How To Write a Perfect Essay Like a PhD
In 2017, 39% of high school students taking the ACT lacked the English skills necessary to successfully complete a college course. After college, 44% of hiring managers say recent grads still lack writing proficiency
Essay writing may be a pain, but it’s an important step toward getting your dream job
Before You Begin:
Review the requirements
Follow all assignment guidelines, including rubrics and examples
Determine the essay type
Narrative: Tells a real-life story
College application usually ask for narrative essays
Write as vividly as possible and build toward a conclusion
This is the only type of essay you’ll write in the first person (using “I”)
Expository: Explains or defines a topic
Includes compare & contrast, cause & effect, and “how-to” questions
Present a balanced analysis of the topic
Use facts, statistics, and examples ㄧ avoid emotional appeals
Persuasive: Convinces the reader to believe or do something
Answers a question by taking a side or defending a position
Build a case using facts, logic, examples, and expert opinions
Present all sides, but clearly explain why one position is correct
Develop a topic
Narrower is better─Go deeper into a single point and how it affects the whole
Explore background information
Read any required texts closely
Form a working thesis (topic sentence) to guide your research
The perfect essay doesn’t come from how you write, but what you read
Research & Analysis:
Pick the Right Sources
Determine the author’s credibility
Is the author respected in their field?
Do they cite their sources?
Are they presenting a neutral, objective view of a topic?
A little author bias is okay, but your sources shouldn’t all have the same slant
Decide whether the source is appropriate
Is it published in a peer-reviewed journal or a reputable institution?
Does it contain the information needed for a proper citation?
Was the article published within the last 5 years?
Some fields, like sciences, change rapidly and will require more recent sources
Read closely & take notes
Close reading allows you to either:
Report the author’s content accurately
Use key elements as background for an argument
As you read, make note of:
Terms to look up
Questions for further research
At the end of each chapter or article, write a brief summary of what you’ve read
Always write notes in your own words to avoid accidental plagiarism
Analyze the evidence
Let your notes sit for a few days to get a fresh perspective for analysis
Review notes and any new connections or thoughts
Analyze the biases of each source and author
Evaluate which evidence best supports your thesis
Consider opposing viewpoints
Professional writers, more than anyone, spend time revising and editing their work
Writing & Revising
Create an outline
Introduction:
Get your readers’ attention
Give context with relevant background information
Thesis statement should:
Present a thesis of 1 or 2 sentences
Present the topic of your paper
Comment on your position or argument
To make your thesis statement more specific, use conjunctions that indicate the relationship between ideas, such as “although” or “because”
Body
Determine the best order for your ideas
Depending on the topic, order ideas based on:
Chronology
Cause and effect
Complexity
Conclusion
Restate your thesis
Summarize your main points
End with an interesting final statement
Write Your Essay
Use your outline as a guide to develop paragraphs
Include evidence from your research to back up your arguments
Cite your sources
Each discipline specifies a style for citations, but what to cite remains the same
What needs to be cited?
Quotations: Copied text identical to the original
Paraphrases: Longer sections put into your own words
Summaries: Restatement of the main idea(s) from a source
Edit, Review, Revise
Common grammatical errors:
Spelling errors & Incorrect homophones
Solution: Always proofread; spell-check won’t catch everything
Run-on sentences
Solution: Add a comma followed by a conjunction
Misusing commas
Solution: Add commas to separate interrupting phrases
Wordiness
Solution: Replace phrases with words that are more specific
Passive vs. active voice
Passive voice sounds more formal, but can be difficult to decipher
E.g. The ball was kicked by him
Active voice is more direct and easier to understand
E.g. He kicked the ball
Solution: Use a mix of passive and active sentence for the best result, but aim for less than 20% passive voice
[Incorrect] “When writing essays good grammar ought to be considered very important you should defiantly ask, someone, to proofread you’re work.”
[Correct] “When writing essays, good grammar is essential, so you should definitely ask someone to proofread your work.”
Common structural mistakes:
Burying the thesis statement
Solution: Place your thesis statement at the end of the introduction
Introduction is a summary of the essay
Solution: Draw in readers’ attention with a just hint of what’s to come
Conclusion introduces new information
Solution: Revisit your thesis and summarize your arguments
From your first college application to doctoral dissertation, knowing how to write a good essay is essential for success
Sources:
https://www.act.org/content/dam/act/unsecured/documents/cccr2017/P_99_999999_N_S_N00_ACT-GCPR_National.pdf
https://www.payscale.com/data-packages/job-skills
http://www.ncte.org/library/NCTEFiles/Resources/Journals/EJ/1003-jan2011/EJ1003What.pdf
https://www.time4writing.com/writing-resources/types-of-essays/
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/588/02/
https://www.cornellcollege.edu/academic-support-and-advising/study-tips/reading-textbooks.shtml
http://writing.msu.edu/how-to-write-a-good-introduction/
http://cws.illinois.edu/workshop/writers/tips/thesis/
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/544/02/
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/engagement/2/2/60/
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/563/01/
https://www.grammarly.com/blog/top-10-student-writing-mistakes-finals-edition/
