Writing Essays
Writing Effective EssaysWe've all written a lot of essays—some excellent, some mediocre, some lousy. Understanding what essays are can help us overcome our fear of writing them. There are many types of essays, most require that you state your thesis and then go on to explain, support, and/or prove it. It's truly that straightforward.
to learn about the elements needed to write effective essays.
Introducing Your Essay
Even though we recognize the importance of introductions and conclusions, most of us struggle with how to start and end our essays. Have you ever struggled with how to begin a piece of writing? If so,
for more information.
Developing Your Ideas
Have you ever had the feeling that your paper was "light-weight"? Have you ever been told that you need to do more "analysis" but you didn't know how to do it? Have you felt "blocked" about what to write?
to receive the help you need.
Constructing Paragraphs
Sometimes constructing paragraphs is not as simple as you would like.
to learn about some helpful tips.
Constructing Transitions
"Transitions" in your writing work like on-ramps and off-ramps on highways: they make it possible for readers to "get on" and "get off" of your main ideas smoothly. Most of these "ramps" are short—only a word or phrase—but they can be a sentence or even a whole paragraph.
to learn about transitions.
The Essay Conclusion
Your closing words create a final impression of you and your ideas in your readers' minds. Yet, most of us struggle at times with how to end an essay effectively. Have you ever read a paper that ended so abruptly that you wondered if the "real" last page got stuck in the printer and the author simply didn't notice? More to the point, have you ever written a paper like that?
to learn how to write better conclusions for your essays.
The Secret to Writing Well: Editing!!
Have you ever gotten back a paper from a professor that had so many red marks on it that it looked like it was "bleeding"? When you looked over those marks, were you shocked that you made the mistakes that you did? You probably forgot, or ran out of time, to proofread. Proofreading is one of the most important yet overlooked steps in the writing process.
to learn how taking the time to proofread will inevitably save you from embarrassment.