We write daily when texting a loved one or commenting on a blog post. One form of writing that is really popular with students is essay writing. It is taught so that students could communicate effectively in school and later in their lives. However, over time, many students have found essay writing difficult because of some common mistakes that they fail to recognize and avoid. In this article, we address these mistakes by going over 8 of them in detail, so you might want to read until the end.
8 Essay Writing Mistakes to Avoid
It’s common for schools to include essay writing as part of their curriculum, which is why many students tend to use Trust My Paper services to connect them with the best writers on the internet. However, whether you decide to write by yourself or not, you should be aware of these common essay writing mistakes:
- Starting late
- Not doing enough research
- Lack of planning
- Excessive wordiness
- Failing to answer the asked questions
- Plagiarism
- Grammar and punctuation errors
- Not reviewing the essay
1. Starting late
When an essay assignment is given, it might be tempting to set it aside for a couple of days. This is especially the case when other pressing assignments are on your mind. However, this usually becomes a problem as it can be easy to forget an essay deadline is approaching until it’s too late. Then, you might be forced to rush things, which usually leads to substandard work and, as a result, poor grades.
2. Not doing enough research
Essay topics are usually meant to challenge students to research and work hard. When not enough research is done, it often leads to inaccurate writing. This is a mistake a professional essay writer would not make. Whether the essay topic is boring or not, you need to understand the assignment for the best grades properly.
3. Lack of planning
When you rush into an essay without planning, it can lead to disastrous results. After proper research has been done on your essay assignment, you need to plan how much time it would take to complete your essay, what each section of the essay will cover, etc. This doesn’t need to be a fixed plan since you might make adjustments later; however, it should be clear enough that it can be followed with ease.
4. Excessive wordiness
A good essay is, at the very least, easy to read. Trying to impress your professor with your wide vocabulary can be tempting, but it might backfire and make your essay too wordy. Whether you’re submitting your essay as part of a graded assignment or competition, you want it to be as clear as possible. Not only will you get your point across more easily, but it also makes it easier for you to review your work before submitting it.
5. Failing to answer the asked questions
Most essay assignments involve the student answering at least one main question. Sometimes, during the course of writing, you might forget to provide a clear answer to questions asked. This is quite common and is one of the major reasons for poorly graded essays. Before writing your essay, you want to list out any and all questions that you’re required to answer. This way, you can track how successful your essay writing will be when reviewing it.
6. Plagiarism
It’s okay to draw inspiration from other people’s work. However, you should be very of plagiarism. It may come into play when you copy someone else's work without providing any credit to them but instead, pass it as your own, whether knowingly or not. It’s often frowned upon and can lead to serious consequences, including expulsion, but this varies between institutions. When researching, rather than copying an article you like, try and draw your own conclusions, and always remember to include proper citations.
7. Grammar and punctuation errors
A missing comma can make a sentence unreadable or even change its meaning. This is a common issue that students face either due to being in a hurry or not having a strong understanding of the English language. When writing, you should pay attention to punctuation rules, or you can use tools such as Grammarly to help you stop grammar or punctuation errors.
8. Not reviewing the essay
It can be easy to want to rush and submit your essay, but while it might seem redundant, you should spend some time reviewing your essay before submitting it. Aside from checking the grammar and punctuation, you can use this opportunity to see if all questions were answered and if the writing structure matches the requirements.
Bottom Line
Essay writing is a skill we should all have, as it applies to almost all aspects of human interaction. Whether you’re a student in class or a professional in the workplace, you must have good writing skills. If you are someone that has struggled with essay writing in the past, hopefully, at this point in the article, you have developed an idea of areas where you can improve.
