Common Mistakes to Avoid When Writing an Academic Essay

When you study in an educational institution, you cannot avoid writing essays. Therefore, you should know how to complete them quicker, better, and more professionally. At first, you might make the common mistakes of essay writing, but with time, you should gain the important writing skills that will help you even after your college years. You may ask, “What are these common mistakes?” Certainly, you have to know what they are. So, read on!

The Most Common Mistakes in Essay Writing

Providing a Synopsis rather than an Analysis

Writing an essay on a book is not about restating its events. It is about doing research and analyzing the events. Only then will it count as an essay.

Establishing a Weak Thesis Statement

Your essay needs to have a strong thesis statement. It is a hook that keeps one reading your work. Your thesis should be based on your opinion, as well as corroborative facts, and be very specific.

Overusing Quotes

If you use too many quotes from the book you’re analyzing or from the research you’re conducting, it decreases your own credibility as an author. Write in your own words. Analyze everything you’re including in your essay. Use quotes only when they express the eloquence that you cannot express by yourself.

Plagiarizing

It is a serious offence in all kinds of writing. It is defined by taking other people’s ideas or words and claiming them as your own. No educational institutions tolerate plagiarism. They often use various check tools and programs, but many professors can immediately determine if something in the essay was written by a student or was copied from somewhere else. So, never try to fool them. If you take someone else’s words directly, give credit. Also, you shouldn’t take a single article to rewrite it and tell that you wrote it yourself. Without a proper analysis and quotations, it is plagiarism as well. Express your own ideas and back them up with your research information.

Making Grammar and Spelling Errors

When you’re writing your essay, never use the first or second person. Use only the third person (he/she/it/they). Make your sentences complete and coherent. Recheck your grammar several times and always use spell check.

Making Bibliography Mistakes

The style of your bibliography should correspond with the essay style (MLA, APA, etc). Always check that it follows all the rules and requirements. You can’ let something as minor as a source list to spoil the mark for a good essay.

Using Non-Credible Resources

When you google something, it is easy to find dozens of articles on almost any topic. But keep in mind that not all of them can be used as credible sources for an essay. The articles you use should be written by academic experts and peer-reviewed.