You can notice that academic essay has become one of the most popular forms of assessment. Here you can find out about the main elements of a well-written essay.

We have chosen the most effective tips for you that you can apply in order to make your writing process easier and more pleasant.

Effective Essay Writing Hints

The academic essay has become the main form of assessment almost in all humanities. Nowadays, it is very important for every student to be able to express himself effectively in writing. An essay requires students to sell their argument and convince readers that they know exactly what they are writing about. You should definitely improve your writing skills if your grades are important for you. We can help you with that. Here are the main elements that good essay writing should involve.

Analyze the essay question you were given

It is probably the most important step in the whole essay writing process. There is no room for any errors here. So, you should analyze your question carefully and thoughtfully, otherwise things will go sideways – you won`t meet your teacher`s expectations and won`t get a grade you want. They can ask you to investigate something, explain why something happens, compare two things, bring out the differences between something, give your personal judgment of something or make something clear to your audience. As you can see, there is plenty of tasks and you should understand clearly what your teacher wants you to do in your essay.

Make an accurate plan

Brainstorm the most relevant points of your essay. Identify specifically what you should write about. Do not forget to decide on a logical order for your points. It can be really essential to ask yourself such questions like “Do I understand what my assignment question is asking?” or “What is the main point I am going to argue in this essay?”

Identify material relevant to your key points

On this stage you can use your plan to guide your research. Be sure to keep track of where you have obtained information from. It is very important to search, select and examine all scientific material critically. There are a lot of sources you can take some relevant information from – articles from scientific journals, encyclopedias, books, monographs or daily press. But always remember that each time you use data from another source, you must state it clearly. You can use other people`s ideas to scaffold your own argument or just decorate your essay with beautiful quotes.

Make a draft

You can take advantage of the “rule of three’’ structure. It means that you should divide your essay into three parts: introduction, main body and conclusion. To put it simply, you should say what you are going to say, say it and then say what you have said. State your argument and explain the aim of the essay in the introductory paragraph. Explain your points in your main body and remind your audience what you have covered in the conclusion. Imagine that your paragraphs are mini-essays. Always bear in mind that the first and the last sentences are the most important. Be objective, clear and concise.

Edit your draft

Reread your draft, check for content and structure. The paragraphs should be placed in a consistent and logical order. You can even play around with them until you get the best flow. Make sure that each of the paragraphs is relevant to the question. Check your essay for style and presentation. Make certain that all ideas are clearly expressed. Each paragraph of your essay should link to the next using transition words or phrases. Check whether colloquial terms, dialect, clichés, contractions and abbreviations are avoided. Check your spelling and punctuation in order not to confuse your readers.