Writing essays is an essential aspect of a student’s academic life. While they know the fundamental rules of writing an essay, most students find them challenging and lengthy. There is no standard model for writing a flawless essay, and students must be aware of the common mistakes they must avoid.
Becoming aware of the most frequent mistakes in writing can significantly improve the quality of your essay. To help you along the way, Here are the most common mistakes in essay writing and the ways you can avoid these errors.
Poor grammar
Grammar is an essential element in academic essay writing. Your essay will look tedious and ambiguous if you do not use correct punctuation, grammar, and spelling. Therefore, students must read their essays several times before submitting them. Apart from doing it manually, You can check it with the internet’s grammar-checker. A reliable grammar checker will reveal all mistakes in your essay. It will also provide suggestions on punctuating your essay and spelling errors, as well as tips for correcting them and enhancing the grammar in your writing.
Repetition
To meet the word count for an essay, they tend to duplicate the same ideas and arguments in various parts of their essay. This indicates that you’ve not done enough research into the subject and aren’t able to articulate your viewpoint. A few students also are prone to repeating phrases and words. This can make your essay seem sloppy, and you could get a low grade because you did not create an effective essay. To prevent repeated words in your writing, read the essay at least three times. You could also use online grammar checker tools to find repetitions in words and phrases and replace them with relevant terms.
The use of passive voice
A lot of students employ a passive voice when writing their essays. It is easy to explain but isn’t straightforward and clear. The sentences are incredibly long and can make readers confused. Instead of using a passive tone, use active voices that are clearer and more powerful. While using passive voice in specific sentences is okay, limit it to a couple of sentences. To lessen the amount of passive voice, you should reread the text and consider what you can do to improve it to be more straightforward and active.
No original thoughts
The absence of a proper explanation in your essay could make it difficult for readers to comprehend your ideas. If you’re using information, facts, quotes, or other theories within your writing, be sure to provide a brief explanation. Please make sure you are consistent when presenting facts and analyzing them points. It will help readers to comprehend the information provided. Offering your unique viewpoint on the existing data will create a distinct and fascinating essay.
Improper introduction
The opening paragraph of an essay should outline the main ideas and the thesis assertion. The introduction paragraph will help readers decide whether or not to go through the essay or not to read it. Keep your essay engaging by writing an easy and captivating thesis assertion. The thesis statement should be in the last paragraph of the intro. This will allow for a consistent flow of information from an introduction section and the essay’s body.
Reiteration in conclusion
You can lose points by repeating your introduction in the final paragraph. The conclusion paragraph should briefly explain your findings. You may also reiterate your thesis statement to readers to evaluate your results. A convincing conclusion could be a mix of new questions and other implications or fascinating facts that provide readers with new thoughts.
The lack of critical thinking and assessment
Insufficient the ability to think critically and evaluate Evaluation and critical thinking is one of the frequent essay writing errors. Students aren’t able to critically assess the facts that are presented in their essays. This can lead to biased conclusions and diminishes the quality of the writing. To avoid this, you should include questions and arguments in your essay and examine the information from various viewpoints. One way to add critical thinking is to use data from many sources and analyze the evidence.
Not editing
If you’ve spent long hours writing and researching your essay, you may be tempted to ignore the editing portion. If you submit the essay without proofreading or revising, editing may result in losing marks. When you’ve completed writing your article, have a brief break before beginning your editing. Editing your essay with a fresh perspective will help you find the flaws. Editing can help you analyze your writing and ensure it’s clean and well-organized.
Disregarding university guidelines
Each university has its own set of guidelines for writing academic essays. While most of these guidelines are expected, following your institution’s policies is crucial. These guidelines primarily guide students on the correct word number, format, and the selection of fonts.
Failure to follow a university essay format will demonstrate your inability to follow guidelines. So, ensure you follow the directions provided by your instructor and adhere to the guidelines in your essay. Brainstorm before writing your essay as you review the notes, material, and procedures. It will help you think of new ways to write a unique essay.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is one of the most common mistakes in essay writing that can make your work less credible. Work. Universities adhere to strict rules for plagiarism, and they have penalties depending on the degree of work plagiarized. If you’re using the result of someone else, make sure to include appropriate references and citations. Do not duplicate sentences and text taken from websites. To avoid plagiarizing, be sure you understand the subject thoroughly. Look up journals, books, or essays on your topic. Make use of this information to develop your ideas creatively.
Conclusion
Writing an academic essay may seem overwhelming to students at the beginning. Therefore, adhering to the guidelines and directions when writing your essay is crucial. Making sure you avoid the abovementioned mistakes can help you write your paper free of common mistakes. Additionally, with the proper practice, you will improve your writing abilities and write a compelling essay.
