You can’t complete either of these tasks without tools. So what if I handed you a hammer, a saw, and a handful of nails to start building, or a basic paintbrush and a gallon of paint to start your masterpiece?

While you could certainly create something (and sometimes something pretty fantastic) with only basic tools, you’d be able to create a much more polished and professional project if you had the right tools to work with.

The same is true for writing.

A pen and paper or computer and blank screen are the only basic tools you need to be any type of writer. But if you want to create a written masterpiece for your upcoming assignment, try these 14 writing tools for students to help you work smarter (not harder).

14 Writing Tools for Students

In order to write, you don’t always need expensive tools, like a new computer or pricey software. All 14 writing tools for students in the list below allow you to access their basic services for free.

The tools provide help with proper word choice, prewriting, collaboration, time management, organization, citation, and essay writing.

1. Thesaurus

Using a thesaurus doesn’t mean you need to find off-the-wall words that you think will make you sound smart. Using a thesaurus correctly means you should find the perfect word for the situation.

For instance, if you’re writing a narrative essay, writing that you went swimming in blue water isn’t terribly descriptive. Using a thesaurus, you might realize that the water was actually cerulean or turquoise.

2. Dictionary

Don’t underestimate the power of the dictionary. You can, of course, look up words that you don’t know, but you can also use a dictionary to help you write more effectively.

If you’re writing a descriptive essay, for example, you could type the word “hunger” to get the following definition: “a compelling need or desire for food.” This definition might be just the phrase you need to describe your hunger and that you felt compelled to order a footlong extra-large super combo at the local sub shop.

3. Dictionary of obscure words

While a standard dictionary will, of course, contain obscure words too, a dictionary of obscure words might be just the ticket if you’re looking for a few unique words to captivate your audience .

Let’s say you’re working on a creative writing piece about vampires, for instance, and you just don’t want to use the word “blood-thirsty” again. Using a dictionary of obscure words,you find the words sanguinolent (containing blood; bloodthirsty), sanguisugent (blood-sucking), and sanguivorous (blood-drinking)—all of which would be perfect additions to your story.

4. Reverse dictionary/thesaurus

A reverse dictionary or reverse thesaurus is a tool that “lets you describe a concept and get back a list of words and phrases related to that concept” (OneLook.com).

Keep in mind that the generated list from your search may result in a lot of unrelated words too. But if you look at the first few words on the list, the reverse dictionary is usually pretty accurate.

A search for “lose your job,” for instance, returns “fired,” “sacked,” “terminated,” and “canned” within the top nine results.

5. A guide to literary terms

This website offers a comprehensive list of literary terms, and quizzes and flashcards to help you study.

Remember, literary terms aren’t just for literary analysis essays.

Literary devices can be used in most types of essays to strengthen your writing and grab the audience’s attention.

For instance, you could state that the kids you were babysitting acted rowdy, and readers would understand your point. If, however, you use a simile and stated that the kids acted like a wild pack of dogs, your description suddenly takes on an entirely new meaning and creates a much stronger image.

6. EasyBib

Struggling with proper APA, MLA, or Chicago citations? EasyBib offers free citation generators. Simply type in the requested information about your source, and the site will automatically generate a citation. (Make sure to double-check the format when you copy and paste the citation into your essay.)

7. Google Docs

You might think of Google Docs as only a place to type your papers, but it’s also a great collaboration tool.

If you want to have others review your paper, simply send them a link, and they can comment to their heart’s content. Google Docs is a great tool for group work too as you can share ideas and keep notes all in one convenient place.

8. Pomodoro Tracker

The goal of the Pomodoro system is to allow you to focus on the task at hand without distraction and to ultimately increase your productivity.

Here’s how it works: The timer is set at 25 minutes. Use the 25 minutes to work steadily on your writing, and then take a short 3–5 minute break before going back to your project. If you need to work on your project further, work another 25 minutes, and then take another break. (This break might be a few minutes longer than the first.)

While you’re writing, resist the urge to check that text on your phone or pop open a new tab to check on your fantasy football stats—save those tasks for your breaks.

9. My Study Life

If you’ve ever missed an assignment deadline or exam because you simply forgot (or misplaced your paper planner or notes), My Study Life might be just the app you need.

My Study Life allows you to add reminders for assignments, organize your schedule, and sync your schedule to all of your devices. You can even access it offline.

10. Sticky notes

Good old fashioned paper sticky notes will sometimes do the trick. But if you’re working on your computer more than you’re working with paper and pencil, a digital sticky note may be more effective for quick reminders (and they won’t get lost on your way to class, either).

11. MindMup

MindMup allows you to create an unlimited number of mind maps and store them online for up to six months. (The subscription service includes even more features and allows you to collaborate with other users.)

Mind mapping is useful in just about any type of essay writing as it allows you to visually plan out your ideas. Like other graphic organizers, mind maps are great for those of us who hate writing formal outlines.

12. Speechnotes

If your fingers are worn to the bone from typing endless essays, try dictating your paper with Speechnotes.

Simply speak, and the site will convert your words to text.

Keep in mind that you can’t be a speed-talker like the guy below.

You must speak slowly and clearly, but the website can save a lot of typing time. It can also take time to get used to saying “comma” or “period” each time you want to add punctuation, but you have the option of manually typing punctuation if you prefer.

After you’ve dictated your essay (or other assignment), you can copy/paste the text into another program, and continue editing or submit your assignment as you would normally.

NOTE: Speechnotes only works with Google’s Chrome browser, which you can download for free.

13. Flashcard Machine

Though you have to create a free account before you can use this site, Flashcard Machine enables you to create sets of flashcards as study tools.

This site is an excellent option for studying literary terms, of course, but you can also use flashcards to stay organized when writing a research paper.

Use one side of the card for a Works Cited or References page citation, and use the other side to summarize the source or include a paraphrase or quote you might want to include in your paper.

14. Kibin

Did you know that Kibin not only offers this awesome blog (which you’re reading now) but also offers a free thesis generator tool and free paper grader service?

If you’d like more specific feedback on your paper, you can work with a Kibin editor to improve your writing as well. We can help with anything from organization and grammar to citation and style.

And if you’re needing more inspiration to pick a topic or organize your paper, be sure to check out Kibin’s extensive essay database and see how other students have tackled topics that interest you.

Have Tools, Will Write

Even if you’ve been working with all the possible writing tools for students in your toolbox to improve your writing, don’t forget that the Kibin Essay Writing Blog has tons of helpful posts to help you put the finishing touches on your paper. Here are a few you might find useful:

• Avoid These 10 Common Grammar Mistakes in Your Paper
• 5 Punctuation Rules You Need to Know
• How to Improve Sentence Variety in Your Essays (and Why You Should Care)

Did we forget to mention your favorite writing tools for students? Give them a shoutout in the comments!

Found in everything from books to blogs, and even in our own writing, confusing and unclear sentences can take their toll on readers.

But I’m here to help you improve the clarity of your writing, so your readers know exactly what you’re saying.

What Does Clarity in Writing Even Mean?

Simply put, clarity refers to how clear something is.

In writing, being clear can get difficult. After all, you may be dealing with symbolism and metaphors for your English and literature essays—and these literary devices are, by definition, indirect ways of saying something. And when writing essays on virtually any topic, you may be trying to convey complex ideas to your readers.

Clarity in writing doesn’t aim to “dumb things down” or remove your creative and unique voice. Instead, the goal is to sharpen your sentences and flow, so your readers can follow along and truly grasp your message.

Writing clearly is an ongoing practice, and there are many ways to improve clarity. My goal here is not to cover every strategy for clarifying your writing (that would get overwhelming), but instead to give you a few basic tips on how to get started.

How to Write Clearer Sentences

Many people write the way they speak—myself included. However, this informal style of writing can lead to run-on sentences, undefined pronouns, or just plain confusing sentence structures that don’t look right on the page.

Fortunately, there are ways to tighten up those sentences so that they make more sense.

Break up run-on sentences

Run-on sentences are those that, well, run on too long. They can typically be broken down into two or more sentences.

For example, you may write something like this: “Dalmations are the best dogs because they smile, have unique spotted patterns, and are very loyal that’s why I love them so much.”

Instead, you can break it up to say “Dalmations are the best dogs because they smile, have unique spotted patterns, and are very loyal. That’s why I love them so much.”

Define your pronouns

Pronouns—such as he, she, they, and it—refer to people or things without always having to use the names of those people or things. However, you still have to establish who she is or what it is before you use those pronouns.

Many times, undefined pronouns happen because there is more than one object in the sentence. For example, “Although Mary fought Sue, she was not injured.”

Wait…who was not hurt? A better way to phrase this would be “Mary fought Sue, but Sue was not injured.” Or if Mary was the one she referred to, you could say “Mary fought Sue without getting injured.”

Reduce wordiness

We often use a lot of words to convey simple messages. Cutting out the fluff streamlines your sentences and makes your points a lot clearer. My advice is to write as you normally would and cut out unnecessary words (what some people call weasel words) during editing.

I know that, help, and like are my biggest weasel words. Most writers have words they use too often that don’t add any meaning to the sentence. Once you’re aware of what your weasel words are, you’ll use them less often. Soon, you won’t have to edit as heavily to avoid them.

For more ways to tackle wordy sentences, read Why Wordy Sentences Are Killing Your Writing.

Use active voice

Passive voice (the opposite of active voice) relies on to be conjugations. Examples include “The ball was thrown by Tom” or “Sally was dancing.” Stronger sentences make the action more direct: “Tom threw the ball” or “Sally danced.” Active voice puts the action in the hands of those performing that action.

Not every instance of passive voice is wrong or unclear. But when you come across it during editing, ask yourself if active voice would be a better fit.

How to Write Clearer Essays

Your sentences can be clear as crystal, but your essay as a whole might still be a bit confusing to your readers. That’s because clarity in writing isn’t just about the words that make up your sentences—it’s also about how those sentences flow together. Here are a few ways to improve the clarity of your entire essay.

Use an outline

Using an outline is the number-one way that I improve the clarity in my own writing. Outlines keep me on track and ensure one point flows logically to the next. If I didn’t use outlines, I’d forget what I was writing about and would likely try to explain multiple points at once. It would be a mess.

Your outline can be very detailed and include your thesis statement, as well as every point you want to make and every piece of evidence for those points. Or you could do more of an overview of your main points. You just have to find what works best for you.

I advise starting with detailed outlines first until you know what you do and don’t need from the process.

Avoid tangents

Even if you use an outline, you still run the risk of going on tangents. When writing, make sure your evidence relates to the argument you’re trying to make in that section. Also make sure your argument relates to the thesis of your essay.

Trust your readers

When people put too much pressure on themselves to get their points across, they often over-explain things to their readers. This leads to redundancy.

When reading over your essay, mark any sentences that say essentially the same thing. If you got rid of one of those sentences, would your argument still be as strong? If so, get rid of one of the sentences.

Want to practice these approaches? Try applying them to example essays from our database and marking areas where clarity could be improved.

Need Help Improving Clarity in Your Writing?

It might be easy to understand the suggestions listed above—but implementing them in your own writing is another challenge altogether. With practice, you’ll learn what to look out for. But no matter how experienced a writer someone is, everyone can use a little help from time to time.

So don’t get too down on yourself if you don’t nail it the first time. Here’s what you can do to get help catching wordiness or confusing sentence structures:

Read out loud

It’s amazing what reading out loud can do for your writing. The trick is to go a little slowly. When silently reading (especially when reading your own writing), your brain fills in missing words or changes them around to make more sense. But when you read out loud and hear the words, it’s a lot easier to identify mistakes.

Have a classmate or friend read over your essay

Make sure you don’t choose a friend who’s a “yes person.” You want someone who will give you constructive criticism. Once the person’s done, ask what point she or he thinks you were trying to make. Also find out if the person tripped over some of the wording or found any of your arguments confusing.

Turn to the Kibin editors

The editors here at Kibin are trained not only to find grammatical errors, but also to improve the overall flow and clarity in your writing. They make sure you understand where the weak spots are and how to fix them, so you can do better on your own in future essays.

There are many more ways to improve clarity in your writing. All it takes is a little research and continuous practice. So what are you waiting for? Go write your clearest, most cohesive essay yet.

This skill is used in countless areas—from history to science—and can come in handy in both professional and personal settings.

While we may still talk about essays a little bit here, I’m going to show you how to synthesize information in a way that you can apply in a range of areas.

What Synthesizing Is: Finding the Common Thread

All too often, I hear that to synthesize information means to compile information. However, that’s not a very good definition because it makes synthesizing too similar to summarizing. While the ideas may seem similar, synthesizing actually takes summarizing a step further.

Synthesis involves taking information from various sources and drawing links between them. Summarizing and paraphrasing the information is the first step, but you need to be able to see—and explain—what unifies it.

It takes a lot of skill to synthesize. It draws on the following skills:

• Reading comprehension
• Organization
• Analysis
• The ability to communicate your ideas

Because of all that’s involved, it can take some time and practice for it to feel natural. But once you start getting into synthesis for your essays, it gets much easier to do it in other areas.

I know this all sounds kind of ambiguous right now, so let’s give the ideas above some more context.

How to Synthesize for School

Synthesizing information in English/literature essays

In high school, many of the essays you write will be for English classes. And even if you’re not specifically writing a synthesis essay, that doesn’t mean you can’t, or shouldn’t, use your synthesis skills.

Let’s get into some examples.

Say you’re writing an essay analyzing the symbolism of Yorrick’s skull in Hamlet. You can draw on your personal knowledge of the material and of symbolism in general to conclude that the skull is a symbol of death.

However, if you read other critiques of Hamlet (and there are countless critiques out there), you may find other meanings, such as Hamlet’s destiny, or that no matter how useful, kind, funny, or charismatic a person may be in life, death and decay make the dead person useless.

Once you see common threads in multiple sources, your mind starts piecing the information together, and you can form your own opinion. All you need to do then is share that opinion in a clear, cohesive way supported by evidence.

It’s important to note that, if you’re using other people’s ideas as evidence for your own, you should always cite your sources using whatever style guide your prof requires, such as APA or MLA format.

Synthesizing information in humanities/social sciences papers

The social sciences—such as history, anthropology, sociology, and philosophy—rely heavily on synthesis. There are a lot of arguments in these fields, so you have a lot of evidence to draw upon no matter what your opinion.

For example, I once wrote an essay about Louis Armstrong and whether he used his music as a subversive force to shake up the status quo and get black musicians (and black people in general) the respect they deserve. There were many historians who believed he was “playing the minstrel” and acting on stereotypes.

However, others believed that, while he played up some stereotypes to get white audiences to let their guard down, his lyrics and personal philosophies were subversive.

I had personal biases going into the essay because Louis is one of my favorite musicians. But I kept an open mind and read many secondary sources on the subject. I then found primary sources of his music, as well as interviews and voice recordings from his personal life. I sorted through the information to pick out themes and commonalities. My opinion was formed because of the evidence, not because of my bias.

Once I had the information organized, I could use the evidence I found from some of the sources to make my case.

When you do this on your own, you may feel the urge to just write down all the information you found. But that is not synthesis. Instead, explain your argument, and use the most compelling evidence you found to support it.

You should also consider referencing sources you don’t agree with. Perhaps you could say something like, “While Smith argued x, this other evidence suggests y.” This method shows that you truly understand the point you’re arguing and that you’ve considered all angles.

Writing a literature review (in any subject)? Synthesis will be ultra important in that process as well.

Other Areas Synthesis Skills Will Help

Synthesizing information in your professional life

There are so many professions that it’s hard to tell you exactly how to synthesize information in your future job. But let’s look at a couple different professions anyway.

I’ve worked as a digital marketing analyst, which was almost always synthesizing information. I looked at raw data to analyze trends. But simply finding the trends wasn’t enough. I also had to draw on information from other accounts and on industry knowledge of how digital marketing worked.

After synthesizing the data, other account information, and industry expertise, I was able to make changes and recommendations to help my clients perform their best.

Let’s say you take a completely different route and choose not to work in an office setting. If you were a restaurant owner, you’d still have to know how to synthesize information.

For instance, if you wanted to add a dish to your menu, you’d first have to know what people in your area like to eat. But you’d also need to know about trends in the restaurant industry, the cost/availability of ingredients, the amount of time it would take to make the dish, and your employees’ specific talents.

You wouldn’t come up with the new menu item before you had all of this information. Instead, you might have a general idea of a dish, but you would synthesize this information, balancing the price of ingredients with the demand from your customers, and knowing whether your staff had the time, knowledge, and resources to make it.

Synthesizing information in your personal life

Knowing how to synthesize information is actually something most people do without thinking about it. We do it all the time in our personal lives.

If you’re planning a vacation but don’t know where to go, you’d ask family and friends for ideas, look at information about different destinations, check out airfare and lodging options, etc. Then you’d use those synthesis muscles to pick out the perfect spot for your interests and budget.

Weaving It All Together

As you can see, the synthesis skills you learn in school can help you in virtually any aspect of life. While there’s no fool-proof way to synthesize every situation, here are the basic steps:

• Pull your resources. Think back to the primary and secondary sources mentioned earlier. Make sure sources are credible and relevant to the topic.

• Read, watch, and/or listen to the information you find. It helps to highlight or take notes, so you can find the important parts later.

• Organize information into groups of similar ideas. I find using color-coding systems works best. But you may find lists, graphic organizers, or other organizational methods to be the thing for you.

• Analyze information based on the evidence. Not all information is going to say the same thing. Which articles make the most sense based on what you know? Which speakers make the most compelling arguments?

• Form an opinion based on your analysis. Where does the evidence point? Are there any biases that may be altering your opinion? If so, try to filter those out.

• State your opinion, and back it up with the evidence. An opinion without evidence is fine in some situations, but if you’re trying to persuade someone or argue a point, you better be able to back up what you’re saying.

Learning how to synthesize information can help you write better essays. But it goes beyond that—it helps you stay skeptical, evaluate multiple points of view, build stronger arguments, and be more well-informed.

While the editors at Kibin can’t help you synthesize information in your day-to-day life, they can help you take the first step and do it in your essays. Whether you think you don’t have enough evidence or you’re just looking for proofreading to help your opinions shine, Kibin editors are there to help.

If your bad habits only cause a few disagreements with your roommates, maybe it’s not worth the effort to try to change them (though it probably is—sorry).

What if your bad habits have greater consequences, though, like bad grades? What if you have a few bad writing habits that you didn’t even know you had?

We often form our habits at a young age, never realizing that we were actually doing them. (You know, like biting your nails when you watch a movie.) You likely formed your writing habits in middle school when you learned the basics of how to write an essay.

Whether you acquired your bad writing habits in middle school or just yesterday, it’s time to break them ASAP. Here are five of the worst offenses.

5 (Bad) Writing Habits You Need to Break

If your writing habits include prewriting, researching credible sources, and leaving ample time to revise and edit your paper, congrats! You’ve established good writing habits.

If, on the other hand, you count yourself among those who have one (or more) of the five bad writing habits below, you need to break them (and replace them with more effective ones—we’ll cover that too).

1. Over-using the thesaurus

There are plenty of times when a thesaurus comes in handy, but over-use of a thesaurus leads to stiff, boring, and unnecessarily complicated word choices.

If you’re writing a scientific report, then dry, complicated language might be appropriate. But if you’re writing something like a history essay, a literary analysis, or a narrative essay, such wording won’t seem natural. Your writing will sound like you tried too hard to find a fancier word to make you sound smart.

Here’s a good use of a thesaurus: Looking up a more appropriately descriptive word for “shiny” when describing a diamond ring. (A check of the thesaurus might turn up “brilliant” or “radiant.”)

Here’s a bad use of a thesaurus: Trying to sound like an academic by replacing common words like “house” or “home” with “abode” or “domicile.”

Sure, there are times when “abode” might be more appropriate than “house.” But don’t try to throw in these types of words just to try to impress your prof. (It won’t work.)

How to break this bad writing habit

The easiest way to break this bad habit is simply to resist the temptation to click on any page that gives you a list of synonyms.

If you feel you absolutely must use a thesaurus, do so sparingly. Wait until you edit your draft, then select any words that you think might need to be changed.

2. Relying on your sources to write your paper

No, I don’t mean setting up some shady deal in a back alley like the kind you’d find in a 1940s film noir. Relying on sources doesn’t mean you discreetly hand a guy in a trench coat (who happens to be one of your most reliable sources) a few folded bills, and in return, he hands you a perfectly written and researched essay.

By “relying on your sources” I mean that you’re including too many paraphrases and quotes from your research sources.

This means your paper becomes a copy and paste of the words of other writers and includes very little of your own writing or analysis.

How to know if this is one of your bad writing habits: Grab one of your recently written research essays, and highlight every word that’s taken from a source. If your paper changes to the color of your highlighter, you’re a victim of this bad habit. (Don’t have a research paper handy to test? Try it with a research paper from our essay library.)

How to break this bad writing habit

Fully understand your arguments before you begin writing. Try outlining or drafting your ideas first (without the help of your sources). Graphic organizers are great for this too. Whatever your approach, once you have solid key ideas in place, use sources to support your claims.

3. Expecting your prof to tell you exactly what to include in your paper

In some classes, your prof will give you a list (often a long list) of everything that must be included in your paper. These types of assignment guidelines can sometimes make it easier to write the paper because you know exactly what your prof expects.

But don’t count on detailed guidelines for every assignment.

Some profs give instructions that read something like this: “Write a 4–6 page essay about the symbolism in The Scarlet Letter.”

With these guidelines, you know that you should focus on symbolism in a specific novel, but that’s about it. The rest is up to you.

If you’re in the habit of looking for explicit, detailed instructions, a set of guidelines like this can leave you more than a little overwhelmed because you’re not used to writing without your prof leading you through it step by step. You can also be a bit overwhelmed because you might have slacked a little in class because you thought your prof would tell you what to write.

How to break this bad writing habit

One of the first things you need to do to break this habit is to pay attention in class and read (and take notes on) everything your prof assigns. Having a solid grasp of the material means you won’t be panic-stricken when you’re asked to write about it.

The second thing you can do is to actually trust yourself and your ability to write well. Follow the writing process, and get help from your school’s writing center or from a professional editor when you need it.

Remember, if your teacher gives you super-specific instructions on what you need to put in your paper, by all means, follow the guidelines. If, on the other hand, there are limited instructions, breathe easy, and let your creative juices flow.

4. Assuming all types of writing are the same

When you text your friends, you know they’ll understand every acronym you type. But you wouldn’t use the same acronyms in a handwritten thank-you note to your grandma, would you?

Probably not.

Why? Because all writing (and all audiences) are not created equal. (And grandma is more likely to think that “lol” means “lots of love,” rather than “laugh out loud.”)

If you treated all writing assignments equally, it would mean that you’d use the same writing style and tone in a first-person narrative essay as you would in your lab report.

If you did that, your lab report might read like this:

I carefully watched as the liquid changed from cool blue to a deep red. I was amazed at the chemical reaction and quickly noted my excitement and the results of my experiment in my notebook.

While this is fine for a narrative essay, the use of first person, added description, and narrative quality of the sentences are definitely not appropriate for a lab report (which should be objectively written in third person).

How to break this bad writing habit

Before you start any writing assignment, consider your audience, and consider the appropriate tone for the writing.

You also need to think about the type of writing you’re assigned. As I’ve mentioned, a report requires different word choices and a different style than a narrative.

5. Writing exclusively in first- and second-person point of view

If you’re used to writing emails, narrative essays, poetry, or short stories, you likely use first- and second-person point of view liberally. Using first and second person is fine (and generally preferred) in this type of writing. But remember my previous comments about how all types of writing are different?

This most certainly applies to point of view.

In most academic writing, first and second person aren’t permitted, and you should only write in third-person point of view. (There are, of course, exceptions, but for the most part, academic writing is pretty formal.)

How to break this bad writing habit

Transitioning from first and second person to third person can be hard because, well, you’re so used to it.

To break this habit, start by continuing to write in first and second person. I know this sounds counterintuitive, but stay with me.

Start by writing your drafts in first and second person. (Use this point of view in any place that seems natural. Don’t go out of your way to try to insert first or second person.)

Once you’ve drafted your paper, cross out or highlight any instances of first- and second-person point of view. Then change them to third-person point of view.

Here’s what those changes might look like:

Example 1

Second person point of view: Spending too much time on social media can actually make you lonely.

Changed to third person point of view: Spending too much time on social media can actually make people lonely.

Example 2

First person point of view: I think everyone deserves the right to a free college education.

Changed to third person point of view:  Everyone deserves the right to a free college education.

After practicing this strategy a few times, you’ll naturally begin to move away from first and second person and be more likely to write in third person as you draft.

Breaking (Bad) Writing Habits

As the saying goes, “Old habits die hard.” We often fall back on our (sometimes bad) habits because we don’t know what else to do.

In the case of bad writing habits, it can be easy to fall into your old habits. It’s the quickest way to get the paper finished. For instance, if you can’t think of a way to end a paper, you simply add “in conclusion” at the beginning of your final paragraph and move on. (BTW: there are better ways to end your paper. Check out this post to learn more.)

You might also fall back on old writing habits because you’ve procrastinated and are now feeling the suffocating stress of an impending deadline. To break this habit, make a plan, and stick to it. Work a little bit each day on your assignment to ease the stress and make huge projects a little more manageable.

Want more ways to improve your writing? Check out this post with 20 ways to improve your academic writing.

And if you’ve been working hard to break all of your bad writing habits but are worried that your paper isn’t as strong as you’d like it to be, let us help. Our editors offer constructive feedback to help you make your paper better than ever.

Probably not.

Why? Because writing to your boss demands a higher level of professionalism and formality than does writing to your friend.

The same is true for academic writing.

You wouldn’t use “I’m gonna write this paper about how much I love playing video games” as your thesis.  And you wouldn’t write one giant paragraph about how playing video games is the best pastime ever (even if that’s how you feel).

Why? Because academic writing requires a specific format and style. It needs to be organized, clear, and professional.

But how do you improve your academic writing? What specifically should you do to make your writing more professional?

Start by reviewing these 20 ways to improve your academic writing.

20 Ways to Improve Your Academic Writing

Good writing takes practice, and you simply can’t write the perfect paper on the first (or even the second or third) attempt.

You can, however, review these tips to begin to improve your academic writing one step at a time.

#1: Follow assignment guidelines

Before you start any writing assignment, take the time to review the assignment guidelines again. Really. It’s important.

Here’s why. Let’s say you thought that you knew exactly what you were supposed to be writing: a literary analysis of the themes in The Handmaid’s Tale. You write a brilliant essay about the theme of complacency in the novel and its relevance to today’s political climate.

When you finish your masterpiece, you decide to review the assignment details, only to find out that the actual assignment is to compare one of the themes of The Handmaid’s Tale to another dystopian novel.

With only four short hours left before the assignment is due, you have to rush to create an entirely new paper. Not exactly what you wanted to do on Sunday evening (especially after working so hard on your original paper).

The takeaway: Professors provide assignment guidelines for a reason. Follow them. (Your grade will thank you.)

Need more help with a certain essay type than your assignment guide offers? Use this survival guide on 6 popular types of essays.

#2: Master the academic essay structure

It may sound simple, but if you’re writing an academic essay, remember to use the proper essay structure.

All formal essays require an original title (that gives readers an idea of what your paper is about), one or more introductory paragraphs, a strong thesis, at least several body paragraphs to explain the key arguments of the essay, and one or more concluding paragraphs to wrap things up.

Need help with the basic components of an academic essay? Check out these resources:

• How to Title an Essay When You’re Absolutely Stumped
• What’s Missing From Your Introduction Paragraph (and How to Fix It)
• How to Write an Essay Introduction in 3 Easy Steps
• 12 Examples of Good Topic Sentences (and Why They Work)
• How to Write a Thesis Statement in 5 Simple Steps
• How to Turn a Good Thesis Statement Into a Great One
• How to Write a Paragraph That Supports Your Thesis
• 20 Essay Conclusion Examples to Help You Finish Strong

#3: Use the correct format for an academic essay

Before people even read your paper, they’ll look at the format. Incorrect formatting looks sloppy. A sloppy paper is like showing up to a job interview with a dirty T-shirt and ripped jeans. It creates a horrible first impression.

Make your paper look professional by following the basics:

• Use a standard font and size (usually Times New Roman 12)
• Set one inch margins on all sides
• Double space between lines

Check out this Essay Formatting Survival Guide (Infographic) for more tips.

#4: Narrow your topic appropriately

Writing about a broad topic can mean you have lots of information to throw into an essay to meet length requirements. But it can also mean that you’re writing a simplistic paper about a complex topic.

To write a compelling essay, narrow the topic to focus on a smaller, more specific issue. This approach will allow you to write a more detailed and effective essay.

Take, for example, the standard elementary school report. Let’s say you wrote about earthquakes. Your report likely explained what earthquakes are, where they have occurred, and the damage they can create. You may have even earned an “A” on your report.

It was an awesome report for an elementary school student, but it was also probably pretty basic and generalized (like a standard encyclopedia article). This type of broad overview is definitely not what you want to write about at the high school or college level.

Can you imagine telling your geology prof that the focus of your term paper will be “earthquakes”? I’m sure you can guess that she wouldn’t be impressed.

Now imagine telling her that you want to focus on the impact earthquakes have on coastal cities and how new technology can help predict earthquakes and save lives.

Much better, right?

If you’re pondering a broad topic like “earthquakes” and struggling to find a narrow focus, read How to Narrow a Topic and Write a Focused Paper.

#5: Prewrite

A lot of students (and you might be one of them) hate prewriting because they think it takes up too much time.

While prewriting does require time and effort, it will help you organize your thoughts and help you plan your ideas before you actually begin drafting. All of this organizing means that you’ll actually save time in the long run because you’ll be that much more prepared when it comes time to write your paper.

Looking for more information about how to get the most out of prewriting? Take a look at these posts:

• 6 Prewriting Strategies to Get Your Essay Rolling
• How to Use Graphic Organizers for Writing Better Essays
• 7 Essay Outline Templates to Get Your Essay Going

#6: Choose your words carefully to create the right tone

Using the right words can make all the difference in how you present yourself to an audience.

Sure, if you use “too” instead of “to” or “there” instead of “their,” you’ve used the wrong word (and sloppy editing can make your paper seem rushed and unprofessional). But the word choices I’m referring to in this case are words that help boost your credibility and create a professional tone.

You want readers to find you credible. But you want readers to respect you too. You won’t be considered credible or respectable, however, if you’re rude, condescending, or sarcastic.

Thus, your tone should be appropriate for academic writing. Choosing the right words to convey your tone can improve the audience’s impression of you as a writer.

Take a look at this example:

Don’t write: 

“If you’re smart, you’ll realize my solution is the best.”

Do write: 

“Evidence demonstrates that this is the most effective solution.”

The first example is condescending and rude. You’re basically telling the readers that they’re not smart if they don’t agree with you. This is definitely not the impression you want to make.

The second example, however, is objective. It uses reason and logic to explain the statement and creates an academic and professional tone.

#7: Eliminate wordiness

Adding a bunch of words can help you make word count in no time flat, but more words don’t always equate to better writing.

Here’s an example:

Don’t write: 

“Due to extremely unfortunate circumstances, which were a result of a terrible computer error, students were unable to go online and register for their courses for the upcoming fall semester.”

Do write: 

“Due to a computer error, students were unable to register online for fall courses.”

The first sentence adds a lot of words but not a lot of content. The second sentence, on the other hand, eliminates 15 unnecessary words and is clear and concise.

To learn more about how to eliminate wordiness in your own writing, read these posts:

• Why Eliminating Wordiness Is So Important for Your Essay
• Why Wordy Sentences Are Killing Your Writing

And when you do need to extend your word count, make sure you’re doing it the right way.

#8: Write in third person

Many types of writing—such as narrative essays, op-eds, and blogs—allow (and often prefer) the use of first-person and even second-person point of view.

Most academic essays, such as research papers and literary analysis essays, however, require more formality and thus require you to write in third person.

Here’s an example to illustrate.

Don’t write: 

“If you read Romeo and Juliet, you’ll learn about the star-crossed lovers.”

Do write: 

“Romeo and Juliet tells the tale of a pair of star-crossed lovers.”

Notice that the first sentence directly addresses the reader by using second person (“you” and “you’ll”). The second sentence, though, is a stronger example of academic writing as it’s written in third-person point of view.

#9: Use formal language

Formal, academic writing requires formal language. In other words, don’t write like you speak. If you always use slang, you’ll need to edit it out of your academic writing. (Save the slang for texting your friends.)

Here are examples of informal and formal language to illustrate:

Don’t write: 

“She freaked out when she saw her final grade.”

Do write: 

“She was shocked and angry when she saw her final grade.”     

“Freaked out” is clearly too informal for academic writing, and the first sentence sounds like speech, rather than a statement from an academic essay.

#10: Write in active voice

While writing in active voice or writing in passive voice is a matter of style (rather than correct or incorrect grammar), in most cases, you should write in active voice.

Active voice creates a stronger statement and can help reduce confusion in your writing.

To learn more about the differences in active voice and passive voice (and when you should use each) read these posts:

• Passive Voice: 3 Things You Need to Know for a Better Essay
• Passive Voice: How to Avoid This Writing Pitfall

#11: Explain concepts your audience may not know

Your audience consists of intelligent, educated readers. There’s no need to define basic words or explain simple concepts that your readers already understand.

In other words, don’t start your essay with something like this: “According to Merriam-Webster.com, a tree is ‘a woody perennial plant having a single usually elongate main stem generally with few or no branches on its lower part.’” Readers already know what a tree is, so don’t waste their time by explaining what doesn’t need to be explained.

At the same time, do spend time explaining any concepts that your audience isn’t already familiar with.

For instance, if you’re writing for a general audience and you have specialized knowledge about trees, you might need to explain the term “petiole.” (It’s the stalk that connects a leaf to a branch, in case you’re wondering.)

#12: Appeal to your specific audience

Take the time to consider what your audience believes and understands about the subject.

If your audience is a group of environmentalists and you’re writing about a recycling program, for example, appeal to your audience by explaining how your proposed program will benefit the environment by preventing further climate change.

If you’re trying to pitch the same recycling program to a group of skeptical parents at a school board meeting, you might try another angle and appeal to their love of their children. You might explain how the recycling program will teach their children responsibility and help protect the environment for future generations.

#13: Be sincere

While you should appeal to your audience, don’t go so far as excessively complimenting or flattering your audience. This will likely turn readers off, and they won’t feel you are sincere.

You know, it’s kinda like trying to butter up your parents when you’re a kid. You tell them what great parents they are in hopes of convincing them to buy you a new phone.

Both your audience and your parents can see right through these poor attempts at flattery, and it damages your credibility.

Here’s what sincerity might look like in academic writing:

Don’t write: 

“If you’re reading this, you’re obviously smart, so you understand my point.”

Do write: 

“Based on the evidence presented, the thesis is valid.”

Notice that the first example tries to flatter the reader, while the second example is a more appropriate form of academic writing because it remains objective.

#14: Support arguments with evidence

Because academic writing isn’t just your own opinion, you’ll need to use sources to support your arguments. Even if you’re a self-proclaimed expert on the benefits of sleeping until noon, chances are you don’t have any research to support your claim.

That’s where the experts come in.

Remember, you want readers to know that you’ve done your research, and you want them to see you as credible. Citing authorities and experts to support your arguments is crucial to achieving this credibility.

If you need more help with supporting your arguments and writing a research paper, take a look at How to Write a Research Paper: A Step-by-Step Guide.

#15: Choose credible sources

And speaking of credibility, you absolutely need to choose credible sources. You’ll lose all of your hard-earned cred if you choose unreliable resources.

After all, who would readers believe is more credible, an anonymous person who created his own website about why teens require more sleep or a psychologist who has spent hours researching and studying sleep patterns and the science behind the importance of sleep in teens?

(FYI: If you do happen to be an expert in sleeping in but still need to find a way to make it to class on time, read How to Wake Up Early and Never Oversleep Your 8AM Class Again.)

#16: Incorporate your own analysis

Keep in mind that, while you need sources to support your arguments, sources are there as support. They shouldn’t take the place of your own arguments.

Here’s a quick way to tell if your sources have taken the place of your own arguments: Take a look at a research paper you’ve written. Highlight all information that you’ve used from your sources. In most cases, if you highlight more than a few lines in each paragraph, you have used too much information from sources.

Looking for another way to see if you’ve used the appropriate amount of evidence to support your claims? Try a reverse outline.

#17: Cite all sources according to assignment guidelines

Most academic writing requires the use of sources, and these sources must be cited. (Without citation, you’re plagiarizing, so don’t forget this step!)

Before you begin researching, and certainly before you begin writing, know what citation style is required. Two of the most common types of citation used in academic writing are MLA (Modern Language Association) or APA (American Psychological Association). (You may, however, also be asked to use other styles, including CSE or Chicago.)

#18: Start your assignment early

Good academic writing is polished. It’s clear, concise, and professional. Good writing doesn’t magically appear after writing a draft 25 minutes before the assignment is due. Good writing takes time, so start your assignment early enough to leave time to revise.

If you’ve mastered the art of procrastination but need a little help with that whole “starting assignments early” bit, read How to Stop Procrastinating and Start Writing.

On the off chance that you’ve procrastinated longer than you’d like, here are a few tips that can help you write a strong essay in a short timeframe.

Need help with time management? Stay on track with the advice in How to Manage Time Better When Writing (and Living Your Life).

#19: Revise, and revise again

In most cases, one revision isn’t enough, so make sure to save time to revise at least twice. Set the paper aside for a day or two, and review your paper again to make sure you have a clear thesis, topic sentences, and supporting evidence.

Here’s a tip to help you through the revision process: Try reading your paper out loud. If you stumble over sentences while reading aloud, your readers will stumble too. Revise your sentences until they’re easy to read aloud.

Need more help with revision? Read these posts:

• Why Self-Editing is Killing Your Writing
• How to Revise an Essay and Make It Better Than Ever

#20: Edit your paper

Finally, edit your paper. Look for grammar errors and any spelling or word choice errors (such as incorrect use of their/they’re/there or too/to/two). Also check for punctuation, format, and citation errors.

BTW: Don’t forget that Kibin editors are always here to review your paper and help you improve your academic writing through both corrections and feedback.

Final Thoughts on Improving Your Academic Writing

If you’re thinking that all of this is a lot to remember and it takes a lot of work to write a good academic paper, you’re right.

Though writing is a lot of work, it really isn’t so bad, and English class isn’t so bad either. But it does take practice—and lots of it.

Remember, if you follow the tips outlined in this post and you practice these tips each time you write a paper, before you know it, you’ll have improved your academic writing.

Not sure what good academic writing actually looks like? Take a look at these hand-picked Kibin staff recommendations that illustrate strong academic writing:

• A Study of Different Issues Faced by High School Students Who Transition to College
• The Different Factors Affecting the Retention of Students in College

Happy writing!

Editor’s note: This post was originally published on March 16, 2015, but has been updated for freshness and to add even more expert advice. 

While the most important thing in your mind is meeting that word count, being too wordy can make your argument less impactful. Trust me—I know. The first 4,000-word paper I wrote was wordy and redundant, earning me the only D I’ve ever gotten on an essay.

But I’ve learned a lot in the 10 years since then, and now you get to benefit from that knowledge.

Long Sentences vs. Wordy Sentences

Before we get into why and how to avoid wordiness, we should first look at what it actually is. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I write some pretty long sentences. Does that make them wordy?

Not necessarily. In fact, long sentences are important—as long as you vary the length of your sentences. If you wrote a whole essay using nothing but short sentences, it would sound choppy. See this paragraph revamped as short sentences, for example:

Not necessarily. Long sentences are important. But vary the length. Don’t use only short sentences. It sounds choppy.

The original version was much better because it flowed better from one sentence to the next.

On the other side of the spectrum, you can have short and wordy sentences. Wordiness isn’t about length—it’s about content.

Take a look at these sentences:

Her mouth was watering a lot.

Her mouth watered.

While both sentences are short, the first has too many unnecessary words. The second gets the same message across without losing any meaning or context. Many teachers, writers, and readers would say it even sounds stronger than the first.

So what is wordiness? Simply put, it’s filling your sentences with unnecessary words.

Why Should You Avoid Wordy Sentences?

So you have a few unnecessary words in your sentences. What’s the big deal?

It’s true that you probably won’t fail your paper just because you have some wordiness. But it can detract from the impact of your essay. And if there’s too much wordiness, it makes it hard for your readers to find the important information you’ve worked so hard to include.

Concise language also makes you sound more confident as a writer. Take these two thesis statements, for example:

I believe the red A that Hester has to wear on her dress in The Scarlet Letter symbolizes shame at first, but later symbolizes Hester’s own independence.

The red A in The Scarlet Letter symbolizes both Hester’s shame and her independence.

Do you see how much clearer and more assured the second sentence is? It cut out the weasel words and the mention of the writer, leaving only what’s important. The intent is clear.

That’s what you want in your own writing.

How to Avoid Wordy Sentences

It’s one thing to understand why you should avoid wordiness, but you also need to know how. Don’t worry—I have you covered there too.

Take yourself out of the equation

What I’m referring to here are those “I believe,” “I think,” or “I’m going to show” statements. Unless you’re writing a personal essay that specifically requests experiences from your own life, you shouldn’t refer to yourself at all.

In this essay, I’m going to show how Louis Armstrong and other jazz musicians fought racism with their music in the 1930s and 1940s.

In the 1930s and 1940s, Louis Armstrong and other jazz musicians used their music to fight racism.

Writing in the third person not only cuts down on wordy sentences but also makes you sound more credible. It gives your voice more authority too.

Use stronger words

Adjectives and adverbs can be helpful. They often fill in specific details for your readers and give them a clear picture of what you’re describing. However, students and writers sometimes overuse adjectives and adverbs when they could have instead chosen a stronger noun or verb.

Take a look at the following examples. You probably won’t have these specific phrases in your essay, but it gives you a good idea of how you can use stronger words to reduce wordiness.

1. Walked leisurely → sauntered
2. Very tall man → giant
3. Shook violently → convulsed

Stronger nouns and verbs aren’t always going to be at the tip of your tongue, so don’t be afraid to use a thesaurus. Just be careful not to overuse it. After all, you don’t want your readers to have to use a thesaurus just to get through your essay.

Cut out weasel words

Weasel words are words writers use that aren’t necessary at all. They just seem to weasel their way into sentences without writers noticing. They’re not always easy to spot because we tend to use them when we speak. But unless you’re writing a very conversational piece, it’s best to be on the lookout for them.

A quick search online will show you lots of weasel word lists, but here are some of the most common ones:

• That
• Just
• Like
• Very
• Really
• Suddenly
• Began to

Take a look at these examples:

She said that you could use it.

She said you could use it.

Suddenly, there was a loud knock on the door.

There was a loud knock on the door.

In the first example, “that” is a word that has no meaning and can be deleted without altering the meaning of the sentence.

In the second example, you see a case of a time-related weasel word. Other examples include “then,” “all at once,” etc.

Importantly, weasel words shouldn’t be confused with transitions. Sometimes you need words like “however,” “therefore,” “additionally,” and others to make your thoughts flow logically from one sentence to the next. These transitional words or phrases are helpful and often necessary, unlike the weasel words we discussed.

Edit your work—multiple times, if possible

When you write your first draft, you’re probably not thinking about the perfect words to use or which words are weasel words—and that’s okay. The important thing is to get your ideas organized on the page. It’s the editing stage where you’ll want to look out for wordy sentences.

Different people have different editing methods, but I’ll share mine with you to give you an idea of how to cut out the wordiness.

After the first draft, I put my writing aside for a day. That way, I can edit with fresh eyes.

The first edit is focused on big organizational changes. Are the paragraphs in the right order? Are there whole sentences or paragraphs you can eliminate altogether? You might try a reverse outline at this stage to help get things in order.

Once the organization is good, then comes the smaller, word-level edits. Hit Ctrl+F on your keyboard, and search for the following:

• That
• Really
• Very
• Adverbs ending in -ly
• Any weasel words you know you use too much

If the words are necessary, leave them in. But if you can delete them or change them to cut down on wordiness, do it.

Then, do one last round of edits to catch any other errors and to make sure everything still flows after the changes you’ve made.

I understand if you don’t have time to wait a day and do three rounds of edits after that. So feel free to modify the plan to fit your needs. But never forget the importance of proofreading and editing your work.

Still Think Your Essay Is Too Wordy?

For more ways to avoid wordiness in your essays, read Concise Writing: How to Write a Strong Essay With Fewer Words.

And if you still can’t find the wordy sentences in your essay or you’re not sure how to change them, you can get the help you need by turning to Kibin’s editors.

They’re here to show you potential missteps and help you correct issues with flow, wordiness, grammar, and more. That way, you know what to look out for when you write your next essay.

Don’t worry. I’m not going to give you extra reading and essay assignments to do. I’m just here to show you how to sneak a little bit of writing practice into your day—without writing a single essay.

Unless you want to, of course.

Online Writing Practice

The internet is an amazing tool when leveraged correctly. For writers (novice, professional, and every level between the two), it’s especially useful. And a great way to use the internet’s power to improve your writing is to… well… actually write on the internet.

Start with Facebook or Reddit

Long-form social media platforms like Reddit and Facebook are great places to express yourself and improve your writing.

For example, sharing stories about your summer job in r/TalesFromRetail or similar subreddits allows you to vent about bad experiences or revel in the good moments.

Best of all, you’ll learn a little more about how to craft a compelling story. (Just be sure to change names of people, businesses, and cities in the story, so you don’t give out too much personal information.)

On Facebook, you can join writing groups to connect with other writers in your area or worldwide. You can also comment on people’s posts (no trolling, please) or make longer posts of your own.

Turn to Twitter for writing challenges

While you can’t write long posts on Twitter like you can with Facebook or Reddit, Twitter does have a couple of advantages. The first is that there are many accounts dedicated solely to writing prompts. Simply find a prompt you like, and get creative with it.

You can also challenge yourself to write impactful short pieces. Being so limited in your character count may force you to use words in a more intentional and impactful way by cutting back on the fillers and fluff.

Why not start a blog?

Blogging is one of my favorite ways to incorporate writing practice into my week while exploring my other creative interests. You can start a general blog where you write about anything you want, regardless of theme. Or if you have a hobby or passion, your blog can focus on that.

If you write a focused blog (and consistently publish posts), you can even monetize it. This probably won’t make you rich, especially when you’re just starting out. But it’s still nice to make a little extra money writing about something you love.

Or Take a More Old-Fashioned Approach

For some people, there’s something so soothing about writing by hand. It does have certain advantages, including the ability to doodle or organize your thoughts in a more customized way. It also helps you improve your hand strength and handwriting, so you can write more legibly when school starts again.

Writing by hand doesn’t have to be a chore, though. There are a couple of ways to keep it interesting.

Send letters

It’s so rare to get a handwritten letter, and it may really make someone’s day to see that you put time, effort, and a little bit of postage money into communicating.

Whether it’s family or friends who live out of state—or even introducing yourself to a pen pal—sending letters can benefit both you and the recipient.

Writing by hand doesn’t have to be a chore. Keep it interesting by sending letters or journaling.
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Take up journaling

Journaling comes in many forms. Some journals have prompts to guide your writing. Others are bullet journals that give you the freedom to write, plan, and doodle all in one space.

So if one style isn’t for you, don’t give up on journaling just yet because you’ll miss out on some of the awesome benefits it can offer:

1. Improving IQ and EQ
2. Helping you achieve your goals
3. Boosting your memory
4. Improving your communication skills
5. Raising your self-confidence
6. Encouraging your creativity

Not sure how to start? You can write about anything—how your day went, what you dreamed about, what made you laugh, etc. Or start with a journal prompt. 

There’s no word limit or formatting to worry about, so it’s a great way to let yourself be fully immersed in your writing. Don’t just take my word for it. Check out what these student have to say about journaling:

• The Use and Importance of Journaling in Everyday Life
• Journal Writing as a Means to Release My Emotions

Looking for a Bigger Challenge?

Be a rockstar

Okay, I know that becoming a world-famous musician probably won’t happen over the course of the summer. However, you can start laying the groundwork—and make your writing practice fun in the process.

You don’t even have to know how to play an instrument to start writing songs. All it takes is the lyrics. Writing song lyrics allows you to express yourself in all new ways.

Plus, it’s pretty great practice for writing poetry when you reach that point in your classes.

Write the next great novel

Have you ever wanted to write a book? It seems pretty intimidating, but there are countless author/writing channels on YouTube, as well as blogs and books about the subject.

And while it may sound unbelievable, it actually is possible to write the first draft of a novel in just a month. Camp NaNoWriMo happens every July and gives you the tools and support you need to start on that novel you’ve always wanted to write. All you need is a computer and the motivation.

Like becoming a rockstar in a couple of months, writing a fully fleshed-out, completely edited, and good novel in a couple of months probably isn’t realistic. But a first draft is a lot further than most people get.

Final Thoughts

Writing practice can take many forms. All you have to do is find the one that is the most fulfilling to you. It takes the work out of it and makes writing more fun.

And once school starts again, you’ll be even better at writing those analysis and persuasive essays. Of course, if you’re still not completely confident in your skills by then, Kibin editors are always here to help.

just imagine ur reading an entire news article textbook or even a blog post with no capitalization and no punctuation it would be really hard to tell where one thought ended and it would be more than a little annoying right

Now think about how annoyed your professor would be if he had to read an essay filled with all sorts of grammar and punctuation errors like those in the paragraph above. I’m guessing he’d start marking up your paper in a rage (because you know he has a brand new red pen, and he’s not afraid to use it). Ultimately, he’d probably just give up and write in big, bold red letters: “SEE ME!”

When you read a comment like that, you know it’s serious, and you’re probably thinking, “This is gonna kill my grade.” Worse yet, you’re likely in a panic because deep down you’re also thinking, “My parents are gonna kill me if I fail this class.”

Punctuation is serious stuff, so if you want to save your grade (and possibly your life), keep reading to learn how to avoid these five punctuation errors.

5 Punctuation Rules You Need to Know

I’m guessing there are about a million rules for punctuation (give or take a few), so there’s no possible way I can cover all of them here. Instead, I’m going to focus on five punctuation rules that often confuse people.

FYI: A few of these are also professor pet peeves, so it’s a good idea to master them in order to avoid seeing red the next time you get your paper back.

Rule #1: Use a colon to introduce a list of items

Like with most punctuation marks, there are several different ways to correctly use a colon, but in order to follow this specific rule, you need to do two things:

1. Include a complete sentence before the colon.
2. Include a list of related items following the colon.

Example:

When I hike, I always carry the following three items in my backpack: sunscreen, water, and snacks.

This example uses the phrase “the following three items” to correctly introduce the list. (If you’d like to see another example, take a look at the sentence just before the example. It uses a colon to introduce the rules for using a colon.)

Use a colon only if you’re creating a list as in the examples above. If you incorporate the list of items into the actual sentence, you would not use a colon.

Example:

When I hike, I always carry sunscreen, water, and snacks in my backpack.

Rule #2: Use a semicolon to separate two related complete sentences

A semicolon is a period stacked on top of a comma. It creates a pause a little longer than a comma but not quite as long as a period. (Perhaps that’s why it’s both a comma and a period combined?)

One of the more common sentence-level errors (that is definitely a professor pet peeve) is incorrectly using a semicolon to join ideas.

Here’s an example of an incorrect use of a semicolon:

We hiked several trails yesterday; and were gone for over four hours.

Though the idea before the semicolon is a complete sentence, the information that follows the semicolon is not. It’s a sentence fragment because it’s missing a subject.

Here’s an example of the correct use of a semicolon:

We hiked several trails yesterday; we were gone for over four hours.

The example above correctly uses a semicolon because the ideas both before and after the semicolon are complete sentences.

Once you’ve mastered the rule of joining two complete sentences with a semicolon, move on to the next part of the rule: the fact that the two sentences must be related.

In other words, don’t write something like this:

We hiked several trails yesterday; next year we plan to vacation in Alaska.

While these sentences might be related because you went hiking on your vacation and you’re talking about vacation plans next year, they aren’t close enough in content to use a semicolon.

Rule #3: Never make words plural by adding an apostrophe

Remember when I said earlier that punctuation is serious stuff? I mean it! Punctuation can change your life forever. As evidence, I present the sign below.

This sign incorrectly uses an apostrophe to make the word “tattoo” plural.

Never, ever use an apostrophe to make a word plural. Never.

Let’s think about this for a minute. It seems that the owners of this tattoo shop don’t know how to properly use punctuation.

That means if you get a tattoo with any wording on it, you could very well end up with a misspelled word or improper punctuation, making you the butt of jokes (or the subject of bad tattoo photo galleries) and changing your life forever. (See how important proper punctuation is?)

So remember: don’t use apostrophes to make words plural.

Don’t use apostrophes to make words plural.
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When exactly do you use an apostrophe?

Apostrophes are generally used to show possession, such as, “Ian’s tattoo was a masterful piece of artwork.” They’re also used to create contractions, such as “don’t” to replace “do not” or “shouldn’t” to replace “should not.”

Rule #4: Never join two complete sentences with a comma

Incorrectly joining two complete sentences with a comma results in a comma splice, and it’s certainly a major pet peeve of a lot of profs.

Incorrect use of comma to join sentences (comma splice):

I’m going to get a tattoo tomorrow, I hope I like the finished design.

Though these two sentences are related, you can’t simply add a comma to join them. Instead, you’ll need to connect them using one of four acceptable strategies.

Here are four basic strategies (with examples) you can use to correct a comma splice.

• Join two sentences with semicolon (see Rule #2 above):

I’m going to get a tattoo tomorrow; I hope I like the finished design.

• Join two sentences with a period:

I’m going to get a tattoo tomorrow. I hope I like the finished design.

• Make one of the sentences a subordinate clause:

When I get my tattoo tomorrow, I hope I like the finished design.

• Join two sentences by adding a comma and a coordinating conjunction:

I’m going to get a tattoo tomorrow, so I hope I like the finished design.

Rule #5: Set off a direct address with a comma

Whenever you directly address someone, you need to note it through use of a comma.

Here’s an example:

“Excuse me, sir, do you know the time?”

This rule may sound simple enough, but it’s another one of those potentially life-saving punctuation rules.

What? You still don’t believe punctuation has that much power? Check out these two sentences.

Example sentence #1:

“Let’s eat, Grandma!”

Here, a family member is happily asking Grandma to join them for dinner. This sentence correctly uses a comma when directly addressing Grandma.

Example sentence #2:

“Let’s eat Grandma!”

Here, a family member is so hungry that he’s suggesting they actually eat Grandma for dinner.

The missing comma in the direct address changes the entire meaning of the sentence.

But don’t think this is an isolated instance of punctuation saving lives. Imagine walking on a path and seeing a sign that reads:

Hunters Use Caution When Shooting

Walkers on Path

Yikes! I’m sure that hunters aren’t really hunting pedestrians, but without proper punctuation, that’s certainly what the sign is suggesting.

(For the record, there should be a comma after “hunters”—because of that direct address rule above—plus periods after “shooting” and “path.”)

See? Punctuation saves lives! It can save your grade too, so make sure to follow the rules.

A Little Writing First Aid

Now that you’ve mastered these five punctuation rules, you may be questioning whether you’ve been following other important punctuation and grammar rules.

While it’s okay to sometimes ignore other writing rules, punctuation isn’t one of those times. If you’d like to brush up on a few more basics, read these articles:

• Avoid These 10 Common Grammar Mistakes in Your Paper
• 7 Grammar Rules That Everyone Should Learn
• Dangling Modifier: Don’t Make This Funny Grammar Mistake

Want to see punctuation in action? Check out these example problem/solution essays in our database. Test yourself to see if you spot any of the rules being used correctly (or incorrectly) in the example essays.

Still struggling with punctuation rules and feel that your paper is on life support? Rush your draft to the Kibin editing team for a little writing first aid.

They’ll not only catch your punctuation errors, but they can help with grammar, spelling, word choice, clarity, and more.

My grandmother, on the other hand, never made anything from a box. I don’t even remember her following a recipe. She always said that if you add “a little bit of everything” it would taste fine. And she was right. It always did.

Writing an essay is kind of like baking cupcakes. If you’re a novice essay writer or a novice baker, you need to follow the rules to learn how it’s done.

Once you become a more experienced writer or expert baker, you know how the words or ingredients work together. You can bend those rules a little, throw in a little of this and a little of that, and your work will be perfection (or at least pretty darn close to perfection).

While I certainly can’t tell you which baking rules to bend, I can help you out with a few essay writing rules. Keep reading to learn one rule that can’t be broken and 10 essay rules that you can throw out the window.

One Rule to Rule Them All

No matter what bloggers, grammarians, or other professors say, if your professor requires you to follow a specific essay rule, do it. (Your grade depends on it.)

If your professor requires you to follow a specific essay rule, do it. (Your grade depends on it.)
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For instance, if every other professor tells you that first person point of view isn’t appropriate for academic essays, but your current prof says that your essay must be written in first person, guess what?

Your job is to write in first person (if for no other reason than to make your prof happy). Not sure what your prof expects? Make sure to read your course syllabus and all assignment guidelines.

Okay, now that you know what rules you should absolutely follow, here are 10 essay writing rules you don’t always have to follow.

10 Essay Writing Rules to Throw Out the Window

These 10 essay writing rules have been drilled into our heads by English teachers for a very long time, but I’m not suggesting that you should completely abandon the rules.

I’m simply suggesting that there are times where bending the rules is okay and, in fact, can sometimes lead to more compelling writing.

Rule 1: Don’t use contractions

Avoiding contractions can bring the flavor of old-school formality to your writing, but contractions are now more common and reflect modern language usage. Thus, it’s fine to use them in your essay.

Did you notice my use of the contraction “it’s” above? It would seem a bit out of place to include such formality here by writing “it is,” wouldn’t it? (Or should I say, “would it not?” See? Contractions just work better sometimes.)

When to consider throwing this rule out the window

Most writing today uses contractions, and it’s generally acceptable to use them in just about any writing, except for the most formal of essays.

Rule 2: Don’t end with a preposition

Ending a sentence with a preposition can create an informal tone. However, if used correctly, ending a sentence in a preposition actually makes your writing flow more smoothly.

Here’s an example. If you’re assigned a group project in your class, your prof might ask, “Who do you want to work with?” Sure, this questions ends with a preposition (with), but it reflects our use of language today.

You’d only expect to hear, “With whom would you like to work?” from a headmaster at Hogwarts.

When to consider throwing this rule out the window

If you’re considering breaking this rule, simply read the sentence aloud and see how it sounds. If it sounds too informal, chances are you shouldn’t break the rule.

For instance, the question, “Where is that place at?” sounds like casual conversation, not like formal essay writing. Instead, write, “Where is the restaurant?”

Rule 3: Don’t start a sentence with “and” or “but”

Your teachers stressed that you shouldn’t begin a sentence with “and” or “but” because conjunctions such as these are more likely to result in sentence fragments.

Here’s an example:

I like cupcakes and ice cream. But not ice cream cake.

The second phrase is just that, a phrase. It’s not a complete sentence. To revise, simply combine them to read, “I like cupcakes and ice cream but not ice cream cake.”

When to consider throwing this rule out the window

If you begin a sentence with “and” or “but,” make sure you’re using it correctly and that you’ve actually written a complete sentence.

You might also consider throwing this rule out the window to create emphasis.

For example, if you’re arguing that GMOs shouldn’t be used in any boxed cake mixes, you might state, “Some people believe that GMOs are harmless. But they’re not.”

Sure, you could easily combine these two sentences, but the period creates a longer pause than a comma. It adds emphasis and makes the audience take notice of your argument.

Rule 4: Don’t use passive voice

Passive voice has been used effectively by professional writers in just about every form of writing. See? I just used passive voice, and it worked, right?

So if it’s effective, why do teachers tell you to avoid passive voice? They do so because it can create weak and generalized writing.

Take, for example, this sentence:

A riot was started when the bakery ran out of donuts.

While it may be a factual statement, this sentence written in passive voice isn’t exactly interesting, nor does it capture the drama of the situation.

When to consider throwing this rule out the window

Whether you use active or passive voice is stylistic choice. Active voice is generally preferred. But if you want to add emphasis to a point or need to write a more generalized statement, use passive voice.

Here’s an example:

Not even one donut was left in the bakery after the riot.

This sentence emphasizes the fact that not even one donut was left. In this case, passive voice is more effective. There’s no need to mention that a specific person (or people) failed to leave donuts behind.

Need a little more help understanding when to use active and passive voice? Read Passive Voice: How to Avoid this Writing Pitfall.

Rule 5: Don’t split infinitives

To split infinitives is to boldly go where no writer has gone before. Recognize the famous “to boldly go…” line from Star Trek? “To boldly go” is much more powerful than “to go boldly,” isn’t it? Why? Because it inserts “boldly” and dares to split an infinitive.

When to consider throwing the rule out the window

Whether to split infinitives is a stylistic choice, but sometimes sentences that don’t split the infinitive are actually somewhat fussy and maybe even a little more awkward than sentences that do split the infinitive.

Check out this awkward example that does not split an infinitive:

The customers were unable to understand fully why the bakery raised the price of cupcakes.

In this case, if you rearrange the sentence to split the infinitive it becomes much clearer.

The customers were unable to fully understand why the bakery raised the price of cupcakes.

Rule 6: Don’t write a one-sentence paragraph

If you’re an avid reader of online blogs, articles, and websites, you’ll see one-sentence paragraphs all the time. But what’s the point of writing this way?

A one-sentence paragraph adds emphasis.

See what I just did? I added a one-sentence paragraph to stress the fact that a one-sentence paragraph can actually be a useful strategy to draw attention.

When to consider throwing this rule out the window

If you’re in an introductory writing course, your professors may not be too happy with seeing a one-sentence paragraph. This is probably because they fear you might not understand the importance of creating well-developed paragraphs.

If, on the other hand, you’re a more advanced writer, you can usually insert a one-sentence paragraph to add emphasis to your statement.

A word of caution: Don’t get carried away. A one-sentence paragraph might work fine in an academic essay, but if you throw a bunch of them in, they lose their impact.

Rule 7: Don’t write a one-word sentence

Really? Why not? Of course, strict grammarians (and your prof just might be one of them) feel that one-word sentences go against just about every rule ever created for proper sentence development. And they’d be right.

That doesn’t mean, though, that rules can’t change. Think about how many football or hockey rules have changed in the past few decades. Think about how many laws have changed in the last year. It only makes sense that grammar rules should be updated too.

When to consider throwing this rule out the window

Formal essays have far fewer occasions to use one-word sentences than, say, blogs, emails, or advertisements, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be used.

Sentence variety is important when writing an essay, so mix longer and shorter sentences together to create reader interest.

In academic essays, you’ll likely end up with some pretty long sentences, so if you opt for the one-word sentence, it will stand out and make your readers take notice.

Rule 8: Paragraphs must be 3–5 sentences long

Back in the day, when you were learning how to construct paragraphs by using topic sentences and supporting details, your teachers told you that paragraphs needed to be three to five sentences long, so you could a write topic sentence and include supporting evidence.

Now that you’re a more seasoned writer, you can certainly move beyond this basic structure. Academic writing usually involves longer and more complex arguments, meaning you need more space to develop your ideas.

When to consider throwing this rule out the window

You can pretty much break this middle school rule any time you write an essay. Of course, that’s not to say that you can’t make a choice to include a shorter paragraph to make a specific statement. But in general, move beyond consistently short paragraphs.

Need a refresher on creating effective paragraphs? Read Anatomy of the Perfect Essay Paragraph Structure.

Rule 9: Thesis statements must appear at the end of the introduction paragraph

I’m sure you’ve been told a gazillion times: In your introductory paragraph, you need to first introduce your topic, then narrow your focus to a clear thesis statement that informs readers of the focus of your essay.

Makes sense, right? But what if you’re writing a 15-page paper? What if you need more than one introduction paragraph to fully introduce your topic?

If that’s the case, don’t feel as though you need to create one giant paragraph just so you can put your thesis at the end of it.

When to consider throwing this rule out the window

As long as you use your opening paragraphs to introduce material and readers get a sense of your focus fairly early in the paper, you can include your thesis a little later in the essay.

(Unless, of course, your prof is a stickler for a thesis statement at the end of the introduction paragraph—then it must appear after paragraph one.)

Want a quick refresher on thesis statements? Read How to Turn a Good Thesis Statement Into a Great One.

Rule 10: Essays must be 5 paragraphs long

This is yet another one of those rules that was drilled into your head long ago: every essay must have an introduction paragraph, three supporting (body) paragraphs, and a concluding paragraph.

I’m certainly not telling you to abandon the basic essay structure of introduction, body, and conclusion, but I am telling you that it’s fine to stray from the basic format of only one introduction or conclusion paragraph and only three body paragraphs.

Expand your writing to include additional body paragraphs (and maybe even a one-sentence paragraph) to create stronger arguments.

Need another reason to break this rule? Adding more paragraphs means more content and a longer paper that will actually meet word count requirements. (Just be sure to actually include relevant content, not useless fluff just to make your paper longer.)

When to consider throwing this rule out the window

As soon as you’ve mastered the 5-paragraph essay, feel free to throw the rule out the window.

This won’t be that hard because, once you start writing about more complex topics and issues—like nuclear fusion, immigration, and saving the planet—you’ll need a heckuva lot more than five paragraphs to do the topic justice.

One Final Piece of Writing Wisdom

If you’ve had a hard time getting through this post because you’re still thinking donuts and cupcakes, then by all means, take a break. Enjoy a sweet treat.

No, I’m not encouraging over-eating, and I’m not trying to increase stock prices in bakeries. I’m telling you to take a break because, of all the essay writing rules, it’s an important one that you should always follow.

I know, I know, you’ll say, “But I work the best under pressure.”

While you might think that you do your best work minutes before an assignment deadline, chances are, if you were to take a break from your draft and come back a few hours (or days) later, you’d see that a little (or maybe even a lot) of revision is in order.

You don’t, after all, want to lose points on your essay for something like not following punctuation rules after brilliantly throwing any of the above essay writing rules out the window!

If you’ve already taken your snack break and revised your draft but still feel like throwing the entire paper out the window and starting over, don’t scrap it just yet. Let the experts at Kibin offer some advice.

Happy writing!

However, there are times when having less is better. So for the sake of accuracy, let’s say this—less is better…sometimes.

So far I’ve said practically nothing, and I feel better already, which I think proves my point.

So when is less better?

Certainly it’s not better to have less money when it’s time to pay rent or to have less wine when spending the weekend at your brother-in-law Chad’s house.

However, when writing a strong essay, less can be better.

Reading a concisely written essay, with fewer words, is better than slogging through page after page of drivel.

Less can be better—a concise essay, with fewer words, is better than page after page of drivel.
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So let’s learn about concise writing—that is, how to write a strong essay with fewer words.

What Is Concise Writing?

How you talk to a friend is different than the way you talk to your boss. And how you write a Facebook post should be different than how you write an essay in English class.

However, sometimes one leaks into the other. It’s quite common for students to fill their essays with casual language written in a conversational tone.

The problem with conversation is that it’s wordy.

Ahem. We speak using many unneeded words.

Concise writing is that which makes a strong point using few words. The idea is to rid your sentences of any unneeded words and structure them in the most effective way. This will make your writing more concise—and therefore easier to read and digest.

Write an Outline and Follow Your Thesis

The first step in writing a focused, concise essay is to stick to the script without meandering off into another subject. Well, I guess that’s the second step because first you need a script.

An outline is an important tool in the writing process that students often skip. Don’t do that. Seriously. You need this blueprint to help you stay on subject. Without it, you will have trouble being concise.

So start your outline by creating a thesis statement for your essay. This sentence is the main idea, or argument, of your essay. Each section of your paper will address one part of your thesis.

The outline allows you to examine how best to organize your essay to prove your thesis.

Writing concisely starts by thinking about the best way to outline your essay and then sticking to it throughout the writing process.

Do a Close Edit

It’s quite all right for the first draft of your essay to be a bit wordy. It’s important that you let your ideas flow without worrying too much about whether you’re writing concisely. It doesn’t have to be perfectly concise writing the first go-round.

That’s why we revise. And you must revise!

So once you have written the first draft of your essay, I suggest you then do what I call a close edit. A close edit involves carefully reading each sentence, looking at each word, and thinking of ways it could be rewritten more concisely.

However, before doing a close edit, it’s important to know the common mistakes writers make and how you can edit them to make your writing more concise.

So here are a few ways in which you can make your writing more concise during the close-edit process.

Use your active voice

The active voice means that the subject of the sentence (usually the person) is doing something to an object. For example: “Jack mails the letter.”

The passive voice is when the sentence is reordered so that the subject of the sentence is being acted upon. For example: “The letter was mailed by Jack.”

In almost all circumstances, the active voice is the way to go. It’s more concise.

Avoid adjective and adverb abuse

Although adjectives and adverbs can seem like a good way to spice up your paper, they often become overused, cluttering your writing.

Mark Twain said, “When you find an adjective, kill it.” Well, that’s a bit harsh, but you should be careful not to use too many. The same goes for adverbs.

Avoid repetition

It’s common to find a statement written more than once in the same paper. Sometimes writers will say the same thing in different ways.

For example: “An increased dropout rate leads to more crime. The crime rates have increased as more students have failed to finish high school.”

There’s no need to say it twice.

Moreover, many writers seem to feel the need to reiterate things that were just stated in a previous paragraph.

For example: “Now that it has been established that an increase in dropouts leads to more crime, let’s take a look at the dropout rates around the country.”

There’s no need to repeat that information here. It just slows the flow of your essay.

Improve your verb usage

Look for moments in your paper when the verbs can be improved. Avoid using verb phrases where you can use a stronger verb instead.

For example: Instead of writing, “The temperature went down,” you can write, “The temperature decreased.”

Also, instead of writing, “Jaundice is an indication of liver disease,” you can write, “Jaundice indicates liver disease.”

Use a thesaurus and a dictionary

When we can’t find the right word to express ourselves, we tend to get wordy as a way of working around it. Being concise means finding that right word, so learn to use the thesaurus and dictionary when these moments pop up.

You might write, “The politician explained the benefits of supporting her campaign.”  However, you can make it more concise by writing, “The politician promoted her campaign.”

Cut useless words

There are some pointless words in the English language that we tend to use a lot. Learn to avoid these in your writing.

For example, don’t write, “The judges love the way in which she dances,” when you can write, “The judges love how she dances.”

And avoid using the words “really” and “very.” They are truly pointless. There’s no reason to say “really big” or “very big” when you can say “huge.”

Mark Twain again nailed it when he said, “Substitute ‘damn’ every time you’re inclined to write ‘very’; your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be.”

Avoid redundancy

It’s common for people to write expressions like “the reason is because” or “the reason why is.” Some even get a little crazy and write “the reason why is because.” Don’t be these people.

Some people argue that the above phrases are grammatically correct, but you should avoid these types of sticky phrases.

Instead, use the more concise phrase “the reason is.”

Ditch the expletives

I don’t mean certain four-letter words (though you should probably avoid those as well). Expletives are words or phrases that are used as filler without adding any real value to the writing. So they’re pretty much the enemy of concise writing.

For example: Instead of writing, “There are many scientists who believe,” write, “Many scientists believe.” Avoid writing “there are.” The same goes for “there is.”

Also, don’t write, “It is clear the stock market will crash,” when you can simply write, “The stock market will crash.”

Use an apostrophe

A simple way to make your writing clearer, more concise, and easier to read is by using the apostrophe.

For example: “The judge’s opinion” is more concise than “the opinion of the judge.”

Combine sentences

While doing a close edit, look for opportunities to combine sentences. You shouldn’t overdo it, of course, but there will be times when two sentence can and should be rewritten into one.

For example: “Some people believe that improving mental health services is the key to stopping gun violence. Other people believe decreasing the number of guns is the key to stopping gun violence.”

That’s perfectly fine, but it’s better to write it as one sentence: “While some people believe improving mental health services is the key to stopping gun violence, others believe we must decrease the number of guns.”

Get to the point

Always keep your thesis in mind. The point of your essay is to prove that one statement. There may be some details that seem interesting, but they shouldn’t be included unless they’re important to proving the point of your thesis.

For example, you may think it sounds better to write, “The Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor with a combination of torpedoes and bombers,” than to simply write, “The Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor.”

However, unless your thesis is specifically related to what the Japanese used to attack Pearl Harbor, the second sentence is more concise and to the point of your essay.

All Part of the Process

This may seem like a lot to think about when you’re writing, but concise writing is just one step in the writing process.

As I mentioned briefly before, you shouldn’t be too concerned with writing a perfectly concise first draft. Instead, the first draft is a chance to let your ideas flow naturally.

The second and third drafts of your essay offer the chance to do a close edit and take out any and all fluff. This is what revision is all about. And it’s an incredibly important part of the process.

If you need help with it, I suggest you send your essay to one of the editors at Kibin. They will ensure that your essay is strong and concise.