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Synonyms and antonyms of essay in English

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out of harm's way

in a position that is safe from harm or from which harm cannot be done

Trial, judge, and jury: talking about what happens when a criminal is caught

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Synonyms for “Essay”

The term “Essay” is deeply rooted in the literary and academic arena, often denoting a short piece of writing on a particular subject. Originating from the French word ‘essayer’, meaning ‘to try’ or ‘to attempt’, an essay is an endeavor to express thoughts, arguments, or narratives in a structured manner. Over time, it has evolved into a popular form of writing, with several synonymous terms and types.

General Synonyms for “Essay”

Beyond academic precincts, the word essay resonates with various undertones depending on the context:

• Composition

Synonyms for “Essay” in Academic Writing

In academia, essays are a staple, reflecting deep introspection, research, or exploration:

• Dissertation

Detailed Synonyms: Definitions and Examples

Delving deeper, let’s explore these synonyms, accentuated with definitions and illustrative examples:

“The essay is a literary device for saying almost everything about almost anything.” – Aldous Huxley

The “Essay”, with its myriad forms and connotations, remains a primary medium for individuals to articulate, elucidate, and convey their thoughts. Ranging from personal narratives to critical analyses, essays facilitate the seamless flow of ideas, fostering deeper understanding and appreciation of myriad subjects.

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• 40 Useful Words and Phrases for Top-Notch Essays

To be truly brilliant, an essay needs to utilise the right language. You could make a great point, but if it’s not intelligently articulated, you almost needn’t have bothered.

Developing the language skills to build an argument and to write persuasively is crucial if you’re to write outstanding essays every time. In this article, we’re going to equip you with the words and phrases you need to write a top-notch essay, along with examples of how to utilise them.

It’s by no means an exhaustive list, and there will often be other ways of using the words and phrases we describe that we won’t have room to include, but there should be more than enough below to help you make an instant improvement to your essay-writing skills.

If you’re interested in developing your language and persuasive skills, Oxford Royale offers summer courses at its Oxford Summer School , Cambridge Summer School , London Summer School , San Francisco Summer School and Yale Summer School . You can study courses to learn english , prepare for careers in law , medicine , business , engineering and leadership.

General explaining

Let’s start by looking at language for general explanations of complex points.

1. In order to

Usage: “In order to” can be used to introduce an explanation for the purpose of an argument. Example: “In order to understand X, we need first to understand Y.”

2. In other words

Usage: Use “in other words” when you want to express something in a different way (more simply), to make it easier to understand, or to emphasise or expand on a point. Example: “Frogs are amphibians. In other words, they live on the land and in the water.”

3. To put it another way

Usage: This phrase is another way of saying “in other words”, and can be used in particularly complex points, when you feel that an alternative way of wording a problem may help the reader achieve a better understanding of its significance. Example: “Plants rely on photosynthesis. To put it another way, they will die without the sun.”

4. That is to say

Usage: “That is” and “that is to say” can be used to add further detail to your explanation, or to be more precise. Example: “Whales are mammals. That is to say, they must breathe air.”

5. To that end

Usage: Use “to that end” or “to this end” in a similar way to “in order to” or “so”. Example: “Zoologists have long sought to understand how animals communicate with each other. To that end, a new study has been launched that looks at elephant sounds and their possible meanings.”

Adding additional information to support a point

Students often make the mistake of using synonyms of “and” each time they want to add further information in support of a point they’re making, or to build an argument. Here are some cleverer ways of doing this.

6. Moreover

Usage: Employ “moreover” at the start of a sentence to add extra information in support of a point you’re making. Example: “Moreover, the results of a recent piece of research provide compelling evidence in support of…”

7. Furthermore

Usage:This is also generally used at the start of a sentence, to add extra information. Example: “Furthermore, there is evidence to suggest that…”

8. What’s more

Usage: This is used in the same way as “moreover” and “furthermore”. Example: “What’s more, this isn’t the only evidence that supports this hypothesis.”

9. Likewise

Usage: Use “likewise” when you want to talk about something that agrees with what you’ve just mentioned. Example: “Scholar A believes X. Likewise, Scholar B argues compellingly in favour of this point of view.”

10. Similarly

Usage: Use “similarly” in the same way as “likewise”. Example: “Audiences at the time reacted with shock to Beethoven’s new work, because it was very different to what they were used to. Similarly, we have a tendency to react with surprise to the unfamiliar.”

11. Another key thing to remember

Usage: Use the phrase “another key point to remember” or “another key fact to remember” to introduce additional facts without using the word “also”. Example: “As a Romantic, Blake was a proponent of a closer relationship between humans and nature. Another key point to remember is that Blake was writing during the Industrial Revolution, which had a major impact on the world around him.”

12. As well as

Usage: Use “as well as” instead of “also” or “and”. Example: “Scholar A argued that this was due to X, as well as Y.”

13. Not only… but also

Usage: This wording is used to add an extra piece of information, often something that’s in some way more surprising or unexpected than the first piece of information. Example: “Not only did Edmund Hillary have the honour of being the first to reach the summit of Everest, but he was also appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire.”

14. Coupled with

Usage: Used when considering two or more arguments at a time. Example: “Coupled with the literary evidence, the statistics paint a compelling view of…”

15. Firstly, secondly, thirdly…

Usage: This can be used to structure an argument, presenting facts clearly one after the other. Example: “There are many points in support of this view. Firstly, X. Secondly, Y. And thirdly, Z.

16. Not to mention/to say nothing of

Usage: “Not to mention” and “to say nothing of” can be used to add extra information with a bit of emphasis. Example: “The war caused unprecedented suffering to millions of people, not to mention its impact on the country’s economy.”

Words and phrases for demonstrating contrast

When you’re developing an argument, you will often need to present contrasting or opposing opinions or evidence – “it could show this, but it could also show this”, or “X says this, but Y disagrees”. This section covers words you can use instead of the “but” in these examples, to make your writing sound more intelligent and interesting.

17. However

Usage: Use “however” to introduce a point that disagrees with what you’ve just said. Example: “Scholar A thinks this. However, Scholar B reached a different conclusion.”

18. On the other hand

Usage: Usage of this phrase includes introducing a contrasting interpretation of the same piece of evidence, a different piece of evidence that suggests something else, or an opposing opinion. Example: “The historical evidence appears to suggest a clear-cut situation. On the other hand, the archaeological evidence presents a somewhat less straightforward picture of what happened that day.”

19. Having said that

Usage: Used in a similar manner to “on the other hand” or “but”. Example: “The historians are unanimous in telling us X, an agreement that suggests that this version of events must be an accurate account. Having said that, the archaeology tells a different story.”

20. By contrast/in comparison

Usage: Use “by contrast” or “in comparison” when you’re comparing and contrasting pieces of evidence. Example: “Scholar A’s opinion, then, is based on insufficient evidence. By contrast, Scholar B’s opinion seems more plausible.”

21. Then again

Usage: Use this to cast doubt on an assertion. Example: “Writer A asserts that this was the reason for what happened. Then again, it’s possible that he was being paid to say this.”

22. That said

Usage: This is used in the same way as “then again”. Example: “The evidence ostensibly appears to point to this conclusion. That said, much of the evidence is unreliable at best.”

Usage: Use this when you want to introduce a contrasting idea. Example: “Much of scholarship has focused on this evidence. Yet not everyone agrees that this is the most important aspect of the situation.”

Adding a proviso or acknowledging reservations

Sometimes, you may need to acknowledge a shortfalling in a piece of evidence, or add a proviso. Here are some ways of doing so.

24. Despite this

Usage: Use “despite this” or “in spite of this” when you want to outline a point that stands regardless of a shortfalling in the evidence. Example: “The sample size was small, but the results were important despite this.”

25. With this in mind

Usage: Use this when you want your reader to consider a point in the knowledge of something else. Example: “We’ve seen that the methods used in the 19th century study did not always live up to the rigorous standards expected in scientific research today, which makes it difficult to draw definite conclusions. With this in mind, let’s look at a more recent study to see how the results compare.”

26. Provided that

Usage: This means “on condition that”. You can also say “providing that” or just “providing” to mean the same thing. Example: “We may use this as evidence to support our argument, provided that we bear in mind the limitations of the methods used to obtain it.”

27. In view of/in light of

Usage: These phrases are used when something has shed light on something else. Example: “In light of the evidence from the 2013 study, we have a better understanding of…”

28. Nonetheless

Usage: This is similar to “despite this”. Example: “The study had its limitations, but it was nonetheless groundbreaking for its day.”

29. Nevertheless

Usage: This is the same as “nonetheless”. Example: “The study was flawed, but it was important nevertheless.”

30. Notwithstanding

Usage: This is another way of saying “nonetheless”. Example: “Notwithstanding the limitations of the methodology used, it was an important study in the development of how we view the workings of the human mind.”

Giving examples

Good essays always back up points with examples, but it’s going to get boring if you use the expression “for example” every time. Here are a couple of other ways of saying the same thing.

31. For instance

Example: “Some birds migrate to avoid harsher winter climates. Swallows, for instance, leave the UK in early winter and fly south…”

32. To give an illustration

Example: “To give an illustration of what I mean, let’s look at the case of…”

Signifying importance

When you want to demonstrate that a point is particularly important, there are several ways of highlighting it as such.

33. Significantly

Usage: Used to introduce a point that is loaded with meaning that might not be immediately apparent. Example: “Significantly, Tacitus omits to tell us the kind of gossip prevalent in Suetonius’ accounts of the same period.”

34. Notably

Usage: This can be used to mean “significantly” (as above), and it can also be used interchangeably with “in particular” (the example below demonstrates the first of these ways of using it). Example: “Actual figures are notably absent from Scholar A’s analysis.”

35. Importantly

Usage: Use “importantly” interchangeably with “significantly”. Example: “Importantly, Scholar A was being employed by X when he wrote this work, and was presumably therefore under pressure to portray the situation more favourably than he perhaps might otherwise have done.”

Summarising

You’ve almost made it to the end of the essay, but your work isn’t over yet. You need to end by wrapping up everything you’ve talked about, showing that you’ve considered the arguments on both sides and reached the most likely conclusion. Here are some words and phrases to help you.

36. In conclusion

Usage: Typically used to introduce the concluding paragraph or sentence of an essay, summarising what you’ve discussed in a broad overview. Example: “In conclusion, the evidence points almost exclusively to Argument A.”

37. Above all

Usage: Used to signify what you believe to be the most significant point, and the main takeaway from the essay. Example: “Above all, it seems pertinent to remember that…”

38. Persuasive

Usage: This is a useful word to use when summarising which argument you find most convincing. Example: “Scholar A’s point – that Constanze Mozart was motivated by financial gain – seems to me to be the most persuasive argument for her actions following Mozart’s death.”

39. Compelling

Usage: Use in the same way as “persuasive” above. Example: “The most compelling argument is presented by Scholar A.”

40. All things considered

Usage: This means “taking everything into account”. Example: “All things considered, it seems reasonable to assume that…”

How many of these words and phrases will you get into your next essay? And are any of your favourite essay terms missing from our list? Let us know in the comments below, or get in touch here to find out more about courses that can help you with your essays.

At Oxford Royale Academy, we offer a number of  summer school courses for young people who are keen to improve their essay writing skills. Click here to apply for one of our courses today, including law , business , medicine  and engineering .

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380 other terms for essays - words and phrases with similar meaning.

12 Formal Synonyms for “With That Being Said”

In academic writing, introductory clauses like “with that being said” could be useful to introduce counterpoints. This article will explore synonyms you can use in formal writing that might help you to expand your vocabulary list.

The best formal synonyms for “with that being said” are “that being said,” “with that,” and “from that.” You might notice that the first two synonyms are shortened forms of “with that being said.” This is because they are more concise and work well in most formal papers.

1. That Being Said

“That being said” is a great alternative. You can remove “with” to keep the phrase more concise. It still shows that you are relating to a previous sentence without letting the previous clause affect the current one.

• We could have done something differently. That being said, the results have already been recorded. We can’t change them now.
• It would have been easier to try it a different way. That being said, we still learned a lot from trying to get this work done.
• I wanted to make that suggestion. That being said, I saw no reason to argue against the team. They knew what they were doing.

2. With That

“With that” is another shortened synonym showing that two sentences should not affect each other. You can remove “being said,” and the meaning will remain unchanged.

• I’m not sure about this. With that, I don’t want to make things difficult for you. I want you to feel comfortable with me.
• I’ll let you know how I feel later. With that, I will leave you. I don’t want you to worry about how I’m getting on.
• The experiment was a success. With that, it made things much easier to present to the professor. He was very pleased.

3. From That

“From” allows you to link the sentence back to the one that came before. “From that” is an alternative to “with that.” You can use “from that” when you want to conclude some information from the previous sentence.

• I knew that we could work something out. From that, we were able to conclude that the team clicked.
• I figured out the best thing to do in the situation. From that, it was clear what needed to come next to ensure that things went well.
• You can’t be the only person on the team. From that, you should try finding someone else who can jump in and help you.

“However” is one of the most common choices when trying to introduce a counterargument. You can start a new sentence with it when you do not believe the sentence links to the previous one. It’s especially effective if there is no direct overlap between your points.

• I tried to do it myself. However, it was clear early on that I needed someone else to assist me. I had to find a partner.
• The project went as well as expected. However, a few hiccups along the way couldn’t be avoided.
• I’m not sure how to handle this problem. However, I will give it my all to see what I can learn from the situation.

“Even so” is a great alternative that works in many situations. You can use it to show that you are not considering the previous sentence because of a new point you’d like to raise.

• I knew you were going to make this difficult for me. Even so, I trusted you with the information because I knew I could rely on you.
• The professor wanted us to get this done quickly. Even so, I did not want to rush it. I wanted to produce quality work.
• I’m not going to help you with that. Even so, I appreciate you coming to me to ask. I’ll let you know when you’ve got it right.

6. Nevertheless

“Nevertheless” means that you do not think the new information in your sentence should be affected by something from a previous one. It’s a great synonym to use when showing that two things should not overlap or affect each other.

• Some variables needed fixing. Nevertheless, the bulk of the project was successful, which is always positive.
• I thought about all of the options in great detail. Nevertheless, there only seemed to be one outcome that made sense.
• I’m not going to help you understand this. Nevertheless, I think we need to figure out the next best thing to do.

7. All Things Considered

“All things considered” is a good formal synonym that helps to weigh up your points. It shows that you are considering all the options and still coming to a conclusion that might not relate to them.

• I will let you know what I find out. All things considered, I think this is a very important thing to go through.
• You could have changed a few of those variables to fix it. All things considered, you tried your best and got a good result.
• Some errors in your exam could do with fixing. All things considered, I think you did the best you could at the time.

8. Despite That

“Despite that” is a great option to cancel the previous statement made. You can use it when you do not believe the previous sentence impacts the one you follow with. It’s a great way to introduce counterarguments.

• I needed to talk to you about what you said. Despite that, you still went ahead and did it. I’m not happy about that.
• I could have experimented more effectively. Despite that, I believe the result was still worth it.
• The team was not working to the best of its ability. Despite that, there was still an overwhelmingly positive response after.

9. All the Same

“All the same” is a good choice to show that a previous point doesn’t affect the new one. It’s a great way to let someone know that you still stand by an opposing view, even if you’ve introduced a contradicting one.

• I’m not going to help you with it. All the same, I believe you have the know-how to get this done on your own.
• We should talk about this later. All the same, I think you’ve hit the nail on the head. You should know that I agree with you.
• I found a discrepancy in the figures. All the same, there were some issues that they tried to hide that needed to be corrected.

10. Regardless

“Regardless” means that you are not considering the previous sentence. It’s a good way to continue or counter a point by overlooking the information you presented previously.

• I managed to find the correct route with little effort. Regardless, it made things much more difficult when I was so far ahead of everyone.
• You could have tried a different strategy to do this. Regardless, you still completed the task as I requested. Congratulations.
• We could have done this together. Regardless, you showed me that you were able to do it yourself. I’m proud of you.

“Yet” is a great synonym in most cases. It replaces “however” to show that you are introducing a different idea that does not coincide with the previous one you wrote about.

• I’m not going to tell you how to do it. Yet, I believe you could still learn a few things from me. It’s up to you, though.
• I have a few questions that need answers. Yet, it seems no one is willing to take the time to run me through what I’m asking.
• You could have told me sooner. Yet, you decided to keep it to yourself. That’s why things blew up the way they did.

12. Otherwise

“Otherwise” is a great choice in academic papers. It shows that two things are not connected or causally linked with each other. If you want to make a counter point in a following sentence, “otherwise” is always a good choice.

• I can’t tell you all of the information. Otherwise, you’ll start to question my intentions with all this.
• I’m not sure she has all the facts straight. Otherwise, she would have a better understanding of what to expect.
• They needed to spend more time sorting these things out. Otherwise, they did a pretty good job with limited equipment.

What Does “With That Being Said” Mean?

“With that being said” means you are trying to make a point from the previous topic of discussion. It gives you a chance to go into further detail or counter a point you previously made.

For example:

• I did not want to do it. With that being said, I knew I had to.

Here, you can use “with that being said” to counter your previous point to show that you made a decision that went against the previous sentence. As you can see, it is grammatically correct to start a sentence with “with that being said”

Is It Proper to Say “With That Being Said” in Academic Papers?

It is proper and correct to use “with that being said” in academic papers . It is not a rude phrase, meaning it works well when you’re looking for a formal alternative.

However, you might find that some readers think it’s redundant. You could easily use “with that” or “that being said” in place of “with that being said” to keep your writing more concise.

Martin holds a Master’s degree in Finance and International Business. He has six years of experience in professional communication with clients, executives, and colleagues. Furthermore, he has teaching experience from Aarhus University. Martin has been featured as an expert in communication and teaching on Forbes and Shopify. Read more about Martin here .

• Regardless of vs. Regardless if vs. Regardless of if
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What is another word for essay ?

Synonyms for essay ˈɛs eɪ or, for 3,5 , ɛˈseɪ; ɛˈseɪ es·say, this thesaurus page includes all potential synonyms, words with the same meaning and similar terms for the word essay ., english synonyms and antonyms rate these synonyms: 2.7 / 3 votes.

To attempt is to take action somewhat experimentally with the hope and purpose of accomplishing a certain result; to endeavor is to attempt strenuously and with firm and enduring purpose. To attempt expresses a single act; to endeavor , a continuous exertion; we say I will endeavor (not I will attempt ) while I live. To attempt is with the view of accomplishing; to essay , with a view of testing our own powers. To undertake is to accept or take upon oneself as an obligation, as some business, labor, or trust; the word often implies complete assurance of success; as, I will undertake to produce the witness. To strive suggests little of the result, much of toil, strain, and contest, in seeking it; I will strive to fulfil your wishes, i. e. , I will spare no labor and exertion to do it. Try is the most comprehensive of these words. The original idea of testing or experimenting is not thought of when a man says "I will try ." To attempt suggests giving up, if the thing is not accomplished at a stroke; to try implies using other means and studying out other ways if not at first successful. Endeavor is more mild and formal; the pilot in the burning pilot-house does not say "I will endeavor " or "I will attempt to hold the ship to her course," but "I'll try , sir!"

Synonyms: attempt , endeavor , endeavor , strive , try , undertake

Antonyms: abandon , dismiss , drop , give up , let go , neglect , omit , overlook , pass by , throw away , throw over , throw up

Princeton's WordNet Rate these synonyms: 1.0 / 2 votes

an analytic or interpretive literary composition

a tentative attempt

try, seek, attempt, essay, assay verb

make an effort or attempt

"He tried to shake off his fears"; "The infant had essayed a few wobbly steps"; "The police attempted to stop the thief"; "He sought to improve himself"; "She always seeks to do good in the world"

Synonyms: attempt , examine , search , stress , adjudicate , strain , seek , look for , assay , try out , try , prove , test , try on , taste , hear , set about , undertake , sample , judge , render

test, prove, try, try out, examine, essay verb

put to the test, as for its quality, or give experimental use to

"This approach has been tried with good results"; "Test this recipe"

Synonyms: audition , rise , analyze , leaven , try , sample , show , testify , establish , test , evidence , try out , study , examine , see , seek , try on , probe , quiz , attempt , raise , adjudicate , render , prove , shew , judge , screen , taste , turn out , demonstrate , turn up , experiment , strain , analyse , stress , hear , canvass , assay , canvas , bear witness

Matched Categories

Editors contribution rate these synonyms: 0.0 / 0 votes.

piece of writing

write an essay of a students

Dictionary of English Synonymes Rate these synonyms: 0.0 / 0 votes

Synonyms: attempt , try , endeavor

Synonyms: attempt , trial , endeavor , effort , struggle , aim

Synonyms: tract , dissertation , treatise , disquisition , brief discourse

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated Words Rate these synonyms: 0.0 / 0 votes

Synonyms: dissertation , article , disquisition , thesis , attempt , effort , trial

PPDB, the paraphrase database Rate these paraphrases: 1.0 / 1 vote

List of paraphrases for "essay":

dissertation , test , trial , drafting , composition , testing

How to pronounce essay?

How to say essay in sign language, usage in printed sources from:  .

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Words popularity by usage frequency

How to use essay in a sentence?

Roger McNamee :

By draping his essay in the guise of cooperation, Zuckerberg hopes to distract policy makers from the real threat, their code and algorithms influence our daily lives in ways far more intrusive than democratic governments or the law. No one elected these companies and they refuse to be held accountable.

Marya Mannes :

But the silly male fool is often unaware of how much a look,a touch, a word can hold for a woman.Nor does he seem to have any idea at all of the degree to which their absence can make her cross,resentful ,tiresome." This is from her essay "The Power Men have over Women

Mao Zedong :

A revolution is not a dinner party, or writing an essay, or painting a picture, or doing embroidery; it cannot be so refined, so leisurely and gentle, so temperate, kind, courteous, restrained and magnanimous. A revolution is an insurrection, an act of violence by which one class overthrows another.

Zeke Smith :

We started having conversations all the way back in Fiji nine months ago about the care with which this episode was going to be handled, i came to Jeff [Probst] and asked if I could write a personal essay about what happened and he immediately said yes.

An essay writer's pen weaves thoughts into a tapestry of eloquence, where every word is a brushstroke painting the canvas of knowledge

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How to Write a Prompt for Essays: A Complete Guide

Writing essays isn’t easy. Even if you decide to use the help of generative AI, you need to think of a good writing prompt. Today, you will learn how to create a prompt as well as why we need prompts for writing with generative models.

What is a prompt?

A prompt is a command you give to an AI generator. It includes instructions on the topic of a text, its style, tone, and other important features. The generative model analyzes your command and prepares an answer based on preexisting rules and patterns that it learned while training. 

Prompts for writing are the key to getting high-quality responses from artificial intelligence generators. By learning how to create a prompt for AI, you can guarantee better results of your collaboration with the advanced technology.

How to create a prompt for AI: secret techniques

It might seem like creating prompts for writing is simple. However, if you use text generators often, you know that getting a non-generic response can be a hassle. So it’s imperative to read the following tutorial on how to create a prompt and learn secret rules that make artificial intelligence obey all commands.

Step 1. Conduct a research

This might seem redundant to you, but the lack of research into a topic makes your prompt too generic. It is important to understand all the angles for covering in your essay in order to develop a comprehensive command.

Luckily, you can use artificial intelligence here, too. Ask a generator to make a plan for your essay, and you will be able to see a rough list of the subjects for studying. This is not exhaustive, of course, but it will direct you to topics that will help to better outline the essay.

Step 2. Make an essay plan 

When you need a brief answer to a general question, you might feed the generator a simple writing prompt. However, when working with essays, articles, or other longer texts, you need to take a considerate approach to receive extensive responses.

Use your research to plan each paragraph of a paper. You will need this to organize the sequence and contents of your requests.

Step 3. Determine the type of a writing prompt

Depending on the type of your assignment, you will have to follow a particular argumentation style. This will also impact the way your commands are worded. Here are the main types of prompts to use in essays.

• Informational . This type focuses on collecting data on a certain topic. In response to these prompts, the generative model will present information in an unbiased, factual way. It can be used when gathering facts for informative essays. Example: “explain how snowflakes are formed.”
• Comparative . Comparative questions make your generator contrast several items. This type is particularly useful for compare and contrast essays, but can also be applied in argumentative essays. Example: “compare wind turbines and thermal plants.”
• Analytical . These requests are used to make the artificial intelligence analyze certain data. They are useful for creating analytical papers and problem solution essays. Example: “analyze the effects of overconsumption on the environment.”
• Persuasive . Persuasive writing prompts make AI give you responses that are more biased in nature. They are useful for argumentative and persuasive papers when your task is to convince the audience to accept a certain point of view. Example: “describe why ocean exploration is more important than space exploration”
• Instructional . These commands are used when you need to give direct and more technical requests. They are often applied when you want to check your texts for grammar mistakes or reword a certain phrase. Example: “organize the references in MLA format.”

Most of the time, you will have to combine several types into one prompt for a clear and original response, so selecting your requests in advance will help you to form a good request.

Step 4. Write your prompt

This final stage deals with creating prompts for writing. However, first, you need to learn about compulsory elements all prompts must include:

• instruction , or a command that tells the generator what it needs to perform;
• context , or additional information that the generator should base its response on;
• purpose , or the goal of the request and specifications, like target audience, essay type, stylistic requirements, etc.;
• example (optional), or sample text that artificial intelligence will emulate in style, narration, etc.

Example: “In the context of renewable energy development, describe the advantages and disadvantages of solar versus wind power. Write a persuasive text meant to convince the general audience that solar power is more sustainable. The text must comply with Chicago style and include three arguments and one counter argument.”

These are the main elements that comprise prompts for writing essays. Use them in your works and compare the results with what you used to get before.

Try your prompt writing skills on Aithor

With this guide, you have now mastered the art of how to create a prompt for AI. Go ahead and try your new knowledge with Aithor, an artificial intelligence generator designed specifically to assist students with academic writing. Whether you want to build a new prompt from scratch or generate free write prompts as an example, Aithor is here to help you get started.

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Just How Demure Are You?

A TikTok trend has breathed new life into a fusty word.

By The Styles Desk

If you opened TikTok this week and felt that suddenly everyone was using the word “demure” out of nowhere, you’re not alone.

Your morning coffee with just a little half-and-half? Demure. The way you sit down gracefully on the subway? Very demure. The way you floss your teeth after lunch in the office bathroom before returning to your cubicle? Absolutely, totally demure.

Seemingly overnight, an adjective usually reserved for a reserved woman has become the semi-ironic word du jour on social media.

On Aug. 2, a TikTok creator who goes by the name Jools Lebron posted a video with tips about managing makeup and mustache sweat and being demure.

Later that day, she posted another video , which has been viewed four million times, offering tips on how to be demure at work. “Very demure, very mindful," she says, explaining her perfume, clothing and hairstyle choices for the workplace. Ms. Lebron has since posted dozens more such videos discussing how to be demure in all sorts of situations, like nail salons, hotels and drag shows.

Ms. Lebron, who did not respond to requests for comment, is one of several trans creators on TikTok whose playful use of “demure” in recent videos has helped the word catch on with other users.

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Personal perspectives on the value of greenspace and backyards

How important is having a backyard? We asked Globe readers – those with backyards and those living in cities without one – to weigh in on the role that access to private and public green space plays on their happiness and well-being.

Urban backyards are disappearing. Can we be happy without them?

While [governments] will be pushing for all the growth, I hope they take a moment to consider what it means to have a home, and not just “housing.” Policies should promote and protect green spaces right alongside housing. The two go hand-in-hand. - Harmony Huffman, Duncan, B.C.

Looking back, I have spent countless hours cutting, trimming, raking, weeding, watering, fertilizing, aerating, dethatching, applying pesticide and top dressing my lawns. Today, I don’t own a single blade of grass! What was I thinking?!!! - Robert Gates, raised in Scarborough and Pickering, Ont.

People are supposed to be grateful for little boxes in the sky – our expectations are being collectively lowered by the relentless drive for density in cities. Demand your own piece of paradise – your own backyard. Make our governments give us better options other than 400 sq. ft of concrete in the sky cut off from nature. Or is it only the richest 1 per cent who will have backyards to play in while the rest of us make do with tiny, overpriced, concrete boxes with scarce access to green space in ever-warming cities? - Mary-Lou Rossiter, Halifax, N.S.

People spend an extraordinary amount of time, labour and chemicals to keep their lawns green yet do not use them. It would be better as a society if we expanded green spaces for all to use. - Craig Perry, North Bay, Ont.

My backyard is my oasis in the middle of a large city. The birds and animals that I share my trees and yard with serve to maintain my connection with nature and remind me that I am NOT just another cog in the machine. - Ron Baugh, Red Deer, Alta.

I grew up in a small city in rural Alberta and my family home was a single-detached house with a large wraparound backyard. I have fond memories of my parents hosting BBQs and birthday parties a couple times a year. I have since moved to a larger city in B.C. and live in an apartment building with no backyard. However, my apartment has a waterfront green space open for public use. My partner and I often go down to this green space, which provides a great opportunity to meet our neighbours. I loved my backyard growing up, but if the choice is to provide housing for others or have a private green space, I would choose the former. - Sarah Greer, Victoria, B.C.

I live in central Montreal, where many of the apartment plexes don’t have a backyard. It’s common to have three or four birthday parties in the public parks when the weather is nice. Giving up a private backyard isn’t a huge sacrifice, as long as we can have access to good shared green space – it’s probably well worth it to live in an animated and walkable community - Mara Bender, Montreal

I have a backyard. I recognize that I’m very fortunate. In truth, my husband and I use it less than I thought I would. I have a vegetable garden – enough to grow all the tomatoes we eat, including canning for the winter, which I love. And once we fenced part of the yard a few years ago, we appreciate being able to let the dog out for a quick off-leash bathroom break. But, honestly, we don’t need it. We do have a lovely green space across the street, and a dog park nearby, and THOSE I wouldn’t do without! I’d be happy to see fewer homes with yards and everyone having access to a bit of outdoors on a porch/balcony, with more parks of various kinds. - Elizabeth d’Anjou, Picton, Ont.

We have been condo dwellers in the heart of downtown Toronto for decades. You REALLY need to love your neighbours if you want to relax outside in public green space in Toronto these days. I have total envy for anyone with a yard, even a postage stamp would feel like an oasis. - Marc Gignac, Toronto

I live in a downtown neighbourhood and my yard is more important to me than my house. I think almost everyone needs a little patch of outdoor space, it fills their soul. - Michelle Purchase, Kitchener, Ont.

I am a Canadian who has been living in Switzerland for 12 years. We bought an apartment soon after moving here (houses were prohibitively expensive). I love apartment living and have abandoned the idea of ever buying a house. I think Canadians have a lot to learn from the Swiss, where 60 per cent of the population rents and even more live in apartments. Ours is surrounded by a very large communal backyard, which is also the norm. We had two young children when we moved in, and initially had to accompany them to play in the backyard, but those years didn’t last long. We have a trampoline and other play equipment in the yard, yet we don’t have to do any of the maintenance or yard work. We travel regularly without worrying about home upkeep. Additionally, Swiss towns generally have a forest “refuge” that locals can rent cheaply by the day. We’ve hosted and attended many a party in those as well. - Jan Sandink, Lausanne, Switzerland

We use our outdoor spaces extensively. It is a place to relax and reflect; a very important part of our lives beyond a residence. A lonely 500 sq. ft box in the sky is not the answer to a healthy mindset. - Alexander Tye, Calgary

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• to begin with

adverb as in first

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Kant’s Will at the Crossroads: An Essay on the Failings of Practical Reason

Jens Timmermann, Kant’s Will at the Crossroad: An Essay on the Failings of Practical Reason , Oxford University Press, 2022, 192pp., $80.00 (hbk), ISBN 9780192896032.

Reviewed by Andrews Reath, University of California, Riverside

Jens Timmermann’s essay aims to give us Kant’s account of ‘practical failure’, that is, of what happens when an agent ‘deviates from the demands of reason’ (2). In doing so, Timmermann develops a distinctive treatment of the principal ideas in Kant’s moral psychology and conception of rational agency. One guiding thread is to ‘re-assert’ (153), in opposition to a recent and influential interpretive trend, that Kant’s moral conception does indeed operate with several stark dualisms—between duty and happiness, between moral and non-moral motivation, between pure practical reason and the empirically conditioned use of practical reason. On Timmermann’s reading, Kant held that the human being is moved by two heterogeneous kinds of incentives (moral interests and the interest in happiness) that operate in radically different ways and that, as a result, the will—by which he means the faculty of choice [ Willkür ]—stands at a crossroads (as Kant says at G 4:400) and must choose between them.

On Timmermann’s reading these standard dualisms support another that is the central thesis of the book—that Kant accepted a ‘hybrid theory of practical failure. . .which points to a hybrid theory of practical rationality’ (6, 7). Is failure to conform to reason due to mistaken judgment about, or ignorance of, the good due to cognitive failure (as Socrates thought)? Or is it due to a conscious failure to act on one’s judgment about what is best, due to some sensible influence, in which case the failure is ethical (as Aristotle thought in opposition to his teacher)? Timmermann terms the first account ‘intellectualist’ and the second ‘volitional’. His striking thesis is that ‘Kant is committed to intellectualism about non-moral action while defending a strongly anti-intellectualist or volitional position in the realm of moral choice’ (6–7). In non-moral or prudential choice, either an agent’s failure to take the available means to a professed end is due to ignorance or mistaken judgment about the appropriate means; or it is due to the agent’s no longer wanting the end, or not wanting it enough to bear the costs of attaining it. Neither case is an instance of what is termed ‘true irrationality’, because one’s choice does not in fact diverge from one’s judgment of what is prudentially best. Practical failure in this domain is due to mistaken judgement, rather than choice that violates some distinctively practical principle. But, Timmermann argues, this account of practical failure does not ring true in the moral sphere. ‘Moral failure is not caused by some cognitive defect or a flawed piece of reasoning. It consists in the conscious, knowing, voluntary choice not to will the moral end’ (7). In prototypically moral failure we judge one action to be the morally good choice, but knowingly choose a different course (weakly, inexplicably, perversely, etc.).

Timmermann ascribes these differing accounts of practical failure to Kant on both textual and philosophical grounds, and his discussion of practical failure is a bridge to the hybrid account of practical rationality, which holds that choice is determined in radically different ways in the moral and non-moral domains. In prudential choice Kant is an intellectualist in the sense that choice and action are invariably determined by one’s judgment (e.g., of what one wants most, or of the proper means to one’s end). There is no gap between judgment and choice, and we do not knowingly choose contrary to our judgment. However, in the moral sphere rational deliberation and judgment are one thing, but choice is something further and choice can diverge from judgment. The faculty of choice is tasked with following the dictates of practical reason. But given the heterogeneity of the incentives by which human beings are moved, following the dictates of practical reason requires an elective act on the part of an agent that reflects or determines one’s character. In that sense, Kant is a ‘volitionist’ about moral choice.

The upshot, according to Timmermann, is that there is no unified account of practical rationality in Kant. One element of this dualistic reading is his claim that for Kant ‘there is no freedom in non-moral choice’ (4n.14)—a claim to which I will return.

Some background will help bring out the significance of Timmermann’s reading. The above dualisms are on display in the Analytic of the Critique of Practical Reason , where Kant draws a distinction between ‘practical laws’ deriving from the formal principle of morality based in reason a priori and ‘material practical principles’ that place the ground of choice in pleasure or the feeling of agreeableness ( KpV 5: 22ff.). In the Critique Kant treats this dichotomy as exhaustive, in that any principle of choice falls into one category or the other. Moreover, what unifies those in the second category (‘makes them wholly of the same kind’) is that they place the ground of choice in pleasure or the feeling of agreeableness—which Kant treats as affections ‘of one and the same vital force’—so that any principle of choice other than respect for moral principles—including, e.g., other-regarding principles based on affection or natural sympathy— falls under the ‘general principle of self-love or one’s own happiness’ ( KpV 5:22). And in Chapter II, Kant argues that absent an a priori law of pure practical reason, the only ground of choice is the subjective standard of what an agent finds agreeable.

Several commentators have looked for ways to soften these dichotomies and to find some continuity between moral and non-moral choice—often on purely interpretive grounds, but sometimes in an effort to nudge Kant in a direction that they find philosophically more acceptable. They grant the heterogeneity of moral and non-moral incentives and allow that they ground different deliberative processes. But they argue that Kant held (should have held?) that as different as these incentives are, they are taken up into choice on the same terms—through an act of reflective endorsement, or by taking the incentive to be an objectively sufficient ground of choice. The idea—and here is a variation of what Henry Allison has called Kant’s ‘Incorporation Thesis’—is that any incentive comes to influence choice by being taken up into practical self-consciousness as an item from which one can reason to action. Timmermann cites Christine Korsgaard, Allison, Stephen Engstrom, and myself as proponents of what he calls ‘intellectualism’ about moral choice. (I’m happy to be included in this august company, and though I prefer the term ‘cognitivism’, I will use ‘intellectualism’ in this review in deference to Timmermann.) Some readers find continuity between moral and non-moral choice to be inherently attractive, but in addition this approach has the specific advantage of allowing Kant to say that choices made on both moral and non-moral grounds are free (and imputable to the agent) in just the same sense. A difficulty for this approach is that, in addition to holding that morally neutral or innocent choice results from a judgment made on sufficient grounds, it must say the same about choices that are clearly morally bad—that in action that violates moral principle, an incentive influences choice through the agent incorrectly taking it to be an objectively sufficient ground of choice. [1] Does such a model allow for knowing and intentional wrong-doing, as Kant allows and which seems clearly possible? This concern is one of Timmermann’s reasons for defending an alternative approach that he finds truer to the texts.

Timmermann’s reading is striking for ascribing to Kant a hybrid theory of practical rationality—intellectualism about prudence and a volitional understanding of moral choice. Equally striking is his suggestion that the interpretive approach that he targets is the ‘mirror image’, favoring a volitional understanding of prudential and an intellectualist understanding of moral choice (128). One might think that one should have the same understanding of each domain, whatever that might be. Clearly there is still a lot to sort out here.

Timmermann’s book contains insightful discussions of many topics central to Kant’s conception of practical reason and to related contemporary discussions. The writing is admirably clear and to the point. There is much to be learned from his careful interpretive work and from his comments on the relevant secondary literature. I found almost all of the book to be instructive, even though I take the other side on several issues. Since his main claims deserve more detailed discussion than a short review permits, I’ll limit myself to pointing out some main building blocks of the hybrid conception that he ascribes to Kant.

Chapter 2 argues for the hedonistic reading of Kant’s conception of happiness as a sum of agreeable feeling (rather than overall desire satisfaction), stressing that for Kant the difficulty of forming a conception of happiness is uncertainty about what we will find agreeable. Timmermann emphasizes Kant’s idea that the quantity of expected pleasure is the single ‘volitional currency of prudential deliberation’ (27). This is an important element of the hybrid conception since it sets up the idea that human beings are moved by two heterogeneous kinds of interests (moral and prudential), between which there is, as it were, no rate of exchange.

Chapter 4 is a discussion of instrumental imperatives aimed at showing that so-called ‘“empirical practical reason” is not a mode of practical reason at all’ (46). On Timmermann’s reading ‘there is only one principle of practical reason: the categorical imperative (52).’ Noting Kant’s later view in the Critique of Judgment that hypothetical imperatives are ‘corollaries of theoretical reason ( KU 5:172),’ Timmermann sides with those who argue that Kant did not accept a single fundamental principle of instrumental rationality that, following Tom Hill’s classic paper, is often called ‘the Hypothetical Imperative’. There are then no distinctively practical principles of means-end rationality—neither particular hypothetical imperatives understood as genuinely practical principles nor a single fundamental principle of instrumental rationality. This idea sets up one line of argument for intellectualism in the prudential domain. If there are no genuinely practical principles of instrumental reason, there is no ‘true means-end irrationality’ in the sense of action that violates some such principle. But if practical failure in the prudential domain is not due to the violation of some practical principle, then it must be due to ignorance of or failure to grasp the relevant (theoretical) means-end connection. That supports the idea that prudential choice is directly determined by judgment (about what will bring about most satisfaction, etc.). Timmermann develops a more intuitive line of argument as well. It is hard to understand why an agent would not take the known and available means to an end that she wants, especially if we assume that agreeable feeling is the single volitional currency in the prudential domain—indeed, so hard to understand that it could never happen (cf. 65). If one is not taking the available means to something that one wants on the grounds of expected pleasure, that must be due either a) to a mistaken judgment about the means or b) to the agent’s now finding some alternative more appealing (in which case there is no practical failure) (see 8, 57, 109).

One problem that I see is that Timmermann supports this point through very simple examples, such as taking steps to make good coffee or good bread. In cases where the means to a happiness-based end is clearly known and available, it is hard to understand how someone with the end can fail to take the means, and we conclude that they changed their mind about the end. Here the intellectualist account that draws a straight line between means-end judgment and choice is compelling. However, I do not see that such cases rule out the possibility of more complex cases of true means-end irrationality—where an agent fails to take the known, available but difficult steps to what she clearly believes will bring greater happiness, cases where volitional failure (out of weakness, distraction or indecision) is plausible. Philosophers are divided over this issue and though Timmermann’s discussion is carefully framed, I doubt that it will settle either the philosophical issue or what Kant thought.

Chapter 6 raises important challenges to the ‘intellectualist’ conceptions of moral choice mentioned above (namely that rational choice is constitutively guided by a judgment of sufficient reasons). First, it contains a valuable discussion of Allison’s ‘Incorporation Thesis’, arguing that this thesis does not clearly support ‘intellectualism’ about moral choice. Allison’s concern was to identify the element of spontaneity that is central to Kant’s conception of free choice across the board, and he does not explicitly position himself as supporting an ‘intellectualist’ conception of ‘incorporation’. (In fact, there is ambiguity in the notion of ‘incorporating an incentive into a maxim’. Is ‘incorporation’ a bare elective act, the simple adoption of a maxim? Or does it involve an element of normatively guided judgment or endorsement?) Timmermann’s contribution is to bring out the cognitivist slant to Allison’s reading (namely that to incorporate an incentive into a maxim is to endorse a general principle that treats the incentive as a sufficient ground of choice) and to show that another interpretation is possible, here getting into the weeds with alternate readings of passages from Kant’s Lectures on which Allison draws. The main thrust of Timmermann’s discussion is that ‘incorporation’ is an act of Willkür , of the faculty of choice. But on the standard reading of this distinction, while Wille is a deliberative capacity (it is ‘practical reason itself’ ( MdS 6: 213)), Willkür is a purely elective capacity. As Timmermann writes, given that ‘rational assessment cannot be the task of Willkür . . .why not assume that incorporation is an elective, not an evaluative act? (97)’ Human beings are moved by heterogeneous and incommensurable motives, and we must choose which to prioritize. A second challenge is the difficulty for the ‘intellectualist’ of accommodating the phenomenon of knowingly acting against one’s moral judgement (102–6). Timmermann cites several passages in which Kant clearly allows for this possibility. The question for the ‘intellectualist’ here is how to accommodate these passages and, more importantly, this phenomenon.

Can the ‘intellectualist’ respond to these clearly legitimate challenges? I think that there is textual support for the ‘intellectualist’ position, though granted there are texts that run in the other direction. One might not find a decisive answer in what Kant says. [2] But there are systematic considerations as well. There is a general worry that the ‘volitional conception’ detaches moral choice from practical reasoning and judgment in ways that make it arbitrary and ungrounded. Should we attribute such a view to Kant? More generally, does an elective conception of choice fit into a general conception of the will as a rational power that is exercised according to its own constitutive principle? Is there room in that conception of the will for a purely elective capacity whose exercise, though subject to normative (moral) assessment, is itself normatively ungrounded? (Timmermann will certainly say ‘Yes,’ while I say: ‘Perhaps Not’.) These are complicated issues that need more discussion than this review permits. One virtue of Timmermann’s essay is to have raised them so clearly.

One recurring theme in the essay is that prudential choice is not free: ‘there is no freedom in empirically conditioned practical choice, which might just as well be mechanical, because the spontaneity involved is relative to antecedent purposes rather than absolute’ (98). (See also 4n14, 8, 24, 120, 156.) Initially these remarks puzzled me because they come close to saddling Kant with the ‘Reinhold problem’—that only morally good choice is free, that morally bad choice is not free and therefore not imputable. But Timmermann does not saddle Kant with this problem. Rather he is articulating the standard Kantian idea that free agency is only manifest or most fully realized in action motivated by respect for moral principle. But then does Timmermann’s reading leave room for a sense in which all choice across the board is free?

I understand his reading as follows: Genuine freedom requires the capacity to choose between radically different alternatives. That is, it requires both that agents face motivational alternatives of an entirely different kind and that they have the capacity to choose between them. Furthermore, freedom requires a capacity for genuine self-determination. Human beings satisfy these conditions. We are moved by incentives that operate in ‘different volitional currencies,’ and we have the capacity to choose between them. Furthermore, that capacity is a capacity for self-determination because it gives us the ability to set aside sensible interest and to act from principles that reason gives to itself. Human beings then have the capacity for free agency. Where only prudential considerations rooted in the expectation of agreeable feeling are at issue, we can move almost ‘mechanically’ from such considerations to choice; in that respect prudential choice does not draw on our free/moral capacity. But since moral considerations are always on the table, in any choice situation where we find reason to, we can bracket prudential interest and follow moral principle. (So the existence of free/moral capacity settles the issue of responsibility.)

I suspect that there is another piece to this puzzle. One might think that, given the ever-presence of morality, whenever agents act from prudence, they have elected to—that is, they did in fact side with that basic alternative. That is to say that they have exercised a capacity for elective choice that does not draw on specifically moral capacity (but which could at any time). Is that a sense in which all choice across the board is free? These are delicate issues that Timmermann might address more explicitly.

Kant’s Will at the Crossroad develops a comprehensive approach to Kant’s conception of practical rationality supported by careful reading of the principal texts. By re-affirming several (familiar) dualisms that other commentators have played down, it lays out an alternative to one influential trend in recent Kant scholarship. These issues are subtle and complex, and we should be grateful to Jens Timmermann for putting them on the table so clearly and giving us the opportunity to think them through once more.

References to Kant’s work use the following abbreviations and cite paging in the Berlin Academy Edition:

G Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals .

KpV Critique of Practical Reason .

KU Critique of the Power of Judgment .

MdS The Metaphysics of Morals .

Reath, Andrews. 2018. “The Law of a Free Will”, in Violetta Waibel and Margit Ruffing, eds., Nature and Freedom: Proceedings of the 12 th International Kant Congress (Berlin: de Gruyter): 2123–2130 .

[1] As Kant allows at KpV 5:74, in a passage that Timmermann does not discuss.

[2] For a short essay in which I address these questions, see Reath 2018.