If essay writing is a challenge for you, do not worry because with the following dos and don’ts, you can improve your writing skills and get better grades.
- Do Understand the Question- Before you begin writing, ensure that you understand the essay prompt. Highlight key parts of the question that will help you arrange your thoughts and structure your essay effectively.
- Don’t Plagiarize- Plagiarism is a serious academic offense that can result in an automatic failure of the assignment, course, or even expulsion from school. Always cite your sources properly and use quotation marks for direct quotes.
- Do Plan Your Essay- Create an outline for your essay to organize your thoughts and ideas, and to guarantee that your argument is clear and logical. Use the outline to guide the structure of your essay.
- Do Research Thoroughly- Use reputable sources and take detailed notes during your research. This will help you organize your thoughts and ensure you have the evidence to support your argument.
- Don’t Rely on Wikipedia- While Wikipedia can be a great starting point for research, it is not always a reliable source. Always cross-check information with other sources.
- Don’t Procrastinate- Starting your essay early will give you enough time to think through your ideas, research thoroughly, and review your work before submission.
- Do Edit and Proofread- Editing and proofreading are vital steps in ensuring that your essay is well-written and free of errors. Use peer review, proofreading software, or professional proofreading services to help you with this step.
- Don’t Overdo it with Adjectives and Adverbs- Avoid using too many adjectives and adverbs as they can detract from the clarity of your writing.
- Do Follow Formatting and Guidelines- Ensure that you adhere to the specified formatting requirements and guidelines for your essay as specified in the prompt, school, or professor’s requirements.
- Don’t Exceed Word Limits – Always stick to the specified word count as exceeding it can cause a reduction in your points and the professor’s dissatisfaction with your work.
By following these dos and don’ts, you can improve your essay writing skills and achieve better grades. Remember to take your time, conduct thorough research, and plan your essay accordingly. Additionally, be sure to follow formatting guidelines and proofread your essay before submission to ensure that your writing is clear, concise, and error-free.
Do Understand the Question
If you don’t understand the question, you’ll have a hard time writing a clear and concise essay that addresses the prompt. Therefore, understanding the question is the first step in writing a successful essay. Make sure to read it carefully and thoroughly. Underline the key parts of the question, such as verbs, adjectives, and nouns, that will help you structure your essay. Use these keywords to guide your thinking and help you develop a thesis statement that is relevant to the prompt.
One way to understand the question better is to break it down into smaller parts. Identify the main ideas and supporting details. Doing so will help you create an outline for your essay, making it easier to organize your thoughts and arguments.
If you’re still struggling with understanding the question, try discussing it with someone, such as a classmate or a tutor. Talking through the prompt can often help clarify any confusion you may have. Additionally, make sure to reach out to your professor for clarification if necessary.
- Read the question carefully
- Underline key parts of the question
- Break the question down into smaller parts
- Create an outline using the keywords identified
- Talk to others or your professor for clarification
By taking the time to understand the question, you’ll be able to write a well-structured and thoughtful essay that meets the requirements and earns you top marks.
Don’t Plagiarize
Plagiarism is defined as presenting someone else’s work or ideas as your own without giving credit to the original author. This dishonest practice is taken very seriously in academic and professional settings. As a student, it is important to conduct your research and written assignments using your own words and ideas. It is essential to remember that even if you use someone else’s work as a reference, you must always provide proper citations for any source material you use.
When writing an essay or research paper, always make sure to include in-text citations and a bibliography or works cited page at the end of your paper. This not only avoids plagiarism but also provides credibility to your work. Direct quotes must also be enclosed in quotation marks to indicate that the words were written by another author. In cases where you paraphrase someone else’s work, you should still provide a citation to show where the original idea came from.
Remember, committing plagiarism can have serious consequences and may even result in expulsion from academic institutions. Always conduct your research and writing tasks with integrity and give proper credit to all sources used.
Do Plan Your Essay
Creating an outline is an essential step in crafting a well-structured and cohesive essay. Planning your essay ensures that your thoughts are organized and your argument is clear to the reader. The outline should include key points that support your thesis, evidence to back those points, and a conclusion that summarizes your argument.
To create an outline, start by jotting down your main ideas and any supporting evidence that comes to mind. Then, organize those ideas into a clear and logical structure. Some people prefer to use Roman numerals or bullet points to organize their outline. Whatever format you choose, make sure it is visually clear and easy to follow.
The outline should serve as a rough draft of your essay. Use it to guide your writing, but don’t be afraid to deviate from the structure if necessary. The outline can always be revised to reflect changes in your essay or argument.
Remember, the outline is just a tool to help you plan out your essay. It’s up to you to fill in the details and craft a compelling and well-written argument. Using an outline will not only help you write a better essay, but it will also save you time in the long run by ensuring that your ideas are organized and your argument is clear from the start.
Do Research Thoroughly
Researching thoroughly is essential when it comes to writing an essay. It’s not enough to rely on your personal knowledge to complete your essay effectively. Your argument needs evidence that will support your claims, and that is where research comes in. Using reputable sources such as academic journals, books, and articles helps ensure that you have the information needed to support your argument.
When conducting research, make sure to take detailed notes. Your notes should include where you found the information, the author’s name, and the title of the source. With these details, you can go back and check the source again if needed. Taking notes helps you organize your thoughts and ensures that you don’t forget important points when putting together your essay.
Once you’ve finished your research, review your notes and select the most relevant evidence to support your argument. You should also prioritize the evidence to ensure that the most crucial points get the most attention in your essay. Consider using tables or lists to help organize your research and make it easier to analyze.
Using reputable sources and taking detailed notes will help you develop a successful essay. But remember to keep your essay focused on your argument and to avoid misinterpreting the evidence. By using the great information in your research, you will help to develop a more substantial and effective essay.
Don’t Rely on Wikipedia
If you’re working on an essay and wondering where to begin your research, Wikipedia might seem like an easy place to start. However, while Wikipedia can provide you with basic information on a topic, it is not considered a reliable source for academic research.
This is because anyone can edit Wikipedia, meaning that information may not be accurate, up-to-date, or unbiased. Additionally, information on Wikipedia may be incomplete or missing altogether.
Therefore, when conducting research for your essay, it’s important to use reputable sources and cross-check information with multiple sources to ensure accuracy. Good sources include academic journals, books, and government publications.
Furthermore, if you do decide to use Wikipedia as a starting point, be sure to use it to identify reliable sources for further research rather than accepting the information you find there as fact. This way, you can build a more comprehensive understanding of your topic and provide well-supported arguments in your essay.
Don’t Procrastinate
Procrastination is the number one enemy of good essay writing. Waiting until the last minute to write your essay will only add unnecessary stress and anxiety. Starting early gives you enough time to think through your ideas, research thoroughly, and review your work before submission.
One way to avoid procrastination is to set specific deadlines for different parts of your essay. Create a timeline for research, outlining, drafting, editing, and proofreading. Stick to the schedule and reward yourself for meeting each deadline.
You can also break the writing task into smaller chunks. Focus on writing a certain number of paragraphs each day or set a word count goal. This approach helps you see progress, and you’ll feel less overwhelmed by the entire task.
If you’re having trouble getting started, try writing a rough draft without worrying about grammar, structure, or word choice. The goal is to get your ideas down on paper. Once you have a solid draft, you can begin revising and refining your work.
Remember, starting early will not only give you enough time to prepare but also allow you to re-read your essay with fresh eyes after a break and thus make the necessary corrections and amendments before submission.
Do Edit and Proofread
Once you have finished writing your essay, the final step is to edit and proofread it thoroughly. This is an essential step to ensure that your essay is well-structured, free of errors, and conveys your intended message effectively.
It is recommended that you seek help from others during this stage. You can ask a friend, classmate, or family member to read through your essay and offer feedback. Another way to edit and proofread is to use professional proofreading services where trained editors review your work for grammar, punctuation, and spelling errors.
Using editing software and tools can also improve your editing and proofreading efforts. Tools such as Grammarly and Hemmingway editor can help identify errors or areas that need improvement to ensure your essay is clear, concise, and free of errors.
When editing, aim to improve the clarity of your writing by removing vague or redundant sentences, checking for proper word usage, and ensuring that your essay has a logical flow. If you find that some parts of your essay are difficult to understand or ambiguous, consider rephrasing or restructuring them.
Proofreading involves checking for grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors. It is vital to ensure that your writing is clear and free of errors that can affect the meaning of your writing or distract the reader from the main message. Proofreading can be done by doing a thorough read-through, reading out loud, or reviewing your essay sentence by sentence.
In conclusion, be diligent in your editing and proofreading efforts, and don’t skip this crucial step in essay writing. You worked hard on writing your essay, so take the time to ensure it is well-written, error-free, and able to convey your message clearly.
Don’t Overdo it with Adjectives and Adverbs
Using too many adjectives and adverbs in your essay can make it seem cluttered and difficult to read. While descriptive language is important, overusing it can detract from the clarity of your writing.
Instead of relying on adjectives and adverbs, try to use vivid and specific nouns and verbs to convey your message. This not only makes your writing more concise, but also gives it a stronger impact on the reader.
If you do decide to use adjectives and adverbs, use them sparingly and only when they add value to the sentence. Avoid using generic or vague words that do not add any meaning to your writing.
Avoid repetitive use of the same adjectives and adverbs as well. This can quickly become monotonous and boring for the reader. Instead, try to vary your language and use different synonyms where possible.
Remember that the goal of writing an essay is to convey your message clearly and concisely. Overusing adjectives and adverbs can detract from this goal, making your writing less effective.
Do Follow Formatting and Guidelines
One of the most important things to keep in mind while writing an essay is to follow the formatting and guidelines as specified in the prompt, school or professor’s requirements. This means that the essay should be formatted according to specific guidelines, such as font size, spacing, margins, and other important aspects. Sometimes, these requirements may even specify the use of specific citation styles that need to be followed.
Make sure to read the instructions carefully and understand what is being asked of you. If there are specific guidelines that you need to follow, such as word count, then make sure to adhere to them. You should also ensure that your essay is well-organized, with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion.
In addition to formatting, you should also pay attention to the guidelines given regarding the content of your essay. Some prompts may have specific requirements for the type of content that is expected or may require that you address certain topics or themes.
If you are unsure about any aspects of the formatting or guidelines for your essay, don’t hesitate to ask your professor or instructor for clarification. It is always better to ask questions upfront than to make mistakes that could affect your final grade.
In summary, following the specific formatting and guidelines for your essay is crucial for success. Pay attention to the details and requirements specified in the prompt, school or professor’s requirements, and make sure your essay is well-organized and contains content that meets the standards set forth by your instructor.
Don’t Exceed Word Limits
It’s important to stick to the word limit specified for your essay. If you exceed the word count, it can lead to a deduction in points or even rejection from the professor. Make sure to read the prompt carefully and plan your essay accordingly to stay within the required word limit.
Sometimes, it can be tempting to exceed the word count to include additional information or arguments. However, it’s important to remember that concision is key in essay writing. It’s better to focus on a few strong arguments rather than include weak or unnecessary arguments to meet the word count.
If you find that you are struggling to stay within the word limit, try cutting out any unnecessary sentences or phrases. You can also try summarizing your arguments in a shorter and more concise way. Another tip is to use transitional phrases and words to connect your arguments, which can also help to save space.
It’s also important to note that some professors may have a leeway of plus or minus ten percent on the word limit. However, it’s always best to confirm with your professor before submitting your essay.
Remember, exceeding the word limit can lead to the loss of valuable points and may even negatively impact your grade. Stick to the limit, write concisely, and focus on quality over quantity.