The Do’s and Don’ts for Any Piece of Writing in Academia

July 4, 2018 | GradeMiners

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Essays are an integral, yet challenging, a piece of writing for every student’s academic life, regardless of the institution or course. In this regard, students must sharpen their skills if they are to perform well in their studies. When you understand the important elements of creating a quality essay, it can ease the process of writing, and reduce the associated stress. In this article, we outline some of the most significant do’s and don’ts that you ought to consider for most academic papers.

What You Should Do When Writing an Essay

There are some specific points that comprise the backbone of a good academic paper. As long as you keep these in mind, you stand a good chance of ending up with a quality piece of writing. Refer to these do’s whenever you write an essay to ensure that you always remain on track:

• Do make your writing easy to read

Your instructors most likely have lots of papers to grade. As such, they are likely to skim through essays to get a picture of whether the student is competent in the topic, and whether the student adheres to the style guidelines. It is, therefore, a good idea to make sure that your writing is structured in a manner that is easy on the eyes.  Ensure that your main points are visible as your reader skim the text through and that your message stands out. A useful tip is to eliminate any extra phrases and words that do not add meaning and make use of clear construction. Stick to the point.

• Do include a strong and arguable thesis statement

The thesis statement is perhaps the most important part of the introductory section of an essay. It is the main claim which reveals the main idea you intend to argue. While the thesis is critical for good essays, it must not be placed as the opening sentence of the essay. The first line ought to be the hook, where you capture the attention of your readers. The thesis, on the other hand, is placed towards the tail end of the introduction, enabling it to function as the transition to the body.

• Do make use of transitions between paragraphs

A good essay is one cohesive piece of writing, with a clear line of change from one idea to another. Poor papers often have paragraphs that sound like distinct parts forced together. The right approach is to use transitions for a coherent and smooth paper. Use them to lead the reader from one point to another, like bridges.

• Do respond to every aspect of the essay prompt

There is a reason why you have been given an essay prompt. The intention is to guide you through the writing process. In as much as you may want to ‘go with the flow’ and write according to what inspires you, always keep in mind that the essay is an academic paper, and must stick to the instructions. In the event that the prompt consists of several parts, make sure that the final draft covers every part.

• Do use evidence and examples to support your ideas and arguments

Authoritative evidence and examples serve to strengthen the points you make. All examples and evidence used in your essay must be accurately and consistently cited both within the text and in a list of references at the end of the paper. The use of direct quotations should be limited to instances where paraphrasing is not possible without altering the original message.

What Are the Main Don’ts of Essay Writing?

Now that you know what you ought to do to produce a quality essay, we need to look at what not to do. In this section, we look at some common mistakes that could compromise the quality and appeal of your writing. Here are some major don’ts:

• Don’t stray from the focus of the question and prompt, particularly towards the conclusion

Students are prone to get excited as they write and can delve into areas not related to the specific topic. Other students tend to think that the conclusion section is the place where one gets to discuss the general implications of their position on the subject, or where you can touch upon other slightly connected aspects. This is a misconception. All text in your paper should go towards supporting your thesis statement (or main claim). Stay focused. Do not introduce any new ideas here. Instead, readdress the thesis statement in light of the discussion that you have conducted earlier.

• Don’t neglect to format

Different instructors prefer different formatting styles. Don’t forget to pay attention to the font size, spacing, paper size, page numbers and margins. Make sure that the formatting and citation use accurately conforms to one style.

• Don’t let typos and grammar mistakes ruin your essay

Grammar and spelling mistakes, while not an indication of your language proficiency, damage the overall appeal of your paper. Such mistakes show your instructor that you either did not care enough or was not attentive enough to carefully proofread your work. In fact, some professors see the submission of essays that look like drafts as a sign of disrespect.

This article has outlined some of the do’s and don’ts of quality writing. While following these tips increases your chances of getting a quality paper, we must reiterate that effective writing requires skills that may take time to master. In the meantime, do not be afraid to seek professional assistance for any piece of writing. You can get this help from top academic writing services like GradeMiners.com, which has competent and experienced writers, as well as customer support that is available 24/7. Students who order from this agency are also guaranteed quality papers within the agreed time, with enough time left to take advantage of the offers for free multiple revisions.

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