Although, as Shakespeare said, “the pen is mightier than the sword”, the pen itself is not enough to make an effective writer. Of course, while we all like to think of ourselves as the next Shakespeare, inspiration isn’t the only key to effective writing. You see, English writing conventions are more formal than you think, and in many ways it can be as simple as counting to five.
For all students at all academic levels, essay writing is very important. Essay writing is an essential tool for teachers to assess students’ knowledge and gauge their critical thinking skills. Also, since writing is the most common type of homework and test, students must have good writing skills. However, this is one of the scariest aspects of your studies. In preparation for college, students with good writing skills always have a better chance of being accepted to the best universities.
Informality
Academic writing requires academic language. Your everyday English may be great, but you can’t apply it to your essay. Academic writing requires a formal vocabulary.
Avoid informal language. Words to avoid in academic writing are:
- Decomposition: can’t → can’t, won’t → will not
- Informal language: do → do, do, make , etc.
- Too personal tone: the first person is not like him → them, etc.
- Bilingual/Slang: buddies → friends, policemen → police
) Forgetting a citation/reference
This is a common mistake closely related to plagiarism. If you forget to cite/reference your work, it will look like you’re giving it as your own words/opinions! Be sure to read up on how to properly cite your work, and again, use the plagiarism.net checker to make sure you’ve done it right.
Some students (especially those who are in a hurry to do their work) forget that revision is necessary! Reading your work will give you an idea of the quality of your essay. Allowing others to look at your work gives them a chance to see areas of confusion. And most importantly, proofreading allows you to check your spelling, punctuation, and grammar for silly mistakes. You want the reader to get a good impression of your essay, but that won’t happen if you leave silly mistakes in it.
Do you wonder why or how this statement is valid? Here’s a revision of the thesis statement above:
High school students should be required to do six months of community service before graduation, as it teaches them how to make a difference in the world.