grammar essay writing tips

Grammar and Writing Tips for Essay Writers

• Post author By Dennis Piper
• Post date August 29, 2022

Source: https://unsplash.com/photos/1_CMoFsPfso

Are you tired of getting your essays returned covered with red marks? Grammar and style are important parts of writing essays. Overlooking even a few small things can negatively impact your grade . Refreshing the basics of writing will save you (and your professors) a lot of time and frustration in the long run.

Vary Sentences

Writing sounds more interesting when you have sentences of varying lengths and styles. While you don’t want to have writing that is littered with different tenses and points of view, you can vary your sentences so that your writing isn’t tedious. Sentences can be short. They can be long and complex, with multiple ideas and subjects. Vary your sentences for interesting writing.

Use Paragraphs Well

Paragraphs are a tool you can use to order and organize your thoughts. You should use each paragraph to make one point or tell one idea. You don’t want to stuff too much information into a paragraph and make it overwhelming or confusing. Use paragraphs the way you would use bricks when building a house. Each paragraph does its own work and has its own idea, and they work together to support your thesis statement. Paragraphs build on each other as they work towards a conclusion.

Paragraph Length

Paragraphs are important and help your writing flow well. They also help convey your ideas well. Your writing needs to have paragraphs that are neither too long nor too short. A paragraph should be about one idea. If you think you have a paragraph that is too long, see if it is about multiple ideas. Look for a place that you can logically break it into two.

Most paragraphs are 3-6 sentences long, but that is not a rule and it is more important to make sure the paragraph breaks make sense and flow well than it is to have a specific number of sentences.

Write Concisely

Learning to write concisely is one of the most difficult barriers to excellent writing. Concise writing means saying exactly what you want to say in as few words as possible. It means being able to communicate well without being overly wordy. When you are writing, it is easy to assume your reader will not understand you and end up over-explaining. Learn how to edit your writing ruthlessly, rewriting as needed to make your writing concise and simple.

Use Formal Style…

When you are writing an essay for a school assignment, you should sound professional. You want to use a formal style, avoiding clichés and contractions. Cliches like “made a mountain out of a molehill ”or “the rest is history” are old and tired, and you should avoid them like the plague. Contractions can also make your writing less professional, so in general it is best to use the words separately.

But Don’t Be Pretentious

While you want a formal style, you don’t want to sound stuffy. Avoid using big words just for the sake of sounding more eloquent. It usually has the opposite effect and makes you sound pretentious and like you’re trying too hard. Instead, attempt to be concise. Use words that mean exactly what you want to say in as few words as possible. If you need a big word to say something, use it, but it should be because it helps you speak concisely, not because you want to sound more knowledgeable.

Be Politically Correct

When you are writing, make sure you avoid phrases and words that could be seen as racist or discriminatory. Phrases and words change over time, so if you are unsure of the proper usage, do a little research.

Avoid Common Grammatical Mistakes

Avoid common grammatical mistakes such as using the wrong homophone . Words such as “it’s” and its” are so easy to confuse that even experienced writers sometimes miss them. Other confusing homophones include:

• There/their/they’re
• Effect/affect
• Accept/except

It is also important to make sure you are using the correct verb tenses for your sentences. Some subjects can be more difficult to use than others. For example, it can be tempting to use plural verbs with subjects that involve groups. The words “team” and “herd” are singular even though a team has more than one person and a herd contains more than one animal.

Use Punctuation Properly

Learn how to use punctuation to help convey your meaning. Avoid overusing commas and exclamation marks. Most professional writing will never use an exclamation mark at all. Commas are usually, but not always, used in pairs. Semicolons and colons are used sparingly and in specific ways. If you are unsure when and where to use punctuation, do a little research and check your usage in a grammar program or app.

The final step of any writing project should be editing. You should edit your work carefully, looking for any mistakes as well as checking for proper phrasing and clear meaning. Make use of an essay checker to help you spot any mistakes. Read each sentence by itself, out loud. It will help you to hear the meaning and flow of the sentence and check for grammar mistakes or confusing phrases.

9 essay writing tips your uni teachers want you to know

October 29, 2024

Essay writing can feel overwhelming, but a few expert tips can make a world of difference. Your university teachers share their top academic writing tips, so you can plan, polish, and perfect your next assignment.

When assessment time looms, crafting an essay can feel a lot like looking up at Mount Everest with zero idea how you’ll ever reach the top. But with a few expert-backed tips and tricks, it’s possible to scale that mountain with ease—confidence even. 

Here, we share 9 valuable essay writing tips from university teaching staff to help you break down the process, overcome common challenges, and elevate your essay game. 

1. Plan before you write

Associate Professor Victoria Kuttainen from James Cook University  says planning your essay is just as important as writing it.

“Writing an essay is not like putting up a Christmas tree, where you pre-construct a formulaic set of ideas and then look for a few quotable soundbites to hang on it afterward.” Instead, start with what she calls “pre-search” where you gather general knowledge before diving deep into research. 

Once you have a foundation, you can create a roadmap for your essay by grouping ideas into themes, organising them logically, and outlining your main points.

2. Use diagrams to plot out your roadmap

Mapping out your essay with a simple diagram or an outline before writing it is a great way to break it down into those key points, says Dr Russell McPhee from Bond University .

“Finding the right way to express an idea in formal, academic language is tough enough on its own, without the added challenge of not having a clear plan,” he says. 

3. Build your content knowledge

A rich understanding of your topic will help strengthen your argument. “Engaging deeply with the subject matter is crucial,” says Dr Nathaniel Swain from La Trobe University .

This means doing a deep dive in your research phase, going beyond basic sources and taking time to summarise important points in your own words.

Not only will this reinforce comprehension, it will help prevent accidental plagiarism. 

4. Be strategic about reading and note-taking

Dr Jennifer Vaughan from the University of New England  says adopting an active reading approach can help keep your research phase on-track. 

She suggests asking questions as you read, such as, “Does this information answer the essay question?” 

Strategic note-taking—like jotting down keywords, main ideas, and referencing style—saves time and helps you retain critical details for your essay.

• Related reading:  10 of the best study apps to enhance your learning
• Related reading:  Do universities check for AI plagiarism?
• Related reading:  How you should—and shouldn’t—use ChatGPT as a student

5. Break down the writing process

Tackling a complex writing task like an essay can be easier if you break it down into three manageable stages: planning, drafting, and revising. 

Dr Swain says after starting with your structured outline, you should focus on crafting clear topic sentences for each paragraph. Then, during revision, review each section carefully to make sure it works as a whole. 

6. Kick writer’s block with the imperfect rough draft

One of the biggest hurdles in writing is the blank page.

A good way to overcome this is to embrace the ‘rough draft’ wholeheartedly, advises Dr Swain. Doing so will allow you to write freely without the constraints of overthinking.

It’s about putting ideas on paper, even if they’re imperfect. You’ll have plenty of time to refine your work and clarify your thoughts during later revisions. 

7. Master sentence structure 

According to Dr Swain, strong sentence structure is the bedrock of effective writing. 

He suggests simplifying complex sentences to make writing clearer. You can use a free editing tool like the Hemingway App to check if your sentences are too difficult to read. 

Adding an appositive (a noun or phrase that adds extra detail) can enrich your sentences, adds Dr Swain. For instance, instead of saying “The study involved 170 participants,” you could write, “The study, a comprehensive analysis of early childhood education, involved 170 participants.” Dr Swain explains that adding such descriptive phrases makes your writing more engaging and informative.

He also recommends connecting ideas with subordinating conjunctions, like ‘although’ or ‘while’, to add depth.

8. Write your introduction last

Dr McPhee suggests writing your introduction after you’ve developed the main body of your essay. “If you write the introduction before you’ve done your research or know what direction your argument will take, it will likely feel unfocused: you’re winging it and working things out as you go. This usually results in vague, unconvincing writing.”

Writing your introduction last means you'll have a firm understanding of your argument and can succinctly preview your main points with signposts, such as “There are three main points to consider. First…”, when it comes time to write it, he says.

9. Always make time to polish your essay

The power of revision cannot be overstated. “Essay writing takes time,” Associate Professor Kuttainen says, explaining students should always factor in time to reflect on and refine their essays.

Editing isn’t just about grammar; it’s about improving clarity, flow, and coherence. Each time you look over your essay is an opportunity to adjust structure, find the right words, and ensure it flows logically from point to point, she adds. 

Looking for a university tutor who can support you with your essay writing? Read our tips on choosing the right service . Or explore our hacks and guides  for even more study advice.

Related blogs

Help! Why do I leave my assignments until the last minute?

Do you leave assignments ’til the eleventh hour? We’re all guilty of procrastination, but if it’s become a habit, it might pay to understand why you’re avoiding things.

How to survive group work when you’re studying online

Group work can be a challenge for anyone studying at university. But how should you navigate group assignments when you study online?

10 of the best study apps to enhance your learning

Turn your phone into the ultimate study buddy with these useful apps for students.

Main navigation

Write & improve.

Improve your English writing online

Want to improve your writing skills? Our free online tool helps you to practise your writing and get valuable feedback instantly. Write & Improve is simple to use: just choose a task, write or upload a written response and use the feedback to quickly improve.

It shows you how to improve your spelling, grammar and vocabulary. Join over 2 million learners of English who have used Write & Improve to improve their writing.

Start practising now

Improve your writing now – it's free!

• There is no limit on how many times you can use the tool – keep practising as much as you need to and build your confidence.
• Encourages you to think about what to improve.
• Keep improving and see your progress.

When I was preparing for my B2 First exam I practised really hard and I succeeded, so I'm in love with this tool that I still use almost every day. Aaron from Ecuador

With Write & Improve my grades get better and I am inspired to do more. It is really graphical and easy to use, highlighting your mistakes in a very visual way. Victoria from Uruguay

Write & Improve helps when practising writing particular types of documents. I've been able to see my progress and how my learning has changed. Jorge from Switzerland