You are sitting and staring at a blank page. As your pencil taps against the desk, your mind is spinning. How are you going to write a quality essay when you don’t even know where to start? This can be intimidating to anyone, especially in an exam room. Although essays require an overwhelming amount of words, it is difficult to cram an entire argument onto a few pieces of paper. The key is to stay calm, clear your mind and follow these simple steps.
1. A Catchy Heading
The heading will not make or break your essay, but it does matter. Think of the heading as a title of a book. When readers browse through a book store, the title is the first thing that pops out to them before they flip to the summary on the back. A great title is not too vague, but not too detailed. You want it to reveal something about your main argument and interesting enough to capture the reader’s attention. Choose one or two key terms and sum up your essay in one short sentence.
2. An Interesting Introduction
This is your essay’s sail; the part that guides the direction of the argument. Some students prefer to write their introduction last when they have a more concise idea of where their essay is going. This is absolutely acceptable! If you already have a general idea, start the introduction off by getting straight to the point. You want to raise awareness to your topic as soon as possible because this is what will grab your reader’s attention. The introduction will include a hook, a description to pull the reader in, a transition, a few sentences to connect your hook with your thesis, and a thesis, a sentence that summarizes the main argument of your essay.
3. A Structured Body
The body of an essay is not just for racking up the required word count, it is for outlining (in detail) the main points of your argument. Every paragraph highlights a new idea and begins with a topic sentence. The topic sentence controls the paragraph and is followed by supporting points using case study examples or specific evidence. A concluding sentence wraps up the paragraph and ties the evidence back to the main argument of the essay. Depending on the length of the essay, there should be a minimum of three paragraphs in the body.
4. Make it Flow
As previously mentioned, every paragraph frames a different topic, but since these topics are all based on the main point, they still need to relate to one another. A paragraph transition keeps the reader on your train of thought. The best way to do this is by using conjunctive adverbs. Examples of these include furthermore, nevertheless, however, likewise, accordingly, instead, meanwhile, etc. They can be used at the beginning of the next paragraph to connect to the former. Use them sparingly. If you are having trouble linking each paragraph, a simple fix might just be to rearrange your order until the essay flows naturally.
5. A Clear Conclusion
A conclusion is much more than a summary of your points, it is a reflection of your argument. This is your last chance to persuade your readers to your point of view. To do this effectively, include a quotation that amplifies your main point, recommend a course of action, mention avenues for further research or consider the implications of your argument. By ending with a strong tone to further prove your argument, readers should be left considering it a viable position to uphold.
6. Please Proofread
The first draft of an essay is never ideal to hand in. There are common grammatical errors and spelling mistakes that need to be corrected and are often overlooked when first written. If you need help with editing, it can be beneficial to seek a second opinion at one of the essay writing services in UK.
7. Read Aloud
Write like you speak; keep it simple and clear. By reading aloud, everything that is wrong with your writing will jump out at you. You will notice your awkward sentence structures and words you’ve used too often. If you want your readers to have an excellent reading experience, you need to write for what will be “heard”. When someone reads, the voice in their head sounds out the words. This is called sub-vocalization. Reading aloud gives you an idea of what someone will hear in their mind as they read. It’s an awkward thing to do, but necessary (maybe whisper if you are in an exam room).
8. Remove Any Clichés
Just like defining the word marriage in a wedding speech, clichés found in an essay will not only make the essay cheesy, but foolish. Relying on clichés does not involve critical thinking and will make the reader think you took the easy way out. If it sounds like it should be plastered on a motivational poster, remove it from your essay immediately because it does not belong there.
9. Use Sentence Length Variation
In order to sound natural, vary the length of your sentences. Adding variety gives your writing a musical tone, which will sound sweet to the reader’s ear. Boring essays are mechanical, exciting essays have rhythm. When you have written a long, never-ending sentence, switch things up by following with a short, crisp one.
10. Delete Unnecessary Words
You know what they are: very, really, just, quite, that, perhaps, then, completely, rather, literally, etc. Eliminating these words will clean up your sentences and give your essay a pure sound without the unnecessary accessories to doll it up.
Writing essays can be a daunting task, but with practice, you are bound to become more comfortable with them. To start, follow these guidelines. However, the true way to improve is to simply write. The more you write, the better you’ll be.
Bio: Piers Golden is a freelance blogger has been writing professionally since 2013.
