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The process essay guides readers through the stages of completing a task successfully. It is certainly among the most common forms of written discourse. Think of the number of self-help books, cookbooks, textbooks, and guidebooks for doing nearly every activity you can think of. In school subjects, the process essay is also a common assignment. Explain how a bill becomes a law; how do you determine the theme of a poem; how do trees produce oxygen; how does company X market its product; how does a hydroelectric dam produce electricity; how do you serve a tennis ball?
The template for a process essay is usually straightforward. The introductory paragraph provides some context and presents the thesis. After that comes a series of body paragraphs, each one explaining a step in the process. The conclusion confirms the usefulness of the process that has been provided.
Techniques
Techniques
Determine the target audience. Who is the target reader? Check the assignment instructions about who your explanations are supposed to target. Typical targets include classmates or the instructor, but it's possible you could be focusing on another group of people. If you're writing about how to use a cellphone app, for example, the instructions you'd give to your friends are probably quite different than those you'd give to your friends' grandparents.
Plan. Decide if you want to follow chronological order, address the simple to the complex, or proceed from the known to the unknown.
Create a list of directions. You’re telling your reader how to do something. Provide a path to the goal.
Include everything important. Take some time away from your list of steps and revisit it with fresh eyes to be sure that you didn’t miss anything significant. You already know how to do the thing you’re explaining, but the reader knows much less. So you want to be thorough. At the same time, if you include too much information, the reader will get bored, and you'll exceed the word limit.
Don’t confuse your reader. Don’t include unnecessary information. Never backtrack, because this will frustrate your reader.
Keep the reader interested. You’re writing an essay, not a manual. Show some personality and catch your reader’s interest.
Example 1: How to Properly Cleanse Your Face
Example 1: How to Properly Cleanse Your Face
How to Properly Cleanse Your Face
Jenna Hudson (Adapted)
Excelsior University
August 3, 2022
The how and why of many daily tasks seem obvious. For example, most individuals over the age of seven do not need to be told how to pour a bowl of cereal and milk for breakfast. However, other seemingly simple tasks actually require some technique and precision to be done in the most effective manner. The act of facial cleansing is one of latter tasks, slightly more complex than it first appears. This daily process is important because the skin is a delicate organ, easily damaged and rather challenging to repair. A number of cleansing steps, some required and some optional, can help care for skin. These steps are removing makeup, cleansing, treating, moisturizing, and protecting with SPF.
The first step in effective facial cleansing is to remove any makeup. This step can be done with a pre-moistened wipe, a liquid remover, or a natural oil, such as jojoba. To loosen eye makeup, gently hold the wipe or a cotton ball saturated in the preferred agent on the eye area for up to a minute. Then, remove the makeup by wiping in short downward motions. The eye area is very delicate, so it is important to be gentle.
Next, lay a wash cloth soaked in warm water over the face for one to three minutes. This action opens the pores and makes the subsequent steps more effective. Alternatively, steam from a warm shower will do the same job. After the pores are open, splash the face with warm water rather than hot, as hot water can damage the skin cells and capillaries. Apply a dime-sized dollop of skin-type-specific cleanser to the forehead, nose, chin, neck, and chest. Some products require emulsification prior to being applied to the face. For about three minutes, blend the cleanser into the skin with a combination of gentle circular motions and light pressure. Finally, rinse the cleanser off with warm water.
The next step, exfoliation, is an optional step, and many individuals choose to do it once or twice a week with either a chemical exfoliant, such as AHA or glycolic acid, or microbeads. Some aestheticians warn against using an exfoliant with irregular granules, such as apricot kernels, as they may cause micro-abrasions on the face. In the event that the exfoliant of choice is built into a cleanser, simply swap it for the regular cleanser several days a week. Otherwise, apply the exfoliating product to the face after cleanser, gently massage it in, and then rinse it off. Follow cleansing or exfoliating with a splash of cool water to calm the skin and close the pores back up. Pat any excess moisture off the face with a soft towel.
The treating and moisturizing steps that follow cleansing are just as important to the skin as the actual application of cleanser. After toweling off, apply any skin-specific serums or ointments. This step is another extra, but it can be useful for treating specific conditions, such as oiliness, acne, dryness, or age-related concerns. Some examples are salicylic acid for acne, a toner for oily skin, retinol for wrinkles, or antioxidants for overall skin health. Allow the skin to absorb the serum or ointment for one to three minutes, and then apply dime-sized dots of moisturizer, whichever variety is best for the individual skin type (oil-free, extra moisture, etc.), to the forehead, nose, chin, neck, and chest. Rub in the moisturizer. For daytime, follow the moisturizer with sunscreen on the face, ears, neck, and chest. Sunscreen is an important step all year round, as damage to the skin can occur in a small amount of time with relatively little sun exposure. Allow the moisturizer and sunscreen to absorb for at least three minutes. Finally, blot the face to absorb any residual product or oil before leaving the house or applying makeup.
The steps we take to care for our skin can make a difference for an important part of our bodies. Following these steps leaves the skin properly cleansed, conditioned, and protected. Healthy skin is one key aspect in our overall health.
Word count: 689
Example 2: How to Treat a Common Cold
Example 2: How to Treat a Common Cold
How to Treat a Common Cold
James Sexton & Derek Soles
Composition and Literature
August 28, 2019
From that first itch in your nose to your final cough, a cold generally lasts from seven to ten days (Newman, n.d.). Though researchers have yet to find a cure for these common but pesky viruses, some home treatments can provide relief from a cold’s most unpleasant symptoms.
During the first couple days of a cold, no symptoms will alert you that you’ve been infected, but by day three, you’ll start to sneeze, your body may ache, and you’ll likely have a tickle or soreness in your throat (Jones, 2018). Next, you’ll feel congestion in your sinuses; your nose will run and, due to inflammation around the airways, you may develop a cough that can persist after your other symptoms are long gone (Jones, 2018). Fortunately, two weeks after the infection, you will produce antibodies that prevent you from catching that particular cold virus again. Unfortunately, there exist around another 199 strains of cold virus, so you can easily pick up another one (Jones, 2018)!
Purported cold remedies are almost as common as the cold virus itself; some might even help ease your symptoms. Staying hydrated with water, clear broth or tea can loosen congestion; a saltwater gargle made with ½ teaspoon of salt in eight ounces of water can relieve a sore throat (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2018). Over-the-counter saline nasal drops can relieve stuffiness, and pain relievers such as acetaminophen and ibuprofen can help with aches and fever, as long as you follow the recommended dosage. Some cold remedies contain multiple ingredients, such as a decongestant plus a pain reliever, so make sure you’re not taking too much of any medication and remember: medication will not shorten a cold’s duration (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2018).
The list of cold remedies with conflicting evidence is long! Taking vitamin C before the onset of cold symptoms may shorten the duration of symptoms, but it appears that, for the most part, taking vitamin C won’t help the average person prevent colds (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2018). Study results on whether echinacea prevents or shortens colds are also mixed. Some studies show no benefit, but others show some reduction in the severity and duration of cold symptoms when taken in the early stages of a cold. Different types of echinacea used in different studies may have contributed to the differing results (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2018).
There has been a lot of talk about taking zinc for colds ever since a 1984 study showed that zinc supplements reduced the severity of colds (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2018). Since then, other studies have shown that zinc lozenges or syrup reduce the length of a cold by one day, especially when taken within 24 hours of the first signs and symptoms of a cold. Both echinacea and zinc have potentially harmful side effects. Talk to your doctor before considering the use of zinc to prevent or reduce the length of colds.
Evidently, the common cold defies medical science; it eludes both our immune systems and the pharmaceutical industry. Colds are most often caused by rhinoviruses, a large family of viruses with hundreds of variants. This makes vaccination impossible and gives our immune system a challenging task. Additionally, these viruses evolve rapidly, so even if we could produce vaccines to cover the full spectrum of rhinoviruses, they would quickly become resistant (Newman, n.d.). However, according to a new study, help may soon be at hand.
Professor Ed Tate of Imperial College London in the United Kingdom and his team of scientists are taking a new approach. They have been looking for a compound to combat malaria and have found two molecules that become effective when combined. Using advanced techniques, they used these two molecules to produce a new compound that blocks an enzyme called N-myristoyltransferase (NMT), which is found in human cells. Viruses normally steal NMT from human cells and use it to create a protective shell; NMT is vital for the survival of cold viruses. All strains of the common cold virus use this technique, so inhibiting NMT would cure all strains of common cold virus. The researchers have high hopes for the drug, but much more research will be needed to confirm its efficacy and safety (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2018).
Until then, it may be tempting to try the latest internet-approved remedy, but the best thing to do is take care of yourself. Rest, drink fluids, and try to wait patiently for your cold’s demise.
Word count: 754
References
Jones, A. J. (2018, December 14). Learn the Stages of a Cold and Beat the Winter Blues. Women’s Health Magazine.
Mayo Clinic Staff. (2018, March 14). There’s No Cure for the Common Cold. But What about Cold Remedies that Claim to Make You Feel Better Faster? Mayo Clinic.
Newman, T. (n.d.). Understanding the Basics of a Common Cold. WebMD.
References
References
Process Essay. (2023). Excelsior Online Writing Lab, Excelsior University. Retrieved 2024. CC BY-SA 4.0. Some of the above content was copy/pasted from here.
Meyers, A. (2013). Longman Academic Writing: Essays to Research Papers. Pearson.
Sexton J. and Soles D. (2019). The Process (“How to”) Essay. B.C. Open Textbook Collection. CC BY 4.0. Some of the above content was copy/pasted from here.
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