How do you identify that your writing is good? What makes your essay writing great? This question is quite complex, as articles may serve different purposes and aim to reach different audiences. Generally speaking, there are basic elements that make academic papers like essays successful, and we will share those keys in this article.
Tune to the professor’s requirements.
It’s essential for every academic writing to correspond to specific requirements. Every assignment usually contains professor recommendations on writing style, format, topic or essay question, readings, word limit, etc. Make sure you firmly understand what the assessor expects you to consider before starting to plan and write the essay. If you feel uncertain about any point of the assignment, contact your professor or teaching staff for clarification. Such an attitude will help you prevent misunderstandings and ensure you are on the right track.
Navigate time effectively.
There is no single recommendation that will answer how many hours you need to produce a good essay. But each time you need to write an essay, plan your time ahead to be sure you can do research, brainstorm on the topic, write the body of your essay, and ensure the draft has no grammar or spelling errors. But sometimes, students can’t effectively manage their time and may need to ask for help from professional writers who can be found at PayForWriting to get their essays done before the deadline. With the help of seasoned academic writers, students can achieve the desired balance between academic burden and other responsibilities, significantly improving their overall performance and decreasing stress rates.
Tip. Use Google Calendar or another application to track all your assignments and tasks in one place. Set deadlines and make reminders at least a day before to be able to write your essays on time.
Thesis statement as a roadmap.
Every essay, along with an introduction, should have a thesis statement that demonstrates the main idea, insight, or proposition. Crafting a well-defined and precise thesis statement is crucial as it outlines the purpose and direction of your writing, enabling you to navigate through the writing process with ease. By providing the main points to be discussed in the essay and conveying the intended message to the reader, you improve the overall quality of your future text.
Additionally, your essay idea will sound more appealing if viewed from a specific and arguable point of view. Think also about the scope, as it should correspond to the word limit of the composition.
Define the motive for strong appeal.
This moment may be evident to students, but many of them
skip this moment when writing an essay introduction and the overall text. A good essay should have a motive or the main reason why the reader may be interested in reading this particular writing piece. What makes your arguments to be heard? Why might someone want to read your essay along with the professor? Carefully think whether your reader will find your motives clear and interesting. You can approach your topic.
Essay structure as patchwork.
All sections, subtopics, and turning points should be presented clearly in the essay. In fact, all your points and ideas should develop or complicate from the beginning of your paper to the conclusion. Basically, you need to write an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion, but it’s not enough for a good essay. Not simply list the points, but arrange them so the reader will easily see the progress of your thoughts. Avoid making a series of restatements of the thesis and help the reader get more nuances of the topic you are discussing.
We can imagine the text to be a patchwork of ideas that should be stitched with appropriate passages and combined in a way to give a reader a clear picture of the main idea. In order to ensure cohesion and clarity, each paragraph should start with a topic sentence representing the main idea, followed by a transitional sentence to logically continue to the next supporting point. And more, transition phrases make your essay clear and coherent.
Creating a symphony of compelling evidence.
All materials and sources the writer has explored and analyzed become a continuation of the whole author’s work. Each idea or argument should be supported with reputable sources and adequately cited in order to add truthfulness and fruitfulness. It’s especially important when the writer must persuade or reassure the reader of a specific fact and guide them to the source of evidence. Some academic writers also consider possible counter-evidence to make the essay even more persuasive. When the student acknowledges various sides of the issues, they show a willingness to explore opposing viewpoints and a solid exploration of the sources. Mention that when the reader can independently find the information you have used in the text, it fosters a sense of reliability and trustworthiness of the author’s work.
Importance of analysis & reflection.
When you find evidence to support your arguments, it’s important to show how this evidence supports or develops the initial idea of the essay (thesis statement). You can’t just put a quote or refer to the source without your commentaries and explanations about why you think it strengthens your points. In academic writing, there is a short rule that requires the writer to supply more than two words of his or her own evaluation for every word from the citation. While reflection and analysis should be included throughout the whole essay content, it’s vital to enrich sections with references and quotes with detailed and rich explanations. So, showcase your critical thinking skills and improve the credibility of your arguments to help readers follow the flow of your thoughts.
Style matters.
While academic writing is quite plain and straightforward, the words you choose and how you structure your sentences influence the overall style and readability. On the one hand, you need to clearly and precisely present your ideas (bring out the main ideas without beating around the bush), but on the other hand, you need not oversimplify without being flat (your text should be interesting to read). Be graceful and brief, and skip information and phrases your reader totally won’t need, e.g., “writer Charles Dickens.”
Wrapping Up
Writing essays is more than writing introductions and conclusions to the paper’s main text. Patterns and familiarity with some of the primary keys of essay writing will help you craft excellent papers that your professor will highly appreciate.