Polishing your essay writing skills is the key to transforming your current essay grades into top marks. You may have all the ideas in place, but to achieve the highest possible grade it is necessary to finely craft your points so you can put your ideas across in the most elegant and articulate way.
The following top essay tips have been provided by Oxbridge Essays, check out their Facebook page for some great hints and tips to help you improve your essay grade.
Tip #1: Avoid Repetition
You may think that you’re emphasising your point by repeating it. At certain times, repetition can work great for emphasis, such as in speeches. However, if you continually repeat yourself in an essay, it can make your essay boring quickly and make your writing seem lazy.
Instead of repeating your points over and over, consider your essay plan carefully. What is the core idea in your essay and how can you best present it? You may find it necessary to approach the point you want to make from different angles, instead of hammering home the same point over and over again. By doing this, you can turn one simple point into several strong points, while avoiding repetition along the way.
Tip #2: Write in the Present Tense
It’s easy to write in the past tense, but it also sounds boring and unprofessional. Instead, write in the present tense, or use the ‘active voice’ in your essays to bring them up to scratch.
It may seem strange to write in the present tense, but this is a small but crucial part of academic writing. If you’re having trouble with this, simply consider that everything in your essay must be presented as if it is in the here and now, no matter when the material was set. For example, you should always write that ‘the author states’ rather than ‘the author stated’ and so on.
Tip #3: Avoid Clichés
It’s easy to add clichés and idioms into your essay without meaning to do so, but this makes your writing seem tired and unoriginal, and not at all academic. While certain kinds of writing require creative comparisons, it is best to avoid over-zealous use of similes and metaphors when it comes to essay writing.
Instead, try to strip your essay of what is truly unnecessary, and instead focus on making your point as clearly and concisely as you can. Many students are long-winded in their desire to make up the required word count, but examiners see right through this and it does not help the point you are trying to make, or improve your grade. By stripping away clichés, idioms and overtly flowery language, the key points of your essay will shine through.
These top tips may seem simple and straightforward, but start incorporating them into your essays now, and you’ll soon reap the rewards.