essay | Structure, Tips & Examples

Published on July 14, 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on July 23, 2023.

“Expository” means “intended to explain or describe something.” An expository essay provides a clear, focused explanation of a particular topic, process, or set of ideas. It doesn’t set out to prove a point, just to give a balanced view of its subject matter.

Expository essays are usually short assignments intended to test your composition skills or your understanding of a subject. They tend to involve less research and original arguments than argumentative essays .

Instantly correct all language mistakes in your text

Upload your document to correct all your mistakes in minutes

When should you write an expository essay, how to approach an expository essay, introducing your essay, writing the body paragraphs, concluding your essay, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about expository essays.

In school and university, you might have to write expository essays as in-class exercises, exam questions, or coursework assignments.

Sometimes it won’t be directly stated that the assignment is an expository essay, but there are certain keywords that imply expository writing is required. Consider the prompts below.

The word “explain” here is the clue: An essay responding to this prompt should provide an explanation of this historical process—not necessarily an original argument about it.

Sometimes you’ll be asked to define a particular term or concept. This means more than just copying down the dictionary definition; you’ll be expected to explore different ideas surrounding the term, as this prompt emphasizes.

Receive feedback on language, structure, and formatting

Professional editors proofread and edit your paper by focusing on:

Academic style
Vague sentences
Style consistency

See an example

An expository essay should take an objective approach: It isn’t about your personal opinions or experiences. Instead, your goal is to provide an informative and balanced explanation of your topic. Avoid using the first or second person (“I” or “you”).

The structure of your expository essay will vary according to the scope of your assignment and the demands of your topic. It’s worthwhile to plan out your structure before you start, using an essay outline .

A common structure for a short expository essay consists of five paragraphs: An introduction, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion.

Like all essays, an expository essay begins with an introduction . This serves to hook the reader’s interest, briefly introduce your topic, and provide a thesis statement summarizing what you’re going to say about it.

Hover over different parts of the example below to see how a typical introduction works.

In many ways, the invention of the printing press marked the end of the Middle Ages. The medieval period in Europe is often remembered as a time of intellectual and political stagnation. Prior to the Renaissance, the average person had very limited access to books and was unlikely to be literate. The invention of the printing press in the 15th century allowed for much less restricted circulation of information in Europe, paving the way for the Reformation.

The body of your essay is where you cover your topic in depth. It often consists of three paragraphs, but may be more for a longer essay. This is where you present the details of the process, idea or topic you’re explaining.

It’s important to make sure each paragraph covers its own clearly defined topic, introduced with a topic sentence . Different topics (all related to the overall subject matter of the essay) should be presented in a logical order, with clear transitions between paragraphs.

Hover over different parts of the example paragraph below to see how a body paragraph is constructed.

The invention of the printing press in 1440 changed this situation dramatically. Johannes Gutenberg, who had worked as a goldsmith, used his knowledge of metals in the design of the press. He made his type from an alloy of lead, tin, and antimony, whose durability allowed for the reliable production of high-quality books. This new technology allowed texts to be reproduced and disseminated on a much larger scale than was previously possible. The Gutenberg Bible appeared in the 1450s, and a large number of printing presses sprang up across the continent in the following decades. Gutenberg’s invention rapidly transformed cultural production in Europe; among other things, it would lead to the Protestant Reformation.

Here's why students love Scribbr's proofreading services

Discover proofreading & editing

The conclusion of an expository essay serves to summarize the topic under discussion. It should not present any new information or evidence, but should instead focus on reinforcing the points made so far. Essentially, your conclusion is there to round off the essay in an engaging way.

Hover over different parts of the example below to see how a conclusion works.

The invention of the printing press was important not only in terms of its immediate cultural and economic effects, but also in terms of its major impact on politics and religion across Europe. In the century following the invention of the printing press, the relatively stationary intellectual atmosphere of the Middle Ages gave way to the social upheavals of the Reformation and the Renaissance. A single technological innovation had contributed to the total reshaping of the continent.

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

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

College essays

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

(AI) Tools

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

An expository essay is a broad form that varies in length according to the scope of the assignment.

Expository essays are often assigned as a writing exercise or as part of an exam, in which case a five-paragraph essay of around 800 words may be appropriate.

You’ll usually be given guidelines regarding length; if you’re not sure, ask.

An expository essay is a common assignment in high-school and university composition classes. It might be assigned as coursework, in class, or as part of an exam.

Sometimes you might not be told explicitly to write an expository essay. Look out for prompts containing keywords like “explain” and “define.” An expository essay is usually the right response to these prompts.

An argumentative essay tends to be a longer essay involving independent research, and aims to make an original argument about a topic. Its thesis statement makes a contentious claim that must be supported in an objective, evidence-based way.

An expository essay also aims to be objective, but it doesn’t have to make an original argument. Rather, it aims to explain something (e.g., a process or idea) in a clear, concise way. Expository essays are often shorter assignments and rely less on research.

Cite this Scribbr article

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

Caulfield, J. (2023, July 23). How to Write an Expository Essay | Structure, Tips & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved April 4, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/academic-essay/expository-essay/

Is this article helpful?

Jack Caulfield

Other students also liked, academic paragraph structure | step-by-step guide & examples, how to write topic sentences | 4 steps, examples & purpose, how to write an argumentative essay | examples & tips, unlimited academic ai-proofreading.

✔ Document error-free in 5minutes ✔ Unlimited document corrections ✔ Specialized in correcting academic texts

IMAGES

Definition and Tips on Writing an Effective Process Essay
Essay Writing Guide: Process Essay
Process Essay
Definition and Tips on Writing an Effective Process Essay
How to Write a Process Essay
How To Write A Process Essay

VIDEO

Level 3- Process Essay
Process
ESSAY 07 PREWRITING STAGE IN THE WRITING PROCESS
Researched Definition Essay: Writing a Counterargument
Describing a Process Diagram
process Essay| Nzee Academy #shorts #youtube

COMMENTS

Process Essay
A process essay gives reader a sense of complete how-to-do process of making or creating some objects or things. Readers, after going through the essay, are able to create and make things. Although it is not like imperative instructions, it gives full details in a descriptive or prescriptive mode. It is because its major objective is not to ...
Definition and Tips on Writing an Effective 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 ...
Process Essay
Process Essay. Process is a rhetorical style that provides step-by-step directions or guidance. You may encounter quite a few process essays of various types in academic writing—everything from a traditional process essay in which you choose a topic and describe the process to a lab report in which you describe the process of conducting a lab ...
Definition, Topics, Process Essay Examples| EssayPro Blog
The process essay, also known as the "how-to" essay, is commonly written for people or companies that need tutorials or a set of instructional steps. Whether it's building a robot or cooking a chocolate cake, process essays use a similar format for any variations. They follow a step-by-step style, with the initial step influencing the second ...
Writing a Great Process Essay (Steps & Examples)
Process essay definition. A process essay shows and explains how something works or how to do something. It can be about a specific task (like skinning a muskrat or planting begonias) or a more abstract topic (such as building self-esteem or coping with the loss of a loved one).
PDF Process Essay
Define unfamiliar terms or materials that may not be clear to the reader. Remember: The process essay is writing that explains how to do something or how something works by giving a step-by-step explanation. There are three keys to a process essay: present the essential steps in the process, explain the steps in detail, and present the
3.4: Process Essay
The purpose of a process essay is to explain how to do something (directional) or how something works (informative). In either case, the formula for a process essay remains the same. The process is articulated into clear, definitive steps. Almost everything we do involves following a step-by-step process. From learning to ride a bike as a child ...
7.2: 2. The Process Essay
Process Writing. 7.2: 2. The Process Essay. 7.2: 2. The Process Essay. Now that you have completed the narrative essay, we are going to move on to "expository" writing. The rest of the essays you write will "explain" a topic. You will provide your reader with a specific thesis and then support that thesis through a series of related ...
Process Essay definition and example literary device
Definition of Process Essay. As the name suggests, this type of essay explains a process of making or breaking something. These essays are often written in chronological order, or in numerical order to show step-by-step processes. They are written in descriptive or prescriptive modes. Although it is not a technical communication, it sounds like ...
How to Write a Process Essay: A Complete, Step-by-Step Guide
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.
10.5 Process Analysis
Exercise 2. Choose two of the lists you created in Note 10.52 "Exercise 1" and start writing out the processes in paragraph form. Try to construct paragraphs based on the complexity of each step. For complicated steps, dedicate an entire paragraph. If less complicated steps fall in succession, group them into a single paragraph.
Process Essay Writing: Tips & Examples from Experts
For example, you may write in your process paper: "Making sushi takes 30 minutes of preparation time and 10 minutes of cooking.". The next action is to write a thesis statement. It is one sentence that describes the research problem to be considered in the paper. It can be the last sentence of the introduction.
2. The Process Essay
The Process Essay | English Composition. 2. The Process Essay. Now that you have completed the narrative essay, we are going to move on to "expository" writing. The rest of the essays you write will "explain" a topic. You will provide your reader with a specific thesis and then support that thesis through a series of related paragraphs ...
How to Write a Process Essay: Basic Guidelines, Writing Steps, and Tips
Definition of a Process Essay. A process essay or "how-to" essay follows a rhetorical style that provides step by step directions to make or break something. Basically, writers structure this composition to give readers with guidelines or guidance. In practice, students must follow a specific sequence of steps that can help authors to ...
How to Write a Process Essay: Everything You Need to Know
What Is a Process Essay: Definition. Before learning how to write a process paper of A level, it is critical to define the term. A process essay refers to the type of academic writing which contains a detailed description of the particular process in the shape of the step-by-step guide. This form of essay is popular in business & technical writing.
Process Essays
A process essay is written to teach the reader how to do something (e.g., how to break a bad habit). This essay should describe any steps that are necessary in order to complete the process. Process Essay Example 1 Process Essay Example 2 Prewriting Writing Skill: Unity Revising Revise A Process Essay Timed Writing (Choose a Position ...
Process Analysis Essay
Here is a step-by-step process of writing a process analysis essay. Step 1. Choose a Topic. When you are choosing an essay topic, do not rush to make a final decision. Take your time to decide which topic suits your needs best. Try to rationalize your choice by keeping the following tips in mind:
5 Process Essay Examples (2024)
5 Process Essay Examples. By Chris Drew (PhD) / January 18, 2024 / Leave a Comment. 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:
How To Write A Process Essay
Types of process essays. At the same time, the definition of a process essay isn't that straightforward and universal. In fact, there are two types of process essays, which may have similar features, but are completely different in nature. An informational process essay explains a process or offers its detailed analysis.
Process Analysis in Composition
In composition, process analysis is a method of paragraph or essay development by which a writer explains step by step how something is done or how to do something. Process analysis writing can take one of two forms, depending on the topic : Information about how something works ( informative) An explanation of how to do something ( directive ).
Process Essay Definition and Steps
Whatever the process essay definition you decide to focus on, you cannot go without conducting at least some research. Even if you have brilliant knowledge of the process, you still need to learn the academic terminology and use evidence from other sources to support your claims. While conducting your research, make notes.
The Writing Process
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.
How to Write an Expository Essay
An expository essay provides a clear, focused explanation of a particular topic, process, or set of ideas. It doesn't set out to prove a point, just to give a balanced view of its subject matter. ... Look out for prompts containing keywords like "explain" and "define." An expository essay is usually the right response to these prompts.

Process Essay

Transition in a Process Essay

Examples of Process Essay in Literature

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

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

Function of a Process Essay

Related posts:

Post navigation

How to Write a Process Essay?

What is a process essay?

Types of process essays

1. How to do something.

2. How something works.

How to write a process essay?

Getting started with process essay writing

How to write a process essay outline

How to write an introduction to a process essay

How to plan main body paragraphs

How to write a conclusion

How to use transition words in a process essay

Good process essay topics

Process essay writing tips

A life lesson in Romeo and Juliet taught by death

Ethical Research Paper Topics

Art Research Paper Topics

How to Write a Process Essay

What Is a Process Paper?

Feeling Overwhelmed Writing a Process Essay on Your Own?

Prepare The Small Stuff

Process Essay Topics

Process Essay Outline

Introduction

Feeling Overloaded and Stressed?

Body Paragraphs

Post-Writing Tips

Process Essay Examples

Still Need Help?

Related Articles

How to write a process essay

Choose a topic

Create a process essay outline

Process essay outline example

Write an introduction

Process essay introduction example

Write the materials needed for the process

Example material list for process essay

Start writing the process

Body paragraphs - Process writing example

Give tips and supporting details

Body paragraphs - Supporting details

Write a conclusion

Process essay conclusion example

Recently on Tamara Blog

7.2: 2. The Process Essay

Process Essay

Transition in a Process Essay

Examples of Process Essay in Literature

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

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

Function of a Process Essay

How to Write a Process Essay: A Complete, Step-by-Step Guide

Pre-Writing: Planning Your Process Essay

Understand the Target Audience

Create a List of Materials Needed

Create an Outline

Structure of a Process Essay

Body Paragraphs

Process Essay Writing Tips

1. Focus on Simplicity

2. Choose the Right Topic.

3. Proofread the Essay

4. Seek Help For Your Process Essay Assignment

Related Reading

10.5 Process Analysis

The Purpose of Process Analysis in Writing

Writing at Work

The Structure of a Process Analysis Essay

Writing a Process Analysis Essay

Key Takeaways

4. Process Writing