Online Class: Essay Writing 101

no certificate
with CEU Certificate*
-
12Lessons
-
25Exams &
Assignments -
3,869Students
have taken this course -
11Hours
average time -
1.1CEUs
Course Description
Essays are a vital part of writing, both in academic circles and in many professions. Being able to write good essays is a rare ability and those that can demonstrate a mastery of this writing form will quickly distinguish themselves from those who write poorly. In school, this can be the difference between a good or bad grade; in industry, it can mean being passed over for a promotion, creating a safety hazard, or even limiting an applicant's prospective job pool.
Learning to write good essays will boost academic performance in school and college, but will also be a valuable skill in today's increasingly competitive job market. Creating concise, informative, and compelling essays can form the basis of many careers, such as authoring non-fiction books, getting into print journalism, writing legal briefs, rendering judicial opinions, or just creating some persuasive advertising text for a business. The ability to write a good essay is a foundational block that can unlock numerous opportunities.
This course will examine the nature, history, and structure of essays; the various types of essays; and provide a refresher course in English grammar, focusing on the parts of speech and rules for good syntax. Furthermore, examples will be provided of both good and poor writing, as well as common mistakes to avoid when creating an essay. When completed, this course will enable the student to better understand how good essays are written and how to go about writing them for academic or professional use.
- Completely Online
- Self-Paced
- 6 Months to Complete
- 24/7 Availability
- Start Anytime
- PC & Mac Compatible
- Android & iOS Friendly
- Accredited CEUs

Course Lessons
Lesson 1. Anatomy of an Essay
Lesson 1 Video
Lesson discussions: Essay Writing Course; Reasons for Taking this Course
Complete Assignment: An Introduction
Complete: Lesson 1 Assignment
Assessment: Lesson 1: Anatomy of an Essay
Lesson 2. Grammar Basics. Part I. The Parts of Speech
Lesson 2 Video
Complete: Lesson 2 Assignment
Assessment: Lesson 2: Grammar Basics, Part I – The Parts of Speech
Lesson 3. Grammar Basics. Part II. Capitalization and Punctuation
Lesson 3 Video
Complete: Lesson 3 Assignment
Assessment: Lesson 3: Grammar Basics, Part II – Capitalization & Punctuation
Lesson 4. Grammar Basics. Part III. Subject-Verb Agreement and Other Writing Mishaps
Lesson 4 Video
Review Practice Worksheet: optional-APPENDIX.pdf
Lesson discussions: Grammar
Complete: Lesson 4 Assignment
Assessment: Lesson 4: Grammar Basics, Part III – Subject-Verb Agreement & Other Writing Mishaps
Lesson 5. Types of Essays
Lesson 5 Video
Lesson discussions: Types of Essays
Complete: Lesson 5 Assignment
Assessment: Lesson 5: Types of Essays
Lesson 6. Topic and Thesis Selection
Lesson 6 Video
Complete: Lesson 6 Assignment
Assessment: Lesson 6: Topic & Thesis Selection
Lesson 7. The Argument, Research, and Citations
Lesson 7 Video
Complete: Lesson 7 Assignment
Assessment: Lesson 7: The Argument, Research & Citations
Lesson 8. Outlining the Essay
Lesson 8 Video
Complete: Lesson 8 Assignment
Assessment: Lesson 8: Outlining the Essay
Lesson 9. The Introduction
Lesson 9 Video
Complete: Lesson 9 Assignment
Assessment: Lesson 9: The Introduction
Lesson 10. The Body and Conclusion
Lesson 10 Video
Complete: Lesson 10 Assignment
Assessment: Lesson 10: The Body and Conclusion
Lesson 11. Revisions and Finishing Touches
Lesson 11 Video
Complete: Lesson 11 Assignment
Assessment: Lesson 11: Revisions & Finishing Touches
Lesson 12. Some Final Writing Pitfalls to Avoid
Lesson 12 Video
Review Practice Worksheet: optional-APPENDIX.pdf
Lesson discussions: Your Opinion Matters: Course Rating; Course Comments; Program Evaluation Follow-up Survey (End of Course)
Complete: Lesson 12: Final Essay Assignment
Assessment: Lesson 12: Some Final Writing Pitfalls To Avoid
Learning Outcomes
- Describe the anatomy of an essay.
- Define the parts of speech.
- Demonstrate capitalization and punctuation usage.
- Recognize subject-verb agreement and other writing mishaps.
- Describe types of essays.
- Formulate topic and thesis.
- Define the argument, conduct research and record citations.
- Outline the essay.
- Create the introduction.
- Create the body and conclusion.
- Revise the essay.
- Demonstrate mastery of lesson content at levels of 70% or higher.
Additional Course Information

- Document Your Lifelong Learning Achievements
- Earn an Official Certificate Documenting Course Hours and CEUs
- Verify Your Certificate with a Unique Serial Number Online
- View and Share Your Certificate Online or Download/Print as PDF
- Display Your Certificate on Your Resume and Promote Your Achievements Using Social Media

Choose Your Subscription Plan
No Certificate / No CEUs
This course only
Includes certificate | X |
Includes CEUs | X |
Self-paced |
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Instructor support |
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Time to complete | 6 months |
No. of courses | 1 course |
Certificate & CEUs
This course only
Includes certificate |
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Includes CEUs |
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Self-paced |
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Instructor support |
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Time to complete | 6 months |
No. of courses | 1 course |
Certificates & CEUs
Includes all 600+ courses
Includes certificate |
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Includes CEUs |
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Self-paced |
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Instructor support |
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Time to complete | 12 Months |
No. of courses | 600+ |
Certificates & CEUs
Includes all 600+ courses
Includes certificate |
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Includes CEUs |
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Self-paced |
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Instructor support |
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Time to complete | 24 Months |
No. of courses | 600+ |
Student Testimonials
- "My instructor had patience, she worked with me over and over until I understood what I have to write." -- Deborah E.
- "This course was extremely helpful. I am an English teacher and needed this course for CE so I was very familiar with the material provided. It gave me a new insight to teaching essay writing and research writing that I have not seen--or rather seen put together so well!" -- Amy B.
- "My prof was superb in extending her helping hand to understand all my downs in going through with this course." -- Mary Ann C.
- "I found the explanations extremely helpful. I also liked how everything was divided into sections where it was easy to read." -- Patricia P.
- "I enjoyed the instructor's comments and the coursework." -- Kathy C.
- "What was most helpful was the instructor correcting my grammer and spelling." -- Patricia N.
- "ALL THE LESSONS ESPECIALLY THE LAST 4. THEY BROUGHT ALL THE CLASS INFORMATION TOGETHER. VERY HELPFUL IN COMPLETING THE ESSAY." -- Roland H.
- "The progression of the assignments were most beneficial. By gradually building from learning the parts of speech and sentence structure, to outlining and drafting I acquired a strong foundation from which I built my final essay." -- Joan C.
- "This instructor was very detail oriented and helpful." -- Chandradarshini B.
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