Essay writing is an important skill, no matter what stage of your education you are at. However, producing great essays is not something that comes naturally to every student. It is a skill that has to be learned over time and with each essay that you turn in, you will see your grades get a little better each time. It is important not to get stuck in a rut and end up getting repetitive with your assignments. So, find out how to write better essays following these 5 steps.
Read Other Students’ Essays
There is an old saying: every writer should also be a reader. This is because the books that we read shape who we are as writers. They can help us to develop a style and tone that is unique to our own work and can help to expand our vocabulary. However, when it comes to essay writing, books are not the only – or even the best – way to develop your writing style. It is a better idea to spend some time reading essays written by other students. Your professor is likely to have some sample essays from former students that you can access and you can also find books of academic essays in most libraries.
You should not only read essays on your own subject, but also check papers about other academic areas as the same skill set can be applied to essays on almost any topic. As you read through these papers, take note of the things you like or dislike. Are there some techniques that you have never used before? Did the writer present their argument particularly well? Be critical as you read and you will soon find that you are picking up some great tips to improve your essay writing skills.
Spend Time Expanding Your Vocabulary
One of the most common problems with essay writing is that your writing can become repetitive. This happens often because students have a limited academic vocabulary and have to craft a large number of essays during their studies. So, their essays can slowly become very similar to one another due to repetition of the same words.
To write the perfect essay, you have to be clear and concise when making your points. Rambling is never a good option! When you have a strong vocabulary, you will find it much easier to express yourself in a small number of words which is great news for word count restrictions. As a student, you should be working on your vocabulary every day. Some great ways to build it are reading broadsheet articles and referring to a dictionary as required, using a thesaurus and even subscribing to ‘word a day’ websites.
Cite Your Sources
One of the things that professors look for when grading your essays is evidence of some independent study. You need to use your essays as a chance to show how well informed you are and that you have made an effort to fully research your topic. You can do this by making sure that you quote other people and cite the source. Of course, you should never allow quotes to overtake your own opinions, but you can draw on experts in the field to support your own opinions.
Plan Your Essay
In order to write an effective essay it is crucial to first plan out what you want to cover. Your plan have to give you a basic framework to work on. Think about the points that you want to raise and list them in order of importance. Add some bullet points summarizing what you will write about or make note of useful sources for that particular points. This will help you to structure your essay, so that it flows properly and you can be sure you cover all the aspects and do not forget anything important.
Learn to Proofread
There is one thing that makes almost all students end up losing marks – the failure to proofread their essays before turning them in. It is so important that you use the appropriate spelling and grammar and that your essay is concise and flows smoothly. You can ensure that this is the case by learning how to properly proofread your own work. You should step away from the essay for a while between each draft so that you can come back to it with fresh eyes.
Too many students rely on electronic spell check tools, but remember that these tools only look for spelling errors, not typos. They also cannot check whether your tone is consistent throughout, or your paragraphs are arranged in the most logical order. These are all things that require a manual proofread. In addition to proofreading your own essay, it can be useful to have another person read over it for anything that you have missed.