Writing exercises are part of our daily life. From writing a text, sending an email to academic essays, there’s always something to write. For students, having to write an essay or activity like having to grammar check can be a daunting task, more so, if you haven’t written for a while.

Luckily, with time, effort and practice, you get better. Whether you are writing a professional essay for academic purposes or as part of your college application, below are things you need to watch out:

Define your Purpose

Most essay assignments come in two primary forms. It could be an assigned topic or one that you choose the subject by yourself. Before research or taking down notes, first, determine the type of paper that you would like to produce.

Would you like to persuade or inform? For essays without a select topic, you have the freedom of choice. Go for a subject that interests you. Where possible narrow down your focus.

Ease of Reading

While it is tempting to complicate things to show your understanding, it isn’t a wise move. Since most supervisors have numerous papers to go through, they often skim through the content. Ensure that the structure of your essay is in line with the given guidelines.

Highlight the key points to make skimming easy. Use clear and simple language to pass your message. Remove any extra words or phrases and stick to the topic and angle of the essay.

Organization of Thoughts

The reader has to see the connection between your ideas. Have a clear outline of the article before you put pen to paper or keys. List your main ideas and leave spaces in between.

In these spaces, you can add small ideas that relate to the main one. It will help you identify the links and connections between your points. As you write, organise your thoughts in a manner that is quick to understand.

Placement of Thesis Statement

Your thesis statement has to be part of the introduction of the essay. However, it shouldn’t be the opening statement. The ideal location is after the introductory paragraph.

This position allows for ease of transition to the main body of your essay. Professional essay writers will ensure that the wording of the thesis statement, reveals the main idea of the piece.

It should also be concise. A thesis statement has two parts. You start by stating the topic, then

The body of the Essay

The outline that you create will guide you on how to structure your essay. It acts as a foundation. For the body, each paragraph should discuss a single main idea. Use the ones you had in the outline.

The main idea should be part of the introductory sentence of a paragraph. Write down the supporting ideas in sentence format. Don’t forget to give detailed examples and link the small ideas together.

Ensure that the essay is coherent and smooth. Connect the ideas using transitions.

Cite your Examples

Examples add weight to your arguments. You can use those from your experience. Here, you don’t have to cite them. However, if you got them from scientific work or research, you need to do so.

You can use a direct quotation. If not, reference the sources. Doing this will provide reliable evidence and make your points more convincing.

Use of Information and Facts

A research topic could be intriguing to the extent that you want to include every single detail that you have come across in the professional essay. While you may want it to be complete and holistic, it may be overwhelming to a reader.

Narrow down the topic that you would like to cover. Only include facts that are relevant to the essay topic. They should be detailed and meaningful.

In the introduction, you can start with an attention grabber. It could be in the form of a dialogue, quote, story, or information that’s shocking. Alternatively, you can write a summary of the topic.

Writing Guidelines

Unlike how you write in a blog, Academic writing doesn’t engage in conversation with a reader. Don’t focus on appealing to the personality or emotions of the reader, not like how I am trying to do.

Instead, put your energy in being analytical and objective. Be original in your work providing fresh ideas and views. Don’t use informal language; you need to adhere to a specific level of formality.

Stick to the given formatting requirements. Be it, font size, paper size, page number, margins, and spaces. Observe the rule on narration style. In an argumentative essay, you have base your points on facts.

On the other hand, you can use the first person narration in a narrative essay.

Conclusion 

When you are done with the first draft, take a break then go through it. Check and rectify any errors. You can use a Spell checker or grammar, but don’t rely on it, solely.