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Writing Tips

7 Top Tips on Writing the Time

7-minute read
25th July 2019

As anyone who has turned up for a midday meeting at midnight will tell you, clarity is vital when writing the time of day. But there are many ways to write the time, and the best approach isn’t always obvious. We have a few tips to help, though.

1. Words or Numerals?

You can write the time of day using either words or numerals. If you are using numerals, you would usually include both hours and minutes, although you can omit the minutes in less formal writing .

For instance, all the following would be acceptable:

She gets up at six in the morning every day.

She gets up at 6:00 in the morning every day.

She gets up at 6 o’clock in the morning every day.

As a rule, though, you would only write out the time as words when:

It is part of a full sentence, particularly in descriptive or literary writing.
Using a 12-hour clock (never with a 24-hour clock ).
You’re referring to an approximate or round time (e.g., saying “ten thirty” is fine, but you would not usually write “twenty-four minutes after eight”).

In most other cases, numerals are the clearer option for writing the time, especially in scientific and technical writing, where precision is vital.

2. AM and PM

The abbreviations AM and PM can be used when writing the time as numerals. Each applies to a different time of day:

AM is short for ante meridiem , meaning “before noon.”
PM is short for post meridiem , meaning “after noon.”

As such, we use AM and PM to indicate the time of day when we are using a 12-hour clock. We can see how this works more clearly if we write out various times of day in both 12-hour and 24-hour formats:

You can see here that we need AM and PM with the twelve-hour clock for clarity. Without them, we wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between, e.g., midday and midnight. Likewise, though, you do not need to include AM or PM with a 24-hour time because it is already clear.

There are also several ways to write AM and PM, including:

ALL CAPS, small caps , or lower case (e.g., 12 AM, 12 AM , or 12 am)
With or without periods between the letters (e.g., 8 PM or 8 P.M.)
With or without a space after the number (e.g., 1 AM or 1AM)

Consistency is key here, so make sure to apply one style throughout your document. You may also want to check your style guide if you have one, as some organizations will have their own rules for how to write AM and PM.

3. When to Use O’clock

You’ll have noticed we use “o’clock ” in one of the examples above. This term means “of the clock,” so we can use it to show that a number refers to a time.

However, you should only use “o’clock” with exact hours:

It is precisely 5 o’clock . ✔

I’m leaving at seven o’clock . ✔

It arrived at 7:34 o’clock . ✘

The gig starts at half past seven o’clock . ✘

We’ll save a discussion of when wine o’clock is for another blog post.

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4. Past, After, Till, and To

When writing the time as words, use “after,” “past,” and “to” for intervals between hours. You can combine these terms with either numbers or the words “half” and “quarter” depending on the time in question:

Use after or past for intervals up to half an hour past the hour.
Use to for any interval after the half hour up to the hour.
Use half past to indicate 30 minutes past the hour.
Use quarter past or quarter after for 15 minutes after the hour.
Use quarter to for 15 minutes up to the hour.

For example, we would use the above accordingly in the following times:

7:05 → Five after seven

7:15 → Quarter past seven

7:30 → Half past seven

7:45 → Quarter to eight

7:55 → Five to eight

Keep in mind that using “after” for times is only standard in American English. In other English dialects, “past” is far more common.

5. Punctuating the Time

When writing the time as numerals, you can use either a colon or a period between the hour and the minutes. In some cases, such as in the military , you can even write out a 24-hour time without any punctuation.

For instance, the following are all acceptable ways of punctuating a time:

We need to leave by 6:45 pm at the latest. ✔

We need to leave by 6.45 pm at the latest. ✔

We need to leave by 1845 at the latest. ✔

The colon is the most common option here, but it is a matter of preference. Unless you’re in the military, in which case we suggest sticking to protocol.

6. Time Zones

For the contiguous states in the USA, we have four standard time zones:

Pacific Time (PT) [UTC-08:00]
Mountain Time (MT) [UTC-07:00]
Central Time (CT) [UTC-06:00]
Eastern Time (ET) [UTC-5:00]

We also have regional time zones for Alaska, Hawaii, and 5 US dependencies, plus daylight saving time in some places during the warmer months of the year. And people in other countries use different time zones entirely!

Basically, we’re saying geography can make time complicated.

This is why we sometimes include a time zone when writing the time. The initials UTC above, for instance, stand for Coordinated Universal Time . We can use this to compare times in different places. So, “UTC-8:00” means Pacific Time is 8 hours behind UTC. And since we know Pacific Time is 8 hours behind UTC and Eastern Time is 5 hours behind UTC, we can work out that ET is 3 hours ahead of PT.

In other words, by including a time zone when we write a time, we can help people in other places “translate” it into their own time zone.

This is important if you are writing for an international audience, since not everyone will be in the same time zone. You thus need to include a set of time zone initials so your reader can calculate the equivalent time where they are. For example, if we were writing a time for an international audience, we might say:

The live broadcast will begin at 9:00 pm UTC .

Someone in Bolivia could then look up the difference between UTC and BOT (Bolivia Time) and know the broadcast begins at 5:00 pm where they are.

7. Avoiding Redundancy when Writing the Time

In writing, redundancy means using a word unnecessarily. We mentioned above, for example, that you do not need to use AM or PM with 24-hour times because we already know whether a time is the morning or afternoon/evening when using a 24-hour clock.

Other cases of temporal redundancy you may want to avoid include:

Using “in the morning,” “in the afternoon,” etc., alongside AM/PM.
Combining “in the morning,” “in the afternoon,” etc., with a 24-hour time.
Using “midday,” “noon,” or “midnight” alongside a time in numbers.

We’ll end this post with a few examples of redundancies so you know what to watch out for. Check out the table below, good luck writing the time, and let us know if you need any help proofreading your work.

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Writing the Time: How to Write Time Correctly (Examples)

If you want to learn how to write time correctly, you've come to the right place. This article will teach you everything you know to use time correctly in your writing.

The time can be written in letters or numerals and follows various conventions. To learn more, read on.

This guide is part of our free online Grammar Book.

How to Write the Time in Numerals

Before you can learn how to write the time in your texts correctly, you need to know about the different ways of measuring time. There are two commonly used ones: the 12- hour and 24-hour formats. Let's review each one by one.

12-Hour System

The 12-hour system uses the numbers 1 to 12 to measure time and the abbreviations' am' and 'pm' to specify whether the time mentioned is in the morning or the afternoon. The hours from 1 to 12 before noon count as the morning, and the hours between 1 and 12 after noon count as... well, afternoon.

There are a few different ways to write the time using the 12-hour system. What they all have in common is that you begin by stating the number. You can then follow the number with the abbreviation 'am' or 'pm;' the phrase 'in the morning,' 'in the afternoon,' or 'at night,' or the word' o'clock.'

Here are some examples:

Let's have lunch at 11am. I need you in the office by 2 in the afternoon. In January it gets dark at 3pm.

In informal writing, it's okay to use just the number to mention the time ("Let's meet at 5.") as long as it's safe to assume the person will know whether you mean morning, afternoon, evening, or night .

It's worth noting there are several different ways to write the abbreviations' am' and 'pm.' Some like to capitalize them; others keep them lowercase.
Some use periods between the letters while others don't, and some leave a space after the number while others don't.

Here are some representations of the different ways this can look using the example time of 8 in the morning:

Some spellcheckers will even have you use a period after the first letter but not the second one. All these variations are correct, and which one you should use depends on the style guide you follow.

The main thing is to stay consistent.

24-Hour system

The 24- hour system uses—you guessed it—24 numbers to measure the time. The numbers 1 to 12 refer to the morning hours, while numbers 13 to 24 refer to the afternoon and evening hours. Due to the system's intricacy, you don't need to use phrases such as 'in the morning,' nor must you use 'am' or 'pm.'

They're expected to land at 13:45. The screening begins at 20:00 but there'll be some trailers before that. I heard the meeting started at 8:00.

Notice I've used a colon between the hours and the minutes in the examples above. You can also use a period .

Top Tip! The military system also uses the 24-hour system but without the colon/period, followed by the word "hours." For example: Take off at 300 hours.

How to Write the Time in Letters

There are times you might want to write the time in letters. Like when? Well, like with all things, it's primarily up to you. Just make sure to remain consistent, whatever you choose to do.

Nonetheless, here are some guidelines you might decide to follow:

Write the time in letters only when it won't burden the page. For instance, '7:25' is better than 'twenty-five past seven.' 'Eight' and '8:00' are equivalent.
Never write 24-hour format time in letters.
Use the words' noon' and 'midnight' over the numerals' 12 pm,' '12am,' '12:00,' or '24:00.' It's just more straightforward.
With o'clock, you can use either numerals or words.
When the time you're writing isn't on the hour, remember to use words such as 'past,' 'after,' 'til,' and 'to.'

Here are some examples to illustrate some of these guidelines:

My son's so lazy; he never gets up before noon. What do you think of meeting at five o'clock for cocktails? It's already half past one!

Concluding Thoughts

That concludes this article on how to write time correctly. I hope you found it helpful.

Let's summarize what we've learned:

The time can be written in a 12-hour or 24-hour format.
When writing the time in numerals, use words like 'am,' 'pm,' and the phrases 'in the morning,' 'in the afternoon,' or 'at night.'
'O'clock' can be used with numerals or letters.
You can choose to write the time in numerals or letters; just stay consistent.

If you found this article helpful, check out our Grammar Book . It's an online database of articles that break down complex grammar topics into easy-to-understand guides. You'll love it!

Learn More:

How to Write Height Correctly - Writing Feet and Inches
How to Write a List Correctly: Colons, Commas, and Semicolons
Apostrophes: When to Use Apostrophes in Writing (Examples)
Ellipses: When to Use Ellipses in Writing (Examples)
Italics and Underlining: When to Use Italics and Underlining in Writing (Examples)
‘Restaurateur’ or ‘Restauranteur’: How to Spell It Correctly
‘Goodmorning’ or ‘Good Morning’: How to Spell ‘Good Morning’ Correctly
‘Holliday’ or ‘Holiday’: How to Spell ‘Holiday’ Correctly
‘Colum’ or ‘Column’: How to Spell ‘Column’ Correctly
‘Absence’ or ‘Absense’: How to Spell ‘Absence’ Correctly
‘Eachother’ or ‘Each Other’: How to Spell ‘Each Other’ Correctly
‘Ninty’ or ‘Ninety’: How to Spell the Number ‘90’ Correctly
‘Nieve’ or ‘Naive’: How to Spell It Correctly
‘Wheelbarrel’ or ‘Wheelbarrow’: How to Spell It Correctly
‘Aswell’ or ‘As Well’: How to Spell it Correctly

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Writing Tips

7 Top Tips on Writing the Time

7-minute read
25th July 2019

1. Words or Numerals?

When writing the time of day, you can use either words or numerals. If you are using numerals, you would usually include both hours and minutes, although you can omit the minutes in less formal writing .

For instance, all the following would be acceptable:

She gets up at six in the morning every day.

She gets up at 6:00 in the morning every day.

She gets up at 6 o’clock in the morning every day.

As a rule, though, you would only write out the time as words when:

It is part of a full sentence, particularly in descriptive or literary writing.
Using a 12-hour clock (never with a 24-hour clock ).
You are referring to an approximate or round time (e.g. saying ‘ten thirty’ is fine, but it would be unusual to write out ‘twenty-four minutes past eight’).

In most other cases, numerals are the clearer option for writing the time, especially in scientific and technical writing, where precision is vital.

2. AM and PM

The abbreviations AM and PM can be used when writing the time as numerals. Each applies to a different time of day:

AM is short for ante meridiem , meaning ‘before noon’.
PM is short for post meridiem , meaning ‘after noon’.

There are also several ways to write AM and PM, including:

ALL CAPS, small caps , or lower case (e.g. 12 AM or 12 am)
With or without full stops between the letters (e.g. 8 PM or 8 P.M.)
With or without a space after the number (e.g. 1 AM or 1AM)

Consistency is key here, so make sure to apply one style throughout your document. You may also want to check your style guide if you have one, as some organisations will have their own rules for how to write AM and PM.

3. When to Use O’clock

You’ll have noticed we use ‘o’clock’ in one of the examples above. This term means ‘of the clock’, so we can use it to show that a number refers to a time.

However, you should only use ‘o’clock’ with exact hours:

It is precisely 5 o’clock . ✔

I’m leaving at seven o’clock . ✔

It arrived at 7:34 o’clock . ✘

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The gig starts at half seven o’clock . ✘

We’ll save a discussion of when wine o’clock is for another blog post.

4. Past and To

When writing the time as words, use ‘past’ and ‘to’ for intervals between hours. You can combine these terms with either numbers or the words ‘half’ and ‘quarter’ depending on the time in question:

Use past for any interval up to and including half an hour past the hour.
Use to for any interval after the half hour up to the hour.
Use half past to indicate 30 minutes past the hour.
Use quarter past and quarter to for 15-minutes either side of the hour.

For instance, we would use ‘past’ and ‘to’ accordingly in the following times:

7:05 → Five past seven

7:15 → Quarter past seven

7:30 → Half past seven

7:45 → Quarter to eight

7:55 → Five to eight

In less formal writing, you can even omit the ‘past’ in ‘half past’. So, for example, we could refer to the time 7:30 as ‘half seven’.

5. Punctuating the Time

When writing the time as numerals, you can use either a colon or a full stop between the hour and the minutes. In some cases, such as in the military , you can even write out a 24-hour time without any punctuation.

For instance, the following are all acceptable ways of punctuating a time:

We need to leave by 6 : 45 pm at the latest. ✔

We need to leave by 6 . 45 pm at the latest. ✔

We need to leave by 1845 at the latest. ✔

The colon is the most common option here, but it is a matter of preference. Unless you’re in the military, in which case we suggest sticking to protocol.

6. Time Zones

In the UK, we use the same time across the entire country. Depending on the time of year , this will be either GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) or BST (British Summer Time). As such, if you’re only writing for people in the UK, you will not need to worry about the time zone.

If you are writing for an international audience, though, you may need to include a set of time zone initials when you write out a time. This will let your reader calculate the equivalent time wherever they are. For example, if we were writing a time for an international audience, we might say:

The live broadcast will begin at 9:00 pm UTC .

The initials UTC here stand for Coordinated Universal Time . Someone in Bolivia could then see this and look up the difference between UTC and BOT (Bolivia Time). And since BOT is four hours behind UTC, they would know the broadcast begins at 5:00 pm where they are.

7. Avoiding Redundancy when Writing the Time

Other cases of temporal redundancy you may want to avoid include:

Using ‘in the morning’, ‘in the afternoon’, etc., alongside AM/PM.
Combining ‘in the morning’, ‘in the afternoon’, etc., with a 24-hour time.
Using ‘midday’, ‘noon’, or ‘midnight’ alongside a time in numbers.

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The Editor’s Manual

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How to Write Time of Day

1. To express exact time, use numerals with a.m. and p.m.

The train leaves at 2:30 p.m.

2. The abbreviations a.m. and p.m. usually contain internal periods.

Class is from 8:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

3. When the exact time is not important, words may be used. Whole hours are often followed by the term o’clock .

Let’s meet at two o’clock .
The game starts at two thirty .
I’ll be done by half past two .

4. In the 24-hour system (common in military, transit, and hospital settings), use numerals to express the time in hours and minutes, followed by the word “hours.” When this word is omitted, a colon is generally used to separate hours from minutes.

The train leaves at 1430 hours .
The train leaves at 14:30 .

5. Don’t use expressions of time like in the morning and at night with a.m. and p.m. or with the 24-hour clock.

The train leaves at 2:30 p.m. in the afternoon .
The train leaves at 14:30 in the afternoon .
The train leaves at 2:30 in the afternoon .

6. Don’t use the number 12 before the words noon and midnight .

We slipped out the back door at 12 midnight .

Time of day

Time can be written using either the 12-hour or 24-hour system. The abbreviation a.m. or p.m. , the word hours , or the term o’clock is generally used after the number denoting the time. In informal communication, just the number is often sufficient to express time.

The train leaves at 12:17 a.m.
The meeting is at 0800 hours .
The phone rings every day at nine o’clock .
Farley finally woke up at 11 o’clock .
He got to work at three in the afternoon .

How time of day is written is a matter of style rather than grammar. Choose a style appropriate to your field, and follow it consistently throughout the document.

Various style manuals suggest different ways to write the time. Discussed in this article are the major styles, along with examples.

Numerals vs. words for time

Use numerals with a.m. and p.m. to emphasize exact time on the clock face. Also use numerals to specify time using the 24-hour system.

Tumkin wakes up at 6 a.m. every day.
The bus will arrive at 3:10 p.m.
Debriefing is at 1700 hours .

When the exact time is not important, time is generally expressed in words instead of numerals. This is common in creative and informal writing.

Lunch will be served at two o’clock . also 2 o’clock
Is it almost ten ?
Poco works from nine to five .
It was ten twenty-five , and the bell hadn’t rung yet.

To express time in quarter, half, or whole hours, without the abbreviation a.m. or p.m. , use words instead of numerals.

The meeting starts at eleven thirty .
The store will open at half past eleven .
We should be there by a quarter to four ( or a quarter of four ).

Style manuals differ in their guidelines on whether to use numerals or words for numbers. For example, while the AP Stylebook suggests using words for single-digit numbers and numerals for 10 and above, the Chicago Manual of Style recommends using words for two-digit numbers as well, and numerals from 100 onward. Pick a style, and follow it consistently.

A.m. and p.m.

Use a.m. and p.m. with numerals to refer to exact time. Note that the abbreviations a.m. (from the Latin ante meridiem , or “before midday”) and p.m. ( post meridiem or “after midday”) are most often written as such: in lower case with periods between the letters.

Class starts at 9:30 a.m. every Wednesday.
He worked steadily from 2 to 4 p.m.
The train departs from Bratislava at 10:08 a.m. and arrives at Budapest at 4:19 p.m.

When capitalized , small capital letters (or small caps) are generally used, although this style is less common than lowercase letters.

You can sing between 9:30 AM and 2:00 PM today.

Maintain consistency in showing both hours and minutes , and using numerals or words.

Poor: Class is from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Better: Class is from 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Poor: The show starts at 7:00 p.m. and ends at eleven in the night . Better: The show starts at seven and ends at eleven in the night . Better: The show starts at 7 p.m. and ends at 11 p.m.

In British English , the abbreviations for the two halves of the day are sometimes written without periods (or full stops). A period also sometimes replaces the colon between hours and minutes: The train arrives at Paddington Station at 3.30 pm every day.

When a sentence ends in an abbreviation , don’t add another period. However, in questions, use a question mark as usual. If the abbreviation is within parentheses after which the sentence should end, add another period.

We can deliver the couch to you by 4 p.m.
Can you please deliver the couch by 4 p.m.?
We can deliver the couch this afternoon (by 4 p.m. ).

Don’t use expressions of time like “in the morning,” “in the afternoon,” and “at night” with a.m. and p.m.

Incorrect: Poco arrived at 2 p.m. in the afternoon . Using p.m. already indicates that we’re talking about a time in the afternoon. Correct: Poco arrived at 2 p.m.
Incorrect: The meeting will start at 9 a.m. tomorrow morning . Correct: The meeting will start at 9 a.m. tomorrow .

Noon and midnight: a.m. or p.m. ?

Prefer to use the words noon and midnight instead of 12 p.m. or 12 a.m.

Incorrect: The day starts at 12 a.m. Correct: The day starts at midnight .
Incorrect: Please send the report by 12 p.m. Correct: Please send the report by noon .

Don’t use the numeral 12 with the words noon and midnight . Writing the numeral is unnecessary and considered poor style. (It cannot be anything but 12 at noon and midnight.)

The day starts at 12 midnight . The word “midnight” implies that it is 12 on the clock. The numeral “12” is therefore redundant. Although such usage is common in speech, avoid it in writing.
Please send your report by 12 noon .

O’clock

The term o’clock , which means “of the clock,” may be used when the exact time is unimportant. Such usage is common and often preferred in everyday speech, creative writing, and informal communication. There is no space between the apostrophe and the word “clock.”

Oh no, is it three o’clock already?
The bell rang at two o’clock .
It’s nine o’clock and still light out.

Either numerals or words may be used with o’clock . Style guides differ in their recommendations. The Chicago Manual of Style , followed by academic and book editors, recommends spelling out the number with o’clock. The AP Stylebook , used in American media and journalism, suggests using numerals.

Chicago: It was three o’clock in the afternoon when the clocks stopped.
AP: It was 3 o’clock in the afternoon when the clocks stopped.

When both hours and minutes are expressed, the term o’clock is omitted.

Incorrect: It’s four twenty o’clock . Correct: It’s four twenty .

To informally express the hour and the minute both, simply use numbers and omit o’clock . Or you can use numerals with a.m. or p.m. (These abbreviations may be omitted if it is obvious which half of the day you’re referring to.)

Please be there by four twenty-five .
Please be there by 4:25 p.m.
Please be there by 4:25 .

Quarter, half, whole hours

In speech and informal writing, time is often expressed in quarter, half, and whole hours.

It’s a quarter to four ( or a quarter of four ). The article a is optional.
It was half past nine when the train finally arrived.
The museum is open from nine to six on weekdays.

With whole hours, the term o’clock may or may not be used. Also, since a.m. and p.m. are not used, time expressions like “in the morning” or “at night” are appropriate.

The Durandians landed in Farley’s backyard at nine o’clock on a Monday morning.
The Durandians landed in Farley’s backyard at nine in the morning last Monday.

12-hour vs. 24-hour system

Many countries express time using the 24-hour system instead of the 12-hour system. The 24-hour system is also used when confusion between a.m. and p.m. could result in dangerous or costly mistakes—for example, in military settings, hospitals, research labs, airports, and train and bus stations.

The siren rang at 0413 hours . That is, at 4:13 a.m.
Departure is at 16:45 . Clearer than “4:45,” which could mean either morning or evening.
The patient was in surgery from 11:00 to 14:30 .

24-hour clock

In general, to write time in the 24-hour system, omit the colon between hours and minutes, and follow the numerals for time with the word “hours.”

The invasion began at 0823 hours . Read aloud as “oh-eight-twenty-three hours” or “zero-eight-twenty-three” (military).
The train departs from Bratislava at 1008 hours and arrives at Budapest at 1619 hours . Read aloud as “ten-oh-eight” and “sixteen-nineteen.”

A colon is used when the word “hours” is omitted.

The invasion began at 08:23 .
The train leaves Bratislava at 10:08 and reaches Budapest at 16:19 .

Time expressions ( noon , midnight , morning , afternoon , evening , night , etc.) are unnecessary in the 24-hour system.

The train leaves Berlin at 0617 hours in the morning . The phrase “in the morning” is redundant, since it is already clear which part of day is being referred to.
It reaches Vienna at 14:45 in the afternoon .

Midnight: 00:00 or 24:00 ?

Both 00:00 and 24:00 refer to midnight. Use 0000 hours or 00:00 to refer to the start of a day. Use 2400 hours or 24:00 to indicate the end of a given day.

The operation will commence at 0000 hours on January 16, 2033 . the start of January 16
Your commanding officer will conduct a briefing from 22:30 to 24:00 , after which the operation will commence. a briefing at the end of the day

Space after numerals for time

Regardless of whether you use a.m. / p.m. , o’clock , or hours , always use a space after the numerals used to denote the time.

Rita goes for a run at 6:15 a.m. every day.
Maya woke up with a start at 5 o’clock in the morning.
The final shuttle for Mars leaves at 0330 hours .

Specify time zones only when necessary. Periods are not used with abbreviations for time zones.

The call begins at 10:30 a.m. EST .
I’ll send you the report by 5 p.m. IST ( 7:30 p.m. SGT ).
The Durandians landed on Earth at 8:17 a.m. UTC on October 23, 2073.

When spelling a time zone out, you may either capitalize or lowercase the words. The Chicago Manual of Style suggests using lowercase letters; the AP Stylebook suggests capitalization. Always capitalize proper nouns and proper adjectives (names of places or regions).

All the time frames specified are in Pacific standard time .
The train arrives at 14:00 ( central European time ).
The time shown on our website is eastern daylight time .
We follow Pacific Standard Time .
Is that 14:00 Central European Time ?
Is that Eastern Daylight Time ?

The correct term is daylight saving time , not daylight savings time .

Time periods and duration

You may use either words or numerals to speak of a duration or a time period. In general, use words for numbers until nine and numerals from 10 onward.

This movie is four hours long.
We are going on a 12-day vacation.
Could you wait five minutes , please?

In Chicago style, use words for two-digit numbers as well. Hyphenate two-digit numbers.

Our rent is paid for thirty-one days .
This project will take at least twenty-four hours to complete.

To speak of duration, use for . To speak of a point in time, use since .

Duration: We have been working on this for / since three days.
Point in time: We have been working on this for / since 9 a.m.

Time ranges

Use from – to or between – and to show a range.

Anita worked steadily from 2 to 4 p.m.
Your order will arrive between 2 and 4 p.m. today.
Rehearsal is from 8:00 to 9:30 a.m. on Saturday.

Ranges , including those signifying time, may also be written using an en dash .

The meeting is scheduled for 2:00–3:30 p.m.
Rehearsal is 8:00–9:30 a.m. tomorrow.
The journey lasts 3–4 hours .

With the word from , use to , not an en dash. If you do use an en dash, omit the word from .

Incorrect: We are open from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. on weekdays.
Correct: We are open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays.

Units of time

With abbreviated units of measurement , always use numerals. In scientific and technical writing, use the SI symbols for units of time , which are h , min , and s (for hour , minute , and second ). Periods are never used with SI units.

Duration of the experiment: 3 h
Lap time: 443 s
Time taken: 4 min 43 s

In nonscientific and nontechnical writing, units of time are often abbreviated to hr. , min. , and sec. A period usually follows the unit. Use numerals instead of words with abbreviated units.

Time taken: 25 min.
Project duration: 9 hr. ( or 9 hrs. )

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Use periods between the lowercase letters of the abbreviations a.m. and p.m. when writing for a U.S. audience.

Use numerals with a.m. and p.m. in formal writing.

Both are correct: you may use either numerals or words with o’clock .

In the 24-hour system, use a colon to separate hours from minutes if the word hours is omitted. If the word hours follows the numerals for time, the colon is omitted.

With the words noon and midnight , using numbers for time is redundant and therefore considered poor style. (It’s always 12 at noon or midnight.)

AM or a.m., PM or p.m.: Do I Capitalize AM and PM?

Home » AM or a.m., PM or p.m.: Do I Capitalize AM and PM?

When emphasizing an exact or precise time, the abbreviations “a.m.” and “p.m.” are used. These two abbreviations stand for the Latin terms “ante meridiem” and “post meridiem,” which literally mean before noon and after noon.

AM and PM as Lowercase Letters

There are a few generally accepted ways to write these abbreviations in your writing. The first and most common way to write them is with lowercase “a.m.” and “p.m.”

This way requires periods, and both Chicago Style and AP Style recommend this way of writing the abbreviations.

This subway train will leave daily at 10:05 a.m.
After 10:00 p.m. I really need to sleep.

AM and PM as Small Capitals

Rather than using the lowercase method, the abbreviations can also be written using small capitals. This way can be written with or without periods. For example, both of the following are acceptable,

We will meet for lunch Tuesday at 10:00 AM.
We will meet for lunch Tuesday at 10:00 A.M.

Given that is acceptable to write “a.m.” and “p.m.” a couple of different ways, you should always make sure that you are being consistent. Pick one way and stick with it.

For example, you should never punctuate a sentence as follows,

I leave for work at 8:00 AM and get home at 6:25 p.m.

Instead, it should be written in one of the following ways.

I leave for work at 8:00 a.m. and get home at 6:25 p.m.
I leave for work at 8:00 AM and get home at 6:25 PM.
I leave for work at 8:00 A.M. and get home at 6:25 P.M.

Putting Small Caps Into Microsoft Word

What are small capitals? Not many people know what they are. Small capitals are simply uppercase (or capital) letters that are set at the same height and weight as lowercase (or small) letters. For example,

AM PM, AM PM , a.m. p.m.

The first “AM PM” is all caps. The second is small caps. The third is lowercase.But how do you put these into Microsoft Word?Well, it is actually pretty easy, and there are a few different ways.

The easiest way to do it is to highlight and “right click” the text that you want to change to small caps. After you do this, click “font” and a window will appear. You will then see a box that says “Small caps.” Click this box and then click “OK.” Your text will then change into small caps. You can use this same method if you are using a Mac. You can also click the “Small caps” button on your formatting palette, and it will change the font into small caps.

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If you are writing in a new discipline, you should always make sure to ask about conventions and expectations for introductions, just as you would for any other aspect of the essay. For example, while it may be acceptable to write a two-paragraph (or longer) introduction for your papers in some courses, instructors in other disciplines, such as those in some Government courses, may expect a shorter introduction that includes a preview of the argument that will follow.
In some disciplines (Government, Economics, and others), it’s common to offer an overview in the introduction of what points you will make in your essay. In other disciplines, you will not be expected to provide this overview in your introduction.
Avoid writing a very general opening sentence. While it may be true that “Since the dawn of time, people have been telling love stories,” it won’t help you explain what’s interesting about your topic.
Avoid writing a “funnel” introduction in which you begin with a very broad statement about a topic and move to a narrow statement about that topic. Broad generalizations about a topic will not add to your readers’ understanding of your specific essay topic.
Avoid beginning with a dictionary definition of a term or concept you will be writing about. If the concept is complicated or unfamiliar to your readers, you will need to define it in detail later in your essay. If it’s not complicated, you can assume your readers already know the definition.
Avoid offering too much detail in your introduction that a reader could better understand later in the paper.
picture_as_pdf Introductions

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How to Write the Perfect Essay: A Step-By-Step Guide for Students

June 2, 2022

What is an essay?

What makes a good essay?

Typical essay structure, 7 steps to writing a good essay, a step-by-step guide to writing a good essay.

Whether you are gearing up for your GCSE coursework submissions or looking to brush up on your A-level writing skills, we have the perfect essay-writing guide for you. 💯

Staring at a blank page before writing an essay can feel a little daunting . Where do you start? What should your introduction say? And how should you structure your arguments? They are all fair questions and we have the answers! Take the stress out of essay writing with this step-by-step guide – you’ll be typing away in no time. 👩‍💻

What is an essay?

Generally speaking, an essay designates a literary work in which the author defends a point of view or a personal conviction, using logical arguments and literary devices in order to inform and convince the reader.

So – although essays can be broadly split into four categories: argumentative, expository, narrative, and descriptive – an essay can simply be described as a focused piece of writing designed to inform or persuade. 🤔

The purpose of an essay is to present a coherent argument in response to a stimulus or question and to persuade the reader that your position is credible, believable and reasonable. 👌

So, a ‘good’ essay relies on a confident writing style – it’s clear, well-substantiated, focussed, explanatory and descriptive . The structure follows a logical progression and above all, the body of the essay clearly correlates to the tile – answering the question where one has been posed.

But, how do you go about making sure that you tick all these boxes and keep within a specified word count? Read on for the answer as well as an example essay structure to follow and a handy step-by-step guide to writing the perfect essay – hooray. 🙌

Sometimes, it is helpful to think about your essay like it is a well-balanced argument or a speech – it needs to have a logical structure, with all your points coming together to answer the question in a coherent manner. ⚖️

Of course, essays can vary significantly in length but besides that, they all follow a fairly strict pattern or structure made up of three sections. Lean into this predictability because it will keep you on track and help you make your point clearly. Let’s take a look at the typical essay structure:

#1 Introduction

Start your introduction with the central claim of your essay. Let the reader know exactly what you intend to say with this essay. Communicate what you’re going to argue, and in what order. The final part of your introduction should also say what conclusions you’re going to draw – it sounds counter-intuitive but it’s not – more on that below. 1️⃣

Make your point, evidence it and explain it. This part of the essay – generally made up of three or more paragraphs depending on the length of your essay – is where you present your argument. The first sentence of each paragraph – much like an introduction to an essay – should summarise what your paragraph intends to explain in more detail. 2️⃣

#3 Conclusion

This is where you affirm your argument – remind the reader what you just proved in your essay and how you did it. This section will sound quite similar to your introduction but – having written the essay – you’ll be summarising rather than setting out your stall. 3️⃣

No essay is the same but your approach to writing them can be. As well as some best practice tips, we have gathered our favourite advice from expert essay-writers and compiled the following 7-step guide to writing a good essay every time. 👍

#1 Make sure you understand the question

#2 complete background reading.

#3 Make a detailed plan

#4 Write your opening sentences

#5 flesh out your essay in a rough draft, #6 evidence your opinion, #7 final proofread and edit.

Now that you have familiarised yourself with the 7 steps standing between you and the perfect essay, let’s take a closer look at each of those stages so that you can get on with crafting your written arguments with confidence .

This is the most crucial stage in essay writing – r ead the essay prompt carefully and understand the question. Highlight the keywords – like ‘compare,’ ‘contrast’ ‘discuss,’ ‘explain’ or ‘evaluate’ – and let it sink in before your mind starts racing . There is nothing worse than writing 500 words before realising you have entirely missed the brief . 🧐

Unless you are writing under exam conditions , you will most likely have been working towards this essay for some time, by doing thorough background reading. Re-read relevant chapters and sections, highlight pertinent material and maybe even stray outside the designated reading list, this shows genuine interest and extended knowledge. 📚

#3 Make a detailed plan

Following the handy structure we shared with you above, now is the time to create the ‘skeleton structure’ or essay plan. Working from your essay title, plot out what you want your paragraphs to cover and how that information is going to flow. You don’t need to start writing any full sentences yet but it might be useful to think about the various quotes you plan to use to substantiate each section. 📝

Having mapped out the overall trajectory of your essay, you can start to drill down into the detail. First, write the opening sentence for each of the paragraphs in the body section of your essay. Remember – each paragraph is like a mini-essay – the opening sentence should summarise what the paragraph will then go on to explain in more detail. 🖊️

Next, it's time to write the bulk of your words and flesh out your arguments. Follow the ‘point, evidence, explain’ method. The opening sentences – already written – should introduce your ‘points’, so now you need to ‘evidence’ them with corroborating research and ‘explain’ how the evidence you’ve presented proves the point you’re trying to make. ✍️

With a rough draft in front of you, you can take a moment to read what you have written so far. Are there any sections that require further substantiation? Have you managed to include the most relevant material you originally highlighted in your background reading? Now is the time to make sure you have evidenced all your opinions and claims with the strongest quotes, citations and material. 📗

This is your final chance to re-read your essay and go over it with a fine-toothed comb before pressing ‘submit’. We highly recommend leaving a day or two between finishing your essay and the final proofread if possible – you’ll be amazed at the difference this makes, allowing you to return with a fresh pair of eyes and a more discerning judgment. 🤓

If you are looking for advice and support with your own essay-writing adventures, why not t ry a free trial lesson with GoStudent? Our tutors are experts at boosting academic success and having fun along the way. Get in touch and see how it can work for you today. 🎒

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Essay Writing Tips: 10 Steps to Writing a Great Essay (And Have Fun Doing It!)

by Joe Bunting | 118 comments

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Do you dread essay writing? Are you looking for some essay tips that will help you write an amazing essay—and have fun doing it?

Lots of students, young and old, dread essay writing. It's a daunting assignment, one that takes research, time, and concentration.

It's also an assignment that you can break up into simple steps that make writing an essay manageable and, yes, even enjoyable.

These ten essay tips completely changed my writing process—and I hope that they can do the same for you.

Essay Writing Can Be Fun

Honestly, throughout most of high school and college, I was a mediocre essay writer.

Every once in a while, I would write a really good essay, but mostly I skated by with B's and A-minuses.

I know personally how boring writing an essay can be, and also, how hard it can be to write a good one.

However, toward the end of my time as a student, I made a breakthrough. I figured out how to not only write a great essay, I learned how to have fun while doing it .

And since then, I've become a professional writer and have written more than a dozen books. I'm not saying that these essay writing tips are going to magically turn you into a writer, but at least they can help you enjoy the process more.

I'm excited to share these ten essay writing tips with you today! But first, we need to talk about why writing an essay is so hard.

Why Writing an Essay Is So Hard

When it comes to essay writing, a lot of students find a reason to put it off. And when they tackle it, they find it difficult to string sentences together that sound like a decent stance on the assigned subject.

Here are a few reasons why essay writing is hard:

You'd rather be scrolling through Facebook
You're trying to write something your teacher or professor will like
You're trying to get an A instead of writing something that's actually good
You want to do the least amount of work possible

The biggest reason writing an essay is so hard is because we mostly focus on those external rewards like getting a passing grade, winning our teacher's approval, or just avoiding accusations of plagiarism.

The problem is that when you focus on external approval it not only makes writing much less fun, it also makes it significantly harder.

Because when you focus on external approval, you shut down your subconscious, and the subconscious is the source of your creativity.

The subconscious is the source of your creativity.

What this means practically is that when you're trying to write that perfect, A-plus-worthy sentence, you're turning off most of your best resources and writing skills.

So stop. Stop trying to write a good essay (or even a “good-enough” essay). Instead, write an interesting essay, write an essay you think is fascinating. And when you're finished, go back and edit it until it's “good” according to your teacher's standards.

Yes, you need to follow the guidelines in your assignment. If your teacher tells you to write a five-paragraph essay, then write a five-paragraph essay! If your teacher asks for a specific type of essay, like an analysis, argument, or research essay, then make sure you write that type of essay!

However, within those guidelines, find room to express something that is uniquely you .

I can't guarantee you'll get a higher grade (although, you almost certainly will), but I can absolutely promise you'll have a lot more fun writing.

The Step-by-Step Process to Writing a Great Essay: Your 10 Essay Writing Tips

Ready to get writing? You can read my ten best tips for having fun while writing an essay that earns you the top grade, or check out this presentation designed by our friends at Canva Presentations .

1. Remember your essay is just a story.

Every story is about conflict and change, and the truth is that essays are about conflict and change, too! The difference is that in an essay, the conflict is between different ideas , and the change is in the way we should perceive those ideas.

That means that the best essays are about surprise: “You probably think it's one way, but in reality, you should think of it this other way.” See tip #3 for more on this.

How do you know what story you're telling? The prompt should tell you.

Any list of essay prompts includes various topics and tasks associated with them. Within those topics are characters (historical, fictional, or topical) faced with difficult choices. Your job is to work with those choices, usually by analyzing them, arguing about them, researching them, or describing them in detail.

2. Before you start writing, ask yourself, “How can I have the most fun writing this?”

It's normal to feel unmotivated when writing an academic essay. I'm a writer, and honestly, I feel unmotivated to write all the time. But I have a super-ninja, judo-mind trick I like to use to help motivate myself.

Here's the secret trick: One of the interesting things about your subconscious is that it will answer any question you ask yourself. So whenever you feel unmotivated to write your essay, ask yourself the following question:

“How much fun can I have writing this?”

Your subconscious will immediately start thinking of strategies to make the writing process more fun.

The best time to have your fun is the first draft. Since you're just brainstorming within the topic, and exploring the possible ways of approaching it, the first draft is the perfect place to get creative and even a little scandalous. Here are some wild suggestions to make your next essay a load of fun:

Research the most surprising or outrageous fact about the topic and use it as your hook.
Use a thesaurus to research the topic's key words. Get crazy with your vocabulary as you write, working in each key word synonym as much as possible.
Play devil's advocate and take the opposing or immoral side of the issue. See where the discussion takes you as you write.

3. As you research, ask yourself, “What surprises me about this subject?”

The temptation, when you're writing an essay, is to write what you think your teacher or professor wants to read.

Don't do this .

Instead, ask yourself, “What do I find interesting about this subject? What surprises me?”

If you can't think of anything that surprises you, anything you find interesting, then you're not searching well enough, because history, science, and literature are all brimming over with surprises. When you look at how great ideas actually happen, the story is always, “We used to think the world was this way. We found out we were completely wrong, and that the world is actually quite different from what we thought.”

These pieces of surprising information often make for the best topic sentences as well. Use them to outline your essay and build your body paragraphs off of each unique fact or idea. These will function as excellent hooks for your reader as you transition from one topic to the next.

(By the way, what sources should you use for research? Check out tip #10 below.)

4. Overwhelmed? Write five original sentences.

The standard three-point essay is really made up of just five original sentences surrounded by supporting paragraphs that back up those five sentences. If you're feeling overwhelmed, just write five sentences covering your most basic main points.

Here's what they might look like for this article:

Introductory Paragraph: While most students consider writing an essay a boring task, with the right mindset, it can actually be an enjoyable experience.
Body #1: Most students think writing an essay is tedious because they focus on external rewards.
Body #2: Students should instead focus on internal fulfillment when writing an essay.
Body #3: Not only will focusing on internal fulfillment allow students to have more fun, it will also result in better essays.
Conclusion: Writing an essay doesn't have to be simply a way to earn a good grade. Instead, it can be a means of finding fulfillment.

After you write your five sentences, it's easy to fill in the paragraphs for each one.

Now, you give it a shot!

5. Be “source heavy.”

In college, I discovered a trick that helped me go from a B-average student to an A-student, but before I explain how it works, let me warn you. This technique is powerful , but it might not work for all teachers or professors. Use with caution.

As I was writing a paper for a literature class, I realized that the articles and books I was reading said what I was trying to say much better than I ever could. So what did I do? I quoted them liberally throughout my paper. When I wasn't quoting, I re-phrased what they said in my own words, giving proper credit, of course. I found that not only did this formula create a well-written essay, it took about half the time to write.

It's good to keep in mind that using anyone else's words, even when morphed into your own phrasing, requires citation. While the definition of plagiarism is shifting with the rise of online collaboration and cooperative learning environments, always err on the side of excessive citation to be safe.

When I used this technique, my professors sometimes mentioned that my papers were very “source” heavy. However, at the same time, they always gave me A's.

To keep yourself safe, I recommend using a 60/40 approach with your body paragraphs: Make sure 60% of the words are your own analysis and argumentation, while 40% can be quoted (or text you paraphrase) from your sources.

Like the five sentence trick, this technique makes the writing process simpler. Instead of putting the main focus on writing well, it instead forces you to research well, which some students find easier.

6. Write the body first, the introduction second, and the conclusion last.

Introductions are often the hardest part to write because you're trying to summarize your entire essay before you've even written it yet. Instead, try writing your introduction last, giving yourself the body of the paper to figure out the main point of your essay.

This is especially important with an essay topic you are not personally interested in. I definitely recommend this in classes you either don't excel in or care much for. Take plenty of time to draft and revise your body paragraphs before attempting to craft a meaningful introductory paragraph.

Otherwise your opening may sound awkward, wooden, and bland.

7. Most essays answer the question, “What?” Good essays answer the “Why?” The best essays answer the “How?”

If you get stuck trying to make your argument, or you're struggling to reach the required word count, try focusing on the question, “How?”

For example:

How did J.D. Salinger convey the theme of inauthenticity in The Catcher In the Rye ?
How did Napoleon restore stability in France after the French Revolution?
How does the research prove girls really do rule and boys really do drool?

If you focus on how, you'll always have enough to write about.

8. Don't be afraid to jump around.

Essay writing can be a dance. You don't have to stay in one place and write from beginning to end.

For the same reasons listed in point #6, give yourself the freedom to write as if you're circling around your topic rather than making a single, straightforward argument. Then, when you edit and proofread, you can make sure everything lines up correctly.

In fact, now is the perfect time to mention that proofreading your essay isn't just about spelling and commas.

It's about making sure your analysis or argument flows smoothly from one idea to another. (Okay, technically this comprises editing, but most students writing a high school or college essay don't take the time to complete every step of the writing process. Let's be honest.)

So as you clean up your mechanics and sentence structure, make sure your ideas flow smoothly, logically, and naturally from one to the next as you finish proofreading.

9. Here are some words and phrases you don't want to use.

You (You'll notice I use a lot of you's, which is great for a blog post. However, in an academic essay, it's better to omit the second-person.)
To Be verbs (is, are, was, were, am)

Don't have time to edit? Here's a lightning-quick editing technique .

A note about “I”: Some teachers say you shouldn't use “I” statements in your writing, but the truth is that professional, academic papers often use phrases like “I believe” and “in my opinion,” especially in their introductions.

10. It's okay to use Wikipedia, if…

Wikipedia is one of the top five websites in the world for a reason: it can be a great tool for research. However, most teachers and professors don't consider Wikipedia a valid source for use in essays.

Don't totally discount it, though! Here are two ways you can use Wikipedia in your essay writing:

Background research. If you don't know enough about your topic, Wikipedia can be a great resource to quickly learn everything you need to know to get started.
Find sources . Check the reference section of Wikipedia's articles on your topic. While you may not be able to cite Wikipedia itself, you can often find those original sources and cite them . You can locate the links to primary and secondary sources at the bottom of any Wikipedia page under the headings “Further Reading” and “References.”

You Can Enjoy Essay Writing

The thing I regret most about high school and college is that I treated it like something I had to do rather than something I wanted to do.

The truth is, education is an opportunity many people in the world don't have access to.

It's a gift, not just something that makes your life more difficult. I don't want you to make the mistake of just “getting by” through school, waiting desperately for summer breaks and, eventually, graduation.

How would your life be better if you actively enjoyed writing an essay? What would school look like if you wanted to suck it dry of all the gifts it has to give you?

All I'm saying is, don't miss out!

Looking for More Essay Writing Tips?

Looking for more essay tips to strengthen your essay writing? Try some of these resources:

7 Tips on Writing an Effective Essay
Tips for Writing Your Thesis Statement

How about you? Do you have any tips for writing an essay? Let us know in the comments .

Need more grammar help? My favorite tool that helps find grammar problems and even generates reports to help improve my writing is ProWritingAid . Works with Word, Scrivener, Google Docs, and web browsers. Also, be sure to use my coupon code to get 20 percent off: WritePractice20

Coupon Code:WritePractice20 »

Ready to try out these ten essay tips to make your essay assignment fun? Spend fifteen minutes using tip #4 and write five original sentences that could be turned into an essay.

When you're finished, share your five sentences in the comments section. And don't forget to give feedback to your fellow writers!

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Joe Bunting

Joe Bunting is an author and the leader of The Write Practice community. He is also the author of the new book Crowdsourcing Paris , a real life adventure story set in France. It was a #1 New Release on Amazon. Follow him on Instagram (@jhbunting).

Want best-seller coaching? Book Joe here.

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Academic Writing

How to Write an Essay in Under 30 Minutes

Last Updated: December 19, 2023 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Arash Fayz . Arash Fayz is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of LA Tutors 123, an academic consulting and private tutoring company based in Los Angeles, California. Arash has over 10 years of educational consulting experience, managing the tutoring of students of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds to score higher on standardized tests and gain admission to their target schools. He has a BA in Applied Mathematics and Computer Science from the University of California, Los Angeles. There are 12 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 601,127 times.

If you’re taking your SATs this year, you may be preparing to write a solid essay within the 30 minute time limit. Or you might be trying to improve your writing speed to complete essay exams faster and more efficiently. Writing a five paragraph essay in under 30 minutes can seem daunting, but with the right planning and time management, it is certainly achievable.

Sample Essays

Planning the Essay

For example, you may get a prompt in the form of quotation: “Time has a doomsday book, on whose pages he is continually recording illustrious names. But as often as a new name is written there, an old one disappears. Only a few stand in illuminated characters never to be effaced.” Henry Wadsworth Longfellow [3] X Research source
You may then receive a question attached to the prompt: “Are there some heroes who will be remembered forever? Or are all heroes doomed to be forgotten one day?" Plan your response, and then write an essay to explain your views on this issue. Be sure to support your position with specific points and examples. You may use personal examples or examples from your reading, observations, or, knowledge of subjects such as history, literature, science. [4] X Research source

For example, you may brainstorm the Longfellow quote/question by thinking of personal examples of heroes who are remembered or forgotten, such as family members, friends, teachers, or peers who have acted as heroes to you or to others. Or you may focus on a historical figure who seems to be a forgotten hero or a decorated hero.
This essay question is asking for two sides of the discussion, the forgotten hero and the remembered hero. Your thesis should discuss both sides and choose one side to argue for or against.
You may choose to spotlight a historical figure who encountered opposition and challenges in her life, such as the suffragette Susan B. Anthony. Anthony worked tirelessly for decades to get the government to recognize women’s right to vote, and was often derided by the government and by individuals within her own organization. She is a good example of a hero who was not recognized as a trailblazer until late in her life, though she is now remembered as a heroine in history. Try to refer back to the quotation in the essay prompt in your thesis, if possible, to show you have read the entire question.
A possible thesis statement could be: “Though Longfellow argues that names, or heroes, may be forgotten over time, one historical figure, Susan B. Anthony, was derided in her lifetime for her beliefs but is now remembered as a heroine of her time.”

Introduction: Your beginning paragraph should contain an engaging first sentence and your thesis statement. Some writers find it easier to write create a temporary introduction and revise it once they are finished with the essay. This will ensure the introduction is cohesive with the rest of the essay.
Conclusion: This paragraph should summarize your main argument and restate your thesis. You may also want to include last thoughts around the essay question.

Writing the Essay

Step 1 Take 15 minutes to write the essay.

Try to spend two to three minutes on each body paragraph. Then, take three minutes on your conclusion paragraph and go back to your introduction. Spend the last three minutes revising your introduction so it matches the tone and perspective of the rest of your essay.

An interesting or surprising example: This could be a personal experience or a key moment in the life of the historical figure you are discussing in your essay. For example, you may discuss Anthony’s childhood as a Quaker and her later adoption of more casual dress and growing interest in social reform at the age of 26. [9] X Trustworthy Source University of North Carolina Writing Center UNC's on-campus and online instructional service that provides assistance to students, faculty, and others during the writing process Go to source
A provocative quotation: This could be from a source you used for your essay or one that feels relevant to your topic. For example, you may use a well known quote from Anthony, such as: “Cautious, careful people, always casting about to preserve their reputation and social standing, never can bring about a reform. Those who are really in earnest must be willing to be anything or nothing in the world's estimation, and publicly and privately, in season and out, avow their sympathy with despised and persecuted ideas and their advocates, and bear the consequences.” [10] X Research source
A vivid anecdote: An anecdote is a very short story that carries moral or symbolic weight. Think of an anecdote that might be a poetic or powerful way to start your essay.
A thought provoking question: create a question that will get your reader thinking and engaged in your topic. For example: “Did you ever wonder how women received the right to vote in the United States?”

Step 3 Write your three body paragraphs.

Body paragraph 1: You may start by discussing Anthony’s early successes. Look at the establishment of the Women’s Loyal National League in 1863 by Anthony and Stanton. As the first national women’s political organization in the United States, it had a membership of 5000 and provided a platform for women to speak out on issues like slavery and women’s right to vote. [11] X Research source
Body paragraph 2: You may discuss Anthony’s mid career struggles. Look at the split in the women’s movement in May 1869, with the establishment of the National Woman’s Suffrage Association (NWSA) by Anthony and Stanton, and the rival American Woman Suffrage Association (AWSA). Note how after the Civil War, Anthony devoted her time and life to the suffrage movement, assuming leadership of the NWSA in 1890 and continuing to advocate for women’s rights. Anthony also remained unmarried, which gave her an advantage under the law, as married women at the time were not permitted to sign official documents and had to defer to their husbands. [12] X Research source
Body paragraph 3: You may discuss Anthony’s later life, including her many speaking engagements throughout the United States on the need for women’s suffrage and equal rights. Though Anthony died in 1906, and did not live to see the passing of the Nineteenth Amendment of the Constitution, affording women the right to vote in the United States in 1920, her forty years of tireless work paved the way for the legal precedent and gave women a strong sense of empowerment and equality. [13] X Research source

Step 4 Summarize your thoughts in your conclusion.

For example, you may restate your thesis: “Throughout her life, Susan B. Anthony’s sacrificed her time, energy, and personal livelihood to advocate for women’s rights, proving that though many heroes may be forgotten, their actions will live on in history.”

Editing the Essay

Step 1 Use the last five minutes to proofread your essay.

For example, an essay on Susan B. Anthony could have the title: “An Unsung Heroine” or “Susan B. Anthony: An Advocate for Change”.

Community Q&A

↑ Arash Fayz. Test Prep Tutor. Expert Interview. 1 November 2019.
↑ https://libguides.newcastle.edu.au/essay_planning/essay-planning
↑ https://resources.warburg.sas.ac.uk/pdf/emh823b2778298.pdf
↑ https://www.hunter.cuny.edu/rwc/handouts/the-writing-process-1/invention/Writing-a-Response-or-Reaction-Paper
↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/thesis-statements/
↑ https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/test-terror.html
↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/introductions/
↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/should-i-use-i/
↑ https://www.rochester.edu/sba/
↑ https://repository.library.georgetown.edu/bitstream/handle/10822/553350/laCossJoanHarkin.pdf
↑ https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/susan-b-anthony
↑ https://www.britannica.com/biography/Susan-B-Anthony

About This Article

In order to successfully write an essay in under 30 minutes, you need to plan it out and work efficiently. Take a good 10 minutes to plan out the essay and come up with a thesis statement that will convey your argument and help guide your essay. It may seem like a large chunk of your time, but it will save you from having to rewrite or restructure your essay later on. Then, take 15 minutes to write your introductory paragraph, body paragraphs, and conclusion. Use the last 5 minutes to proofread your essay and look for spelling, punctuation, or grammatical errors. Don’t worry about coming up with a title until you’re finished. It will be much easier then. For tips about how to edit an essay you write in under 30 minutes, keep reading! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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How to Write an Essay in Six Steps

Lesson 6 of 8: finding your essay’s heartbeat.

If you’re new here, Write or Die 101 is an experiment in affordable education for writers. For $10 per month, you’ll receive a variety of month-long workshops by experienced instructors.

This month’s workshop, Finding Your Essay’s Heartbeat, is from Andrea A. Firth! Sign up for just $10/m to receive this week's and next week’s lessons, plus full access to our catalog of workshops. You can find the introduction post here if you’re new to this course. Happy writing!

Writers, today we write!

I’m going to walk you through a six-step prompt, and by the end you will have a draft of a personal essay well underway. I recommend that you set aside an hour to complete the prompt. Find a writing space and time without distractions. Use a pen and paper or a computer, that’s up to you. Use your phone or other device as a timer and allocate ten minutes for each step. You may find some steps go faster or slower, or you may not fully complete a step in ten minutes. That’s ok—adjust the timing per step as needed, but a total of sixty minutes is plenty of writing time for one sitting without a break.

I’ve adapted this six-step prompt from a prompt taught by the awesome essayist Marion Winik . Read the steps one at a time—don’t read ahead. Set your timer for ten minutes and write.

This post is for paid subscribers

The Five Steps of Writing an Essay

Mastering these steps will make your words more compelling

Tips For Adult Students
Getting Your Ged

B.A., English, St. Olaf College

Knowing how to write an essay is a skill that you can use throughout your life. The ability to organize ideas that you use in constructing an essay will help you write business letters, company memos, and marketing materials for your clubs and organizations.

Anything you write will benefit from learning these simple parts of an essay:

Purpose and Thesis

Introduction

Body of information.

Here are five steps to make it happen:

Purpose/Main Idea

Echo / Cultura / Getty Images

Before you can start writing, you must have an idea to write about. If you haven't been assigned a topic, it's easier than you might think to come up with one of your own.

Your best essays will be about things that light your fire. What do you feel passionate about? What topics do you find yourself arguing for or against? Choose the side of the topic you are "for" rather than "against" and your essay will be stronger.

Do you love gardening? Sports? Photography? Volunteering? Are you an advocate for children? Domestic peace? The hungry or homeless? These are clues to your best essays.

Put your idea into a single sentence. This is your thesis statement , your main idea.

STOCK4B-RF / Getty Images

Choose a title for your essay that expresses your primary idea. The strongest titles will include a verb. Take a look at any newspaper and you'll see that every title has a verb.

Your title should make someone want to read what you have to say. Make it provocative.

Here are a few ideas:

America Needs Better Health Care Now
The Use of the Mentor Archetype in _____
Who Is the She-Conomy?
Why DJ Is the Queen of Pedicures
Melanoma: Is It or Isn't It?
How to Achieve Natural Balance in Your Garden
Expect to Be Changed by Reading _____

Some people will tell you to wait until you have finished writing to choose a title. Other people find that writing a title helps them stay focused. You can always review your title when you've finished the essay to ensure that it's as effective as it can be.

Hero-Images / Getty Images

Your introduction is one short paragraph, just a sentence or two, that states your thesis (your main idea) and introduces your reader to your topic. After your title, this is your next best chance to hook your reader. Here are some examples:

Women are the chief buyers in 80 percent of America's households. If you're not marketing to them, you should be.
Take another look at that spot on your arm. Is the shape irregular? Is it multicolored? You could have melanoma. Know the signs.
Those tiny wasps flying around the blossoms in your garden can't sting you. Their stingers have evolved into egg-laying devices. The wasps, busying finding a place to lay their eggs, are participating in the balance of nature.

Vincent Hazat / PhotoAlto Agency RF Collections / Getty Images

The body of your essay is where you develop your story or argument. Once you have finished your research and produced several pages of notes, go through them with a highlighter and mark the most important ideas, the key points.

Choose the top three ideas and write each one at the top of a clean page. Now go through your notes again and pull out supporting ideas for each key point. You don't need a lot, just two or three for each one.

Write a paragraph about each of these key points, using the information you've pulled from your notes. If you don't have enough for one, you might need a stronger key point. Do more research to support your point of view. It's always better to have too many sources than too few.

Anna Bryukhanova/E Plus / Getty Images

You've almost finished. The last paragraph of your essay is your conclusion. It, too, can be short, and it must tie back to your introduction.

In your introduction, you stated the reason for your paper. In your conclusion, you should summarize how your key points support your thesis. Here's an example:

By observing the balance of nature in her gardens, listening to lectures, and reading everything she can get her hands on about insects and native plants, Lucinda has grown passionate about natural balance. "It's easy to get passionate if you just take time to look," she says.

If you're still worried about your essay after trying on your own, consider hiring an essay editing service. Reputable services will edit your work, not rewrite it. Choose carefully. One service to consider is Essay Edge .

Good luck! The next essay will be easier.

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How much information is too much in admissions essay?

I am applying to GS as a transfer student. I have about a five-year gap in my education, and I (like almost every other applicant, I’m sure) overcame some really big challenges which ultimately led to me going back to school. I know that transparency about these challenges will only help strengthen my case, but I am just wondering where I should draw the line. I am planning on writing about substance abuse, and (possibly) my experience as a sex-worker. I know these topics are taboo and I’m having trouble discerning how much I can really share about my experiences with these things (for example, what substances I abused and what kind of sex-work I did) without it seeming improper. Any advice at all would be helpful.

Your essays should be about things that will make the adcoms want you to be a student at their college. Your essays should not be about subjects that might make them second guess that you are a good match for their school.

I understand why you want to write about these things…but what positive happened that now enables you to consider applying to college. In my opinion, write about that.

We also have a service on this forum where folks will help you with your essays.

Maybe do a draft and have a reader give their honest feedback. Actually…you might try a couple of different essays and see which one the reader feels rises to the top.

https://talk.collegeconfidential.com/t/follow-these-steps-to-get-free-essay-feedback/3645578

If you intent is to make an impact, you will because they may not like being made to feel very uncomfortable. Improper???Probably. TMI. You’ve gotten through a tough life. I don’t know if you realize that most people haven’t experienced what you want to relate. It may be offensive. There is a reason it is taboo. If you want to risk writing about it, then that’s on you. It could be written in a documentary style. But, don’t be surprised if it’s not accepted the way you intend for it to be accepted. I personally would not risk it.

Agree. A college essay is not meant to be a soul-baring exercise. The purpose of a college essay is to make admissions officers want to have you as a student on campus.

I used to tell students to write the essay with the thought “will the reader want me as their roommate”? Don’t scare them off. Good luck

I can’t speak to what is proper or improper, but I wanted to take a moment to congratulate you on where you are today. You’ve clearly had a tough journey, and you seem to be on the precipice of one that should be rewarding. I wish you all the best.

If accepted, will you be eligible for university housing ?

If so, do you plan to live in university housing ?

How recent were you using and how long ago did you work as a sex worker ?

Thinking about these points may help you to determine how much you want to share in your admission application essays.

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NPR suspends veteran editor as it grapples with his public criticism

David Folkenflik

NPR suspended senior editor Uri Berliner for five days without pay after he wrote an essay accusing the network of losing the public's trust and appeared on a podcast to explain his argument. Uri Berliner hide caption

NPR suspended senior editor Uri Berliner for five days without pay after he wrote an essay accusing the network of losing the public's trust and appeared on a podcast to explain his argument.

NPR has formally punished Uri Berliner, the senior editor who publicly argued a week ago that the network had "lost America's trust" by approaching news stories with a rigidly progressive mindset.

Berliner's five-day suspension without pay, which began last Friday, has not been previously reported.

Yet the public radio network is grappling in other ways with the fallout from Berliner's essay for the online news site The Free Press . It angered many of his colleagues, led NPR leaders to announce monthly internal reviews of the network's coverage, and gave fresh ammunition to conservative and partisan Republican critics of NPR, including former President Donald Trump.

Conservative activist Christopher Rufo is among those now targeting NPR's new chief executive, Katherine Maher, for messages she posted to social media years before joining the network. Among others, those posts include a 2020 tweet that called Trump racist and another that appeared to minimize rioting during social justice protests that year. Maher took the job at NPR last month — her first at a news organization .

In a statement Monday about the messages she had posted, Maher praised the integrity of NPR's journalists and underscored the independence of their reporting.

"In America everyone is entitled to free speech as a private citizen," she said. "What matters is NPR's work and my commitment as its CEO: public service, editorial independence, and the mission to serve all of the American public. NPR is independent, beholden to no party, and without commercial interests."

The network noted that "the CEO is not involved in editorial decisions."

In an interview with me later on Monday, Berliner said the social media posts demonstrated Maher was all but incapable of being the person best poised to direct the organization.

"We're looking for a leader right now who's going to be unifying and bring more people into the tent and have a broader perspective on, sort of, what America is all about," Berliner said. "And this seems to be the opposite of that."

Conservative critics of NPR are now targeting its new chief executive, Katherine Maher, for messages she posted to social media years before joining the public radio network last month. Stephen Voss/Stephen Voss hide caption

Conservative critics of NPR are now targeting its new chief executive, Katherine Maher, for messages she posted to social media years before joining the public radio network last month.

He said that he tried repeatedly to make his concerns over NPR's coverage known to news leaders and to Maher's predecessor as chief executive before publishing his essay.

Berliner has singled out coverage of several issues dominating the 2020s for criticism, including trans rights, the Israel-Hamas war and COVID. Berliner says he sees the same problems at other news organizations, but argues NPR, as a mission-driven institution, has a greater obligation to fairness.

"I love NPR and feel it's a national trust," Berliner says. "We have great journalists here. If they shed their opinions and did the great journalism they're capable of, this would be a much more interesting and fulfilling organization for our listeners."

A "final warning"

The circumstances surrounding the interview were singular.

Berliner provided me with a copy of the formal rebuke to review. NPR did not confirm or comment upon his suspension for this article.

In presenting Berliner's suspension Thursday afternoon, the organization told the editor he had failed to secure its approval for outside work for other news outlets, as is required of NPR journalists. It called the letter a "final warning," saying Berliner would be fired if he violated NPR's policy again. Berliner is a dues-paying member of NPR's newsroom union but says he is not appealing the punishment.

The Free Press is a site that has become a haven for journalists who believe that mainstream media outlets have become too liberal. In addition to his essay, Berliner appeared in an episode of its podcast Honestly with Bari Weiss.

A few hours after the essay appeared online, NPR chief business editor Pallavi Gogoi reminded Berliner of the requirement that he secure approval before appearing in outside press, according to a copy of the note provided by Berliner.

In its formal rebuke, NPR did not cite Berliner's appearance on Chris Cuomo's NewsNation program last Tuesday night, for which NPR gave him the green light. (NPR's chief communications officer told Berliner to focus on his own experience and not share proprietary information.) The NPR letter also did not cite his remarks to The New York Times , which ran its article mid-afternoon Thursday, shortly before the reprimand was sent. Berliner says he did not seek approval before talking with the Times .

NPR defends its journalism after senior editor says it has lost the public's trust

Berliner says he did not get permission from NPR to speak with me for this story but that he was not worried about the consequences: "Talking to an NPR journalist and being fired for that would be extraordinary, I think."

Berliner is a member of NPR's business desk, as am I, and he has helped to edit many of my stories. He had no involvement in the preparation of this article and did not see it before it was posted publicly.

In rebuking Berliner, NPR said he had also publicly released proprietary information about audience demographics, which it considers confidential. He said those figures "were essentially marketing material. If they had been really good, they probably would have distributed them and sent them out to the world."

Feelings of anger and betrayal inside the newsroom

His essay and subsequent public remarks stirred deep anger and dismay within NPR. Colleagues contend Berliner cherry-picked examples to fit his arguments and challenge the accuracy of his accounts. They also note he did not seek comment from the journalists involved in the work he cited.

Morning Edition host Michel Martin told me some colleagues at the network share Berliner's concerns that coverage is frequently presented through an ideological or idealistic prism that can alienate listeners.

"The way to address that is through training and mentorship," says Martin, herself a veteran of nearly two decades at the network who has also reported for The Wall Street Journal and ABC News. "It's not by blowing the place up, by trashing your colleagues, in full view of people who don't really care about it anyway."

Several NPR journalists told me they are no longer willing to work with Berliner as they no longer have confidence that he will keep private their internal musings about stories as they work through coverage.

"Newsrooms run on trust," NPR political correspondent Danielle Kurtzleben tweeted last week, without mentioning Berliner by name. "If you violate everyone's trust by going to another outlet and sh--ing on your colleagues (while doing a bad job journalistically, for that matter), I don't know how you do your job now."

Berliner rejected that critique, saying nothing in his essay or subsequent remarks betrayed private observations or arguments about coverage.

Other newsrooms are also grappling with questions over news judgment and confidentiality. On Monday, New York Times Executive Editor Joseph Kahn announced to his staff that the newspaper's inquiry into who leaked internal dissent over a planned episode of its podcast The Daily to another news outlet proved inconclusive. The episode was to focus on a December report on the use of sexual assault as part of the Hamas attack on Israel in October. Audio staffers aired doubts over how well the reporting stood up to scrutiny.

"We work together with trust and collegiality everyday on everything we produce, and I have every expectation that this incident will prove to be a singular exception to an important rule," Kahn wrote to Times staffers.

At NPR, some of Berliner's colleagues have weighed in online against his claim that the network has focused on diversifying its workforce without a concomitant commitment to diversity of viewpoint. Recently retired Chief Executive John Lansing has referred to this pursuit of diversity within NPR's workforce as its " North Star ," a moral imperative and chief business strategy.

In his essay, Berliner tagged the strategy as a failure, citing the drop in NPR's broadcast audiences and its struggle to attract more Black and Latino listeners in particular.

"During most of my tenure here, an open-minded, curious culture prevailed. We were nerdy, but not knee-jerk, activist, or scolding," Berliner writes. "In recent years, however, that has changed."

Berliner writes, "For NPR, which purports to consider all things, it's devastating both for its journalism and its business model."

NPR investigative reporter Chiara Eisner wrote in a comment for this story: "Minorities do not all think the same and do not report the same. Good reporters and editors should know that by now. It's embarrassing to me as a reporter at NPR that a senior editor here missed that point in 2024."

Some colleagues drafted a letter to Maher and NPR's chief news executive, Edith Chapin, seeking greater clarity on NPR's standards for its coverage and the behavior of its journalists — clearly pointed at Berliner.

A plan for "healthy discussion"

On Friday, CEO Maher stood up for the network's mission and the journalism, taking issue with Berliner's critique, though never mentioning him by name. Among her chief issues, she said Berliner's essay offered "a criticism of our people on the basis of who we are."

Berliner took great exception to that, saying she had denigrated him. He said that he supported diversifying NPR's workforce to look more like the U.S. population at large. She did not address that in a subsequent private exchange he shared with me for this story. (An NPR spokesperson declined further comment.)

Late Monday afternoon, Chapin announced to the newsroom that Executive Editor Eva Rodriguez would lead monthly meetings to review coverage.

"Among the questions we'll ask of ourselves each month: Did we capture the diversity of this country — racial, ethnic, religious, economic, political geographic, etc — in all of its complexity and in a way that helped listeners and readers recognize themselves and their communities?" Chapin wrote in the memo. "Did we offer coverage that helped them understand — even if just a bit better — those neighbors with whom they share little in common?"

Berliner said he welcomed the announcement but would withhold judgment until those meetings played out.

In a text for this story, Chapin said such sessions had been discussed since Lansing unified the news and programming divisions under her acting leadership last year.

"Now seemed [the] time to deliver if we were going to do it," Chapin said. "Healthy discussion is something we need more of."

Disclosure: This story was reported and written by NPR Media Correspondent David Folkenflik and edited by Deputy Business Editor Emily Kopp and Managing Editor Gerry Holmes. Under NPR's protocol for reporting on itself, no NPR corporate official or news executive reviewed this story before it was posted publicly.

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About 1 in 5 U.S. teens who’ve heard of ChatGPT have used it for schoolwork

Roughly one-in-five teenagers who have heard of ChatGPT say they have used it to help them do their schoolwork, according to a new Pew Research Center survey of U.S. teens ages 13 to 17. With a majority of teens having heard of ChatGPT, that amounts to 13% of all U.S. teens who have used the generative artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot in their schoolwork.

A bar chart showing that, among teens who know of ChatGPT, 19% say they’ve used it for schoolwork.

Teens in higher grade levels are particularly likely to have used the chatbot to help them with schoolwork. About one-quarter of 11th and 12th graders who have heard of ChatGPT say they have done this. This share drops to 17% among 9th and 10th graders and 12% among 7th and 8th graders.

There is no significant difference between teen boys and girls who have used ChatGPT in this way.

The introduction of ChatGPT last year has led to much discussion about its role in schools , especially whether schools should integrate the new technology into the classroom or ban it .

Pew Research Center conducted this analysis to understand American teens’ use and understanding of ChatGPT in the school setting.

The Center conducted an online survey of 1,453 U.S. teens from Sept. 26 to Oct. 23, 2023, via Ipsos. Ipsos recruited the teens via their parents, who were part of its KnowledgePanel . The KnowledgePanel is a probability-based web panel recruited primarily through national, random sampling of residential addresses. The survey was weighted to be representative of U.S. teens ages 13 to 17 who live with their parents by age, gender, race and ethnicity, household income, and other categories.

This research was reviewed and approved by an external institutional review board (IRB), Advarra, an independent committee of experts specializing in helping to protect the rights of research participants.

Here are the questions used for this analysis , along with responses, and its methodology .

Teens’ awareness of ChatGPT

Overall, two-thirds of U.S. teens say they have heard of ChatGPT, including 23% who have heard a lot about it. But awareness varies by race and ethnicity, as well as by household income:

A horizontal stacked bar chart showing that most teens have heard of ChatGPT, but awareness varies by race and ethnicity, household income.

72% of White teens say they’ve heard at least a little about ChatGPT, compared with 63% of Hispanic teens and 56% of Black teens.
75% of teens living in households that make $75,000 or more annually have heard of ChatGPT. Much smaller shares in households with incomes between $30,000 and $74,999 (58%) and less than $30,000 (41%) say the same.

Teens who are more aware of ChatGPT are more likely to use it for schoolwork. Roughly a third of teens who have heard a lot about ChatGPT (36%) have used it for schoolwork, far higher than the 10% among those who have heard a little about it.

When do teens think it’s OK for students to use ChatGPT?

For teens, whether it is – or is not – acceptable for students to use ChatGPT depends on what it is being used for.

There is a fair amount of support for using the chatbot to explore a topic. Roughly seven-in-ten teens who have heard of ChatGPT say it’s acceptable to use when they are researching something new, while 13% say it is not acceptable.

A diverging bar chart showing that many teens say it’s acceptable to use ChatGPT for research; few say it’s OK to use it for writing essays.

However, there is much less support for using ChatGPT to do the work itself. Just one-in-five teens who have heard of ChatGPT say it’s acceptable to use it to write essays, while 57% say it is not acceptable. And 39% say it’s acceptable to use ChatGPT to solve math problems, while a similar share of teens (36%) say it’s not acceptable.

Some teens are uncertain about whether it’s acceptable to use ChatGPT for these tasks. Between 18% and 24% say they aren’t sure whether these are acceptable use cases for ChatGPT.

Those who have heard a lot about ChatGPT are more likely than those who have only heard a little about it to say it’s acceptable to use the chatbot to research topics, solve math problems and write essays. For instance, 54% of teens who have heard a lot about ChatGPT say it’s acceptable to use it to solve math problems, compared with 32% among those who have heard a little about it.

Note: Here are the questions used for this analysis , along with responses, and its methodology .

Artificial Intelligence
Technology Adoption
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Many Americans think generative AI programs should credit the sources they rely on

Americans’ use of chatgpt is ticking up, but few trust its election information, q&a: how we used large language models to identify guests on popular podcasts, striking findings from 2023, what the data says about americans’ views of artificial intelligence, most popular.

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Use of ChatGPT for schoolwork among US teens
However, there is much less support for using ChatGPT to do the work itself. Just one-in-five teens who have heard of ChatGPT say it's acceptable to use it to write essays, while 57% say it is not acceptable. And 39% say it's acceptable to use ChatGPT to solve math problems, while a similar share of teens (36%) say it's not acceptable.

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