Essay

Write an essay that answers the question

Most marks are lost before the first sentence: the essay describes a topic when the question asked for an argument. Work out your answer, plan a paragraph for each reason, and use the tools for sources and editing, not for the thinking.

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Free plan includes 100 AI Autocomplete / Ghost Text · 5,000 AI Writing Words · 100 AI Rewrites.

Does remote work reduce productivity?

Essay
  • ThesisIt depends on the task
  • Point 1: focused work2 sources
  • Point 2: collaborationDrafting
  • CounterargumentSelection effects
  • ConclusionAnswer restated

Collaborative tasks tell a different story. Studies of teams that moved online report fewer unplanned conversations, which is where many new ideas start.

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The problem

Why essays lose marks

Markers' feedback repeats itself from one essay to the next.

No clear answer

The essay covers the topic thoroughly and never says what the writer thinks the answer is.

Description where analysis was asked for

"Discuss" and "evaluate" are instructions to argue. Summarizing what three authors said doesn't do it.

Paragraphs without a point

A paragraph that covers three ideas makes none of them. One point each, stated in the first sentence.

Weak or unread sources

Websites instead of the reading list, or references the writer hasn't opened. Markers check.

Step by step

How to do it in LitraMind

Check your course's rules on AI tools before you start. They vary, and they decide which of these steps you can use.

  1. Take the question apart

    Start an Essay document and paste the question at the top. Underline the instruction word (discuss, compare, evaluate) and the limits of the topic. Write what you're being asked in your own words.

    About Write New Paper

  2. Read before you decide

    Upload your set readings and ask each one what it argues and what evidence it uses. Follow the page references and read the passages that matter.

    About Chat with Files

  3. Write your thesis

    One sentence that answers the question and can be disagreed with. Use Brainstorm to see alternative positions if you're stuck, then choose yours.

    About AI Write

  4. Plan a paragraph per reason

    List three or four reasons your thesis is right, one objection, and your reply to it. Each becomes a paragraph. Put the evidence you'll use next to each.

  5. Draft and cite as you go

    Write each paragraph yourself, with Ghost Text for momentum. When you make a factual claim, highlight it and add the source with Research & Cite in your course's referencing style.

    About Research & Cite

  6. Edit for clarity and length

    Run AI Edit for grammar and consistency, use Trim if you're over the word count, and read the whole essay aloud once before you submit.

    About AI Edit
Start step 1 free
The guide

How a good essay is built

Structure is what lets a marker see your thinking.

Know what the question is asking

The instruction word sets the task. Getting it wrong is the commonest reason a well-researched essay gets a middling mark.

Common essay instruction words and what they require
WordWhat to do
DescribeGive an account of the main features
ExplainGive reasons; show how or why
CompareShow similarities and differences, and why they matter
DiscussExamine different views and reach a position
EvaluateWeigh strengths and weaknesses and give a judgment
To what extentArgue how far a claim is true, and where it stops being true

A thesis is an answer

"This essay will explore remote work and productivity" is a topic. "Remote work raises productivity on focused tasks and lowers it on collaborative ones" is a thesis: it answers the question and someone could disagree.

Put it at the end of your introduction and make every paragraph serve it.

One paragraph, one point

A reliable pattern is PEEL: state the Point, give the Evidence, Explain how the evidence supports the point, and Link back to the question.

The explanation is where the marks are. Evidence on its own is description; saying what it shows is analysis.

Deal with the other side

Include the strongest objection to your thesis and answer it. An essay that only presents agreeable evidence looks as if the writer hasn't noticed the disagreement.

AI and academic integrity

Universities and individual courses set different rules. Some allow AI for planning and editing with a declaration, some ban it outright. Read the assignment brief and ask if it's unclear.

Whatever the rule, the test is the same: could you explain and defend every paragraph in a conversation with your tutor? If not, it isn't yet your essay.

Written by the LitraMind team. Last reviewed .

In their words

What researchers and students say

“It helped me turn a collection of reasonable points into an actual argument. The difference was mostly in structure rather than adding more content.”

Ella T•••Postgraduate Student, HistoryN••• University, United Kingdom

“My main problem was paragraphs that contained several unrelated ideas. The suggestions made the argument much easier to follow.”

Joshua B•••Graduate Student, Political ScienceW••• University, United States

“I use it after drafting because it is good at identifying places where I make a claim without explaining the reasoning behind it.”

Rhea K•••Master's Student, SociologyN••• Institute of L••• S•••, India

“It helped me make the introduction and conclusion reflect the argument I had actually developed in the essay.”

Mia K•••Graduate Student, PhilosophyR••• University, Germany

“The biggest benefit was learning to remove sentences that sounded academic but were not actually advancing the argument.”

Lucie B•••Master's Student, HumanitiesP••• M••• University, France

“I found it useful for checking paragraph flow while keeping my own interpretation and examples intact.”

Emma C•••Postgraduate Student, Media StudiesS••• C••• University, Australia
The tools

What this workflow uses

All of them live in the same editor, so you don't move text between apps.

Chat with Files

Ask questions of a PDF or DOCX and get answers with page references you can check.

About Chat with Files

AI Write

Prompt the AI with your document, your selection or your uploaded papers as context.

About AI Write

Research & Cite

Highlight a claim, search scholarly sources for it, and insert the citation in your chosen style.

About Research & Cite

AI Edit

Grammar, tone, clarity and consistency suggestions that you accept or reject one at a time.

About AI Edit
Straight answer

What this won't do

We'd rather lose a signup than mislead a student.

  • It won't make it acceptable to submit work that isn't yours. If your course prohibits AI assistance, don't use it for that assignment.
  • It can't decide your argument. A generated thesis you don't believe produces an essay you can't defend.
  • It doesn't know your marking criteria. Read the rubric; it tells you where the marks are.
Questions

Questions people ask

Short answers before you start. Plan limits are on the pricing page.

See plans and limits
Is it cheating to use AI for an essay?
It depends on your course's rules and how you use it. Many institutions permit help with planning, finding sources and editing, with a declaration. Submitting AI-written text as your own is misconduct almost everywhere. Check the brief first.
Can LitraMind write the whole essay for me?
It can generate text, but an essay is assessed on your argument and understanding. Use it to question your readings, find sources and improve your own draft. That's also the version you'll be able to talk about if asked.
Which referencing styles are supported?
APA 7th, MLA 9th, Chicago, Harvard, IEEE and Vancouver.
How do I reduce my word count?
Select a paragraph and use Trim, which removes filler before content. Then look for paragraphs that don't serve the thesis and cut them whole.
Can I upload my lecture notes and readings?
Yes, as PDF or DOCX. You can ask questions of them and get answers with page references.
Keep going

Related use cases

All use cases

Annotated bibliography

Question each source, write a short annotation that summarizes, assesses and says how you'll use it, and format the list in your style.

Read the guide

Citations and bibliography

Find a source at the moment you make a claim, insert it in your style, and let the reference list keep itself in sync.

Read the guide

Edit AI drafts into your own voice

Cut the padding from an AI draft, put your own argument back in, and check every claim before your name goes on it.

Read the guide

Start with the question, not the first sentence

Paste your essay question into LitraMind, upload the readings, and work out your answer.

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