If you have ever applied for a scholarship or college, you have definitely written a 500 words essay. If you have received such a task for the first time and have no idea how to write it, no worries! We will help you out. The article covers all the essential information on how to write a 500 word essay, including its structure, topics, and examples, be it an argumentative essay or an essay about yourself. Read on to write your perfect paper.
What is a 500 word essay
A 500 word essay is a typical academic writing type that has a limited word count. It is usually an assignment for a college essay, scholarship essay, or personal essay. It does not have a specific regular theme. The main point is that it can be any type of essay but written within 500 words limit. It can be:
- Definition essay
- Expository essay
- Compare and contrast essay
- Cause and effect essay
- Persuasive or argumentative essay
- Rogerian argument
- Process analysis
How to write a 500 word essay
Writing any type of essay is easy if you know how to write it and have got the topic. A 500 word essay usually has a classical 5 paragraph structure. But make sure to specify such details with your professor before you start writing.
500 Word essay format
There are different essay formats and all of them have specific requirements to formatting starting with title page and ending with the reference list. The most common are APA, MLA, and Chicago (Turabian).
In terms of structure format, check the essay outline below.
1. Outline
A 500-word essay outline looks like as follows:
Introduction
- Hook
- Background information
- Thesis statement
Main body
- Idea 1
- Idea 2
- Idea 3
Conclusion
- Restated thesis statement
- Summary of the main points
- Concluding sentence
We also recommend creating an outline before writing an essay. It will save your time if you first draft and organize all the main ideas and then just develop them in your essay.
2. Introduction
An introduction has some compulsory components. These are:
- Hook
- Topic
- Thesis statement
Introduction is the first part the reader sees; thus, it is very important. It should be interesting enough to entice the reader into reading the whole essay. Thus, it is recommended to start an essay with triggering the reader’s attention. To grab the reader's attention start your essay with an eye-catching sentence that is called a hook. A hook can be a shocking or unknown fact, an anecdote, statistics, a real-life example, or a quote. Then, introduce your topic and provide background information on it. Finish your introduction with a thesis statement.
3. Thesis statement
Thesis statement is a sentence that is placed in the end of the introductory part and expresses the main idea of your essay. It tells what your paper, shows your opinion to the topic discussed, and serves as a road map to the whole essay. Thus, it should be
- Clear
- Specific
- Concise
- Debatable
- Original
Remember, that a fact or quote cannot serve as a thesis statement, as it should be paper specific, debatable, and express your opinion.
4. Main body
Body is the biggest part of the paper. It should consist of at least three paragraphs.
- Express your main ides in the main body
- Discuss only one main idea per paragraph
- Each paragraph should support the thesis statement
- Develop your ideas logically
- Each paragraph should be balanced
- Make sure to add topics sentence to each paragraph
- Provide examples
- Support your arguments with evidence
Make sure the paragraphs are balanced. It means they should contain main sentence, supporting and controlling ideas, and concluding sentence. Thus, there should be at least 3-4 sentences in each paragraph. Also, do not forget about paper coherence. Develop your ideas logically and express them clearly. Do not forget to use linking words for a smooth transition between ideas and sentences in your essay.
5. Conclusion
Conclusion is the final part of an essay that summarizes your whole paper. The main component of the conclusion part are:
- Restated thesis statement
- Summary of the main ideas
- Concluding sentence
Start your essay with restating your thesis statement, but do not copy-paste it; restate using different words. After this, provide a summary of the main points mentioned in your essay. Again, do not repeat them, synthesize. After this, mention why your arguments are relevant and important, and summarize the whole paper by answering the So-what question.
Make sure to avoid such elements in your conclusion:
- New ideas or facts. It would be quiet illogical if you introduce new ideas in the final part
- In-text citations. The same as the first point. The concluding part should summarize and express your opinion to the issue under consideration.
- Copy-pasted sentences. You should synthesize the ideas rather than copy-paste them
- Ideas that contradict those you have mentioned in the body of the paper.
Great 500 word essay topics
If the topic was not assigned to you by the professor, you should choose it by yourself. Be careful, do not choose a too broad topic that cannot be covered jut within 50 words. If you do not know what to write about, check our list, you will definitely find an interesting topic for yourself.
- What is happiness for me
- The things I am proud of
- Experience that changed my life
- How to cook muffins
- Should children be allowed to use phones at school?
- Should marijuana be legalized?
- How to cope with stress
- Should children wear a uniform at schools
- Is homework useful?
- Things you are not proud of
- How to start drinking more water
- Is milk really that harmful
- What comes to your mind when you hear the word happiness
- Abortion: human right or a crime
- Trump vs Biden
- iOS vs Android
- Healthy habits everyone should adopt
- I am more productive when wake up early
- Is the concept of American dream still relevant today
- Things you will never do
- The most awkward habits
- Is higher education important
- For or against COVID-19 vaccination
- Consequences of global lockdown 2020
- My “must do” list (or must watch)
- I have never..
Tips from a pro for a great 500 word essay
We have created a list of tips from professional writers that will help you make your 500-word essay stand out.
- Consider your audience before choosing a topic
- Choose the topic that is interesting for you
- Make a research on the topic you are going to write about to make sure there is enough information
- Do not miss essay components: intro, main body, conclusion
- Prefer real-life examples to quotes in a hook
- Create a clear and succinct thesis statement
- Do not repeat ideas within your essay
- Provide enough examples
- Underpin your arguments with evidence
- Make sure to properly cite all the borrowed ideas
- Always proofread your essay for mistakes and check it for plagiarism.
How long does it take to write a 500 word essay
That is rather a common question. However, there is no universal answer to it. The time it takes to write an essay depends on several factors. The speed of writing is conditioned by your writing skills, knowledge of the topic, and motivation.
How long is a 500 word essay
You might be surprised, but a 500-word essay is 500 words long. Ok, ok, we got your question. If you wonder how many pages it takes, we will say that it depends on the font, font size and spacing. Make sure to check this requirement in your essay instructions. For example:
- Using Times New Roman, 12, single spaced, it will take 1 page
- Using Times New Roman, 12, double spaced, it will take 1,5 pages.
How many paragraphs is a 500 word essay
First of all, you should check the instructions given to you or specify with your professor the requirements regarding the number of paragraphs. However, the classical essay structure is five paragraphs. Thus, there should be at least an introduction, three min body paragraphs, and conclusion.
How to write a 500 word essay without writing it
It happens so that a student is not much into writing, is overloaded with college assignments, is pressed for time, or just does not want to write an essay for some reason. In such case, we recommend using online writing services. A professional writer will complete an essay accordion to your instructions and within the deadline you set. A 500-word essay is an easy task for an experienced professional writer. So, they will complete is just in few hours. Give it a try!