dos and don'ts of writing a good essay

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15 Essay Writing Dos And Don’ts to Help You Write Great Essays

by Antony W

September 13, 2022

There’s nothing worse than scoring low marks for an essay that you’ve worked so hard to complete. So before you start working on your essay, regardless of the type of essay your instructor has asked you to work on, it’s important to know about essay writing dos and don’ts.

This will help you stay on the right track from the time you start writing to the moment you put the final full stop to paper.

Key Takeaways

Use short, simple sentences to make your essay easy to read.
Include a statement of declaration (thesis statement) in the introduction.
Stick to the format for writing an essay.
Do not share too many ideas in a single paragraph. Each paragraph should address one unique issue.
Do not plagiarize your work.
Do not address your reader in the essay but focus on the objectives while remaining detached and analytical.
Do use this essay writing service if you don’t have enough time to write your essay from scratch.
Do not start an essay with the phrase “My essay” or “In this essay”.

The Dos and Don’ts of Essay Writing: 10 Things to Do and 10 Things to Avoid

Here are the dos and don’ts of essay writing:

1. Do Split Up Your Sentences if They Get Too Long

Make sure your sentences are not blocks of words. A block of words will undoubtedly turn off the readers because they will find the essay boring to read.

So, make sure your sentences are short and to the point.

Apart from easing your readers reading experience, splitting your sentence will even help you discover sentences that can stand alone during essay editing.

2. Do include a thesis statement in the Introduction

You should include a thesis statement in the introduction to summarize what the essay is.

Having a thesis statement in your introduction also helps the reader to understand what you are about to write about.

This statement should appear at the end of the introduction paragraph.

In this section, completely avoid the use of complicated words since it is a point where the reader gets a clue of what you intend to communicate.

3. Do Use Simple Sentence

As you write your essay, ensure the language and sentences you use are easy to digest. Use words so simple that even a high school student can understand.

What is the goal of using heavy words in your essay yet no one will understand what you’re trying to communicate?

Just help the reader to understand you more by using simple sentence constructions.

4. Do Remember to Proofread Your Work

Carelessness, laziness, unprofessionalism is what readers see in you when you submit unrevised essays for reading.

Typing errors, grammatical errors, and small spelling mistakes can make an essay you took time to right look bad.

It is your essay nobody else’s so, make the effort to go through it.

Revisiting your essays helps you identify errors. Once you eliminate each of the errors, your essay will have a good flow of ideas and be very easy to read.

5. Remember to Look for Formatting Requirements

Before you start writing an essay, make sure you have gone through the formatting requirements.

Reading these requirements is important because it shows that you can follow instructions.

The habit of reading through instructions, before anything else and implementing what the instructions command will help you score high marks for the essay.

6. Remember to Use Your Candidate Number, Tutors Name, and Page Numbers

Before submitting any of your essays for marking, ensure that you have included your candidate number as your file name.

Remember you are not the only student submitting his or her assignment, and that means if the assignment doesn’t have a candidate’s number you won’t get your results.

It is also important to include the name of your tutor and indicate the number of pages your work has.

7. Sufficient Spacing

As you write, leave some space for the tutor to leave comments as he or she marks your work. The space should be on both margins of the essay paper.

8. Do Discuss Literature in the Present Tense

Always use present tenses when writing essays.

Adhere to present tense especially when the essay an assignment based on literary works. Present tense on historic narratives makes your essay more engaging.

9. Choose the Correct Language

Your ability to investigate and explore topics is based on the language you choose to use write your essay in.

The language you use will also determine how well and how easy you will explain your points and prove your opinions.

The language you choose to use also determines the level of your language proficiency and grammar knowledge. It is therefore important that you ensure the language you choose favors you.

10. Make Good Use of Your Time

A semester is usually 75 days or 15 weeks long.

This is enough time to prepare the 20-page assignment. Make good of the period to write an essay worth awarding good grades.

Our time management tips can help you use your time well.

11. Don't Give the Reader too Many Ideas in a Single Sentence

Having all your essay ideas in a single sentence means the remaining part of the essay is a joint of words with no meaning and is only there to lengthen your essay.

Also, long and too complicated sentences will confuse essay readers.

So sprinkle the ideas you have all over your essay.

12. Do not Plagiarize Your Essay

Never should you ever use someone else’s research as your own. Markers always disqualify plagiarized essays .

Readers also distrust you once they learn a portion of your essay is a duplicate from an outside source. In case you find a piece of information so important, give credit to the author.

13. Do Not Address the Reader

While writing an essay, avoid addressing your readers. Instead, you should focus on your objectives. Stay detached and analytical.

Avoid appealing to your reader’s personality and emotions because if you do, they will rightly lose the reading morale.

Essays that touch on the reader’s emotions and personality are as tasteless as water.

14. Do Not Open an Essay With “In this essay or My essay”

Of course, we already know it is your essay, so you should never start up your essay with such phrases.

Consider staying formal to the very end. Also, be careful about the kind of expressions you use in essays because some expressions might hurt your reader’s emotions and feelings.

15. Don’t List the Topic of each Body Paragraph

Although this is a strategy taught to armature students to help them organize their work better, it has a few limitations.

First, it will work well on short essay projects on an essay. Second, listing the topic in each body of your paragraph may not lead to complex points.

Unless you are asked to do so by the instructions, avoid listing the topic of each body paragraph.

About the author

Antony W is a professional writer and coach at Help for Assessment. He spends countless hours every day researching and writing great content filled with expert advice on how to write engaging essays, research papers, and assignments.

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Essay writing is an obligatory academic assignment, regardless of course of study and institution.

However, few students find the essay writing process easy. Of course, practice makes perfect and by the time students hit their senior year in college, most of them can write an essay in their sleep.

However, no one wants to learn from their own mistakes so knowing the most important dos and don'ts of essay writing will help make this experience less stressful and more productive.

There is no universal template that can solve every college essay trouble.

However, the following rules of writing are standard and applicable to all types of academic essay, no matter what the course and topic:

The Do's of Essay Writing

Do make your essay easy to read.

Because of the large number of essays that have to be graded, many instructors admit that they skim read essays to get an idea if a student is competent in the topic and how well they have adhered to the style guidelines. Therefore, it is a good idea to structure your essay so the key points are visible when skim reading and are clear enough to get the message across.

Get rid of extra words and phrases, use clear constructions and stick to the point.

Do Include a Thesis Statement in the Introduction

A thesis statement is an important part of introduction and the essay in general, so it should never be neglected. The thesis statement should reveal the main idea of the essay in a concise format.

Although it is an obligatory part of the introduction, never make your thesis statement the opening sentence of your essay. It is a good idea to place it at the end of the introductory paragraph so it serves as a transition to the main body of the essay.

Do Use Transitions Between Paragraphs

Sometimes paragraphs sound like separate pieces of text put together. This is the wrong approach to writing.

Your essay should be smooth and coherent, leading the reader from one point to another. This is why you should use transitions – the phrases that help to connect each idea with the previous one, serving like bridges between paragraphs.

Examples of phrases you can use for transitions include:

Despite the previous arguments…
Speaking about this…
Regarding this…
With regards to this…
As has been noted…
To put it briefly…

Do Cite Examples

Any example you use – from literature, scientific work, etc. - should be cited.

Only examples from your own experience do not have to be cited. If you want to include mention of something that you have read, even if you are not using a direct quotation, it is best to reference the source of the information. This way, your examples will be more convincing and form more reliable evidence of the points you wish to prove.

The key to easily finding relevant examples is to build a collection of valuable texts in your field. With the help of your collection, you will save a lot of time searching for suitable examples on the Internet or other sources. Organize your files into folders and subfolders to easily find the text you're looking for. If your library becomes large, use these tips to easily search for text in your files.

Your text library can also help you diversify your writing style. Take a cue from the best writers in your field, and explore the variety in style and sentence structure they use.

Do Discuss Literature in the Present Tense

When writing literary reviews or essays based on literary works it is advisable to use present tense – historical present or narrative present, as it is called. It makes the storytelling more engaging and real, increasing the feeling of presence.

For example:

‘Romeo and Juliet experience true love the moment they see each other. Love makes them forget everything else. From the very beginning they are somehow aware that they are doomed to die – they have given up their lives to love. Not only love, but every emotion in the play is heightened and leads to terrible consequences.’

Book Reviewed by Amrita Dutta.

Do Use Advanced Vocabulary

The aim of an essay is to not only to reveal your knowledge of the topic, but to show your ability to choose appropriate vocabulary and show your language expertise.

You should show that your vocabulary has progressed since high school. That means using advanced vocabulary and replacing ‘good’ and ‘nice’ with more appropriate synonyms to reflect the shades of meaning.

Do Respond to the Prompt of the Essay

The prompt of the essay is intentional.

No matter how much you want to ‘go with the flow’ and write whatever your inspiration dictates, you should remember you are writing an academic assignment and, as long as it has a prompt, you should stick to it.

If the prompt is complicated and consists of several parts, analyze your final draft and check if you covered every point of the essay prompt.

Do Use Simple Sentences

Complicated sentences may be confusing, not only for the person reading and grading your essay but for the students themselves.

Writing complicated sentences doesn’t indicate elaborate writing style. Rather it may show your inability to convey information in a simple and readable format, or to break the sentences in a logical way. What’s more, complicated sentences increase the risk of grammar errors and stylistic mistakes. Famous writers, like Hemingway or Fitzgerald, wrote simply and that didn’t make their writing any worse.

Do Choose Proper Type, Style and Format

A good essay is not about style and formatting, of course, but style influences the first impression your paper makes.

First and foremost, professors want to see the correct essay style and structure depending on the topic and essay type students have to tackle. In many cases, the style meant to be used in the essay is laid out in the directions or has been established beforehand. You may easily figure out the style based on the type of essay.

Do Choose the Right Language

The language you use in the paper indicates your ability to research and analyze the topic, prove your opinion, and explain your points clearly and vividly.

It also shows the level of your language proficiency, knowledge of grammar and syntax, and ability to develop rich vocabulary. It is important to remember the academic style of writing and use the appropriate language. The following phrases work well to introduce and support your points:

There seems to be no compelling reason to argue that …
The argument can be made …
Current research on [your topic] shows …
The most common argument in favor of (or against) is …
There is a growing body of evidence to support …

Do Revise your Writing Thoroughly

Before you hit ‘Save’ and print the final version, check your essay thoroughly to avoid spelling mistakes, typos and incorrect sentence constructions. Apart from language mistakes, check if you followed all the requirements: number of words/pages, text formatting, essay structure, etc.

See our page: Assignment Finishing Touches for more information.

The Don'ts of Essay Writing

Now that you’ve learnt the major Dos, let’s move to some Don’ts – the things you’d better avoid in essay writing.

Don't Overwhelm your Essay with Information and Facts

Though essays should be meaningful and detailed, learn to filter the information and choose only important points.

There is a temptation to include every single detail of your research to make the essay holistic and complete. However, your aim is to narrow the topic, show that you are able to analyze and structure information, and choose only the most relevant facts to prove your points.

Don't Neglect Formatting Details

No matter what your style and formatting requirements are, you should not forget to pay attention to the following points: paper size, spaces, font size, margins, and page numbers.

Also do not forget about narration types. For example, narrative essays tell stories from first person while persuasive or argumentative essays require that you leave emotions out and base your views on the solid facts, so no first person narration is appropriate.

Don't Use Too Many Clichés

While using set phrases, avoid overwhelming your essay with clichés.

Remember that not all clichés are good for every type of essay. What's more, professors expect your work to be original and truly value students with fresh ideas and views. Also, beware of using informal language. This doesn't mean that your writing should be reminiscent of a scientific thesaurus rather than real speech, but academic writing requires a certain level of formality.

See our page: Avoiding Clichés for more.

Don't Let Typos Ruin your Essay

Although typos do not indicate your language proficiency or grammar knowledge, they may show your professor that you are not attentive enough or do not care enough to proof read your essay.

Submitting a paper that looks like a draft can be interpreted by a professor as disrespectful.

Don’t Rely Only on Spell Checkers

Though spell checkers are good way to automatically proof read your writing, don’t rely on software alone.

These programs may miss a lot of spelling errors that that human eye will definitely notice. So, take time to proof read your essay. It is better to print out the final version on paper as spelling mistakes can be missed when reading from the screen. It is a good idea to ask someone else to have a fresh look at your essay and to proofread it for spelling mistakes.

Do Not Plagiarize

This rule should be clear for every student.

Plagiarism is a form of cheating, and when detected it is always punished.

Do not risk your reputation and your place in higher education. Plagiarism is easily detected today with the help of software and Google, so be honest with yourself and your educators and write on your own.

Reference every source to make sure you are not committing plagiarism, even unintentionally. It is a good idea to ‘know your enemy’ and read about the kinds of plagiarism possible and best ways to avoid it.

See our page: Academic Referencing for more information.

Do Not Address the Reader

No matter what type of essay you are writing, academic writing rarely reveals the author nor engages in the conversation with the reader. Addressing the reader is more a mark of fiction than an academic essay. While writing a college essay you should be detached, objective and analytical rather than appeal to the reader’s emotions and personality.

Don’t Start an Essay with “ in this/my essay ” Phrase

The introduction has to present the main idea of the essay and reveal what you are going to talk about.

Writing an effective introduction and including a thesis statement is enough to lead the reader into the context of your essay topic without using this meaningless high school phrase ‘In my essay I’m going to focus on…’

Don’t Use Negative Language

Negative language doesn’t mean vulgarisms. It means words with negative suffixes, phrases with negation, etc.

For example, painless is not a negative word in its meaning. However, using it makes the reader focus on pain instead of its absence. So it is better to replace so called negative language with more positive, synonymous expressions, like using economical instead of inexpensive, or comfortable/pleasant instead of painless.

When writing an essay you should walk a fine line between presenting a clear idea of the established knowledge and proving that you understand it well enough to make an independent assessment.

Show your professor your ability to format an essay correctly, choose the right style, express your point of view and prove it with facts. Learn to balance the form and meaning and essays will no longer be challenging for you.

About the Author

Tracy Collins is a writing instructor, education enthusiast and author.

Continue to: Writing a Dissertation or Thesis Academic Referencing

See also: Common Mistakes in Writing The Writer’s Toolkit: Essential Elements of Outstanding Essays Study Skills

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Essay writing 101: Dos and Don'ts

Writing essays is one of the most important aspects of every student's education since it fosters their ability to reason and express themselves creatively.

You can use this information to explore academic subjects; after you have put it in writing, you will understand it more fully. Additionally, writing essays strengthens your logical reasoning and study techniques because it forces you to look up information on the issue.

Furthermore, it teaches students how to structure their ideas by dividing them into introductions, subtopics, and conclusions as well as how to conduct research and try out explanatory writing .

Let us share with you the tips to follow while writing an essay :

· Read the instructions and make sure that you understand them well before starting the essay. The instructions will state how many words you need to write, which content topics and supporting facts you should include in them, and all other details about the topic that you need to know thoroughly.

· Ensure that your writing is easy to read and does not require any additional background knowledge for you or your readers to understand what you are trying to communicate.

· To make sure the content is free of plagiarism, you can take references from other websites. However, ensure that the sources are properly cited and referenced so your audience will have no problem in understanding where you got your information.

· It is quite common to notice sentences and punctuation errors in essays. The essay should be free of any grammatical errors, as they give readers a negative impression. The writer should pay special attention to this.

· In order to effectively develop your essay, you need to consider what will be the major purpose of this argumentative essay. Make sure that all your arguments and points are in support of the central idea. If you can explain why something should be implemented or why something should not, then it is a good idea to do so.

Don’ts

· The secret to writing an excellent essay is to address the essay themes that is being assigned to you. If you don't personally know any of the facts or figures, don't bother about stating them. This is one of the main errors that students make when trying to create essays.

· A conclusion that doesn't make sense or doesn't engage with the main points of your essay can be a turn-off for readers. Remember that everyone wants to feel cared about and understood during their reading experience.

Therefore, it is the writer’s responsibility to create quality content for the readers.

· There is no limit on the number of sentences and words you can use if it is coherent. Long sentences can be confusing, and it will be difficult for your reader to follow them.

They also look bad when printed out. The title of your essay should be short, informative, and clear. Avoid using too many words for your title as it will take longer for a reader to recognize what topic you have written about.

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12 Tips on Writing an Essay: The Most Common Do’s and Don’ts

EssayEdge > Blog > 12 Tips on Writing an Essay: The Most Common Do’s and Don’ts

This December has been a big month for the number 12. To continue in the spirit of 12/12/12 and even that beloved (or possibly, vehemently hated) holiday tune, “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” today EssayEdge presents to you, ” The Twelve Dos and Don’ts of Writing and Essay.” Enjoy!

DO give yourself time. Two weeks is ideal, but twelve days would work too. Even if you’re only a day or two away from your deadline, starting now is always better than starting later.
DON’T plagiarize. Using someone else’s work will kill your chance of admission.
DO be honest. Trying to make a four-week internship that you spent mainly answering phones sound like you were the CEO of a Fortune 500 firm for a year won’t improve your standing in the eyes of the admissions committee.
DON’T exceed the length limit. Admissions officers have heard every excuse in the book for why a particular applicant desperately needs 700 words when the maximum specified was 500. The simple fact is that there is never a good reason to go over, and doing so will reflect poorly on you.
DO be descriptive. One of the essay writing tips to do this is to use active verbs and dynamic nouns. “The red car stopped directly in front of my friend,” is nothing compared to, “The Ferrari squealed to a halt inches from Steve’s face,” and both use the exact same number of words.
DON’T write a resume in essay form. If your essay or statement reads like a narrative listing of your various courses, clubs, jobs, and accomplishments over the past several years, it isn’t serving its intended purpose.

Need help? Check out EssayEdge editing services:

DO respond to the prompt. It’s amazing how many applicants write essays that, while generally solid, aren’t actually relevant to the prompt at hand. If the prompt asks a specific question (or several), make sure your essay provides an answer.
DON’T use cliches or overuse idioms. If you do not know how to make an essay better, expert writers recommend deleting unnecessary idioms and phrasal verbs. This one should be a piece of cake, like taking candy from a baby.
DO take breaks. Writing comes in fits and starts. If you feel like you’re making good progress, then by all means continue. If you’re stuck with a nasty case of writer’s block, though, the best cure is often a nap, some exercise, a movie, or anything else that takes your mind off the essay for a while.
DON’T rely on spell check. Automatic functions in programs like Microsoft Word are helpful tools, but they’re not infallible. Mistakes can make it though unchecked. See?
DO have someone else review your work. Whether a close friend, parent, teacher, counselor, or professional, having someone else read through your essay will give you valuable feedback. Sometimes it takes a new perspective to spot problem areas that you would otherwise miss.
DON’T completely stress out. Yes, this is important, and yes, it takes a lot of work, but it’s not the end of the world. Make sure you still find time for relaxation and the things that are important in your life.

These do’s, and don’ts of essay writing are basic rules of writing one must memorize. Apply them regardless of the type of paper you’re working on. The last ‘Do’ is a must. If you can’t find the right person to proofread dissertation or essay, press ‘Order Now.’ You’ll find it here.

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8 Do’s and Don’ts For Crafting Your College Essay

←5 Awesome College Essay Topics + Sample Essays

6 Personal Essay Brainstorming Exercises →

Contrary to what you might think, you essay is not a place to prove your worthiness to attend college. Instead, it’s a place to convey your personality, demonstrate who you are, and explore what you can bring to campus.

Not sure what to say? Here are 8 dos and don’ts for writing your college essay.

Don’t: Regurgitate your resume.

Do: find a hook..

Colleges have your transcript, SAT/ACT scores, recs, and extracurriculars to understand the academic side of you. Your essay is a place to show them what you’re really like—your personality, passions, and what you’ll bring to campus. It’s a place to demonstrate that you have a fit —meaning you would fit in with the student body and contribute to the campus—with the school.

Use a hook—a compelling anecdote, an example, a question—at the beginning of your essay to draw your reader in. (Read How to Get the Perfect Hook for Your College Essay to help you come up with an idea.) This is a chance to demonstrate what your personality is like and give them an idea of your voice.

Don’t: Turn use overused metaphors.

Do: use rhetorical devices..

A personalized metaphor can be a great way to capture your experiences and views through the lens of a single experience. For instance, you might discuss a time you volunteered at a hospital in a third-world country to capture how you believe in helping others. For tips on developing your own metaphor, check out How to Develop a Personalized Metaphor for Your Applications .

However, be wary of using common or cliche experiences as metaphors for something more global. Topics like sports injury and pet death are so common that adcoms’ eyes will glaze over the second they see them. Plus, these topics don’t really capture bigger-picture trials and may make you seem unworldly. While there may be a place to talk about them—for instance, if you had to quit an activity because of a sports injury, you may want to explain in the additional information section—, it’s better to develop a more original topic for your essay.

However, how you say it is more important than what you say. That’s why you should use rhetorical devices —symbols, imagery, metaphors, anecdotes, and other compelling language—to describe your experience and make it seem real to adcoms.

Don’t: Assume you have nothing to say.

Do: brainstorm..

You don’t have to have started your own business to tell a compelling story . Remember: how you say it is more important than what you say.

To get started, try some brainstorming exercises . For instance, you might make lists of beliefs, character flaws, personal anecdotes or whatever else pops into your head.

My brother wrote his essay about failing his driving test. Somehow, he managed to turn what could have been a mundane, if disappointing, experience into a hilarious and even poignant story. (He ended up going to Cornell, so it worked.) All of this to say, you can turn even the most common, everyday experience into a reflection on something larger.

Don’t: Shy away from challenges or difficulties you’ve faced.

Do: choose the most appropriate forum to discuss them..

If you’ve taken time off or personal issues have impacted your grades and schoolwork, you should explain it in your application. However, take care to do it in the right section and in a way that portrays you in the most positive light possible. Overcoming obstacles can certainly be positive, but you don’t want colleges to regard you as a liability, such as if you’ve had significant psychological issues they won’t be able to address.

Essays are a good forum for discussing obstacles you’ve faced and how you’ve overcome them, but if you choose this kind of topic, make sure it helps colleges understand your personality better. You don’t want to be defensive in your essay; don’t gripe about a conflict with a teacher, for instance. Some issues may be better left to the additional information section.

The Takeaway

The purpose of your essay is to paint a picture of who you are. Adcoms will get an idea of your academic and extracurricular achievements from other sections of your application. The essay is where you demonstrate your character, what you will bring to campus, and new insights and perspectives you can offer. To write a compelling essay, convey your ideas through powerful language, and use a topic about which you can write passionately.

For more tips on writing your college essay, read:

How to Write an Impressive College Essay: A Step-by-Step Guide

How to Write a Personal Statement That Wows Colleges

Want help with your college essays to improve your admissions chances? Sign up for your free CollegeVine account and get access to our essay guides and courses. You can also get your essay peer-reviewed and improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays.

Ultimate Guide to Writing Your College Essay

Tips for writing an effective college essay.

College admissions essays are an important part of your college application and gives you the chance to show colleges and universities your character and experiences. This guide will give you tips to write an effective college essay.

Want free help with your college essay?

UPchieve connects you with knowledgeable and friendly college advisors—online, 24/7, and completely free. Get 1:1 help brainstorming topics, outlining your essay, revising a draft, or editing grammar.

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Learn about the elements of a solid admissions essay.

Avoiding common admissions essay mistakes

Learn some of the most common mistakes made on college essays

Brainstorming tips for your college essay

Stuck on what to write your college essay about? Here are some exercises to help you get started.

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Learn how formal your college essay should be and get tips on how to bring out your natural voice.

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Academic writing

What Is Academic Writing? | Dos and Don’ts for Students

Academic writing is a formal style of writing used in universities and scholarly publications. You’ll encounter it in journal articles and books on academic topics, and you’ll be expected to write your essays , research papers , and dissertation in academic style.

Academic writing follows the same writing process as other types of texts, but it has specific conventions in terms of content, structure and style.

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Types of academic writing, academic writing is…, academic writing is not…, useful tools for academic writing, academic writing checklist.

Academics mostly write texts intended for publication, such as journal articles, reports, books, and chapters in edited collections. For students, the most common types of academic writing assignments are listed below.

Different fields of study have different priorities in terms of the writing they produce. For example, in scientific writing it’s crucial to clearly and accurately report methods and results; in the humanities, the focus is on constructing convincing arguments through the use of textual evidence. However, most academic writing shares certain key principles intended to help convey information as effectively as possible.

Whether your goal is to pass your degree, apply to graduate school , or build an academic career, effective writing is an essential skill.

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Formal and unbiased

Academic writing aims to convey information in an impartial way. The goal is to base arguments on the evidence under consideration, not the author’s preconceptions. All claims should be supported with relevant evidence, not just asserted.

To avoid bias, it’s important to represent the work of other researchers and the results of your own research fairly and accurately. This means clearly outlining your methodology and being honest about the limitations of your research.

The formal style used in academic writing ensures that research is presented consistently across different texts, so that studies can be objectively assessed and compared with other research.

Because of this, it’s important to strike the right tone with your language choices. Avoid informal language , including slang, contractions , clichés, and conversational phrases:

Also , a lot of the findings are a little unreliable.
Moreover , many of the findings are somewhat unreliable.

Clear and precise

It’s important to use clear and precise language to ensure that your reader knows exactly what you mean. This means being as specific as possible and avoiding vague language :

People have been interested in this thing for a long time .
Researchers have been interested in this phenomenon for at least 10 years .

Avoid hedging your claims with words like “perhaps,” as this can give the impression that you lack confidence in your arguments. Reflect on your word choice to ensure it accurately and directly conveys your meaning:

This could perhaps suggest that…
This suggests that…

Specialist language or jargon is common and often necessary in academic writing, which generally targets an audience of other academics in related fields.

However, jargon should be used to make your writing more concise and accurate, not to make it more complicated. A specialist term should be used when:

It conveys information more precisely than a comparable non-specialist term.
Your reader is likely to be familiar with the term.
The term is commonly used by other researchers in your field.

The best way to familiarize yourself with the kind of jargon used in your field is to read papers by other researchers and pay attention to their language.

Focused and well structured

An academic text is not just a collection of ideas about a topic—it needs to have a clear purpose. Start with a relevant research question or thesis statement , and use it to develop a focused argument. Only include information that is relevant to your overall purpose.

A coherent structure is crucial to organize your ideas. Pay attention to structure at three levels: the structure of the whole text, paragraph structure, and sentence structure.

Well sourced

Academic writing uses sources to support its claims. Sources are other texts (or media objects like photographs or films) that the author analyzes or uses as evidence. Many of your sources will be written by other academics; academic writing is collaborative and builds on previous research.

It’s important to consider which sources are credible and appropriate to use in academic writing. For example, citing Wikipedia is typically discouraged. Don’t rely on websites for information; instead, use academic databases and your university library to find credible sources.

You must always cite your sources in academic writing. This means acknowledging whenever you quote or paraphrase someone else’s work by including a citation in the text and a reference list at the end.

There are many different citation styles with different rules. The most common styles are APA , MLA , and Chicago . Make sure to consistently follow whatever style your institution requires. If you don’t cite correctly, you may get in trouble for plagiarism . A good plagiarism checker can help you catch any issues before it’s too late.

You can easily create accurate citations in APA or MLA style using our Citation Generators.

APA Citation Generator MLA Citation Generator

Correct and consistent

As well as following the rules of grammar, punctuation, and citation, it’s important to consistently apply stylistic conventions regarding:

How to write numbers
Introducing abbreviations
Using verb tenses in different sections
Capitalization of terms and headings
Spelling and punctuation differences between UK and US English

In some cases there are several acceptable approaches that you can choose between—the most important thing is to apply the same rules consistently and to carefully proofread your text before you submit. If you don’t feel confident in your own proofreading abilities, you can get help from Scribbr’s professional proofreading services or Grammar Checker .

Academic writing generally tries to avoid being too personal. Information about the author may come in at some points—for example in the acknowledgements or in a personal reflection—but for the most part the text should focus on the research itself.

Always avoid addressing the reader directly with the second-person pronoun “you.” Use the impersonal pronoun “one” or an alternate phrasing instead for generalizations:

As a teacher, you must treat your students fairly.
As a teacher, one must treat one’s students fairly.
Teachers must treat their students fairly.

The use of the first-person pronoun “I” used to be similarly discouraged in academic writing, but it is increasingly accepted in many fields. If you’re unsure whether to use the first person, pay attention to conventions in your field or ask your instructor.

When you refer to yourself, it should be for good reason. You can position yourself and describe what you did during the research, but avoid arbitrarily inserting your personal thoughts and feelings:

In my opinion…
I think that…
I like/dislike…
I conducted interviews with…
I argue that…
I hope to achieve…

Long-winded

Many students think their writing isn’t academic unless it’s over-complicated and long-winded. This isn’t a good approach—instead, aim to be as concise and direct as possible.

If a term can be cut or replaced with a more straightforward one without affecting your meaning, it should be. Avoid redundant phrasings in your text, and try replacing phrasal verbs with their one-word equivalents where possible:

Interest in this phenomenon carried on in the year 2018 .
Interest in this phenomenon continued in 2018 .

Repetition is a part of academic writing—for example, summarizing earlier information in the conclusion—but it’s important to avoid unnecessary repetition. Make sure that none of your sentences are repeating a point you’ve already made in different words.

Emotive and grandiose

An academic text is not the same thing as a literary, journalistic, or marketing text. Though you’re still trying to be persuasive, a lot of techniques from these styles are not appropriate in an academic context. Specifically, you should avoid appeals to emotion and inflated claims.

Though you may be writing about a topic that’s sensitive or important to you, the point of academic writing is to clearly communicate ideas, information, and arguments, not to inspire an emotional response. Avoid using emotive or subjective language :

This horrible tragedy was obviously one of the worst catastrophes in construction history.
The injury and mortality rates of this accident were among the highest in construction history.

Students are sometimes tempted to make the case for their topic with exaggerated , unsupported claims and flowery language. Stick to specific, grounded arguments that you can support with evidence, and don’t overstate your point:

Charles Dickens is the greatest writer of the Victorian period, and his influence on all subsequent literature is enormous.
Charles Dickens is one of the best-known writers of the Victorian period and has had a significant influence on the development of the English novel.

There are a a lot of writing tools that will make your writing process faster and easier. We’ll highlight three of them below.

Paraphrasing tool

AI writing tools like ChatGPT and a paraphrasing tool can help you rewrite text so that your ideas are clearer, you don’t repeat yourself, and your writing has a consistent tone.

They can also help you write more clearly about sources without having to quote them directly. Be warned, though: it’s still crucial to give credit to all sources in the right way to prevent plagiarism .

Grammar checker

Writing tools that scan your text for punctuation, spelling, and grammar mistakes. When it detects a mistake the grammar checke r will give instant feedback and suggest corrections. Helping you write clearly and avoid common mistakes .

You can use a summarizer if you want to condense text into its most important and useful ideas. With a summarizer tool, you can make it easier to understand complicated sources. You can also use the tool to make your research question clearer and summarize your main argument.

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Use the checklist below to assess whether you have followed the rules of effective academic writing.

Checklist: Academic writing

I avoid informal terms and contractions .

I avoid second-person pronouns (“you”).

I avoid emotive or exaggerated language.

I avoid redundant words and phrases.

I avoid unnecessary jargon and define terms where needed.

I present information as precisely and accurately as possible.

I use appropriate transitions to show the connections between my ideas.

My text is logically organized using paragraphs .

Each paragraph is focused on a single idea, expressed in a clear topic sentence .

Every part of the text relates to my central thesis or research question .

I support my claims with evidence.

I use the appropriate verb tenses in each section.

I consistently use either UK or US English .

I format numbers consistently.

I cite my sources using a consistent citation style .

Your text follows the most important rules of academic style. Make sure it's perfect with the help of a Scribbr editor!

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24 Do's and Don’ts of Writing a College Admission Essay

Great college essays aren’t built on a formula, but there are a handful of things that every strong essay has and a bigger handful of things that it most certainly does not. For rising Seniors getting ready to write their essay, it’s crucial that they know what to emphasize and what to avoid. When it comes to the college application process, there’s little worse than realizing that the essay you’ve spent months on is a dud. Well, not getting into your dream school is worse, but fixing your essay before it’s too late is a way to avoid that happening.

Here are our 24 Do’s and Don’ts of Writing a College Essay. Read them, recite them, print this and tape it to your wall. We don’t write these posts just because we like ranting about college — we do it because we want to give you the tools you need to succeed.

DON'T write anything you’ve heard of

Did you read a stellar college essay that your English teacher handed out and are now considering copying the topic? STOP. Did you see the top college essays about money published in the NYTimes (not linking because we didn’t love all of them) and are now thinking that you too should write about how you volunteered preparing tax returns for senior citizens? STOP. If you’ve ever heard of an essay and thought “that’s a good idea,” please immediately banish it from your mind. Your essay is yours, nobody else's, and starting by borrowing isn’t going to get you to a piece that can stand firmly on its own. Here are some prompts to help you come up with a idea that is all yours...

DON'T write about something that you know will appear somewhere else in your college app

You have 650 words with which to show an admissions officer who you are, but your essay isn’t the only thing they will see. Depending on the school, they will see score reports, transcripts, recommendations, supplements, and even additional full-length essays if the school is particularly cruel (jk, we like these, but, yes, they are annoying). The point is, the essay isn’t a grab bag you need to cram everything into, and it also isn’t a place to further emphasize something that you’ll be mentioning in a supplement. It’s a place to be entirely unapologetically you in a way that they won’t be getting anywhere else.

DON'T write about something that shows status

So you went to Ibiza for Spring Break? Cool. Awesome. Amazing. Also, no one wants to hear about it. We’re not asking you to hide affluence or privilege, but let’s not play it up unnecessarily. Not only is bragging a bad look, but you don’t want to make the person reading your admissions essay jealous. Remember, when you’re on winter break skiing at Aspen, they are slogging through piles of essays. Hopefully, they like their job, but they’d still rather be on the slopes.

DON'T make the theme travel or sports

The travel problem links into privilege, but that’s not the whole picture. Travel is, by its very nature, different from your day-to-day life. Admissions officers want to know you as you are, not as you are when you’re cruising around the world. Same goes for sports. While we love that you love soccer, unless you are being recruited (and no, expressing interest in joining a club team doesn’t count), your life on the field won’t be your life after high school graduation. Telling the story of when you scored the championship-winning goal is cool, but it’s not the same as showing colleges who you are. They also know you play soccer from your activities section.

DO write about food

I eat. College admissions officials eat. Presumably, you eat as well. Food is a universal experience that is interwoven with countless memories and emotions. When you write about gnocchi dripping in browned butter with sage, the reader might not share that precise experience, but they certainly had one that is analogous to it. By writing about food, you can share your family, your heritage, and yourself, while giving the reader a seat at the table.

DON'T ask your parents for help

Nothing against your parents, but please don’t ask them for help. Unless they are a professional writer, you have probably done more creative writing in the last six months than they have in the previous six years. In addition to your superior expertise, they are probably completely over-invested in your essay. It’s possible that they care almost as much as you do, or as much as you do, or maybe even (and this is scary) more than you do. Even if your parents are professional writers, the combination of not being an expert in college admissions and being totally over-invested does not make for a positive experience. The bottom line: leave them out.

DO write about morning routines

You wake up at 6:30, you’re out the door at 7:15 to make a 7:45 first bell. Sure, that sounds boring, but there is so much that goes on in the in-betweens. Maybe you are super particular about your cereal to milk ratio after spending months testing different combinations. Perhaps you share a bedroom with a sibling so have had to orchestrate a precise routine. The small things are interesting, even if they seem average to you.

DO write about relationships and relationship dynamics

We’re not talking about your high school boyfriend. Please don't write about your boyfriend. When we say ‘relationships’ we mean loved ones, friends, friend groups, teams (the nerdier the better), cousins, aunts, uncles, and your parents. Don’t write about them, though, write about your relationship to them. Write about connection. One of our best essays about 2018 tackled complex relationships...

DO write about bedtime routines

Nothing salacious here, but see #6 for details. Write about your favorite brand of Listerine, why you brush your hair 100 times, or what it is about having your dad turn off the light instead of doing it yourself that is so special to you.

DO write about a connection to inanimate objects

If you’re so obsessed with stuffed animals that you’ll be bringing a few garbage bags full to college, you may want to keep that to yourself. However , if there is something (or somethings) that you collect, or a piece you inherited, or those old t-shirts your mom designed in college then forgot about for two decades until you pulled them out of a musty duffel bag — write about them. Even Furbies are fair game.

DO write about rituals

We all observe rituals. For some, they are religious, but every family and community has things that started as habits, became traditions, and have ascended to the level of ritual. If your family eats dinner together every single night, tablecloth, candles, and all, that’s interesting. If your community comes together for an annual square dance, that’s interesting. If you and your friend have communicated via walkie-talkie every day after school, doing your homework in tandem despite the street separating your houses, that’s interesting.

DO bring the reader into your home

This isn’t an episode of Cribs (the defunct MTV celebrity home show that we now feel old for using as a reference). Don’t write about your massive pool, bedroom-sized closest, or immaculate kitchen. Show the reader what life is really like: the cracks in the faux-leather couch, the one pan that will never get perfectly clean because you made scrambled eggs in it once and burnt them beyond recognition, or the place on the wall where your mom measured your height alongside the fading marks from when she was a child standing against that same wall.

DO write about dinner time

See #10 and #5. Food is fascinating, family is fascinating, and there is a reason that dinner scenes are used in films as a way of developing characters. People emerge over dinner. When we have a mouth full of food, who we are really shows through. One of our best essays of 2018 took place at the dinner table...

DON'T write about your grandma

We love our grandparents, you love your grandparents, but you shouldn’t write about your grandparents (or ours for that matter). We don’t have anything against them; it’s just too easy for an essay that involves grandparents to become about them instead of being about you . And please remember that you're applying to college, not grandpa.

DO break form

One thing that we are always telling our students is to HAVE FUN with the essay. That doesn’t mean it has to be funny or playful. What we mean is that we want our students to free themselves from the confines of the five paragraph essay form. Throw it out of the window and consider trying something entirely different. Write a scene, write a poem, write your story as a series of vignettes. Think of it as a story, not just an essay. Afterall, you are telling a piece of your story, not proving some thesis or dismantling a few sentences of a book you wish you hadn’t been assigned. Break form, have fun. One of our favorite essays of 2018 played with form (and is a rare example of a successfully executed semi-grandparent essay)...

DO use dialogue as a way of showing depth and vulnerability in advancing a plot line

There is a reason that the demise of in-person conversations and the rise in texting and email are hurting human connection. Hearing someone’s voice is the most powerful way of connecting with them. Reading dialogue is a way to help the reader hear you. Now, we’re the first to admit that writing dialogue is really really hard. Sometimes it can be excruciating, but if you like plays and are willing to put in the work, writing dialogue can be the tool that bumps your essay to the next level.

DO have a beginning, middle, and end

We’ve told you to play with form (#15), and we’ll tell you that school essays are a no-go (#18) and that scenes are a must (#22), but the biggest piece of wisdom that we can pass on when it comes to your essays form is that your piece must have a beginning, a middle, and an end. That doesn’t mean an intro, a body, and a conclusion. It means you must have a story. Weave a tale and show, don’t tell.

DON'T write a school essay

If you are thinking that you will repurpose an essay you wrote for English class as your college essay—STOP. The topic might be great, the writing might be gold medal-worthy, but it’s a school essay, and a school essay isn’t the same as a college essay. If you try to turn a school essay into a college essay, it will be a weird zombie combo that doesn’t succeed at either. Another reason not to write a school essay? Your college essay isn’t about trying to sound smart.

DO a minimum of 4 substantially different drafts

We know, we know, you want to get this done, but the college application process is just that, a process. This is not a one and done experience. The first draft of anything is, by definition, not all that spectacular. The second is a step in the right direction. The third should be a totally different take on the same subject. The fourth should feel entirely new. It is from the ashes of the drafts that a stunningly beautiful essay will rise. Yes, that is a phoenix metaphor.

DO brainstorm before you put pencil to paper

A significant part of writing happens before you start writing, typing, outlining, or otherwise transferring words to paper. Give yourself the time to actively think about what you want to say before you start saying it. It will make the writing part so much easier, we promise. Once you’re ready to start, here are some tips...

Really don’t ask your parents for help (but put in a very diff spot) - they don’t know college admissions, and even if they are a writer, they probably don’t know college essays.

We’ve said it already, but this is really important. Please don’t ask your parents for help. Please, please don't ask them. We have had to do triage on so many essays because parents got their hands on them. Parents: keep your hands off!

DO build scenes and descriptions

Whatever form your essay takes and whatever topic you choose, you need to have scenes, and you need to have deeply descriptive sentences. Ready to take a stab at it? Read this first...

DO write an ending, not a conclusion.

Building on the idea of not writing a school essay, having a story arc, and breaking away from form, your essay still does need to have an ending. What it doesn’t need is a conclusion. Conclusions wrap things up with a bow. You are a human, not a present. Your essay needs to end, but it doesn’t need to be neat.

DON'T try to knock someone out with the first sentence

Did your English teacher ever tell you that you needed to hook the reader with the first sentence? Maybe they said that that first sentence is the most important one in the entire piece? Strong first sentences can be great, but the effort to make one land can often result in a beginning that is more bark than bite. Sometimes a hook makes sense, but you don’t need to knock them out to lure them in.

Feeling overwhelmed? We can help.

Posted on 26th January 2018

The Do’s and Don’ts of Writing in an Academic Tone

By Cite This For Me

When writing an essay, it is important to argue your points in a clear and concise way, and of course to try to sound intelligent as a speaker. Finding the right tone in your written voice is an essential part of writing, yet many students find it difficult to strike the right balance. It is easy to fall into the trap of writing in either too formal or too casual of a tone. Both extremes can make your argument sound ill-researched and weaken the strength of your essay. However, it is easy to avoid these issues, by taking care to use a direct and active tone in your writing.

Here are some Do’s and Don’ts that will help guide you to find the right voice in your writing and achieve a strong academic tone in your essays.

1. What is the point of an academic paper?

This may sound like a silly question, but many students fail to recognize the main point of essay writing—which is to put forth an argument! Understanding that your essay should make a claim, put forth a new idea or interpretation, or argue a set of points, will ultimately help you to write in a strong academic tone.

If you set out to put forth an argument, and then provide evidence to support it, rather than set out to sound as smart as possible, you will find that your writing sounds clearer. A direct tone and simple language is usually the best route!

2. Avoid writing in an overly formal tone

While this advice might sound counterintuitive, often students mistake formal for academic. You don’t need to make your papers sound like Shakespeare or the most esteemed professor wrote it! When you adopt an overly formal tone in your writing, the result is most often that you sound like you don’t know what you are talking about. Make sure that you use words whose meaning you understand, and sentence structure that makes sense—even if it appears simple.

For example, in a paper on climate change, an overly formal sentence might read:

“The staggering volume of synthetic organic compounds accumulating in large bodies of saline water has engendered a colossal moral quandary for behemoth manufacturers—should they continue the course, or innovate new methods?”

You don’t want to sound like this!

Instead, in clear and direct language, the following sentence means the same thing, but in a more readable way.

“The large volume of plastic waste that has accumulated in the Earth’s oceans has created a moral question for companies that produce large amounts of plastic materials—should they continue to produce plastic? Or phase into producing products that will degrade over time?”

As you can tell, the second sentence is in much plainer English, and sounds far more academic in tone than the first!

3. Avoid colloquialisms

Although it is important to avoid using too formal of a tone in your writing, you also want to be sure that you don’t use colloquialisms—informal words or phrases that are common in spoken English—in your writing. It is easy to avoid slang words, but students often struggle to rid less obvious colloquialisms from their writing.

Most often, these colloquialisms are words or phrases that we use in everyday language when we speak out loud or in informal text conversations. In spoken English and informal text conversations, these phrases are perfectly acceptable. But, you want to avoid them in your writing, because often they are placeholder words and phrases, that merely help to bridge together ideas that draw upon the context of the conversation.

For example, you might text a friend:

“I got tickets to that concert Friday night. You in?”

Here, the word “got” and “you in” are colloquialisms. They make sense in context, but in writing—where you must assume the reader will take what you say literally—it is not clear what you mean by this.

For example, how did you get the tickets? Did you buy them? Did someone give them to you?

While it might sound formal for a text conversation, in an academic tone this sentence would read “I bought tickets to attend that concert Friday night. I can give you a ticket if you want to attend with me.”

To avoid colloquialisms, it is usually a best practice to try to be as specific and direct about what you mean as possible.

4. Don’t use exaggeration or hyperbole

Sometimes when students intend to create emphasis or articulate the importance of a piece of evidence or point in an argument, they rely on exaggeration or hyperbole to try to convince the reader to agree with them. Don’t do this! Most often, hyperbolic phrases make your writing sound corny, and most importantly you must assume that your reader is taking everything you say literally and needs proof of every statement you make.

You might write in your paper on climate change:

“Plastic waste is now clogging the oceans, choking the life out of sea-creatures and threatening to end all ocean-life as we know it!”

This phrase is hyperbolic, and doesn’t actually point to any evidence to support the claim. A better phrased sentence might read:

“According to the Plastic Oceans Foundation, humans have dumped more than 8 million tons of plastic into ocean water each year for several years in a row. This plastic waste does not degrade, and clumps together—which creates large blocks in the ocean that hurt ocean-life.”

As you can see, in this sentence the cited facts do the work to emphasize the points, rather than hyperbole.

5. Avoid making generalizations

Another bad habit that students often have a hard time dropping is making generalizations in their essays. Usually, these generalizations come as a way to introduce material, or make an emotional appeal to the reader. It is important to avoid using generalizations in your essays because like hyperbolic phrases they sound corny, they are hard to prove, and often they don’t even really relate to your argument.

For example, in an essay that argues that the passage of the 19 th amendment failed to promote equality for all women, because racist Jim Crow laws prevented black women from also voting, you might say:

“On July 4th, 1776 the United States of America was born with the undertaking that all Americans should be created equal. Since then the U.S. has been working hard to achieve this promise and it moved one step closer after it passed the 19 th amendment, but not close enough.”

This introduction to the idea of equality reads as corny, and isn’t necessarily specific to the exact topic of the paper.

A better sentence might read:

“Although the passage of the 19 th amendment was a significant step for women’s rights in the US, at the time of its passage it did not actually achieve total voting equality for women, as black women were still largely prevented from voting.”

As you can see, this introduction is much more direct, and specific to the topic.

In order to avoid making generalizations in your paper, try to be as specific as possible, and avoid moving too far away from the topic at hand when you lead into your essay.

6. Don’t use personal pronouns or invoke the reader

In academic writing, it is important to maintain an academic distance from your essay. You want to avoid using personal pronouns because it makes your tone sound too personal, and less factual. You also want to avoid using phrases that will invoke the reader, because you cannot be sure of who your reader is.

For example, a professor of Economics might write a paper on how government spending after the 2008 Financial Crisis helped the economy to recover and publish it in a major Economics academic journal, and write:

“In the wake of the 2008 Financial collapse, our nation experienced a crisis which our government addressed first through a stimulus package.”

In this sentence, the phrases “our nation” and “our government” appeal to the reader as being the same as the writer. This is a problem because you cannot assume who your reader will be. In this example, economists from other countries might read this paper.

A better sentence would just replace “our” with “the United States,” to be more specific and more detached from the information.

Many students find it difficult to strike the right tone in their writing. However, that is no reason to fear writing your papers! As you can see from these suggestions, it is easy to cut out simple bad habits and write in an academic tone.

Academic papers also need citations! If you need to cite in MLA style , APA style , or another citation style, try BibMe.com!

Writers on Writing

Writing dos and don'ts.

Marie-Helene Bertino

(I wrote some of these while I was in Paris and yes, I am bragging.)

1. Don’t brag. Be nice. Anyone worth his or her salt talent-wise is humble and kind. This is because they understand they’ve been given a gift and people who have been gifted have special responsibilities and are thankful. Keep writing. Be curious about how different people live. Talk to everyone; doormen, waiters, motorcycle guys, your grandparents. Take time to get to know yourself because the problem with you will be the problem with your writing. For the converse reason, cultivate hobbies. Run and cook and sing and play the drums and rescue a dog or cat and hug your parents and kids and sister. Keep writing. Collect stories. Other people will tell you to read to excess, but I’ll let you slack on that if you promise to ask people questions then listen to the answers. Listen to the criticism of people you respect and let it make you better. Don’t write because you think it’s cool, because if you are doing it correctly it is the least cool thing on the planet. Don’t worry about the overt rejections, from magazines, editors, agents, etc…being rejected from publications means you are a writer! It’s part of the process and anyway, there are subtler, more brutal rejections that no one talks about: when college friends ask what “you are doing these days” and you say, writing a novel, and they excuse themselves to the ham platter. These are the rejections that will ground you in the middle of an afternoon—develop calluses against them the way guitarists develop calluses on their fingertips. Don’t assume everyone has a father. Don’t worry about that talentless blowhard who shouldn’t have a career in writing—we are, all of us, carrying a heavy burden. Don’t forget to get the weather into your stories. Don’t describe the weather like everyone else describes the weather. Don’t be that jerk who complains when Aunt Barbara asks what you write about. Don’t say, “that question is impossible to answer!” If you can’t answer what you write about then you don’t know what you write about , and that’s like not knowing what color hair you have. Do this right now (now!): figure out in two sentences how to explain what you write about. Cultivate the ability to be so lost in thought that you can’t hear your own name being called. Be secretive and bold and stick up for the underdog and the little guy. Drive around America and stop in Shamrock, Texas. Backpack around Europe and watch a World Cup game. Keep writing. Think about semi-colons and punctuating dialogue for hours. Write with your heart, revise with your head. Sometimes the answer is turning off your mind and getting a beer with your best friend. Don’t worry if you hear a “rule” about writing that sounds wrong to you. There are as many different ways of being a writer as there are writers. When discouraged, don’t listen to anything besides the voice that told you were a writer in the first place; that is the voice that will be there for you when everyone and everything else goes away; it is the voice Kermit sang about that “calls the young sailors.” It’s someone that you’re supposed to be. Keep writing. If any of this sounds like a root canal; do something else.

Signed, your friend Marie-Helene

About this series

Essays on craft by celebrated authors and editors.

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Building Characters is a Piece of (Layer) Cake

Writing and Madness

Essential Books for Writers

Think Outside the Book

When Working on Your Writing Doesn't Look Like Writing

From Scratch

Interviewing for Fiction

The Writer's Trove

Something to Do with Work as Play: David Foster Wallace and “The Nature of the Fun”

Keeping Up the Pace

Scenes & Summary

An Unfunny Essay About Humor

Say Yes to Obsession

How to Steal Stuff

Writing to the Tension

How Walter White Can Make You a Better Writer

Inventing Time

Three-Dimensional Writing

How to Get Out of the Slush Pile

28 Dos And Don’ts: A Must-Have Checklist To Improve Your Writing

In this post, we share a must-have checklist to improve your writing .

This checklist will help you improve your writing skills. If you follow these guidelines, you will dramatically improve your readability statistics and your ability to communicate your message. This will help you in business writing , creative writing, and in blogging.

You will write more accessible emails , reports , novels , speeches , short stories , and blog posts . In a world where we are bombarded with messages, we need to communicate complex ideas in the simplest way possible.

A Must-Have Checklist To Improve Your Writing

14 don’ts.

Writing problems occur when:

You use jargon .
You assume that you know more than your reader knows.
Your writing is forced.
Your sentences are ( on average ) longer than nine words. (This means some sentences will have 13 words and others will have two.)
Your reader has to wade through unnecessary adverbs , adjectives , modifiers, and qualifiers.
You use foreign words and unorthodox spelling.
Your writing is old-fashioned.
Your words are the longest you can find.
Your words are ( on average ) more than four characters. (This means some words will have nine characters and others will have three.)
You preach.
Your sentence structure is repetitive. [Read The Importance Of Varying Sentence Length ]
Your reader feels as if you are using them as a sounding board for your pretensions to literary greatness.
Your reader feels you are judging your subject matter.
Your write ( on average ) more than three sentences per paragraph.

Writing successfully occurs when:

You write in the active voice .
You write in the simple past tense.
You avoid long sentences.
You avoid using unusual acronyms .
You write in a clear, focused manner.
You are precise.
You do not explain too much.
Your grammar is correct . [Read 9 Free Online Grammar Resources ]
The story flows as consecutive events occur when they should.
You remove unnecessary similes and metaphors.
You do not use pretentious or elaborate words. Sometimes, a thesaurus is a curse.
You write in English and avoid using foreign words.
You do not overwrite. [Read: 4 Ways To Remove Padding Words ]
The writing sounds natural when you read it aloud.

How can we help you?

If you want to learn how to blog, sign up for our online course .
If you want to improve your grammar, buy The Complete Grammar Workbook .
If you want to learn how to write a book, sign up for our online course .

If you enjoyed this article, read:

5 Simple Ways To Improve Your Business Writing
The Passive Voice Explained – Plus An Infographic
Why You Should Not Use Nominalisations When You Write
Punctuation For Beginners: What Is Punctuation?
Grammar For Beginners: All About Parts Of Speech

TOP TIP : If you want to improve your grammar, buy The Complete Grammar Workbook .

Blogging , Business Writing Tips , Style , Writing Tips from Amanda Patterson

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Your chance of acceptance, your chancing factors, extracurriculars, dos and don'ts for writing a college essay.

Hey guys, I'm starting to work on my college essays and want to make sure they stand out. Can anybody share some dos and don'ts for writing a college essay? Any advice is much appreciated!

1. Be authentic: Write in your own voice and share your personal experiences. Admission officers want to learn about who you are. Emphasize your unique perspective, background, or opinions to showcase your individuality.

2. Be specific: Use specific examples, anecdotes, or situations from your life to illustrate your points. This adds depth and substance to your essay, making it more engaging for the reader.

3. Have a clear focus: Choose a central theme or message that your essay will revolve around. Ensure that each paragraph supports this theme and that the essay as a whole communicates this message effectively.

4. Tell a good story: Construct a narrative that engages your reader by setting the scene, creating tension, establishing a resolution, and offering a deeper reflection on the experience.

5. Revise and proofread: Edit your essay multiple times, focusing on content, structure, and grammar. Ask others to review your work to gain an outside perspective and catch errors you may have missed.

Don't:

1. Be cliché: Avoid overused topics like sports injuries, moving, or an immigrant's story. If you do write about a common topic, add a unique spin to make it stand out.

2. Write for the admissions officer: Don't write what you think they want to read; focus on expressing your genuine thoughts, emotions, and experiences.

3. Be overly formal: While proper grammar and sentence structure are important, you don't have to use grandiloquent language. Write in a way that's natural and comfortable for you.

4. Use gimmicks: Avoid humor, rhymes, or other gimmicks that may not land well with the reader; remember, you're trying to showcase your genuine self.

5. Exceed the word limit: Adhere to the word count requirements for each essay prompt. Long essays may be a red flag that you're not able to express your thoughts concisely and may detract from the reader's focus.

Remember, it's essential to show the reader who you are and what makes you unique. By staying true to yourself, being specific and focused, and following the dos and don'ts listed above, you'll create an engaging and successful college essay. Good luck!

About CollegeVine’s Expert FAQ

CollegeVine’s Q&A seeks to offer informed perspectives on commonly asked admissions questions. Every answer is refined and validated by our team of admissions experts to ensure it resonates with trusted knowledge in the field.

Dos and Don’ts of Essay Writing: The Ultimate Guide

If you know the ropes, essay writing can be fun as much as easy. However, it can also be incredibly difficult if you don’t know how to go about it. If you are wondering what you have not been doing right, this article is for you. I have identified five dos and don’ts of essay writing to give you a great chance of being successful in your next entry or application. Let’s get to it!

Plan your essay

You have probably heard that proper planning prevents poor performance. It’s not different with essay writing. Brainstorm and do the necessary research on the topic before beginning to write.

Don’t be in a haste to start, if not, it would likely end in premium tears . Jot down points as you have the muse because what you remember in that moment might be forgotten two minutes later. That’s how erratic the human brain is.

Be Original

Creativity cannot be overemphasized. You must think of what method to employ to make your essay stand out from others that would be submitted. Remember, more often than not, it is a competition. Think outside the box.

Employ humour it you have to. Tell a story that would corroborate your viewpoints. Use proverbs, idioms, quotes, anything you believe can make your essay distinct. However, be cautious, as too many cooks can spoil the broth. For instance, being overly humorous might present you as a clown to the assessor or reviewer.

Obey All Instructions

For many, the failure to follow simple instructions in application essays has led to many “casualties”. Sometimes, these instructions might be word count limit, prompt to explain certain qualities, length of paragraphs, among others.

Usually, organisers of essay competitions immediately throw out essays that do not follow given instructions. In your own best interest, read the instructions and check periodically to see if you are still on track.

Always ensure your spellings, grammar and vocabularies are as correct as possible. An essay fraught with errors will definitely lose its spark. There is perhaps no greater writing tip than to avoid using wrong tenses, improper punctuation, and shaky sentence structure.

Always endeavour to use the right words to convey what you mean.

Deploy a Second Eye

Four eyes are better than two. Well, four good eyes, that is. Reading your essay out loud as many times as possible would help you easily find out faulty lines. It is, however, recommended that you pass your essay through a professional editor . It helps!

The “don’ts”.

Leave the big words for the dictionary

As much as possible, avoid grandiloquence . Haha, that’s just it. I’m guilty.

Don’t try to use ‘big words’ to impress anyone. You would only end up impressing yourself, and not winning the essay.

Remove all filler words

If it’s not important, don’t write it. Avoid giving information that does not directly or indirectly answer the essay poser.

Always perform this simple test when writing. Ask yourself: If you were the judge of your own essay, would this information impact your final assessment of the essay? If the answer is ‘No’, then, such information is irrelevant.

Flee Plagiarism

When you take someone else’s work and pass it off as yours, that’s plagiarism. I don’t know of any essay-assessing platform that does not strictly frown against this practice.

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning has made detection of copied parts of written work easily detectable, and the penalty is automatic disqualification in most cases.

If you must know, copying and pasting without modification and proper referencing is plagiarism. Acknowledge the works of other people you’ve cited.

If you need help checking the uniqueness of your essay, you can use SmallSEOTools or Copyscape .

Now, I don’t mean anything erotic. I mean Keep It Simple Stupid .

While you don’t want to be boring, you don’t also want to end up like an unserious fellow.

Be moderate with your use of words, idioms, quotes, proverbs and what have you .

Easy does it

A study by Microsoft has revealed that the average attention span of any human is 8 seconds. A good way to keep your reviewer engaged is by using short and straightforward sentences. This is why you must do without long sentences.

Also, over-reliance on web sources can be very dangerous too, as not all web sources are legit. Consult journals and books instead.

If you would obey the Dos and Don’ts of essay writing as written above diligently, you might just find yourself in the Promised Land. Bear in mind however, that the tips above are guidelines and are not an automatic guarantee to securing top spots in any essay competition. While they might increase your chances, you still have to put in the work.

Do you think there are other important tips that I have not mentioned? Let me know in the comment section below.

One thought on “ Dos and Don’ts of Essay Writing: The Ultimate Guide ”

Great content! Keep up the good work!

The Dos and Don'ts of Persuasive Writing

Persuasive writing is a powerful tool in the communicator's arsenal, essential in various settings from business proposals to social media campaigns. It's an art that involves not just presenting information, but doing so in a way that influences and convinces your audience. However, effective persuasion is a nuanced practice that requires a blend of technique, empathy, and strategy. In this extended guide, we delve deeper into the essential dos and don'ts of persuasive writing, providing a more in-depth analysis and practical advice to enhance your communication skills.

Understanding Your Audience: The Core of Effective Persuasion

Demographic Depth: Delve into the age, gender, socio-economic status, and interests of your audience. For example, if you're writing for a younger audience, incorporating contemporary slang and trends can make your writing more relatable.

Psychographics: Go beyond basic demographics and explore the values, attitudes, and lifestyles of your audience. Understanding these aspects helps in tailoring your message for maximum resonance.

Feedback Loops: Engage with your audience through surveys or social media interactions. This direct engagement can provide invaluable insights into their preferences and viewpoints.

The Power of Emotion: Crafting a Compelling Narrative

Emotional Triggers: Identify and leverage the emotions that drive your audience's decisions. Whether it's fear, happiness, anger, or hope, tapping into these emotions can significantly amplify your persuasive power.

Ethical Storytelling: While emotional appeal is effective, it's crucial to use it ethically. Avoid manipulation and focus on creating genuine, heartfelt connections with your narrative.

Character Development: In your stories, develop characters your audience can identify with. This builds empathy and makes your message more impactful.

Evidence and Reasoning: The Pillars of Persuasion

Diverse Evidence: Utilize a mix of statistical data, anecdotal evidence, and logical reasoning. This variety caters to different types of readers – those swayed by hard facts, personal stories, or logical arguments.

Counterarguments: Address potential counterarguments in your writing. This not only shows that you've thought through various perspectives, but also strengthens your position by preemptively addressing criticisms.

Source Credibility: Ensure that your evidence comes from credible and reputable sources. Citing authoritative sources enhances the trustworthiness of your argument.

Navigating the Don'ts: Common Pitfalls in Persuasive Writing

Balancing Emotion and Logic: While emotional appeal is powerful, overreliance on it can undermine your argument. Balance emotion with logical reasoning and evidence.

Cultural Sensitivity: Be mindful of cultural differences and sensitivities. What is persuasive in one culture might be ineffective or even offensive in another.

Consistency: Maintain a consistent tone and message throughout your writing. Inconsistencies can confuse your audience and weaken your argument.

Beyond Text: The Role of Visuals and Layout in Persuasion

Visual Aids: Incorporate relevant images, graphs, and charts to complement your text. Visuals can break up long sections of text and help illustrate your points more vividly.

Formatting for Emphasis: Use formatting tools like bolding, bullet points, and headings to emphasize key points and make your content more skimmable for readers.

Whitespace: Don't underestimate the power of whitespace. A cluttered layout can be overwhelming and off-putting, whereas ample whitespace makes your content more readable and engaging.

Authenticity in AI-Generated Content: Blending Technology with the Human Element

Voice and Tone: Even when using AI tools, strive to maintain a unique voice and tone in your writing. This helps in differentiating your content from generic AI-generated text.

Adding Personal Insights: Infuse your content with personal insights and experiences. This adds a layer of authenticity and relatability that AI cannot replicate.

Adapting AI Output: Use AI as a starting point, but don’t rely on it entirely. Adapt and modify the AI-generated content to align with your style and the needs of your audience.

Conclusion: Mastering the Art of Influence

Effective persuasive writing is a multifaceted skill that goes beyond mere words. It involves understanding your audience, using emotion judiciously, backing your claims with evidence, avoiding common pitfalls, and leveraging visuals and layout for added impact. In the digital era, where AI plays a significant role in content creation, maintaining authenticity and a human touch is more crucial than ever. By mastering these nuanced aspects of persuasive writing, you can create content that not only engages and convinces but also builds lasting connections with your audience.

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The Dos and Don'ts of Essay Editing and Proofreading

Novella Rosely

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Master the art of essay editing and proofreading with our essential dos and don'ts guide.

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What type of organization is your solution team?

Film your elevator pitch., what specific problem are you solving.

This solution addresses the common challenge of ensuring the quality and accuracy of written work through effective essay editing and proofreading. Many individuals struggle with identifying and correcting errors in their essays, leading to issues such as unclear communication, grammatical mistakes, and inconsistencies in writing style. By providing a comprehensive guide to the dos and don'ts of essay editing and proofreading, this solution aims to equip writers with the knowledge and techniques needed to enhance the clarity, coherence, and overall quality of their essays.

Through practical tips and insights, writers can learn how to approach the editing and proofreading process systematically, identifying common mistakes and applying strategies to address them effectively. By mastering the art of essay editing and proofreading, writers can ensure that their written work meets high standards of excellence, making a positive impression on readers and achieving their communication goals with confidence.

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Our solution addresses the critical need for effective essay editing and proofreading techniques to ensure the quality and clarity of written content. Many individuals encounter challenges in identifying and rectifying errors in their essays, resulting in unclear communication and grammatical inconsistencies.

Through a comprehensive guide outlining the dos and don'ts of essay editing and proofreading, we aim to empower writers with the knowledge and strategies necessary to enhance the coherence and accuracy of their essays.

By mastering these techniques, writers can ensure that their written work meets high standards of excellence, leaving a positive impression on readers and achieving their communication objectives confidently.

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The solution of providing advice on good essay editing and proofreading processes can aid Indigenous communities by giving them access to information and tools for improving their written communication skills. Many Indigenous people may encounter barriers to getting adequate education or be disadvantaged within school systems, resulting in deficiencies in academic abilities such as writing.

By giving clear and extensive instruction on essay editing and proofreading, this service can help Indigenous people improve their writing skills, so boosting their academic and professional chances.

Furthermore, by encouraging clarity and coherence in written communication, this solution can assist Indigenous people better explain their perspectives, stories, and cultural knowledge, creating greater understanding and representation in academic and larger societal contexts.

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5 Do's and Don'ts: Writing an Essay
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