How To Improve Your Essay Writing Skills (academic, Ielts, A-levels)

Writing an essay may not be the most pleasurable thing to do for most of us. Yet, there is a way to ensure it is not a torture. Before you delve into this article, I invite you to ask yourself: What would be the easiest way to do it? How can I make it work for me?

Here are a few tips for you to consider if you want to break the cycle of essay misery:

Writing essays in general:

1. Do NOT go crazy analysing model/sample answers. You will be stressing yourself and forcing your brain to attain the unattainable: writing like someone else. One or two are enough for you to work out the convention.

2. DO analyse different topics so you can train yourself to plan whatever they throw at you.

3. Let go of multitasking. If you write a weak plan, you know, just because they say it s a good thing for you, hoping that you will come up with something creative as you go STOP right there. The idea is to put your full attention on coming up with WHAT to write (the plan) and then give your best to HOW to write (execute the plan). Otherwise, you will end up with a stream of consciousness that it badly organised, repetitive and most likely off-topic.

4. Do NOT write full essays all the time - especially if you have nobody to check and correct them for you. Instead, practise writing paragraphs (topic sentence + supporting sentences + concluding sentences) while paying attention to linking ideas and sentences together and staying on topic! Marathon runners don`t run marathons every day!

5. Be productive: instead of writing essay after essay, follow this strategy: set a timer for 15 minutes, analyse the task, write your plan, write a good introduction. Take a break. Time allowing, do another topic. You will have done 14 essay topics within a week!

For specific topics, practise in this order:

1. analyse the topic, take note of key words/themes

2. what`s your reaction/opinion to the topic as you read it? - this is a very important step, don t rush it and let your REAL opinion come up to the surface. Don t force yourself to think like you think they would want to you think -)

3. why? (write all the points down, short bullet points or a spidergram/mindmap)

4. organise the points you`ve made, eliminate those that you know will not give you good, juicy paragraphs (you want to write with confidence about the things you know and have something to say about)

5. order the points to help the essay flow naturally and logically so your reader can follow it with ease (is there a connection between the points? A natural progression?)

6. keeping the plan in front of you, write your introduction paying special attention to the thesis statement). If you feel you`re struggling with your introduction and it isn`t just `flowing` out of you, this means your plan needs tweaking. It should be a firm foundation for your entire essay...

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Please take it slow and remember this is a marathon, not a sprint. If this still feels overwhelming and you are unsure where to start, we can break it down into smaller steps during a series of Writing Skills Coaching sessions.