Essays are often a nightmare for most students due to the bulk of research or the need for more technical skills to create good content.
Regardless, struggling with essay writing should not be a problem; we are here to save the day. Once you understand what is an essay and what it entails to write a good one, it will be easier to put everything into perspective.
Essays can be demanding, but you can complete your paper on time without straining with the right skills and proper preparation.
Learning the dos and don’ts of writing a good essay helps you avoid obvious mistakes that can cost you good grades. Let’s review some top tips on how to write an essay.
Table of Contents
Choose the Right Words
One reason an expert from an essay writing service writes a superb paper is because they choose the correct words. Using easy-to-understand phrases makes your lecture’s work easier.
Focus on using simple phrases and words to achieve a less complex layout. Using filler words and complex phrases or irrelevant ones may make the work look vague, and the reader may struggle to identify key points.
Include the Thesis Statement in Your Introduction
The thesis statement sheds light on the essay’s topic. Sometimes, it may be hard to crack how to start an essay, but once you get your thesis statement, you can build your introduction around it.
The reader will be more aware of what the essay’s body entails without diving deep into the paper’s content.
Although it is obligatory to place your thesis statement in your introduction, it should not be the opening sentence of the first paragraph. Instead, this statement should appear as the last sentence in the intro.
It should act as a transitional sentence between the introduction and the essay body. Moreover, it should be straightforward and set the official tone and trajectory of the paper.
Make Paragraphs Flow Smoothly
Although different paragraphs discuss different points, you should create a link between them so they do not deviate from the subject. Having a flow in your paragraphs helps the reader follow up and create impressions of what is being discussed without much struggle.
It is best to use transitional phrases to connect the paragraphs to get the right flow. Transition phrases can show relatability between paragraphs or emphasize arguments. Some of the transition phrases you can use to achieve paragraph flow include:
- · For this reason
- · In the same manner
- · Similarly
- · In line with the previous argument
- · As has been indicated
- · To compare
- · Moreover
Transitional phrases show the dependence of your paragraphs when trying to build an argument or a narrative. Therefore, use relevant transition words to create a smooth link between paragraphs.
Using the wrong phrases may damage the flow and make the paper confusing. Also, use them only when appropriate.
Support Your Points With Examples
Another tip on how to do an essay well is to incorporate examples. An essay becomes more elaborate with examples. Examples help in the argument build-up, and they make your points more credible.
Examples can range from facts, data, or even a real-life story. You may not need to cite the source if an example is about a real-life story.
However, when using facts and data as examples, it is essential to reference the source. Citing the sources gives your examples and the points you wish to prove more credibility.
Giving robust, relevant examples entails conducting more research and gathering relevant information and facts to support your arguments. You can use different sources to gather a collection of examples applicable to your paper.
Good sources include government websites, news articles, peer-reviewed journals, books, and other scholarly publications.
Apply Present Tense
A crucial tip on how to write a good essay is to use the present tense. Academic papers should be written in active voice and present tense. Applying the correct tenses to your paper gives the reader the impression that you have good diction.
The aim of an essay is not only to show good research skills but also your language mastery.
Furthermore, using the present tense makes the paper more engaging. But not all essays require strictly present tense. For instance, personal reflection and narrative essays require movement between past and present tenses, depending on whether you are recounting events or making a general comment.
Use Simple Sentences
Complex sentences, in most cases, end up being aggressive, and your reader may be left in limbo trying to decipher the context of your paper. Therefore, to avoid such confusion, it is best to use simple sentences.
As much as we would like to show off our language mastery by using complex words and sentences, sometimes it can compromise the readability of a paper. You can break long sentences using transitional words to make them more readable.
Using complex sentences and words also increases the chances of making grammatical errors.
Proofread Your Work
After drafting an essay, review it several times to note and rectify the mistakes made. Proofreading your work means you will get to correct any vague information, typos, and spelling mistakes. Sometimes, students rush to beat the deadline and forget to proofread their essays. This should not be the case.
Proofreading the essay is an essential stage that should be factored in when organizing your work. To find time to proofread, start working on your paper earlier and create an outline of how to handle the work.
An outline helps you write an essay swiftly, allowing you more time to review and polish the paper.
Mop-Up
Mastering how to write a university essay isn’t a hard nut to crack; with the right skills and organization, it will be much easier to answer every prompt without much struggle.
A good essay combines various factors, from choosing the right words and applying the correct tense to achieving a nice flow. Using the abovementioned points will make developing straightforward points and arguments easier without oversimplification.
