Secrets of Writing Essays Like a Professional
A well-written essay can say a lot about your level of language proficiency. Even though not many people are brilliant writers, writing is a quite useful skill for many people. In this article, we will share some helpful tips and consider some common mistakes so that you can avoid them.
Training
You need some time to collect the necessary materials, so we recommend that you start planning your essay as soon as possible. You should set a clear direction for your future essay at the very beginning so that you can focus on the right things and work more productively. If you establish a clear direction for your essay from the start, you will also quickly notice relevant information while researching your topic.
As you write more essays, you can learn how to make them better. Critical essays, compare and contrast essays, and other types of academic assignments enable you to practice different approaches. Challenging topics enable you to get better at research. Many writers agree that easy writing requires strategic thinking: you should start your essay with a strong introduction, present your ideas in a logical way, and end the essay with a thought-provoking conclusion. Besides, you should stick with the right formatting.
We suggest that you begin the writing process with an outline. In the outline, you can plan the overall logical structure and include some facts that you already know about the subject. After this, you can do some research to collect more information. When researching your topic, you may find tons of information so you should keep in mind the general idea of your essay and select relevant information that can be actually useful.
How To Start
Even the most talented and experienced writers sometimes find themselves staring at a blank sheet of paper. If you don’t know where to start, the best solution is to just start writing. Write whatever comes to your mind so that you can have something to work with. You can always fix grammar and spelling mistakes later. Just follow your outline and write down the key ideas according to your plan.
When writing an essay on your computer, you can quickly cut and paste big chunks of text. Some people, however, prefer using a pen and paper. In this case, you can leave some space between the lines so that you can add something later. If you want to rearrange whole paragraphs, you can cut the sheet into strips. The main thing is to keep in mind that the overall structure should include an introduction, body, and conclusion.
Introduction
The introduction of your essay should include some thoughts about the topic. For instance, you may explain the key concepts and terms, and the background of the subject. Let your readers understand what your essay will be about. The introduction should also be intriguing enough so that your readers will want to read more. Explain why your topic is relevant.
Given that essays are relatively short, don’t stuff your essays with too many arguments and too much evidence. The introduction should help your audience understand what the whole essay will be about and what your key ideas are. Besides, your tutor may want to see your response to specific questions. Therefore, a strong introduction should:
- Demonstrate your understanding of the topic;
- Show your intent to answer a specific question;
- Follow the main theme;
- Demonstrate that you’ve put some time and effort into researching sources;
- Be concise — a good introduction should make up 8% to 9% of the length of your essay;
- Indicate the structure of your answer and the key aspects that you’re going to address;
Start your essay with a phrase that will indicate the direction of your response, and don’t forget that the introduction is crucial for the success of your essay. It creates the first impression and determines whether or not your readers will want to read the whole thing.
Writing a Motivation Letter: the Basics
If you want to study abroad or to get to a well-known university, you should prepare your admission documents properly. A motivational essay is a very important part of your application, so we decided to provide you with some helpful tips.
Preparation
Before you get to the writing process itself, think of the content. What question are you going to answer in your motivational letter? For example, you can explain who you are, what you care about, and what your main achievements are. Make sure to include specific examples, and don’t try to sound smart. Instead of just saying that you’re single-minded, describe your achievements, goals, and things you do to accomplish them. Make sure to illustrate your problem-solving skills with some specific examples.
Why did you choose this particular area? What do you find interesting about it? Why do you want to spend the rest of your life doing it? It’s not enough to just say that something is your favorite subject. Tell a story about how it impressed you so that you decided to dedicate your life to it.
You should also explain why you’ve chosen a particular university. Therefore, you should do your research and include as much specific information as possible. Don’t write about how great this university is — the admissions committee knows how good they are. They get many applications so the purpose of this section is not to explain what makes this university good but what makes it a good option for you, and why you can be a good fit.
Emphasize your academic strengths and focus on unique features of the university that can help you achieve your specific goals. When writing about your goals, keep in mind that graduating from a university isn’t a goal. It’s an important step on your way to achieving other goals. Explain how education will help your professional and personal development.
The Writing Process
- The first paragraph: the introduction
Grab your readers’ attention with an interesting hook, provide the necessary background information, and identify the main idea from the very beginning. - The 2nd, 3rd, and 4th paragraphs: the main body
Support your key idea with evidence. You may use different types of evidence for different types of essays. For instance, you may use quotes from authoritative sources, personal experiences, or statistics. - The fifth paragraph: the conclusion
Reiterate the key idea and provide a brief summary of your essay. Make sure that your conclusion is original and interesting. A good conclusion should leave a pleasant aftertaste so that your readers won’t forget about you after they finish reading the essay. Avoid cliches, be sincere, and authentic.
Edit
Never skip this step. Always edit and proofread your essays before submitting them. Check the overall logical structure, and make sure that there is a clear logical connection between different sections and paragraphs. Check your style, and get rid of any unnecessary passages. Is your essay concise? Is it captivating? When writing an admissions essay, you should also keep in mind that the admissions committee reads dozens of essays every day so your essay must stand out.
