5 Writing Mistakes That Stop You From Getting A+
- Jan 3, 2014
- 3 min read
Clichés
A cliché is a phrase or an opinion that is overused and portrays a lack of original thought. Most of the essays I read have a lot of clichés within them and the culprit will always deny them! A cliché is like the poison that taints your work and takes away originality from it. With these phrases in your work, your essay will sound more like you are talking to your friend rather than the brilliant academic essay it ought to be.
E.g.
“The flaws in this article stand out like a sore thumb” Versus “The flaws in this article are rather transparent and calls for attention”.
Contractions
Contractions are two words that are abbreviated. For example, I’m or isn’t. Using contractions makes your essay very unprofessional and gives the impression that you are an amateur! This is ok for texting, whatsapping (yes, I just turned that into a verb) or any other social medium but it is unacceptable in an academic piece. Unfortunately, some students do not know this simple yet crucial point. Pay attention to these-
E.g
“I don’t agree with the author’s view” Versus “I do not agree with the author’s view…”.
It may seem like a minor change but it makes a significant difference between grades. Also look out for: “Aren’t” and it’s”.
Speech Like Phrases
The fact that your essay has to sound and look academic should be at the forefront of your thought process. Thus, if you have phrases that mimic speech it reduces the gravitas and tone of your essays.
E.g.
“They go way back” VERSUS "They have known each other for a substainial amount of time"
First Person Singular Pronoun aka ‘I’
Only use ‘I’ when it is appropriate. For example, if your essay is a reflective piece, we should see some I’s flying around (that is the exception). In all other occasions, the third person should be used.
To better clarify this:
“I am going to talk about English as a global language in this essay” VERSUS “This essay will discuss English as a global language”
“In the next section, I will talk about English as a global language” VERSUS “The next section of the essay will focus on the concept of English being a global language”.
Now, I can understand that for some of us changing first person sentences into third person sentences can be confusing and sounds like too much work. Keep trying and do not fret. Just use the contact box or click on "Ask Abbie" to ask any questions you may have and I will do my best to help you!
Use Plain Language
“Simplicity creates a beauty that complexity cannot comprehend”
Take a moment to really understand this above quote and you will know what I mean. When writing, use the ‘KISS’ technique: ‘Keep It Simple, Silly’. Keep your writing simple and your work is more likely to be clear, have a good structure and accurate expression of ideas. Make it too complicated and you are left with a piece of writing that is full of jargon, or at best, make it a confusing set of ideas with no clear explanation.
There is a temptation in all of us to google words that sound academic or big. We have all been there and done that! But it makes your essay sound like you’ve spent hours on using the thesaurus, rather than working on making your ideas clear and precise. Trust me, your markers wil not be impressed! They are looking for clarity.
Final Tip:
Shorter sentences are usually clearer than long complex ones but ensure your essays include sentences of varying lengths to showcase your writing skills.
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