Writing an essay is one of the hardest parts of your academics. Not because it is hard but because students are not really familiar with different types of essays and keep repeating these common mistakes again and again.
But the good news is that most of the essay's mistakes are easy to fix. Once you know the problem, it is easy to deal with it.
So, in this blog, we will be talking about common essay writing mistakes. Not in general but specific to each essay. Also, we`ll discuss some tips to help you write your essays. Thus, next time when you are assigned an essay. You will know how to deal with it like a pro.
Most Common Essay Mistakes by Types
So, some of the most common types of essay writing mistakes include:
- Lack of research
- Poor writing skills
- No editing or proofreading
- Adding irrelevant information
- Absence of references
Hence, here is the list of the most common essay mistakes that are specific to each essay type.
1. Narrative Essay Mistakes
So, one of the most common narrative essay mistakes is telling the story without any purpose.
Many students just write down the story without telling its significance.
How to avoid it?
Before starting to write, always ask yourself what you have learned from that particular story. And focus on its significance for you.
2. Descriptive Essay Mistakes
So, the most common mistake that a student can make in writing a descriptive essay is not conducting proper research.
Students just write simple descriptions that sound flat or boring without diving deep into their topic for facts.
How to Avoid it?
Make sure that you are using your five senses. Define how it looks, sounds, tastes, smells, or even feels. Make the reader feel like they can sense it.
3. Expository Essay Mistakes
The most common mistake in this type of expository essay is to add your opinions instead of facts. Students most commonly make the mistake of using their personal opinions rather than proper facts.
How to Avoid it?
Make sure that you stick to facts, statistics, or evidence to prove your points.
4. Persuasive Essay Mistakes
So, one of the most common mistakes that students can make in these persuasive essays is being too emotional. It is completely okay to have strong views, but you need to back them up with logic and facts always.
How to Avoid it?
Always use evidence to support your points. Be respectful of other people's views and use a convincing tone to convince your readers.
5. Compare and Contrast Essay Mistakes
The most common mistake in a compare and contrast essay here is to not clearly define the exact difference between the two objects or phenomena.
How to Avoid it?
Make sure that you are writing in a clear manner and explain one point at a time to make it less confusing for the readers.
6. Reflective Essay Mistakes
You cannot be too general in these reflective essays. However, students often include general sentences without going deeper into the topic.
How to Avoid it?
You must be honest and thoughtful while writing these essays and talk about your feelings and the lessons that you have learned through them.
So, these were some of the common mistakes that students often make while writing essays. Let`s now discuss some tips that will help you in writing your essays. Come On!
Tips For Writing Top-Notch Essays
1. Read your Essay Guidelines
The first tip for writing a top-notch essay is to read and understand the guidelines. Make sure that you don`t miss anything. You may receive requirements and guidelines like:
- Word Count
- Formatting Style
- Referencing and Citing Style
- Deadlines, etc.
However, if you have any confusion in understanding these guidelines, you can consult your academic teachers. Thus, they will aid you in this process.
2. Create an Effective Outline
The next tip is to create an effective outline of your essay. As you know, an outline works as a map that helps the reader navigate through the writing with ease.
The following is a general example of an effective outline:
- Introduction
- Main Body Paragraphs
- Conclusion
- References
So, make sure to include them in your outline.
3. Conduct In-depth Research
As you may know, research is the vital key to making a top-notch essay. Hence, make sure to conduct in-depth research for your essay. Also, ensure that the information you gather is relevant to your topic and points.
Yet, you can gather information from the following sources:
- Academic Books
- Journals
- Case Studies
- Articles, Blogs
- Websites
- Data Bases
However, make sure that the information you gathered is accurate and the sources are reliable and relevant.
4. Create Multiple Drafts
The next tip on our list is to create multiple drafts. So, after conducting research, it is time for you to start writing your essay. Hence, just start writing, don`t be afraid of making mistakes. Just write whatever comes to your mind. After writing your first draft, start writing another one, but this time try to enhance it and include some examples to support your points.
The following are some strategies that you can utilize for proofreading your essay:
- Read your work aloud
- Read backwards
- Proofread for one at a time
- Read every word slowly
- Circle punctuation marks
5. Edit and Proofread
The last tip is to proofread and edit your essay. However, a lot of students skip this part, and they think there is no significance to editing and proofreading. But proofreading, reviewing, and making your edits could create the difference between a B paper and an A paper. So, once you have completed writing. Go through your content properly and look for mistakes like grammar errors, punctuation errors, and sentence structure.
Final Words
In a nutshell, writing an essay is an overwhelming task for students, and they keep repeating the same mistake again and again. But not anymore. This guide will tell you about the common mistakes that you can make in each type of essay. And most importantly, how to avoid them. Furthermore, we have mentioned some tips that will help you write a top-notch essay.
So, read them carefully and make sure that you stay safe from the mistakes that we discussed earlier. Best of Luck!
