• Choose topics corresponding to the length of the paper

Most times, a student can pick a topic, and it is difficult for them to finish it. Narrow topics are very efficient to understand when covering them. While when you are covering a wide topic, you will overgeneralize statements. For instance, when you are writing a paper that is four pages big, do not write something ambiguous, like the history of the rights of women. Just pick a section in that whole topic to talk about, like an incident. Even you will have an advantage when you use descriptive essays because it is narrow. But once you select a descriptive essay about yourself, select a section of your life, not a wide section for example, at your uncle’s barns. 

• Do not write topics that will cause you to write something brief rather than analyze

Do not select something like a story plot but rather select how a certain scene affects the entire story. With this, you will have the ability to analyze the scene and its effects throughout the play or movie. The 2nd topic you choose is smaller and will give you the ability to analyze what happened at the scene when selecting a topic to ensure that your topic can result in a strong enough thesis.

• If your work needs research, look for a topic that has enough material

Even if you do not write a research paper, ensure that you select a topic you can build with sufficient evidence and proof.

• And if you think the topic will not work out, select another topic

Instructors will want to write an essay that is very good than writing something that has a basis on poor choice.

Topic versus thesis

Please do not mix up the major idea of the topic and the topic itself. The topic usually gives the subject. Then the thesis assesses the subject. Below are examples of the topics that college students can select.

• Compare and contrast M’s poem “to a lion” and G’s poem “the happy cat.” Consider both techniques and theme.
• Explain the following phrase: “however many people deplore human rights crimes in Uganda, the government must not impose sanctions on Uganda.” Do you disagree or agree? Support your answer.
• Analyze how Shakespeare was using the imagery of clothing in King Leah.
• Look for an incident in your entire life that made you change your attitude or opinion.
• The civil war is more of economics than mortality. Explain. Do you disagree or agree? Support your answer.

The second topic and the fifth topic make the person argue about a position. I.e., it requires them to write where they stand to support their answer. Whether it disagrees or agrees. For example, the thesis statement will be that putting sanctions on the republic of Uganda will make America’s economy go down, hence hurting the economy. It is because sanctions are unsuccessful, and the United States must not intervene in Uganda’s matters.

Then other topics do not make the writer choose a position but rather creates a thesis statement. The thesis for the 1st topic can be even if M or G’s poet recognizes the subject’s value, which the lion and the cat, respectively. The first poem signifies that humans and animals are separate and are not together, while the 2nd poem shows that animals and humans can live together. And that there is a connection.

Writing thesis statements

When you are doing a paper that asks you to that is to say analyze, explain, look for effects and causes, compare theories, or show where you stand about a certain topic. You have to have the ability to not down thesis statements from such topics. As you go on with your work, you must also refine and polish your statement. Thesis statements guide you when you are writing your paper. They give you a direction of where you are heading.

Below are some of the examples of thesis statements;

• Poets M and G have good points about their living creatures that are to say “M’s poem “to a lion” and G’s poem “the happy cat.” 
• People have different ways about if the United States if America can put sanctions on Uganda.

Conclusion

You can come up with various topics, but an essential thing to note is choosing a topic you have an interest in.

Before analyzing the common mistakes, a good essay must have a clear structure, including an introduction, the main body, which has several paragraphs, and a compelling conclusion. Presenting your paper in a clear format gives you more marks. So, let us check other common mistakes students make when writing essays that can attract low grades. We have highlighted the best tips you can use to evade errors. Read on to unleash more.  

First of all, your overall essay must have verified details and facts supported by solid evidence.

As much as you need to be creative, you must ensure all your writing revolves around the topic. Read the instructions and understand the issue well before you can start researching. Understand the keywords and how you can incorporate them in the essay.

Keep the sentences short, and make sure you use phrases and wordings appropriately. Issues like punctuations involving commas, apostrophes, and other common grammar errors contribute to getting low marks in your essay.

• The Introduction

This section introduces the reader to your entire paper. It should be as catchy as possible. If the reader gets bored at the introduction stage, they might fail to read the other sections even if you have amazing content. Go straight to the point and tell the reader what to expect from the document.

• Thesis statement

Another vital element of every essay is the thesis statement. It carries all the paper’s weight. Every point you include in the document revolves around the thesis statement. When the tutor reads through your thesis statement, they should understand what you want to write about and how you plan to achieve your objective. Again, before writing the thesis, ensure you have concrete ideas to support it. Otherwise, you get stuck in the middle of the paper. Brainstorm on several ideas and if you realize you don’t have enough points, change the thesis immediately.

• Give examples of all ideas in your essay

When researching, pick points, you are sure you can support with verified examples. The basis of an essay is to prove your argument or your points. Don’t write points and leave them hanging. You must explain everything with concrete examples.

• The Conclusion

This is the last section of your essay. Take time and summarize all the ideas discussed in the main body. Let the reader know your final overview of the topic. Most students commit the mistake of repeating the ideas in the introduction in the conclusion part. This is repetition, and it doesn’t add value to the reader. Why write other sections well only to end up messing at the conclusion? Get all your marks by crafting a unique and eye-catchy conclusion. It should leave the reader smiling.

Conclusion

Writing a good essay is an art that requires adequate skills and knowledge to accomplish the task. It may sound like a challenging thing, but you can craft the best paper ever with the right approach. There are common mistakes most students commit that make the essay appear of low quality. The above tips will help you craft the best academic papers and simplify your work.

Elements of Style – William Strunk

It is the perfect book for writing because it contains all the critical tips you need to write for any genre. Several schools infuse this book in some of their curricula, and it acts as A must-read book for their students. It is 43 pages long and a good read. In case you want to sharpen your writing skills, then this is the book to start with.

The Little Brown Handbook – Ramsey Fowler

It is another classic book that can assist you in bolstering your skills in writing. It will provide you with all the critical tools that you need to shoot up immediately. In case you’re looking for a book to assist you in correcting the punctuation or grammar or even helping you format your research papers or dissertations, choose this book. It is a little more comprehensive, and most high schools utilize the book to improve the best students’ knowledge in English.

100 ways to bolster your writing – Gary Provost

The book is fun to follow through. It will immerse you in an array of writing styles and expound on how effective other writing techniques usually are. You must find ways to ensure that the text you write is coherent and cohesive because that is critical for good writing, and this book will not disappoint you. After reading it, you will find some of these styles that will suit you.

Bird by Bird – Anne Lamott

The book got explicitly written for writers, and it goes ahead to deliver anecdotes that will go a long way in teaching you to find the right content for you and open up your creativity. The book doesn’t pay much attention to language and grammar but focuses more on the floor of ideas through your essay’s body, an essential part of the block that our writer resides in.

On writing – Stephen King

The book is not fictional as most of Stephen King’s publications but rather a guide through the writing nature and how writing takes a course to flow through. The book contains all the elements and characteristics that a writer has, and it also goes ahead to educate you on how to use them in finding your voice and style.

Revising prose – Richard Lanham

The book has an array of examples and experiences that can assist many writers in revising their work. Most of the time, the art of revision gets underutilized when most people try to bolster their writing, and therefore this book, we looked through the tips and gave you advice that is needed to step into the following line of the script, which is revising. The book is quite different from the rest and very useful. Try reading it, and you sure will find value. 

The keywords. Once you have the topic, do not start the research right away. You must understand the topic well first. Identify the words you don’t understand and get their meaning from the dictionary. Move to the next phase when you are sure of every single phrase in the topic.

Understand the question. Now that you understand the topic ask yourself, what does the tutor want to read in my essay? Am I supposed to argue, discuss, narrate, or explain? There are different types of essays, and you must understand what the professor wants you to do before moving on.

After you have understood the two steps above, you need to start researching. Find content from different sources like the library, books, online, and other materials. Remember to make short notes you will be referring to later on when writing your points.

Note: As you make your short notes, engage your mind in creative thinking.

At this point, you have the topic, the research materials, and short notes. It is about time you start writing the essay. Follow the steps below when writing the essay.

• Thesis statement

A thesis is a statement that reflects the topic. It gives the reader a clear picture of what your essay is about. Once the reader goes through your thesis, they already know the dimension of your paper. Be keen when developing this statement because it will reflect in the entire document.

• The introduction

This is yet another vital section because it introduces the tutor to your paper. Make it clear with short sentences. An introduction should push the reader eager to the reader what follows next.

• The main body of the essay

In the main body, you divide your points into paragraphs. Each paragraph should explain a single point. Do not mix up ideas. Begin with the strong points as you head to the weak ones. Remember, the reader wants to enjoy the flow of your work. Keep the sentences straightforward and maintain an active voice in your writing. Again, keep only relevant ideas related to the topic and do not include fluffy words.

Note: Each point must have supporting evidence.

• The conclusion

Finally, you will finish your essay at this point. Here, you sum up all the ideas you have discussed in the entire paper and give your overview. Avoid repeating what you discussed in the introduction. Keep it short as you reflect on the thesis.