process essay word

5 Process Essay Examples

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

Process Essay Examples

#1 how to bake a chocolate cake.

1337 Words | 4 Pages

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

#2 How to Write a Resume

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

#3 How to Train for a Marathon

1508 Words | 5 Pages

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

#4 How to Prepare for a Job Interview

1309 Words | 5 Pages

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

#5 How to Write an Essay

1473 Words | 5 Pages

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

How to Write a Process Essay

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

Grab this process essay template here.

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

How to Write a Thesis Statement for a Process

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

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

Read Also: 101 Thesis Statement Examples

Suggested Process Essay Topics

For Grades 4 to 8:

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

For Grades 9 to 12:

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

For University/College:

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

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How to write a process essay

• August 25, 2023

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

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

Process essay definition

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

Choose a topic

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

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

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

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

Create a process essay outline

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

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

Process essay outline example

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

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

During this step, just make sure to:

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

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

Write an introduction

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

Process essay introduction example

Introduction

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

Write the materials needed for the process

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

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

Example material list for process essay

Body paragraphs

Materials needed

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

Start writing the process

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

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

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

Body paragraphs - Process writing example

Materials needed ...

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

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

Give tips and supporting details

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

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

Body paragraphs - Supporting details

Supporting details & tips

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

Write a conclusion

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

Process essay conclusion example

Revise and polish your essay.

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

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

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

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

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How to Write a Process Essay?

18 June, 2020

14 minutes read

Author:  Tomas White

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

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

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

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

What is a process essay?

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

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

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

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

Types of process essays

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

1. How to do something.

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

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

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

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

2. How something works.

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

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

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

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

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

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

How to write a process essay?

Getting started with process essay writing

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

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

How to write a process essay outline

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

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

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

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

Related Post: Essay outline | Research Paper outline

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

How to write an introduction to a process essay

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How to plan main body paragraphs

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

How to write a conclusion

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

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

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

How to use transition words in a process essay

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

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

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

Good process essay topics

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

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

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

Process essay writing tips

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

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

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

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How to Write a Process Essay

Last Updated: December 6, 2023 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Jake Adams . Jake Adams is an academic tutor and the owner of Simplifi EDU, a Santa Monica, California based online tutoring business offering learning resources and online tutors for academic subjects K-College, SAT & ACT prep, and college admissions applications. With over 14 years of professional tutoring experience, Jake is dedicated to providing his clients the very best online tutoring experience and access to a network of excellent undergraduate and graduate-level tutors from top colleges all over the nation. Jake holds a BS in International Business and Marketing from Pepperdine University. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 166,362 times.

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

Getting Ready to Write

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

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

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

Crafting an Introduction

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

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

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

Writing Your Body Paragraphs

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

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

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

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

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

Wrapping It Up

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

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

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

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

Expert Q&A

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

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

You Might Also Like

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

About This Article

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

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

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

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

Transition Words

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

• Car Mechanic
• Cellular Structure
• Applying for a Green Card
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7.2: 2. The Process Essay

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Process Essay

Definition of process essay.

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

Transition in a Process Essay

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

Examples of Process Essay in Literature

Example #1: community re-discovered (by heidi ramirez).

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Function of a Process Essay

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

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• Definition Essay
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• Types of Essay
• Analytical Essay
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• Expository Essay
• Persuasive Essay
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How To Write A Process Essay: Essay Outline, Tips, Topics and Essay Help

Throughout the course of education, you’ll need to write all sorts of papers. Some of them are well-known e.g. argumentative essays, or expository essays, while others are relatively unknown. Process essay belongs to the latter group. While the essay itself is something you’ve come across on multiple occasions, students don’t get to work on this assignment frequently. That’s why getting this assignment can be a huge source of stress. This guide helps avoid those stressful times with easy tips and tricks that you need for a good grade.

A process essay is a typical “how-to” paper that describes some process or workflow, hence the name. The primary idea behind this type of essay is to give a step-by-step explanation of a process that leads to a planned or expected outcome. The paper may revolve around a concrete or precise and an abstract process.

We can divide process essay into two major types:

• Directional – provides step-by-step instructions on how to get something done
• Informational – analyzes or explains a process

Benefits of Writing a Process Essay

Even though it’s not something we usually think about, every essay has its role that goes beyond the arguments or processes you discuss. We are talking about a greater purpose, the impact this essay will have on your skills. Believe it or not, every assignment in school or college has a goal to improve or develop some valuable skills and process essay is not an exception. Here are some skills you can develop with process essay:

• Analytical skills – every course of action is logical, has its own flow, and your goal is to represent that. In order to write this essay, you need to think analytically. That’s the best way to describe the dynamic of some process and keep the reader’s interest. Of course, you can transfer this skill to many other aspects of your life and future employment
• Prioritizing – essays require precise expressions, and vague language impairs the quality. While researching you’ll come across different info and resources, but not all of them can nor should be included in your paper. In order to make things work, you need to prioritize one piece of information over the other. That way, you’ll include valuable info only, without tainting your essay with unnecessary things
• Following instructions – every process has its beginning, middle, and end. Each step is equally important. The ability to describe every part of the process in a suitable manner improves your capacity of following instructions; which can come in handy in every aspect of your life
• Attention to detail – seemingly unimportant details play a huge role in every process or course of action. While writing the process essay, you need to pay attention to these details, in order to provide clear instructions or step-by-step guides, explanations, etc. At the same time, you’re sharpening this skill which can be practical at work (or any other part of your life) later on

The process of writing a process essay is often daunting for many students. But the good news is – you can order an essay online from professionals who can write it for you in a matter of hours. With the help of this essay, you will be able to explain the process of doing something in a clear and understandable way.

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Areas of Interest

Everything that happens in this universe (or beyond) is a process. The world is comprised of processes and each of them can be described in an essay. Therefore, your process essay can be about:

• Interpersonal communication
• Social media

Process Essay Outline

Wondering how to write a process essay if you’ve never worked on this assignment before? Or maybe you want to learn how to improve the structure of your paper for a better grade. This outline can help you:

• Hook – the first sentence that grabs the reader’s attention
• Identification – brief intro to the subject that will be discussed
• Thesis statement – announcement of the process (or its aspect) you will explain
• Support (topic) – every paragraph should focus on a specific part of the process and start with a clear indication of a factor you’ll discuss
• Explain – self-explanatory, you need to explain how it works, what to do with it, and other important info
• Evidence – like other types of essay, this type of paper requires using evidence to back up the info you used
• Discuss – more information about some particular part of the process, its importance, how it fits into the overall subject, etc.
• Conclusion – your conclusion should contain a brief summary of the thesis and the main parts of the process

Writing Tips

While writing the process essay you can imagine like you’re working on a manual (regardless of the topic). The goal of that manual is to explain how some process works for a person who isn’t informed about it. Here are some tips that will help you:

• Before you start writing, research the topic thoroughly and take notes
• Make sure your essay is precise and coherent, but still features details that enhance its quality
• Assume your reader doesn’t know anything about it, otherwise, you’d skip important details because you think others know it already
• Write the essay in a logical and chronological manner, as one step leads to another
• Explain the purpose of every step of the process, the reader wants to know WHY it happens
• Use transitions such as: so that, then, now, next, furthermore, before
• Define all terms that aren’t common knowledge
• Avoid using imperative sentences because your essay would resemble an instruction manual rather than a proper essay
• An easy way to make a great first impression every time
• Becoming a registered nurse
• Breaking from bad habits
• Car manufacture process
• Changing major at college
• How and why to change Facebook privacy settings
• How to become a real estate agent
• How to conduct a census
• How to finish all school assignments and still have time to for fun
• How to get an A without losing your mind
• How to look like a fashionista every day
• How to lose weight in a healthy manner
• How to overcome insomnia
• How to prepare for emergency disasters
• How to quit smoking
• How to take an amazing selfie
• How to train your husky
• Introduction to Bitcoin and how to get started
• Risk management process
• Simple strategy to get over your ex
• Simple tips to play Minecraft
• The budgeting process
• Tips to master League of Legends
• Writing a book review

The process of writing a process essay involves extensive research that is designed to provide the reader with a comprehensive understanding of the topic. Therefore, it is important to find a reliable and experienced writer who can write an assignment in a relevant way and add new information to the text.

Most students are used to writing argumentative, persuasive, and other types of papers and process essays may make you nervous, especially if you’ve never had this assignment before. First of all, it’s natural to be nervous. It shows you care! There’s a lot you can do to feel better and complete this assignment successfully. You just need the right tools such as:

Essay Topic Generator

You have the freedom to choose your own process essay topic? That’s fantastic! You can write about anything you’d like, but to come up with your topic quickly, you can use Edusson Magic Essay Topic Generator. The platform comes with thousands of essay topics that are going to inspire you, for sure. Just visit the website, enter a keyword or search for topics based on category or alphabet.

Essay Examples

The secret to a high-quality essay and good grade is consistency and practice. The practice doesn’t just involve writing process essays to sharpen your skills, but reading someone else’s paper at the same time. Why? This helps you identify the strengths and weaknesses of some essays in order to create your paper effectively. You get to avoid common mistakes and focus only on those parts that matter. Edusson Essay Examples is an amazing source of essay examples. It’s impossible not to learn or feel inspired when you have hundreds of essays to read. Essay Topic Generator Look for topic View more

Essay Checker

After you finished writing the essay, you need to edit and proofread it. Some students prefer doing everything on their own, but the problem is that many mistakes are overlooked. Now it doesn’t have to be like that. Essay checker called Robot Don enables you to analyze and submit 100% error-free paper. Robot Don evaluates plagiarism, sentence structure, readability, word choice, the frequency of words used, and other aspects of your process essay.

Essay Writing Service

Edusson essay writing service is ideal for students who want to have a custom-made essay sample and for those who don’t have enough time to write it on their own. An amazing team of skilled, experienced, and talented native English speakers is here to help you out. All you need to do is to make your order and choose the writer. Edusson is fully transparent and all essays are written from scratch.

Essay Editing Service

Essay editing service at Edusson is ideal for students who wrote the process essay (or some other paper) and just need help with the editing and proofreading process. Edusson gathered a team of talented editors and proofreaders who make sure your essay has no typos and grammar mistakes while improving style, formatting, and organization, among other things.

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Process Analysis: How to Write a Process Analysis Essay

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

What Is a Process Analysis Essay

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

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

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

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

Stuck on the Steps of Process Analysis?

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

Process Analysis Essay Structure

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

• Split the task

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

• Make smooth transitions

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

• Study the essay thoroughly

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

Process Analysis Essay Examples

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

How to Pick a Process Analysis Essay Topic

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

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

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

Check out our ARTICLE TO FIND MORE ESSAY TOPIC IDEAS

Writing a Process Analysis Essay Step-By-Step

Process analysis essay structure is as follows:

Let's overview that structure in more details:

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

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

Process Analysis Essay Outline

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

Introduction:

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

Conclusion:

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

Writing Tips

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What Is a Process Essay: Definition

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

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

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

Process Essay Outline: Structuring Your Paper

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

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

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

Process Essay Introduction

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

Process Essay Body Paragraph

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

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

Writing Process Essay Conclusion

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

How to Write a Process Essay: 10 Simple Steps

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

Helpful Tips on How to Write a Process Paper

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

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

Interesting Process Essay Examples

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

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How to Write a Perfect Process Essay: Final Thoughts

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

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

Frequently Asked Questions about Process Essay

1. what are good transition words for process essay.

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

• After that,
• Eventually,
• Afterwards,

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

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

3. What is a process essay outline example?

Process essay outline example may look as follows:

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

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

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

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

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

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Process Essay

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

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

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

Student Process Essay Example

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Plain Process Essay Example

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Preparation in Writing a Process Essay

1. assess your audience’s skill level.

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

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

2. Make a list of the materials needed

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

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

3. Create an outline of the task

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

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

Simple Process Essay Example

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Crafting Your Introduction

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Writing Process

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Writing Your Body Paragraphs

1. consult your outline.

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

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

2. Structure the body of the essay in paragraphs

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

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

3. Add transitions in between steps

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

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

4. Avoid using first-person pronouns

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

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

5. Mention any cautionary notes

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

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

Process Essay Example about Hosting the Pre-Homecoming Dance Dinner

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Wrapping It Up

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Interesting Process Essay Ideas to Write in 2019

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

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

1. Technology-based ideas

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

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

 2. Smart aesthetic hack ideas

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

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

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

3. Cooking hack ideas

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

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

Process Essay Generator

Text prompt

• Instructive
• Professional

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

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

How to Write a Process Analysis Essay: Examples & Outline

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

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

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

• ♻ Process Analysis Definition
• ✏️ Process Analysis Types

☑️ How to Write a Process Analysis Essay

• 📑 Examples & Bonus Tips

♻️ What Is Process Analysis?

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

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

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

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

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

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

✏️ Two Types of Process Analysis

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

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

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

Directive Process Analysis: Examples & Definition

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

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

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Informational Process Analysis Essay: Examples & Definition

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

A descriptive analysis consists of two parts:

• data gathering;
• identifying casual relationships.

This combination helps find out the essence of the process.

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

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

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Process Analysis Essay Outline

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

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

Process Analysis Essay Topics: How to Choose

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

To select a topic, you need to:

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

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

How to Start a Process Analysis Essay

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Process Analysis Thesis Examples and Tips

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

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

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

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

• The number of parts. In fact, a process analysis thesis consists of two parts: the main point and the organizational format. The first element focuses on the purpose of the thesis. It’s worth mentioning that the content of the second part depends on the type of your process analysis essay.
• Its place in the text. Your thesis should be situated at the end of your introduction. To be more precise, it’s the last sentence of this part. In such a way, our audience will get a hint about the content of the following body paragraphs.

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

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

Process Analysis: Paragraphs for the Main Body

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

Informational Process Analysis: Body Paragraphs

Directive process analysis: body paragraphs, transition words for process essay & examples.

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

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

Process Essay Conclusion Writing Strategies

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

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

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

📑 Process Paragraphs Examples & Bonus Tips

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

Bonus tips:

• Consider the tone of your writing. Try to sound as professional as possible.
• Don’t forget about the formal style. Avoid writing in 1 st person. Instead, use the 2nd person in directive and the 3rd person in informational process analyses:
• You can interrupt the chronology of your process description. Sometimes, it’s essential to specify the terms or concepts, show how the preceding and following steps are connected, or clarify why it’s necessary to do some steps simultaneously.
• Give your readers a specific reason to care about your essay. Before writing your thesis statement, ask yourself: Why do people need to know about this process? The thesis should reflect the answer to this question.

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

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

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

Process Analysis Essay Topics

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

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

Further reading:

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

🔍 References

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

The Writing Process | 5 Steps with Examples & Tips

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

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

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

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Table of contents

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

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

Coming up with a topic

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

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

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

Doing the research

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Evaluating the first draft

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

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

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

Right now, you’re looking for:

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

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

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

Redrafting and revising

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

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

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

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

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

Editing for grammar and clarity

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

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

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

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

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

Proofreading for small mistakes and typos

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

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

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

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

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

Proofreading for stylistic consistency

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

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

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

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

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

• Ad hominem fallacy
• Post hoc fallacy
• Appeal to authority fallacy
• False cause fallacy
• Sunk cost fallacy
• Deep learning
• Generative AI
• Machine learning
• Reinforcement learning
• Supervised vs. unsupervised learning

 (AI) Tools

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

Revising, proofreading, and editing are different stages of the writing process .

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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3.8 Understanding process words

Mathematicians use process words with slightly different meanings, as in Table 3.

I reviewed my Yale admissions file to see what the Ivy League school really thought about my application. What I learned surprised me.

• I reviewed my Yale admissions file to see what the Ivy League school thought about my application. 
• Most of my scores weren't that impressive, but they really liked my genuine attitude and excitement.
• Reviewing my application reminded me how far I have come as a student. 

"Brian spoke so fast it was electrifying."

This was the first quote from my Yale interviewer. She wrote those words in my admissions file, a document I finally got my hands on three years after being accepted into Yale University .

I remember that interview like it was yesterday. It was a Zoom call — my application cycle happened at the crux of pandemic remote learning — and I was wearing my father's old, oversize dress shirt. The interviewer was lovely. Some of my answers to her questions probably didn't make sense, and she was right. I definitely forgot to breathe in between my sentences.

But viewing my admissions file years later gave me a peek into what my interviewer was actually thinking that day, and I learned what really got me into Yale.

I reviewed my application as a junior with the registrar

Every student in the US can review their college admissions file under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. I emailed my university registrar, and within 45 days, a member of their support staff reached back out to schedule a virtual meeting. Picture-taking and recording were not allowed, so I jotted notes by hand.

There was very little verbal interaction between me and the staff member. She screen-shared my admissions file and let me read in silence. Something told me she understood the emotional weight of this moment for students, and I appreciated that. It is intimidating for any teenager to package their identity into a 650-word common application essay and a questionnaire — but it is arguably even more so to witness retrospectively how everything was judged.

I got a behind-the-scenes look into Yale admissions when they read my application

Each aspect of my application was rated out of nine points. My readers gave me a six for my extracurriculars and for my first teacher recommendation. They gave me a seven for my second teacher recommendation and my counselor's recommendation. I received an "outstanding" for my interview and a 2++ for my overall rating. The overall rating is given on a scale from 1 to 4, with 1 being the highest, and pluses were a good sign.

Related stories

In all, my ratings weren't exactly bad, but they weren't extraordinary either. The numbers on the pages stared back at me — cold, formulaic, and transactional. It felt strange to be reduced to a system of numbers, knowing that something as qualitative as extracurricular activities could still be broken down and scored.

Beyond the ratings, however, what truly stood out were the comments left by the admissions officers . Many of the comments were on my character, my essays, and the possible contributions I would make as a student.

"I teared up reading Essay 1," one reader wrote of my common application essay. Another said of the same essay: "His Chinese New Years are untraditional in that they remind him of his family's financial struggles."

I got emotional. All the memories of writing that essay came flooding back. I remembered how difficult it was to start it. I knew there was no easy way for someone to understand me without first knowing my background. I wanted to prove that I deserved a seat at the table where legacy students and the wealthy continue to outnumber their first-generation, low-income peers like myself.

I kept reading and found more comments from admissions officers that moved me: "He treats his mom well;" "He seems to have a truly good heart;" "One of the most intelligent, sincere, jovial students ever met;" "I have no doubt that Brian would push his peers at Yale to stand up for what's right;" and "I come away with compelling impressions that the student would contribute significantly to the undergrad community."

I searched for a negative comment. There were none.

I didn't deserve this, I muttered under my breath. Here I was, a junior in college, no longer a 4.0 student , my post-grad plans murky, balancing two part-time jobs and hoping to make it out of midterms alive. It felt good knowing that someone had rooted for me to be here.

The process reminded me how far I have come

Coming from an underserved household where no one had gone to college, I had always looked at the Ivy League application process skeptically.

Without the resources to enroll in SAT test prep and the financial safety net to pursue unpaid leadership positions and resume-boosting activities at school, I had doubted the "holistic" admissions process many colleges boast. My critiques about Yale remain numerous.

But at least in their comments, the admissions committee gave me grace in that they reviewed my application in light of my circumstances. I might never know exactly what happened in that reading room. Still, a couple of lessons ring true, based on my own viewing experience and my conversations with others who had done the same: Good character and potential are the key; I didn't need to be perfect.

And finally, I — not anyone else — needed to give me the fighting chance of applying in the first place.

"GPA is outstanding, especially in context," an admissions officer said. "This is a home run."

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First-Year Application Process

Application timeline.

We are currently accepting applications for Fall 2024.

St. Thomas offers two admissions types – Early Action (EA) and Regular Decision (RD). Both are free and completely non-binding, so you don't have to commit to St. Thomas until May 1.

• November 1 – Early Action Deadline
• January 15 – Regular Decision Deadline
• After January 15 – Applications reviewed on a rolling basis

What are we looking for?

There's no single thing we look for in an application. Each is evaluated holistically with your academic, extracurricular and personal achievements all considered.

We encourage students to provide a variety of details in their applications, including your academic records and insight into the experiences that have made you who you are.

Overall, the goal of our admissions process is to identify students who will succeed in the classroom while also contributing to our university and the broader community in diverse and meaningful ways.

How to Apply

Apply online (for free) using the Common App or our application for First-time, First-year Students:

• Start a New Application
• Continue Existing Application
• Contact Admissions

Does this sound like you?

To give you a sense about what successful applicants look like, here are some facts about our most recent first-year class:

• Middle 50 percent high school GPA: 3.4-3.9
• Middle 50 percent ACT: 24-29
• Middle 50 percent SAT: 1120-1360

Note: St. Thomas is a test optional school and students are not required to submit ACT or SAT test scores as part of their application. See our test optional policy for guidance on whether or not to submit your scores.

Parts of the Application

Transcript(s), test scores, essay questions, letters of recommendation, transcript(s) (required).

We require high school transcripts be sent to us before your application can be reviewed. This transcript must include your entire set of high school grades and courses to date.

We will accept unofficial transcripts for your application. You may submit an unofficial transcript by downloading it from your school system and sending it to [email protected] or your admissions counselor .

If you've attended multiple high schools – and your entire record isn't included on the transcript of your current high school – you're required to submit an official transcript from your previous high school(s) as well.

If you've taken college classes before, we recommend you submit official college transcripts as well – though this IS NOT required.

Students who are admitted and enroll: Please note that an OFFICIAL transcript will be required prior to starting classes at St. Thomas. This official transcript will need to be sent directly from your school and include your graduation date.

Impacts from COVID-19 We know that COVID-19 may have affected the way your school awards grades. We encourage you to share your story when applying for admission. Let us know how COVID-19 impacted your learning and grades/GPA.

Test Scores (Optional)

St. Thomas is a test optional school, which means that students are not required to submit ACT or SAT test scores as part of their application.

Our test optional page has more information about this policy and offers guidance about whether or not to submit your scores. Please contact your admissions counselor if you have any questions.

If you do choose to submit your test scores, you can self-report your highest composite and subject scores for the ACT and/or SAT on the application. Your scores DO NOT need to be officially sent to us during the application process.

Essay Questions (Recommended)

Though you aren't technically required to answer our essay questions, we highly recommend that you do – especially if you apply without test scores.*

Responses to these questions are used to understand the demographics of our applicant pool and may also be used for other limited purposes after an admission decision (for example, communication about student clubs or organizations that may be of interest) Your information regarding gender, pronouns, race and ethnicity will not be visible to the admissions committee and are not considered during the University of St. Thomas application review.

Below are the current essay prompts. You can choose to write about them or to submit a different personal essay of your choosing. We want to learn a little about you as a person, so please submit an essay that will help us do that.

• Discuss a meaningful contribution you have made through involvement in school, church, community activities or family responsibilities.
• Describe an event, a person or an educational experience that has had a major impact on your life and why.
• Share additional information about your personal story that would be beneficial to the application review process. What do you want the readers to know about you apart from courses and academic credentials?
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Home — Essay Samples — Literature — The Great Gatsby — Daisys Love in The Great Gatsby

Daisys Love in The Great Gatsby

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Published: Apr 10, 2024

Words: 583 | Page: 1 | 3 min read

Daisy's Relationship with Jay Gatsby

Daisy's marriage to tom buchanan.

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Why Taiwan Was So Prepared for a Powerful Earthquake

Decades of learning from disasters, tightening building codes and increasing public awareness may have helped its people better weather strong quakes.

Search-and-rescue teams recover a body from a leaning building in Hualien, Taiwan. Thanks to improvements in building codes after past earthquakes, many structures withstood Wednesday’s quake. Credit...

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By Chris Buckley ,  Meaghan Tobin and Siyi Zhao

Photographs by Lam Yik Fei

Chris Buckley reported from the city of Hualien, Meaghan Tobin from Taipei, in Taiwan.

• April 4, 2024

When the largest earthquake in Taiwan in half a century struck off its east coast, the buildings in the closest city, Hualien, swayed and rocked. As more than 300 aftershocks rocked the island over the next 24 hours to Thursday morning, the buildings shook again and again.

But for the most part, they stood.

Even the two buildings that suffered the most damage remained largely intact, allowing residents to climb to safety out the windows of upper stories. One of them, the rounded, red brick Uranus Building, which leaned precariously after its first floors collapsed, was mostly drawing curious onlookers.

The building is a reminder of how much Taiwan has prepared for disasters like the magnitude-7.4 earthquake that jolted the island on Wednesday. Perhaps because of improvements in building codes, greater public awareness and highly trained search-and-rescue operations — and, likely, a dose of good luck — the casualty figures were relatively low. By Thursday, 10 people had died and more than 1,000 others were injured. Several dozen were missing.

“Similar level earthquakes in other societies have killed far more people,” said Daniel Aldrich , a director of the Global Resilience Institute at Northeastern University. Of Taiwan, he added: “And most of these deaths, it seems, have come from rock slides and boulders, rather than building collapses.”

Across the island, rail traffic had resumed by Thursday, including trains to Hualien. Workers who had been stuck in a rock quarry were lifted out by helicopter. Roads were slowly being repaired. Hundreds of people were stranded at a hotel near a national park because of a blocked road, but they were visited by rescuers and medics.

On Thursday in Hualien city, the area around the Uranus Building was sealed off, while construction workers tried to prevent the leaning structure from toppling completely. First they placed three-legged concrete blocks that resembled giant Lego pieces in front of the building, and then they piled dirt and rocks on top of those blocks with excavators.

“We came to see for ourselves how serious it was, why it has tilted,” said Chang Mei-chu, 66, a retiree who rode a scooter with her husband Lai Yung-chi, 72, to the building on Thursday. Mr. Lai said he was a retired builder who used to install power and water pipes in buildings, and so he knew about building standards. The couple’s apartment, near Hualien’s train station, had not been badly damaged, he said.

“I wasn’t worried about our building, because I know they paid attention to earthquake resistance when building it. I watched them pour the cement to make sure,” Mr. Lai said. “There have been improvements. After each earthquake, they raise the standards some more.”

It was possible to walk for city blocks without seeing clear signs of the powerful earthquake. Many buildings remained intact, some of them old and weather-worn; others modern, multistory concrete-and-glass structures. Shops were open, selling coffee, ice cream and betel nuts. Next to the Uranus Building, a popular night market with food stalls offering fried seafood, dumplings and sweets was up and running by Thursday evening.

Earthquakes are unavoidable in Taiwan, which sits on multiple active faults. Decades of work learning from other disasters, implementing strict building codes and increasing public awareness have gone into helping its people weather frequent strong quakes.

Not far from the Uranus Building, for example, officials had inspected a building with cracked pillars and concluded that it was dangerous to stay in. Residents were given 15 minutes to dash inside and retrieve as many belongings as they could. Some ran out with computers, while others threw bags of clothes out of windows onto the street, which was also still littered with broken glass and cement fragments from the quake.

One of its residents, Chen Ching-ming, a preacher at a church next door, said he thought the building might be torn down. He was able to salvage a TV and some bedding, which now sat on the sidewalk, and was preparing to go back in for more. “I’ll lose a lot of valuable things — a fridge, a microwave, a washing machine,” he said. “All gone.”

Requirements for earthquake resistance have been built into Taiwan’s building codes since 1974. In the decades since, the writers of Taiwan’s building code also applied lessons learned from other major earthquakes around the world, including in Mexico and Los Angeles, to strengthen Taiwan’s code.

After more than 2,400 people were killed and at least 10,000 others injured during the Chi-Chi quake of 1999, thousands of buildings built before the quake were reviewed and reinforced. After another strong quake in 2018 in Hualien, the government ordered a new round of building inspections. Since then, multiple updates to the building code have been released.

“We have retrofitted more than 10,000 school buildings in the last 20 years,” said Chung-Che Chou, the director general of the National Center for Research on Earthquake Engineering in Taipei.

The government had also helped reinforce private apartment buildings over the past six years by adding new steel braces and increasing column and beam sizes, Dr. Chou said. Not far from the buildings that partially collapsed in Hualien, some of the older buildings that had been retrofitted in this way survived Wednesday’s quake, he said.

The result of all this is that even Taiwan’s tallest skyscrapers can withstand regular seismic jolts. The capital city’s most iconic building, Taipei 101, once the tallest building in the world, was engineered to stand through typhoon winds and frequent quakes. Still, some experts say that more needs to be done to either strengthen or demolish structures that don’t meet standards, and such calls have grown louder in the wake of the latest earthquake.

Taiwan has another major reason to protect its infrastructure: It is home to the majority of production for the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, the world’s largest maker of advanced computer chips. The supply chain for electronics from smartphones to cars to fighter jets rests on the output of TSMC’s factories, which make these chips in facilities that cost billions of dollars to build.

The 1999 quake also prompted TSMC to take extra steps to insulate its factories from earthquake damage. The company made major structural adjustments and adopted new technologies like early warning systems. When another large quake struck the southern city of Kaohsiung in February 2016, TSMC’s two nearby factories survived without structural damage.

Taiwan has made strides in its response to disasters, experts say. In the first 24 hours after the quake, rescuers freed hundreds of people who were trapped in cars in between rockfalls on the highway and stranded on mountain ledges in rock quarries.

“After years of hard work on capacity building, the overall performance of the island has improved significantly,” said Bruce Wong, an emergency management consultant in Hong Kong. Taiwan’s rescue teams have come to specialize in complex efforts, he said, and it has also been able to tap the skills of trained volunteers.

Taiwan’s resilience also stems from a strong civil society that is involved in public preparedness for disasters.

Ou Chi-hu, a member of a group of Taiwanese military veterans, was helping distribute water and other supplies at a school that was serving as a shelter for displaced residents in Hualien. He said that people had learned from the 1999 earthquake how to be more prepared.

“They know to shelter in a corner of the room or somewhere else safer,” he said. Many residents also keep a bag of essentials next to their beds, and own fire extinguishers, he added.

Around him, a dozen or so other charities and groups were offering residents food, money, counseling and childcare. The Tzu Chi Foundation, a large Taiwanese Buddhist charity, provided tents for families to use inside the school hall so they could have more privacy. Huang Yu-chi, a disaster relief manager with the foundation, said nonprofits had learned from earlier disasters.

“Now we’re more systematic and have a better idea of disaster prevention,” Mr. Huang said.

Mike Ives contributed reporting from Seoul.

Chris Buckley , the chief China correspondent for The Times, reports on China and Taiwan from Taipei, focused on politics, social change and security and military issues. More about Chris Buckley

Meaghan Tobin is a technology correspondent for The Times based in Taipei, covering business and tech stories in Asia with a focus on China. More about Meaghan Tobin

Siyi Zhao is a reporter and researcher who covers news in mainland China for The Times in Seoul. More about Siyi Zhao

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