5 Practical Tips To Rock Your Next Essay
Start writing a post
Student Life

5 Practical Tips To Rock Your Next Essay

College is tough, but writing doesn't have to be.

186
5 Practical Tips To Rock Your Next Essay

I'm an English major. I enjoy writing.

Wait. Let me rephrase that: I enjoy having written. Because, in all honesty, the writing process sometimes makes me want to bang my head against the desk until my brain finally gets the necessary words and inspiration to form a coherent thought.

"But you're an English major; doesn't that mean you're already really good at writing?"

Not necessarily! I love English (which is a gift in and of itself) and that motivates me to write well and write better. That being said, here are five tried-and-true tricks to produce quality essays and develop your writing skills.

1. Read it out loud.

A major problem with writing is that sentences can sound unnatural, forced, or too long. Maybe you used the adjective "eclectic" in every other sentence. Maybe you chose words that are overly long and will confuse your reader. When you read your writing out loud, you get a feel for how your reader (often a professor or TA) will hear your words.

2. Action verbs are better than passive verbs.

Is, are, was, were, had, have, has, be, been, being.

These are all very useful words, to be sure. How else am I supposed to say, "I am about to fall asleep while writing this article"? There are a few different ways to say it, but in this case, the word "am" states my sentence clearly and concisely.

In contrast, read the sentence: "The ball was spiked by our team captain who is named Katie."

Now read this one: "Katie, our team captain, leapt into the air and spiked the volleyball over the net."

Notice the difference? In the first sentence, the action is done by Katie, but Katie is not the subject of the sentence. In the second, I placed Katie as the subject, so that the verbs of the sentence communicate the action going on.

3. Use the "Find" feature in Microsoft Word.

After reading step two, you may be wondering how to remove every use of passive verbs in your latest paper... Never fear, the "Find" feature is here!

In Microsoft Word, you can use the "Find" feature to search for words in your essay. I use this most often to locate passive verbs in order to reword the sentences to contain more action. Simply type in words like "be," "is," or "had been" to find and replace them.

4. One paragraph = one idea.

Keep it clean, folks! Each idea deserves its own paragraph, and you'll only weaken your argument by combining two ideas into one.

5. Say what you want to say.

Like, yes, please do say what you want to – or at least what will get you an A.

But also, if you're having trouble explaining your point clearly, take a break for a second. Shut your laptop and simply say what you want to say out loud, as if you were explaining it to a friend. Oftentimes, you will find that your thoughts come out much more coherently when spoken because speech is the primary mode of human communication.

If you want to record your thoughts while talking, pull out the voice memo feature on your phone and record what you have to say. When you're done, pull out your laptop, play the voice memo, and see how much more clearly your thoughts flow!

And when all else fails, when you've stressed and edited and written and rewritten, sometimes all you can do is bite the bullet and submit it!

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Student Life

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

58691
college students waiting in a long line in the hallway
StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Keep Reading...Show less
a man and a woman sitting on the beach in front of the sunset

Whether you met your new love interest online, through mutual friends, or another way entirely, you'll definitely want to know what you're getting into. I mean, really, what's the point in entering a relationship with someone if you don't know whether or not you're compatible on a very basic level?

Consider these 21 questions to ask in the talking stage when getting to know that new guy or girl you just started talking to:

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Challah vs. Easter Bread: A Delicious Dilemma

Is there really such a difference in Challah bread or Easter Bread?

37847
loaves of challah and easter bread stacked up aside each other, an abundance of food in baskets
StableDiffusion

Ever since I could remember, it was a treat to receive Easter Bread made by my grandmother. We would only have it once a year and the wait was excruciating. Now that my grandmother has gotten older, she has stopped baking a lot of her recipes that require a lot of hand usage--her traditional Italian baking means no machines. So for the past few years, I have missed enjoying my Easter Bread.

Keep Reading...Show less
Adulting

Unlocking Lake People's Secrets: 15 Must-Knows!

There's no other place you'd rather be in the summer.

959404
Group of joyful friends sitting in a boat
Haley Harvey

The people that spend their summers at the lake are a unique group of people.

Whether you grew up going to the lake, have only recently started going, or have only been once or twice, you know it takes a certain kind of person to be a lake person. To the long-time lake people, the lake holds a special place in your heart, no matter how dirty the water may look.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Top 10 Reasons My School Rocks!

Why I Chose a Small School Over a Big University.

194674
man in black long sleeve shirt and black pants walking on white concrete pathway

I was asked so many times why I wanted to go to a small school when a big university is so much better. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure a big university is great but I absolutely love going to a small school. I know that I miss out on big sporting events and having people actually know where it is. I can't even count how many times I've been asked where it is and I know they won't know so I just say "somewhere in the middle of Wisconsin." But, I get to know most people at my school and I know my professors very well. Not to mention, being able to walk to the other side of campus in 5 minutes at a casual walking pace. I am so happy I made the decision to go to school where I did. I love my school and these are just a few reasons why.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments