Being able to write the perfect essay is an ability that doesn’t come naturally to most people. In fact, it can be a long, hard slog that most people, particularly students, dread and avoid like the plague.
There is, however, so much good advice out there that given you know where to look, you can go from scared stiff to wondering what you ever had to fear in an instant. Simply follow these tips to improve essay writing, and perfectly-crafted essays will be flying from your laptop and into your tutor’s hands before you even know what’s happening.
1. Never Be A Sheep
Before you even start writing a single word, stop and consider whether the angle you are taking is as original as possible or if you can put a different spin on it. A good rule of thumb is to just avoid overused topics that are frequently written about all together, and if something has been said better before, to leave it unsaid.
2. Attention Grabbing First Line
Tutors read a multitude, and I mean a multitude, of essays every term. And unless you can grab them from the very beginning of yours, their interest is soon likely to fade. To avoid this from happening with your essays, come up with a first line that will steal their attention and hold it long enough to get them well and truly engrossed.
3. Ensure A Strong structure
If there was only one tip that could be given to improve essay writing, it would be to ensure that your finished piece has a great structure. The best essays follow a logical order, are easy to read, and flow with ease and complete effortlessness. Spend a few hours creating an outline before starting writing your essay, and it will save you tonnes of time in the long run.
4. Compel To Read On
The essence of any paper or essay can be boiled down to one point you are trying to prove or a claim you are attempting to make. In order to improve essay writing, then, you want to ensure that all your words, sentences, and paragraphs all relate to and support your paper’s main idea.
5. Don’t Push Humour
Humour in an essay should not be forced, rather it should be allowed to come out, or stay in, naturally. If funny is not your natural writing style, don’t try and use it to improve essay writing. Trust me when I say non-natural humour will only backfire and deduct points from your name.
6. Write With Style
Most people have a natural writing style that they turn to every time they write an essay. However, one style used over and over can become a tedious and thus does nothing to improve essay writing. Instead of becoming that monotonous writer, try creating sentences that vary in form and content, for example, by using idiomatic phrases and industry-specific vocabulary.
7. Never Be Boring
Too many essays are written generically with five perfect paragraphs that supposedly fulfil the essay brief. However, generalisation and being Peter Perfect are antithesis to great writing. Be concise and be correct, but never ever be generic and boring.
8. Master The Grammar
I think we all know the lesson learnt with this one, but it serves to make a good point to improve essay writing. Always, always ensure that your grammar, spelling, sentence structure, and punctuation — commas especially — are correct and in the right place. Failure to do so suggests carelessness and can offer change the whole meaning of a text.
9. Make The Necessary Cuts
Keeping your essays short whilst including everything that needs to be said is harder than it sounds. Or is it? When you step back a look at your essay with a critical eye, padding can be spotted a mile away. So I’ll leave it at that.
10. Reference The Reliable
Researching and referencing are cornerstones of a well-written essay — providing reliable sources of information are used. In order to improve essay writing, then, you should only use well-known and verifiable sources, whilst also using the correct means to credit your sources.
