diagnostic essays definition

How to Write a Diagnostic Essay in 5 Steps & Example

14 April 2024

last updated

Importance of Writing a Diagnostic Essay

Today, students write diagnostic essays as a way of evaluating their writing skills, identifying areas of improvement, and helping instructors to understand their knowledge levels. In this case, one primary reason for writing a diagnostic essay is to improve the student’s writing abilities. After analyzing such papers, instructors can identify common challenges, mistakes, or areas where students need additional support, and this process enables them to become more self-aware and educated about their writing strengths and weaknesses. As a result, writing suggests using learning tools for both instructors and students while seeking a possible improvement in specific areas highlighted by a diagnostic assessment.

What Is a Diagnostic Essay and Its Definition

According to its definition, a diagnostic essay is a written assignment that students need to complete to evaluate their writing skills, strengths, and weaknesses. The primary purpose of a diagnostic essay is to allow instructors to get a better understanding of the student’s writing skills, including grammar, flow of ideas, syntax, organization, and clarity of arguments. In this case, students get essay topics that require them to express their thoughts, analyze a concept, or argue a particular point of view. Completing such a paper creates a starting point from which both instructors and students can work toward enhancing writing proficiency and other aspects that require improvement. One key characteristic is that it is often completed within a limited timeframe. Compared to other types of papers , a diagnostic essay should not be graded for its content or depth of analysis.

How to Format a Diagnostic Essay

Formatting a diagnostic essay is essential to share ideas clearly. While specific formatting requirements may vary depending on the instructor or institution, general guidelines for structuring and formatting are:

• Introduction (Approximately 10-15% of a diagnostic essay): Start with a compelling introduction that provides context to the reader. Clearly state the purpose of writing a diagnostic essay and introduce the topic or prompt. End the introduction with a thesis statement that previews the main points of your paper.
• Body Paragraphs (Approximately 70-80%): Organize your thoughts logically into paragraphs. Each paragraph should focus on a single main idea, starting with a topic sentence that introduces the main point, followed by supporting details or examples. Ensure smooth transitions using bridge sentences between paragraphs to maintain coherence.
• Conclusion (Approximately 10%): Provide a summary of the key points of your diagnostic essay and restate the thesis in a new way. Avoid introducing new information in the conclusion. Instead, leave the reader with a thought-provoking statement or a call to action related to the topic.
• Language and Style: Always use clear and concise words. Check for grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors. Ensure that your paper follows an academic tone expected in your course. Follow any specific style guide, such as MLA 9, APA 7, Harvard, and Chicago/Turabian, or other formatting instructions provided by your instructor.
• Font and Margins: Use a legible font, such as Times New Roman or Arial, with a standard size (e.g., 12-point). Set standard one-inch margins on all sides.
• Spacing: Double-space your file, including the title and references (if applicable). This spacing makes your paper easier to read.
• Title Page (If Required): Some instructors may ask to provide the title page with specific information, such as your name, course name, date, and diagnostic essay title. Follow any specific instructions regarding the inclusion of a title page.

Always check the assignment prompt or your instructor’s guidelines for any specific formatting requirements. However, following the guidelines above ensures a professional and well-organized diagnostic essay that effectively communicates your writing skills to your instructor.

Top 20 Common Aspects to Consider When Writing a Diagnostic Essay

10 strengths of writing skills.

• Clarity: Strong writing skills enable students to communicate ideas clearly and concisely, ensuring that readers can easily understand the intended message of an essay.
• Organization: Skilled Students can effectively organize information, present it in a logical order , and enhance the overall flow of the content.
• Creativity: Good writing often involves creativity, allowing students to use language in unique and engaging ways to capture the reader’s attention and make the content more interesting.
• Critical Thinking: Learners must evaluate arguments, consider different perspectives, and present well-reasoned conclusions.
• Research Skills: Good diagnostic essays often involve research to gather accurate and relevant information. Learners with strong research skills can support their arguments with credible sources .
• Adaptability: Skilled students can adapt their writing style to different audiences and purposes. Whether it is a formal report, persuasive essay, or creative piece, they can adjust their tone and approach accordingly.
• Grammar and Punctuation: Proficient students follow all grammar and punctuation rules, ensuring that their paper is grammatically correct and easy to read.
• Vocabulary: A rich and varied vocabulary allows learners to express ideas more precisely and vividly. Strong writers can choose the most fitting words to convey their thoughts effectively.
• Editing and Revision: Writing skills include the ability to review and revise one’s work. This process involves self-editing for clarity, coherence, and overall improvement of a diagnostic essay.
• Persuasion: Whether in business, academia, or everyday communication, persuasive writing is a valuable skill. Strong learners can construct compelling arguments and influence the opinions of their readers.

10 Weaknesses of Writing Skills

• Grammar and Spelling Errors: Weaknesses in grammar and spelling can undermine the credibility of a diagnostic essay and distract readers from the content.
• Lack of Clarity: Poorly organized or unclear writing will confuse readers since they will not understand the main ideas.
• Redundancy: Repetitive use of words, phrases, or ideas can weaken the quality of a diagnostic essay and make it less engaging.
• Weak Vocabulary: Limited word choice can result in dull and uninteresting writing. A weak vocabulary may also lead to the imprecise expression of ideas.
• I nconsistency: Learners may have a weakness in maintaining a consistent tone, style, or perspective throughout essays.
• Difficulty in Synthesizing Information: Some individuals may struggle to synthesize information from various sources, leading to a potential bias in their essays due to generalization .
• Overuse of Jargon: Overloading a piece with jargon can confuse readers who are not familiar with the terminology of an essay.
• Lack of Originality: Students with weak skills may struggle to bring a fresh perspective to their work, resulting in unoriginal content.
• Ineffective Research Skills: Insufficient or inaccurate research can weaken the foundation of an argument, reducing the overall strength of a diagnostic essay.
• Poor Time Management: Procrastination or inadequate time management can result in writing in a rush, impacting the paper’s quality.

Diagnostic Essay Topics

• The Impact of Technology on Society: A Diagnostic Analysis
• Discussing the Pros and Cons of Online Education in the Modern World
• Impacts of Artificial Intelligence on Employment: A Diagnostic Study
• The Role of Education in Fostering Environmental Awareness
• Analyzing the Effects of Fast-Food Consumption on Public Health
• The Challenges and Benefits of Remote Work in Today’s Economy
• Examining the Role of Gender Stereotypes in Media Representation
• Exploring the Relationship Between Exercise and Mental Well-Being
• The Impact of Globalization on Local Economies: A Diagnostic Study
• Analyzing the Role of Critical Thinking in Problem-Solving in the 21st Century
• The Influence of Video Games on Youth Behavior: A Diagnostic Examination
• Exploring the Ethical Implications of Genetic Engineering
• Analyzing the Role of Art and Creativity in Problem-Solving
• Challenges of Balancing Work and Personal Life in a Digital Age
• The Influence of Political Correctness on Freedom of Speech
• Exploring the Impact of Immigration Policies on National Identity
• The Role of Education in Addressing Racial Inequality
• Effects of Globalization on Indigenous Cultures
• Analyzing the Influence of Fashion Trends on Body Image Perceptions
• The Role of Personal Values in Ethical Decision-Making

How to Write a Perfect Diagnostic Essay in 5 Steps

A good diagnostic essay involves evaluating your writing skills and presenting a paper showing your abilities at the beginning of a course or program. In particular, five easy steps to help you to start your paper include:

Step 1: Understanding a Diagnostic Prompt

Start by carefully reading and understanding the prompt or topic provided by your instructor. Identify the main elements and requirements of the assignment. Pay attention to any specific instructions regarding the focus, length, or format of a paper.

Step 2: Brainstorming and Planning

Take some time to brainstorm ideas related to the prompt. Consider the main points you want to address and how you can organize them logically. Create a brief outline to structure your diagnostic essay, including an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion.

Step 3: Providing an Introduction and Thesis Statement

Develop a compelling introduction that provides context for your diagnostic essay. Clearly state the purpose and scope of your paper. End the introduction with a strong thesis statement that outlines the main points you will address in a diagnostic essay. The thesis serves as a roadmap for your reader, previewing the key aspects of your analysis.

Step 4: Developing Body Paragraphs

Connect each body paragraph to a specific point or aspect of the prompt. Start each paragraph with a single topic sentence, followed by supporting details or examples. Ensure a smooth flow between paragraphs, maintaining a logical flow of your arguments. Use evidence and examples to strengthen your points and show your writing skills.

Step 5: Concluding Effectively

Summarize the main points of your diagnostic essay in the conclusion. Restate your thesis in a new way, emphasizing the significance of your analysis. Avoid introducing new information in the conclusion. End with a thought-provoking statement or a call to action related to the prompt.

Note: Throughout the writing process, pay attention to word choice, language, grammar, and style. Revise and edit your diagnostic essay to ensure clarity and coherence. Remember, the goal of a diagnostic essay is not perfection but an honest representation of your current writing abilities.

Example of an Outline Template for Writing a 5-Paragraph Diagnostic Essay

Remember, the purpose of a diagnostic essay is to evaluate your writing skills and identify areas for improvement. A diagnostic essay may not have a specific prompt, but you need to respond to an idea or concept assigned by your instructor. Hence, you need to adjust a diagnostic essay outline based on the specific requirements provided by your instructor.

I. Introduction

• Hook : Start with an attention-grabbing statement or a question related to an assigned theme.
• Background: Provide a brief overview of the topic without going into too much detail.
• Thesis Statement: Clearly state your main point or argument. Your thesis can be a reflection on your writing skills or a response to the given prompt.

II. Body Paragraph 1 (Strengths)

• Identify and discuss one of your strengths as a writer.
• Provide specific examples or evidence that support this strength.
• Explain how this strength contributes to effective writing.

III. Body Paragraph 2 (Weaknesses)

• Identify and discuss one area where you feel you can improve as a writer.
• Provide examples or instances that demonstrate this weakness.
• Explain why addressing this weakness is important for overall improvement.

IV. Body Paragraph 3 (Experience)

• Share an experience or a specific paper assignment that highlights your strengths and weaknesses.
• Discuss what you learned from this experience and how it influenced your approach to writing.

V. Conclusion

• Summarize the main points you discussed in the body paragraphs.
• Reflection: Reflect on the significance of understanding your strengths and weaknesses as a writer.
• Closing Statement: End with a strong concluding statement that covers the importance of ongoing improvement.

Diagnostic Essay Sample

Topic: My Writing Skills

I. Sample Introduction of a Diagnostic Essay

By considering strengths and weaknesses, my writing skills depend on a dynamic process of growth and learning. After completing my papers, I constantly refine my writing skills to be clear with readers. Moreover, I always try to ensure that my analytical and critical thinking abilities are improved after analyzing specific themes and concepts. When organizing each paper, the challenges and triumphs that I face shape not only my writing style but also improve my understanding and experience. In particular, while maintaining a formal tone and navigating the complexities of in-text citations pose challenges, each lesson I learned contributes to a better understanding of academic writing.

II. Body Paragraph Example 1: My Writing Strengths

One of my main strengths as a writer includes the precision and clarity with which I provide complex ideas. This aspect can be shown in my recent diagnostic essay, where the topic demanded a clear representation of complex concepts. Through a careful selection of language, words, and precise structuring of sentences, I successfully delivered my message to readers. For instance, when providing background information, my ability to connect an issue under discussion with the simplicity and clarity of words was evident. This strength significantly contributes to effective academic writing as it enhances the accessibility of my work to a broad audience. By presenting my ideas in a clear manner, I ensure that all readers can understand my message.

III. Body Paragraph Example 2: My Writing Weaknesses

A notable weakness in my academic writing is the struggle with integrating in-text citations into my papers. In an attempt to support my arguments with evidence, there have been instances where some in-text citations affected the flow of ideas. In a recent diagnostic essay, the incorporation of multiple sources within a single paragraph made this part lengthy and hard to read. The transition from my analysis to supporting literature was also vague. However, I understand that addressing this weakness is important, as the effective use of in-text citations not only shows credibility to my work but also enhances the depth of my analysis. Hence, I will work more on shaping my skills in using sources and incorporating them into my papers.

IV. Body Paragraph Example 3: My Writing Experience

My writing experience is always a dynamic process, weaving together challenges and triumphs that shape my skills. As I complete my diagnostic essay, I improve not only my writing skills but also my analytical and critical thinking abilities. I also try to maintain a formal tone since I need to follow an academic voice that strengthens my work. In turn, the integration of in-text citations into my papers results in its complexities. Despite this, within each body paragraph, I gained an invaluable lesson that allowed me to learn more about academic writing and how to deliver my thoughts. Besides, my writing experience also helps me to improve my style and expand my knowledge of different areas under analysis.

V. Sample Conclusion of a Diagnostic Essay

My writing is based on the dynamic nature of skill development, where I have strengths and weaknesses that I should improve. In this case, my precision and clarity in presenting complex ideas include my strengths, helping my readers to better understand my messages. However, the struggle with integrating in-text citations is my weakness, suggesting a commitment to my area of improvement. The significance of considering these aspects becomes evident when writing each paper, contributing to shaping my analytical and critical thinking abilities. Furthermore, overcoming the challenges with in-text citations will show my growth as a writer.

20 Tips for Writing a Diagnostic Essay

Writing a perfect diagnostic essay requires a strategic approach. These tips offer practical advice on organization, clarity, and effective argumentation, contributing to a more coherent and compelling diagnostic essay. Moreover, writers can use them to self-assess and refine their work, fostering their improvement. In turn, transforming a challenging task into a manageable and skill-enhancing experience is a way of completing your paper successfully.

10 Dos for a Diagnostic Essay Include:

• Understanding your diagnostic essay task thoroughly.
• Creating a concise and focused thesis statement.
• Prioritizing a clear diagnostic essay structure: introduction, body, and conclusion.
• Supporting arguments with relevant evidence and examples.
• Following in a formal and academic style.
• Formatting a paper in specified citation styles, such as MLA, APA, Harvard, or Chicago/Turabian.
• Editing for clarity, coherence, and grammatical accuracy.
• Asking peers or instructors for improvement.
• Working on challenges and lessons learned in the writing process.
• Considering a diagnostic essay as a learning experience.

10 Don’ts Are:

• Ignoring the prompt instructions.
• Providing a weak thesis.
• Making unsupported claims.
• Using inappropriate language.
• Skipping the prewriting phase.
• Writing out of an assigned topic.
• Submitting a diagnostic essay without revising and editing.
• Excluding external perspective.
• Overlooking self-reflection.
• Presenting a one-sided perspective.

Summing Up on How to Write a Good Diagnostic Essay

• Thorough Prompt Analysis: Begin by reviewing the prompt to ensure a clear understanding of your task.
• Compelling Introduction: Take time to write a compelling introduction, including a clear and focused thesis statement.
• Logical Organization: Organize a diagnostic essay logically with a structured format — an introduction, well-developed body paragraphs, and a concise conclusion.
• Support With Evidence: Emphasize the importance of supporting arguments with relevant evidence and examples to show your analytical and critical thinking skills.
• Balance Clarity and Complexity: Follow a balance between clarity and complexity, avoiding overly complex language that may confuse readers.
• Maintain a Formal Tone: Ensure a formal tone throughout, aligning with academic expectations.
• Mind Word Limits: Be cautious about word limits of a diagnostic essay, embracing briefness and avoiding redundancy.
• Focus on a Main Theme: Do not write off-topic paragraphs and stay focused on the main theme.
• Seek Feedback: Actively seek feedback from peers or instructors to gain other perspectives and identify areas for improvement.
• Self-Reflection: Engage in self-reflection, considering challenges faced in the writing process for personal growth.
• Embrace as a Learning Opportunity: View writing a diagnostic essay as a learning opportunity, committing to ongoing improvement by addressing identified weaknesses.
• Strive for Excellence: A diagnostic essay is not merely an assessment but a journey toward self-improvement in academic expression. Strive for excellence in conveying ideas with precision, clarity, and academic format.

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How To Write A Diagnostic Essay: 20 Topic Ideas And Examples

Diagnostic Essay Definition

If you were to list out popular types of essays, a diagnostic paper wouldn't be at the top of your list. In fact, most college students probably haven’t even heard of this type of paper in their lives. That’s why they wonder, “What is a diagnostic essay?”

It’s quite simple. Before you begin a specific course at the beginning of the academic year, the professors assign this task to assess your academic writing skills. Your performance can help them figure out whether you face any issues with sentence construction, have a firm grasp of English grammar, incorporate an argument properly, and take examples from your life experience to improve the content quality.

If you were to define this type of writing, you can express it as follows –

“It is a piece of content that assesses a student’s writing abilities, knowledge of a particular topic, and style of composing academic papers.”

This type of essay is usually ungraded. So, you don’t have to worry about getting a high score in it. Your primary focus should be on following the proper outline, sticking to the right format, and avoiding minor mistakes throughout the essay.

Diagnostic Essay Format and Structure For Success

Time is of the essence when you have to write this type of essay . That's why you should know the format like the back of your hand. Otherwise, you'd have to spend a lot of unnecessary time editing your content later.

Like any other paper, you have to keep the readers in mind when composing this content. In this case, the readers are your college professors. Their main task is to check whether the written essay meets the academic standards expected in colleges and universities. In that case, you can’t afford to make any mistake regarding the essay format. Here’s the structure that is accepted in every institute:

1. Introduction

The introductory paragraph is meant to introduce the readers to the topic. Re-read the topic multiple times to figure out the main points you have to cover in the essay. The final sentence in this paragraph should be the thesis statement. This should be a strong statement that reflects your opinion on the topic, highlights the main point of the essay, or calls for action from the readers.

2. Body Paragraphs

The body of your essay should include three paragraphs. Each body paragraph focuses on a particular issue related to the topic and includes a topic sentence that introduces this point. State an argument and provide examples to support your idea in every body paragraph. Draw examples from your personal experience if needed.

3. Conclusion 

The concluding paragraph should wrap the essay up neatly. Do not introduce new ideas in this section at any cost. Instead, you should briefly state the main points of your essay and mention further areas of exploration.

This is the standard diagnostic essay outline that is followed by most colleges and universities in the USA. If you check any diagnostic essay example, you’ll notice that it follows the same format. Professional writers  providing academic services recommend that you stick to this as well. So, keep this structure in mind when writing a diagnostic essay.

How to Write a Diagnostic Essay: A Step-by-Step Guide

If you want to learn how to write a diagnostic essay, then you've come to the right place! Now that your question "What is a diagnostic essay?” has been answered, it’s time to figure out how you can write the entire essay. Let’s explore this through a simple step-by-step guide.

Our step-by-step guide covers everything you need to know to excel in academic writing , from understanding the purpose and structure of a diagnostic essay to mastering essential techniques for research and analysis. With practical tips and strategies at your fingertips, you'll learn how to formulate a strong thesis statement, organize your ideas cohesively, and present your arguments persuasively.

Step 1: Create a Good Thesis Statement for Your Diagnostic Essay 

The thesis statement should convey your stance on the academic topic. If you check some samples, you’ll notice that these statements vary depending on the writer’s opinion. Consider an essay topic like "Should colleges allow the use of mobile phones in class?" In this case, you have two options – you can either agree to it or disagree. This statement should reflect your stance on this issue. Do not try to take on a neutral stance. Be firm and comprehensive.

Step 2: Write a Good Outline for A Diagnostic Essay 

One of the fundamentals of essay writing is to come up with a skeletal structure that you can follow. Before moving forward to this step, figure out the issues that you’d like to cover in your essay. Take the word count into consideration. If there are too many ideas to cover, consider narrowing down your approach so you don't exceed the limit. You can skip this step if you're under time constraints. But professional writers always recommend this step to avoid going off-topic.

Step 3: Create Body Paragraphs for the Diagnostic Essay

When you write a diagnostic essay, you should keep in mind the number of recommended body paragraphs is three. Each paragraph covers only one idea and usually begins with a topic sentence that introduces this idea. You must present an argument regarding this and support your own words using examples. These don’t have to be academic. You can take examples from your own life as well.

Step 4: Write the Diagnostic Essay Conclusion Paragraph

The concluding paragraph is meant to summarize the main ideas that you’ve explored throughout your essay. But make sure you don’t repeat the introduction. If you check any diagnostic essay sample on any subject, you’ll notice that the concluding segment focuses on the key findings. You can also mention further research scope on the topic.

Step 5: Proofread and Edit Your Diagnostic Essay

In order to assess the academic performance of a particular student, professors set a time limit for this type of writing. So, you would usually rush when you write a diagnostic essay. As a result, there is a high chance of making grammar mistakes or using the incorrect format. That’s why proofreading and editing is essential. When proofreading the content, check whether you have used the standard Times New Roman 12pt font and maintained one-inch margins on all pages. Finally, ensure there’s a logical flow throughout the paper.

These steps are quite similar to the standard essay writing process. So, there’s no need to cover much new ground. Keep the formatting rules like using Times New Roman in mind and be vigilant of errors. That should help you create a top-notch paper.

The Importance of Writing a Perfect Diagnostic Essay

Colleges and universities usually assign such a paper in order to check the writing ability of a student. So, it’s crucial that you do well in this task. Otherwise, it will be difficult to assess your skills correctly. Once the professor goes through your work, they can –

• Figure out the writing issues that plague your work.
• Come up with suggestions to help you improve.
• Provide specialized guidance as necessary.

If you’ve never written such an essay before, check the ones written by top scholars. Go through one diagnostic essay sample and take notes on how the writer composes the introduction, each body paragraph, and the conclusion. You can also create your own work after taking inspiration from one of these samples.

Best 20+ Topic Ideas for Diagnostic Essays

The topic assigned for your diagnostic paper can be from any field. The topics are usually very simple and common knowledge for students. So, you won’t need to conduct a thorough literature review or spend hours researching. If you want to practice composing such papers, check out the following suggestions.

• Is online teaching a better option than offline classroom teaching?
• Should uniforms be made compulsory in schools?
• Are schools responsible for any bullying incidents that happen on school grounds?
• Inaccessibility of higher education for low-income households
• Should the United States follow a uniform syllabus?
• The benefits of working while studying
• Introduction of technology in classrooms: pros and cons

Healthcare  

• What are the shortcomings of the healthcare system in America?
• The role of nurses in healthcare during the COVID-19 pandemic
• Should all schools in the United States introduce mental health classes?
• How can nursing professionals reduce stress?
• Compare the American healthcare system to the Japanese system.
• How can students reduce stress and anxiety in their daily lives?
• Should homeless people receive free healthcare?

Social Media

• Analyze the rise of social media influencers
• How has social media affected human relationships?
• Discuss ways to reduce social media addiction.
• Why is bullying so rampant on social media websites?
• Should minor students have access to their own social media accounts?
• How can social media affect one’s mental health?
• How do businesses use social media for marketing?

Diagnostic Essay  Examples

In order to master diagnostic essays, you can go through multiple examples. Once you do, you’ll notice that the writing process is the same as all other essay types. In other words, you have to come up with a skeletal structure and then expand each point. Let’s check out a diagnostic essay example on the topic – “Is online teaching better than the traditional method of education?”

Diagnostic Essay Outline Example 

Introduction  – Give some interesting facts about the topic and state your opinion on it.

Body Paragraphs  – If you believe online education is the better option for a student, you can highlight its affordability, flexibility, and accessibility in the three paragraphs.

Conclusion  – Highlight the main ideas that you’ve explored throughout the diagnostic essay and include a call-to-action for readers.

Example Diagnostic Essay  Paragraphs

Now that you have a structure to fall back upon, let’s check out how you can frame the paragraphs.

Introduction:

Experts have found that online learning increases retention capabilities by at least 25% to 60%. If you compare this to traditional learning, retention rates are only 8% to 10%. But that’s not the only reason why online learning has become so popular recently. The benefits that it offers can change a student’s life . That’s why it is better than the traditional mode of education.

Body Paragraphs :

A typical one -on-one online coaching is more affordable than traditional sessions with hundreds of students in one class.  [Beginning of 1 st  point]

Online education allows more flexibility in terms of class timings and access to recorded lectures.  [Beginning of 2 nd  point]

All you need is a device and internet to access online classes from anywhere in the world.  [Beginning of 3 rd  point]

Conclusion:

In terms of affordability, flexibility, and accessibility, online education takes the cake. While classroom education holds on to age-old traditions, online courses are embracing change and molding themselves according to students’ needs. There’s a lot of potential that has yet to be explored for online education.

You can follow the same pattern for all diagnostic essay topics. If you need more samples, check out our website. You can also book professional writing help from our scholars and make your life easier. Impress your professors with outstanding writing.

Frequently Asked Questions About Diagnostic Essay

Q.1. what is the main difference between a diagnostic essay and a descriptive essay.

The main aim of a descriptive essay is to evaluate your ability to describe an object, an event, a person, etc. When a professor evaluates this kind of writing, they check whether you’ve been able to do justice to the topic, how well you’ve researched, and the overall presentation.

However, the primary aim of a diagnostic paper is to get your writing skills evaluated. Here, the professors check your use of strategic thinking to frame your paragraphs, formatting, preparation skills, and accuracy of spelling and grammar.

Q.2. What is the purpose of a diagnostic essay?

The main purpose of assigning a diagnostic writing task to students is to evaluate their writing capabilities. Usually, in any academic writing task, the professor scores the essay based on the amount of research exhibited, the presentation of arguments, the usage of examples, etc. But in this case, the technical aspects are the focus. In other words, it doesn't matter if students don’t research well before composing this paper. The professors check the skills exhibited and offer guidance and suggestions for improvement.

Q.3. What topics are usually assigned for a diagnostic essay?

Diagnostic pieces of writing can cover every subject area. This includes nursing and healthcare, contemporary issues, political science, business, society and culture, education, etc. Usually, the topics are of common knowledge. After all, the main intention here is to evaluate your overall skills and not to test your knowledge on a particular subject. You can check out our list of diagnostic essay topics to understand what you can expect.

Q.4. Is there a specific diagnostic essay format to be followed?

The diagnostic paper follows the standard essay format. In other words, it includes one introductory section, three body paragraphs, and one conclusion. You can make adjustments to the number of body paragraphs you use depending on the length of your content. If your professor assigns a specific format, stick to it. But if it’s up to you, then it’s best to stick to the standard option.

Q.5. How long should a diagnostic essay  be?

 The length of a diagnostic paper usually falls between 300-500 words. This isn’t a long piece of content where you have to dive into an in-depth exploration of the subject. The topics are pretty common, and you can use your existing knowledge to write a paper of considerable length.

Q.6. Do diagnostic essays  receive grades?

Diagnostic essays are usually ungraded since they are not evaluated like standard academic papers. The main purpose here is to diagnose the student’s writing ability. For example, the professor checks for unnecessary repetition, incorrect spelling and grammar, formatting issues, logical flow and structuring, and similar problems. Once they diagnose the common problems, the professor recommends suggestions that can help the student craft top-notch papers.

Q.7. Can I seek help for resources when working on a diagnostic essay ?

Yes, you can always reach out to your professors, librarian, or professional essay help experts if you need help with resources. Usually, you don’t have to worry about conducting a thorough research. But if you’re completely unfamiliar with the topic, then basic research is unavoidable. If you seek help from professionals, they can redirect you to reputable sources from where you can get your information.

Q.8.  What are the key elements of a diagnostic essay ?

The key elements of a diagnostic paper are the introductory paragraph, the thesis statement, the hook sentence, three body paragraphs, and the conclusion. Whenever you craft a paper, you should ensure that you meet all these specifications perfectly. The focus for evaluation is your ability to write high-quality content. So, the professor evaluating your work will check whether you’ve met the criteria or not.

Q.9. How do I write a diagnostic essay ?

Before writing a diagnostic essay, you should think of ways to improve your writing. Since this task is time-constrained, you must master every writing technique so you can write a flawless paper in no time. If you’re unfamiliar with the topic, conduct research before creating an outline. Make sure there is a logical flow maintained throughout the paper. Then, flesh out the content while focusing on the overall quality.

Q.10. What are some tips for writing a strong diagnostic essay ?

If you want to write a strong diagnostic paper, then follow these tips:

• Check some examples before attempting the paper.
• Revise basic grammatical rules.
• Read a lot to improve your vocabulary.
• Maintain a positive tone throughout your writing.
• Review formatting rules beforehand.
• Seek help from an expert if needed.

As long as you follow these suggestions, you can ace your papers easily.

Zara William is one of the brilliant minds behind the archive of blog at Allessaywriter.com. Her content educates, inspires, and entertains. Explore the world of writing and discover how words can shape thoughts and transform lives!

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How to Write a Diagnostic Essay (Without Fail)

Most of the time, academic writing can be challenging and stressful. Many students turn to online help and ask others such things as ‘will you write my research paper for me?’. This is because they find the writing process daunting. However, one type of assignment that’s not so hard is the diagnostic essay. On this page, we’ll run through what this particular type of essay is, how to write one, and more.

What Is a Diagnostic Essay?

A diagnostic essay is a piece of writing that’s meant to assess your knowledge of a topic and your writing skills. This type of work is usually set by a teacher at the very start of a course. It’s not marked because it’s meant to provide the course leader with an idea of what your capabilities are. They diagnose their students’ abilities through these essays. They’re typically timed, like other essay types you have to write for exams.

The Importance of Writing Good Diagnostic Essays

Knowing how to write a diagnostic essay is useful, especially if you’re on an academic course, or you’re going to be starting one soon. When you’re writing one, you should think like an academic and write as if the essay is going to be marked. You should take it as seriously as you would any sort of marked essay. The purpose of an essay is to showcase what you can do academically. If you don’t treat a diagnostic essay seriously and don’t try your best, the reader won’t get the right impression of your ability.

You shouldn’t seek custom essay help for this type of writing. With a diagnostic essay, it’s all about what you know now and what your current writing ability is like. It’s an assessment but not a critical one. It’s one of the simplest essay types, so you should be able to write a perfectly good one on your own.

Diagnostic Essay Outline

If you’re wondering how to write a diagnostic essay, the good news is that it’s easy to write. Its layout is pretty simple: there’s an introduction, usually three body paragraphs, and a conclusion. That’s all there is to it.

The introduction presents your topics to the reader and outlines what you’re going to discuss. It should include a thesis statement, which is a bold and concise summary of the essay’s core topics. The body paragraphs are where you discuss the topic. Your discussion should be well organized and succinct. You should present ideas and try to include a  counter argument or two if you can. The conclusion is where you summarise everything and outline any final thoughts.

How to Start a Diagnostic Essay?

So, how do you start a diagnostic essay? It’s simple. You may be provided with a title for the piece of writing. If not, you’ll have to  come up with a good title for an essay yourself. This should be easy enough because, with a diagnostic essay, the subject matter is usually broad. These essays are more a test of your general knowledge about a topic, not the specific knowledge the course is going to introduce.

So, when you have your title, think about what you’re going to write about. Remember the structure and try to fit your principal argument into three paragraphs. If the essay’s time, you have to think quickly and get straight to it. Come up with some key ideas and think about how you’re going to expand on these in the body paragraphs.

Remember the thesis statement. This is a key part of an essay. It comes at the end of your introductory paragraph. What it does is it summarises, in one or two sentences, the body of your essay, i.e. the primary case you’re putting forward. Having a good thesis statement is important because it helps you focus on the key parts of the essay. The statement also gives the reader a clear indication of what’s to come.

Tips for Writing Body Paragraphs of a Diagnostic Essay

The body paragraph is the core of a diagnostic essay. Here are some tips on how to write them.

Interconnected Paragraphs

The body paragraphs can either be interconnected and form a single argument, or each one can argue its own point. If they’re going to present just one argument among them, they should flow naturally and read well.

Individual Paragraphs

If each paragraph is self-contained, it should end with a sentence that leads into the next paragraph to help keep them connected. It should also start with a hook sentence that draws the reader in and lets them know a new thought or argument is being discussed.

Strongest Arguments First

Whether your body paragraphs are connected or not, it’s suggested that the first one contains the strongest argument or the most original thought. You want the reader to get on board with your writing, so it’s important to make a good impression as early in the essay as possible.

As mentioned earlier, a diagnostic essay is usually timed. When essays are to be written under such a condition, students frequently can’t use resources such as books or the internet. Therefore, timed essays don’t require references as regular, non-timed ones do. If you do use other sources, make sure you refer to them as accurately as possible.

Elaborate Without Waffling

The paragraphs of the essay body are the meat of your essay. They’re what the reader is going to be looking at the most. It’s important that you elaborate on the topic and discuss plenty of points, but without waffling. You have to explain things in as few sentences and words as possible, especially when these essays are timed. Having said that, if there’s a particular point you want to focus on, discuss it as much as you need to. Just make sure that what you’re writing is relevant.

How to Conclude a Diagnostic Essay

The conclusion should supply the reader with a brief yet informative recap of the essay’s main points. You should sum up the cases you’ve put forward and write a final sentence or two that reflects on your essay as a whole. It’s recommended you rehash your thesis statement, though you shouldn’t repeat the statement verbatim; use new words and phrases instead.

Make sure your conclusion is concise. It should be a single paragraph in length. You shouldn’t present any new ideas in it, nor should you be asking the reader any new questions.

If you’re the type of student who writes ‘ write my college essay ’ into a search engine, you shouldn’t have to do this for a diagnostic essay. They’re easy enough to write, and the structure is straightforward. Even though they’re timed, the fact that they’re not marked means there’s not much pressure.

Diagnostic Essay Topics

Below are some examples of diagnostic essay topics. Have a look to see the sorts of questions you may be asked to write essays on during the early part of your course.

• Will e-books replace print books?
• Should education be streamlined, or should independent institutions be allowed?
• Why do many businesses utilize offshore solutions?
• Explain the importance of having a good CV
• Is modern technology helpful or a hindrance?
• Should doctors and nurses be good people?
• Explain why society uses prisons
• How does a lack of sleep affect students?
• Discuss the impact of social media on children
• What are the advantages of going to university?
• Should history be preserved or modified?
• Is killing animals for meat wrong?
• How can the wage gap problem be addressed?
• How can stereotyping be reduced?
• Is artificial intelligence really intelligence?

As you can see, the example titles we’ve listed above are broad. Other types of essays for academic courses are usually a lot more specific in what they ask of you. These titles, however, rely more on your general knowledge and impression of the world, as opposed to the material you’ve learned on a course.

What Should You Not Write in a Diagnostic Essay?

When you write a diagnostic essay, there are a few things that you shouldn’t write. Even though the essays aren’t marked and don’t count towards your grade, it’s best to make them as good as you can. Make sure your submission is an accurate reflection of your capabilities by not writing the following:

• New ideas and arguments in the conclusion; put them in body paragraphs
• Anything that deviates from the central topic
• Language and vocabulary that’s not appropriate for an academic essay
• Quotes/citations without explaining their source; a diagnostic essay doesn’t require these, but you can still include them if you so wish
• Sentences that are too long and confusing for the reader
• Any sort of personal pronouns, unless you’re specifically told this is permitted; generally, academic writing is impersonal
• Words and phrases that are too vague or too exaggerated; with essay writing, it’s about getting to the point, and this should be reflected in the language you use
• Personal stories and anecdotes; again, essays should be impersonal
• A thesis statement that’s too long or vague; your thesis statement should be one or two sentences long and should summarise your writing for the reader
• A title that’s too long and uses too many big words

When you write a diagnostic essay, avoid writing the above. Generally speaking, your writing should be direct and concise. There’s room for you to argue points and express ideas, of course, but there shouldn’t be any waffle. The standard of writing should be the same for a diagnostic essay as any other piece of academic writing.

Unlike most other essays, diagnostic ones aren’t marked. Instead, they’re more of a general test of a student’s capabilities. They’re assigned at the start of a course and used by a course leader to determine what levels the students are at. Because they’re shorter and have a more straightforward structure, they’re easier to write than standard essays. That being said, there are still some key things to include and some things to avoid.

Now, you should have a clear idea of how to write a diagnostic essay. Bear this article in mind the next time you have to write one.

FAQ About Diagnostic Essays

How long is a diagnostic essay.

The length of a diagnostic essay is usually what students can write in an hour or less. Essays typically include an introduction with a thesis statement, up to three body paragraphs, and a conclusion.

Why Do Teachers Give a Diagnostic Essay?

Students are asked to write a diagnostic essay so that course leaders can assess their knowledge and writing skills.

What Does a Diagnostic Essay Look Like?

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When students are asked to write a diagnostic essay, they are often intimidated because most do not know how this type of paper differs from others. A diagnostic report doesn't work like a typical one. Its purpose is to test or diagnose skill sets that college students should possess. Typically conducted by college professors at the start of an academic year, it helps faculty assess an existing knowledge of a particular student or class audience. Do you still have any questions? Stay tuned and find out all nuances of writing and designing your diagnostic essay. Our team of professional writers will not only help you understand different rules and requirements, but provide some practical examples for you. Request ‘ write my essay for me ’ if you require personalized samples.

What Is a Diagnostic Essay: Main Definition

Most diagnostic essay assignments advance a specific question or topic that students need to answer in writing. Through the diagnostic essay, a professor can assess skills and determine the level of knowledge of each student in a specific course. Please note that unlike some other types of writing, here, you do not need to tell readers what books you have read or lead examples by referring to sources. The purpose of this paper is to highlight your strengths, weaknesses, and creativity. We invite you to learn more about some structural features of a diagnostic essay and some secrets of writing it. Read on for some helpful information from a college essay service .

How to Write a Diagnostic Essay: Step-by-Step Guide

After we have become familiar with the diagnostic paper definition, the question arises, "how to write a diagnostic essay?" In this blog post, we will look at the structure of a written document and tell you what paragraphs your text should consist of. Please read our step-by-step instructions below carefully.

Step 1. Create Good Thesis Statement for Your Diagnostic Essay

It would help if you started writing your text with the thesis statement for a diagnostic essay . The well-formed thesis should reflect your thoughts on the chosen topic. In other words, after reading the view, readers should understand an idea of written work and your attitude to an issue of your paper. Think in advance what arguments can be made in favor of your thesis statement. In the first part of the sentence, clearly describe your position. Start your second part with the words "because" and back up your thoughts with compelling arguments. Read about how to state arguments in the following paragraphs.

Step 2. Write a Good Outline for A Diagnostic Essay

To structure the flow of thoughts in your head, write a diagnostic essay outline. Writing an outline will help you keep an order and not get confused during the writing process. Besides, it will help you save time and avoid additional editing or rewriting problems. First, write down important thoughts and ideas on a piece of paper, and then arrange them in a logical or chronological order. Follow “one paragraph - one thought” rule. It will keep your text readable and correct. If you need professional help, don’t forget that you can always buy college essays from our experts.

Step 3. Craft an Introduction for a Diagnostic Essay

How to start a diagnostic essay? It is not difficult! Start your paper with a loud statement or phrase that will interest your readers. According to generally accepted rules, the introductory part of an essay includes a thesis and several reasoned sentences. Explain your attitude to the subject of discussion. Use significant phrases, discuss how your topic is helpful to society. Please note that an introductory part of your paper should take up from 10 to 25% of an entire text.

Step 4. Creating Body Paragraphs for Diagnostic Essay

Standard text should include three body paragraphs for diagnostic essays. However, this criterion may differ due to some requirements of your class. Build one argument in each of these paragraphs. Use facts and quotes, and give examples. Do not break the structure of the central text part so as not to get lost in thought.  Start each body paragraph with an argument and a topic sentence. It will help readers immediately understand what will be discussed. End your body paragraph of an essay with general phrases that will soften the transition between paragraphs and arguments.

Step 5. Write Conclusion Paragraph for Diagnostic Essay

In a diagnostic essay conclusion, you need to summarize all your thoughts. You need to repeat your thesis that you have stated in an introductory part. In conclusion essay , you need to speak without hesitation. Try not to use some words like "possibly," "most likely," "imagine." Repeat your most potent argument and tell readers that you have proven your point. Conclusion is one general summary of your writing. This part of your paper should not be more than 3-7 sentences.

Step 6. Proofreading and Editing Your Diagnostic Essay

Are you finished writing a diagnostic essay? It's time to start checking! Do not ignore this point because editing will help you avoid gross and minor mistakes in your text. Proofreading is always important since it will allow you to make an overview and ensure that there are not any:

• Grammatical error , capitalization error, numbering error
• Spelling error
• Inconsistency in the format
• Misplaced words, Sentence structure error
• Punctuation mistakes.

Reread your paper out loud. It will help you to look at your text differently. First, ask the right questions about the topic. Finally, correct any punctuation or grammatical errors.

Diagnostic Essay Format: Which One to Use

How to identify diagnostic essay format? The three most popular styles for your paper are MLA format, APA, and Chicago. The text will differ depending on its purpose. For example, college students use APA citations more often, and Chicago style is widespread in the academic literature that focuses on a source of an origin. Check out our comparison table below. It will help you distinguish between styles and understand some main requirements:

Diagnostic Essay Example

With diagnostic essay examples, you can clearly understand different features of this type of writing work. The diagnostic essay is similar to others, but it is even easier to write. It is due to the purpose of the composition itself. Your goal is not critical analysis. Just show your knowledge level in some particular niche. Our team of professional writers presents you with a sample diagnostic essay. Become familiar with structural features and key phrases that you can use in your document.

Diagnostic Essay: Key Takeaways

An idea of ​​a diagnostic essay is to determine the knowledge level of a particular student or group of students. Most often, such a diagnosis is carried out at the beginning of the course. It helps the professor to identify students' strengths and weaknesses and their creativity. Based on your results, a training plan will be built for a certain period. Thus, all the information that teachers submit will correspond to students' knowledge level. And also will be easily assimilated by them.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Diagnostic Essay

1. how long should a diagnostic essay be.

Diagnostic essay length may vary depending on your class requirements. If you don't know what your paper should be, then keep it between 300 and 325 words.

2. What is the purpose of a diagnostic essay?

The diagnostic essay purpose is to determine the knowledge level of each student. And it makes it more likely to find students who have higher skills. Diagnostic essays also help teachers identify students’ gaps and figure out what they should work on more.

3. What is a personal diagnostic essay?

A diagnostic essay is exactly what it means: this assignment is used to diagnose your writing skills or aptitude in a particular class or subject. Therefore, a diagnostic essay about yourself serves as an individual writing piece that assesses your mastery.

4. What is the main difference between a diagnostic essay and a descriptive essay?

Descriptive essay is a genre that asks students to describe something. It can be anything – an object, person, place, experience, emotion, situation, etc.  A diagnostic essay definition: this essay is used to diagnose your writing skills or aptitude in a specific class or subject. 

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

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A Complete Guide on How to Write a Diagnostic Essay

When you start a course, you are often asked to write a diagnostic essay or a diagnostic composition. This assignment implies writing a piece in response to a question or prompt. It represents your writing abilities and skills, which makes it easier for your instructor or teacher to define your strengths and weaknesses.

As a rule, professors and teachers don’t grade such assignments, but it doesn’t mean that you don’t have to put your effort into writing it as well as you can. This is a chance for you to show your logic, imagination, creativity, and writing skills , so don’t miss it.

What to Expect from a Diagnostic Essay?

A diagnostic essay isn’t much different from other types of essay assignments that you usually get. It has the same essay structure, which consists of the introduction, body paragraphs, and the conclusion part. It also should have a thesis statement and represent your opinion on the assigned or chosen topic.

Usually, when writing such an essay, you are limited in time (about one hour). So, you need to organize your time to be as productive as possible.

What Strategy to Choose when Writing a Diagnostic Essay?

Once your teacher or instructor assigns you with a topic of your essay, start thinking about your concept. Draft your thesis statement first and then build your outline based on the key points of your future essay. Also, make sure to manage your time and leave at least 5 minutes or so for editing and proofreading your essay in the end.

So, how can one write a diagnostic essay? Are there any rules that you need to stick to? Here, we have a complete guide that will help you to complete this assignment without struggling.

Step 1 – Choose the Topic

Some teachers prefer to let students choose the topic they want to write their essay on while others assign students with particular topics. They might ask you a question which you will have to reply to in the form of an essay.

For those who can choose the topic but don’t know which one to pick, we have prepared the list of diagnostic essay topics:

• The biggest challenges for modern students.
• Whose success story is an example for you?
• Is there a place for hunting in the modern world?
• Are there more issues with online studying than benefits?
• The problem of racial prejudice in student dorms.
• Will remote jobs prevail over in-office jobs in the future?

Step 2 – Create Your Thesis Statement

The majority of students face difficulties when it comes to creating a thesis statement for their essays. Though they need to create lots of statements for multiple essays which they write through the year, not many students can come up with a good idea for thesis statement right from the start.

However, in the case of a diagnostic essay, a thesis statement is a key point that should be written first as you won’t have too much time to think of it through your writing process as you will be very limited in time. So, make sure to create a thesis statement first; this way it will be easier for you to work on your essay.

If, for example, you have a topic that sounds like “Positive and negative influence of social media on socialization,” your thesis statement might be:

Though social media helps people communicate and connect in spite of long distances or cultural diversity, they become the main reason why social awkwardness is spreading among various social groups.

You might also create a rough draft of your thesis statement first if you are not sure about its final phrasing to come back to it after writing the body paragraphs.

Step 3 – Create an Outline

Someone would say that creating an outline when you have tight time limits is not obligatory, but it will actually help you organize and structure your thoughts. When you just start writing your essay, you might have a few worthy ideas on your mind that you might forget in the process. So, write any ideas or thoughts first, at least one per paragraph. Once you do that, you can start writing your essay.

Step 4 – Write an Introduction

Your introduction is what gives the first impression on your reader and affects the final opinion on it. The majority of essays that you create through your school years imply putting your thesis statement into the first paragraph so that to give an understanding of what your paper is about and what your opinion on the problem is. A diagnostic essay is not an exclusion.

Start your essay with a catchy sentence – a hook that attracts the attention of the reader and provides a reason to keep reading. For example, it might be a statistical fact or a quote that is relevant to the topic. Here are a few tips on how to start your essay with a hook sentence .

Step 5 – Write the Body Paragraphs

Commonly, short essays include three body paragraphs. They can include examples, facts, and quotes to support your opinion and claims as well as your thesis statement. The best way to write these paragraphs is to elaborate your opinion with the help of evidence from reliable sources, starting with the strongest argument first.

Start your paragraphs with topic sentences which provide a reader with an idea of what this paragraph is about. End your paragraphs with transition sentences as they smooth the jumps from one subject or idea to another.

Step 6 – Write the Conclusion Part

The conclusion is the part that summarizes all of your findings and restates your statement. It also gathers all of the facts and claims into one final thought that represents your opinion on the problematic or gives the final response to the question. You can paraphrase your thesis statement to include it in your conclusion part and also mention all the key findings of your essay. Don’t repeat your previous sentences – form them into one general summary of your text.

Step 7 – Proofread and Edit Your Essay

Once you have everything written, reread your essay, and make edits. It’s almost impossible to write an essay that won’t require any further editing, so make sure to manage your time and leave some time for this step.

Final Thoughts

A diagnostic paper is not as difficult as other types of essays, for example, an analytical essay , as it doesn’t require conducting any research. It will be beneficial to include some facts or data, but you are not obligated to. Moreover, you shouldn’t worry much as such essay won’t be graded. However, preparing for such an essay won’t hurt. You can even try pre-writing your essay in order to show the best results.

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What is a Diagnostic Essay?

Students usually become worried and frightened by hearing the word “diagnostic essay” when they are assigned to it. They often wonder what type of essay it is and how to write one. It’s nothing! The purpose of a diagnostic essay is just to evaluate students’ positive and negative personality traits. It helps the teachers to diagnose their writing issues. Nevertheless, a diagnostic essay is much like a thesis paper. Yet, the statement of this essay should be precise, clear, and convincing to the rest of the content.

In other words, a diagnostic essay is drastically useful for second language learners because it helps them enhance their communication and writing abilities. On the other hand, if you are striving with any sort of learning disability, then a diagnostic essay would help you throughout your academic and professional life.

Diagnostic Essay Definition

A diagnostic essay is a sort of evaluation test at a higher level, which is used to measure the knowledge level and writing capabilities of the students. However, in order to assess these skills, students are given a prompt and asked to write an essay within a specific time.

Yet, this essay does not need research or citations, but it all depends upon the existing knowledge of the student. Once students complete the essay, they are asked to present their writing styles and their time-management skills.

However, it is pretty challenging for instructors to evaluate students’ analytical thinking. Still, a diagnostic essay is useful to describe professors where you stand and how much additional support you would require in the future. Yet, if you write a good piece of paper, it is an excellent way to impress your instructor.

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How do you Start a Diagnostic Essay?

By following the below steps, you can start a diagnostic essay. Remember that you would be given a limited time, thus it is essential to focus on proper structure first. It will help you prevent any writing and time management issues.

Pick a Topic

Several professors prefer to allow students to select the topic for their essays, while others prescribe certain themes to pupils. They may raise the issue so you must respond in the form of an essay.

Below, we have enlisted some common topic ideas for a diagnostic essay which you can pick to write an exceptional piece of paper.

• Whose success story can you learn from?
• Is there a place for hunting in today’s world?
• What are some potential drawbacks of online education and how can they be overcome?
• In student residences, is there an issue with racial bias?
• Will remote employment eventually outnumber in-office positions?

Make sure that the topic chosen for a diagnostic essay should ask a question or pose a problem in order to diagnose the matter and deliver your opinions and solutions.

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Write a Solid Thesis Statement

When it comes to writing a thesis statement for your essays, a number of students struggle. Despite the fact that they must produce a significant amount of statements for numerous essays during their whole semester, some students may come up with a sophisticated thesis statement, which is great.

Nonetheless, in the case of a diagnostic essay, a thesis statement is a crucial aspect that should be prepared initially because you won’t have much time to think about it during essay writing due to time constraints. As a result, generate a thesis statement initially; this will make working on your paper much smoother.

Produce an Outline

It is obvious that if you’re short on time, you may skip this section, but it can help you stay structured and organized in your ideas. It’s an excellent technique to recall any thoughts that come to mind so you don’t miss them while writing. Each paragraph must include only one concept. You won’t go over your word limit or make your selected topic too wide if you follow this rule.

Begin the Writing

Now, it’s time to initiate the writing with an introduction. In this step, you need to follow the writing format that we have mentioned above. Start with the introduction and make sure that you write the sentences well. In the introduction, present your main idea so the reader gets an idea about what the essay is written about.

Then comes the body part. Make sure you write each argument in each paragraph. you must not tangle multiple ideas in the same paragraph; so that the readers have a clear idea about each thought. In the end, conclude your essay by rephrasing the problem statement and your opinions.

How to Write a Diagnostic Essay?

Once you have picked the topic, composed a thesis statement, and created an outline, it’s time to write a diagnostic essay . Remember, if you make a proper strategy and outline before initiating, it will become easy to complete the essay effortlessly.

Typical diagnostic writing should consist of an introduction, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Thus, check out the steps underneath to write these sections effectively.

The Introduction Part

The introduction section of a diagnostic essay comprises the thesis statement in detail. It describes the crucial arguments that you are going to cover in your whole essay. The thesis statement should be the last line of the introduction, which should be one sentence long and convey a compelling statement or a call to action.

The Body Section

Keep in mind that old rule of thumb, “One idea – one body paragraph!” Make sure to implement this rule in a diagnostic essay. Make an argument for your point of view and explain how it connects to your essay. Feel free to include any facts, research, or personal knowledge that may be utilized to back up the various statements being presented.

The Conclusion

Conclude each paragraph’s essential points in a way that makes even the most complicated material more understandable. In the final paragraph, do not offer any new ideas. Yet, restate the thesis statement in alternative phrases so that the intended reader is not left with any doubts. In the concluding line, discuss proofs and evidence in such a way that it motivates people to act favorably or to learn more about the essay topic.

Review and Revise

Proofread your essay when you’ve finished writing it and make any necessary changes. It is pretty challenging to compose an essay without making mistakes. So, make sure to keep some time for proofreading.

Diagnostic Essay Outline Example

Below, we have mentioned an outline that will help you understand in a better way how to write a diagnostic essay.

Thesis Statement:

Will Remote Employment Eventually Outnumber In-Office Positions?

Introduction:

An introduction should begin with an engaging hook line. Then it should cover three body sections that relate to and support the thesis statement.

According to some data scientists at Ladders, 25% of all office-based employment will become remote by the end of 2022. Since the beginning of the epidemic, Ladders researchers have been closely analyzing remote employment accessibility from North America’s biggest 50,000 firms. It’s difficult to exaggerate the significance of this shift in working patterns.

Body Section:

the body section comprises three paragraphs, each with different arguments as mentioned below:

Airtasker studied 1,004 full-time employees and 505 of them were working remotely across the United States. The findings show that remote employees perform better than their equivalents in-office.

Moreover, in case of a global crisis or an outbreak, remote work offers various advantages. Such as COVID-19, which made a lot of employees work from home and prevented them and the rest of the world from human interactions while keeping the long-term prosperity of businesses.

Obtaining a remote employment policy may save businesses money by reducing the need for costly commercial space while giving employees the flexibility to choose their own timelines and work from anywhere they want.

Conclusion:

It encompasses the overview of the whole essay, in which you restate the thesis statement and add a call to action to convince the reader.

So, it is estimated that remote employment will ultimately outnumber office-based positions. Thus, instead of resisting this modification, it is recommended to businesses focus more on the productivity and execution of employees while managing the projects remotely.

Final Thoughts

A diagnostic essay is more effortless to write as compared to other kinds of essays since it does not involve any in-depth research. Yet, it is suggested to add some facts in order to support your ideas and arguments. Furthermore, you shouldn’t be concerned because such essays are not graded. Still, in order to achieve the greatest outcomes, you might even consider pre-writing your essay.

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What Is a Diagnostic Essay? An Expert Writing Guide

Diagnostic essay: what is it and how do you write one.

A diagnostic essay is one of the types of composition many students are unfamiliar with. Students tend to encounter this paper at the beginning of their program, and it might be intimidating. But a diagnostic essay becomes easy once you understand what should be done. This text aims to help you understand a diagnostic composition and how to craft one.

Diagnostic Essay Meaning: What Does It Entail?

What’s a diagnostic essay? It is an essay students write to showcase their writing ability and knowledge level. Many college instructors assign their students an essay on a specific topic or prompt at the beginning of a college program. You would have limited time to complete and submit this paper, so it requires you to think and work fast. The essay is their way of assessing their students’ abilities.

Think of it like going to a doctor for a random checkup, receiving a medical exam, and learning how to improve your health. The essay will not be graded but will help the instructor identify a student’s strengths and weaknesses. Writing a diagnostic essay does not require you to have read specific material or done some specific research, so your preparation is limited.

Once you submit it, the instructor will analyze it and provide feedback on things such as:

The information instructors gather from the diagnostic essay can help them plan their curriculum based on their students’ abilities.

Accepted Diagnostic Essay Format and Structure

Because the time for writing is restricted, it’s important to know the correct diagnostic essay format so you won’t waste too much time refining the paper. Diagnostic essays follow a simple five-paragraph structure consisting of the following:

• Body section

How to Start Your Diagnostic Essay: The Intro

Your essay’s introduction is crucial because it provides the first impression for any reader. When you start strong, the reader will be more motivated to read your work instead of skimming it. You can start with an interesting statistic or a quote for your diagnostic essay.

From there, briefly introduce the subject matter you aim to discuss. Don’t go into too much detail because you’ll cover it all in your body paragraphs. The last sentence of your introduction is your thesis statement, where you present your main argument and provide a call to action for the readers.

Body Segment

The body paragraphs of your college diagnostic essay should contain your arguments and explanations. Ideally, you should aim to discuss one main idea in each paragraph. The body paragraphs should start with a topic sentence, which acts like your paragraph’s thesis statement by summarizing what you’ll discuss in that paragraph.

Any argument you provide in the body section should be backed up by statistics, data, or info from personal experiences. Finally, try to improve the flow of your diagnostic essay by using transition words to link the paragraphs.

The outro summarizes everything you have been discussing and is the final section of your article. You sum up all the chief assertions you have presented in the body segment. Start by restating and rephrasing the thesis statement and then highlighting the arguments you brought up in the body paragraphs. The closing paragraph should not contain any new points, just those you discussed in the earlier sections.

Formatting Correctly

Is there a specific diagnostic essay format you should use? Yes. The format your instructor specifies. The lecturer might give you some instructions, including the word count, time limit, and others, to help you construct your desired essay. Stick to these instructions, and you’ll be fine.

Depending on what your instructor wants, there are different formats to use, such as APA, MLA, and Chicago. Formatting is often a problem for students and is the reason why one might buy essay or spend hours online looking for an example of a diagnostic essay. The format dictates elements such as font type and size, indentations, and the use of quotations. Your instructor should specify the format to use, but you should also know the format your school uses in case they don’t. Aside from the format, you should pay attention to the rules of grammar and syntax, and spelling. They play a big part in determining how well you score in the essay.

A Step-by-Step Guide on How to Write a Diagnostic Essay

Writing a diagnostic essay is much easier when you understand the required structure and format. We’ve gone further and created steps you can follow to make this process easier and compose a quality article.

Read the Prompt and Understand the Instructions Provided

Mostly, a diagnostic essay comes with instructions that tell you what the professor wants you to submit. Read all the specifications to understand what kind of composition you’ll write and the requirements to fulfill. You might find requirements like page count, number of sources, tone, and deadline. Read them all, and if some guidelines seem unfamiliar, consult your instructor for clarification.

Pick a Manageable and Good Topic

Depending on your college diagnostic essay, you can answer the prompt or select your own topic. Your topic can make a major difference in the quality of the paper you will write. Several things should be considered when picking a topic. First, your topic needs to be something you are interested in to ensure you put enough effort into creating a good diagnostic essay.

Consider also the size of your topic. When choosing between various diagnostic essay topics, you can try to identify the topic that will fulfill your word count without going too far over it. It means you should have a topic that is not too wide or too narrow. Reduce the scope of broad topics and avoid narrow topics.

You should also avoid overly complex topics. Choosing a difficult topic won’t impress your instructor unless you properly do it justice. Since your time is limited, choose a topic you are comfortable pursuing and one that won’t cause you problems and waste your time.

Finally, as you comb through the various diagnostic essay topics, identify the ones that fulfill your instructor’s requirements.

Outline Your Essay

The outline is a crucial part of writing a diagnostic essay. It acts as a foundation on which you’ll build the rest of the essay. Having an essay outline means having a list of your essay’s different sections and the main points you intend to include within these sections.

A diagnostic essay outline saves you time in writing and ensures your work is well organized. You’ll also be less likely to stray from your main ideas when using an outline for reference, and creating an outline save time in writing because you’ll only have to flesh out the points you listed.

Start Writing

After creating your diagnostic essay outline, you should be ready to start writing. Start with a strong introduction that tells the reader what you aim to discuss and why it is relevant. From there, create a strong thesis statement about your topic that properly reflects your position on the issue in question. The body paragraphs would properly address each point with the help of evidence or logic. After you’re done, sum it all up in the conclusion paragraph.

The writing stage tends to cause students problems, so one might ask, “Should I pay someone to write my paper ?” However, remember this essay is often not graded, so feel free to express yourself in writing. Your essay does not have to be perfect on the first draft, so don’t waste too much time choosing the perfect words or phrases. You’ll have time to improve on it.

Proofread Your Essay

Once you’re done writing, it is time to edit your work. Proofreading involves reading your essay carefully and eliminating any mistakes you find. It also entails identifying any areas of your essay that you can improve. Proofread a diagnostic essay multiple times, improving the quality until satisfied with the result. The number of times you proofread depends on the time you have left from writing, so plan your time well.

Closing Remarks

Your diagnostic essay gives the instructor a clear picture of where you stand as a student. Depending on the course, instructors sometimes assign diagnostic essays to gauge your knowledge in a particular subject, writing skills, or both. The essay is important as it helps teachers determine whether some students are eligible for particular services like tutoring. The above guide should be helpful in writing a diagnostic essay worth scoring high marks.

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Diagnostic Essay Tips, Tricks, and Writing Guide

If your next assignment is to write a diagnostic essay but you do not know where to begin, our diagnostic essay tutorial will cut you the worry. We have put up pretty much every little detail you need to understand to write a diagnostic essay that easily scores you great marks. The good thing is that these are comprehensive insights provided by our top essay writers who have written many diagnostic essays in their lifetime with our company.

Essay writing is dreaded and loved at the same time yet it applies almost in all careers and general life. The art of essay writing has been under transition and has kept improving each other time. What makes it beautiful is that the writing rules keep changing, and essay writers will need to update themselves frequently.

We have brought you the current trends that have come up with essay writing. We will focus on how to write diagnostic essays that are very good at giving details about diagnosis. Some of the things that we will learn in our guide include the writing tricks, format, steps, and tips. After reading the guide, you should have known how to write convincing and detailed diagnostic essays.

What is a diagnostic essay?

A diagnostic essay is an essay that has less influence on the student's final grade. Its purpose is to help the tutor understand your strengths and weaknesses. As a result, the teachers shape your course regarding the achievement of the curriculum objective. At the beginning of the semester, the students and the teachers define the curriculum and then the diagnostic essays towards the end of the diagnosis.

The essential thing about the diagnostic essays is that the students are not expected to perform. Each student will have a chance to showcase their knowledge and the skills they have acquired. It is a diagnostic task and will take some specific time before it ends.

The diagnostic essay comes in 5 paragraph format that involves the introduction, the body, which may take 3 paragraphs, and the conclusion.  The teacher gives the students a similar topic and sometimes may give two or more other topics. The question usually has a prompt design that will make the students reason and write the content they have gathered all through the term.

Purpose of a diagnostic essay

The purpose of the diagnostic essay is to allow the tutor, professor, or lecturer to assess your knowledge, skills, and general creativity. In simple terms, a diagnostic essay helps your teachers to assess your aptitude.

It is the same way a nurse or doctor assesses your symptoms to diagnose a disease. But in the context of academia, the teacher uses the diagnostic essay to understand whether you have issues with sentence construction, reading comprehension, essay formatting, citation, plagiarism, mastery of subject, vocabulary, language, or grammar.

However, it has to align itself to the specific parts that the students have learned. After the choice of the essay topic comes, each student has to write according to the content they have. Therefore, it also evaluates the level of the students understanding with the ability to express themselves. The ability to use strategic thinking and real-life application exposes itself too when you write a diagnostic essay.

In most cases, diagnostic essays are used to assess your readiness to transfer to a new school, job, scholarship, or grant application, and as entrance or admission exams.

9 simple steps for writing a diagnosis essay

Essay writing is not something you will sit down and begin to write like a text message. It has a format and then the various steps that you need to follow when writing. Before writing the diagnostic essay, you have to go through the instructions to know the exact task and the rules you will need to follow. The steps that you will follow include the following.

Step 1- Read the Diagnostic Essay Prompt

Before writing an essay, assignment, or homework, reading the prompt is a given first of firsts. It is no different when you are assigned to write a diagnostic essay. Go through the prompt keenly to understand the topic, length, formatting style, and language to use in your diagnostic essay. If possible, read through the rubric as well.

Step 2 - Choose the title and topic

Some tutors may want their students to choose the titles that they desire. Usually, the lecturer chooses a topic, and then the students get their titles or have to come up with topics and titles they will write about. If students have a specific topic by the lecturer, they will get a title and then write about it.

The tutor usually comes up with a question that triggers the students thinking so that they get answers. In answering the question, they have to come up with the titles and topics that will better define the answer. Each title comes in a statement form such as 'challenges from covid-19 in the third world countries.

Step 3- Research the topic

After choosing a topic, research online to understand what other scholars say about the issues surrounding the topic. As you read, you will notice that you develop ideas, stance, and understand deep concepts about the topic. Do not fear reading about what people think from blogs, Wikipedia, or the news, these non-scholarly sources finally shape the direction of your essay. when researching, set aside some of the academic sources that you are sure can be used in your essay. This way, you save yourself the trouble or re-researching later. Taking notes as you do your research is a great way to track your thoughts and ideas later when writing the outline. And with the information, you can now decide what to write as your central idea.

Step 4 - Create the thesis statement

The next thing that the student has to do is to come up with the thesis statement. The statement must be a good idea right from the beginning of the essay. The thesis statement must have a direct relationship with the topic and the title. In other words, it should create a highlight of the problem that you want to get an answer for.

Step 5 - Develop an outline

When writing an essay, you are likely to have several ideas that you may lose as you write. You will need to write them in the manner you want the essay's flow to take. Your ideas and thoughts must have some clarity and should have a mnemonic way that helps you remember the whole concept. Each idea must cover an entire paragraph.

Step 6 - Do the introduction

The next thing after preparing the outline of the diagnostic essay is to come up with the introduction. A good introduction must be that which covers the need of having the answers to the topic and then the things that are likely to appear in the whole essay. The thesis statement is the first sentence of the introduction, and then the other parts follow.

You need to ensure that you have started the essay with a catchy introduction. Most people will prefer to start with questions or some facts that bring some attention to the reader. A catchy introduction will create the urge of the reader to go through the whole essay.

Step 7 - Write the body and the paragraphs

The primary task of the essay is to come up with the body, which needs to be in paragraph form. In the body, each point gets covered by the paragraph, and all the issues are captured. Facts and statistics are some of the things that you must include. The strongest argument should always be the first, and evidence from reliable sources must follow.

Step 8 - Do the conclusion

You now have to do the conclusion of the diagnostic essay. The conclusion needs to cover specific things such as the summary of the findings that must always have a restatement form. The conclusion needs to cover the aspects in the body and then the final verdict, which must always have a statement form.

Step 9 - Proofread and edit the essay

Finally, you have to proofread and do the necessary edits to the essay. While proofreading, you have to check on the errors, such as grammatical mistakes and facts. Once you achieve the essay's clarity, you will leave it at this point and let the tutor give the feedback.

Diagnostic essay Format

The outline of the diagnostic essay is not different from the other essays. If anything, it follows the five-paragraph essay format and is written in MLA, APA, or Harvard formats. Some of the things you need to look at are the format and the flowing of the points.  If there is no other guide, the diagnostic essay outline has three parts: introduction, body, and conclusion.

Some tutors will prefer to have a slightly different format depending on their needs. If there are no instructions, you will have the following parts as the outline.

Introduction

This is the first part of the essay. The writer has to introduce the title and the whole essay in straightforward terms. You have to highlight the argumentative points that set the base of the essay. The last sentence of the essay is usually long and covers the whole major issue that the writer wants to address in the essay.

The body carries the significant components of the essay, and a diagnostic essay will have three major points. The points that you highlight in each paragraph must be comprehensive and will cover the entire argument. Diversity of thoughts and personal experience are things that you need to ensure that you have done comprehensively.

The last part of the diagnostic essay is the conclusion. The conclusion covers the summary of the whole essay and the paragraphs that you have done. In conclusion, you don't include any new ideas as you will cover what is already existing in the essay. The last statement of the article must give a positive encouragement about the whole topic.

Diagnostic Essay Outline Example

Before finally submitting your diagnostic essay, some professors prefer to see your outline. Others might only need the essay but some will want both submitted alongside each other.

If asked to write a diagnostic essay outline, here is an example of a format you can follow when writing yours.

Introduction Paragraph

• Have a strong essay hook such as a shocking statistic, fact, or quote.
• Let the reader know the crux of your ideas through a detailed background of the topic or issue at hand.
• Have a clear, concise, and relevant thesis statement .

First Body Paragraph

• Each of the body paragraphs should contain a single big idea reflected in a topic sentence. The sentence summarizes the entre paragraph, just like the thesis sentence does to the entire essay.
• Use citations when you quote, paraphrase, or summarize content from reputable sources to support the topic sentence. If possible, give examples when writing your diagnostic essay . Use data from secondary and primary sources.
• Do not orphan your quotes or paraphrased examples. Instead, explain how each supports the topic sentence. Do this critically, analytically, and professionally.
• Follow the formatting style for citations as you use information from other sources. Maintain the same citation in your body paragraphs.
• Close the paragraph and transition to the next body paragraph.

Second Body Paragraph

• Have a unique topic sentence with your second diagnostic essay idea.
• Follow the formatting rules when giving facts, evidence, and examples.
• Close the paragraph and transition to the next paragraph.

Third Body Paragraph

• Have a clear topic sentence for the next idea of your essay.
• Support the topic sentence with facts, examples, and references.
• Close your paragraph and transition to the conclusion.
• Restate your thesis statement, but in a different way than you did in the introduction.
• Do not offer extra information but summarize the ideas in the entire essay.
• End your essay with a constructive or positive note that helps your reader have a thoughtful argument within themselves concerning the content of your diagnostic essay.

Diagnostic essay topics

Essay topics come with a variation depending on the things that the students have covered in a term. The diagnostic topics should have a criterion that they meet for the students to meet their needs. They are everything that covers anything under any field of knowledge. A good diagnostic essay topic should be;

Tough and challenging - the students to reason and come up with argumentative solid points. Analytical thinking and writing skills are things that the students should do in all diagnostic essays.

Cover a limited scope- the coverage of the topic must have some limited scope. This means that the title must be specific and narrow. The students' reasoning must, in this case, be in-depth and cover the areas that have not been covered. The coverage can be specific in that it covers a specific part of art or even music.

Topic ideas that diagnostic ideas can cover

Diagnostic ideas cover several specific subjects that further divide according to the tutor's needs.

Although many universities in the United States, Australia, and some in Canada offer diagnostic essay prompts, some allow you the freedom to think and choose a befitting topic for your diagnostic essay.

If and when this happens, ensure that you select a topic that you are comfortable handling. Also, make sure that the topic of choice is relevant to your course content. Still, ensure that it?s a topic that you can use to show how skilled a writer you are.

Below are some of the diagnostic essay topics that cover specific subjects and topics, you could use them to spark your creativity.

English and literature

English and literature are some of the areas that the tutors love covering. Some of the topics that arise from the subject include;

• Describe the process of writing an effective essay
• Analyze the character of a specific character in a specific book
• How is literature important in the real-life application?
• How does reading impact your daily habits and life?
• What does it mean to be family?
• How does watching TY affect children?
• How can the American family be strengthened?
• What are some reasons teenage girls get pregnant?
• What are some difficulties that children have grown up in American society?
• What are some stereotypes of women and minorities that we see on television?
• What are some ways people can share their culture with others?
• Why do we create and continue to use stereotypes?
• What makes people beautiful to you?
• How can people overcome the habit of stereotyping?
• What is the impact of police brutality?
• How do racial disparities in America affect minorities?
• How can interracial marriages be strengthened?
• What are some ways cities can decrease or eliminate police brutality?
• How can children learn to manage their anger?
• What are some of the adjustments that students must undergo when making the transition to college?
• How are preconceptions about others formed?
• Why do people listen to music?
• Why do so many people eat fast food?
• In what ways do stereotypes influence people?s judgment?
• What can the United States do to eliminate poverty among its citizens?
• What is acceptable for men and women in dating situations?
• How has the dominant culture influenced your behavior?
• Why are the benefits of obtaining a college degree?
• How would society be affected by the legalization of marijuana?
• How have you been affected by others of a different ethnic background than your own?
• How can parents help children succeed in school?
• Why do so many Americans go so far into debt?
• What are some qualities of an ideal spouse?
• How have your dreams shaped your life?
• Why did you choose to attend C.S.U.?
• What are some of the problems that biracial couples face?
• What should people consider before deciding to have children?
• Who should be held responsible when children commit murder?
• What are some reasons to attend college?
• When should people get married?
• What are some ways in which a teacher can be a bad teacher?
• Is social media beneficial to personal relationships?
• How do you foresee the e-commerce industry in the next 5 years?
• Is it worth purchasing Bitcoin?

Topic in history

History has the most exciting aspects that bring about diagnostic essays. The beauty of the history topic is that they cover the past happenings and will reference past events. Some of the questions that you can get in the essay questions include;

• Describe the three presidents in Africa that have had a significant impact in their countries
• Describe the impact of the industrial revolution
• Discuss the history of Asia
• Does the Free Rider?s Problem Make It Unlikely to Combat the Problems of Climate Change?
• General topics

We have done history and English as the specific topics. We have general topics that have more comprehensive coverage and scope. These cover the general subjects that cover life aspects and other areas. Some of the general topics you can get include;

• Describe how time management affects your character
• Describe the aspects that make a human influential
• How much harm or good has religion caused to individual livelihoods
• Describe the effect of low self-esteem

FAQs about Diagnostic essays

What do you need to know about diagnostic essays.

Diagnostic essays are assignments that come from tutors intending to assess the progress of the learner. Part of the things that the lecturer assesses is understanding the topic and other things such as facts and grammar. It checks on the strengths of weaknesses of the student.

What are the common mistakes that people make when writing essays?

One of the biggest mistakes the essay writers make is to write essays that look like articles. They write subheadings and the lead terms which do not apply. They end up missing the format.

Poor research is another problem that essay writers make. They do shallow research, which results in points that are not adequately cooked. Facts and errors become spoilers in the essays.

Missing the basics is another grave mistake. Some of the basics you need to be clear about in essay writing is the introduction, the body, and the conclusion. Most essay writers will write something on the introduction and then repeat it all through the essay. Some come up with new ideas in conclusion.

What are the features of the best diagnostic essays possess?

An excellent diagnostic essay must be comprehensive. It must cover the aspects that come along with the topic. Moreover, it should also get the facts and the figures. Finally, the format must be clear and covering the proper aspects of the topic.

Wrapping up

Diagnostic essays are effective because they focus on the areas that cover the needs of the students in terms of weaknesses and strengths. They have rules that guide the outline and the proper writing. Coverage of specific topics is one thing that diagnostic essays focus on. Our article has covered the things that will make writers do the best diagnostic essays.

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How to Write a Diagnostic Essay: Meaning and Topics Example

How to Write a Diagnostic Essay

Are you frightened about the prospect of writing a diagnostic essay because you do not know where to begin? There is no need to panic because these are essays that test whether you possess specific skills and your existing knowledge on a particular subject.

This article will analyze everything you need to know about diagnostic essays and you do not have to worry anymore when dealing with them.

What is a Diagnostic Essay?

A diagnostic test is assigned on a known topic to help professors and instructors evaluate the level of knowledge and skills that students possess on different topics.

These essays can sometimes be challenging because to achieve their purpose there must be strict deadlines imposed with no much time for students to spend on the work.

This implies that in these essays there is no time to do research because instructors assume that you already know the topics tested

How to Write a Diagnostic Essay?

To write a diagnostic essay you are required to avoid many errors because there may be no enough time to do corrections. Therefore, always choose the correct structure and avoid grammatical mistakes because there may be no time for rewriting or additional editing.

To write a good diagnostic essay you will need to follow the following steps.

Step 1: Choose a Topic

In most cases professors provide the topic that you will write about because mostly they want to be specific on what they test. However, in cases where the topics are not provided and you are asked to choose one from what you have learnt, always ensure that you chose one that you can write with ease to avoid the need to research.

If you do not know which topic to choose, find help as soon as possible to ensure that you do not waste a lot of time.

Step 2: Create an Outline

When writing diagnostic essays, it is important that you make a rough draft of how you want your essay to look like. This draft will help you organize ideas so that when you start writing the essay you do it easily and fast.

The assumption that creating an outline when writing a diagnostic essay with minimal time allocation is wasteful is not true because it helps avoid timewasting.

The strong ideas you think of first should be noted in the outline to avoid forgetting them.

Step 3: Write the Introduction

The essay should begin with a strong statement, fact, or shocking stat to immediately grab the attention of the reader.

This sentence also sets the tone for the rest of the essay so it is important that you choose it well.

The next sentences in the introduction should always showcase what you will be talking about in your diagnostic essay. To conclude this paragraph, come up with a thesis statement which carries the whole meaning of your essay.

If you do not know how to come up with a good thesis statement, then you should train yourself to do so because it is one of the most important parts of a diagnostic statement.

Step 4: Write the Body Paragraphs

Diagnostic essays are not usually long essays. This implies that you will only use few body paragraphs. It is in these paragraphs that you include all the points that support your thesis with each taking its own paragraph.

The points should start the paragraph as the topic sentence. The topic sentence serves as the thesis statement of the paragraph because it is a short summary of the whole paragraph.

The topic sentence should then be followed by explanatory sentences to offer support. Here you can include quotes and phrases that you know about but you must always ensure that you reference them to avoid plagiarism. 

The last sentence of the paragraph should link the paragraph to the next.

Step 5: Write the Conclusion

Begin the conclusion by rewording the thesis statement in the introduction paragraph. The sentences that follow should not state any new ideas.

Instead, they should summarize all your body paragraphs. End the essay using a constructive note that will make the reader feel satisfied with what they have read.

A conclusion should always be short. It should take at most 10% of your total word count.

Step 6: Proofread your Essay

After concluding the essay, always ensure that you read it all while correcting all the mistakes that you may have made.

Check whether the punctuation is okay and if there are no grammatical mistakes. After reading and correcting, read it again to be sure that you will submit clean work and gain confidence that the feedback from your professor will be positive.

Examples of Diagnostic Essay Topics

The following are topics that you can practice writing diagnostic essays with:

How nursing theories have influenced your view on the discipline and how you foresee your future personal input in the field.

How the differential association perspective has made you change your view on criminality and if you think it applies in today’s world.

In your view what are the disadvantages of distance learning education in comparison to the standard educational methods.

Does social media use in companies today contribute to more loses and cases of misconduct?

In your view, do some famous people take advantage of their followership to influence opinions and undermine others?

Does the airing of transparent news on the media in television networks show that the era of media bias is a thing of the past?

With many success stories in the field of aviation coming into the limelight in recent years, which one can you credit with having much influence on your selection of this course?

With more traditional activities being swept away by the wave of modern technology, do you think that hunting still has a place in modern society?

Do you agree with the almost universal take that religious conflicts and political conflicts have no correlation or is this just a worldly bias?

As a psychological expert can you attest to the claims that depression is contributing to the death of people in the society today because they have no one to talk to?

In your view, should the modern curriculum be changed to tackle the issue of unemployment that is spread out in the country?

Shed more light and provide opinion on the notion that political affiliations should be used to determine the competence of candidates during elections.

As a blogger can you now refer to yourself as an online journalist?

Is it true that social media is a toxic place that people can use to judge others regardless of their real life personality being different?

Access the issues that have resulted from online learning and compare them to the benefits to decide whether it should be permanently adopted in schools or not.

Are PDFs and audiobooks replacing print books in the modern student.

Is there any justification for most European countries to question the moral and cultural standards that Qatar has set for people traveling to watch the world cup?

In the business world, is true that a good leader is as important as good employees to the success of any tasks done.

What is your opinion on gender bias, an issue that has threatened not leave the workplace even in the 21st century?

Is mediation the best way to end political differences?

Best Help to Write an Academic Diagnostic Assignment

The best help you can receive to write an academic diagnostic assignment is learning to write one yourself.

The first help that you should seek if you do not know how to write one is more research on these essays. Besides, practice essay reading to increase your knowledge. Know what it is and how it is written and put that into practice.

Do not have anybody write it for you if you cannot do it yourself. Most of these essays are issued as sit-in tests and not take-away assignments. This is why it is very important that you know how to write one.

If you have no time to effectively write one that is issued out as an assignment find help from essay writing services online.

There are online tutors who are always ready to complete your work at a price. You get back your paper urgently because the tutors are experienced and will work on your paper perfectly and swiftly.

All you will be required to do is place the order and wait for your paper to be sent to you. Online writing companies offer help 24/7 and all the help and questions you have will be fully answered.

How long is a Diagnostic Essay?

Most diagnostic essays are not required to be long. The aim of the instructor is to test your knowledge on a particular topic.

The shortest ones usually have an instruction paragraph, three body paragraphs and a conclusion. This is a task that students can complete in an hour or less.

Also, most of them are given during class and are not expected to be long because time is limited. The length of these essays increases depending on the broadness of a topic being tested and what the instructor needs you to write.

Jessica Kasen is experienced in academic writing and academic assistance. She is well versed in academia and has a master’s degree in education. Kasen consults with us in helping students improve their grades. She also oversights the quality of work done by our writers.

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How to Write a Diagnostic Essay: A Step-by-Step Guide (With Example)

Jul 21, 2023 | 0 comments

Jul 21, 2023 | Blog | 0 comments

As a beginner navigating the world of academic writing, you may find yourself tasked with composing a diagnostic essay—an essential form of assessment widely used in educational settings. Designed to assess your writing skills and critical thinking abilities, a diagnostic essay presents a unique opportunity to showcase your talents and identify areas for improvement. This article will delve into a diagnostic essay’s fundamental components and format, providing a detailed step-by-step approach to tackle this writing challenge confidently. So, let’s embark on this journey together and unlock the secrets to crafting a compelling diagnostic essay that leaves a lasting impression on your instructors.

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Diagnostic Essay Definition

A diagnostic essay is a type of essay that students may be asked to write as a form of assessment. It is a tool for instructors to gauge students’ writing skills, critical thinking abilities, and understanding of a particular topic. When asked to write a diagnostic essay, it is an opportunity for students to showcase their writing prowess and creativity. The diagnostic essay may require students to start it from scratch, without prior preparation or research, reflecting their ability to think on their feet and articulate their thoughts effectively. To tackle a diagnostic essay, students can start by creating an outline, following a writing guide, and applying their knowledge of essay structure. It is a chance to learn how to write persuasively and present compelling arguments right from the start of the essay.

So, don’t hesitate to dive into your diagnostic paper and learn to write confidently!

Diagnostic Essay Outline

Now that you understand the purpose and significance of a diagnostic essay, it’s time to lay the foundation for your writing journey with a well-structured diagnostic essay outline. Think of the outline as your roadmap—a guide to organize your thoughts and ideas.

I. Components of a Diagnostic Essay: Before diving into the outline, let’s first identify the essential components of a diagnostic essay. Your essay should include an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. The introduction sets the stage, providing necessary background information and a clear thesis statement. Body paragraphs develop your main points, supported by evidence and examples. Finally, the conclusion summarizes your key arguments and reinforces your thesis statement.

II. Creating an Effective Diagnostic Essay Outline: To begin crafting your outline, brainstorm the main ideas you want to explore in your essay. Then, group similar ideas together and organize them in a logical sequence. Your outline should reflect the flow of your thoughts and create a coherent narrative. Remember, a well-structured outline helps you stay focused and prevents your essay from veering off track.

III. Sample Outline for a Diagnostic Essay on [The Impact of Technology on Education.]: To better illustrate the power of a diagnostic essay outline, let’s create a sample outline for a hypothetical topic: “The Impact of Technology on Education.”

I. Introduction A. Hook: An intriguing statistic about technology’s prevalence in modern classrooms. B. Background: A brief overview of the integration of technology in education. C. Thesis Statement: Stating your main argument—how technology enhances learning outcomes. II. Body Paragraphs A. Technology as an Interactive Learning Tool B. Access to Vast Educational Resources Online C. Technology’s Role in Promoting Collaboration Among Students III. Conclusion A. Summarizing the positive impact of technology on education. B. Reinforcing the thesis statement and leaving the reader with a call to action.

Understanding the Diagnostic Essay Format

Congratulations on crafting a solid diagnostic essay outline!

Now, let’s focus on understanding the essay format—an essential aspect of ensuring your diagnostic essay is well-organized and engaging. The format of your essay plays a crucial role in presenting your ideas coherently and making it easy for your readers to follow your arguments.

Introduction Paragraph: Picture the introduction as your essay’s grand entrance—a chance to captivate your readers from the beginning. Start with a hook, an attention-grabbing statement, quote, or question that sparks curiosity and sets the tone for your essay. Once you’ve caught their attention, provide background information to contextualize your topic. Then, unveil your powerful thesis statement—a concise and focused declaration of your main argument. A strong thesis is the heart of your essay, guiding your writing and keeping your essay centered on the topic.

Body Paragraphs: Now that you’ve successfully invited your readers into your essay, it’s time to dive deep into your main points within the body paragraphs. Each body paragraph should revolve around a specific idea that supports your thesis statement. Begin each paragraph with a clear topic sentence that sets the focus for that section. Then, elaborate on your idea, providing evidence, examples, or data to support your claims. Remember to use proper essay structure within each paragraph, including clear topic sentences, supporting evidence, and smooth transitions to connect your ideas.

Addressing Counterarguments: In the spirit of presenting a well-rounded and persuasive essay , it’s crucial to address counterarguments—opposing viewpoints that may challenge your thesis. Acknowledge these perspectives and provide strong rebuttals supported by evidence. This demonstrates your critical thinking skills and ability to engage with various perspectives.

Conclusion Paragraph: As your essay nears its end, the conclusion paragraph serves as a powerful parting statement. Summarize the main points you’ve discussed in your body paragraphs, reminding your readers of the key arguments you presented. Reiterate your thesis statement, but do so in a fresh and impactful manner. This reinforces your central message, leaving a lasting impression on your audience. End with a thought-provoking closing statement that encourages further reflection or action.

Step by Step Guide to Writing a Good Diagnostic Essay

Now that you know how to write an essay , armed with a well-structured outline and a clear understanding of the format, it’s time to start your diagnostic essay journey. We’ll guide you through a step-by-step process that will make writing essays manageable and enjoyable.

I. Pre-Writing Strategies: Before diving headfirst into writing, take a moment to engage in pre-writing strategies that will set you up for success. If your diagnostic essay topic allows for research, gather relevant information to enrich your understanding of the subject. Then, let your creativity flow and brainstorm topic ideas, jotting down anything that comes to mind. With a pool of ideas at your disposal, create a comprehensive essay outline . This roadmap will help you stay focused and organized throughout the writing process.

II. Crafting the Introduction: Ah, the grand entrance of your essay! Start with a captivating hook that reels in your readers, leaving them curious and eager to read on. It could be an intriguing fact, a compelling quote, or even a thought-provoking question. Once you’ve caught their attention, provide a brief background on the topic to set the context. And here comes the star of your introduction—the thesis statement! Craft a clear and concise thesis that conveys your main argument and the purpose of your essay.

III. Developing Compelling Body Paragraphs: Now that your introduction has set the stage, it’s time to shine with your body paragraphs. Remember the sample outline we created? Each body paragraph should correspond to one of those main points. Start each paragraph with a topic sentence that introduces the focus of that section. Then, please elaborate on your point, supporting it with evidence, examples, or data. Make sure to analyze and interpret the evidence in the context of your prompt, showcasing your critical thinking skills.

IV. Addressing Counterarguments Effectively: A skilled essay writer doesn’t shy away from addressing counterarguments. Embrace the opportunity to demonstrate your ability to engage with differing viewpoints. Acknowledge potential counterarguments and provide strong rebuttals backed by evidence. This shows the depth of your analysis and strengthens your overall argument.

V. Creating an Impactful Conclusion:  As you approach the finish line, your conclusion is where you leave a lasting impression. Summarize the key points you’ve covered in your body paragraphs, reinforcing the main arguments. But don’t stop there! Revisit your thesis statement freshly and powerfully, reminding readers of your central message. Finally, end with a thought-provoking closing statement that leaves a lasting impact or prompts further reflection.

Diagnostic Essay Topic Ideas

• Explore how social media has transformed the way we interact and communicate with each other.
• Discuss the pros and cons of social media in fostering meaningful connections and potential drawbacks to face-to-face communication.
• Delve into the exciting realm of AI and its potential role in shaping the future of education.
• Examine the benefits and challenges of integrating AI-powered tools in the classroom, such as personalized learning and academic support.
• Investigate the impact of climate change on various ecosystems and the species that inhabit them.
• Discuss potential solutions and individual actions to mitigate the effects of climate change on biodiversity.
• Analyze how cultural diversity affects business operations, marketing strategies, and decision-making in a globalized world.
• Discuss the importance of cultural competence and sensitivity in successful international business ventures.
• Explore college students’ challenges and stressors and their impact on mental health.
• Discuss the role of educational institutions in promoting mental well-being and support services available for students.
• Delve into the ethical considerations surrounding genetic engineering and its potential consequences.
• Discuss the balance between scientific advancements and the moral implications of altering the human genome.
• Investigate the growth of e-learning platforms and their impact on traditional educational systems.
• Analyze the advantages and challenges of online education, considering accessibility, personalization, and social interaction.

Common Mistakes to Avoid in Diagnosis Essay

I. Lack of Clarity in the Thesis Statement : Your thesis statement is the backbone of your essay, providing a clear roadmap for your readers. Avoid vague or ambiguous statements, and ensure that your thesis conveys your main argument concisely. A strong thesis sets the tone for a well-structured and compelling essay.

II. Insufficient or Inaccurate Evidence : Your arguments need solid evidence. Avoid relying solely on personal opinions or general statements. Instead, support your claims with credible sources, data, examples, or real-life experiences. This strengthens your arguments and adds credibility to your writing.

III. Neglecting to Address Counterarguments: Ignoring opposing viewpoints weakens your essay’s persuasiveness. Engaging with counterarguments demonstrates your critical thinking skills and shows that you’ve considered various perspectives. Acknowledge opposing views and offer well-reasoned rebuttals supported by evidence.

IV. Weak Essay Structure and Organization: A disorganized essay can leave readers feeling lost and disengaged. Ensure a clear and logical flow by using your outline as a guide. Each paragraph should have a specific focus, starting with a topic sentence and supported by evidence and analysis. Smooth transitions between paragraphs create a cohesive narrative.

V. Inadequate Introduction and Conclusion: The introduction is your chance to make a strong first impression, and the conclusion is your final opportunity to leave a lasting impact. Avoid weak introductions that fail to grab the reader’s attention. Craft an intriguing hook, provide context, and present a clear thesis statement. Similarly, your conclusion should reiterate key points and restate the thesis, leaving readers with a thought-provoking closing statement.

VI. Lack of Proofreading and Editing: Spelling and grammatical errors can detract from your otherwise stellar essay. Take the time to proofread and edit your work to ensure clarity and coherence. Consider seeking feedback from peers or instructors to catch any overlooked mistakes.

Seek Essay Writing Help and Services

Writing a diagnostic essay can be an exciting journey, but we all know the writing process can also come with challenges. If you find yourself in need of some extra support, seeking essay writing help and services can be a game-changer!

It’s a smart move that can elevate your writing and ensure you present your best work to your instructors.

I. Utilizing Writing Centers and Campus Resources: Many educational institutions offer writing centers and resources on campus, and they can be valuable allies in your writing endeavors. Writing tutors and advisors assist you with everything from brainstorming ideas to fine-tuning your essay’s structure and style. Don’t hesitate to contact these friendly experts—they are more than willing to help you succeed.

II. Considering Professional Essay Writing Services: A reputable essay writing service can be a real lifesaver when facing tight deadlines or grappling with complex topics. Expert essay writers have honed their skills and knowledge, ensuring your essay is of the highest quality. The best services offer a personalized approach, working closely with you to understand your needs and deliver an essay reflecting your unique voice and perspective.

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Revision and Editing Tips

Congratulations on completing your diagnostic essay!

Before you hit that submit button, take a moment to dive into the crucial revision and editing phase. This final step can transform your good essay into an outstanding one, making all the difference in how your work is perceived.

• Time for a Fresh Perspective: Keep a little distance from your essay before diving into revisions. Step away for a few hours or even a day, if possible. Returning with fresh eyes will help you spot errors and identify areas that need improvement.
• Focus on Clarity and Coherence: Read through your essay with a keen eye for clarity and coherence. Ensure that your ideas flow logically from one paragraph to the next. Eliminate any repetitive or unnecessary information, and check that your thesis statement remains clear and consistent throughout.
• Check for Proper Structure: Revisit your essay outline and ensure that your essay adheres to the proposed structure. Each paragraph should have a clear focus, and the introduction and conclusion should effectively frame your arguments.
• Polish Your Writing: Look for grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors. Be mindful of sentence structure and word choice, aiming for clarity and precision. A polished and error-free essay reflects your dedication to producing quality work.
• Seek Feedback from Others: Don’t hesitate to share your essay with friends, classmates, or instructors for feedback. Fresh perspectives can provide valuable insights and highlight areas needing further attention.
• Read Aloud: Reading your essay aloud can help you identify awkward phrasing , unclear sentences, and areas needing improvement. This technique also allows you to assess the overall flow and tone of your writing.
• Maintain Originality: While incorporating feedback is valuable, ensure your essay retains your unique voice and perspective. Stay true to your ideas and ensure your writing represents your style.

Diagnostic Essay Example

Title: The Impact of Technology on Education Introduction: Technology has rapidly integrated into our lives, including education. As we navigate the digital age, the impact of technology on educational practices has become a topic of great interest and debate. This diagnostic essay explores how technology positively and negatively influences education and delves into its transformative potential for students, teachers, and the learning process. Technology as an Interactive Learning Tool  Technology has revolutionized the way students engage with educational content. Interactive learning platforms, educational apps, and multimedia resources provide dynamic and engaging learning experiences. With technology, students can actively participate in lessons, access personalized learning materials, and gain instant feedback on their progress. The integration of interactive technology enhances students’ motivation and empowers them to take ownership of their learning journey. Access to Vast Educational Resources Online  The digital landscape has democratized access to information and knowledge. Online libraries, open educational resources (OERs), and virtual academic databases are readily available, breaking down geographical and financial barriers to education. Students now have the world’s information at their fingertips, enabling them to explore diverse perspectives and expand their understanding of various subjects. Technology’s accessibility promotes lifelong learning and fosters a curious and informed generation. Technology’s Role in Promoting Collaboration Among Students  Technology has ushered in a new era of collaborative learning. Online platforms facilitate seamless communication and cooperation among students, regardless of physical location. Virtual classrooms, discussion forums, and group projects promote teamwork and collective problem-solving skills. Collaborative learning experiences prepare students for the interconnected world they will navigate in their future careers. Conclusion The impact of technology on education is undeniably significant, reshaping how we teach and learn. As we continue to harness the potential of technology, it is essential to recognize the importance of a balanced approach. While technology offers numerous benefits, it must be used thoughtfully and intentionally. Educators must ensure that technology complements traditional teaching methods rather than replacing them entirely. By embracing technology as an interactive learning tool, providing equal access to online educational resources, and fostering collaborative learning environments, we can harness its full potential to create a transformative and inclusive educational experience. In doing so, we equip students with the knowledge, skills, and adaptability needed to thrive in an ever-evolving digital world.

What is the format of a diagnostic essay?

The format of a diagnostic essay typically includes an introduction with a clear thesis statement, body paragraphs supporting the thesis, addressing counterarguments, and a conclusion summarizing the main points.

How do you write a diagnostic assignment?

To write a diagnostic assignment, start by understanding the prompt and requirements. Then, create an outline, develop your ideas in well-structured paragraphs, and edit and revise your work before submission.

What is diagnostic writing?

Diagnostic writing is an assessment or assignment given to students at the beginning of a course to evaluate their writing skills, strengths, and areas for improvement.

What is a diagnostic writing assessment?

A diagnostic writing assessment evaluates a student’s writing abilities, often used by educators to identify individual needs and tailor instruction accordingly.

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125 For Instructors: Diagnostic Essay

Students will understand…

• It is important to focus on higher-order concerns like organization, clarity, and controlling idea.
• How stress, anxiety, and fear cycles affect their learning.
• Have you ever faced a difficult challenge during your educational journey which made it harder for you to complete your work, remember things, or learn?
• If not, in what ways has your educational journey been supported by peers, teachers, or family?

Students will know…

• The definition of meta analysis and how this assignment shows their “thinking about their thinking.”
• How to format an essay for college.
• Conventions of the narrative genre.
• How to share their work for peer review.
• How to create a revision plan for a short essay.

Students will be able to…

• Create a story of their experiences that follows a narrative arc.
• Present their point of view with details “show” instead of “tell.”
• Form a clear and focused controlling idea that is more than a moral to their story.
• Write an Author’s Note about their writing process and introducing their work.

Classroom Activities

Students will:

• Brainstorm through cluster method, freewriting, and group discussion activities.
• Make a revision plan and revise based on instructor and peer review.
• Read sample essays by both students and professional writers (Alice Walker “How Oppressed Hair Puts a Ceiling on the Brain;” David Sedaris “Me Talk Pretty One Day”).
• Pick out Controlling ideas and organization strategies of the readings.

Homework Activities

• Post to the discussion forum your topic and controlling idea .
• Read and respond to two classmates’ posts.
• Read the articles
• Write brief summaries of each of the readings.
• Prepare discussion points for each reading.
• Meet with the instructor one-on-one about drafting the essay/share the rough draft.

Assessment:

Students will be assessed on…

• Day 1: Read, Analyze, Brainstorm, Write
• Day 2: Read, Analyze, Brainstorm, Write

Meet with instructor to discuss the draft

• Day 3: Peer Review, Instructor Feedback, and Revision Plan
• Day 4: Revise and turn in the final draft
• Labor-based approach/participation. As each step is done, with accompanying notes or discussion posts or class discussion, instructors can assign participation grades to the process work and a complete/incomplete grade for the final essay.
• Author’s Note– another option for a complete/incomplete grade.

Notes (add thoughts, explanations, and reflections)

This lesson is founded on a diagnostic or ungraded/low-stakes approach to allow students to see the way the reading and writing (and thinking, analyzing, and revising) will work over the course of the course. For each class meeting, students will complete reading, analysis/discussion, brainstorming, and writing. Since instructors will aid in workshopping this essay and will see the initial rough draft during a one-on-one conference, this essay will also allow instructors to see the writing needs and strengths of each student to better understand what areas will need the most focus during the semester. This approach will allow students to meet with instructors and also join a writing group during the first or second week of classes, normalizing and encouraging writing partnership as well as sharing writing right away.

The essay can easily be themed to match any course and will act as an introduction to wellness, educational experience, understanding identity, understanding culture, or even career-planning themed courses.

Reading and Writing in College Copyright © 2021 by Jackie Hoermann-Elliott and TWU FYC Team is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Excellent essay writing blog for students seeking help with paper writing. We provide exclusive tips and ideas that can help create the best essay possible.

How To Write A Diagnostic Essay? Ideas and Guidelines

Are you just beginning an academic course and have to write a diagnostic essay? Have you heard many unnerving things about this essay? Don’t worry, relax because we’ve got you! A diagnostic essay definition may be what you need to help you realize just how easy this stuff is. So what is a diagnostic essay? We can define diagnostic essays as a kind of test essay that allows an instructor to “diagnose” your writing skills .

What is a Diagnostic Essay?

Diagnostic essays are writing assignments given at the start of an academic course. Usually, the instructor provides you with a question or prompt and requires you to write a coherent piece within a short period. The essay you turn in helps the instructor discover your strengths and weaknesses. With this knowledge, your instructor will be able to make informed decisions on the appropriateness of any future tasks they assign to you.

How to write a Diagnostic Essay

Writing a diagnostic essay is different from other essay genres because of the time constraints. Diagnostic research is almost non-existent due to the strict deadline for submission. You have to start writing almost immediately after you receive the prompt. To demonstrate your time management and efficiency skills, you have to learn how to allocate time to the different aspects of the essay correctly. Feeling uneasy already? Relax! Your instructors rarely grade these assignments! However, it would be best if you learned to write them because they are a frequent inclusion in standard exams like the SAT.

So now that we know precisely what a diagnostic essay is, how do we go about writing one? Writing a diagnostic essay will be a stroll in the park if you have prior knowledge of a diagnostic essay format, common diagnostic essay topics, diagnostic essay samples, and a guide on how to write a diagnostic essay. First of all, let’s consider the structure of a diagnostic essay.

Diagnostic Essay Structure

Since there is no time to research diagnostic criteria, you need to have an idea of the essay structure before you write. Even though you have only a limited amount of time to write a diagnostic essay, it is essential first to allocate a couple of minutes to structure out your essay. Skipping this vital step may cost you a lot of time and coherence. The structure of a diagnostic essay is identical to other essay types where there is an introduction, the main body, and a conclusion.

Start the introductory section by reiterating the topic or by answering the question in your prompt. Afterward, preview the three main points which you plan to make in the essay body. The next step is making your thesis statement by compressing the arguments into a single sentence.

The body should have about three paragraphs with each paragraph addressing a single point. Begin the section with a new argument and expound on how that argument supports the thesis statement. Don’t be afraid to include facts or data that may back up your claim if you’re sure of them.

Here, you start by summarizing the arguments in the body clearly and concisely. Show that you truly have a grasp of that idea. Afterward, rephrase your thesis statement and finalize the article with a captivating sentence.

Diagnosis essays and diagnosis papers are easy to write when you internalize all these suggestions birthed from diagnosis research.

Diagnostic Essay Topics

Getting familiar with likely diagnostic essay topics will go a long way in helping you organize your thoughts more rapidly and turn in your paper with time to spare. Some instructors may give you the freedom to consider and create everything about your diagnostic essay. I bet you don’t want to miss out on that opportunity by not knowing what topic to choose! Just ensure you select what fits into your program articles and makes you stand out. Use this rare opportunity to showcase your knowledge and talent! We shall provide you with 15 diagnostic essay prompts to help you write that your diagnostic paper!

• What are the major elements of effective writing?
• Can you consider online bloggers to be journalists?
• The most dangerous thing to do on earth.
• Will electronic publications replace conventional printing?
• Problems modern families encounter.
• The challenges of moving to a new country.
• How shocking events can change people’s perceptions.
• How you spent your holidays.
• Who do you love the most?
• Who is a good friend?
• Why the liquor consumption age should be lower in the US.
• Why is patience a virtue?
• The most productive time of the day.
• What does it mean to be successful?
• Why social networking does more harm than good.

Diagnostic Essay Examples

You may need a short diagnostic essay example or diagnostic essay sample to give you a specific grasp of how a diagnostic essay should be.

First, the Introduction (Start with a right hook sentence, summarize the three body paragraphs, and give a strong thesis statement.) Have you ever imagined falling off a skyscraper? Many things may appear dangerous, but none of these things is as dangerous as playing Spider-Man. Imagine the doom if your webs fail to spin after you jump off the top of a skyscraper! Falling from such a height, etc. Now the three-bodied paragraph (The body paragraph should start with topic sentences that immediately introduces an idea). P1. A skyscraper is a building with an architectural height of at least 330 ft., etc. (give other descriptions of a skyscraper) P2. A Spider-Man is anyone with the ability to cling to any surface and release cord of webs from the hands, etc. P3. Falling off a skyscraper could mean certain death, except there is a pile of feathered pillows at the exact spot of impact, which is highly unlikely, etc. (paint why it is dangerous) Conclusion (Summarize, restate the thesis, and write an inspiring last sentence) Falling off a skyscraper could be fatal. If you can’t jump off a skyscraper, you may want to agree with me that it is the most dangerous thing in the world, etc.

What To Avoid In A Diagnostic Essay

To write an excellent diagnostic essay, you should:

• Not use phrases such as “my humble opinion”.
• Not use unnecessary words like “the purpose of writing this essay”.
• Never start with a dictionary definition of the topic.
• Be as specific possible in painting an idea.
• Use simple and short sentences.
• Write with passion.
• Hire an essay writer .

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What Do You Need to Know About a Diagnostic Essay?

March 29, 2023, a year ago

Diagnostic Essay Explained - Everything You May Miss

To get a better result at a specific writing task, you first may understand what it's about. It's about more than just learning the definition. It's also about understanding the specifics (structure, volume, etc.) and finding the best ways to complete the task. A diagnostic essay is a task that can't be completed right without learning basic things.

The first question is, "what's a diagnostic essay?". It's a writing task that requires preparing a piece and responding to a question or prompt. The main goal is to provide an initial assessment of the student's writing ability, including their grammar, vocabulary, organization, and overall communication skills. Then, when the assignment is ready, teachers provide feedback revealing writing strengths and weaknesses. With this report, students will know what needs to be improved and what may remain on the same level for now.

However, it's only the tip of the iceberg of what students should notice about diagnostic essays and assignment writing services . So keep reading to discover lots of helpful information about this assignment.

What Does Diagnostic Essay Mean? Writing Explained

The diagnostic essay is meant to diagnose writing skills. It's a task that reveals what students can and can't do at the beginning of a course or academic program. As individuals get a question, they should respond to it by writing a diagnostic essay. The feedback given by the teacher is not meant to show how bad the writing was. On the other hand, its main target is to help students analyze their mistakes and improve their writing skills. So, if a college diagnostic essay looks comprehensive, it's not bad at all.

A detailed report reveals fundamental issues (grammar, punctuation) and how well students can analyze information to bring logically complete text. Moreover, if English is a second learning language, writing a diagnostic essay helps to improve communication skills. Moreover, such pieces are used to determine what knowledge level in the subject you have at the moment.

Depending on the course or academic program individuals attend, the diagnostic essay may be timed or untimed. Hiring an essay writer is always an option if you need help with this task and want to do it yourself. Cooperation with an experienced writer allows one to avoid typical issues and get a high readability level.

Format and Structure of a Diagnostic Essay

A teacher provides the diagnostic essay format. Students receive all the information about word count, page limit, lime limit, and other details. You can also ask to show actual diagnostic essay topics. This information helps to create a plan and stick to it.

The structure of a diagnostic essay is similar to a classic paper. There are three parts included in this writing task: introduction, body (usually has three paragraphs), and conclusion. Before describing each part in detail, some other points should be considered while working on a diagnostic essay.

Consider being as specific as possible while presenting ideas and arguments. Each aspect of the problem should be clarified as teachers read all the assignments carefully. Including this in the diagnostic essay outline is a good decision.

Less general sentences and more examples. Each provided argument or supported opinion should have an example, so why not add some to your diagnostic essay? It will only be a plus.

Writing style with short and logically-correct sentences is a top priority for diagnostic assignments. Moreover, editing and proofreading will be easier because a whole piece of writing is created this way.

Having these simple tips in front when writing a diagnostic essay makes the process easier—no need to think about building a proper structure and sticking to the format. Take notes, and write all your ideas about your topic, as it will be easier to choose the best one later. If you want to show your writing skills, having such tips is a great advantage unless you want to hire someone to say, "do my essay for me , please."

Introduction of the Diagnostic Essay

The best way to open a diagnostic essay is to write a strong statement, fact, or statistic that will immediately draw readers' attention. Ideally, it should be one sentence long. Also, it should be clear so that the reader won't think of a hidden meaning. The statement you mentioned in the introduction will be presented in the body part of the diagnostic essay, so keep the logical sequence.

Creating Body Paragraphs of the Essay

Remember that there are three body paragraphs, each including specific details.

● First body paragraph

As with all body paragraphs of the diagnostic essay, it may start with the topic sentence - a summary of what you will say in the current part. It's similar to a thesis statement. It's also essential to substantiate claims you make using quotations and references. Ensure you check the sources you work with to avoid adding wrong information.

Copy-pasting quotes into the college diagnostic essay is not an option. It's essential to explain them in your own words. It shows that, as an author, you understand what you are writing about. Also, ensure you follow the citing rules to avoid plagiarism.

● Second body paragraph

This part is aimed to reveal another big idea of your writing. Follow the rules and recommendations mentioned in the description of the first paragraph. Another important detail about the diagnostic essay is choosing the appropriate citation formatting style. If you are unsure which one to choose, feel free to ask the teacher.

● Third body paragraph

Again, revealing and explaining the next big idea comes with quotes and references.   Remember to keep the logical sequence and avoid repeatable parts when writing body paragraphs in the diagnostic essay. The appropriate plan helps to separate the information between the sections, moving from one thesis to another. To gradually move from one part to another, use transition sentences as it gets easier to follow the plan.

Conclusion of the Diagnostic Essay

This is a part where the author summarizes all the ideas and provides a final statement for the topic. A very important tip - don't repeat the thoughts and main theses already mentioned. The first sentence in the conclusion will be a restated thesis statement. After that, you will say whether you achieved the goals in the introduction.

A Step-By-Step Guide to Write a Diagnostic Essay

Descriptions of each part of the writing may be good, but sometimes people want to have a guide to understand what to do. So, besides having an example of a diagnostic essay, it's good to have step-by-step instructions with a brief description of each move.

First, choose the topic. If the teacher didn't give you one, it's time to pick it yourself. It may be a question that you need to reply to in the essay. Below is the list of interesting and catchy diagnostic essay topics.

● Water pollution: effects and consequences ● Ways to use your talent ● The negative impact of technologies ● Why people fall deep into depts - major causes ● The primary reasons that lead to stereotypes ● The significant impact of smart locks on modern society

If you choose a topic, think about something relevant today and what looks interesting to you.   Second, create a thesis statement. This is a key point that should be written to save time. You will likely have a deadline. Take time to write and pin the thesis statement because you may need more time.

The next is a diagnostic essay outline. Why not organize and structure thoughts to have a positive outcome later? First, write all ideas, statements, and thoughts associated with the task. Then structure them to see how to use them inside the diagnostic essay.

After that, write the introduction of the diagnostic essay. When introducing your writing, use brief and catchy sentences. The main task of the introduction is to make an excellent first impression. Readers should understand what the essay is about after reading the introduction.

The following are body paragraphs in diagnostic writing. Three large parts where you put all essential information about the topic. Elaborate on your opinion using convincing evidence. Use cites as arguments and follow the logical sequence.

The conclusion is the essay's final part, where all the ideas and thoughts are summarized in a few sentences.

Don't forget to edit and proofread your diagnostic essay to avoid matches and common mistakes. Missing a few commas or articles in writing may be disagreeable, so be attentive.

Following a diagnostic essay format is not as difficult as it seems. You are not obligated to provide comprehensive research; finding general information will be enough. However, even if the process is too complicated for you, hiring a professional essay writer is always possible. With the help of this person, you can sleep well, knowing that soon you will receive a great piece of diagnostic writing.

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Diagnostic Essay: Writing Guide + Examples

When students are asked to write a diagnostic essay, they are often intimidated because most do not know how this type of essay differs from others. A diagnostic report doesn’t work like a typical one. Its purpose is to test or diagnose the skill sets that college students should possess. Typically conducted by college professors at the start of the academic year, it helps faculty assess the existing knowledge of a particular student or class audience.

Do you still have any questions? Stay tuned with edusharky.com and find out all the nuances of writing and designing a diagnostic essay. Our team of professional writers will not only help you understand the rules and requirements, but provide some practical examples for you.

What Is a Diagnostic Essay: Main Definition

Most diagnostic essay assignments advance a specific question or topic that the student needs to answer in writing. Through the diagnostic essay, the professor can assess the skills and determine the level of knowledge of each student.

Please note that unlike some other types of writing, here, you do not need to tell the reader what books you have read or lead examples by referring to sources. The purpose of this essay is to highlight your strengths, weaknesses, and creativity.

We invite you to learn more about the structure of a diagnostic essay and the secrets of writing it. Read below for some helpful information for you.

How to Write a Diagnostic Essay

After we have become familiar with the definition of a diagnostic document, the question arises, “how to write a diagnostic essay?” Please read the step-by-step instructions below carefully.

Step 1. Good Thesis Statement for Your Diagnostic Essay

It would help if you started writing the text with the thesis statement for a diagnostic essay. A well-formed thesis should reflect your thoughts on the chosen topic. In other words, after reading the view, the reader should understand the idea of the written work and your attitude to the issue of the essay. Think in advance what arguments can be made in favor of your thesis statement. In the first part of the sentence, clearly describe your position, and in the second part, start with the words “because,” back up your thoughts with compelling arguments. Read about this in the following paragraphs.

Step 2. Write a Good Outline for A Diagnostic Essay

To structure the flow of thoughts in your head, write a diagnostic essay outline. The paragraph will help you keep order and not get confused during the writing process. First, write down important thoughts and ideas on a piece of paper, and then arrange them in a logical or chronological order. Follow the one paragraph, one thought rule. It will keep your text readable and correct.

Step 3. Craft an Introduction for a Diagnostic Essay

How to start a diagnostic essay? It is not difficult! Start your essay with a loud statement or phrase that will interest your readers. According to generally accepted rules, the introductory part of the essay consists of a thesis and several reasoned sentences. Explain your attitude to the subject of discussion. Use significant phrases, discuss how your topic is helpful to society. Please note that the introductory part of your essay should take up from 10 to 25% of the entire text.

Step 4. Creating Body Paragraphs for Diagnostic Essay

The standard text should include three body paragraphs for diagnostic essays. However, this criterion may differ due to the requirements of your class. Build one argument in each of these paragraphs. Use facts and quotes, give examples. Do not break the structure of the central text part so as not to get lost in thought. Start a paragraph with an argument and a thematic sentence so that the reader immediately understands what will be discussed. End your paragraph with general phrases that will soften the transition between paragraphs and arguments.

Step 5. Write Conclusion Paragraph for Diagnostic Essay

In a diagnostic essay conclusion, you need to summarize all your thoughts. Always in the decisions, you need to repeat the thesis that you wrote in the introductory part. Only in the conclusions do you need to speak without hesitation, not to use the words “possibly,” “most likely,” “imagine.” Repeat the most potent argument and tell the reader that you have proven your point. The Conclusion is one general summary of your writing. This part of the essay should not be more than 3-7 sentences.

Step 6. Proofreading and Editing Your Diagnostic Essay

Are you finished writing a diagnostic essay? It’s time to start checking! Do not ignore this point because editing will help you avoid gross and minor mistakes in the text. Reread your essay out loud. It will help you to look at your text differently. First, ask the right questions about the topic. Finally, correct any punctuation or grammatical errors and use a  acdamic translation service  to ensure accuracy.

Diagnostic Essay: Key Takeaways

The idea of   a diagnostic essay is to determine the level of knowledge of a particular student or group of students. Most often, such a diagnosis is carried out at the beginning of the class. It helps the professor to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the students and their creativity.

Based on the results, a training plan will be built for a certain period. Thus, all the information that the teacher will submit will correspond to the level of knowledge of a whole group of students and will be easily assimilated by them.

Do you still have questions about your diagnostic essay or don’t have time to write it? Our team of professional writers with years of experience can assist you with any academic writing. Seek professional help to get the highest score for your efforts.

• Essay Writing

WHAT ARE DIAGNOSTIC ESSAYS?

Checked : Yusel A. , Greg B.

Latest Update 19 Jan, 2024

Table of content

The purpose of diagnostic essays

Different elements of diagnostic essays, the outline of a diagnostic essay, introduction, topics of diagnostic essays, few things to keep in mind.

Diagnostic essays are essays that students, at the start of the college years are given to write. Although the name can be confusing and can cause fear, it is unlike typical research papers for universities. During a diagnostic essay writing period, the students are not allowed to research the topic and instead are given limited time to complete the essay on any specified topic.

The main purpose of writing a diagnostic essay is for the professor to be able to determine the students’ skill level in writing, general knowledge, and creativity. The limited time during the writing session does not help, as one is not given enough time to research a topic, and only write the basis of their knowledge.

This essay mainly focuses on the ability of the student to create and prepare the essay with logic, practical and strategic thinking and with correct grammar, punctuation, and formatting rules. It also tests the students’ capability to think on their feet, their proofreading and editing skills. Plenty of times, the professor may choose to modulate the curriculum in a specific manner to ensure that the students’ weak points are covered, or that they do extensive work to overcome their shortcomings, in case they are lagging behind.

Like most essays, diagnostic essays will have three different segments, the introduction, the body of the essay and finally the conclusion. The essay should be approximately five to six paragraphs long.

As an example, the topic that the students have been given is the “Most important experiences of your life”, or “Why do you think globalization is important?” In this case, the student can decide to write about two hundred words for each section of the essay, except the body, which can be approximately four hundred words. Frequently, the professor may specify how many words are required, which makes writing much simpler.

The introduction will specifically talk about the basics of the chosen topic. It should not cover too much, as there should be material for the body also. The end of the introduction should be the thesis statement that will describe the personal view of the writer on the given topic. Therefore, one can write about what they deem to be the most important experiences of their lives and in the thesis, they can add why they think the points are noteworthy.

The thought behind different paragraphs is that each new thought on the topic or idea should be written in a new paragraph in the body.

The body copy of the essay should be split further, into three sections. It is imperative that one is able to break the topic into segments as there is limited time for this essay and therefore it needs to be well thought out writing. Each paragraph can be about the different experiences that the student is writing about.

The conclusion should be the summary of all the points in the essay, rewritten; why they think the experiences are important, what the experiences are, complete it by summarizing all the points in the essay.

To give a clearer picture of the outline of the essay, we have simplified the outline to help students understand it better, using the topic from before, “Most important experiences of your life”.

• Make sure you rewrite the topic in your own words
• Key point listing
• The thesis statement

Paraphrasing is the restatement of the topic or text in different words and terms. For example, to paraphrase the subject matter will be, “Significantly important and defining experiences of my life”.

Key point listing is referring to the events or experiences that one is going to write about. The last section of the introduction is the thesis statement.

The thesis statement states not only the topic’s factual information but also what the writer’s take on that data is. The next part of the essay is the body, which is separated into three different segments.

• The first key element or point mentioned in the introduction
• The second key element or point mentioned in the introduction
• The last key element or point mentioned in the introduction

The last section will summarize the entire content of the essay into one small paragraph. The key to a good summary will be listing the key points or elements discussed in the body along with the answered prompt, which was written in the introduction.

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Since diagnostic essays come unannounced and with limited writing time, the topics that are usually covered are mostly general knowledge, personal experiences, aggravated social causes and so forth. The topics will not be complicated as the education board factors in the limited time and no research rule. Some good examples of diagnostic topics are listed below. 

• 1. Can renowned social media activists also be called celebrities?
• 2. Should old-fashioned gender roles be done away with once and for all?
• 3. Does Racial Discrimination Truly Exist?

Due to the limited time available, many students tend to panic. Panic is the oppressor of good writing and it will hamper your basic skills if one allows it to. Another point that students fear is that their general knowledge may not be up to the mark. These essays are not to certify how knowledgeable one is, rather have a clear idea about how much work the student has to complete to reach the required level. Lastly, the key to good writing is not to rush through the essay. After the essay has been completed, proofread the content and edit when necessary.

With a clear and concise idea about the topic, the essay can be written skillfully using our guide. The most important factors will be the introduction, the thesis statement, the body copy, along with the details of the key elements and finally the summary of the topic. Writing is skill, and that can be a learned skill or a natural one. While many people consider writing to be a daunting task, people, who practice, can cultivate and develop good writing skills.

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What Is A Diagnostic Essay

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Diagnostic Essay – A Clear And Simple Definition

By John Johnson

Updated on May 18, 2023

Students do many tests to assess their abilities in different fields, and drafting multiple academic papers is one of the areas instructors use to measure your composing aptitudes. Sometimes learners take the tests casually because they feel they have nothing to lose. However, in some cases, lack of knowledge on the subject makes it hard for them to write exceptionally.

We have provided multiple hacks to help you compose an excellent diagnostic essay. We understand students' challenges, which is why we have identified a place where you can secure professional support. Before you struggle alone, visit EssayUSA for instant academic help. The burden of composing a flawless diagnostic essay will be lifted.

So, what's a diagnostic essay? Such queries should always come first when doing any assignment. Understand your task and its scope to deliver on its purpose. As the word suggests, a diagnostic essay is a piece used to analyze your drafting skills. It is an essay whose aim is to weigh your writing capabilities.

Pro Tips For Writing A Diagnostic Essay

A diagnostic essay enables an instructor to assess your comprehension and drafting skills. You can write on different diagnostic essay topics to achieve this goal. Therefore, what aspects do instructors look at in a diagnostic composition? Understanding the assessment areas helps you meet the demands and showcase your prowess correctly.

You can follow simple tips to draft an excellent piece regardless of the available diagnostic essay topics. These tips cut across and give you the basis for exceptional composition:

- Select the Topic

- Before you write your diagnostic essay:

- Read the prompt attentively and find a suitable theme you can handle.

- Ensure you have a good topic.

- Avoid multifaceted themes and, instead, find an interesting subject.

Draft A Thesis Statement

It is the backbone of any composition and everything you compose centers on it. A good thesis is clear and provides a stance on your selected topic. It gives the reader the direction of your composition.

Outline Your Work

An outline is vital in any composition. It enables you to order your points and find the best methodology to complete your diagnostic essay professionally before embarking on it. In addition, a diagnostic essay outline helps you know the areas to address and how to proceed.

Write The Introduction

This is the first section of your college diagnostic essay that gives an overview of the entire text. It provides vital information that helps the reader find value in your work. In addition, you will be assessed on how you compose your introduction. Each diagnostic piece section has a specific purpose; you must guarantee to meet it.

Compose The Body Paragraphs

The comprehensive fragment of your composition discusses the main arguments to support your thesis. This section is divided into segments, where each clause comprises a single idea. The numbers of subsections in a college diagnostic essay are contingent on the ideas in question.

Draft The Conclusion

It is a specific section. It summarizes the entire text and gives takeaway facts with a call to action. Normally, it restates the thesis and confirms the final viewpoint.

Review And Correct Your Diagnostic Essay

Your work is not complete unless you countercheck and correct it. Students forget this section and deliver tasks with many grammar mistakes and typos. Always review your work and makes changes where necessary.

Organization And Layout Of A Well-Drafted Diagnostic Essay

Like any other piece, a diagnostic essay outline follows three main steps. The three sections include the pre, post-writing, and drafting phases. The initial step involves reading the guidelines and assessing available data. The post-writing phase includes rereading and formatting to ensure you adhere to all writing norms.

Here, we center on the diagnostic essay format in the writing phase because this is the real deal. While some get it right, others struggle to comprehend the basic structure and what to provide. Therefore, this diagnostic essay format will center on the key sections and provide details of how each should be drafted.

Introduction

This is the first section of your paper, but it is not necessarily drafted first. In some cases, you write it after you have completed other sections of your essay. For example, drafting it after you finish the body paragraphs is easier because it aims to summarize the entire research.

You can create a good introduction when you know what you have drafted. Therefore, the introduction sums up what you have learned from the exploration. On the other hand, writing an overview of what you have drafted is easier, so it is advisable to write the introduction last.

The introduction does five things. Therefore, when drafting your diagnostic essay overview, ensure the following:

- You provide the background of your composition

- Identify the problem

- Give the rationale for your writing

- Show how the problem will be solved or how you intend to address your ideas

- Summarize the solutions

- Body Paragraphs

Creating a good essay is not all about having subtopics and information to share. The content must be engaging and relevant to the reader too. To achieve these, writers follow a prescribed approach that allows them to meet the demands of a good composition. Writing a diagnostic essay is no different. You need to compose the body paragraphs in the best way possible.

An excellent example of a diagnostic essay portrays some aspects that must be included in any body paragraph. The basic parts include:

- Topic sentence- the first line tells the reader what to expect in the paragraph. It carries the main idea of that section.

- Evidence- after giving the main idea, you need to make an assertion and give the evidence. Show why you have taken a particular stance.

- Concluding statement. What is your opinion about the presentation? Give your thought and complete the section for the following paragraph.

- Transition- this shows you have concluded your thought and thus paves the way for another idea.

These four elements should not lack in a good body paragraph. Your diagnostic essay follows the same approach; meeting these requirements lets you rank highly.

Concluding Part

This section is often ignored and thought to be the last line of the paragraph. However, it is not the case because the conclusion has its significance. Your piece must address different aspects in the conclusion to make a good ending.

The first thing is to restate the thesis. In most cases, it is referred to as answering it. Show the reader the drive of your diagnostic essay and how you have completed it. Secondly, sum up your focal concepts and give the relevance of your composition. What are your findings, and how do they affect or support the position you have taken?

The last section is the final note on the significance of your writing. Share your thoughts and give the reader the next course of action. What should they do after reading your work? Should they find something else to do or practice what you have provided?

A Systematic Guide On How To Compose A Diagnostic Essay

We have discussed various approaches one can employ to create a good text. What you need to provide in each section is provided to help you meet your writing objectives. Therefore, this is a simple outline to help you draft your essay from scratch. Writing a diagnostic essay will be easier if you adhere to these steps:

- Select the right topic you can handle with ease. Then, ensure you research and find the right content to share.

- Develop a strong thesis account because this guides you as you navigate to deliver an appealing piece.

- Outline your work highlighting the points you wish to present in your composition. Plan everything and draft later. Finally, compose your piece adhering to the ideas in the outline.

- Check and correct your piece to meet all the writing norms.

These are the systematic steps to compose an excellent diagnostic paper without struggling. With these hacks, writing a diagnostic essay will be an easy venture.

The Final Approach To Drafting An Excellent Diagnostic Essay

You can deliver a perfect article when you adhere to these aspects. However, the excellence of your piece depends on your drafting competence and the subject you select. Therefore, read extensively and write a lot to hone your aptitudes. You can be a good writer if you follow these tips to the end. Nothing should be impossible for you because you have experts online to give well-written examples to emulate.

Ensure you find a correct theme, research, and outline your work before writing. If you do this, you will not struggle to compose your piece because all you require will be available. Unfortunately, many students lack this and end up delivering compromised academic pieces.

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When given a diagnostic essay to write, many students freak out because they do not know precisely the diagnostic essay. A diagnostics essay aims to assess or diagnose a set of competencies that college students are expected to possess at a certain academic level. It is typically administered by college professors at the start of the academic year to assist teachers in evaluating the existing knowledge of a specific student or course.

Like any other assignment, there are specific rules and things to look for, which you can only find in our diagnostic essay guide. If you are overwhelmed with your diagnostic essay burden, Eddusaver has a strong team of specialists who can help you write an essay of any sort and complexity. Have a look at our writing guide, and your writing challenges will be no more!

Writing a diagnostic essay can be difficult if you are unsure of how to approach it. In contrast to a research paper, a diagnostic essay is intended to evaluate or test various skills that students should possess. Our writing service has brought you the current trends aimed at giving you a top grade. Ask us “how to write a diagnostic essay”, and you will receive a convincing guide to a custom diagnostic essay.

What is a diagnostic essay in definition?

A diagnostic essay is a piece of writing to assess a student’s knowledge of a topic or subject. It is usually teacher-made and is given at the start of academic sessions to provide the learner with a scope or ideas expected to be achieved at the end of the training.

Besides assessing the learner’s aptitudes, diagnostic essays are also used to evaluate the skill acquisition, grammar, and vocabulary proficiency level achieved in the same period. Teachers find it hard to determine students’ needs. If professionally done, diagnostic essays can serve as formal entry requirements for educational institutions. The diagnostic essay has a five-paragraph structure that consists of an introduction, a body that could have three-body paragraphs and a conclusion. The teacher typically assigns two or more topics related to the one students are familiar with and provides a prompt design that forces the students to think critically and write the information they have gained over the term.

If you are writing a diagnostic essay, you should not be afraid to seek help from our writing service. Similarly, if you are a teacher planning to give a diagnostic essay to your students, this article will help. We will help you identify the areas of struggle and then propose lasting remedies. Do not fail your assessment when Eddusaver is here. Seek our help, and we will give you the assistance you need to be a great writer.

Strategies to choose when writing a diagnostic essay.

Once your facilitator assigns you a diagnostic essay topic to start thinking about the concepts, the first stage in diagnostic essay writing will be to build your outline based on the key points obtained from your research. The second consideration in the writing process is managing your time based on the tutor’s instructions. Wondering how to write a winning diagnostic essay? Here is the consideration you shoul make before the writing process.

• Choose the topic – If your tutor still needs to assign you the topic, they will give you a question to which you will have to reply in the form of an essay. If given the freedom to choose your topic and you need a clue, here is a list of topics you can choose from.
• a) Biggest challenges for modern students.
• b) Will remote jobs prevail over office jobs in future?
• c) Whose success story is an example to you?
• d) Are there more benefits than harm with online studying?
• e) Is there a problem of racial prejudice in student dorms?
• Create a thesis statement- Many students need help with planning a diagnostic essay thesis statement. Though they write multiple essays on diagnostic essays, only a few understand how to create a strong thesis statement. A diagnostic essay thesis statement is the key point to your explanation. It adds a point to start your thesis statement with a catchy statement to keep your readers engaged through your essay.
• Create an outline: an essay outline helps you keep things organized and has a thoughtful structure. It spells out the ideas the writer should note at every stage so you do not forget essential facts. By keeping a workable plan, you know the depth and the scope and won’t go beyond your word count by making youe topic too broad.
• 4 . Consider your introduction: a custom diagnostic essay should begin with a hook sentence or a phrase that inspires your readers. The writer should introduce the subject and briefly explain its relevance to society. The introduction paragraph is also the paragraph that connects your thesis statement to your essay.
• Topic sentence- The writer includes a topic sentence in the body paragraphs. A topic sentence is a sentence in an essay that identifies the paragraph’s main idea. In it, the writer states the point he wishes to make about the subject. Generally, a topic sentence appears at the beginning of the paragraph. It is important to remember that a topic sentence is often written at the beginning of every paragraph and should address a new idea.
• Conclusion- an essay conclusion is generally the last paragraph. In it, the writer summarizes the thoughts and ideas discussed in the essay. It should be written in simplified and clear language for easy understanding. To make a compelling conclusion for your paper,

⦁           Do not introduce any new ideas.

⦁           Mention briefly only the key findings.

⦁           Avoid repetition whatsoever.

⦁           Keep it brief and short.

⦁           Reaffirm your essay to the question

⦁           Make the last point memorable.

• Editing and proofreading: editing helps you avoid major and minor mistakes you made in the writing process to make your essay flawless. If possible, read your paper out loud or ask your peer to help you in the process. However, as you edit your essay, think creatively to check things with your grading rubric or prompt to make peace with your tutor and score improved grades.

Writing an excellent diagnostic paper is not as difficult as writing other types of essays if you follow the writing guidelines provided during your training. In diagnostic essay writing, you are not required to copy content from diverse academic sources. However, you can include some external information to support your facts. When assigned a diagnostic essay, the most important thing is to be motivated as you begin writing and demonstrate solid language and structure that interests your readers.

Arts compare and contrast topics

Beethoven vs. Mozart

Op art movement vs. abstract art movement

Impressionism vs luminism era

Acrylics vs. oil paint

Renaissance vs. Neoclassical painters

Van Gogh vs Salvador Dali

Frida Kahlo vs. Diego Rivera

Paul Signac vs Georges Seurat 

Renaissance art vs. Baroque art

Leonardo da Vinci vs Michelangelo

Angkor Wat vs. forbidden city

The Lotus Temple vs. Sydney Opera House

Why do we write a diagnostic essay?

 A diagnostic essay helps teachers evaluate students’ abilities, writing style, and level of knowledge by describing their knowledge base. Demonstrating that you read any particular books or conducted a thorough investigation is unnecessary.  A diagnostic essay serves as a tool for assessing the following reasons:

• To assess your knowledge and use of the English language.
• To assess grammar skills.
• To learn more about history or anything you know about the subject.
• To gauge the progress in learning English as a second language
• To determine whether you are making progress in academic track
• To transfer students to new schools
• Entrance or admissions examinations
• Scholarship application.

Just as nurses assess patients’ symptoms to diagnose a disease, tutors use diagnostic essays to investigate the depth to which a student has understood regarding mastering the subject. Diagnostic essays align what the student understands to a specific subject or topic. It evaluates the level of the students understanding with the ability to express themselves. The student’s ability to use strategic thinking and real-life applications to express their knowledge is what the teachers expect in diagnostic essay writing.

A compelling diagnostic essay does not aim to prove that you have read through a particular book or conducted in-depth research but to evaluate your skills and define your level of knowledge related to the given subject.

Sample Diagnostic essay topics.

• Computer science topics
• Are racial prejudice conflicts based on psychology or physiology grounds?
• What are the defects of distance learning training contrasted with standard learning strategies?
• Should the liquor utilization age be extended or brought down?
• How would you anticipate a part of informal communication a long time from now?
• Will E-books replace print books?
• Literature and English.

⦁           Has literature been important to your life?

⦁           Describe the literature of the Romantic era drawing focus from printed novels.

⦁           What is your writing process?

⦁           Discuss three books that have had a great impact on you. Why have the books been so             important to you?

⦁           Analyze one character from the book ‘Frankenstein.’

⦁           What does it mean to be a family?

⦁           What are some reasons teenage girls get pregnant?

⦁           Describe the process of writing an effective essay.

⦁           How does watching TV affect children?

⦁           What makes people beautiful to you?

⦁           What are some of the cities that decrease or eliminate police brutality?

⦁           How can children learn to manage their anger?

⦁           How has the dominant culture influenced your behaviour?

⦁           Why do people listen to music?

⦁           Is it worth purchasing Bitcoin?

Medical services and Nursing topics.

• Working in the ER office, how can feelings of anxiety be diminished?
• How does college life affect the sleeping patterns of modern students?

III.       Should conventional medication practices be viewed as adequate?

• Should the nursing workforce be totally honest or politically correct?
• What nursing scholars have impacted me, and how would I predict my social input?

General Essay Topics

• What is your leadership style?
• Describe a time you were outside your comfort zone. What impact did it have on your character development?
• Why is a free press essential to democracy?
• Describe your short-term and long-term goals?
• Does religion do more harm than good?
• What does the term “White privilege” mean to you?
• Do you believe healthcare should be universal in the United States? Why or not?
• Is human nature essentially good or bad?
• Describe the effect of low self-esteem?

What should you not write in a diagnostic Essay?

Diagnostic essay writing involves tasking skills. Even though the essays are not marked, or the marks count in the final grading, it is important to create a compelling paper. Ensure your submission is an accurate reflection of your capabilities by taking note of the following:

• Do not include any new ideas in the conclusion part.
• Avoid anything that deviates from your subject.
• Note the language and vocabulary inappropriate for your essay.
• Only use quotes with citations explaining their sources; diagnostic essays do not require many citations; however, you can use them if you wish.
• Sentences that are too long and confusing to the reader should be avoided.
• Keep your thesis statement brief and understandable. Preferably, one sentence long is enough to summarise your points.
• Avoid words and phrases that are too vague or too exaggerated. The diagnostic essay is about simplicity na making brief comments about what you understand. Make a good           choice of the words you want to be reflected in your essay.

The Dos and Don’ts in diagnostic essay writing.

Writing a custom diagnostic essay can be a daunting task for students. Students require high levels of academic ability to create a winning diagnostic essay. These essays are effective because they focus on the areas that cover students’ weaknesses and strengths in a subject. As seen earlier, diagnostic essays follow some rules. The following as some of the tips on creating a winning piece.

⦁           Start your essay by selecting a topic you are knowledgeable about.

⦁           Spend more time on your thesis statement, as it is the central argument your reader will         get.

⦁           Keep the word limit and stick to the introduction, body, and conclusion paragraphs.

⦁           Ensure your paper has a logical flow throughout.

⦁           Before submitting, always edit and proofread your grammar mistakes, typos, or other             awkward structures.

⦁           Use appropriate linking words to connect your arguments.

Below are some writing challenges to avoid if you want to create a compelling essay.

• Don’t use colloquial contractions in a formal diagnostic essay.
• Avoid lengthy or run-on sentences that confuse the reader.
• If you include quotes, give proper credit to the author.
• Stick to the set deadlines. Stay within the deadline.
• Do not include anything that deviates from the topic
• Avoid exaggerated and vague adverbs and adjectives.

A diagnostic report is more accessible if you follow the writing guidelines provided. A successful diagnostic essay ending summarizes the main points and should refrain from introducing new ideas. If you are writing a diagnostic essay, you should not worry much about your essay because our experts are here. Seek help from our writing services, and your writing challenges will vanish!

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Francis Collins: Why I’m going public with my prostate cancer diagnosis

I served medical research. now it’s serving me. and i don’t want to waste time..

Over my 40 years as a physician-scientist, I’ve had the privilege of advising many patients facing serious medical diagnoses. I’ve seen them go through the excruciating experience of waiting for the results of a critical blood test, biopsy or scan that could dramatically affect their future hopes and dreams.

But this time, I was the one lying in the PET scanner as it searched for possible evidence of spread of my aggressive prostate cancer . I spent those 30 minutes in quiet prayer. If that cancer had already spread to my lymph nodes, bones, lungs or brain, it could still be treated — but it would no longer be curable.

Why am I going public about this cancer that many men are uncomfortable talking about? Because I want to lift the veil and share lifesaving information, and I want all men to benefit from the medical research to which I’ve devoted my career and that is now guiding my care.

Five years before that fateful PET scan, my doctor had noted a slow rise in my PSA, the blood test for prostate-specific antigen. To contribute to knowledge and receive expert care, I enrolled in a clinical trial at the National Institutes of Health, the agency I led from 2009 through late 2021.

At first, there wasn’t much to worry about — targeted biopsies identified a slow-growing grade of prostate cancer that doesn’t require treatment and can be tracked via regular checkups, referred to as “active surveillance.” This initial diagnosis was not particularly surprising. Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men in the United States, and about 40 percent of men over age 65 — I’m 73 — have low-grade prostate cancer . Many of them never know it, and very few of them develop advanced disease.

Why am I going public about this cancer that many men are uncomfortable talking about? Because I want to lift the veil and share lifesaving information.

But in my case, things took a turn about a month ago when my PSA rose sharply to 22 — normal at my age is less than 5. An MRI scan showed that the tumor had significantly enlarged and might have even breached the capsule that surrounds the prostate, posing a significant risk that the cancer cells might have spread to other parts of the body.

New biopsies taken from the mass showed transformation into a much more aggressive cancer. When I heard the diagnosis was now a 9 on a cancer-grading scale that goes only to 10, I knew that everything had changed.

Thus, that PET scan, which was ordered to determine if the cancer had spread beyond the prostate, carried high significance. Would a cure still be possible, or would it be time to get my affairs in order? A few hours later, when my doctors showed me the scan results, I felt a rush of profound relief and gratitude. There was no detectable evidence of cancer outside of the primary tumor.

Later this month, I will undergo a radical prostatectomy — a procedure that will remove my entire prostate gland. This will be part of the same NIH research protocol — I want as much information as possible to be learned from my case, to help others in the future.

While there are no guarantees, my doctors believe I have a high likelihood of being cured by the surgery.

My situation is far better than my father’s when he was diagnosed with prostate cancer four decades ago. He was about the same age that I am now, but it wasn’t possible back then to assess how advanced the cancer might be. He was treated with a hormonal therapy that might not have been necessary and had a significant negative impact on his quality of life.

Because of research supported by NIH, along with highly effective collaborations with the private sector, prostate cancer can now be treated with individualized precision and improved outcomes.

As in my case, high-resolution MRI scans can now be used to delineate the precise location of a tumor. When combined with real-time ultrasound, this allows pinpoint targeting of the prostate biopsies. My surgeon will be assisted by a sophisticated robot named for Leonardo da Vinci that employs a less invasive surgical approach than previous techniques, requiring just a few small incisions.

Advances in clinical treatments have been informed by large-scale, rigorously designed trials that have assessed the risks and benefits and were possible because of the willingness of cancer patients to enroll in such trials.

I feel compelled to tell this story openly. I hope it helps someone. I don’t want to waste time.

If my cancer recurs, the DNA analysis that has been carried out on my tumor will guide the precise choice of therapies. As a researcher who had the privilege of leading the Human Genome Project , it is truly gratifying to see how these advances in genomics have transformed the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.

I want all men to have the same opportunity that I did. Prostate cancer is still the No. 2 cancer killer among men. I want the goals of the Cancer Moonshot to be met — to end cancer as we know it. Early detection really matters, and when combined with active surveillance can identify the risky cancers like mine, and leave the rest alone. The five-year relative survival rate for prostate cancer is 97 percent, according to the American Cancer Society , but it’s only 34 percent if the cancer has spread to distant areas of the body.

But lack of information and confusion about the best approach to prostate cancer screening have impeded progress. Currently, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends that all men age 55 to 69 discuss PSA screening with their primary-care physician, but it recommends against starting PSA screening after age 70.

Other groups, like the American Urological Association , suggest that screening should start earlier, especially for men with a family history — like me — and for African American men, who have a higher risk of prostate cancer. But these recommendations are not consistently being followed.

Our health-care system is afflicted with health inequities. For example, the image-guided biopsies are not available everywhere and to everyone. Finally, many men are fearful of the surgical approach to prostate cancer because of the risk of incontinence and impotence, but advances in surgical techniques have made those outcomes considerably less troublesome than in the past. Similarly, the alternative therapeutic approaches of radiation and hormonal therapy have seen significant advances.

A little over a year ago, while I was praying for a dying friend, I had the experience of receiving a clear and unmistakable message. This has almost never happened to me. It was just this: “Don’t waste your time, you may not have much left.” Gulp.

Having now received a diagnosis of aggressive prostate cancer and feeling grateful for all the ways I have benefited from research advances, I feel compelled to tell this story openly. I hope it helps someone. I don’t want to waste time.

Francis S. Collins served as director of the National Institutes of Health from 2009 to 2021 and as director of the National Human Genome Research Institute at NIH from 1993 to 2008. He is a physician-geneticist and leads a White House initiative to eliminate hepatitis C in the United States, while also continuing to pursue his research interests as a distinguished NIH investigator.

An earlier version of this article said prostate cancer is the No. 2 killer of men. It is the No. 2 cause of cancer death among men. The article has been updated.

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

David Folkenflik

NPR is defending its journalism and integrity after a senior editor wrote an essay accusing it of losing the public's trust. Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

NPR is defending its journalism and integrity after a senior editor wrote an essay accusing it of losing the public's trust.

NPR's top news executive defended its journalism and its commitment to reflecting a diverse array of views on Tuesday after a senior NPR editor wrote a broad critique of how the network has covered some of the most important stories of the age.

"An open-minded spirit no longer exists within NPR, and now, predictably, we don't have an audience that reflects America," writes Uri Berliner.

A strategic emphasis on diversity and inclusion on the basis of race, ethnicity and sexual orientation, promoted by NPR's former CEO, John Lansing, has fed "the absence of viewpoint diversity," Berliner writes.

NPR's chief news executive, Edith Chapin, wrote in a memo to staff Tuesday afternoon that she and the news leadership team strongly reject Berliner's assessment.

"We're proud to stand behind the exceptional work that our desks and shows do to cover a wide range of challenging stories," she wrote. "We believe that inclusion — among our staff, with our sourcing, and in our overall coverage — is critical to telling the nuanced stories of this country and our world."

NPR names tech executive Katherine Maher to lead in turbulent era

She added, "None of our work is above scrutiny or critique. We must have vigorous discussions in the newsroom about how we serve the public as a whole."

A spokesperson for NPR said Chapin, who also serves as the network's chief content officer, would have no further comment.

Praised by NPR's critics

Berliner is a senior editor on NPR's Business Desk. (Disclosure: I, too, am part of the Business Desk, and Berliner has edited many of my past stories. He did not see any version of this article or participate in its preparation before it was posted publicly.)

Berliner's essay , titled "I've Been at NPR for 25 years. Here's How We Lost America's Trust," was published by The Free Press, a website that has welcomed journalists who have concluded that mainstream news outlets have become reflexively liberal.

Berliner writes that as a Subaru-driving, Sarah Lawrence College graduate who "was raised by a lesbian peace activist mother ," he fits the mold of a loyal NPR fan.

Yet Berliner says NPR's news coverage has fallen short on some of the most controversial stories of recent years, from the question of whether former President Donald Trump colluded with Russia in the 2016 election, to the origins of the virus that causes COVID-19, to the significance and provenance of emails leaked from a laptop owned by Hunter Biden weeks before the 2020 election. In addition, he blasted NPR's coverage of the Israel-Hamas conflict.

On each of these stories, Berliner asserts, NPR has suffered from groupthink due to too little diversity of viewpoints in the newsroom.

The essay ricocheted Tuesday around conservative media , with some labeling Berliner a whistleblower . Others picked it up on social media, including Elon Musk, who has lambasted NPR for leaving his social media site, X. (Musk emailed another NPR reporter a link to Berliner's article with a gibe that the reporter was a "quisling" — a World War II reference to someone who collaborates with the enemy.)

When asked for further comment late Tuesday, Berliner declined, saying the essay spoke for itself.

The arguments he raises — and counters — have percolated across U.S. newsrooms in recent years. The #MeToo sexual harassment scandals of 2016 and 2017 forced newsrooms to listen to and heed more junior colleagues. The social justice movement prompted by the killing of George Floyd in 2020 inspired a reckoning in many places. Newsroom leaders often appeared to stand on shaky ground.

Leaders at many newsrooms, including top editors at The New York Times and the Los Angeles Times , lost their jobs. Legendary Washington Post Executive Editor Martin Baron wrote in his memoir that he feared his bonds with the staff were "frayed beyond repair," especially over the degree of self-expression his journalists expected to exert on social media, before he decided to step down in early 2021.

Since then, Baron and others — including leaders of some of these newsrooms — have suggested that the pendulum has swung too far.

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Legendary editor marty baron describes his 'collision of power' with trump and bezos.

New York Times publisher A.G. Sulzberger warned last year against journalists embracing a stance of what he calls "one-side-ism": "where journalists are demonstrating that they're on the side of the righteous."

"I really think that that can create blind spots and echo chambers," he said.

Internal arguments at The Times over the strength of its reporting on accusations that Hamas engaged in sexual assaults as part of a strategy for its Oct. 7 attack on Israel erupted publicly . The paper conducted an investigation to determine the source of a leak over a planned episode of the paper's podcast The Daily on the subject, which months later has not been released. The newsroom guild accused the paper of "targeted interrogation" of journalists of Middle Eastern descent.

Heated pushback in NPR's newsroom

Given Berliner's account of private conversations, several NPR journalists question whether they can now trust him with unguarded assessments about stories in real time. Others express frustration that he had not sought out comment in advance of publication. Berliner acknowledged to me that for this story, he did not seek NPR's approval to publish the piece, nor did he give the network advance notice.

Some of Berliner's NPR colleagues are responding heatedly. Fernando Alfonso, a senior supervising editor for digital news, wrote that he wholeheartedly rejected Berliner's critique of the coverage of the Israel-Hamas conflict, for which NPR's journalists, like their peers, periodically put themselves at risk.

Alfonso also took issue with Berliner's concern over the focus on diversity at NPR.

"As a person of color who has often worked in newsrooms with little to no people who look like me, the efforts NPR has made to diversify its workforce and its sources are unique and appropriate given the news industry's long-standing lack of diversity," Alfonso says. "These efforts should be celebrated and not denigrated as Uri has done."

After this story was first published, Berliner contested Alfonso's characterization, saying his criticism of NPR is about the lack of diversity of viewpoints, not its diversity itself.

"I never criticized NPR's priority of achieving a more diverse workforce in terms of race, ethnicity and sexual orientation. I have not 'denigrated' NPR's newsroom diversity goals," Berliner said. "That's wrong."

Questions of diversity

Under former CEO John Lansing, NPR made increasing diversity, both of its staff and its audience, its "North Star" mission. Berliner says in the essay that NPR failed to consider broader diversity of viewpoint, noting, "In D.C., where NPR is headquartered and many of us live, I found 87 registered Democrats working in editorial positions and zero Republicans."

Berliner cited audience estimates that suggested a concurrent falloff in listening by Republicans. (The number of people listening to NPR broadcasts and terrestrial radio broadly has declined since the start of the pandemic.)

Former NPR vice president for news and ombudsman Jeffrey Dvorkin tweeted , "I know Uri. He's not wrong."

Others questioned Berliner's logic. "This probably gets causality somewhat backward," tweeted Semafor Washington editor Jordan Weissmann . "I'd guess that a lot of NPR listeners who voted for [Mitt] Romney have changed how they identify politically."

Similarly, Nieman Lab founder Joshua Benton suggested the rise of Trump alienated many NPR-appreciating Republicans from the GOP.

In recent years, NPR has greatly enhanced the percentage of people of color in its workforce and its executive ranks. Four out of 10 staffers are people of color; nearly half of NPR's leadership team identifies as Black, Asian or Latino.

"The philosophy is: Do you want to serve all of America and make sure it sounds like all of America, or not?" Lansing, who stepped down last month, says in response to Berliner's piece. "I'd welcome the argument against that."

"On radio, we were really lagging in our representation of an audience that makes us look like what America looks like today," Lansing says. The U.S. looks and sounds a lot different than it did in 1971, when NPR's first show was broadcast, Lansing says.

A network spokesperson says new NPR CEO Katherine Maher supports Chapin and her response to Berliner's critique.

The spokesperson says that Maher "believes that it's a healthy thing for a public service newsroom to engage in rigorous consideration of the needs of our audiences, including where we serve our mission well and where we can serve it better."

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

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How Pew Research Center will report on generations moving forward

Journalists, researchers and the public often look at society through the lens of generation, using terms like Millennial or Gen Z to describe groups of similarly aged people. This approach can help readers see themselves in the data and assess where we are and where we’re headed as a country.

Pew Research Center has been at the forefront of generational research over the years, telling the story of Millennials as they came of age politically and as they moved more firmly into adult life . In recent years, we’ve also been eager to learn about Gen Z as the leading edge of this generation moves into adulthood.

But generational research has become a crowded arena. The field has been flooded with content that’s often sold as research but is more like clickbait or marketing mythology. There’s also been a growing chorus of criticism about generational research and generational labels in particular.

Recently, as we were preparing to embark on a major research project related to Gen Z, we decided to take a step back and consider how we can study generations in a way that aligns with our values of accuracy, rigor and providing a foundation of facts that enriches the public dialogue.

A typical generation spans 15 to 18 years. As many critics of generational research point out, there is great diversity of thought, experience and behavior within generations.

We set out on a yearlong process of assessing the landscape of generational research. We spoke with experts from outside Pew Research Center, including those who have been publicly critical of our generational analysis, to get their take on the pros and cons of this type of work. We invested in methodological testing to determine whether we could compare findings from our earlier telephone surveys to the online ones we’re conducting now. And we experimented with higher-level statistical analyses that would allow us to isolate the effect of generation.

What emerged from this process was a set of clear guidelines that will help frame our approach going forward. Many of these are principles we’ve always adhered to , but others will require us to change the way we’ve been doing things in recent years.

Here’s a short overview of how we’ll approach generational research in the future:

We’ll only do generational analysis when we have historical data that allows us to compare generations at similar stages of life. When comparing generations, it’s crucial to control for age. In other words, researchers need to look at each generation or age cohort at a similar point in the life cycle. (“Age cohort” is a fancy way of referring to a group of people who were born around the same time.)

When doing this kind of research, the question isn’t whether young adults today are different from middle-aged or older adults today. The question is whether young adults today are different from young adults at some specific point in the past.

To answer this question, it’s necessary to have data that’s been collected over a considerable amount of time – think decades. Standard surveys don’t allow for this type of analysis. We can look at differences across age groups, but we can’t compare age groups over time.

Another complication is that the surveys we conducted 20 or 30 years ago aren’t usually comparable enough to the surveys we’re doing today. Our earlier surveys were done over the phone, and we’ve since transitioned to our nationally representative online survey panel , the American Trends Panel . Our internal testing showed that on many topics, respondents answer questions differently depending on the way they’re being interviewed. So we can’t use most of our surveys from the late 1980s and early 2000s to compare Gen Z with Millennials and Gen Xers at a similar stage of life.

This means that most generational analysis we do will use datasets that have employed similar methodologies over a long period of time, such as surveys from the U.S. Census Bureau. A good example is our 2020 report on Millennial families , which used census data going back to the late 1960s. The report showed that Millennials are marrying and forming families at a much different pace than the generations that came before them.

Even when we have historical data, we will attempt to control for other factors beyond age in making generational comparisons. If we accept that there are real differences across generations, we’re basically saying that people who were born around the same time share certain attitudes or beliefs – and that their views have been influenced by external forces that uniquely shaped them during their formative years. Those forces may have been social changes, economic circumstances, technological advances or political movements.

When we see that younger adults have different views than their older counterparts, it may be driven by their demographic traits rather than the fact that they belong to a particular generation.

The tricky part is isolating those forces from events or circumstances that have affected all age groups, not just one generation. These are often called “period effects.” An example of a period effect is the Watergate scandal, which drove down trust in government among all age groups. Differences in trust across age groups in the wake of Watergate shouldn’t be attributed to the outsize impact that event had on one age group or another, because the change occurred across the board.

Changing demographics also may play a role in patterns that might at first seem like generational differences. We know that the United States has become more racially and ethnically diverse in recent decades, and that race and ethnicity are linked with certain key social and political views. When we see that younger adults have different views than their older counterparts, it may be driven by their demographic traits rather than the fact that they belong to a particular generation.

Controlling for these factors can involve complicated statistical analysis that helps determine whether the differences we see across age groups are indeed due to generation or not. This additional step adds rigor to the process. Unfortunately, it’s often absent from current discussions about Gen Z, Millennials and other generations.

When we can’t do generational analysis, we still see value in looking at differences by age and will do so where it makes sense. Age is one of the most common predictors of differences in attitudes and behaviors. And even if age gaps aren’t rooted in generational differences, they can still be illuminating. They help us understand how people across the age spectrum are responding to key trends, technological breakthroughs and historical events.

Each stage of life comes with a unique set of experiences. Young adults are often at the leading edge of changing attitudes on emerging social trends. Take views on same-sex marriage , for example, or attitudes about gender identity .

Many middle-aged adults, in turn, face the challenge of raising children while also providing care and support to their aging parents. And older adults have their own obstacles and opportunities. All of these stories – rooted in the life cycle, not in generations – are important and compelling, and we can tell them by analyzing our surveys at any given point in time.

When we do have the data to study groups of similarly aged people over time, we won’t always default to using the standard generational definitions and labels. While generational labels are simple and catchy, there are other ways to analyze age cohorts. For example, some observers have suggested grouping people by the decade in which they were born. This would create narrower cohorts in which the members may share more in common. People could also be grouped relative to their age during key historical events (such as the Great Recession or the COVID-19 pandemic) or technological innovations (like the invention of the iPhone).

By choosing not to use the standard generational labels when they’re not appropriate, we can avoid reinforcing harmful stereotypes or oversimplifying people’s complex lived experiences.

Existing generational definitions also may be too broad and arbitrary to capture differences that exist among narrower cohorts. A typical generation spans 15 to 18 years. As many critics of generational research point out, there is great diversity of thought, experience and behavior within generations. The key is to pick a lens that’s most appropriate for the research question that’s being studied. If we’re looking at political views and how they’ve shifted over time, for example, we might group people together according to the first presidential election in which they were eligible to vote.

With these considerations in mind, our audiences should not expect to see a lot of new research coming out of Pew Research Center that uses the generational lens. We’ll only talk about generations when it adds value, advances important national debates and highlights meaningful societal trends.

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Guest Essay

Can Trump Get a Jury Who Will Give Him a Fair Shake? My Expert Opinion Is Yes, and Here’s Why.

By Julie Blackman

Dr. Blackman is a social psychologist who has worked as a jury consultant on many well-known criminal cases, including those of Leona Helmsley, Martha Stewart, Sheldon Silver and Robert Menendez.

If Donald Trump has been clear about anything, it is this: “I cannot get a fair trial in New York.”

By New York, he means Manhattan, where he won slightly less than 10 percent of the vote in 2016 and about 12 percent in 2020 and where, as one of his lawyers argued last week, “In terms of prejudicial pretrial publicity in this county, this case stands alone.”

Of course, Mr. Trump doesn’t want a fair trial. Like any other criminal defendant, he wants a jury that is biased in his favor. But can he get a jury that is able and willing to give him a fair shake?

My answer, based on my more than 40 years as a jury consultant for politicians, celebrities, Wall Street financiers and others accused of criminal wrongdoing, is that he can. Granted, Mr. Trump is as high-profile and polarizing as a defendant can be. But the adversarial nature of the selection process and the remarkable can-do attitude that jurors so often display result in a fair jury almost always.

For Mr. Trump, we’re about to find out. Jury selection is scheduled to begin Monday in the hush-money trial brought by Alvin Bragg, the Manhattan district attorney. Mr. Trump faces 34 felony charges related to what prosecutors say was a scheme to pay hush money to a porn star to cover up a sex scandal as he was running for president in 2016. He will become the first former president to go on trial on felony criminal charges.

For all of the media attention that has focused on this case and the others Mr. Trump has faced and is facing, in my experience, well-instructed juries have shown time and again that they can put aside what they have learned outside the courtroom and focus on the evidence presented inside the courtroom. What is likely to unfold in the trial will undoubtedly absorb the jurors’ full attention. Having sworn to the court that they will shelve their preconceptions, the jurors are likely to focus on the evidence and follow it to where it leads. Our brains tend to focus on what’s in front of us, and the evidence in this case surely will be compelling for the jurors.

That said, Mr. Trump might prove to be his greatest enemy. Several studies have raised concerns about jurors turning to the internet for case-relevant information while serving on juries, even though they had been instructed not to consider outside information. This might present a challenge for Mr. Trump if he continues to salt the internet with invective. Even so, a carefully instructed jury should be able to sideline his vitriol in favor of the evidence.

Jurors who will sit in judgment of Mr. Trump will have survived what is likely to be a long selection process intended to root out potential bias. They will fill out detailed questionnaires and may be questioned in court by the judge and the lawyers for both sides to elaborate on their written responses. Jurors who cannot be fair will be dismissed by the judge. Days or even weeks could pass before enough jurors are deemed impartial and selected. Additionally, the defense and prosecution each will be able to reject 10 more potential jurors for any reason except for a juror’s race, gender or other similar identifying characteristic.

This extensive process of inquiry was cited by a federal district judge in a 1989 decision rejecting an effort by Leona Helmsley , the billionaire hotelier, to move her tax evasion trial out of Manhattan. She became widely mocked in headlines in New York papers as the “Queen of Mean.”

But Judge John Walker of the Federal District Court in Manhattan wrote in an opinion ruling on her motion that “after reading more than 100 comprehensive juror questionnaires, and after spending more than three days carefully interviewing more than 100 jurors individually, this court has no hesitation in answering that ‘fundamental question’: A fair and impartial jury can indeed be obtained in this case.”

I was the jury consultant on that case. Mrs. Helmsley was convicted. I thought she got a fair trial despite her reputation outside the courtroom.

The 12 jurors and six alternates who survive this interrogative process in the Trump hush-money case will swear to follow the law as it is explained to them by the judge, whether or not they think it is a good law. This is the definition of fairness in the courtroom.

The linchpin of this proceeding will be the judge overseeing the trial, Juan M. Merchan, who has spent 17 years on the bench and was described as a “no-nonsense, drama-averse jurist” in a recent profile in this paper.

How he manages the trial will be instrumental to its fairness. Justice Merchan has already agreed to Mr. Bragg’s request to withhold the names of jurors from the public. He can tell prospective jurors: “I have decided that your names will not be known to the public to help you to feel safer and more free to be fair.” This decision should go a long way to reassuring prospective jurors that they will be protected from harassment or attempts at tampering. (Lawyers in the case will know the identities of the prospective jurors, however, and no doubt will be looking into their backgrounds.)

I also worked on the obstruction-of-justice case against the entrepreneur and television personality Martha Stewart in 2004 arising from initial allegations of insider trading. In the jury selection process, Judge Miriam Goldman Cedarbaum of the Federal District Court in Manhattan barred reporters, courtroom artists and others from attending sessions at which prospective jurors were questioned by lawyers. She said that having outsiders present might prevent prospective jurors “from giving full and frank answers to questions posed to them” and noted that “without such candor on the part of prospective jurors, there is a substantial risk that defendants’ absolute right to a fair trial and an impartial jury will be impaired.”

Ms. Stewart, too, was convicted, and I think she also received a fair trial, though questions were raised about the veracity of one of the jurors. Do jurors lie when questioned by the judge or lawyers? In my experience, based primarily on postverdict investigations, most do not. But one or two bad apples will not spoil the rest. Juries are better than the sum of their parts.

Ultimately, for the jurors, the judge’s words to them will be crucial to their understanding of their role. And from those words, jurors should feel that Justice Merchan understands the difficulties they face in having to put to one side their existing views.

If I were offering him advice in this case, I would suggest that Justice Merchan make two points.

He should emphasize, with a show of empathy, the great importance of fair juries. “Some of you may be thinking, ‘I have strong opinions. I cannot do this.’ Please think carefully about this,” he might tell them. “You cannot stop knowing what you know. But the evidence presented here can and must be at the forefront of your thinking.”

And he should use ennobling words to underscore the significance to the jurors of their role in sitting in judgment of Mr. Trump, whom they must presume is innocent but is charged with criminal wrongdoing.

“No one can do this job better than those of you selected to serve as jurors,” he might tell them. “As citizens of this country, we depend on one another to rise to the challenge of moments like these. We are grateful for the commitment you will apply to achieve fairness. The evidence deserves your open-minded attention. Trial by jury is bedrock to our democracy.”

Julie Blackman has a Ph.D. in social psychology and has worked as a jury consultant on many well-known criminal cases. She is a co-author of a forthcoming article on the influence of the internet in high-profile trials in The Champion, the journal of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.

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