Students are often tasked with writing a short essay. Their instructors may provide little instructions considering a small contribution of that assignment to the overall course grade. A short essay does not have specific length requirements. Its purpose is to convey key arguments, ideas, and information in a few paragraphs structured form. The essay should follow all academic writing standards. You can adjust the length and content, but the classic structure with introductory and concluding paragraphs is obligatory. Let’s check the primary aspects of a short essay.
How many words does a short essay contain?
If you need to know “how long is a short essay,” you should first identify the approximate word count. On average, it varies between 300 and 500 words. This length is sufficient to reflect the main idea and describe primary arguments promoting your position. You can include in-text citations in this essay because the word count allows using extra length for these modifications.
Some assignments may require answers in the form of a short essay. The word count may be reduced to 100-200 words in these cases. It may be an answer to a case study question or reflection on the news or relevant topic. This short essay should be concise and constructive. It is recommended to focus on one argument, idea, or position. To learn more about how to write excellent short essays, we recommend using a student help writing service, EssayHave. It will allow you to get samples of professionally written, structured, and informative essays on specific topics.
Are three paragraphs enough for a short essay?
The minimum number of paragraphs for a classic structure of an essay is three. If the word count is limited and cannot exceed 300 words, you can choose this structure. The three paragraphs structure is the most comfortable to work with because it is simple. You should start the essay with an opening paragraph and tour thesis. The main paragraph contains all the informative parts with your arguments and evidence. The concluding paragraph reflects on what you have written in the main body. The classic structure is easy to follow, read, and comprehend. It should follow the rule 10-80-10. The rule implies that you should divide the word count into three parts with the respective percentage. The main body should account for around 80% of your content.
Is a five-paragraph essay short?
A short essay may be divided into five paragraphs. It is an optimal organization of the paper because it allows you to divide the main body into three paragraphs and use them according to the essay type. It may be an argumentative, descriptive, reflective, and expository essay. For instance, in a short argumentative essay, you should include at least one counterargument and rebuttal. It may be done in the third paragraph of your main body, while the two paragraphs can be used for presenting the two strongest arguments in favor of your thesis. The five-paragraph structure should also follow the 10-80-10 rule.
Overall, you should understand the context of your assignment to identify the approximate word count and essay structure. The ultimate answer to the question “how long is a short essay” is 300-500 words essay and about five paragraphs. However, this answer may be adapted to your situation if the context is different.