Write an Identifying Essay:Tips and Example
The discovery of the person that you truly are is one of the blissful moments of life. It even becomes joyous when this discovery is made while in the course of learning and writing. The identifying essay is one form of writing that lets you describe yourself. It lets you discover yourself in a sense. Some of the questions that it addresses include:
- Who are you?
- What motivates you?
- What has made you the person you are presently?
- What stakes does the future hold?
- Where do you envision yourself five years from now
The above, though not limited to these, are just some of the questions that an identifying essay addresses. We all have written some form of essays that revolve around the things you identify with, for example, your family, your friends and the likes. These could sum up as your mini-essays, which can form the body of your identifying essay. But first, let’s highlight what should form your essay outline.
Identify Essay Outline
Section 1: The Introduction
Start by giving a general perspective on the topic at hand. Present all the background information. Indulge your readers in the form of a story. Raise questions. Define key terms. Give illustrations and examples. Draw relevant analogies.
Your introduction should be strong and informative. End your introductory paragraph with a thesis statement.
Section 2: Your Name, Family, Identity, Reader Response
- These should form your mini-essays which you will place at the body of your essay.
- There should be no qualms about the order; any order may suffice.
- Add sections, paragraphs, and sentences as you deem fit.
- Since you will be writing more than one mini-essay, ensure that you add effective transitions. They should be seen to link all the mini-essays coherently.
- The transitions chosen must be relevant to the thesis. Ensure that they mention the essay in some way.
Section 3: Conclusion
These are the final sentiments that conclude your essay. What you write here should be what you want the reader to take home:
- When writing the concluding remarks, amplify the points that were highlighted in the introduction. You can write in the same manner as the introductory paragraph or you could write in another manner you wish (it’s all in your prerogative). As you write, be sure to relate the background information, give your readers a story; bring up questions; define key terms; give illustrations and examples; draw relevant analogies; just like you did in the introduction.
- However, for the identifying essay, you might want to end with an outlook of the future. Perhaps you can consider, where you envision yourself 10 years from the present or probably who you will in the next 10 years.
Take note to avoid the following phrase: “In conclusion…”
Avoid the following simplistic summary phrases, “My paper has talked about, I have discussed, In this paper…etc.”
Thesis Statement
The thesis statement gives forth the main idea that’s going to be discussed in the essay. It informs the reader of your intention to analyze a specific topic or subject. It embodies what your essay will prove. Thus,
your thesis statement should be well crafted. Don’t fail to include it in your essay, otherwise, the essay will lack purpose. An effective thesis statement gives an overview of the subject, an assertion and the context in which the subject will be discussed.
The following checklist can come in handy when evaluating your thesis statement:
- Does it present the main idea?
- Does it focus on a central idea and perspective? Does it bring forth the central idea as one that is important?
- Does it adhere to a specific language?
Linking Everything Together: The Transitions
- Transitions serve two main purposes:
- They link the sections of the essay together
- They remind your readers of your thesis statement.