Your professors will always judge you on the quality of your essays. Sometimes this is all they’ve got. They don’t always get a fair impression of all their students simply because not everyone participates in class.
If you need a quick boost to your grade and to your professor’s opinion of your intellectual abilities, here are the
10 Essay Writing Tips to Improve Your Grade Quickly
Essay writing tip #1. Get to the point early
The way most so-called experts teach writing the introductory paragraph doesn’t really work. They tell you to get to the point at the end of your first paragraph.
But this doesn’t help you or the reader.
The introduction ends up being a bunch of fluff. And then the final sentence containing the main point is just left there gasping for air.
They teach it because that’s how they were taught. We tend to accept our teachers’ methods as gospel.
But don’t fall into this trap when it comes to writing introductory paragraphs.
Here’s what you should do instead.
Write your complete thesis statement first. It should include your main and supporting points. For example:
“I love the summer because it’s warm, fun, and care-free.”
This is a perfect thesis statement because it’s crystal clear – both to the writer and to the reader – what this essay is about.
Not only that, but it’s also crystal clear how the essay will proceed. It will include the discussion of the summer in terms of the weather, activities, and freedom.
Anything that precedes this statement just doesn’t give anybody a clear idea of the content of the essay.
So, present your thesis and supporting ideas early and directly. Just be direct. You don’t need a long preamble.
That said, I still advise my students to write one introductory sentence. Just one, two max. Your teachers and professors expect you to write an introduction, so by all means do.
Just make it a very succinct statement that focuses your reader on the real subject which is coming in the next sentence – your thesis.
Here’s how I would introduce our thesis about the summer:
“Not all seasons are created equal. I love the summer because it’s warm, fun, and care-free.”
The first sentence is introductory, and the second is the actual thesis. And this works just fine. No need to spend a whole paragraph talking about fluff just to get to the main point.
Essay writing tip #2. Limit your use of the phrases “There is” and “There are”
If you learn to write expository essays without using these phrases, your sentences will automatically become more elegant. Consider the difference:
“There are many people who want to gain muscle.”
“Many people want to gain muscle.”
The first one is longer; the second one – shorter and more elegant. You can usually improve your sentence a lot just by shortening it.
But using these phrases presents another problem. You see, a sentence must contain a Subject and a Verb.
When you start a sentence with “There is” or “There are,” you take the focus away from the actual Subject and Verb. Let me illustrate.
Here is our example sentence again:
“There are many people who want to gain muscle.”
In this sentence, the word “There” is the subject. And the word “are” is the verb.
But what are the real subject and verb in this sentence?
This sentence is really about “people” who “want to gain muscle.”
So, by getting rid of the phrase “There are,” you make your sentence a lot stronger because now you are talking about the actual subject.
Essay writing tip #3. Avoid fancy words
Whenever you write a word whose meaning is not perfectly clear to you, you risk coming across as a total newbie in writing.
When a fancy word you just used doesn’t quite work in a particular sentence, your professor or grader will notice that.
Use the words you know.
Writing in plain English is wonderful because it feels great to write and to read. When you use your own words, you just make much better sense.
And you don’t have to struggle, trying to find fancy words.
Let me give you an example. The following sentence is from an essay about family values and not spending enough time together as a family:
“They engage in family discussions for solely 10 minutes every day.”
The word “solely” really means “exclusively.” It doesn’t really work in this sentence. Here is an example of this word used correctly:
“My dentist is solely responsible for the decay of my tooth.”
In this sentence, the dentist is the only person responsible for the decay. The connotation is exclusivity, not scarcity.
But the writer is trying to convey that the family does not spend enough time together. The connotation here is scarcity. So, the word “only” would work much better here:
“They engage in family discussions for only 10 minutes every day.”
It is a subtle difference but an important one. The word “solely” is less common than the word “only.” So, it’s a fancier word. But the plain old “only” would work much better here.
In an attempt to be fancy, the student used a word that weakened the sentence.
That said, by all means expand your vocabulary. Learn new words.
If you want to use a new word in your essay, look it up first. Make sure that the word says exactly what you want it to say.
Use a thesaurus, which is a great tool to find synonyms and antonyms. Just by using an online thesaurus, you can find a word that is brand new to you and learn the word by using it in your sentence.
Just make sure that the meaning of every word you use is crystal clear to you. To do that, before you use a word, look up its usage.
Search for how to use the new word in a sentence. Examples that are available online will clarify the meaning for you.
Essay writing tip #4. Write longer sentences only if you know exactly what you’re doing
The longer your sentence, the higher the chances that a mistake can crawl in. This is especially important to you if you’re trying to pass a standardized test.
Let me give you an example:
“Animals have a right to be treated humanely, they are living creatures, just like human beings.”
In case you didn’t notice, this is a comma splice – a very serious sentence structure error.
Two sentences are spliced into one by a comma.
When it seems like your sentence is getting a bit out of control, just split it in two:
“Animals have a right to be treated humanely. They are living creatures, just like human beings.”
Just end one sentence and start the next one. It’s going to be all right.
As a rule of thumb, try to begin your sentences with the subject rather than with anything else. This habit alone will eliminate a great number of sentence structure errors.
Here is a detailed tutorial I wrote on how to improve your sentences.
Essay writing tip #5. Use the active voice and avoid the passive voice
Here’s an example of the passive voice:
“A hamburger was eaten by a man.”
Here’s an example of the active voice:
“A man ate a hamburger.”
Use the second one.
An active voice is just more powerful. Besides, if you look at the first sentence, it sounds like the hamburger actually did something. But it really did not. Someone ate it, that’s all.
Essay writing tip #6. Avoid repetition as much as you can
Student essays are often repetitive. A part of the problem is that the student is often out of things to say, and yet he has to meet the word count requirement.
But repeating yourself is not a good way to add words. It weakens your points and makes the reader feel like she is wasting her time. If you already said it, why are you saying it again?
You can add words in much better ways. Here is one of the ways that I teach in detail.
You can add examples, explanations, and even entire sections of material without being redundant.
Repetition happens on all levels – a few words within a sentence or a few sentences in a paragraph. I have seen whole passages of repetitive content.
Let me give you a sentence-level example.
In the previous tip, instead of saying:
“Use the active voice and avoid the passive voice,”
I wanted to say:
“Use the active voice and don’t use the passive voice.”
Why did I choose the first version? Because it precludes the repetition of the word “use.”
Catch these little repetitions and try to replace them with a synonym, or just rephrase the sentence to make it diverse. This shows that the writer has a sense of style and class.
Try it and watch your grade go up.
Essay writing tip #7. Use vivid, colorful examples
Do you want your writing to stand out above the rest? Start using examples in your writing. So few students do it – it’s amazing!
College-level essays tend to be very general. The most specific evidence usually used is some statistics.
Instead of (or in addition to) describing the behavior of thousands or millions of people, give an example of just one person and write it out. Use some colors; make it vivid; describe the sounds and smells.
Use names, specific events and dates, and other particulars.
Examples are fun both for you the writer and for your audience, whether that is your professor or your boss. They are like little stories, and people love a good story.
Trust me, if you do just that and don’t follow the rest of the advice I give here, you’ll be making progress fast.
Essay writing tip #8. Don’t overuse quotations
I don’t know if this will surprise you or not, but sometimes as much as 70% of a given paper consists of quotations.
Come on, your professor is not blind. He can see right through such attempts to disguise the lack of things to say behind other people’s thoughts.
You are smart and talented. You have your own things to say. So, say them – in your own language.
Sometimes I like to avoid quotations altogether – I don’t always need them. This also means that I don’t have to look for them on the Internet, which takes time.
That said, quotations can be useful. Sometimes an author can state something so succinctly, and it is such a perfect fit for your point that it makes sense to use it.
Just keep your use of quotations to a minimum. Paraphrasing is much better. Learn how to paraphrase, and you’ll never have a problem writing original content again.
Essay writing tip #9. Don’t chicken out on your stand
Very often an essay that you write is entirely unilateral – meaning it has a one-sided view of something. It could be a totally glowing review of a product or service. Or, it could be a strictly positive or negative view of a human being.
In such an essay, it is very easy to feel that your view is too limited or restricted. You can begin to feel uneasy about making such a strong statement.
And you decide to water it down by making concessions here and there.
For example, you could be writing a strictly positive review of a book. You loved it, and you just rave about it. And at some point you feel that your reader might become judgmental about your review.
You can almost feel that person’s criticism creeping up on you. So, what do you do? You begin to admit here and there that the book is not perfect, after all.
But, you see, you really intended this to be a totally positive review. If that’s the case, stick to your guns. Just keep it positive.
And if you feel that you do really need to provide a little perspective that may not be perfectly positive, use the counterargument technique.
In a counterargument, you would first state a contradiction to your overall view:
“Some may say that the author uses too many metaphors in this murder mystery novel.”
And then you negate this contradiction by responding to it:
“But that is like telling Mozart that he uses too many notes. The author uses as many metaphors as are necessary to drive the story and to keep it mysterious and intriguing.”
If you do it this way, you admit that you are aware that not everyone will agree with you. But you know what you’re talking about and are willing to defend your point of view.
Essay writing tip #10. Talk to your professor
Before writing your first essay assignment, approach your professor at the end of a class and ask her about her expectations.
Some of the questions to ask are:
- What are two or three most important things in an essay, in your opinion?
- Do you require that I write an introduction and a conclusion?
- What do you expect in a conclusion?
- What is the biggest no-no that could drive my grade down a lot?
And then just listen and follow the recommendations. Your professor will gladly answer these questions and will be flattered that you asked.
Also, asking your professor these kinds of questions shows her that you care. You definitely can’t lose.
Tutor Phil
Sanjay November 2, 2010 at 9:36 pm
Hi Phil
Cheers!
I remember the earliest time when my English teachers, all of them were non-native teachers, wanted me to write essays. They insisted on the traditional method of Introduction-Body-Conclusion. Then came the time when I taught my students the ‘Wh’ method or more precisely What-Where-When-How-Why method. Now I notice that there is not a single method which works well in all essays. Different writers write their essays in different manner.
Phil, I’ve a request. Can you suggest some dos and don’ts to my students?Though they don’t print their queries here, they have and they see your web page!
Sanjay
Dear Phil !
HAPPY DIWALI !!
This is the festival time of LIGHTS!!!
Let me brighten your blog with some interesting observation on how students some time come up with some funny way of writing essay. I am sure you will be amused. Once I had a given a topic to write. “A TRAIN JOURNEY” . A student spent about 90% of the essay on how the ticket was purchased after a lot of hassle and how finally he was able to reach the railway station and got into his compartment. He settled into his berth and finally ended his journey only to be woken up by his kind fellow passenger as he had slept over his comics!!
Sanjay
Hi, tutor Phil.
I’m Huong. I’m from Vietnam. I’m preparing for TOEFL TEST. I want to improve my writing skill. I try to write as many essays as possible. But there is no one who can help me check my essays so that I can learn from my mistakes. I’m glad to get your blog and make friend with you.
There is my essay. Please correct it for me. thanks!
Do you agree or disagree with the statement:
“Many people have argued that advertising makes us buy things we really do not need. Others say that advertisements provide us with useful information”
Many people have argued that advertising makes us buy things we really do not need. Others say that advertisements provide us with useful information. In my opinion, advertising does not make us do anything against our will. There are several reasons why I hold this opinion.
First, advertising does not force us to buy anything. We ourselves decide what we want to buy. The target of advertising is persuading as many consumers to buy the products as possible. It is an exaggeration to say that we are forced to buy goods. There are many commercials on TVs and newspaper everyday. If we have to buy all things we see on TV, we will clearly to go bankrupt. Of course, sometime the information from advertising is misleading. However, the final decidion is ours. It seems clear to me that we cannot blame the advertising for our wrong choices.
Second, advertisements provide us with usful information. Perhap at first, you can inorge an advertisement you have have just watched on TV, but when it comes to buying that product, the advertisement is very useful. For example, when you want to buy an air conditioner. There are many brands and many kinds of air conditioner. You do not have enough time to brownse a shop to compare which item is suitable for your house. The advertisements help you narrow down the list, therfore it is easier for you to make a good choice. Examples like these show that advertisements are very helpful.
In conclusion, advertisements, instead of making us buy unnecessary things, give us many useful pros and cons to help us make choices whether or not to buy something. Although imformation we get from watching advertisements is sometime deceptive, there are no doubt in my mind that it is very helpful.
Huong,
You’ve done a pretty good job here. Your argument is clear, and your English is pretty good.
Now here are a couple of things you could do to improve your writing:
1. Try to get rid of the word “you” when writing your sentences. Here’s your homework:
This is a passage from your essay. It includes several instances of addressing the reader by using the word “you:”
Perhap at first, you can inorge an advertisement you have have just watched on TV, but when it comes to buying that product, the advertisement is very useful. For example, when you want to buy an air conditioner. There are many brands and many kinds of air conditioner. You do not have enough time to brownse a shop to compare which item is suitable for your house. The advertisements help you narrow down the list, therfore it is easier for you to make a good choice.
Here is what I want you to do:
Read the following blog post:
https://www.tutorphil.com/blog/essay-writing-for-beginners/
Then, try to rewrite the passage without the use of the word “you” and, when you’re finished, post it for review under that blog post, and we’ll pick it up from there. When you post, please first include the original passage the way it was before you changed it, and then post the improved version right after, okay? This will hep both you and me see the difference.
2. In your conclusion, you say that “Although information we get from watching advertisements is sometime deceptive, there are no doubt in my mind that it is very helpful.”
Get rid of this sentence. It hurts your main point because it is in a way disproving what you just tried to prove in your essay. Your main point is that advertising is not evil, but is even useful. But that sentence supposes the opposite, so – get rid of it. Generally, in a conclusion, you are simply repeating what you already said, but in a slightly different language. Don’t add anything, and don’t contradict yourself.
So, good work, and keep writing. The next time you post something, please try to find a relevant article on my blog and post under it, deal? This will help other students like yourself find useful training quickly and easily.
I appreciate you checking my essay.
I see your point. Now I try again. Please have a look at it.
Here is my original passage:
Perhap at first, you can ignore an advertisement you have just watched on TV, but when it comes to buying that product, the advertisement is very useful. For example, when you want to buy an air conditioner. There are many brands and many kinds of air conditioner. You do not have enough time to browse a shop to compare which item is suitable for your house. The advertisements help you narrow down the list, therefore it is easier for you to make a good choice.
And now I rewrite it:
Perhap at first, the advertisements can be ignored because people want to watch their favorite programs on TV instead of wasting time watching advertisements. But when it comes to buying certain product, the advertisement is very useful. For example, the air conditioner companies have to campaign an advertisement to make their products known to the public. Their customers will benefit from the advertisement because it narrow the list of products so that the customers do not have to browse a shop to compare which item is suitable.
Wow!
You’ve done an excellent job here!
Now – I’d like you to do something for me. I’m trying to keep all the information, including the comments, under relevant blog posts. You see, your example would be very useful to the other visitors on this blog. Would you please just copy and paste your response (just the way it is) under this post:
https://www.tutorphil.com/blog/essay-writing-for-beginners/
And we’ll continue from there. This will help us keep the blog organized for other users. Is that a deal?
Thanks.
At present most of the students are terrified about essay writing. They cannot believe that it is very simple but creative workings. Here just need to make an idea maturity about essay. We give for them essay writing service.
This is an interesting, well argued post. I like it. Some important considerations when writing. Informative article and great reminder of using the three elements of persuasion. I need to reread it. Thanks Author!
Hey TutorPhil, I just read through your essay tips and i think they’re EXTREMELY helpful. I am writing my IGCSEs this year and I wondered if you could look over one of my english courseworks? I’d be glad if you’d aswer quickly and tell me what you think of it 🙂
Thanks SO much in advance xxx
School does not properly prepare youth for life after graduation
Math, English, Science, History and Geography. These are the basic subjects almost every student around the world is taught, for this text I will focus on the problems with education itself. School is mostly said to be what “helps you get through life” or is “preparation for the real world”, which to some extent might be true but it isn’t always the case. Sure basic knowledge is important. Basic Math skills are needed in everyday life, but will Math help you overcome a life crisis or help you resolve conflicts? No, for that, other skills are needed, skills that school doesn’t prepare you with, even though it should.
School should be a place for young people to discover what they love and who they are. They should be able to find out what they are passionate about and it should be made clear to them, that they, as an individual, can make a difference, no matter what. The school system nowadays, however, only focuses on academic skills. Tests and grades have become the biggest reason why most students work hard for school. We absorb knowledge as fast as we can, and stress out about numbers and letters on corrected tests. We get scared of our parent’s reaction if we didn’t ‘pass’ a test, because society has taught us at a young age that good grades supposedly assure us a successful and good life.
Education has been narrowed down to such simple measures of intelligence that students often forget why they even learn. I believe learning should take place for ourselves, to discover and explore new things so we can find what we truly want to achieve in life. No student should feel that they are learning or getting the grades they get for anyone but themselves, not for teachers and not for parents.
If we, the students, believe that grades are a measurement of our intelligence, it won’t get us far in life. Intelligence is about so much more than academic skills, it is about social skills; about empathy and respect.
Keeping that in mind, let’s take a look at regular schools. Most schools offer the ordinary and basic subjects mentioned above. There is nothing wrong with that at all, but it is very rare that we find subjects like proper life skills class involved in the educational system. Would it hurt to cut down a lesson of math a week to create a class for students to finally learn about what really counts in life? At my school, for example, we used to have a program called ‘life skills’ class. These classes, however, occurred for only a week or two after school as an additional lesson, where none of my classmates or myself were extremely willing to stay focused and participate. Also it ended up being a ‘lesson’ informing about drug use and sex. Calling that ‘life skills’ is missing the point, in my opinion.
When, if not at school where we have experienced teachers, will we learn about taxes and how university or college works? There should be a place for us to ask questions about what is happening in the world, what the problems are and what we could do. We should be able to learn about different cultures, how they are different and how they are alike to our own. This does not just expand knowledge but encourages tolerance and understanding which could prevent racist ideas to evolve in young minds. Also school misses out on teaching us about politics, about democracy and how it works. Why do you think it is, that in 2014, only 1.7% of the 18-21 year-olds in Europe voted? Because they probably don’t even understand what they would vote for and how to make a decision. I believe that filling this glaring, great gap in education could help fix the unemployment rate of young adults which currently is at about 30%, as well as lowering the criminal rate of the youth by simply informing and giving us a guide through life, other than grades.
In conclusion, school has a certain responsibility to prepare students for life after graduation, which is not simply done by shoving a bunch of information into our brains without having our own understanding of why learning is important. We should be taught how to be tolerant, how to deal with conflicts, how to be respectful and how to make a difference. Then, hopefully, we won’t grow up to be the kind of people that think an individual can’t make the world a better place, but know that our decisions can change a lot and that every single one of us matters.
810 words
Mascha,
Unfortunately, I don’t usually have the time to go through an entire essay of 800 words.
But thanks for posting.
TP
People want to write best essay,but they don’t know how to write best essay.So, they need best service, so that they can develop to write essay. Many best essay writing service, best essay writing service uk is one of them. People find the good service from it.
Quick note for everyone.
This above is a spam comment from some guy who builds links to his custom essay writing service. I removed all the links from it, but the comment should tell you something about the quality of writing you’ll get when you order custom essays.
Better write them yourself. You have lots of help on this website.
Thank you, “Ross,” for helping me deliver my point about never ordering custom essays online.
Cheers,
TP
Hi Phil tutor,
I will be taking the Gace program admission test next week and I am terrified.
I will have 30 minutes to write an argumentative essay and 30 minutes to write a informative/source based essay. Last time I took it I failed by 9 points…
My problem areas are thesis statement and speed… Any suggestions or resources. I have books, practice writing exams, and I am currently taking an online course. I have never been a good writer…help
Hi PH,
Yes, I have an article just for you right here:
https://www.tutorphil.com/blog/how-to-write-an-essay-fast-in-an-exam/
Enjoy 🙂
TP
Dear Tutor Phil
I am a student of grade 9 and l’m not a native English speaker thus it is very hard for me to come very quickly to my essays title as a result I cross my word limit and loose marks. Please tell me a tip from which I can come over my problem.
Hello Mary,
I think this article will help:
https://www.tutorphil.com/blog/how-to-start-an-essay-1/
Cheers…
TP
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Hi Tutor Phil!
I am student.I need your help Phil.Please you tell me about improve english vocabloury and tips of speak english and how i improve my written expression
please i need your help.I am waiting for your reply
Hi.
First, go ahead and subscribe to my email newsletter by visiting the Free Stuff page on this site.
Second, go ahead and subscribe to my YouTube channel by clicking on the YouTube icon at the top of this site.
You will get tons of free tips and training on all the topics you just mentioned – vocabulary, writing – all of it.
Thanks, and visit again!
Tutor Phil
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