You may have good and even satisfactory grades, but you can still get into Harvard. Not the best TOEFL scores can take you to Stanford. It happens all the time. It’s all about a well-written essay that shows your goals and ambitions and reveals your talent and potential. You will need a great essay not only at the time of admission but also throughout your life. It is not just a piece of text but also a great practice to learn how to collect, structure, and express your thoughts. Nowadays, you can find thousands of essay papers for sale. However, being able to create effective essays is a useful skill that will assist you in the future. We prepared a list of eleven tips that will help you enhance your writing skills.
1. Stick to the structure of the essay
Once you have received the assignment, determine the type of essay and the plan for writing it. Then go straight to the paragraphs: title—introduction—several paragraphs of the central part—conclusion. Make sure to follow this strict essay structure. Otherwise, your work will not be highly appreciated.
2. Use a draft
You should never underestimate the draft. This blank piece of paper can help you generate an idea, find the right arguments, and thesis. If time is running out, we advise you to sketch your thoughts and arguments to them in the form of short statements immediately after receiving the task and getting acquainted with the topic. Moreover, a second look on a draft can even make you change your mind and remove useless points from your essay.
3. The less fuss—the better
An essay is a responsible task, but you should approach its writing without being fanatic. You should not get too overwhelmed and invent a bicycle. The Business School of Harvard recommends that you just answer the question in simple language so that those who are not familiar with your world can understand you. Moreover, do not write anything for the sake of words. Every sentence in your essay should bear a certain weight. If, while rereading your work, you realize that you can remove it, do not hesitate to do so.
4. Check
In order to make sure once again that there are no errors or misprints in the essay, there is a useful technique—read it from the end. When you read from the end, you don’t focus on errors, and your focus is on words and writing. Check any words you are not sure about in the dictionary. If you are writing an essay on your laptop, you can even use various grammar checkers.
Count the words. If you are asked to write 500 words, do not write more than 10 – 20 words beyond the set limit.
5. Mind your language
The style of essay writing should be semi-formal or formal. Do not use slang or word abbreviations, e.g., you should write cannot instead of can’t, want instead of wanna, etc.
6. Be brief
An essay is a short written work. Some students think that “more the better” principle works and write huge opuses. Alas, not only will examiners not raise their grades, but they will also lower them for failing to meet the required volume. You do remember that brevity is the soul of wit, don’t you?
7. Argument your ideas
Every written thought should not sound unsubstantiated. Back it up with evidence, a vivid example, statistical data, etc. Your written work should show that you know what you are writing about and that you are sure that you are right.
8. Use transitions
The introductory words for an essay are essential links that bridge sentences, forming a logical chain of your thoughts. They can help to combine sentences or show contrast, indicate a sequence of actions, etc.
9. Diverse your language
Avoid repeating words, use synonyms, idioms, metaphors, and other figures of speech. They add emotional value to the text and make it sound more visual.
10. Mind your audience
It is important not to forget about elementary delicacy. If possible, do not touch on politics, religion, and other “slippery” topics. If the task involves dealing with a “sensitive” topic, present your viewpoint in a tolerant and polite manner. In this case, it is better to keep a formal tone and avoid excessive emotions.
11. Writer softer
Although you should write your thoughts on the subject, try not to over-use the next types of structure: “I am sure that…,” “I know that…” etc. You should write softer, for example, “I think…,” “In my opinion…”—it will sound more formal and correct in relation to other people’s opinions.
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