TOP 10 MISTAKES ESSAY WRITERS SHOULD AVOID

Common mistakes are applicable to essay writers whether beginners or those who are professionally trained already. Essay is easy to say but hard to do. That is the very sentence that describes what essay is all about. It is the top most writing assignment that professors give to students in any school level. This is because essays are more on expressing one’s thought thus allowing an undergraduate to practice more of his or her existing writing skills rather than being pressured with technical inscription.

Though errors are common this doesn’t mean that it should be committed again and again and again. There are ways that one can improve his or her sentence construction through avoiding the top 10 mistakes essay writers do. Let the list be your guide as you do your pending assignments and also for your future needs.

1. Choosing the wrong topic

Most often than not, your topic choice will create a big difference to what the outcome of your essay will be. Write an essay in topic that you know and that you will find easy to search in for sources. This will allow a faster gathering of facts which will then benefit in a faster writing process. Try to avoid topics that concerns diseases, divorce, death and grief for it may be too personal for others. Depend on the chosen topic what type of essay you will be writing so it will be a coherent one.

2. Writing without a cause

 
Your essay should give significance to your chosen topic. It should influence others or promote an action. Writing an essay just because it is an assignment is something that should be avoided because it limits the flow of creativity for the writer’s side. Make sure that your essay answers the question you raise in the thesis or problem statement and that you have given enough sources that will prove your point.

3. Being too personal

Giving your personality is great in essay writing for it creates the right branding in everything that you do. What is not great is using too much personal references such as “I”, “for me” and “in my opinion”. These words make an essay appear self-centered and do not promote much of a writer-reader relationship. Instead of saying “In my opinion, gender equality should be mandated by the law”, jump straight to “Gender equality should be mandated by the law” for the said sentence can stand along by itself.

4. Punctuation mistakes

Punctuations such as period, comma, semi-colon, colon etc. should be given enough attention when writing the essay proper. Proofreading your essay just to find for errors in the punctuation is highly recommended. Scan whether every sentence ends with a period and if you have given the correct comma to the dates, to separating clauses and to introduce a quotation.

5. Spelling errors

Computer has built-in spelling checker but don’t rely everything on this said software. Always double check with a dictionary either on a physical book or online to be sure that all words especially the harder ones are spelled correctly. Proofreading your final draft is also applicable to avoid this mistake.

6. No essay structure

Essays should follow a normal format of an introduction, body of the essay and conclusion. Each part should support the main topic of the essay and should deliver substance that readers will easily understand. Create an essay outline first so it will be easier to comply with how the essay should look once it is done.

7. Poor introduction and conclusion

As an opening paragraph your essay introduction should sell your paper to the readers in a way that they will be encouraged to read the rest. It should act as an appetizer before the great meal which is the body of the essay. Create catching sentences, give surprising facts or statistics or start with a quote from a famous person that relates to your chosen topic. Reveal your thesis topic to give the readers something to look forward to in the said paper.

Conclusions on the other hand should seal the deal in a way that it should create a lasting impression. Restate your problem statement and give a call to action in the ending part. It will also be helpful if the concluding items will be a generalization or synthesis of the manuscript.

 8. Too short or too lengthy essays

Having the right length on the essay is important for it adds to the substance of the work. Comply if there is a given word count set by the essay adviser. If none then be sure that the essay will not be too short that certain parts are omitted or too long but gives no clear understanding for the readers. Be concise in your writing and don’t allow any irrelevant details that just add to the confusion of the target audience. Repetition of words or phrases should also be avoided. Learn the value or paraphrasing so there will be a flow of new ideas in the content.

9. Waiting until the last minute

Some students will choose to reserve the writing process up to the very last day or last minute of the submission. This results to poorly written papers that don’t give justice to the writing assignment. Set time in gathering your sources and creating your draft. Ask someone to read the content of your essay and follow any constructive criticisms that you will hear. Budget your time 9in writing wisely and effectively.

10. Committing plagiarism

Taking another person’s text whether short or long and using it as if it is your own is called plagiarism. Students may either do it on purpose or there are those who fell accidentally to this common trap. Either ways always cite your sources. Document the materials you used and that information that influenced your paper and do an in-text citation. This way you will avoid being accused of committing this major writing sin.

A well-planned essay does not just create a high mark but rather produce a writer of purpose. Set the bar high by avoiding the said common mistakes and vowing to create an essay that is original, with substance and can influence others. Always take note that behind every good essay is a good writer who understands that writing an essay is not just a task but also an opportunity to prove yourself to others.