As an English major and tutor, I get asked to look over
a lot of essays. Research papers, literature analysis, in-class finals...even in college, friends and acquaintances asked me for advice on writing and essay construction almost weekly.
On occasion, I performed a courtesy...a mere case of peer-editing for a fellow English major: my notes were more about preference than correction. However, most of the requests were not from such experienced writers, and my editing was accompanied by shock at the abounding deficiencies in my fellow student's writing skills; students I knew to be both intelligent and capable.
The frustrating thing about writing skills is that many of them are instinct. There are a few specific, iron-clad rules: yes. But much of the art of constructing a perfect essay comes down to simple finesse. And without even an awareness of these few rules, this finesse is impossible to acquire.
With each essay I now edit, I thank the heavens for my private all-girls school, where the English program taught me all the major and minor ways to improve my writing. Sometimes I don't know where to begin when I get a new piece to edit. I open the document and feel a little bit sick to my stomach (no hyperbole, I assure you). The basic rules of writing are so abysmally absent that mere coherence becomes the object of my revisement, rather than excellence.
I am convinced that a disastrous essay is the result of poor training. So for the benefit of those who sit down to write an essay and feel at a complete loss...
Key things to remember when writing an Essay:
1.
Meaning: I swear to God that English teachers today forget to explain to their students that the point of writing an essay is
communicating a point! Many of my students only have some vague idea of what their point is and an even vaguer idea of how to communicate it. The result is meandering, confused ramblings, in which threads of thought are followed, left and picked up paragraphs later, causing a reader both confusion and disgust.
The point of an essay must always be found in its thesis. Although my high school students know that a thesis is important, few of them actually know
why it is important. The point of an essay is to prove or disprove something, and the thesis is where a writer makes his or her claim about what they will prove or disprove. An essay hangs upon its thesis much as a dress hangs upon its hanger in the closet.
Writing an essay is about stating your opinion, proving your opinion, about
saying what you want to say! . That is your
purpose. Essays are only as good as their
meaning.
"But I
don't have anything to say!" reply my students. Fine. In these cases, simplicity is best. Pick the simplest, most obvious premise to prove, and prove it.
Clarity is a writer's best friend. A complicated, fascinating analysis of that novel or of this historical time period is for those who can write complicated, fascinating sentences without losing clarity. The
meaning is the most vital aspect of an essay. Don't sacrifice it for interest or vanity by trying to write beyond your skill level. Stop trying to sound smart and just say what you mean (Without oversimplifying it tooooo much. This isn't grade school.)
I wrote a few perfectly boring papers in college that nonetheless were simple and clear. These unfailingly earned me A's. This approach is particularly helpful for in-class essays or timed writing, when a there is no room for extensive thought on a complex thesis. Take the the obvious premise, and use your time to your best advantage by proving it simply and thoroughly. Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity.
2.
Structure: An essay without structure is a body without bones. All the material is present, yet nothing can fit together correctly.
Initially, stick with the Classic Construction: 5 paragraphs: an introductory paragraph, 3 body paragraphs and a conclusion.
The introduction should sum up what you will be discussing the paper. Introduce the idea of the theme you'll be working with. Give context. Your thesis should be the last sentence.
There should be at least 3 main parts to proving your thesis.(Hence the 3 body paragraphs.) Each part should have a paragraph. Look up the 11-sentence paragraph and stick to it as much as possible. Each paragraph should consist of least 3 examples to prove that particular point. Keep it organized. Each example should have a transition and/or lead-in to addressing it. After the example comes 2 sentences of commentary.
Sometimes your parts will prove your thesis separately from each other; other times they must build upon each other. In the latter case, make sure this "building" has order and organization.
Your conclusion should be the backwards repeat of your introduction. The first sentence is the thesis restated in a new way. Afterwards, sum up what you proved.
Without this valuable structure, clarity is lost. And without clarity, as already mentioned, the meaning is lost as well.
3.
Writing Style: Clarity, clarity, clarity. Reread your sentences over and over again to ensure your meaning is clear! Beware the run-on sentence...he comes after even the most experienced of writers.
Be careful not to over-explain your point. A common mistake I come across in sentence construction is when the writer repeats themselves in the same sentence. Example: The strict moral regulations of the Puritans led to the hysteria of the Salem witch trials, which was a result of the way the Puritans led their life. This=Redundancy. An essay's greatest enemy. Repeating a point a few times is inevitable in an essay, but NEVER, EVER repeat it in the same sentence! If you must repeat a point for the sake of fine-tuning, be sure to reiterate in a different way for the sake of disguise.
Something our great and wise English teacher, Mrs. Tumpak, told us ladies in high school: "Be thrifty with your words." Now, our admiration of Mrs. Tumpak was almost tantamount to worship. We affectionately called her Tumpy amongst ourselves, wrote down her funny quips and comments, and were always seeking to impress her with a new insight into whatever the latest classic we were reading. But in high school, I was indifferent to this proverb: possibly the greatest piece of advice she ever gave us. I wrote flowery, long sentences, enjoying the extravagance of throwing in as many words as I could muster. Only now as an adult can I fully appreciate what she meant.
Every word you use in an essay is precious. Clear and concise are the heroes of the day when it comes to writing style: we no longer live in the Romantic era. Each word must contribute to your point, and contribute with force.
This brings me to another point: Employ strong, active writing, not passive writing. This is the difference between, "Mr. Darcy is helping Elizabeth" and Mr. Darcy helps Elizabeth." I cannot tell you how frequently people add in the "To-Be" verb before their other verbs. It weakens the strength of the ACTUAL verb. The same goes for "being", "is able to" or "seems". These are frequently added into sentences before the verb and weaken the sentence. Remember, you do not timidly and diplomatically voice your opinion in an essay; rather you must state it as FACT. Strength is key for writing style.
4.
Commentary, not Summary:
The #1 mistake students make in an essay: summarizing, instead of commentating. Commentary does not mean sum up the story! Commentary comes after an example, and frequently, my students make the mistake of simply recapping the example for me. Wrong. The example is there already! I just read it! They are
supposed to be pointing how how this example proves their point and therefore the thesis! Commentary is the HOW, not the WHAT.
How does the example prove the point? HOW? It may seem self-explanatory, but pretend that the reader of the essay is stupid and needs the connection pointed out to them!
Simplicity! An obvious example is often a good example.
5.
The Little Things: Tense, Perspective, Vocabulary and Spelling/Grammar.
The real RULES in essay writing. These are the objective standards for any Essay:
Write in Present Tense: A novel, play, or short story must be written about as if is happening right now. Beware slips into past tense. "Lenny killed her on accident." No. "Lenny kills her on accident."
Write in Third Person: NEVER, ever use "I" or "You" in an essay. I cannot say this enough. I have been addressing you throughout this blog post because I am writing a BLOG POST. I can reference myself, the writer, and you, the reader. An essay is written in third person. "He", "She", "They". There is an implied result of this rule: that the essay appeared out of thin air, and has no writer or reader. Do not draw attention to the fact that your essay is really just...your opinion. You must state your opinion as fact, with strength and conviction. There is no "I think Atticus is different than the rest of the town because..." NO! Instead, "Atticus
is different than the rest of the town because..." Although the essay is communicating what you want to prove, saying what
you want to say, you must never, ever draw attention to the fact that it is you saying it!
Vocabulary. A list of words never to use in an essay.
Contractions: Can't, Won't, Don't, etc....Write instead Cannot, Will Not, Do Not etc.
Hypotheticals: Could, Would, Should. These are wishy-washy and weak. Don't deal with hypotheticals, deal with FACTS.
Clichés: Needle in a haystack, etc. It's just...just don't use them.
Weak Word Choices: Bad. Good. Great. Might. Seems. Pretty. The easiest way to display yourself as an inexperienced writer is to use such childish adjectives.
Grammar and Spelling: Obviously watch out for misspelling and grammar mistakes. These significantly undermine a writer's credibility with the reader, even if the thesis and supporting material are markedly brilliant.
Other than that, you're on your own :)
