The style and tone in a good essay example needs to be consistent from start to finish. If the paper is written in the third person then the writer cannot use such things as “I” or “you”, “us” or “we” at odd intervals throughout his or her content. Style can make or break a paper, if it flows and is succinct, or choppy and all over the place.
In the introduction the writer will state the points he or she will address, so a reader must keep an eye out to make sure that this is done. Are all the points the writer introduces in the introduction brought up in the paper and gone over? If so then you have found a very good example of an essay, but if the writer forgot a point in the body of his of her paper then you need to move on.
Using quotes and sources to back up your paper is all well and good, but these must be properly researched if they are to help your paper. A quote or source that sounds nice but does not properly fit in with your topic can be detrimental to an essay’s health. Points that are only half researched but not delved into fully are also not ideal.
Anyone can have the tendency to ramble from time to time, but doing so in an essay is not good form. A paper must stay on topic and not deviate from the points the writer is trying to make. If you find a paper that rambles off on a subject not necessary for the paper then put it down and move to the next essay example.
This is perhaps the most important sign to look for: how the paper’s topic is executed. Look at how the introduction, body and conclusion are set-up; did the writer do a good job executing his or her topic in a paper form? To determine this see if every paragraph leads to the next one. Is the paper properly introduced? Is the paper ready for the conclusion and not cut off too short?