Have you ever felt that your essay is mediocre? You are not alone. Many students tend to think that their works are not at par with their teachers’ standards. While multiple reasons can be attributed to this, they cannot afford to submit low-quality outputs, negatively affecting their grades. As a result, some choose to avail themselves of custom writing services or purchase an essay for sale.

While this might be the easiest thing to do, some students want to improve their skills for future use. Because of this, they continue to learn various writing tips and techniques from different sources. They believe that consistent application of their learning can help them develop and master their craft. If you are one of those students striving to construct better essays, you should keep reading this article.

Outline Before You Write

 If you want to know how to make your essay better, you must learn how to start right. Once you have chosen a topic, the next thing for you to accomplish is your outline. Many students tend to neglect this step, thinking it will not do anything good for their paper. They also believe that doing this will waste their time. Instead of outlining, they can proceed to draft right away.

Outlining is crucial because it sets the direction of your paper. Without this, you will keep adding irrelevant ideas, making your overall work unorganized. But it would help if you outline on a piece of paper or a device first. By doing this, you can easily add and remove some items before drafting. It will help you save some time as well.

Follow The Standard Structure

 As mentioned previously, you must outline before you start drafting your paper. As you search for an outline you will follow, you might see different kinds from various resources. However, it would be best to use the standard one. It is the simplest structure, so you would find it easy to accomplish before incorporating it into your essay.

Using the standard outline, you will divide the paper into three parts: introduction, body, and conclusion. Each section has specific contents, so you must determine them beforehand. For the introduction, you must start with a hook or attention-getter. Afterward, provide some background information about the topic to be followed by your thesis statement.

Meanwhile, your body paragraphs must reflect the arguments supporting your thesis statement. The number of body paragraphs must depend on the main points in your claim. If you have three main issues, it would be best to put one per paragraph. In this way, your ideas will not be clustered in one long paragraph. For the conclusion, you must restate your thesis statement and summarize your main points. Ending your work with a challenge or a thought-provoking idea will leave an impact on your readers.

Have a Clear Argument

 A part of constructing a better essay is formulating a clear argument or thesis statement. It is usually located in the last part of the first paragraph. This setup is intended to make the reader know what to expect for the rest of the paper.

Because of this, your objective is to provide a clear and specific thesis statement. It must not be too general and not factual either. You must express your opinion supported by at least three main points. Doing this will help you make a solid argument. Moreover, you must ensure that you have enough references for each topic. In this way, you have supporting details and evidence to back up your claim. Therefore, it would also help to do prior research before outlining and drafting.

Write Clearly

Many people would agree that the actual writing step is challenging. This is why some of them do not take this seriously. They tend to write to their whims instead of carefully crafting it. Also, they prefer to put whatever they want, causing them to be astray from their main points. As a result, they receive negative feedback, which later affects their confidence and motivation.

You can prevent this from happening if you follow the previous steps correctly. As you draft, it would be best to keep your outline beside you. It will help you stay on topic and include only the essentials. Moreover, you must follow the writing conventions and grammatical rules to avoid being misunderstood. Keep in mind that your goal is to make your readers understand your points after reading your work.

Avoid Using Unnecessary Transitional Phrases

One of the important essay tips you must apply is using transitional devices. They are words or phrases that smoothly connect one idea or sentence to the next. They are classified according to their function, such as showing contrast, listing examples, or stating time. By using these, you make logical connections as you prove your claim.

However, it would be best to avoid using unnecessary ones. Even though transitional devices are generally helpful, misusing them defeats their purpose. You must avoid using the words “however,” “furthermore,” and “in other words” at the beginning of a paragraph. It usually leads them to go back to the previous paragraph, which affects their comprehension.

Write The Way You Speak To People

Sometimes, you might feel tempted to use grand terms to impress your teacher. You think that incorporating uncommon vocabulary will guarantee you a high score. But in reality, your essay will not be easy to read and may sound inauthentic if you do this. It would be best to write the way you usually speak to others. Even if it is difficult, try not to use words unfamiliar to you. It will also help you convey the message you want to express and make your essay better.

Cite Sources and Evidence

 Citation is a must in writing most essay types, such as argumentative, descriptive, and informative. You must back up your claim by citing supporting ideas from credible sources. If you fail to give credit to the author of the reference you used, you commit plagiarism. Whether you are asked to use APA or MLA, you must not forget to cite all your sources before submitting. In this way, you will not receive low grades for plagiarism and poor-quality content.

In conclusion, you can take various steps to improve your writing skills. These include using the standard outline before drafting, having a clear argument, and writing clearly. It would help to refrain from using unnecessary transitional words, write how you speak, and cite your sources. These tips will only be helpful if you apply and practice them constantly. If you still find essay writing challenging, you may look for professionals providing essay help.