5 Best Ways to Train Your Essay Writing Skills to Become a Proficient Writer

For many students, one of the most daunting tasks is writing essays. Many students complain that they cannot do such tasks for they lack proper writing skills. If you are one of these students, you know how frustrating the situation can be. Sometimes, you can even entertain a thought like “I hope someone could write my essay for me”. Well, we have good news for you.

Writing essays is something you can learn. Yes, just like any other skills. You need practice and discipline. In most cases, you do not need any special talent (unless you want to write literature). An academic essay has a “standard” structure. At the beginning of the essay, a thesis is presented. This thesis may be the result of your research or from other sources. The rest of the essay argues in defense of the thesis. Hence, a good academic essay must persuasive. How can you train your writer skills to become a proficient essay writer?

Learning the Essay Writing Skills Is Not Difficult, Just Practice!

If you search on the Internet “how to write an essay,” you will find plenty of articles on the subject. We have read many of those sources, in which sound advice is offered. Hence, we have made a compilation of the five best ways to train your essay writing skills. Here you are:

• First of all, you must brush up on your grammar. All you learned in high-school about writing style and punctuation will come in handy now. If you do not write with proper grammar, your essay will not be taken seriously. Hence, make sure you master English grammar before you start writing. The very basics you have to pay attention to include verb and subject agreement. But also verify that you know the correct use of articles and pronouns. When you write, avoid unnecessary wordiness that does not contribute anything to the discussion. Be concise. Write sentences that are clear and well-structured, and use the proper punctuation (commas, periods, etc.). To make your claims stronger, avoid the use of passive voice. However, be patient. Mastering grammar will take time and a lot of practice. Hence, we recommend you use some electronic tools that help to improve your writing. For example, Grammarly.com is an online tool that offers grammar checking. What’s more, you get suggestions to make your text more concise and clear.
• Before you start writing, outline your essay. This way you will have a clearer idea of what the content of your essay will be. As mentioned before, the academic essay must contain a thesis. This is written in the Introduction. Then, the body of the essay includes the discussion in support of the thesis. Here, strong evidence should be included to support the claims you write. A minimum of three solid arguments that support the thesis must be included. We recommend using reputable sources only. Try to avoid sources that can be dubious like Wikipedia.com and similar websites. Finally, you write the conclusions that wrap up the entire text. The conclusions tie everything together with the thesis.
• In an academic essay, the language you use is of utmost importance. For your essay to be sounded more persuasive and authoritative, the arguments must be intelligent. This is achieved by using the correct vocabulary of the subject you are writing about. Technical language and special terms can be used when necessary. But make sure you know the meaning of each word you are using. Do not write big words just to give the appearance that you are an expert. Otherwise, the effect will be exactly the opposite! If the reader notices that you used some terms incorrectly, your essay may not be taken seriously. Hence, use clear language that presents your arguments correctly.
• Use reliable sources. Moreover, analyze the evidence and understand how it contributes to the argument. Check whether the evidence supports your thesis directly. Any evidence must be strongly connected to your argument. Otherwise, it may be better to leave it out. You must be very critical of the evidence you use. Use the most reliable sources like papers in reputable scientific journals, books, etc. Do not deviate from the main argument with side notes you may find interesting. Keep the focus on your topic!
• Last but not least, learn to write the conclusions of your essay. The conclusions are not just a summary of the essay or a restatement of the introduction. The conclusions must support your research by tying all your arguments together. Hence, it is the final opportunity to prove your thesis. To write good conclusions, keep in mind that the key evidence must be outlined quickly. You must clearly and unambiguously state whether such evidence proved or disproved the thesis. Do not tarnish your great essay with poor conclusions.

Now you know how to improve your essay writing skills. All you have to do is practice and practice! The more you write, the sooner you will become an essay writer with professional qualities.