5 Tips on How to Improve Your Style in Academic Essay Writing (2023-2024)
Writing essays may seem challenging at first, but it’s a skill that can be developed through practice and perseverance.
A good essay does not require you to be a proficient writer, but having a clear argument and direction, and following a well-structured plan is crucial.
To improve your essay writing skills, you need to practice regularly. Even if you don’t have much time or interest in writing essays, you can still improve your writing by making an effort to write something every day.
Using writing prompts can be helpful to generate ideas and inspiration for your writing. You may be surprised by how much your skills improve in just a few weeks of daily writing. Remember, it doesn’t have to be long, keeping it short and simple can be effective too.
To improve your essay-writing skills, both practice and reading are crucial. Reading a wide variety of essays can help you gain insight into different;
- Writing styles
- Vocabulary
- Structures
- Citations and
- Research methods
To ensure that you are well-prepared and confident in your abilities, consider creating a checklist of things to do when starting a new paper. This can include elements such as reviewing the assignment prompt, outlining your argument, and checking for grammar and punctuation errors. By following this checklist, you can approach each essay with a clear plan and the confidence to succeed.
Analyze the Essay Question
The first step in composing an essay is comprehending the task at hand. Once you have the essay question, take note of the following key phrases:
Content words: These words indicate the main topic of your essay. In the question “Discuss the causes of World War II,” the key content words are “causes” and “World War II.”
Instructional verbs: These verbs give you an idea of how to approach your essay. There is a significant difference, for example, between explaining and analyzing an idea. Identify what you are being asked to do in the question and let it guide your writing.
Limiting words: These words specify what to focus on. For example, in “Discuss the consequences of the Brexit for trade in the EU,” the phrase “for trade in the EU” limits the scope of the essay question (i.e., while Brexit may have many consequences, the essay should focus on trade in the EU).
Underline or highlight the key words in the essay question
Write an Outline
One effective strategy to write an essay is to create an outline before beginning the writing process. A typical essay structure includes an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion.
Introduction: It provides an overview of the topic, thesis statement, and any relevant background information.
Body: The paragraphs should each focus on a specific point, example, or idea that supports the main argument.
Conclusion: It summarize how the argument supports the thesis. By outlining the essay in this way, you can organize your thoughts and use the outline as a guide for writing the essay.
Gather Evidence and Sources Effectively
An effective essay should not only present an argument or claim, but also use evidence and sources to support the points made.
After determining your stance on the topic, conduct research to gather evidence that supports it. This can include quotes, statistics, and examples.
In addition to including the evidence in the essay, it is important to analyze and demonstrate how it supports the argument. Ensure that there is a clear link between the evidence and the point being made in the essay.
Another important aspect to consider when writing an essay is proper citation of sources. It is necessary to clearly indicate where the evidence was obtained from. This generally includes referencing sources within the text of the essay and providing a list of references or bibliography at the end of the document. For detailed information on the sources cited. If you are uncertain about how to properly cite sources, consult a style guide or seek guidance from a professor.
Use a Draft Essay
A common mistake made when writing an essay is only writing it once. Instead, it is recommended to revise and improve upon the initial draft. After finishing a draft, take a break from it and come back to it later with fresh perspective. Then, go through the essay and make any necessary improvements, such as ensuring clear expression and adding more evidence to support arguments.
This process should be done at least once, to ensure that the essay is strong. Additionally, further revisions can be made to guarantee perfection in the writing.
If you need help polishing an essay, then, submit it for quick editing and proofreading today.
