You had essay writing as early as middle school, and you should be an expert. However, not everyone is a wordsmith; therefore, this article can offer an excellent guide in writing a quality essay. If you’re wondering how to excel in essay writing, kindly continue reading to learn more.
Understand Your Assignment.
It will help if you read the assignment or essay question to understand its goal. Then, if you’re having trouble starting it, the essay prompt will lead the way. Remember that even if you’re an excellent college essay writer, you won’t get a high grade if your essay misses the point. So don’t stray off the topic. Instead, break the question down into parts.
- What does the essay prompt require?
- What is the topic of the assignment?
- How long is the essay?
- What background information or research should you need to understand the task thoroughly?
- Is the essay prompt asking for facts, your opinion, or the credible experts’ opinion?
- How can you relate the topic to what your professor discussed in class?
You can begin brainstorming once you have the answers to the above questions. First, write down all the ideas but focus on the assignment. Moreover, ensure that you know the format, deadline, word count, and style directions.
Develop a Thesis Statement.
Create your thesis statement and use it as a guide for your essay to grab your readers’ attention. You should state it in the first paragraph, and your thesis should be in one clear statement that connects to the essay’s primary intent or point. Moreover, it should be a summary of your position and topic.
If you should create a thesis statement, ensure that it matches the essay prompt. A thesis can be persuasive or informative. A compelling idea includes your opinion and why it holds. On the other hand, an informative theory states the essay’s intent and directs the readers to arrive at the same conclusion as the writer.
Create an Outline.
An outline is a plan for your essay’s first draft. You make it before you start writing your paper, and it contains the flow of information related to your thesis statement. If you want to finish your essay quickly, you should start by creating an outline.
Make Your Room Conducive to Writing.
If you already have an outline, you should start writing an excellent essay. However, your biggest challenge is to finish your assignment without distraction quickly. Therefore, your environment should be an area where you can focus. Here are some tips to ensure that you have a place conducive to writing:
- Go to a quiet place where other people can’t interrupt you.
- Make this area comfortable, but don’t write on your bed because you may fall asleep.
- Turn off your phone or internet to ensure that you don’t open unrelated apps or programs. If you should need internet, you can use apps that block distracting websites.
- Ensure that you prepare everything you need to finish your essay.
- If you can focus on writing with a music playlist, you should use it.
Write the Body Before the Introduction.
It is the practice of proessaywriting to write the body first, and you can do the same if you struggle writing the introduction like most students. For example, if you get writer’s block, you should first write the body before creating the opening. This way, you already have the ideas and thoughts in your essay. In addition, it’s easier to integrate the primary concepts in your essay introduction.
Write a Topic Sentence for Every Paragraph.
A topic sentence is an expression of the primary idea of the paragraph. You should use contextual information or quotes to defend your thesis statement and topic sentence.
Cite Credible Sources.
You should use credible sources to ensure that you pass the plagiarism tests. Moreover, citing a source means you have a legitimate backup to your statements. You get support for your viewpoint, and you establish yourself as a credible writer if you use contextual information and quotes.
Scholarly sources consist of the following:
- Peer-reviewed articles
- Academic journals
- Books by accredited authors
- E-books and textbooks
Unacceptable scholarly sources consist of the following:
- Open forum submissions
- Unverified online sources
- Magazine articles
- Encyclopedia entries
It’s best to use Google Scholar to list credible sources for your essay.
Avoid Fluff.
Your professors will know if your essay inadequately answers the assignment prompt. To avoid getting a poor grade, you should prevent fluff or rambling because it shows you don’t understand the intent or goal of the article. Moreover, you should ensure that each sentence you write offers substance to your written work. Finally, remove any unnecessary information or thoughts.
Your instructors would often prefer receiving a well-written article that doesn’t meet the word count to a paper with 80% fluff.
Write a Solid Conclusion.
It will help if you start your conclusion by repeating your thesis statement, then connect everything to it before going out with a bang. A well-written ending addresses the primary arguments of every paragraph in the body. It’s a concise way of proving your thesis statement.
Proofread! Edit! Proofread!
Review your essay and ensure that it’s grammatically correct without spelling errors. Then, if you wish to write a more academically accepted work, follow these tips:
- Remove all conjunctions to make your essay longer and more suitable for academic writing.
- Print your paper, then read it. Mark all errors as you read. Most students find this strategy better than proofreading on a computer screen.
- Have your family or friends read it. You need other people to catch any errors you missed.
- Read your paper loudly. If you notice something wrong as you read, probably it’s a grammar mistake.
Final Thoughts
Essay writing is a part of your school life. However, if you’re not adept with words, you should make an effort to understand the essay prompt to plan how to write your content. Following the tips in this article can help you submit a well-written assignment that will get you a good grade. Remember to proofread and edit your work!
