English isn’t the only subject that requires you to be good at writing. You may deal with essay exams in such subjects as art, history, business, psychology, engineering, biology, etc. In addition, such standardized tests as the ACT, SAT, and GRE also include essays.
Even though subjects may vary, there are some basic steps that you should take when writing essays of any kind. Another common thing is time limits. We hope that these tips at college-writers.com blog will help you write a good, impressive essay.
1. Know the material
Before you take an exam, you need to prepare. Read your assignments, take notes, participate in class, and review your notes from time to time. Reviewing will help you memorize more information. When dealing with ACT and SAT essays, the preparation process begins years before the actual exam so don’t try to prepare in a couple of days. Instead, take your time and compose an essay just to practice.
2. Calm down
When you have strict time limits, you may be tempted to start writing even before you actually prepare for it. Don’t do this mistake. Take a deep breath, read all the questions and think about them.
3. Read your instructions
You should clearly understand your instructions. You should also know how long your answers should be, and how many questions you need to answer. If you’re preparing for a standardized test like the ACT or SAT, visit the official website and read all the necessary instructions.
4. Study your topic
Another important thing is organizing and developing your essay. Depending on the type of task, your essay may have different purposes. Look for keywords in your instructions and you will understand what you should do. Here are some keywords with the corresponding tasks:
- List, trace, enumerate: Get right to the point and approach your essay as when writing an outline;
- Explain, show: Provide specific points in a logical order;
- State: Provide the most important points and list them logically;
- Review, summarize: Write a brief version of the key points;
- Evaluate, discuss, justify, criticize: Support your claims with specific examples.
5. Follow a time schedule
Set up a schedule depending on how much time you have to write your essay. For example, if you have one hour, you might spend the first 10 minutes brainstorming on ideas and planning the writing approach, and then write for the next 40 minutes. You will also need to divide the last 10 minutes to revising and polishing your essay. Make sure that your schedule is realistic and stick to it
6. Note your ideas
The worst thing that can happen to you is writing your essay before you even figure out what actually you want to say. Therefore, we recommend that you jot down your ideas in any way you like. You might outline your ideas, list them, or just practice freewriting.
7. You need a strong first sentence
Don’t waste your time writing a long introduction. State your points in the first sentence in a clear and straightforward manner. Illustrate and explain these points in the body section of your essay.
8. Stick to your question
We recommend that you reread your question from time to time so that you can stay on track. Don’t try to fill your essay with information that isn’t related to your topic. In addition, we recommend that you don’t try to repeat information to make your essay longer.
9. Don’t panic
If you’re running out of time, don’t try to write a long and comprehensive conclusion. Simply list the key points and your instructor will understand that your problem was the lack of time, not the lack of knowledge. If you don’t have any time at all, just highlight your main point in one sentence. Don’t panic because your stress will damage the whole essay.
10. Edit and proofread
When your essay is ready, take a deep breath and read it. You should revise it and make sure that there are no grammar errors. While reading, you may also realize that you should add more information or get rid of the irrelevant sentences. When writing an essay by hand, make sure that your corrections are neat and easy to read.