Improve Your Essay Writing

When writing an essay, there are many guidelines that need to be followed. The very way in which an essay is structured can affect the final result. A well-written and structured essay should include an introduction, a main body and a conclusion or summary.

Essays can be improved by following these simple steps:

Plan

It is important to plan the structure of your essay, jotting down any notes you have and compiling a first draft. Always introduce the topic of the essay in the first paragraph, explaining what it is about and how you are going to approach it. The main body of the essay should be used to flesh out the detail, with the conclusion bringing everything together.

Topic

Be sure to choose a topic that you already have a substantial level of interest in. You need to appear passionate and feel strongly about the subject you are covering in order to give detailed information and strong opinions. Also, ensure that the facts you state are completely and utterly correct. It is important to be able to back up your statements with hard facts so keep a record of all books, sites or journals that you have used to research and provide references.

Proof-read

All work must be proof-read before it is submitted to avoid handing work in that contains minor inaccuracies and spelling mistakes, all of which can affect your final mark. Ensure that the formatting of the essay is consistent as the overall appearance of the piece needs to be neat and professional. Although Microsoft Word has many tools that can help with the writing of essays such as spell check, relying solely on this is not advisable. Spell check will not recognise every error in grammar and spelling and so it may be worth printing the final document and proof reading it manually.

PCs and laptops are typically used to write these types of assignment, with particular emphasis on the use of Microsoft Word - a word-processing programme which is a particular favourite piece of software for students. Drafts, notes and amendments can all be made as many times as necessary before saving the final copy. Files, notes and research can all be saved into virtual folders, making it easier to store and manage. A tutor will appreciate this approach as it is much easier to mark and evaluate a clearly presented and nicely formatted piece of work than one that has been hand written.

There are many deals and student discounts available that offer discounted software for pupils and teachers alike. Word can be purchased as part of the Microsoft Office 2010 Professional Plus package that can be found online for just £37.89 (including VAT).

This is a guest post by Nicola Winters on behalf of Phoenix software that provides discounted software for students.