Must-Dos For Improving Your Essay Writing Skills

Most writers could stand to improve their essay writing skills. Thats because essay writing is an art honed over time and with practice. Though some people may be naturally good at writing, a good essay is more than that. It requires a tight, well-defined thesis, and a developed argument thats simply stated and uses credible research to back it up. And of course, the artistry of writing requires precise vocabulary, transition words and active voice. If youre in need of some improvements in your essay writing, here are some areas to focus on: Read more One of the first things you can do to improve your essay writing skills is dedicate more time to reading. The more you read, the more youll be exposed to different styles of writing. Eventually, youll identify qualities that you want to adopt in your own writing. Do research before you write Its important to do all of your research before you write. You should take notes while doing your research, but the actual essay writing should only come later. Make sure your ideas have had time to mature enough before you start trying to put them together. Be patient and take things one step at a time. If youve done all of your research and taken good notes, the arguments youll use should be fairly easy for you to define. Rushing into the writing process prematurely can mean you have to change your arguments as you come up with more research. This will make for a jumbled essay in the end. Avoid repetition Writers often make the mistake of repeating the same word or group of words too many times in their essays. This causes boring reading. Use a thesaurus to see what other words you can use to capture the same idea. If there is no replacement for the word(s) youre writing, try using third person pronouns more often (he/she/it/they) or abbreviations for long titles. Example: The Council of Elders of the Cherokee Nation met in January to vote on whether or not to allow a mining company do a land survey on their reservation. The Council of Elders of the Cherokee Nation voted against granting permission. The mining company attempted to file a law suit and the Council of Elders of the Cherokee Nation held a meeting at the city hall. A better version: The Council of Elders of the Cherokee Nation met in January to vote on whether or not to allow a mining company do a land survey on their reservation. They voted against granting permission. The mining company attempted to file a law suit and The Council held a meeting at the city hall. Cite facts, statistics, dates and expert opinions Using numbers and statistics gives credibility to your argument as well as creates an impact. Which of the following statements has a stronger impact? There are far fewer polar bears in the Yukon today than there were a few decades ago. Vs. The population of polar bears in the Yukon has been reduced by 1,000% between 1980 and 2010. Citing the opinions of experts in the field also allows the reader to trust the rest of your observations. Example: The devastation of the polar bear population in the Yukon is one of the most severe of any species on the planet. Vs. Dr. Sheffield from the University of Toronto gave a speech at a convention on wildlife conservation where he lamented that â€Å"few places on the planet have suffered such severe loss of a single species as in the Yukon.† Improve your vocabulary The more words you know, the more variety of words you can use in your essays. Simple math. A more ample vocabulary can provide you with the tools to write more interesting essays. It can also help you acquire a higher level of precision in your arguments. For example, if youre writing about bee-keeping, you could use the word â€Å"apiculture† which is the technical word for bee-keeping. If youre writing about religious cults, you could use the word â€Å"indoctrinate† which means â€Å"teach a person or group of persons to accept a teaching uncritically†. Precise language helps you economize on explanations. But know when to keep it simple Writing with precise language is one thing. Showing off is another. Dont litter your essay with sophisticated vocabulary words. Dont use â€Å"insouciant† when you could use â€Å"indifferent† or â€Å"turgid† when you could use â€Å"tedious†. You dont want to force your reader to reach for the dictionary every few sentences. The majority of readers wouldnt bother. You want your essay to be readable to the layperson. The feature of your essay is your argument: if you present it simply, it will be easy to grasp. And thats one of the goals of good essay writing. Use transition words Transition words are key to guiding the reader from one argument to the next. They help improve the essays readability and flow. Some transition words to incorporate in your essays: However Furthermore Moreover Nevertheless Also Including On the other hand In spite of Check out this site for a comprehensive list of transition words and when to use them. Use active verbs Writers often fall into the trap of using passive voice in their essays. Try using active voice instead. Its more direct and gives more life to your sentences. Example: The research done on nuclear energy has left many questions still unanswered. Vs. Nuclear energy research still has many questions to answer. The last surviving member of the Terena tribe had died the year before. Vs. The last surviving member of the Terena tribe died in 2014. Use a writing app Since we live in the digital age, there are apps that can tell you how your essay can be improved. Try one or all of the following: Hemingway highlights problem areas of your essay with color coding for things like passive voice, adverbs, complex sentences and more. Grammarly advanced spell checker and grammar checker as well as plagiarism detector. ProWriting Aid checks for grammar, style and readability.