English writing guide: from sentences to essays

Short answer: Good English writing is built in layers. You start with clear sentences, join them into longer ones, put them together in paragraphs and then plan whole essays. This guide shows the steps, explains the main text types (descriptive, narrative, informative, opinion and argumentative) and links to a free article and a practice stone for each one.

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At a glance

How to improve your writing step by step

• Start with one clear sentence: a subject, a verb and one idea.
• Join two ideas with and, but, or and so, then add reasons with because, when and if.
• Group sentences into a paragraph: a topic sentence, two to four details and a closing sentence.
• Plan an essay: an introduction, body paragraphs and a conclusion.
• Check your work: verbs, joining words, capital letters, commas and full stops.

Which text type should I choose?

Choose by purpose. If you want to show how something looks, use a descriptive text. To tell what happened, use a narrative. To give facts, use an informative text. To say what you think, use an opinion text, and to defend your view with reasons and evidence, use an argumentative essay.

Sentences

Start here: one idea, then two ideas, then reasons, time and conditions.

• Describe something in three sentences
• Compound sentences: and, but, or, so
• Complex sentences: because, when, if
• Complex sentences: before, after, while, although

Longer and shorter sentences

Say the same idea in more than one way, and shorten long sentences.

• Same idea, two ways
• Same order, two ways
• Joining words: so that, who, which, that
• Short purpose: so that → to
• Unless
• if not ↔ unless
• Only that: everything, all, the best
• Extra information with commas
• whom, to whom, in which
• Shorter time clauses
• Shorter describing clauses

Paragraphs

One idea in a clear paragraph, in four main types.

• How to write a paragraph
• Descriptive paragraphs
• Narrative paragraphs
• Informative paragraphs
• Opinion paragraphs
• Connected sentences: descriptive
• Connected sentences: narrative

Articles and essays

A whole text with a beginning, a middle and an end.

• How to write a short article
• Descriptive essays
• Narrative essays
• Informative essays
• Opinion essays
• Problem and solution essays
• Cause and effect essays
• Compare and contrast essays
• Argumentative essays

Check yourself

1. Which part of a paragraph states the main idea?
   Show the answer

   The topic sentence. It comes first and tells the reader what the paragraph is about.

2. Which text type defends a position with reasons and evidence?
   Show the answer

   An argumentative essay. An opinion text only says what you think.

3. What comes at the end of an essay?
   Show the answer

   A conclusion. It closes the main idea.

Questions

Where should I start?

If you can write a clear sentence, start with joining ideas. If you can write a short paragraph, start with essays. The Learning Path has a stone for each step.

How long should my writing be?

A paragraph is about four to six sentences. A short essay is about three to five paragraphs.

Are the articles free?

Yes. Every writing topic has a free article with examples. The practice lessons are part of Full Access, and the first lesson of each stone is free to try.

Part of the Learning Path. See also Parts of speech. Đọc bằng tiếng Việt.

Written for English learners by the English for Fun team. How we write our lessons · Last updated 2026-11-05.

Reviewed by Chinh Q. Hoang, PhD, founder, English for Fun · 2026-10-30