2 Page Essay: Examples, Topics, & Word Count

What does a two page essay look like? If you’re a student, you’ve probably asked yourself this question. 2 page essays are usually assigned to check one’s ability to formulate their thoughts. A two page essay word count is 450 to 500 words (12 pt double-spaced). A paper of 2 pages usually consists of 5 to 6 paragraphs.

When choosing a topic for a 2 pages essay, remember that it is quite a short piece. That’s why your topic shouldn’t be too complicated. You might want to focus on football, bullying, basketball, or responsibility.

If you’re searching for 2 page essay examples, look at the list below. We’ve gathered a collection of A+ samples for you to get inspired. Knock them dead!

2-page Essay Examples: 36257 Samples

Repairing donated children books.

  • Subjects: Education Education Issues

Henry Thoreau: The Concept of the Friendship

  • Subjects: Literature Poems

Early Musique Concrète Co-Composition: Pierre Schaeffer, Pierre Henry, John Cage, Vladimir Ussachevsky, and Otto Luening

  • Subjects: Music Music Genre

Neuropsychological Assessment: Individually Administered Intelligence Tests

  • Subjects: Applications of Psychology Psychology

The Way to Rainy Mountain: Analysis of the Text

  • Subjects: American Literature Literature

Father and Son Relations: Analysis of the Movies

  • Subjects: Cinematography Movies Analysis

Sex Marriage: Personal Opinion

  • Subjects: Family, Life & Experiences Marriage

Globalization: Metaphysical Perspective of the Western Industrialized World

  • Subjects: Sociological Theories Sociology

Why We Fight: Military Industrial Complex and Its Impact on the American Life

  • Subjects: History United States

Navy White Hat Eulogy Essay

  • Subjects: Culture Traditions

Debate: Fingerprinting and Background Check vs. Invasion of Privacy

  • Subjects: Criminology Law

The Bible: Eve and Female Place in the World

  • Subjects: Religion Theology

What Makes a Real Hero: Ideas by Bolt, Douglas, and Albom

  • Subjects: British Literature Literature

Public Health Communication: Quit Smoking

  • Subjects: Health & Medicine Public Health

Report of an Orchestra Concert

  • Subjects: Concerts Music

The Case in Huntingdon as One More Cause to Talk about Inequality

Where rampages begin: the issue with the school shootings.

  • Subjects: Social Issues Violence

Love is women’s whole existence

How did it feel being a governor.

  • Subjects: Government Politics & Government

Innovation Of The Workplace

  • Subjects: Employees Management Management

Sense of Humor: How Does It Help?

  • Subjects: Emotions Family, Life & Experiences

A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess

The lord of the rings: the fellowship of the ring and its production by means of detailed planning, storyboarding, and collaboration.

  • Subjects: Cinematography Film Studies

Changes in Life: Positive and Negative Effects

  • Subjects: Life Philosophy Philosophy

“Soldier’s Home” by Ernest Hemingway

The virtue of moving forward in “a rose for emily” by william faulkner, travelling along the oregon trail, a new dawn: the abolishment of slavery in the usa, “city of god” (2002) by fernando meirelles, discovering cumberland island.

  • Subjects: Geography Natural Sciences

Common Sense and Related Writings

How serfdom saved the woman’s movement.

  • Subjects: Literature World Literature

An Overbooking Problem in Calgary

  • Subjects: Business Company Information

Disguise: Does It Reveal More than It Hides?

  • Subjects: Psychology Social Psychology Deviations

Challenges of HRM: Conclusion & Solutions

  • Subjects: Management Managerial Duties

The Types of Plate Tectonics Essay

  • Subjects: Ecology Environment

Exhaustion in Victim Care Professions

  • Subjects: Psychological Issues Psychology

Effects of the New Deal on America

Self-reliance: the communal past as a model for the future, evaluation of operant conditioning theory by b.f. skinner.

  • Subjects: Behavior Management Psychology

Gambling in Four Perspectives

Metamorphoses by ovid: the character of phaeton, the government is invading people’s privacy, the gain of consciousness in the “epic of gilgamesh”, the neo-vygotskian approach to child development.

  • Subjects: Education Pedagogy

Quality Management for Organizational Excellence

  • Subjects: Management

Some Thoughts on what is to be Done

  • Subjects: Historical Literature Literature

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs: Maximum Input and Output

  • Subjects: Psychologists Psychology

Freud’s Theory of Personality Development and OCD

  • Subjects: Development Psychology

How to Prevent School Violence

Plato’s theory of forms: summary essay.

  • Subjects: Philosophical Theories Philosophy

Accounting in Business

  • Subjects: Accounting Business

Stylistic Analysis of Film Script

Blanchard and fiedler leadership models, juvenile justice system in “sleepers” film by barry levinson, segway ht: business model and planning.

  • Subjects: Business Case Study

Do People Choose What They Are Attracted To?

‘sociometric stability and the behavioral correlates of peer acceptance in early childhood’, “the visitor” by thomas mccarthy, the book of genesis: towards understanding creation theology, google refused trademark for nexus one.

  • Subjects: Marketing

Roman Civilization: Senate and Augustan Regime

  • Subjects: Ancient History History

The Cold War and Its Influence on Europe

  • Subjects: Eastern Europe History

Objective Personality Tests

A critical evaluation of criteria for a successful presidency from a citizen’s perspective.

  • Subjects: Politicians Politics & Government

“Brain Plasticity and Behavior” by Bryan Kolb, Robbin Gibb, and Terry E. Robinson

  • Subjects: Health & Medicine Neurology

China Town – New York

  • Subjects: Entertainment & Media Journalism

Use of Performance Appraisals as a Reward System

Status, role, primary groups, and secondary groups in social interactions between different racial and ethnic groups, paris and its tourist places.

  • Subjects: Countries Studies Natural Sciences

ART VITALIS The New Jersey New Music Forum – CONCERT REPORT

Socrates: his life, philosophy, & death.

  • Subjects: Historical Figures History

The Importance of the Logical – Mathematical Intelligence in Mathematics Teaching

  • Subjects: Approach to Learning Education

Do People Inherit their Personality?

Conceptual approaches to learning and performance, rise of christianity in europe and islam in the middle east.

  • Subjects: Religion Religion History

Chicago: Crossroads of America

  • Subjects: Art Art Exhibitions

My life in Western Europe in 600 AD

  • Subjects: History Medieval History

US-China: The Art of Negotiation

  • Subjects: Business Business Critique

The Problem with Mr. Gunes

  • Subjects: Literature Plays

Pursuit of Happiness by Women in Modern Day America

  • Subjects: History Women Studies

UN Summit in New York: Ending Global Poverty

Important characteristics for effective teaching.

  • Subjects: Education Pedagogical Skills

Principle of Observation

Data analysis and maintenance.

  • Subjects: Data Tech & Engineering

Leon Golub: Historical witness

  • Subjects: Art Artists

Technology and Communication Connection: Benefits and Shortcomings

What makes airplanes fly the industrial revolution, heredity and natural selection.

  • Subjects: Genetics Natural Sciences
  • Words: 1108

Formative Assessment: Gauging the Outcome of Educational Activities

  • Subjects: Education Education Theories

Innovation, creativity and design

  • Subjects: Business Entrepreneurship

Marketing environments and their effects on business

Total quality management in the hospitality industry, eddy cue as a creative thinker, the ethical dilemma – how to make the right decision.

  • Subjects: Family, Life & Experiences Personal Experiences

Journal Entry, Hermaphrodite or Intersex

  • Subjects: Gender Studies Sociology

Spotlight on Plagiarism Phenomenon

  • Subjects: Education Writing & Assignments

Story of Jacob and Esau

Marlow in “heart of darkness”, simplicius simplicissimus: the thirty years’ war period.

  • Subjects: History Western Europe

First Look into Human Development in United Arab Emirates

Learning to see & learning to listen, contrasting an online class to a traditional class, why i am studying engineering.

  • Subjects: Engineering Tech & Engineering

Water Resources Management

  • Subjects: Environment Environmental Management

Solving the Raised Issues: Gateway Resort Ltd

Measuring economic health.

  • Subjects: Economics Finance

Okrent, Daniel. Last Call: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition. Scribner (May 11, 2010)

Blood clot risk from stents seen in african-americans.

  • Subjects: Health & Medicine Healthcare Research

Marketing: Sales Function

  • Subjects: Financial Marketing Marketing

A Critical Discussion of the Family Medical Leave Act

  • Subjects: Family Law Law
  • Words: 1001

Business Code of Ethics Vs Employees Code of Ethics

Code of conduct and ethics in school, running head: environmental studies.

  • Subjects: Environment Environmental Studies

Michel Foucault on the Sexuality Concept

The market place: a woman with a child, “power, privilege, and difference” a book by allan g. johnson.

  • Subjects: Social Issues

Capital Punishment: Proponents and Opponents Arguements

  • Subjects: Capital Punishment Debates Politics & Government

Security Threats in Social Sites

  • Subjects: Computer Security Tech & Engineering

The Art of Failure

how to start off a 2 page essay

How to Write an Essay Introduction (with Examples)   

essay introduction

The introduction of an essay plays a critical role in engaging the reader and providing contextual information about the topic. It sets the stage for the rest of the essay, establishes the tone and style, and motivates the reader to continue reading. 

Table of Contents

What is an essay introduction , what to include in an essay introduction, how to create an essay structure , step-by-step process for writing an essay introduction , how to write an essay introduction paragraph with paperpal – step -by -step, how to write a hook for your essay , how to include background information , how to write a thesis statement .

  • Argumentative Essay Introduction Example: 
  • Expository Essay Introduction Example 

Literary Analysis Essay Introduction Example

Check and revise – checklist for essay introduction , key takeaways , frequently asked questions .

An introduction is the opening section of an essay, paper, or other written work. It introduces the topic and provides background information, context, and an overview of what the reader can expect from the rest of the work. 1 The key is to be concise and to the point, providing enough information to engage the reader without delving into excessive detail. 

The essay introduction is crucial as it sets the tone for the entire piece and provides the reader with a roadmap of what to expect. Here are key elements to include in your essay introduction: 

  • Hook : Start with an attention-grabbing statement or question to engage the reader. This could be a surprising fact, a relevant quote, or a compelling anecdote. 
  • Background information : Provide context and background information to help the reader understand the topic. This can include historical information, definitions of key terms, or an overview of the current state of affairs related to your topic. 
  • Thesis statement : Clearly state your main argument or position on the topic. Your thesis should be concise and specific, providing a clear direction for your essay. 

Before we get into how to write an essay introduction, we need to know how it is structured. The structure of an essay is crucial for organizing your thoughts and presenting them clearly and logically. It is divided as follows: 2  

  • Introduction:  The introduction should grab the reader’s attention with a hook, provide context, and include a thesis statement that presents the main argument or purpose of the essay.  
  • Body:  The body should consist of focused paragraphs that support your thesis statement using evidence and analysis. Each paragraph should concentrate on a single central idea or argument and provide evidence, examples, or analysis to back it up.  
  • Conclusion:  The conclusion should summarize the main points and restate the thesis differently. End with a final statement that leaves a lasting impression on the reader. Avoid new information or arguments. 

how to start off a 2 page essay

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to write an essay introduction: 

  • Start with a Hook : Begin your introduction paragraph with an attention-grabbing statement, question, quote, or anecdote related to your topic. The hook should pique the reader’s interest and encourage them to continue reading. 
  • Provide Background Information : This helps the reader understand the relevance and importance of the topic. 
  • State Your Thesis Statement : The last sentence is the main argument or point of your essay. It should be clear, concise, and directly address the topic of your essay. 
  • Preview the Main Points : This gives the reader an idea of what to expect and how you will support your thesis. 
  • Keep it Concise and Clear : Avoid going into too much detail or including information not directly relevant to your topic. 
  • Revise : Revise your introduction after you’ve written the rest of your essay to ensure it aligns with your final argument. 

Unsure of how to start your essay introduction? Leverage Paperpal’s Generative AI templates to provide a base for your essay introduction. Here’s an example of an essay outline generated by Paperpal.  

how to start off a 2 page essay

Use Paperpal’s Preditive AI writing features to maintain your writing flow

This is one of the key steps in how to write an essay introduction. Crafting a compelling hook is vital because it sets the tone for your entire essay and determines whether your readers will stay interested. A good hook draws the reader in and sets the stage for the rest of your essay.  

  • Avoid Dry Fact : Instead of simply stating a bland fact, try to make it engaging and relevant to your topic. For example, if you’re writing about the benefits of exercise, you could start with a startling statistic like, “Did you know that regular exercise can increase your lifespan by up to seven years?” 
  • Avoid Using a Dictionary Definition : While definitions can be informative, they’re not always the most captivating way to start an essay. Instead, try to use a quote, anecdote, or provocative question to pique the reader’s interest. For instance, if you’re writing about freedom, you could begin with a quote from a famous freedom fighter or philosopher. 
  • Do Not Just State a Fact That the Reader Already Knows : This ties back to the first point—your hook should surprise or intrigue the reader. For Here’s an introduction paragraph example, if you’re writing about climate change, you could start with a thought-provoking statement like, “Despite overwhelming evidence, many people still refuse to believe in the reality of climate change.” 

Including background information in the introduction section of your essay is important to provide context and establish the relevance of your topic. When writing the background information, you can follow these steps: 

  • Start with a General Statement:  Begin with a general statement about the topic and gradually narrow it down to your specific focus. For example, when discussing the impact of social media, you can begin by making a broad statement about social media and its widespread use in today’s society, as follows: “Social media has become an integral part of modern life, with billions of users worldwide.” 
  • Define Key Terms : Define any key terms or concepts that may be unfamiliar to your readers but are essential for understanding your argument. 
  • Provide Relevant Statistics:  Use statistics or facts to highlight the significance of the issue you’re discussing. For instance, “According to a report by Statista, the number of social media users is expected to reach 4.41 billion by 2025.” 
  • Discuss the Evolution:  Mention previous research or studies that have been conducted on the topic, especially those that are relevant to your argument. Mention key milestones or developments that have shaped its current impact. You can also outline some of the major effects of social media. For example, you can briefly describe how social media has evolved, including positives such as increased connectivity and issues like cyberbullying and privacy concerns. 
  • Transition to Your Thesis:  Use the background information to lead into your thesis statement, which should clearly state the main argument or purpose of your essay. For example, “Given its pervasive influence, it is crucial to examine the impact of social media on mental health.” 

how to start off a 2 page essay

A thesis statement is a concise summary of the main point or claim of an essay, research paper, or other type of academic writing. It appears near the end of the introduction. Here’s how to write a thesis statement: 

  • Identify the topic:  Start by identifying the topic of your essay. For example, if your essay is about the importance of exercise for overall health, your topic is “exercise.” 
  • State your position:  Next, state your position or claim about the topic. This is the main argument or point you want to make. For example, if you believe that regular exercise is crucial for maintaining good health, your position could be: “Regular exercise is essential for maintaining good health.” 
  • Support your position:  Provide a brief overview of the reasons or evidence that support your position. These will be the main points of your essay. For example, if you’re writing an essay about the importance of exercise, you could mention the physical health benefits, mental health benefits, and the role of exercise in disease prevention. 
  • Make it specific:  Ensure your thesis statement clearly states what you will discuss in your essay. For example, instead of saying, “Exercise is good for you,” you could say, “Regular exercise, including cardiovascular and strength training, can improve overall health and reduce the risk of chronic diseases.” 

Examples of essay introduction 

Here are examples of essay introductions for different types of essays: 

Argumentative Essay Introduction Example:  

Topic: Should the voting age be lowered to 16? 

“The question of whether the voting age should be lowered to 16 has sparked nationwide debate. While some argue that 16-year-olds lack the requisite maturity and knowledge to make informed decisions, others argue that doing so would imbue young people with agency and give them a voice in shaping their future.” 

Expository Essay Introduction Example  

Topic: The benefits of regular exercise 

“In today’s fast-paced world, the importance of regular exercise cannot be overstated. From improving physical health to boosting mental well-being, the benefits of exercise are numerous and far-reaching. This essay will examine the various advantages of regular exercise and provide tips on incorporating it into your daily routine.” 

Text: “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee 

“Harper Lee’s novel, ‘To Kill a Mockingbird,’ is a timeless classic that explores themes of racism, injustice, and morality in the American South. Through the eyes of young Scout Finch, the reader is taken on a journey that challenges societal norms and forces characters to confront their prejudices. This essay will analyze the novel’s use of symbolism, character development, and narrative structure to uncover its deeper meaning and relevance to contemporary society.” 

how to start off a 2 page essay

  • Engaging and Relevant First Sentence : The opening sentence captures the reader’s attention and relates directly to the topic. 
  • Background Information : Enough background information is introduced to provide context for the thesis statement. 
  • Definition of Important Terms : Key terms or concepts that might be unfamiliar to the audience or are central to the argument are defined. 
  • Clear Thesis Statement : The thesis statement presents the main point or argument of the essay. 
  • Relevance to Main Body : Everything in the introduction directly relates to and sets up the discussion in the main body of the essay. 

Writing a strong introduction is crucial for setting the tone and context of your essay. Here are the key takeaways for how to write essay introduction: 3  

  • Hook the Reader : Start with an engaging hook to grab the reader’s attention. This could be a compelling question, a surprising fact, a relevant quote, or an anecdote. 
  • Provide Background : Give a brief overview of the topic, setting the context and stage for the discussion. 
  • Thesis Statement : State your thesis, which is the main argument or point of your essay. It should be concise, clear, and specific. 
  • Preview the Structure : Outline the main points or arguments to help the reader understand the organization of your essay. 
  • Keep it Concise : Avoid including unnecessary details or information not directly related to your thesis. 
  • Revise and Edit : Revise your introduction to ensure clarity, coherence, and relevance. Check for grammar and spelling errors. 
  • Seek Feedback : Get feedback from peers or instructors to improve your introduction further. 

The purpose of an essay introduction is to give an overview of the topic, context, and main ideas of the essay. It is meant to engage the reader, establish the tone for the rest of the essay, and introduce the thesis statement or central argument.  

An essay introduction typically ranges from 5-10% of the total word count. For example, in a 1,000-word essay, the introduction would be roughly 50-100 words. However, the length can vary depending on the complexity of the topic and the overall length of the essay.

An essay introduction is critical in engaging the reader and providing contextual information about the topic. To ensure its effectiveness, consider incorporating these key elements: a compelling hook, background information, a clear thesis statement, an outline of the essay’s scope, a smooth transition to the body, and optional signposting sentences.  

The process of writing an essay introduction is not necessarily straightforward, but there are several strategies that can be employed to achieve this end. When experiencing difficulty initiating the process, consider the following techniques: begin with an anecdote, a quotation, an image, a question, or a startling fact to pique the reader’s interest. It may also be helpful to consider the five W’s of journalism: who, what, when, where, why, and how.   For instance, an anecdotal opening could be structured as follows: “As I ascended the stage, momentarily blinded by the intense lights, I could sense the weight of a hundred eyes upon me, anticipating my next move. The topic of discussion was climate change, a subject I was passionate about, and it was my first public speaking event. Little did I know , that pivotal moment would not only alter my perspective but also chart my life’s course.” 

Crafting a compelling thesis statement for your introduction paragraph is crucial to grab your reader’s attention. To achieve this, avoid using overused phrases such as “In this paper, I will write about” or “I will focus on” as they lack originality. Instead, strive to engage your reader by substantiating your stance or proposition with a “so what” clause. While writing your thesis statement, aim to be precise, succinct, and clear in conveying your main argument.  

To create an effective essay introduction, ensure it is clear, engaging, relevant, and contains a concise thesis statement. It should transition smoothly into the essay and be long enough to cover necessary points but not become overwhelming. Seek feedback from peers or instructors to assess its effectiveness. 

References  

  • Cui, L. (2022). Unit 6 Essay Introduction.  Building Academic Writing Skills . 
  • West, H., Malcolm, G., Keywood, S., & Hill, J. (2019). Writing a successful essay.  Journal of Geography in Higher Education ,  43 (4), 609-617. 
  • Beavers, M. E., Thoune, D. L., & McBeth, M. (2023). Bibliographic Essay: Reading, Researching, Teaching, and Writing with Hooks: A Queer Literacy Sponsorship. College English, 85(3), 230-242. 

Paperpal is a comprehensive AI writing toolkit that helps students and researchers achieve 2x the writing in half the time. It leverages 21+ years of STM experience and insights from millions of research articles to provide in-depth academic writing, language editing, and submission readiness support to help you write better, faster.  

Get accurate academic translations, rewriting support, grammar checks, vocabulary suggestions, and generative AI assistance that delivers human precision at machine speed. Try for free or upgrade to Paperpal Prime starting at US$19 a month to access premium features, including consistency, plagiarism, and 30+ submission readiness checks to help you succeed.  

Experience the future of academic writing – Sign up to Paperpal and start writing for free!  

Related Reads:

  • How to Write a Good Hook for Essays, with Examples
  • What is a Descriptive Essay? How to Write It (with Examples)
  • How to Avoid Plagiarism When Using Generative AI Tools
  • What is Hedging in Academic Writing?  

Similarity Checks: The Author’s Guide to Plagiarism and Responsible Writing

Types of plagiarism and 6 tips to avoid it in your writing , you may also like, how to write a thematic literature review, chicago style citation guide: understanding the chicago manual..., what is the purpose of an abstract why..., what are citation styles which citation style to..., what are the types of literature reviews , abstract vs introduction: what is the difference , mla format: guidelines, template and examples , machine translation vs human translation: which is reliable..., dissertation printing and binding | types & comparison , what is a dissertation preface definition and examples .

  • PRO Courses Guides New Tech Help Pro Expert Videos About wikiHow Pro Upgrade Sign In
  • EDIT Edit this Article
  • EXPLORE Tech Help Pro About Us Random Article Quizzes Request a New Article Community Dashboard This Or That Game Forums Popular Categories Arts and Entertainment Artwork Books Movies Computers and Electronics Computers Phone Skills Technology Hacks Health Men's Health Mental Health Women's Health Relationships Dating Love Relationship Issues Hobbies and Crafts Crafts Drawing Games Education & Communication Communication Skills Personal Development Studying Personal Care and Style Fashion Hair Care Personal Hygiene Youth Personal Care School Stuff Dating All Categories Arts and Entertainment Finance and Business Home and Garden Relationship Quizzes Cars & Other Vehicles Food and Entertaining Personal Care and Style Sports and Fitness Computers and Electronics Health Pets and Animals Travel Education & Communication Hobbies and Crafts Philosophy and Religion Work World Family Life Holidays and Traditions Relationships Youth
  • Browse Articles
  • Learn Something New
  • Quizzes Hot
  • Happiness Hub
  • This Or That Game
  • Train Your Brain
  • Explore More
  • Support wikiHow
  • About wikiHow
  • Log in / Sign up
  • Education and Communications
  • College University and Postgraduate
  • Academic Writing

How to Write a Two Page Essay Quickly

Last Updated: October 10, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Megan Callaghan, PhD . Megan Morgan is an Academic Advising and Writing expert based in Augusta, Georgia. She has over 7 years of university teaching experience and more than 15 years of professional editing experience. She works as an intern for the Law Library of Congress, and is also a Professional Writing Center Consultant at Augusta University. Her key academic interests involve reference and subject librarianship, government information, and information organization. She provides personalized writing instruction, workshops, and support for AU students, faculty, and staff. Previously, she worked as a Graduate Program Administrator at the University of Georgia’s School of Public and International Affairs. She was a Graduate Advisor for three degrees in the departments of Political Science and International Affairs at the University of Georgia College of Arts and Sciences. She earned her Master’s in Library and Information Science from Valdosta State University. She also received both a PhD and MA in English from The University of Georgia, and a BA in English and Creative Writing from the Mississippi University for Women. She wrote her PhD dissertation on narrative structure and social change in novels by 18th-century British women writers. There are 9 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 104,217 times.

Writing a two page essay can be a daunting task. After all, writing takes specific skills and a lot of practice. If you are well-organized and have a specific plan, it can be done both successfully and quickly. College students, high school students, and people in most professions have to write from time to time (or every day). For many people, writing can be stressful. It helps to have a system in place to help make the process as efficient (and painless) as possible.

Getting Organized

Step 1 Make sure that you are ready to write.

  • If your instructor has given you a clear prompt, decide now how you will approach the question. For example, if the given assignment is "Write an essay on the women's movement. Was it successful?", you will need to decide which side you are going to take. Once you narrow your focus, your essay will be much easier to organize.
  • If you have a much broader assignment, it will be up to you to focus your topic. For example, if your assignment is "Write about something that interests you", you will not want to make the topic of your essay "Sports," especially for a short two-page essay. Choose a very specific topic, such as "Tailgating in the American South."

Step 3 Know your subject.

  • It's unlikely that you will need further research for a two-page paper, but if you aren't sure about the requirements, ask your teacher.

Step 4 Organize your materials.

Drafting Your Essay

Step 1 Brainstorm your thesis...

  • For example, if you're supposed to write a two-page essay about something that interests you, think about who your audience is (and how much explaining you'll have to do), what is the most relevant information, and why your topic is interesting to you.
  • Branching is another technique you can use while creating your thesis. Try to imagine your topic as a tree. Write your basic idea in the middle of your paper, and then "branch" out from there, adding ideas and thoughts to your central topic.
  • Another approach to try is brainstorming. To do this, write down anything and everything you know or need to know about your topic. Don't edit yourself, just get some thoughts down on paper. Once you can see your ideas, they will start to take shape. It's often helpful to do this before you try to write a formal outline, as you'll have a better idea of what you want to cover.

Step 2 Write your thesis statement.

  • For example, if you were writing an essay about college sports, a poor thesis would be, "College sports are very controversial in many ways." This is too vague, and it does not clearly take a position to argue. It will leave your reader wondering what argument you are making in your essay.
  • An example of a strong thesis for the same topic might be, "College athletes should be paid a salary for playing their sport." This is more successful because it indicates the topic you will address. It's also limited enough that you can adequately discuss it in a two-page paper.

Step 3 Put your thoughts on paper.

  • You don't necessarily need to do a formal outline to start with. Brainstorming or making a list-type outline, where you list out ideas that are related to your topic without putting them in a specific order, can help you know what you want to write about.
  • Once you have listed the ideas that support your thesis, you'll have a better sense of how to organize them.

Step 4 Include specific examples.

  • Note that not all teachers prefer or even accept this type of thesis, which is often referred to as a "multi-prong" or "three-prong" thesis. However, this type of thesis is often appropriate for very short writing assignments such as a two-page essay. If you're not sure what your teacher's preferences are, ask before you begin writing.
  • It's helpful to list specific examples in your outline, so that you know what evidence you have for each point. This can also be helpful to show you whether you have gaps or imbalances in your approach. For example, do you have just one example for one point, but three for another point? It would be better to use roughly the same number of examples per point, or even see if the less-supported point could be incorporated elsewhere.

Step 5 Cite your sources in your outline.

  • One type of citation is known as parenthetical documentation. For this method, you provide information about the source within the text of your essay. An example of this would be, "Brown argues that Einstein's theory of relativity is the most important scholarly achievement of the twentieth century (292)." The name Brown refers to the author of the book in this example, and 292 is the page number where this information is found. There are different ways to cite various sources, so make sure you know how to properly credit all of the sources you plan to use. [1] X Research source
  • Sometimes you may be asked to use footnotes or endnotes. While less common in brief essays, some teachers and bosses prefer them. Footnotes and endnotes include more thorough information about the source used. Often, when they replace parenthetical documentation, a Works Cited page is not required. [2] X Research source

Writing Your Essay

Step 1 Write your body paragraphs.

  • Make sure that each body paragraph has a topic sentence . This sentence makes it clear to your reader what each paragraph is about. For example, if you were writing an essay about the labor force during World War II, you might say, "Women were an important part of the workforce in World War II because they learned new jobs that were previously reserved only for men."
  • Include specific supporting examples in each body paragraph. For instance, if you were writing an essay about the labor force during World War II, you might say, "Many women became welders during World War II, which illustrates that gender roles in the workplace were changing."

Step 2 Write your introduction...

  • Start off with a broad contextual statement, but don't make it so broad as to have no relevance. Statements that begin like "Throughout history" or "In modern society" are "fluff" statements and don't provide any real context for your argument.
  • A good way to think of your introduction is as an inverted pyramid. Start with the broad statement that sets the scene, and then narrow down until you reach your thesis.
  • Include your thesis statement at the end of the conclusion.
  • Spend some time on your first sentence. It should be interesting and grab the attention of your reader. Try starting with a fascinating example or an exciting quotation.
  • Use your conclusion to tie together the strands of your argument. In some cases, such as persuasive essays , it's appropriate to include a call to action. You can also return to an anecdote or theme you brought up in the introduction to give your paper great symmetry.

Step 3 Use clear and concise language.

  • Watch out for the passive voice. Beginning writers often use the passive voice because it's wordier, which may be mistaken for "fancier." Here's an example of the passive voice: "It is believed by many that today's growing social violence is being caused by video games." Be verbs are often signs of passive voice. Reword it actively this way: "Many people blame video games for today's growing social violence." This is a clear grammatical order: People (subject) blame (verb) video games (direct object).
  • Avoid wordy constructions such as "It is believed that" or "This is suggestive of that." You can communicate these ideas more clearly and concisely: "People believe that" or "This suggests that."

Step 4 Use appropriate style and tone.

  • Some short essays may be more appropriate in the first-person, using "I." If you've been assigned to write a personal or persuasive essay, the first-person voice is often more personal and effective than using third-person.
  • Aim for parallel structure in sentences. Often, sentences end up sounding clunky if you ignore parallel structure. For example: "Paying college athletes is more important than to give them scholarships." Convert the infinitive "to give" to the gerund form "giving" for parallelism: "Paying college athletes is more important than giving them scholarships."

Step 5 Use transitions.

  • Here are some examples of transition words: similarly, in comparison, as a result, otherwise. During the editing process, you can try using several variations to see which best fits your style of writing. [8] X Research source

Editing Your Essay

Step 1 Walk away.

  • Be aware that the "grammar check" in word processors is often incorrect about issues, and may even suggest changes that make your writing incorrect. Don't rely only on technology.

Step 3 Read out loud.

  • There are several methods for creating a title. One idea is to begin your title with a question, such as "How..." or "Why...". Another method is to choose a specific example that occurs within your paper and use that as a starting point for your title. [10] X Research source

Step 7 Give your paper one final review.

Community Q&A

Community Answer

  • Take a break if you need to. Writing takes a lot of practice! Ask for help if you need it, and just keep practicing and editing. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

how to start off a 2 page essay

You Might Also Like

Write an Essay in Under 30 Minutes

  • ↑ https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/citations/basic-principles/parenthetical-versus-narrative
  • ↑ https://www.trentu.ca/academicskills/documentation-guide/chicago-style/footnotes-and-endnotes
  • ↑ https://writingcenter.uagc.edu/body-paragraphs
  • ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/introductions/
  • ↑ https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines
  • ↑ https://www.tacoma.uw.edu/sites/default/files/2021-05/accs_elements-and-structure-of-an-essay_rev2016.pdf
  • ↑ https://grammar.yourdictionary.com/style-and-usage/list-transition-words.html
  • ↑ https://researchguides.uic.edu/c.php?g=252299&p=1683205
  • ↑ https://writing.umn.edu/sws/assets/pdf/quicktips/titles.pdf

About This Article

Megan Callaghan, PhD

  • Send fan mail to authors

Reader Success Stories

Sue Pattillo

Sue Pattillo

Aug 31, 2016

Did this article help you?

how to start off a 2 page essay

Jasmin Robbins

Apr 16, 2018

Do I Have a Dirty Mind Quiz

Featured Articles

Am I Mature Quiz

Trending Articles

 Make the Perfect Snowman

Watch Articles

Make Garlic Oil

  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Do Not Sell or Share My Info
  • Not Selling Info

Don’t miss out! Sign up for

wikiHow’s newsletter

how to start off a 2 page essay

Rafal Reyzer

How To Start An Essay (With 20 Great Examples)

Author: Rafal Reyzer

Starting your essay is probably the most difficult thing to do in the whole writing process.

Facing a blank page and unsure how to start your essay? Crafting a compelling essay isn’t innate for everyone. While it’s about presenting clear ideas, even top students can struggle. For many, meeting deadlines or ensuring quality becomes daunting, leading them to consult professionals like do my essay cheap . These experts whip up top-tier essays swiftly. A standout essay can elevate your academic status, with the introduction being the pivotal hook. Many opt to hire essay writers for that impeccable start. But crafting an engaging intro is doable. Want to captivate your readers immediately? Or impress academic panels? If the task still feels daunting, there’s always the option to buy assignments online for guaranteed quality. But let’s explore ways to start an essay on your own.

How to start your essay? – The most straightforward advice

In his famous book  “On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft” , Stephen King said: “The scariest moment is always just before you start.” So the best thing to do is to start writing as soon as you can. It doesn’t have to be perfect. Just sit down and write anything, because the Muse comes to those who are brave enough to start. Maybe you’ll throw half of it away, but at least you’ll have something to hang on to.

How to begin your essay? – The lengthier and more appropriate advice

The aim of an academic essay is usually to persuade readers to change their minds about something. It can also be a descriptive, expository, argumentative, or narrative essay .

But regardless of the  format of the essay , the introduction should still have these basic ingredients:

  • Introduce the topic – let the reader know what is it about straight away.
  • Put the topic in an appropriate context. Frame it, and provide some background information.
  • Narrow down the focus. If your essay is too broad, you’ll lose the interest of the reader and fail to address the important issue.
  • Answer an important question or make a strong statement which you’ll defend throughout the essay.
  • Orientate the reader. In the beginning, you need to answer questions like who, what, when, and how. Remember that the reader probably doesn’t know all the facts that you do.
  • Briefly mention the main ideas you are going to discuss in the essay.

How long should an essay introduction be?

It all depends on the overall length of your essay. If it’s a standard, five-paragraph  college essay , the introduction should only take one paragraph or 60-80 words. But if you’re writing something longer, for example, a five-page interpretation of a literary work, the introduction could take two to three paragraphs or 120-150 words. You can measure the length using a simple word counter but don’t obsess too much about the number. The crucial thing is to say what you need to say and impact the reader.

The aim of the introductory paragraph

The first paragraph is always tricky because it serves a double purpose. It has to state what the essay will be about, but it needs to hook the readers and motivate them to read on. That’s why you need a perfect balance between clinical precision and artistic flair.

If you truly want to learn how to begin an essay, there are three best ways to do it:

  • Read as many  great essays as possible
  • Write as many great essays as possible
  • Check examples of great essay introductory paragraphs (that’s what you can see below)

20 Great examples and tips on how to start an essay:

1. describe a setting and start with an emotional punch.

“I’ve been to Australia twice so far, but according to my father, I’ve never actually seen it. He made this observation at the home of my cousin Joan, whom he and I visited just before Christmas last year, and it came on the heels of an equally aggressive comment.” – David Sedaris, Laugh, Kookaburra

2. Start with a deeply personal story from your childhood

“One Sunday morning when I was a boy, my father came out of his office and handed me a poem. It was about a honeybee counseling a flea to flee a doggy and see the sea. The barbiturates my father took to regulate his emotions made him insomniac, and I understood that he’d been awake most of the night, laboring over these lines, listing all the words he could think of ending in a long “e.” – Charles D’Ambrosio – Documents

3. Create a mysterious atmosphere

“Moths that fly by day are not properly to be called moths; they do not excite that pleasant sense of dark autumn nights and ivy-blossom which the commonest yellow-underwing asleep in the shadow of the curtain never fails to rouse in us.” – Virginia Woolf – Death of the Moth

4. Throw the reader straight into the middle of the events

“Earlier this summer I was walking down West End Avenue in Manhattan and remembered, with a sadness that nearly knocked me off my feet, just why I came to New York seven years ago and just why I am now about to leave.” – Meghan Daum – My Misspent Youth

5. Start with universal questions of life and death

“I know it is coming, and I do not fear it, because I believe there is nothing on the other side of death to fear. I hope to be spared as much pain as possible on the approach path. I was perfectly content before I was born, and I think of death as the same state.” – Roger Ebert – Go Gentle Into That Good Night

6. Start with a question and then answer it

“What is the charm of necklaces? Why would anyone put something extra around their neck and then invest it with special significance? A necklace doesn’t afford warmth in cold weather, like a scarf, or protection in combat, like chain mail; it only decorates. We might say, it borrows meaning from what it surrounds and sets off, the head with its supremely important material contents, and the face, that register of the soul.” – Emily R. Grosholz – On Necklaces

7. Start with irony

“In Moulmein, in Lower Burma, I was hated by large numbers of people – the only time in my life that I have been important enough for this to happen to me.” – George Orwell – Shooting an Elephant

8. Begin by creating great expectations of what’s to come (use the introduction as bait)

“At a dinner party that will forever be green in the memory of those who attended it, somebody was complaining not just about the epic badness of the novels of Robert Ludlum but also about the badness of their titles. (You know the sort of pretentiousness: The Bourne Supremacy, The Aquitaine Progression, The Ludlum Impersonation, and so forth.) Then it happily occurred to another guest to wonder aloud what a Shakespeare play might be called if named in the Ludlum manner.” – Christopher Hitchens – Assassins of The Mind

9. Start with a puzzle (notice how you start to wonder who is she talking about in this introduction)

“The first time I heard her I didn’t hear her at all. My parents did not prepare me. (The natural thing in these situations is to blame the parents.) She was nowhere to be found on their four-foot-tall wood veneer hi-fi. Given the variety of voices you got to hear on that contraption, her absence was a little strange.” – Zadie Smith – Some Notes on Attunement

10. Start with dark humor

“When I was young, I thought Life: A User’s Manual would teach me how to live and Suicide: A User’s Manual how to die.” – Édouard Levé – When I Look at a Strawberry, I Think of a Tongue

11. Start with an unusual question that will pull the readers in

“Do you know what a twerp is? When I was in Shortridge High School in Indianapolis 65 years ago, a twerp was a guy who stuck a set of false teeth up his butt and bit the buttons off the back seats of taxicabs. (And a snarf was a guy who sniffed the seats of girls’ bicycles.)” – Kurt Vonnegut – Dispatch From A Man Without a Country

12. Commence by taking the reader into the world of mystery and awe

“The earliest experience of art must have been that it was incantatory, magical; art was an instrument of ritual. (Cf. the paintings in the caves at Lascaux, Altamira, Niaux, La Pasiega, etc.) The earliest theory of art, that of the Greek philosophers, proposed that art was mimesis, imitation of reality.” – Susan Sontag – Against Interpretation

13. State your thesis at the very beginning – be clear about it

“Science has beauty, power, and majesty that can provide spiritual as well as practical fulfillment. But superstition and pseudoscience keep getting in the way providing easy answers, casually pressing our awe buttons, and cheapening the experience.” – Carl Sagan – Does Truth Matter – Science, Pseudoscience, and Civilization

14. Start with the obvious that’s not so obvious after all

“To do something well you have to like it. That idea is not exactly novel. We’ve got it down to four words: “Do what you love.” But it’s not enough just to tell people that. Doing what you love is complicated.” – Paul Graham – How To Do What You Love

15. Be unpredictable and highly intellectual

“Once, in a dry season, I wrote in large letters across two pages of a notebook that innocence ends when one is stripped of the delusion that one likes oneself. Although now, some years later, I marvel that a mind on the outs with itself should have nonetheless made painstaking record of its every tremor, I recall with embarrassing clarity the flavor of those particular ashes. It was a matter of misplaced self-respect.” – Joan Didion – On Self Respect

16. Get straight to the point

“The enormous, pungent, and extremely well marketed Maine Lobster Festival is held every late July in the state’s mid-coast region, meaning the western side of Penobscot Bay, the nerve stem of Maine’s lobster industry.” – David Foster Wallace – Consider The Lobster

17. Start in a deeply emotional, poetic manner

“The collie wakes me up about three times a night, summoning me from a great distance as I row my boat through a dim, complicated dream. She’s on the shoreline, barking. Wake up. She’s staring at me with her head slightly tipped to the side, long nose, gazing eyes, toenails clenched to get a purchase on the wood floor. We used to call her the face of love.” – Jo Ann Beard – The Fourth State of Matter

18. Begin by describing the place and circumstances in great detail

“Two blocks away from the Mississippi State Capitol, and on the same street with it, where our house was when I was a child growing up in Jackson, it was possible to have a little pasture behind your backyard where you could keep a Jersey cow, which we did. My mother herself milked her. A thrifty homemaker, wife, and mother of three, she also did all her cooking. And as far as I can recall, she never set foot inside a grocery store. It wasn’t necessary.” – Eudora Welty – The Little Store

19. Start by presenting an original idea (frame it in a way that the reader never considered before)

“Saints should always be judged guilty until they are proved innocent, but the tests that have to be applied to them are not, of course, the same in all cases. In Gandhi’s case the questions one feels inclined to ask are: to what extent was Gandhi moved by vanity — by the consciousness of himself as a humble, naked old man, sitting on a praying mat and shaking empires by sheer spiritual power — and to what extent did he compromise his principles by entering politics, which of their nature are inseparable from coercion and fraud?” – George Orwell – Reflections on Gandhi

20. Be clear-headed and approach the subject as objectively as possible

“Fantasists and zealots can be found on both sides of the debate over guns in America. On the one hand, many gun rights advocates reject even the most sensible restrictions on the sale of weapons to the public. On the other, proponents of stricter gun laws often seem unable to understand why a good person would ever want ready access to a loaded firearm. Between these two extremes, we must find grounds for a rational discussion about the problem of gun violence.” – Sam Harris – The Riddle of The Gun

Looking for an answer on how to start an essay is always tricky. You can get inspiration from many sources, but if you want to create an essay that packs a powerful punch from the very beginning, look inside yourself and come up with at least a few openings. Then, do your best to revise the opening paragraphs a couple of times so you end up with something truly impactful and attention-grabbing. Good luck! Next up, you may want to explore a guide on how to write a great 500-word essay .

AI marketing tools cover

Get your free PDF report: Download your guide to 80+ AI marketing tools and learn how to thrive as a marketer in the digital era.

Rafal Reyzer

Rafal Reyzer

Hey there, welcome to my blog! I'm a full-time entrepreneur building two companies, a digital marketer, and a content creator with 10+ years of experience. I started RafalReyzer.com to provide you with great tools and strategies you can use to become a proficient digital marketer and achieve freedom through online creativity. My site is a one-stop shop for digital marketers, and content enthusiasts who want to be independent, earn more money, and create beautiful things. Explore my journey here , and don't miss out on my AI Marketing Mastery online course.

  • Humanities ›
  • Writing Essays ›

How to Start an Essay: 13 Engaging Strategies

ThoughtCo / Hugo Lin

  • Ph.D., Rhetoric and English, University of Georgia
  • M.A., Modern English and American Literature, University of Leicester
  • B.A., English, State University of New York

There are countless ways to start an essay effectively. A solid introductory paragraph both informs and motivates. It lets readers know what your piece is about and it encourages them to keep reading.

For folks new to learning how to start an essay, here are 13 introductory strategies accompanied by examples from a wide range of professional writers.

State Your Thesis Briefly and Directly

One straightforward way to begin is to get right to the point. But avoid making your thesis a bald announcement, such as "This essay is about...". 

"It is time, at last, to speak the truth about Thanksgiving, and the truth is this. Thanksgiving is really not such a terrific holiday...." (Michael J. Arlen, "Ode to Thanksgiving." The Camera Age: Essays on Television . Penguin, 1982)

Pose a Question Related to Your Subject

A thought-provoking way to start an essay is by asking a relevant question that needs to be unpacked. Follow up the question with an answer, or an invitation for your readers to answer the question.

"What is the charm of necklaces? Why would anyone put something extra around their neck and then invest it with special significance? A necklace doesn't afford warmth in cold weather, like a scarf, or protection in combat, like chain mail; it only decorates. We might say, it borrows meaning from what it surrounds and sets off, the head with its supremely important material contents, and the face, that register of the soul. When photographers discuss the way in which a photograph reduces the reality it represents, they mention not only the passage from three dimensions to two, but also the selection of a point de vue that favors the top of the body rather than the bottom, and the front rather than the back. The face is the jewel in the crown of the body, and so we give it a setting." (Emily R. Grosholz, "On Necklaces." Prairie Schooner , Summer 2007)

State an Interesting Fact About Your Subject

Leading with a fact that draws readers in immediately can grab their attention effectively.

" The peregrine falcon was brought back from the brink of extinction by a ban on DDT, but also by a peregrine falcon mating hat invented by an ornithologist at Cornell University. If you cannot buy this, Google it. Female falcons had grown dangerously scarce. A few wistful males nevertheless maintained a sort of sexual loitering ground. The hat was imagined, constructed, and then forthrightly worn by the ornithologist as he patrolled this loitering ground, singing, Chee-up! Chee-up! and bowing like an overpolite Japanese Buddhist trying to tell somebody goodbye...." (David James Duncan, "Cherish This Ecstasy." The Sun , July 2008)

Present Your Thesis as a Recent Discovery or Revelation

"I've finally figured out the difference between neat people and sloppy people. The distinction is, as always, moral. Neat people are lazier and meaner than sloppy people." (Suzanne Britt Jordan, "Neat People vs. Sloppy People." Show and Tell . Morning Owl Press, 1983)

Briefly Describe the Primary Setting of Your Essay

"It was in Burma, a sodden morning of the rains. A sickly light, like yellow tinfoil, was slanting over the high walls into the jail yard. We were waiting outside the condemned cells, a row of sheds fronted with double bars, like small animal cages. Each cell measured about ten feet by ten and was quite bare within except for a plank bed and a pot of drinking water. In some of them brown silent men were squatting at the inner bars, with their blankets draped round them. These were the condemned men, due to be hanged within the next week or two." (George Orwell, "A Hanging," 1931)

Recount an Incident That Dramatizes Your Subject

Sharing an incident from your life or history in general is an impactful way to start an essay.

"One October afternoon three years ago while I was visiting my parents, my mother made a request I dreaded and longed to fulfill. She had just poured me a cup of Earl Grey from her Japanese iron teapot, shaped like a little pumpkin; outside, two cardinals splashed in the birdbath in the weak Connecticut sunlight. Her white hair was gathered at the nape of her neck, and her voice was low. “Please help me get Jeff’s pacemaker turned off,” she said, using my father’s first name. I nodded, and my heart knocked." (Katy Butler, "What Broke My Father's Heart." The New York Times Magazine , June 18, 2010)

Use the Narrative Strategy of Delay

The narrative strategy of delay allows you to put off identifying your subject just long enough to pique your readers' interest without frustrating them. 

"They woof. Though I have photographed them before, I have never heard them speak, for they are mostly silent birds. Lacking a syrinx, the avian equivalent of the human larynx, they are incapable of song. According to field guides the only sounds they make are grunts and hisses, though the Hawk Conservancy in the United Kingdom reports that adults may utter a croaking coo and that young black vultures, when annoyed, emit a kind of immature snarl...." (Lee Zacharias, "Buzzards." Southern Humanities Review , 2007)

Use the Historical Present Tense

An effective way to start an essay is to use historical present tense to relate an incident from the past as if it were happening now. 

"Ben and I are sitting side by side in the very back of his mother’s station wagon. We face glowing white headlights of cars following us, our sneakers pressed against the back hatch door. This is our joy—his and mine—to sit turned away from our moms and dads in this place that feels like a secret, as though they are not even in the car with us. They have just taken us out to dinner, and now we are driving home. Years from this evening, I won’t actually be sure that this boy sitting beside me is named Ben. But that doesn’t matter tonight. What I know for certain right now is that I love him, and I need to tell him this fact before we return to our separate houses, next door to each other. We are both five." (Ryan Van Meter, "First." The Gettysburg Review , Winter 2008)

Briefly Describe a Process That Leads Into Your Subject

"I like to take my time when I pronounce someone dead. The bare-minimum requirement is one minute with a stethoscope pressed to someone’s chest, listening for a sound that is not there; with my fingers bearing down on the side of someone’s neck, feeling for an absent pulse; with a flashlight beamed into someone’s fixed and dilated pupils, waiting for the constriction that will not come. If I’m in a hurry, I can do all of these in sixty seconds, but when I have the time, I like to take a minute with each task." (Jane Churchon, "The Dead Book." The Sun , February 2009)

Reveal a Secret or Make a Candid Observation

"I spy on my patients. Ought not a doctor to observe his patients by any means and from any stance, that he might the more fully assemble evidence? So I stand in doorways of hospital rooms and gaze. Oh, it is not all that furtive an act. Those in bed need only look up to discover me. But they never do." ( Richard Selzer , "The Discus Thrower." Confessions of a Knife . Simon & Schuster, 1979)

Open with a Riddle, Joke, or Humorous Quotation

A fun way to start an essay is to use a riddle , joke, or humorous quotation that reveals something about your subject. 

" Q: What did Eve say to Adam on being expelled from the Garden of Eden? A: 'I think we're in a time of transition.' The irony of this joke is not lost as we begin a new century and anxieties about social change seem rife. The implication of this message, covering the first of many periods of transition, is that change is normal; there is, in fact, no era or society in which change is not a permanent feature of the social landscape...." (Betty G. Farrell, Family: The Making of an Idea, an Institution, and a Controversy in American Culture . Westview Press, 1999)

Offer a Contrast Between Past and Present

"As a child, I was made to look out the window of a moving car and appreciate the beautiful scenery, with the result that now I don't care much for nature. I prefer parks, ones with radios going chuckawaka chuckawaka and the delicious whiff of bratwurst and cigarette smoke." (Garrison Keillor, "Walking Down The Canyon." Time , July 31, 2000)

Offer a Contrast Between Image and Reality

A compelling way to start an essay is with a contrast between a common misconception and the opposing truth. 

"They aren’t what most people think they are. Human eyes, touted as ethereal objects by poets and novelists throughout history, are nothing more than white spheres, somewhat larger than your average marble, covered by a leather-like tissue known as sclera and filled with nature’s facsimile of Jell-O. Your beloved’s eyes may pierce your heart, but in all likelihood they closely resemble the eyes of every other person on the planet. At least I hope they do, for otherwise he or she suffers from severe myopia (near-sightedness), hyperopia (far-sightedness), or worse...." (John Gamel, "The Elegant Eye." Alaska Quarterly Review , 2009)

  • Examples of Great Introductory Paragraphs
  • Write an Attention-Grabbing Opening Sentence for an Essay
  • 100 Persuasive Essay Topics
  • How to Write a Good Thesis Statement
  • 501 Topic Suggestions for Writing Essays and Speeches
  • The Ultimate Guide to the 5-Paragraph Essay
  • Essay Assignment: Descriptive and Informative Profile
  • Practice in Supporting a Topic Sentence with Specific Details
  • How to Start a Book Report
  • What Is Expository Writing?
  • An Essay Revision Checklist
  • Make Your Paragraphs Flow to Improve Writing
  • 50 Argumentative Essay Topics
  • How to Outline and Organize an Essay
  • How to Write a Narrative Essay or Speech (With Topic Ideas)
  • Writing an Opinion Essay
  • Essay Topics
  • Homework Help
  • Essay Types
  • Essay Examples
  • Become a Tutor

2 Page Essay Writing Guide with Example

2 page essay guide

The average length of your school essay is around two pages. It usually contains 600-700 words. Hence, not too much space left for creative thought in 2 page essay examples you may find. It is essential to be able to express your thoughts comprehensively and coherently .

Sounds intimidating? Don’t worry, for we will talk about the peculiarities of writing a two-page essay. Most importantly, there will be a sample essay here in the guide for your reference.

What are you waiting for? It’s time to learn something new!

Our best tutors described all specifics of writing short essays in 500 Words Essay Guide with advanced tips for time-saving. If you gotta get fast and just do you two pages done, just continue reading!

Contents (Clickable)

   What does a Two-Page Essay Look Like?

A two-page essay generally contains the following elements:

  • A thesis statement at the end of the introductory paragraph
  • Transition words
  • Facts and examples
  • Introduction, body, and conclusion
  • Citations and references list (if the essay requires research)

Of course, we should not forget that an essay should be easy to read. It should not sound too technical with deep words and complex sentence structure.

   Two-Page Essay Outline

1 introduction.

Here are its objectives:

  • To attract your readers’ attention.
  • To state the topic and subtopics you will cover in the content.
  • To provide context and background information on the topic.

Take note: Don’t forget to write the thesis statement as you close your introduction.

This is the “meat” of your essay. Therefore, you should do the following:

  • Support your thesis with two to four arguments.
  • Arrange those arguments logically.
  • Provide evidence and analysis.

3 Conclusion

The concluding paragraph is often underestimated by students. The conclusion should be:

  • A summary of your main ideas with a powerful closing statement.

Take note: Your thesis statement should be reasserted in conclusion.

   Two-Page Essay Example

People throughout history have been worried about the emergence of new technological innovations. The invention of the printing press during the 16th century induced the fear that the human brain cannot cope with information overload. With the age of the internet, an individual will get the same fears that he or she hears today in the media. In fact, it has made both positive and negative effects on the functions of the human brain. The internet allows an individual to find a plethora of content, reading materials, and websites at the click of a button. Unfortunately, some content indexed by the internet may be harmful to an individual’s brain and mental health. For example, a person can become addicted to online casinos and poker websites. However, it is difficult to completely blame these gambling websites for causing addiction amongst its users.

Browse and download 2 page essay examples from the most full and up to date Free Online Essay Database at Homework Lab . All the examples of college essays have been donated by the students & verified by our Geeks to boost your writing creativity.

Find My Essay

Nevertheless, the internet enables people to quickly access information at any period of time. The brain optimally analyzes incoming sensory information whether a person watches a group of children playing in the park or a video online. Notably, the human brain does not handle every information coming from the senses. Instead, it is filtered and selected from the person’s past experiences . One must note— however— that the brain is perfectly adapted to cope with information overload, as it has built protection mechanisms against the latter. Moreover, constant access to information online may cause a person’s memory to deteriorate. It should be taken into account that the human memory system is arranged differently. Unconscious processes are the facade of the said system. In that regard, events that have emotional resonance or significance are easier to store in memory in contrast to abstract information or facts. However, the way it affects the development of the brain is unclear. Constant repetition of certain actions and experience are reflected in the structure of the brain. For instance, the cerebral cortex of experienced musicians— a region in the cerebrum responsible for motor skills and memory— differs greatly from other people. It can be gleaned that understanding information helps develop a person’s memory. Alternatively, some studies suggest that an important stimulus for brain development is the diversity of incoming data. In this case, comprehending fascinating information from the internet is much better than learning empty facts and figures. However, even web pages are usually overloaded with information to which an individual ’s short-term memory cannot cope with it. This may have a side effect on a person ’s memory system. Apparently, there is no clear perspective of the issue. A human being’s attention system is complex, as scientists have not established a common ground on how it functions. To begin, there are two-level attention systems — namely the conscious and the unconscious. The former “manages” attention, while the latter is responsible for processing important information coming from a person’s senses. These two-level systems allow an individual to concentrate on a difficult task. Hence, this explains why some people like to listen to music while working. Otherwise, they would be distracted, in which it would prevent them from solely concentrating on their tasks at hand. The internet, however, is capable to easily distract a person. For instance, an individual can easily access an engaging or entertaining content in a matter of seconds. This poses a problem considering that computers are used for work and leisure. Hence, this may require the person to exercise balance and self-discipline. Overall, the usage of the world wide web presently has made a profound impact on the human brain. The internet, despite its disadvantages, interestingly stimulates the functions of a person’s brain. However, self-discipline might be needed in order for people to increase their productivity at work.

Writing a two-page essay might be challenging for you (and perhaps, your other classmates) at first. But you’ll be able to write one in a jiffy with constant practice & exposure.

Besides, we also have professional Geeks to assist you anytime with your academics. Personally, I usually start with defining the best strategy to expand your topics and then help to select the best sources for the essay. Hence, a Geek may help to make your two pages intense and enriched — don’t hesitate to start!

Have an essay due? Need to write a college essay? Let Homework Lab help you with your task:

  • Register at Homework Lab
  • Plan and schedule your task
  • Work on your own or request help from a Geek

Help With My Essay

Related articles.

How to start an essay

Popular articles

how to start off a 2 page essay

IMAGES

  1. How to Write a Two Page Essay Quickly (with Pictures)

    how to start off a 2 page essay

  2. 7 Simple Tips on How to Start an Essay (2024)

    how to start off a 2 page essay

  3. How to Format Essays

    how to start off a 2 page essay

  4. How to Write a Two Page Essay Quickly (with Pictures)

    how to start off a 2 page essay

  5. How To Write an Essay

    how to start off a 2 page essay

  6. SOLUTION: How to write an essay

    how to start off a 2 page essay

VIDEO

  1. How To Finish 12 Page Essay In ONE NIGHT

  2. How to Write an Engaging Introduction Paragraph: 4 Easy Steps #english #writing #tips #shorts

  3. Simple Trick: Begin Page Numbers from Any Page in Word

  4. How to write a 5 page essay in one hour

  5. How I went from making a cringepost for @oTrachea to writing a 200 page essay/story / Start- Ep1

  6. The Most CLEVER Essay Ever #shorts

COMMENTS

  1. How To Start a College Essay: 9 Effective Techniques

    Note that the meta essay can sometimes work (you'll see a couple examples below), but has a higher degree of difficulty. The Quote: While quoting famous people who have said something cool in the past may seem like an appealing way to start your essay, remember that colleges want to hear YOUR thoughts. Don't use the words of another person ...

  2. 2 Page Essay: Examples, Topics, & Word Count

    A paper of 2 pages usually consists of 5 to 6 paragraphs. When choosing a topic for a 2 pages essay, remember that it is quite a short piece. That's why your topic shouldn't be too complicated. You might want to focus on football, bullying, basketball, or responsibility. If you're searching for 2 page essay examples, look at the list below.

  3. How to Write an Essay Introduction (with Examples)

    Step-by-step process for writing an essay introduction Here's a step-by-step guide on how to write an essay introduction: Start with a Hook: Begin your introduction paragraph with an attention-grabbing statement, question, quote, or anecdote related to your topic. The hook should pique the reader's interest and encourage them to continue ...

  4. How to Write a Two Page Essay Quickly

    A strong thesis illustrates that you are going to use specific examples to help illustrate your points. For a two-page essay, keep your thesis specific and narrow. For example, if you were writing an essay about college sports, a poor thesis would be, "College sports are very controversial in many ways."

  5. How to Start an Essay: 7 Tips for a Knockout Essay Introduction

    Intriguing ways to start an essay. There are many different ways to write an essay introduction. Each has its benefits and potential drawbacks, and each is best suited for certain kinds of essays.Although these essay introductions use different rhetorical devices and prime the reader in different ways, they all achieve the same goal: hooking the reader and enticing them to keep reading.

  6. How To Start An Essay (With 20 Great Examples)

    But let's explore ways to start an essay on your own. How to start your essay? - The most straightforward advice. In his famous book "On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft", Stephen King said: "The scariest moment is always just before you start." So the best thing to do is to start writing as soon as you can. It doesn't have to be ...

  7. How to Write an Essay Introduction

    Step 2: Give background information. Next, give your reader the context they need to understand your topic and argument. Depending on the subject of your essay, this might include: Historical, geographical, or social context; An outline of the debate you're addressing; A summary of relevant theories or research about the topic; Definitions of ...

  8. How to Start an Essay: 13 Engaging Strategies

    Engaging ways to start an essay include stating a surprising fact, asking a thought-provoking question, or even using humor to reel readers in. ... "Please help me get Jeff's pacemaker turned off," she said, using my father's first name. I nodded, and my heart knocked." (Katy Butler, "What Broke My Father's Heart."

  9. 2 Page Essay: Example, Guide & Tips!

    What does a Two-Page Essay Look Like? A two-page essay generally contains the following elements: A thesis statement at the end of the introductory paragraph; Transition words; Facts and examples; Introduction, body, and conclusion; Citations and references list (if the essay requires research) Of course, we should not forget that an essay ...

  10. How to Write a Great College Essay Introduction

    In most cases, quoting other people isn't a good way to start your college essay. Admissions officers want to hear your thoughts about yourself, and quotes often don't achieve that. Unless a quote truly adds something important to your essay that it otherwise wouldn't have, you probably shouldn't include it.