Last Updated on May 26, 2023
You’ve probably read plenty of guides on essay writing. All of them tell you to stick to the structure and include a solid thesis. That’s a good way to start, but you also need to know which mistakes to avoid. When you learn how to avoid the following mistakes when writing essays, the quality of your work will be much better.
1. Too many arguments
Your professors always tell you to defend the thesis with strong arguments. Some students take this literally, so they write as many facts, statistics, and quotes as they can find. If you are writing a basic 5-paragraph essay, then you need to have three main arguments. Do not complicate the paper by writing unlinked statements just to make the thesis statement more believable.
2. Plagiarism
This is a serious offense in education and academia. You are expected to use different sources in order to provide evidence for your thesis statement and arguments, but you must always include proper references. Paraphrasing is same as plagiarism; you are not allowed to present someone else’s ideas as your own. All professors use plagiarism search engines to make sure their students’ work is clean. If you’re caught in academic dishonesty, you’ll suffer serious consequences.
When you’re writing an essay, you should think of a unique approach and use different (referenced!) sources to support the statements.
3. Confusing introduction/conclusion
In the introductory paragraph, you should introduce the main concepts and present the thesis statement. The conclusion should summarize your main points and restate the thesis. That sounds simple, so it’s amazing how students manage to make these sections of their essays so confusing. Craft an effective introduction and a convincing conclusion! Make sure to revise these parts as many times as necessary until you get them right.
4. Neglecting professors’ instructions
So your teacher told you to write a 5-paragraph essay of 800 words, but the research paper topic was interesting and you had nothing else to do, so you decided to go for a full-length research paper? That won’t get you extra points. If you are incapable of following the instructions, you take a serious risk: your professor might not take a look at the paper. He has planned to spend ten minutes per student, so you’ll only frustrate him by submitting endless content. Read the instructions carefully and follow them precisely.
5. Failing to recognize the need for essay writing help
Do you have a pile of essays waiting to be completed in the middle of exam week? You have to be able to recognize trouble. Do you need help with your assignment? There is nothing to be ashamed for; you can rely on a professional writer. When you realize that you cannot complete the perfect paper by the deadline, this is the smartest thing to do: choose an agency that provides assistance with essay writing. You’ll collaborate with a writer who will help you complete awesome work on time.
6. Skipping the post essay writing stages
You just finished writing the essay? Your work is not done yet. You should have some time away from the project, trying not to think about it at all. Then, you can come back to it and start editing the parts that need changes or additions.
When you are sure that the structure is clean and the arguments are strong, you can make one final proofreading. Then, the paper will be ready for submission.
