Step-By-Step Instructions For Improving Your Essay Writing Skills

Essay writing is a big requirement for your educational program. Usually a student will be required to write several papers over their many classes during the educational years. Therefore it’s well worth your time and efforts to learn some strategies to improve your ability to write successful essays. The time to start is now. This short guide will give you essential techniques you can use.

1. Avoid repetition. When writing it can be a challenge to avoid repeating key phrases over and over again. Using the same words is a sign of writer’s laziness. One way to avoid this problem is to have an open thesaurus nearby. It will give ideas to you for alternate words you can use so your writing isn’t redundant.


2. Breathe some life and excitement into your essay. Use action words and an active voice. Put persons and subjects in front of the action, to make an active sentence rather than a passive one. For example, don’t say the ball was thrown by Alan. That’s using a passive voice. It doesn’t make the reader think about the action of the ball being thrown. Instead, use the active voice, which would sound like this: Alan threw the ball. In that sentence, your imagination sees the ball flying through the air.


3. Banish clichés and avoid idioms. Your reader wants unique and original thoughts. They don’t want to read sentiments out of a can. They are old and stale.
4. Create and work from an outline. Why so much emphasis put on outlines when they take extra time to construct? The truth is, they end up saving you time and they are very much worth the extra effort because following an outline is more likely to keep you focused on the purpose of your paper. Think of the outline as being essential.


5. Be as perfect as possible when it comes to mechanics. They are so easily corrected yet many students don’t feel the need to spend the necessary time and efforts on this step. Making sure the spelling is spectacular and the logic flows smoothly are great ways to put that sparkling, finishing touch on your written work. You can’t afford to overlook this essential step.


6. Ask for another opinion. Get another set of eyes on your paper. Even the most accomplished writer can’t see their own mistakes.