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How Long is an Essay? Guidelines for Different Types of Essay

Published on January 28, 2019 by Shona McCombes . Revised on July 23, 2023.

The length of an academic essay varies depending on your level and subject of study, departmental guidelines, and specific course requirements. In general, an essay is a shorter piece of writing than a research paper  or thesis .

In most cases, your assignment will include clear guidelines on the number of words or pages you are expected to write. Often this will be a range rather than an exact number (for example, 2500–3000 words, or 10–12 pages). If you’re not sure, always check with your instructor.

In this article you’ll find some general guidelines for the length of different types of essay. But keep in mind that quality is more important than quantity – focus on making a strong argument or analysis, not on hitting a specific word count.

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Table of contents

Essay length guidelines, how long is each part of an essay, using length as a guide to topic and complexity, can i go under the suggested length, can i go over the suggested length, other interesting articles.

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In an academic essay, the main body should always take up the most space. This is where you make your arguments, give your evidence, and develop your ideas.

The introduction should be proportional to the essay’s length. In an essay under 3000 words, the introduction is usually just one paragraph. In longer and more complex essays, you might need to lay out the background and introduce your argument over two or three paragraphs.

The conclusion of an essay is often a single paragraph, even in longer essays. It doesn’t have to summarize every step of your essay, but should tie together your main points in a concise, convincing way.

The suggested word count doesn’t only tell you how long your essay should be – it also helps you work out how much information and complexity you can fit into the given space. This should guide the development of your thesis statement , which identifies the main topic of your essay and sets the boundaries of your overall argument.

A short essay will need a focused, specific topic and a clear, straightforward line of argument. A longer essay should still be focused, but it might call for a broader approach to the topic or a more complex, ambitious argument.

As you make an outline of your essay , make sure you have a clear idea of how much evidence, detail and argumentation will be needed to support your thesis. If you find that you don’t have enough ideas to fill out the word count, or that you need more space to make a convincing case, then consider revising your thesis to be more general or more specific.

The length of the essay also influences how much time you will need to spend on editing and proofreading .

You should always aim to meet the minimum length given in your assignment. If you are struggling to reach the word count:

• Add more evidence and examples to each paragraph to clarify or strengthen your points.
• Make sure you have fully explained or analyzed each example, and try to develop your points in more detail.
• Address a different aspect of your topic in a new paragraph. This might involve revising your thesis statement to make a more ambitious argument.
• Don’t use filler. Adding unnecessary words or complicated sentences will make your essay weaker and your argument less clear.
• Don’t fixate on an exact number. Your marker probably won’t care about 50 or 100 words – it’s more important that your argument is convincing and adequately developed for an essay of the suggested length.

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In some cases, you are allowed to exceed the upper word limit by 10% – so for an assignment of 2500–3000 words, you could write an absolute maximum of 3300 words. However, the rules depend on your course and institution, so always check with your instructor if you’re unsure.

Only exceed the word count if it’s really necessary to complete your argument. Longer essays take longer to grade, so avoid annoying your marker with extra work! If you are struggling to edit down:

• Check that every paragraph is relevant to your argument, and cut out irrelevant or out-of-place information.
• Make sure each paragraph focuses on one point and doesn’t meander.
• Cut out filler words and make sure each sentence is clear, concise, and related to the paragraph’s point.
• Don’t cut anything that is necessary to the logic of your argument. If you remove a paragraph, make sure to revise your transitions and fit all your points together.
• Don’t sacrifice the introduction or conclusion . These paragraphs are crucial to an effective essay –make sure you leave enough space to thoroughly introduce your topic and decisively wrap up your argument.

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

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How Long is An Essay in 7th Grade?

Confused about what’s expected of you for your first essay assignment in seventh grade? All of the frequently asked questions about the format of essays will be addressed in this article.

Students should be honing their fundamental writing abilities by the seventh grade, including brainstorming, researching, outlining, drafting, and revising. Students in the seventh grade should regularly practice writing a variety of essay types, such as narrative, persuasive, expository, and creative essays, in order to hone these skills.

The following essay prompts offer age-appropriate starting points to help seventh graders flex their writing muscles.

Table of Contents

There is frequently a word count requirement for essays . However, in the case of an in-class essay test, the general rule is that you should aim to complete an introduction, two TEEL body paragraphs, and a conclusion within the allotted 40 minutes.

How Long Should the Introduction Be?

Your introduction should only be 3-4 sentences. Get straight to the point within your opening sentence. The best openings demonstrate you have clearly planned your arguments.

Take five minutes to consider your argument and consider how you will support it in the body paragraphs before you begin writing. Then, the first sentence just needs to offer your direct response to the question itself.

How Long Should Each Body Paragraph Be?

When writing the body paragraphs, keep the TEEL structure in mind at all times. Each paragraph should have:

• Clearly define your argument in your topic sentence. (1 sentence)
• Give at least one example taken directly from the text. Make sure that you have chosen this quote carefully to best support your claim. Use quotation marks whenever appropriate. (1 sentence)
• Analysis of the quote and elaboration Did the author use a particular method? What can be taken away from this example to support your point of view? (2-3 sentences)
• Link – connect the discussion back to the topic sentence to further emphasize the idea in this paragraph. (1 sentence)

How Long Should the Conclusion Be?

Only 2 or 3 sentences should make up your conclusion. It presents your concluding response to the query. You can provide a summary of the two key concepts you examined in the two body paragraphs and make a final assessment of how you interpreted the question.

The Length of Each Part in an Essay

The Length of Different Kinds of Essays

The Length of Essays in Different Grades

How Long is a Typical Paragraph Required for 7th Grade?

Among teachers, this is a constant point of contention. Based on what our MEAP requires and a progression up the grades, we have established limits at each grade level. These requirements ensure that our students must provide examples and details to strengthen the paragraph’s supporting arguments. Each paragraph written by a student in our fifth grade must contain at least 40 words (although they are always free to write more). 80 words must be learned by the sixth grade.

In 7th grade, students must write 100 words , and in 8th grade, it is 125 words. There are also requirements for sentences. A 5th-grade paragraph must have at least 5 sentences (topic sentence, body/support sentences, and a clincher). 6th graders must have 6 sentences, while 7th and 8th graders must include at least 8 sentences. See How Long is An Essay in 6th Grade , and 8th Grade .

Narrative Essay Writing Prompts

Narrative essays share a personal experience to tell a story, usually to make a point rather than merely to entertain. These questions for narrative essays encourage students to describe and think back on a story that has special meaning for them.

• Embarrassing Pasts – As people age, they occasionally feel ashamed of the toys, television shows, or nicknames they once enjoyed. Give an example of something you once enjoyed but now find embarrassing. Why is this embarrassing right now?
• Bonds of Hardship – Families can become closer when facing challenges. Describe something that your family endured together that strengthened your relationships.
• There’s No Place Like Home – What unique qualities does your hometown possess? What makes this trait unique?
• New Kid in Town – Being new to a town or school can be difficult because you don’t know anyone or exciting because nobody knows you or your past. Tell us about a time when you were the new kid.
• Finders Keepers – Describe a time when you misplaced (or found) something important. How did that experience affect your opinion of the saying, “Finders keepers; losers weepers?”
• Follow the Leader – Tell about a time when you held a leadership position. How did it make you feel? What did the experience teach you?
• April Fools – Write about the best prank you’ve ever played on someone (or had played on you). What made it so funny or clever?
• Bon Appetit – Special meals have the power to evoke strong memories. Write about a specific meal that stands out in your memory. What was so memorable about it?
• Bon Voyage – Family trips and vacations also create lasting memories. Your favorite family vacation memory should be the focus of an essay.
• Batter Up – In your essay, describe a worthwhile lesson you picked up from playing your preferred sport.
• Best Friends Forever – Describe your relationship with your best friend and why it means so much to you.
• The Real Me – What is something about you that you wish your parents, teachers, or coaches truly understood?
• TV – Describe what about your favorite television program you find so compelling or relatable.

Persuasive Essay Writing Prompts

The goal of persuasive essays is to persuade the reader to agree with the writer’s viewpoint or take a particular course of action. Seventh graders are given the tools they need to write effectively about a topic they are passionate about thanks to these essay prompts.

• Outdated Laws – What is one law, family custom, or educational regulation that you believe needs to be altered? Persuade your parents, the government, or the administration of your school to implement the change.
• Bad Ads – Advertising can have a powerful impact on consumers. Which product has been advertised that, in your opinion, shouldn’t have been? Justify the removal of these advertisements from media outlets.
• Puppy Love – You want a pet, but your parents don’t think you need one. What would you say to persuade them to change their minds?
• Lights, Camera – Which book has always captured your attention? Write a paper persuading a filmmaker to make a movie about it.
• Snooze Button – Tweens and teens require more sleep, according to studies. Make a case for a later start time for school in your proposal.
• Body Shop – By using altered images of models, magazines can have a negative impact on their readers’ body image. Persuade the editor of a teen magazine not to publish photos of models that have undergone extensive editing.
• It Can’t Be Over – The network is canceling your favorite television show. Write a paper persuading the station that they are mistaken.
• Curfews – Children under the age of 18 are not permitted in some malls during specific hours without adult supervision. Is this fair or unfair, in your opinion? Defend your position.
• Team Spirit – Should homeschooled students be permitted to participate in athletic teams at public or private schools? Why or why not?
• Smartphones – All of your friends have the latest smartphone, but you only have a “dumb phone.” Should your parents upgrade your phone, or are smartphones for middle school kids a bad idea?
• Bullies – Some dogs, such as pit bulls or Dobermans, are labeled “bully breeds.” Is this moniker accurate or unfair?
• Money Can’t Buy You Love – While some studies have shown that people with higher incomes may be happier, contrary to popular belief, money cannot buy happiness. Do you believe this to be true? Why or why not?
• Ratings – Age restrictions, TV show ratings, and warning labels all exist for music, video games, and movies. Child safety features are available on computers and smartphones. Do adults have too much control over what kids watch and listen to or do these restrictions serve a valuable purpose?

Expository Essay Writing Prompts

Expository essays give factual information or a process description. These questions can act as springboards for the explanation process.

• School’s in Session – Which type of education do you prefer—public, private, or homeschooling? Describe how your decision is advantageous.
• Admiration – Who do you look up to in history or in your own life? Write an essay describing how their character or contributions to their community have earned your respect.
• Global Community – Which location would you choose if you could reside anywhere in the world? Explain why you want to live in your ideal community.
• Peer Problems – Peer pressure and bullying can make life as a middle school student difficult. Explain a time when you were subjected to pressure or bullying and how it affected you.
• Order Up – Your favorite dish is being taught to a friend. Give your friend step-by-step instructions so they can make the dish again.
• Addictions – The effects of drug or alcohol addiction are widespread. Share information about the harm that these substances’ use causes to families and communities.
• Serve Others – Serving in the community is a rewarding experience. Describe a time you volunteered. What did you do and how did it make you feel?
• City or Country Mouse – Do you reside in an urban or rural area? Describe your preferences for living there and why.
• Aspirations – What do you intend to do when you grow up? Explain why you’d choose that career or what you’ll do to prepare for it.
• Point in Time – People occasionally bury time capsules so that future generations can understand the past. What would you include to provide a true portrait of contemporary life?
• Hobbyist – Your friend wants to start your favorite pastime. Explain it to him.
• SOS – In a nearby city, a natural disaster has destroyed residences and commercial buildings. Specify what you can do to assist.
• Wonder Twin Power – Some superheroes can fly or become invisible. What superpower, if any, would you choose to have, and why?

Creative Essay Writing Prompts

Fictional stories are the basis of creative essays. To captivate and entertain the reader, they make use of plot, character, and dialog. These questions will inspire you to write.

• Fan Fic – Your favorite characters from a book, movie, or television program should be the subject of a short story.
• Cats vs. Dogs – Two different species of animals serve as your pets. A day at home alone should be described in a story from their perspective.
• Time Travel – You find a time machine in your backyard. What happens as soon as you enter?
• Dream State – Consider a time when you awoke in the middle of a vivid dream. If the dream wasn’t cut short, what would have happened?
• New Door – Just now, you came across a door that you’ve never seen before. What transpires if you pass through it?
• Secret Keeper – Your best friend has been hiding something from you, you learn. Why didn’t your friend tell you the secret and what is it?
• Fridge Fun – From the viewpoint of a food item in your refrigerator, compose a story.
• Desert Island – You’ve just found an unexplored island. What happens next?
• Fly on the Wall – Despite being unable to hear them, you can see two people talking animatedly. Write a story about what they might be saying.
• Special Delivery – In the mail, you discover a damaged package. About how it got from the sender to you, write a narrative.
• A Mile in My Shoes – In the thrift shop, you choose a pair of shoes and put them on. You find yourself abruptly thrust into someone else’s life. Describe what happens.
• Mission to Mars – Imagine that you’re a pioneer to start a colony on Mars. Describe a typical day on your new planet in your essay.
• Snow Days – You and your family are stranded inside due to snow for a week. There is no electricity or phone service. What are your hobbies?

Conclusion: An Essay in 7th Grade

Hopefully, writing essays now doesn’t seem as intimidating. As always, practicing is the best way to get ready. You’ll see a significant improvement quickly if you use these instructions as practice to structure your next essay. The whole paragraph can be written in fifteen minutes or less (again with practice).

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7th grade writing

by: Hank Pellissier | Updated: June 16, 2024

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Seventh graders need to avoid dangling modifiers, hasty drafts, and plagiarism! They rewrite to tighten their writing. They critique each other’s essays to learn what’s vague or missing. Finally, they study phrases, clauses, and sentence structure.

Seeing both sides

Your young adult’s critical thinking skills will be put to use this year. In argument papers , students express their fact-based opinions. In a strong paper, they also acknowledge — and use facts to argue against — opposing viewpoints. Your seventh grader’s writing should demonstrate an in-depth understanding of the topic, use clear logic, and incorporate solid evidence from reputable sources .

Your child’s papers should be written in formal language, with clear introductions and concise conclusions that summarize their position. Sounds pretty adult, right? Never fear, assignments are often on tween-friendly social issues, such as Do middle schoolers spend too much time on Instagram ?

We formally inform you

Your seventh grader will also write informative and explanatory papers on science and social studies topics. They’ll be expected to employ a range of “strategy tools” such as:

• Adding definitions for complex words or ideas.
• Using academic vocabulary .
• Adding concrete details.
• Choosing quotations.
• Comparing and contrasting concepts.
• Citing cause-and-effect relationships.
• Classifying information.
• Formatting (e.g., headings, bullet points).
• Including graphics (e.g., charts, images) and multimedia.

The language your child uses in these papers should be formal and precise. They should use transition words (e.g. so, if, for, as, and but ) and phrases (e.g. in view of these facts, under these particular circumstances ) to connect ideas and help their writing flow. Finally, your child write have a succinct synopsis as a conclusion.

Believe it.. or not?

Some of the most fun — and challenging — writing of the year will be narrative story assignments that portray actual events (e.g. memoirs, personal history ) or imagined experiences (e.g. fiction, fantasy ). Your child should experiment with effective storytelling techniques. These may include character development, plot twists and pacing, precise descriptions, tone of the narrator’s voice, crisp dialogue, and adventurous action. In class, kids will learn and practice transition vocabulary to help guide readers from one scene or timeframe to another (e.g. Meanwhile, back at the space station; Centuries earlier, when Brontosaurus first roamed the swamps… ).

Tear it apart and start again

Don’t be dismayed if your seventh grader is asked to replan, re-outline, revise, re-edit, and/or rewrite many of their papers. This isn’t perfectionism or punishment — it helps students sharpen the precision, complexity, pacing, and variation of their literary technique. “By the time I am nearing the end of a story,” says Roald Dahl, author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory , “the first part will have been reread and altered and corrected at least 150 times. …Good writing is essentially rewriting.”

Collaborating online

Seventh graders interact and collaborate online to create and publish writing that links to online sources. Regular online communication with teachers — often in Google docs and other sharing tools — is increasingly prevalent, along with emailing or uploading completed assignments. The challenge for kids? Believable replacements for the classic excuse: “My dog ate my homework.”

Understanding and avoiding cheating

Seventh grade is the year of short research projects using sources like reference books, magazines, and data found online. Your young researcher will learn how to judge the accuracy and credibility of their sources . (For example, Does MAD Magazine have the same integrity as the Boston Globe ? No!) Kids learn to paraphrase information and use quotes to avoid plagiarizing. To plagiarize is defined as “ to copy another person’s ideas, words or work and pretend that they are your own,” and it is a form of cheating that has reached epidemic proportions. Citing their work correctly is the antidote for this error. Papers should follow formats for citations and end with a bibliography.

Grammar with a capital G

Kids learn about phrases , defined as two or more words that express an idea but are not a complete thought or sentence because phrases don’t have a subject and a verb. Kids also learn two types of clauses . Dependent clauses have a subject and a verb and form part of a sentence. Independent clauses have a subject and a verb and create short, complete sentences inside larger sentences.

Seventh graders learn to recognize and use four kinds of sentences . Simple sentences have a single independent clause, with one subject and one verb, e.g., Harold eats pie . Compound sentences have two or more independent clauses, connected with a conjunction, e.g., Harold eats pie because it’s delicious . Complex sentences contain one independent clause and one dependent clause. e.g., Harold eats pie whether it’s hot or cold . Compound complex sentences have at least two independent clauses and one dependent clause. e.g., Jerry eats pie because it’s delicious whether it’s hot or cold .

The common mistake of dangling modifiers happens when modifying words are disconnected from the word they’re meant to modify or the attachment is vague. For example: Alice painted the turtle on the table. Did Alice paint a picture of a turtle on the table surface? Or did she paint the shell of the turtle itself? We’re just not sure.

Seventh graders also start to learn how to use commas correctly. Commas separate adjectives that are equal in value in terms of how they modify the word they describe. If you can reverse the order of the adjectives, then they are equal and you need a comma. For example, Jordana found a red, vintage bag at the thrift store . Since you could also describe it as a vintage, red bag, you need a comma. But you don’t need a comma in this sentence: Mateo wore a yellow rain jacket . Why? Because the reverse order — a rain yellow jacket — makes no sense (unless we’re talking about new species of wasp).

Speak up for the back row

A new focus for writing instruction is that writing should involve a lot of… talking. That’s right. Oral presentations will take center stage for many of your seventh grader’s assignments. The idea is to present their research-backed opinions, arguments, or ideas to their classmates aloud, using formal language, clear pronunciation, and at a volume loud enough for everyone in the class to hear. Kids’ presentations should be well-organized, share main points, and include relevant details and examples. Many presentations will include visual and multimedia displays. Again, it sounds like a lot, but it’s meant as practice to set your child up for real-world, on-the-job success in the future.

Here’s a preview of the presentation skills required in high school.

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The Guide to 7th Grade: Reading and Writing

Review reading and writing curricula for 7th grade, including what to expect and resources to support learning..

Seventh graders are able to focus more on growing the skills they began to develop in the 6th grade without the added stress to adjusting to the new middle school environment. By 7th grade, it is expected that students have acclimated to life as a middle school student and are therefore expected to work more independently and organize their time and schedules with less (but still some) guidance.

In general, in 7th grade, students build on the skills they learned in 6th grade by writing and reading more complex and longer texts and essays. This work will prepare them for 8th grade where they will cement and further their skills, ultimately setting them up for success in high school.

Read on for what to expect this year, and shop all seventh grade resources at The Scholastic Store . 

7th Grade Reading

In 7th grade, students deepen their ability to analyze the texts they read and provide evidence from the text to do so. Specifically, 7th graders learn to examine texts more closely and use details from the text in order to develop ideas, analyze, and make inferences.

In addition, they analyze the relationships between elements within one text and across multiple texts while supporting this analysis by citing evidence from the text.

In order to build reading skills, your 7th grader:

• Analyzes texts using the text as evidence to support the analysis.
• Makes inferences about texts and uses evidence from the text to support the inferences.  
• Understands the message or ideas in a text and uses evidence to support these claims.
• Understands, tracks the progress of, and summarizes the main idea of a text, using evidence from the text.
• Analyzes and explains the relationship between different elements such as character and setting.
• Analyzes the impact of specific language and word choice used in a text.
• Understands how the different structures used in a text, such as poetry or drama, affect the text.
• Compares and contrasts the different perspectives and points of views in a text.
• Determines the author’s point of view in a text using evidence from the text.
• Compares different versions such as a stage version, film, or audio version of a text, paying specific attention to the way in which elements such as lighting, scenery, or audio sounds affect the message of the text.
• Compares a historical account of an event, person, or place with a historical fiction text about the same period.
• Read a variety of texts, including stories, poetry, drama, non-fiction, or informative texts.
• Compares multiple texts written by different authors about the same topic and determines how their different perspectives are presented through their presentation of facts and the inferences they make. 

7th Grade Writing

Similar to the work they do in reading, 7th graders deepen their writing skills by using analysis, paying close attention to detail and providing reasons, proofs, and examples for the ideas they express. 7th graders write a variety of genres, including informative pieces, opinion pieces, and narratives and they complete both short-term and long-term writing assignments.

There is also particular attention paid to research and teaching students to do their own independent research and research projects as described below, specifically through the use of digital resources.

In order to build writing skills, your 7th grader:

• Introductions
• Acknowledgements of opposing claims
• Logical and orderly presentations of reasons and evidence
• The use of  appropriate transitions, words, and phrases to connect claims
• A concluding sentence or paragraph which supports the argument made
• A formal tone and style
• Use supporting claims and evidence that are based on credible texts and resources
• Include an introduction that has an explanation of what follows
• Develop topics through the use of facts, detailed quotations, and examples and subject specific terms and definitions
• Include transitions that connect concepts and paragraphs
• Include a conclusion that supports the presented idea(s)
• Maintain a formal “essay type” style
• Integrate other forms of media and formats, such as graphs, charts, headings, and audio or video when appropriate
• A narrator, characters, and a point of view
• Descriptive detail and sensory language to describe characters, settings, and experiences
• Dialogue details and descriptions of characters, setting, and experiences
• A clear structure with a logical order and flow, as shown through the use of transition words
• A conclusion that is connected to and builds on the narrative
• Plans, revises, and edits writing, specifically with guidance from teachers and peers, focusing specifically on trying new approaches and making sure the writing has a purpose and appeals to its audience
• Uses technology and the Internet to produce and publish writing
• Works with others and cites sources
• Works on multiple, short research projects that answer a specific question and cite multiple sources, while gathering additional questions for later research
• Uses both print and digital resources to conduct research, focusing on using appropriate search terms and reliable sources
• Uses quotes and a standard format for citation
• Uses research to analyze and make inferences

Shop the best resources for seventh grade below! You can find all books and activities at  The Scholastic Store . 

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How to Write A 7th Grade Level Essay

In seventh grade, your child is now in the middle of their academic career. They have spent a long time developing a great number of skills, and their writing skills are no different. They are going to start writing more sophisticated and challenging pieces this year, and the writing prompts are going to be more challenging moving forward. Their prompts are also going to be less separated into categories; there may be a number of ways to answer a prompt, depending on the specific assignment.

Here are some examples for the kinds of writing prompts your child may see in seventh grade:

• Write about a time when you could tell you had let someone down. How did you feel? This is a good opportunity to write a narrative essay. Explaining the events with dialogue can be especially impactful here, detailing what happened, with whom, and what was said in dialogue. 
• Write a review about the most recent movie or TV show you loved and try to convince other people to see it. This would be a persuasive response, along with a good deal of informative writing. Your child will have to describe the show, why they like it, and why it would be a good idea for others to see it. They may talk about the show’s messages, the artistry of the film, or even the importance of it in popular culture. 
• Write a poem about the way you feel when you sit down to take a test. This is a prompt that asks your child to exercise their creative skills, while tapping into their narrative writing. This particular prompt can even be a helpful window for you to see how your child feels about tests and whether they are starting to experience any testing anxieties. Their poems should make use of literary devices they’ve learned about like similes and metaphors, but can also be quite abstract at this level.

If your child is struggling with writing prompts or with writing in general, it may be a good idea to enroll them in Reading Genie. The teachers at Reading Genie give your child kind and helpful feedback, building their skills along with their confidence. The prompts at Reading Genie are fun and engaging, and your child will have the opportunity to share their work with their classmates for peer reviews. 

You can also work on writing prompts with your child at home. Even just discussing the ideas and questions in the prompts can be helpful for your child to better understand what they need to do and what they need to think about in the future. You can even have fun with the prompts, too!

Genie Academy offers a range of after-school educational activities for students, encompassing areas such as mathematics, reading, writing, and coding. Spread across New Jersey, including a location in Plainsboro , these programs are specifically crafted for students from Pre-Kindergarten to 8th grade.

Source: https://www.journalbuddies.com/prompts-by-grade/7th-grade-writing-ideas/

Topics: Essays , Writing Skills , Writing Stlyes , Seventh Grade , Writing Prompt

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Writing Prompts for 7th Grade

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By seventh grade, students should be refining the core writing skills of brainstorming , researching, outlining, drafting, and revising. In order to hone these skills, seventh-grade students need regular practice writing a variety of essay styles, including narrative, persuasive, expository , and creative essays. The following essay prompts offer age-appropriate starting points to help seventh graders flex their writing muscles.

Narrative Essay Writing Prompts

Narrative essays share a personal experience to tell a story, usually to make a point rather than merely to entertain. These narrative essay prompts encourage students to describe and reflect on a story that's meaningful to them.

• Embarrassing Pasts - As people get older, they are sometimes embarrassed by things they used to like, such as toys, television shows, or nicknames. Describe something that you used to enjoy that you now find embarrassing. Why is it embarrassing now?
• Bonds of Hardship - Sometimes difficulties draw families closer. Describe something that your family endured together that strengthened your relationships.
• There’s No Place Like Home - What makes your hometown special? Explain this special quality.
• New Kid in Town - Being new to a town or school can be challenging because you don’t know anyone, or exciting because no one knows you and your past. Describe a time when you were the new kid.
• Finders Keepers -  Write about a time when you lost (or found) something of value. How did that experience affect your opinion of the saying, “Finders keepers; losers weepers?"
• Follow the Leader -  Describe a time when you were in a leadership role. How did it make you feel? What did you learn from the experience?
• April Fools -  Write about the best prank you’ve ever played on someone (or had played on you). What made it so clever or funny?
• Bon Appetit - Special meals can be powerful memory-makers. Write about a specific meal that stands out in your memory. What made it so unforgettable?
• Bon Voyage - Family trips and vacations also create lasting memories. Write an essay detailing your favorite family vacation memory.
• Batter Up -  Write about a valuable lesson that you learned while playing your favorite sport.
• Best Friends Forever -  Describe your friendship with your BFF and what makes it so important to you.
• The Real Me -  What is one thing you wish your parents, teachers, or coaches really understood or knew about you?
• TV -  Explain what makes your favorite television show so enjoyable or relatable to you.

Persuasive Essay Writing Prompts

Persuasive essays use facts and reasoning to convince the reader to embrace the writer’s opinion or take a course of action. These essay prompts empower seventh graders to write persuasively about an issue they genuinely care about. 

• Outdated Laws - What is one law or family or school rule that you think needs to be changed? Convince lawmakers, your parents, or school leaders to make the change.
• Bad Ads - Advertising can have a powerful impact on consumers. What is a product that you’ve seen advertised that you don’t think should be? Explain why the media should quit showing these ads.
• Puppy Love - You want a pet, but your parents don’t think you need one. What would you say to change their minds?
• Lights, Camera - What is your favorite book of all time? Write an essay convincing a producer to make a movie about it.
• Snooze Button - Studies have shown that tweens and teens need more sleep. Write a proposal for a later school start time.
• Body Shop - Magazines can negatively impact their readers’ body image by using edited images of models. Convince a teen magazine publisher that they should not use heavily-edited model images in their publication.
• It Can’t Be Over - The network is canceling your favorite television show. Write a paper convincing the station that they’re making a mistake.
• Curfews -  Some malls have policies forbidding kids under 18 to be at the mall without adult supervision during certain times. Do you think this is fair or unfair? Defend your position.
• Team Spirit - Should homeschooled students be allowed to play sports on public or private school teams? Why or why not?
• Smartphones - All of your friends have the latest smartphone, but you only have a “dumb phone.” Should your parents upgrade your phone, or are smartphones for middle school kids a bad idea?
• Bullies - Some dogs, such as pit bulls or Dobermans, are labeled “bully breeds.” Is this label deserved or undeserved?
• Money Can’t Buy You Love - People say that money can’t buy happiness, but some studies have shown that people with higher incomes may be happier . Do you think this is true? Why or why not?
• Ratings -  There are age restrictions on movies and video games, ratings on television shows, and warning labels on music. Computers and smartphones offer parental controls. Do adults have too much control over what kids watch and listen to or do these restrictions serve a valuable purpose?

Expository Essay Writing Prompts

Expository essays describe a process or provide factual information. These prompts can serve as jumping-off points for the explanatory process. 

• School’s in Session - Would you rather attend public school, private school, or be homeschooled. Explain the benefits of your choice.
• Admiration -  Who do you admire from your life or history? Write an essay describing how their character or contributions to their community have earned your respect.
• Global Community -  If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live? Write about your dream hometown and why you want to live there.
• Peer Problems - Peer pressure and bullying can make life as a middle school student difficult. Describe a time you were pressured or bullied and how it affected you.
• Order Up -  A friend wants to learn how to make your favorite food. Detail the process, step-by-step, so your friend can recreate the dish.
• Addictions - Many people are impacted by drug or alcohol addictions. Share facts about how the use of these substances negatively affects families or communities. 
• Serve Others - Community service is a valuable experience. Describe a time you volunteered. What did you do and how did it make you feel?
• City or Country Mouse - Do you live in a big city or a small town? Explain why you do or don’t like living there.
• Aspirations - What do you want to be when you’re an adult? Explain why you’d choose that career  or what you’ll do to prepare for it.
• Point in Time - Sometimes people bury time capsules so future generations can learn about the past. What would you include to give an accurate snapshot of life in the current time?
• Hobbyist -  You’re friend wants to take up your favorite hobby. Explain it to him.
• SOS - A natural disaster has destroyed homes and businesses in a nearby city. Describe what you can do to help.
• Wonder Twin Power - Some superheroes can fly or become invisible. If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why?

Creative Essay Writing Prompts

Creative essays are fictional stories. They use plot, character, and dialog to engage and entertain the reader. These prompts will get the creative juices flowing. 

• Fan Fic -  Write a story about your favorite characters from a book, film, or television show.
• Cats vs. Dogs - You have two pets of different species. Write a story from their point of view about a day at home alone.
• Time Travel - You find a time machine in your backyard. What happens when you step inside?
• Dream State - Think about a time when you woke in the middle of a vivid dream. What would have happened if the dream hadn’t been interrupted?
• New Door -  You’ve just discovered a door that you’ve never seen before. What happens when you walk through it?
• Secret Keeper - You find out your best friend has kept a secret from you. What is the secret and why didn’t your friend tell you?
• Fridge Fun - Write a story from the perspective of an item in your refrigerator.
• Desert Island - You’ve just discovered an uncharted island. What happens next?
• Fly on the Wall - You see two people talking excitedly, but you can’t hear what they’re saying. Write a story about what they might be saying.
• Special Delivery - You receive a battered package in the mail. Write a story about its journey from the sender to you.
• A Mile in My Shoes - You find a pair of shoes in the thrift store and put them on. Suddenly you find yourself transported into someone else’s life. Describe what happens.
• Mission to Mars - Imagine that you’re a pioneer to start a colony on Mars. Write about a typical day on your new planet.
• Snow Days - You find yourself snowed in for a week with your family. There is no electricity or phone service. What do you do for fun?
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How Many Words Should Your Essay Have for Grading High?

How many words are in an essay?

This question bothers all students, whether in middle school or college. Two reasons:

They don’t have word count guidelines to know how long their essay should be to grade high. Or, they struggle with the word limit within a paper and wonder if they can go under the suggested length.

The essay length varies, depending on many factors: subject, purpose, and academic level. Essays are usually shorter than dissertations or research papers. The thesis is the longest one.

In this article, I’ll answer two popular questions: How long is an essay? How many paragraphs are in an essay?

Also, let’s learn how long each essay part is and if it’s okay to go beyond or under the suggested length.

How Long is an Essay, Depending on the Type?

The above rules are average. They may vary at different educational institutions. It stands to reason that elementary-level students write short essays. And their papers get longer in their middle 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th grades, etc.

Often, there’s no exact word number or page count for academic papers. Guidelines usually prescribe a supposed range: 500-850 words, 5-7 pages, and so on. When in doubt, you can ask your instructor.

How Many Paragraphs is an Essay? 6 Main Lengths

You won’t find any rule prescribing a set number of paragraphs for an essay. Five-paragraph essays are a standard, but it doesn’t mean ALL papers should follow it.

Each essay consists of three parts:

• Introduction . Often, it’s one paragraph introducing your topic and thesis to readers. When writing complex papers like dissertations, your intro section can be 2-3 paragraphs.
• Body. It’s a core section discussing the topic in detail. The number of paragraphs here depends on your paper’s type and complexity. This part is 1-4 paragraphs unless you write extended research papers.
• Conclusion. Like intros, this section is often one paragraph summarizing the essay.

Below, I’ll cover the six main lengths to show how to balance a word count in essays.

One-paragraph essays

Three-paragraph papers

Five-paragraph essays

Extended papers

Dissertation

Frequently Asked Questions:

Is essay length important.

Yes, it is. Prescribing a length, instructors understand if you can organize thoughts and arguments. An essay of 1,000 words requires more research and effort than a 350-word paper, agree? The specified length also helps you understand how complex your work should be to grade high. Longer essays teach you to write cohesive texts, choose arguments, and think critically.

Don’t write essays for the sake of count. Quality matters, so please focus on arguments, evidence, and analysis. Avoid placing too many transitions, generic words, and lengthy expressions. Make your every word and sentence count.

How many words are in an essay sample?

350 words at least.

It depends on the essay type you write. Thus, a high school essay sample will be 350 words at least. If you need a college application essay, consider personal papers of 250-650 words. Check essay samples of 800-1,000 words if you need a standard college paper. More complex works like graduate school essays or dissertations will be 3,000+ words.

How long is each part of an essay?

Stick to the 80/20 rule when calculating the length of each essay part. An essay body is the core section of academic papers: Make it 80% of the text. The remaining 20% goes to an introduction and a conclusion.

Say you write a 1,000-word essay. It means you will have 800 words in the body; 100 words go to the introduction and 100 words — for a concluding paragraph. You can go 10% below or above the prescribed limit. (Unless your instructor sets specific limitations.)

How many sentences are in an essay?

21-34 sentences for a standard 5-paragraph essay.

It depends on your essay type and the required word count. I’ll take a standard 5-paragraph college paper as an example:

You have one introductory paragraph, which is 3-5 sentences average. Other 3-5 sentences go to your conclusion. The body consists of three sections, 5-8 sentences each (1). So, here we have it: 21-34 sentences in an essay.

How many words are in an essay introduction?

Take 10-15% of the total length required. Thus, if you need to write a 1,000-word essay, your introduction will be 100-150 words.

For advanced research papers, where intros are longer than one paragraph, stick to 100-150 words per paragraph average. Such texts are usually above 3,000 words, so you’ll follow the 80/20 rule anyway.

Can I go under the suggested length?

It’s not advisable. Please do your best to meet the minimum word count given in the assignment. If the guidelines say “350-600 words,” write at least 350 words in an essay. Sometimes, a 10% deviation is acceptable, but don’t take this rule for granted. Most instructors won’t appreciate your 315-word paper if they ask you to write 350 words at least.

How to make your essay longer?

• Add more examples and evidence to the body paragraphs. 
• Explain and analyze every argument in detail. 
• Mention counterarguments if applicable.

Can I make my essay longer?

Yes, you can exceed the word limit by 10% if allowed by your course instructor. For example, if you get an assignment of 500-700 words, it’s okay to submit a 770-word essay for a review.

Important! Always ask your instructor if the 10% rule is available in their course. And exceed the word count only if you have critical information to add.

Academic writing is all about rules and instructions. Essay length isn’t an exception:

Every college paper has a prescribed, approximate word count to follow. When asking, “How long is an essay?” remember the answer will depend on several factors:

• Academic level. (Middle and high school students write short essays. Undergraduates and graduates craft longer and more complex papers.)
• Type and purpose. (Research-based essays are longer than reflective stories you write for college admission officers.)
• Instructions you get from a teacher. (Check them: The supposed essay length is often there.)

How many words are in an essay? You can answer this question now.

References:

• https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/academic_writing/paragraphs_and_paragraphing/paragraphing.html  
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How to write a perfect essay

Need to write an essay? Does the assignment feel as big as climbing Mount Everest? Fear not. You’re up to the challenge! The following step-by step tips from the Nat Geo Kids Almanac will help you with this monumental task. 

Sometimes the subject matter of your essay is assigned to you, sometimes it’s not. Either way, you have to decide what you want to say. Start by brainstorming some ideas, writing down any thoughts you have about the subject. Then read over everything you’ve come up with and consider which idea you think is the strongest. Ask yourself what you want to write about the most. Keep in mind the goal of your essay. Can you achieve the goal of the assignment with this topic? If so, you’re good to go.

WRITE A TOPIC SENTENCE

This is the main idea of your essay, a statement of your thoughts on the subject. Again, consider the goal of your essay. Think of the topic sentence as an introduction that tells your reader what the rest of your essay will be about.

OUTLINE YOUR IDEAS

Once you have a good topic sentence, you then need to support that main idea with more detailed information, facts, thoughts, and examples. These supporting points answer one question about your topic sentence—“Why?” This is where research and perhaps more brainstorming come in. Then organize these points in the way you think makes the most sense, probably in order of importance. Now you have an outline for your essay.

ON YOUR MARK, GET SET, WRITE!

Follow your outline, using each of your supporting points as the topic sentence of its own paragraph. Use descriptive words to get your ideas across to the reader. Go into detail, using specific information to tell your story or make your point. Stay on track, making sure that everything you include is somehow related to the main idea of your essay. Use transitions to make your writing flow.

Finish your essay with a conclusion that summarizes your entire essay and 5 restates your main idea.

PROOFREAD AND REVISE

Check for errors in spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and grammar. Look for ways to make your writing clear, understandable, and interesting. Use descriptive verbs, adjectives, or adverbs when possible. It also helps to have someone else read your work to point out things you might have missed. Then make the necessary corrections and changes in a second draft. Repeat this revision process once more to make your final draft as good as you can.

Download the pdf .

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How to Improve Writing in Seventh Grade

Written by Dan

Last updated January 31, 2024

Improving writing skills is crucial to academic success, and seventh-grade students are no exception. Writing is a fundamental skill that students need to master, and it is essential to start early. However, many students struggle with writing, and it can be challenging to know where to begin.

Related : For more, check out our article on  How To Make Writing Fun  here.

To improve writing skills in seventh grade, students need to understand the basics of writing, practice regularly, and receive feedback. Reading is also essential to improving writing skills, as it helps students develop their vocabulary and grammar.

Additionally, technology can play a significant role in enhancing writing skills, providing students with various tools and resources to improve their writing.

Table of Contents

Key Takeaways

• Understanding the basics of writing is essential to improving writing skills.
• Reading can help students develop their vocabulary and grammar, which is crucial for writing.
• Regular practice, feedback, and the use of technology can significantly enhance writing skills.

Related : For more, check out our article on How To Improve Writing In Sixth Grade  here.

Understanding the Basics of Writing

Writing is a fundamental skill that students must learn in their academic journey. In seventh grade, it is essential to understand the basics of writing to improve writing skills.

This section will cover the writing process, vocabulary, phrases, and styles.

The Writing Process

The writing process involves several steps that students must follow to produce a complete piece of writing. The following table summarizes the steps involved in the writing process:

Prewriting involves brainstorming ideas, researching, and outlining. Drafting is the stage where the student writes the first draft.

Revising involves reviewing and refining the draft, while editing involves correcting errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation . Publishing is the final stage where the student shares the finished product.

Related : For more, check out our article on How To Improve Writing In Fifth Grade  here.

Vocabulary and Phrases

Vocabulary and phrases are essential components of writing. Students must have a good command of vocabulary to express their ideas effectively. The following list provides some useful phrases that students can use in their writing:

• In addition to
• Furthermore
• On the other hand
• Nevertheless
• Consequently
• In conclusion

Writing Styles

Writing styles refer to the tone and voice that the writer uses in their writing. The following list provides some common writing styles:

• Descriptive
• Argumentative

Students must understand the different writing styles to choose the appropriate one for their writing task. For instance, if the task requires the student to tell a story, they should use the narrative style.

Understanding the basics of writing is crucial for seventh-grade students to improve their writing skills. They must follow the writing process, have a good command of vocabulary and phrases, and choose the appropriate writing style for their task.

Related : For more, check out our article on  How To Teach Children To Add Suspense To Their Writing  here.

Improving Writing Through Reading

Importance of Reading

Reading is an essential aspect of improving writing skills in seventh graders. Reading helps students to gain exposure to different writing styles, expands their vocabulary, and improves their comprehension skills .

A student who reads regularly can quickly identify the structure of a sentence, the use of grammar, and the correct use of punctuation marks.

Furthermore, reading helps students to develop their critical thinking skills, which is an essential component of writing. Students read and are exposed to different perspectives, ideas, and concepts.

This exposure helps them to develop their ideas and opinions, which they can use to create compelling and persuasive written content.

Types of Reading Materials

Seventh graders can use different types of reading materials to improve their writing skills. These materials include books, magazines, and online articles.

Books are an excellent source of reading material as they provide in-depth information on different topics. Students can choose books on different genres such as fiction, non-fiction, and biographies.

Fiction books help students to develop their imagination and creativity, while non-fiction books provide factual information on different topics.

Magazines are another great source of reading material for seventh graders. Magazines provide a wide range of information on different topics such as science, history, and current events.

They also provide a platform for students to read articles written by different authors, which helps them to identify different writing styles.

Reading is an essential aspect of improving writing skills in seventh graders. It helps students to develop their critical thinking skills, expand their vocabulary, and improve their comprehension skills.

Students can use different types of reading materials such as books and magazines to improve their writing skills.

Writing Practice and Exercises

Seventh-grade students can significantly improve their writing skills by practicing regularly. Writing practice and exercises can help students to develop their writing abilities, enhance their creativity, and improve their critical thinking skills.

Here are some effective writing practice and exercises that seventh graders can use to improve their writing skills.

Writing Prompts

Writing prompts are an excellent way to help seventh graders develop their writing skills. Writing prompts can be used to inspire students to write about different topics, such as personal experiences, current events, and fictional scenarios.

Writing prompts can help seventh graders to improve their vocabulary, grammar, and syntax.

Here are some examples of writing prompts for seventh graders:

• Write a short story about a character who discovers a mysterious object in their backyard.
• Write a persuasive essay about the importance of recycling.
• Write a descriptive paragraph about your favorite place in the world.

Worksheets and Assignments

Worksheets and assignments are another effective way to help seventh graders improve their writing skills. Worksheets and assignments can help students to practice their writing skills, learn new writing techniques, and improve their research skills.

Here are some examples of writing worksheets and assignments for seventh graders:

• Write a character analysis of a character from a book you have read.
• Write a compare and contrast essay about two different cultures.
• Write a research paper about a historical event.

Short Research Projects

Short research projects are an excellent way to help seventh graders improve their writing skills. Short research projects can help students to develop their research skills, learn how to organize their ideas, and improve their writing skills.

Here are some examples of short research projects for seventh graders:

• Research a famous person and write a biography about them.
• Research a current event and write a news article about it.
• Research a scientific experiment and write a lab report about it.

Writing practice and exercises are essential for seventh graders who want to improve their writing skills.

Writing prompts, worksheets and assignments, and short research projects are all effective ways to help students develop their writing abilities, enhance their creativity, and improve their critical thinking skills.

The Role of Technology in Enhancing Writing Skills

Technology has played a significant role in enhancing writing skills for seventh-grade students. The internet has opened up many resources and multimedia tools that students can use to improve their writing abilities.

In this section, we will explore two of the most critical ways in which technology can help students improve their writing.

Online Resources

The internet is a treasure trove of resources students can use to improve their writing. Numerous websites offer free writing prompts, grammar lessons, and writing tips.

These resources can help students develop their writing skills by providing them with the necessary tools and guidance.

One of the most significant advantages of online resources is that they are accessible to everyone. Students can access these resources from anywhere, at any time, as long as they have an internet connection.

This means that students can work on their writing skills at their own pace, without having to worry about being on campus or in the classroom.

Multimedia Tools

Multimedia tools are another way in which technology can help students improve their writing skills. These tools include software and apps that allow students to create multimedia presentations, videos, and other forms of digital media.

By using these tools, students can develop their writing skills more engagingly and interactively.

Multimedia tools can help students develop their writing skills by allowing them to experiment with different forms of media. For example, students can create videos incorporating text, images, and sound to convey their ideas.

This can help students develop their writing skills by encouraging them to think creatively and critically about how to communicate their ideas effectively.

In conclusion, technology has played a significant role in enhancing writing skills for seventh-grade students. Online resources and multimedia tools are just two of the many ways in which technology can help students develop their writing abilities.

By using these tools, students can improve their writing skills in a more engaging and interactive way, and at their own pace.

Feedback and Revision

Editing and Proofreading

Editing and proofreading are essential components of the writing process. Seventh-grade students should be taught to review their work for errors in grammar, punctuation, and spelling.

They should also learn to identify and correct awkward phrasing or unclear sentences. A good strategy is to have students read their work aloud, as this can help them identify errors they might not have noticed otherwise.

Teachers can also provide feedback on student writing by using a rubric or checklist to evaluate the quality of the work.

This can help students understand what they need to improve and how to do it. Teachers can also provide specific feedback on areas that need improvement, such as grammar, sentence structure, or organization.

Teacher and Peer Reviews

In addition to self-editing, students can benefit from receiving feedback from their peers and teachers. Peer reviews can be done in small groups, where students read and evaluate each other’s work.

This can help students learn to give and receive constructive feedback, as well as improve their own writing by seeing examples of strong writing from their peers.

Teachers can also provide feedback on student writing by meeting with students individually or in small groups. This allows teachers to provide more detailed feedback and address specific concerns.

Teachers can also use technology tools to track student progress and provide feedback online.

In conclusion, feedback and revision are essential components of the writing process for seventh-grade students.

By teaching students to edit and proofread their own work, and by providing feedback from peers and teachers, students can improve their writing skills and become more confident writers.

Related Posts

About The Author

I'm Dan Higgins, one of the faces behind The Teaching Couple. With 15 years in the education sector and a decade as a teacher, I've witnessed the highs and lows of school life. Over the years, my passion for supporting fellow teachers and making school more bearable has grown. The Teaching Couple is my platform to share strategies, tips, and insights from my journey. Together, we can shape a better school experience for all.

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STAAR Writing: 4th and 7th Grade Essay Practice Strategies

Within the next few months, students across the state of Texas will be taking the STAAR test. Teachers usually review relevant information in class and conduct practice sessions, but because kids typically don’t have as much experience writing essays, the essay portion of the 4th and 7th grade STAAR tests can present unique challenges. Today, I’ll discuss how to practice writing for the STAAR test and also how to generally practice writing with younger students.

The STAAR test for 4th grade and 7th grade requires that students compose an expository essay within 26 lines. To clarify, essay “genres” fall into a two main categories:

Expository = informative (you are describing facts)

​Ex: Textbook article, newspaper report, description of a person, how-to guide

Argumentative = persuasive (you are trying to convince someone to think or act a certain way)

Ex: Book review, newspaper opinion piece

The STAAR test is somewhat strange in that you often are presenting your opinion but you are not necessarily trying to persuade the reader to agree with you. You often are describing “the best invention” or “what makes a good friend.”

At any rate, the best method for studying the STAAR essay outside of school involves three steps:

1. Gather sample materials from the STAAR website from past exams.

The STAAR website offers great resources for understanding the basics of the test. You can see last year’s exam and several before that. These exams include the prompt as well as scored responses and grader feedback. So you can see what kind of essay generally scores a 1, 2, 3, and 4.

Before getting too far with practicing the writing itself, I like to have younger students see samples of good writing. First, we will read a past year’s official prompt and brainstorm how we would respond. Then, we keep in mind our brainstorming and review the 4-scoring essays. With those samples, I will explain the different parts of the essay, such as the thesis statement, topic sentences, the examples, and the commentary. The goal here is to provide a “model” of good writing.

During the modeling stage, you don’t necessarily need to go through each and every test. Reviewing the most recently released test should work well since there are multiple examples for each score.

2. Practice writing paragraphs and short essays that include all the essential parts.

Younger students are going to struggle a lot with writing the basic structure of paragraphs and essays. To keep things simple, I like to break down a paragraph as follows:

TOPIC SENTENCE - a broad statement of the key idea of the paragraph

TRANSITION/CLAIM - a more specific statement that introduces evidence

EVIDENCE - a specific example that supports the claim/topic

COMMENTARY/ANALYSIS - an explanation of how the evidence supports the claim/topic

CONCLUSION - a statement that reiterates the main point of the paragraph

Not every paragraph needs to include all of these elements, but for the sake of practicing strong paragraphs, it is best to get students in the habit of including all of these parts. Often, younger students will write about 3 out of 5 pieces, usually forgetting to include a topic sentence and a conclusion.

For basic practice, I have students practice writing simple paragraphs, responding to prompts like “What is the best way to serve a tennis ball?” or “Describe your favorite class at school.” I recommend that they write at least once a day for 30 minutes to an hour. At this point, the information itself does not need to be perfect (and there will most likely be spelling and grammar errors); again, writing the structure correctly is the goal.

3. Once the structure is consistently correct, then focus on refining the content.

With practice, the student should be able to more consistently produce the structure of a paragraph and also a multiple-paragraph essay. Then you can start focusing on improving the content within the paragraph. (Of course, you can still guide the student on content before this stage.)

Usually students struggle with clarity in expressing their ideas and including examples that support their topic sentences and claims. Often, younger students rely too much on vague pronouns or phrasing that doesn’t precisely explain an idea or situation. Sometimes this lack of clarity happens because what they are describing is too abstract or the example is too complicated to explain. So you may need to help them brainstorm, too, if the content proves too tricky to write about.

When reviewing the essays during this stage, try to pinpoint areas in the student’s writing that leave you wondering what exactly they meant. Ask the student if they can clarify. Also, demonstrate and work together to come up with an improvement so they can see the process firsthand. I like to type up what the student has written and then break the essay down into parts, revealing what the student needs to improve.

Final Thoughts

Through this three-step process you should be able to more systematically help younger students with writing paragraphs and essays. Once you have done practice for a few weeks, you can then “benchmark” the progress by handing out another official STAAR essay prompt and having the student write a response. After reviewing, you can once again look at sample essays and compare, determining the student’s score and what to focus on for future practice.

Preparing for the STAAR test? Need help on the writing section -- or maybe just need writing help in general? Our tutors can assess your student’s weaknesses and help them build their skills for the test and beyond!

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• Grade 7 ELA Module 2A, Unit 1, Lesson 16

Bilingual Language Progressions

These resources, developed by the New York State Education Department, provide standard-level scaffolding suggestions for English Language Learners (ELLs) to help them meet grade-level demands. Each resource contains scaffolds at multiple levels of language acquisition and describes the linguistic demands of the standards to help ELA teachers as well as ESL/bilingual teachers scaffold content for their English learning students.

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How long should the average 7th grade essay be?

• by The Alchemy Team

Just starting out year 7 and want to be the most prepared for your first high school English class? Confused about the expectations for your first essay assignment?

Look no further. This article will answer all the frequently asked questions on how to structure an essay.

How long should my essay be?

Essay assignments often have a word count guide you need to follow. But in the case of an in-class essay test, here is a rough guideline: within a standard 40-minute time frame, you should aim for an introduction, 2 TEEL body paragraphs and a conclusion.

What do I put in the introduction? How long should it be?

Your introduction should only be 3-4 sentences. Get straight to the point within your opening sentence. The best openings demonstrate you have clearly planned your arguments. So before starting to write, it is crucial you take 5 minutes to think of your argument and plan out how you will support them in the body paragraphs. Then, the first sentence just needs to offer your direct response to the question itself.

Tip : To make sure you are properly addressing the question, use synonyms or words directly from the question itself in your thesis statement.

How long should each body paragraph be?

Always think back to the TEEL structure as you are writing the body paragraphs. Each paragraph should have:

• Topic sentence – clearly identify your argument. (1 sentence)
• Example – quote at least one example from the text. Make sure this quote has been chosen strategically to best support your argument. Remember to use quotation marks. (1 sentence)
• Elaboration – analyse the quote. Did the author use a certain technique? What can be extracted from this example to prove the argument you are trying to say? (2-3 sentences)
• Link – connect the discussion back to the topic sentence to further emphasise the idea in this paragraph. (1 sentence)

What goes in the conclusion?

Your conclusion only needs to be 2-3 sentences long. It offers your final answer to the question. You can summarise the 2 main ideas you analysed in the 2 body paragraphs and offer your final judgement about your interpretation of the question.

I’ve followed these guidelines and finished early. What should I do?

• Proofread – check there are no spelling, grammar or punctuation errors.
• Check the style – did you avoid using conversational or slang words such as ‘like’?
• Did you use speech marks to quote your examples?

Hopefully, essay writing now seems less intimidating. Remember, the best way to prepare is to just practise. Practise using these guidelines to structure your next essay and you will notice big improvement in no time.

By Brittanie Hsu, an Alchemy tutor

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• ELA 2019 G7:M1:U2:L7

Write a Compare and Contrast Essay: Analyze a Model

In this lesson, daily learning targets, ongoing assessment.

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Supporting English Language Learners

Materials from previous lessons, new materials, closing & assessments, you are here:.

• ELA 2019 Grade 7
• ELA 2019 G7:M1
• ELA 2019 G7:M1:U2

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Focus Standards:  These are the standards the instruction addresses.

• RI.7.1 , RI.7.2 , W.7.2 , W.7.4 , W.7.9b

Supporting Standards:  These are the standards that are incidental—no direct instruction in this lesson, but practice of these standards occurs as a result of addressing the focus standards.

• RL.7.9 , RI.7.10 , L.7.4a , L.7.6
• I can determine the central ideas of a model essay. ( RI.7.2 )
• I can use the Painted Essay® structure to analyze a model. ( W.7.2 , W.7.4 )
• Opening A: Entrance Ticket: Unit 2, Lesson 7 ( RI.7.1 )
• Work Time A: Model Essay note-catcher ( RI.7.2 )
• Closing and Assessment A: The Painted Essay® template ( W.7.2 , W.7.4 )

• Ensure there is a copy of Entrance Ticket: Unit 1, Lesson 7 at each student's workspace.
• Read the model essay, the "One Day I Had to Run" article, and the essay prompt to be ready to guide students through the gist and purpose activities. Read the Paint an Essay lesson plan to become familiar with the color-coding and the purpose of each choice of color.
• Post the learning targets and applicable anchor charts (see Materials list).

Tech and Multimedia

• Work Time A and Closing and Assessment A: Projector and digital version of the model essay to display and color-code

Supports guided in part by CA ELD Standards 7.I.A.4, 7.I.B.6, 7.II.A.1, 7.II.A.2, 7.II.B.5, 7.II.C.6, and 7.II.C.7.

Important Points in the Lesson Itself

• To support ELLs, this lesson directly teaches a number of skills related to essay analysis and essay writing, including recognizing author’s purpose and gist, as well as learning about characteristics of compare and contrast essays and working with the Painted Essay® structure to generate criteria for their own essays. Such direct instruction in essay analysis and essay writing is beneficial to ELLs because it makes the academic language of a challenging reading and writing task transparent, comprehensible, and usable.
• ELLs who are new to reading in English may find reading the model essay independently challenging because of the complex, academic syntax. Therefore, additional supports such as the ones listed below may be useful.
• analyze, model, purpose, structure (A)
• Painted Essay® (DS)

(A): Academic Vocabulary

(DS): Domain-Specific Vocabulary

• Close Readers Do These Things anchor chart (one for display; from Unit 1, Lesson 4, Opening A)
• Academic word wall (one for display; from Unit 1, Lesson 1, Opening A)
• Domain-specific word wall (one for display; from Unit 1, Lesson 1, Work Time B)
• Work to Become Effective Learners anchor chart (one for display; from Unit 1, Lesson 5, Work Time A)
• Work to Become Effective Learners anchor chart (example for teacher reference) (from Unit 1, Lesson 5, Work Time A)
• Equity sticks (from Unit 1, Lesson 1, Opening A)
• "One Day I Had to Run" by John Deng Langbay (from Unit 2, Lesson 3, Work Time A)
• Vocabulary log (one per student; from Unit 1, Lesson 2, Work Time A)
• Entrance Ticket: Unit 2, Lesson 7 (answers for teacher reference)
• Compare and Contrast Model Essay (example for teacher reference)
• Chart paper
• Criteria of an Effective Informative Essay anchor chart (for teacher reference)
• Criteria of an Effective Informative Essay anchor chart (one for display; co-created in Work Time A)
• Paint an Essay Lesson Plan (for teacher reference)
• Annotated Model "Using History in A Long Walk to Water " (for teacher reference)
• Entrance Ticket: Unit 2, Lesson 7 (one per student)
• Online or print dictionaries (including ELL and home language dictionaries; one per small group of students)
• Compare and Contrast Model Essay (one per student and one for display)
• Watercolor paint set or colored pencils (red, yellow, blue, green; one of each per student)
• Painted Essay® template (one per student)

Each unit in the 6-8 Language Arts Curriculum has two standards-based assessments built in, one mid-unit assessment and one end of unit assessment. The module concludes with a performance task at the end of Unit 3 to synthesize students' understanding of what they accomplished through supported, standards-based writing.

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In This Section

7th grade writing samples, writing in seventh grade.

Winter Break Personal Narrative Prompt

Seventh Grade Narrative Writing Sample 1

Seventh Grade Narrative Writing Sample 2

Seventh Grade Narrative Writing Sample 3

Seventh Grade Narrative Writing Sample 4

Seventh Grade Summary Sample 1

Seventh Grade Summary Sample 2

Seventh Grade Summary Sample 3

Seventh Grade Summary Sample 4

Seventh Grade Argumentative Essay Sample 3

Seventh Grade Argumentative Essay Sample 4

How Long Is an Essay? The Ultimate Essay Length Guide

It’s safe to say that most students struggle with the word limit within an essay. Sometimes, it’s hard to find ideas for a text and meet the word requirement for every part of the paper. With so many factors influencing essay length, it’s easy to get confused.

Luckily, our custom-writing team has your back. In this article, our custom-writing experts will answer all your questions regarding essay length. We will also help you write papers with an ideal number of words!

📜 Is Essay Length Important?

📏 essay parts: recommended length.

• 🤔 How to Make Essays Shorter or Longer
• 📑 Essay Length & Formatting
• ❓ Different Academic Levels FAQ
• 📚 Essay Length: Different Types
• ⭐ Other Aspects
• 📝 Essay Examples

🔍 References

Often, the phrase “word limit” causes panic among students. After all, if an essay is too long or too short, your grade will be lowered. However, in reality, there’s nothing to worry about. When it comes to words, limitations are beneficial for both the students and the professors.

Let’s see what exactly it means.

Many people believe that the longer an essay is, the better. However, according to Frontiers, research shows that it’s a bias that couldn’t be further from the truth. A perfect-length paper is one that allows students to express their ideas and showcase their knowledge fully while keeping it clean and simple.

What Influences Essay Length

Various factors determine the length of an essay. Here are the most important ones:

Let’s start with the essentials. Usually, assignment length is given as a number of words rather than pages. Unless your supervisor or instructor mentions any specific limitations, it’s acceptable to be 10% below or above the word limit.

It’s also worth knowing the 80/20 rule . According to it, the body should constitute 80% of the text, while the intro and the conclusion take up the remaining 20%.

Keep reading to learn more about the recommended length of each essay part. The main numbers are shown in the table below:

How Long Should an Introduction Be?

An introduction is the first section and the face of your essay. For that reason, it needs to be compelling and well-thought-out. Usually, it consists of 3 to 5 sentences or 50 to 80 words .

An introduction must have a hook, some background information, and a thesis statement. While the attention grabber and the thesis are usually brief, you may need 2 to 3 sentences for the background. To avoid going overboard, try to stay on topic and don’t add any filler.

How Long Is a Body Paragraph in an Essay?

The length of a body paragraph may vary. Sometimes, it can be limited to a single sentence. In other cases, it may take up a whole page. Usually, it’s recommended to have between 80 and 200 words (5-8 sentences) per body paragraph.

Since the paper’s body contains the most information, it’s necessary to explain and support your ideas properly. That’s why it’s no big deal if your body paragraphs go slightly over the word limit.

How Many Body Paragraphs Should Be in an Essay?

Like the word count, the number of paragraphs is determined by the type of paper and its topic. The minimum is 1. Generally, however, the body consists of 3-5 paragraphs , 1 for each argument.

To improve your paper’s structure, ensure that there are as many paragraphs as there are points in your thesis statement. Each one should have a purpose and support your arguments. If there’s any fluff, it’s better to get rid of it.

How Long Should a Conclusion Be?

Like the introduction, the conclusion consists of 50-80 words . It’s essential to keep it simple and only mention the central ideas. A weak concluding sentence may affect the reader’s understanding of the topic and spoil the overall impression of your paper.

🤔 How to Make Essays Shorter or Longer: Best Tips

Undoubtedly the essay’s content is more important than the number of words you use. But there are times when students go more than 10-15% below or over the limit. Is there a solution to this problem?

Yes, there is! In this section, we will share the most useful tips to help you stay on point with your paper’s word count.

How to Make Essays Longer

Since having enough words is essential for a good grade, we’ve collected the best tips that can help you lengthen your essay without teachers noticing:

• Use relevant quotations.  You don’t need to litter your essay with citations, but using them whenever appropriate is a great idea. For instance, if you’re working on a book analysis, referencing a couple of direct quotes from the source text will make your essay more credible and increase the word count.

• Give examples.  Go through the claims in your paper and provide additional evidence where possible. It will make your essay longer and more informative.

• Use transitional expressions.  Adding transition words and phrases is a natural way of increasing the number of words. It will also improve your essay’s readability. 

• Add more references.  Providing references is always a good idea when writing a formal essay. That way, you will increase the number of words and make your paper more credible.

• Work on your descriptions.  If you struggle to develop new ideas, go over what you’ve already written and consider adding some descriptive words. It’s a great idea for creative essays to include more imagery. 

How to Shorten an Essay

Another struggle of academic writing is cutting down the number of words in your essay to meet a set limit. We are here to tell you that it’s not that hard. Writing straightforwardly and keeping your sentences short is a key to concise content. Here are several strategies you may use to tighten a lengthy essay:

• Choose the active voice.  It takes up less space than passive voice. Using it also makes your writing more professional and compelling.

• Remove needless transitions.  Transitions can indeed maintain the flow of the paper. But some transitional phrases can be easily removed.

• Get rid of unnecessary adverbs and adjectives.  Some students tend to overuse adjectives and adverbs. It adds wordiness to their writing.

• Avoid running starts.  Some students like to start their sentences with long phrases like: “there are,” “it is believed,” or “the fact that.” Getting rid of them makes texts much more concise.

• Delete “that.”  In most cases, the word “that” can often be easily removed from texts.

Another cool trick is to use our summarizing tool as essay shortener. Try it out!

📑 How Long Is an Essay Depending on Formatting?

As we mentioned earlier, the essay’s length is usually limited by the number of words. But sometimes, a teacher may ask you to write a specific number of pages. This is trickier because the amount of text you can place on the page depends on the formatting. By using the font size and spacing properly, it’s possible to make the paper visually longer or shorter. Let’s discuss it in more detail.

Essay Spacing: How Does It Affect the Length?

• Adjusting the spacing between lines.  Try to make the changes as slight as possible. For instance, if you were asked to double-space the paper, use 2.1 or 2.2 spacing instead. Another option is to slightly extend spaces between paragraphs.
• Extending the margin size.  You can increase the right and bottom margins by a quarter to make very subtle changes in length. For example, if the margins are 1 inch , you can set them at 1.25 inches instead. 
• Increasing the spacing between characters.  It is less noticeable than the line spacing. Still, try not to overdo it and keep the numbers between 1.2 and 1.5 . 
• Adjusting the footer.  Add a footer with page numbers to stretch the bottom margin even further.
• Lengthening the header.  You can extend your header by adding your name, e-mail address, or other relevant information. Another option is double-spacing it.

Length of an Essay: Font and Size

• Using the right type of font.  If your instructor didn’t specify which font you should use, go for the bigger ones. We suggest Arial, Bangla Sangam MN, Cambria, or Quicksand. They will make your text look longer without being too on the nose.  
• Using a bigger font size.  This is another technique that can come in handy. However, be careful and don’t increase your font by more than 0.1-0.5 pt.  
• Increasing the size of periods and commas.   This is one of the less noticeable tricks you can use. For instance, if your paper’s font is 12 pt. , increase it to 14 pt. only for punctuation marks. Italicizing periods and commas will also add several lines of length to your essay. 

What to Do if There Are No Length Guidelines

Sometimes a teacher sets no word limit for a written work. What to do in that case? Well, first, you can ask your professor to confirm if they have simply forgotten to mention it. But if that’s not the case, here are a couple of helpful solutions:

• Think of the paragraph number.  Sometimes, you may be given the number of paragraphs instead of words. In that case, you can decide on the number of words depending on how many paragraphs you have. 
• Think about the topic’s complexity.  The length of your paper is also directly dependent on the theme. If the topic is simple, 4-5 paragraphs will be enough. A more complex issue may require an in-depth explanation, so your essay can be 6-8 paragraphs long.

❓ Essay Length for Different Academic Levels FAQ

The length of the elementary school essay is usually short. Usually, a paper needs to have around 3-5 paragraphs, with 4-5 sentences per paragraph. Primary school essays can be 1-2 paragraphs long.

The word limit for a middle school essay is usually between 300 to 1000 words. The most common essay length is 500 words, which is about 5 paragraphs. However, it may differ from school to school.

The length of the high school essay may differ depending on the school and the complexity of the task itself. Usually, however, a paper can be between 300 to 1000 words long.

The length of the undergraduate college essay often falls within the range of 1500 to 2100 words. It translates into roughly 5-7 pages. 5 pages is the most common essay length at this level.

When it comes to the graduate school admission essay, the word limit is usually between 500 and 1000 words. It’s possible to go slightly over or below the set limit; however, it’s best to stick to the requirements as close as possible.

📚 How Long Should an Essay Be: Different Types

Now, let’s talk about different types of essays. How long should they be? Keep reading to learn about the length of college essays, short and extended ones, scholarship essays, and research papers.

How Long Is a College Essay?

When it comes to a college essay, it’s more important to stick to the word limit than with any other paper. Some teachers may refuse to read it unless it meets all the requirements.

The shortest limit for a college essay is about 250 words which is the shortest length of a Common App personal statement. It’s also rare to see a good college essay with over 650 words . So, an average piece usually has between 150 and 650 words ; you can go over or below the limit by 50.

How Long Is a Paragraph in College Essays?

A college essay usually consists of 4-5 paragraphs . One paragraph takes about 1/3 of the page, which is roughly 5 sentences . Each sentence corresponds with one of the following components:

• Topic sentence.
• Explanation.
• Transitions.

College Essay Length Requirements: Top 5 Schools

To understand the requirements for a college application essay even better, take a look at the table below. It showcases the top 5 schools and their length criteria for personal statements. Keep it in mind when writing your college essay:

How Long Is a Short Essay?

A short essay is usually 500 words long. Using 12pt Times New Roman font with standard margins and double spacing should result in about 2 pages of text.

Extended Essay Length

An extended essay is different from a short or a standard one. It requires extensive research and thorough explanation. That’s why the upper limit for this kind of essay is 4000 words . In this case, a typical essay length is 3500 words or 18 paragraphs .

Scholarship Essay Length

Generally, scholarship papers have a limit of 500 words , which is 1 page in length. Most scholarship programs provide additional requirements that indicate the minimum number of words or pages. If there are no set limitations, you can stick to the limit.

How Long Is a Research Paper?

Typically, a research paper is between 4000 and 6000 words long. Sometimes, there are shorter papers, which have around 2000 words, or in-depth ones with over 10000 words.

⭐ Other Aspects of Essay Length

When it comes to essay length, many different aspects come into play. Here, we’ve gathered all the essential information regarding an essay’s number of pages, paragraphs, words, and references.

How Many Paragraphs Are in an Essay?

Sometimes, it is more convenient to count paragraphs rather than words. Let’s now figure out how many paragraphs are in essays of different lengths. You may also check out the examples to see what such an essay looks like:

How to Count Paragraphs in an Essay Based on Word Count

You can also count the number of body paragraphs for your essay using the formula below:

Number of body paragraphs (average) = (TWC – TWC*0.16)/100

• TWC – total word count
• 0.16 – an average percentage of total word count for introduction and conclusion
• 100 – an average number of words per paragraph

How Many Pages Are in an Essay?

The number of pages in your essay may vary from subject to subject. But it’s still possible to determine the number of pages based on word count. Check out the numbers below to see the conversions with bonus examples:

You can also use a specialized calculator such as Word Counter to determine a number of pages in your essay.

What Does an Essay Look Like when Typed?

You might be wondering: what do essays of different lengths look like when typed? Well, here’s the table where you can find out the metrics for single- and double-spaced papers.

How Many Pages Are in a Handwritten Essay?

In case you need to turn in a handwritten paper, you should check out the table below.

Counting Words in a Handwritten Essay

If you don’t have enough time to count the words in your handwritten essay one by one, here’s what you can do:

• Count how many words there are in one line. Take the first and last lines and a line in the middle of a page. Let’s say there are 15, 14, and 15 words in them. Then, the average number of words per line is 15.
• Next, count how many lines there are on one page. Let’s say there are 17 lines on a page.
• Take the number of words per line and multiply it by the number of lines per page. In our case, we multiply 15 by 17. So, there are 255 words per page on average.
• Finally, multiply the number of words per page by the number of pages. If your essay has 3 pages, it is approximately 765 words long.

How Long Does it Take to Write an Essay?

It is crucial to know how long writing will take you, especially if you are working on an exam essay or just short on time. Note that you need to consider the time for typing and researching necessary to complete a piece. Research time may vary. Usually, it’s 1-2 hours for 200-250 words .

Below, we’ve gathered the average writing time for average and slower writing speed:

And here are the results in pages:

How Many References Does an Essay Need?

Another essential part of any composition is the reference list. Different academic levels require different references. You’ll find out how many of them should be in your paper in the table below!

📝 Essay Examples: Different Length

Finally, we’ve gathered some excellent sample essays of different lengths. Make sure to check them out!

We also recommend you check out our free essay samples sorted by pages:

• 1-Page Essay Examples
• 2-Page Essay Examples
• 3-Page Essay Examples
• 4-Page Essay Examples
• 5-Page Essay Examples
• 10-Page Essay Examples
• 20-Page Essay Examples
• 30-Page Essay Examples
• 40-Page Essay Examples
• 50-Page Essay Examples

Now you know all about essay length, word limits, and ways to lengthen or shorten your text. If you know other interesting tricks, make sure to share them in a comment! Good luck with your writing assignments!

You may also like:

• How to Write a Process Analysis Essay: Examples & Outline
• How to Write a Precis: Definition, Guide, & Examples 
• How to Write a Critical Analysis Essay: Examples & Guide
• How to Write a Narrative Essay Outline: Template & Examples
• How to Write a Formal Essay: Format, Rules, & Example
• Word Limits and Assignment Length: Massey University
• The Paragraph in the College Essay: California State University, Long Beach
• Introductions & Conclusions: The University of Arizona Global Campus
• How Long Should a Paragraph Be?: Daily Writing Tips
• Paragraphing (Length Consistency): Purdue University
• Hitting the Target Word Count in Your College Admission Essay: Dummies.com
• How Long Should Your College Essay Be? What is the Ideal Length?: College Vine
• Writing Personal Statements Online: Issues of Length and Form: Penn State University
• Pen Admissions: Essays: University of Pennsylvania
• Essay Questions: University of Michigan
• Essay Structure: Harvard University
• Components of a Good Essay: University of Evansville
• Write Your Essay: UNSW Sydney
• College Writing: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• 21 Helpful and Easy Tips to Make an Essay Longer: Seventeen
• How to Make a College Paper Longer: ThoughtCo
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Home — Essay Samples — Literature — Gary Soto — Seventh Grade Gary Soto Summary

Seventh Grade Gary Soto Summary

• Categories: Gary Soto

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Published: Mar 5, 2024

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The short story "The Jacket" by Gary Soto tells the story of a young boy named Victor who is given a jacket by his mother that he initially dislikes but grows to appreciate as it becomes a symbol of his mother's love and [...]

In the book Buried Onions by Gary Soto, it takes place in Fresno California. Fresno is a depressing town where gang members go around lurking every corner searching for something awful to do. Eddie is a young kid who hasn’t had [...]

Almost no human being can deny they haven’t done something that they wish they could take back or regret. At some point in a lifetime, anyone can recall an unfortunate event in their life that they wish they could go back in [...]

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Dickens’s “A Christmas Carol” is set in Victorian London and tells the story of the transformation of a wicked, miserly Scrooge into a benevolent humanitarian via supernatural intervention. The invited reading persuades readers [...]

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What are the six different essay lengths?

This is the second of three chapters about Essays . To complete this reader, read each chapter carefully and then unlock and complete our materials to check your understanding.   

– Discuss why essays might vary in length

– Outline the six major lengths of academic essay

– Provide defining features for each essay length

Chapter 1: What is an academic essay?

Chapter 2: What are the six different essay lengths?

Chapter 3: What are the seven different types of academic essay?

Before you begin reading...

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• skills practices, tasks and assignments

The length of essay you’re assigned will likely depend on where you are exactly in your academic course. Generally, assignments at the start of a bachelor’s degree will be shorter than those required in a student’s final years, just like master’s  and doctoral-level essays will continue to increase in both length and difficulty.

1. The One-Paragraph Essay

Generally about 150 to 250 words in length, the one-paragraph essay may be assigned by academic tutors simply in order to practise the basic concepts of paragraph writing, or it may also be used for specific purposes such as to practise summarising an article that’s been read in class or to write an extended definition of a concept. Additionally, one-paragraph essays may also be used as a diagnostic to quickly determine the level of a student’s writing. Unlike other essay lengths, for the one-paragraph essay, you’ll need to include at least some introductory, body and conclusive elements within the same paragraph.    

2. The Three-Paragraph Essay

Usually around 500 words in length, the three-paragraph essay is generally used to introduce students to the concept that all essays should maintain an introduction , body section and conclusion if the writer wishes to produce cohesive and a logical writing. The introduction and conclusion will be the first and last paragraphs and tend to be a little shorter in length, while the central body paragraph will contain the essay’s content or argument. A simple table explaining the balance of content in a three-paragraph essay has been provided below:

3. The Five-Paragraph Essay

Around 1,000 words in length, the five-paragraph essay is generally set by tutors who are content that their students understand the introduction-body-conclusion essay  structure and wish to allow more freedom to expand the ideas and arguments presented by the writer in the body section of the essay. This length of essay still only dedicates one paragraph to the introduction and conclusion , but allows three paragraphs to be dedicated to the exploration of the theme in the essay’s body. At this length, certain essay types such as cause and effect essays or compare and contrast essays may now be utilised. The following is a simple diagram of the balance of paragraph lengths in a five-paragraph essay.

4. The Extended Essay

The extended essay is the most common type of essay that’s assigned during a bachelor’s or master’s degree , and it may be of any length – although it’s unusual for such essays to be above 5,000 words. The most common lengths for an extended essay are 1,500, 3,000 and 5,000 words, with a word count allowance of plus or minus 10%. Such essay types will most certainly require research and referencing skills , and may also begin to follow more complex structures such as are found in dissertations and theses rather than simply following the introduction-body-conclusion structure of shorter essays.

5. The Dissertation

Generally assigned as the final project for both bachelor’s   and master’s degree , the typical length of an academic dissertation is 10,000 or 15,000 words. Unlike shorter essay types , dissertations have more complex structures and are almost always based around primary research (original research that the writer has conducted themselves). The following table demonstrates some of the key parts of a dissertation as well as the rough word count  percentages for each section:

6. The Thesis

Finally, the thesis is the longest academic essay type and the one that’s reserved for doctorate students studying PhDs. Generally between 40,000 and 60,000 words in length, the doctorate thesis may contain all the elements of a dissertation but in much more detail and with more careful investigation. Such essays  are almost certainly original and are based on primary research , with a larger focus on the accuracy of the literature review , data collection and data analysis . Many students will never encounter this essay type. 

Once you can recognise which essay length you’ve been assigned, the next question covered in Chapter 3 is about determining the type of essay you have to write. This is because each essay type will require particular styles, structures, foci and language.

To reference this reader:

Academic Marker (2022) Essays . Available at: https://academicmarker.com/academic-guidance/assignments/essays/ (Accessed: Date Month Year).

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• Leeds University Library
• Purdue Online Writing Lab

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How long is an essay 7th grade?

An essay in 7th grade typically falls within the range of 300 to 800 words. This allows students to learn and practice the basic structure of a 5-paragraph essay, which includes an introduction, a thesis statement, the body, and a conclusion.

How many paragraphs should a 7th grade essay have?

A standard short essay for 7th grade usually consists of five paragraphs. This structure provides enough information in a concise format.

What should a 7th grade essay look like?

In 7th grade, an essay should have an introductory paragraph that includes the title of the essay or article, the author’s full name if given, and the topic. The following 2-3 sentences should provide some background information about the essay or article, typically taken from the first paragraph.

How long is an essay in the UK?

In the UK, an extended essay usually has common lengths of 1,500, 3,000, or 5,000 words, with a word count allowance of plus or minus 10%.

How long should a year 12 English essay be?

Most year 12 English essays are around 1,000 to 1,200 words in length. However, some essays may go slightly over or under depending on the specific requirements.

How many pages is a 20000-word essay?

A 20,000-word essay is approximately 40 pages when single-spaced or 80 pages when double-spaced. This can vary slightly depending on the formatting and font size used.

How many pages is a 5,000-word essay?

A 5,000-word essay is around 10 pages when single-spaced or 20 pages when double-spaced. However, this can vary based on formatting and font size.

How many pages is a 3,000-word essay?

A 3,000-word essay is approximately 6 pages when single-spaced or 12 pages when double-spaced. Actual page count may vary depending on formatting and font size.

Is 70% a good grade for an essay?

A grade of 70% or above is considered a top band of marks. It is considered a good grade, as anything in the 60% range is typically considered a good grade as well.

How should 7th graders write?

Seventh-grade writing should demonstrate an in-depth understanding of the topic, logical reasoning, and incorporation of solid evidence from reliable sources. Papers should be written in formal language and include clear introductions and concise conclusions that summarize the student’s position.

How do you start a 7th grade essay?

A persuasive 7th grade essay should begin with a hook or attention-grabbing sentence, such as a general statement, question, quote, short story, or shocking statement. The following 2-5 sentences should provide background information on the topic or a summary when appropriate.

Can an essay have 7 body paragraphs?

While the traditional academic standard suggests that an essay should have three body paragraphs, any number is possible. Some essays may have 4, 7, 10, or more paragraphs depending on the content and organization.

Is 7 sentences 2 paragraphs?

There is no absolute rule for the number of sentences in a paragraph. A paragraph can have two to three sentences, but it can also have more. The typical maximum number is five sentences, though this can vary depending on the content.

How many paragraphs is a 500-word essay?

A 500-word essay typically consists of 4-6 paragraphs. Since most paragraphs contain around 75-200 words, a 500-word essay would require this number of paragraphs for proper organization and development.

How many paragraphs is a 600000-word essay?

A 600,000-word essay would have a varying number of paragraphs depending on the organization and content. However, for the sake of discussion, if each paragraph contains around 200 words, a 600,000-word essay would have approximately 3,000 paragraphs.

How many paragraphs is a 700000-word essay?

Similarly to the previous question, the number of paragraphs in a 700,000-word essay would depend on the organization and content. If each paragraph contains around 200 words, a 700,000-word essay might have around 3,500 paragraphs.

How many paragraphs is a 900000-word essay?

Like the previous examples, the number of paragraphs in a 900,000-word essay will vary. If each paragraph contains around 200 words, a 900,000-word essay might have approximately 4,500 paragraphs.

How many paragraphs is a 1000000-word essay?

Similar to the previous examples, the number of paragraphs in a 1,000,000-word essay will vary. If each paragraph contains around 200 words, a 1,000,000-word essay might have around 5,000 paragraphs.

How long is a 15,000-word essay?

A 15,000-word essay would be approximately 30 pages when single-spaced, or 60 pages when double-spaced. The actual length may vary based on formatting and other factors.

Can I write a 15,00-word essay in 6 hours?

Writing a 15,000-word essay in 6 hours would be a challenging task. It typically takes about 37.5 minutes to write 1,500 words. Assuming a similar pace, writing 15,000 words would take around 375 minutes or 6.25 hours, not including breaks or research time.

Is 1,200 words a lot?

Writing 1,200 words generally takes about 3.5 to 4.5 hours. This is a moderate length for an article and allows for the inclusion of key details. However, the writer may not be able to go into extensive depth unless the topic is straightforward.

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‘One of the Truly Awful and Self-Indulgent Performances of Our Time’: The Best and Worst Moments From Night 4 of the Convention

By New York Times Opinion

Did the night help Trump?

Welcome to Opinion’s commentary for Night 4 of the Republican National Convention. In this special feature, Times Opinion writers rate the evening on a scale of 0 to 10: 0 means the night was a disaster for Donald Trump; 10 means it could lead to a big polling bump. Here’s what our columnists and contributors thought of the event, which culminated in Trump’s acceptance speech.

Best Moment

Kristen Soltis Anderson, contributing Opinion writer Donald Trump gave a compelling and moving description of what it was like to be under fire and pledged to represent all of America, not just half of America. That may be easier said than done.

David Brooks, Times columnist The first 20 minutes of the Trump speech. If he’d done the story about the assassination attempt and then added 15 minutes of policy, he would be cruising toward victory. He could have plausibly argued that he is a changed man.

Jane Coaston, contributing Opinion writer Hulk Hogan’s speech was his best performance since he beat Macho Man Randy Savage at WrestleMania V.

Matthew Continetti, fellow at the American Enterprise Institute Trump’s account of the attempt on his life was gripping. He displayed a vulnerability and humility that most people had never seen before. And when he kissed the fireman’s helmet of Corey Comperatore, the husband and father who was killed during last weekend’s shooting, Trump created yet another indelible image. It won’t be soon forgotten.

David French, Times columnist Trump’s tribute to Comperatore was touching and appropriate. Placing his uniform on the stage was a powerful visual reminder of the loss.

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