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A process essay is a step-by-step guide on how to do or make something. It is important to include every step of the process, even if something appears self-explanatory. Your audience might not be as familiar on the topic as you are.
What may be equally important, and is often overlooked, is what not to do. For example, the process of making caramel is deceptively simple. The sugar mixture needs to be swirled to prevent burning. However, stirring the mixture will cause the molecules to agitate, making the syrup crystalize into a solid unusable lump. So, when writing a process essay on caramel it is equally important to define swirling and to caution against stirring.
Since a process essay is a series of instructions, transition words are an important component. Transitions establish connections between ideas. They can be a single word that imparts a logical order or sequence to your writing, or it could be an entire sentence that connects one paragraph to the next.
Transition Words
| Time or Order | Addition | Generalization | Cause and Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Next | And | In general | Therefore |
| During | In addition to | Generally | So |
| While | In the same manner | Overall | Thus |
| Following | Furthermore | On the whole | Because |
| After | Moreover | In short | Owing to |
| Firstly | Equally important | Accordingly | |
| Lastly | Also | Consequently | |
| Secondly | Likewise | Hence | |
| Later | At the same time | Subsequently | |
| Then | In fact | For this reason | |
| To begin with | |||
| Contrast | Illustration | Emphasis/Persuasion | Conclusion |
| On the other hand | For example | Clearly | In conclusion |
| But | As an example | Obviously | To conclude |
| Nevertheless | Such as | Importantly | To sum up |
| Despite | For instance | Chiefly | Finally |
| However | To demonstrate | In particular | |
| Except | Specifically | Especially | |
| Otherwise | Actually | ||
| Yet | |||
| Whereas | |||
| Alternatively | |||
| In spite of this |
If you have not been given a topic, choose one that you feel confident in explaining to your audience. Refer again to the introduction section of this guide to find information on progression and organization. Brainstorming and creating an outline will help you avoid missing any steps or directions. Here are a few topic suggestions for a process essay:
