How To Write A High Quality Essay

Essay writing is one of those skills that may just come naturally to some people and not be as easy for others.

But quality essay writing is an important skill for school. Essays should be meticulously written and captivating for the reader. The goal is to present a point convincingly.

The features of a good quality essay can really vary depending on who you ask. Usually, though, there are best practices that can raise the overall quality of an essay.

If you’re looking to write a good quality essay, consider the tips here to help guide you in your essay writing journey.

Ways to write a good quality essay

Here are 7 effective ways to write a good essay.

1. Start with a plan

Before you jump into writing your essay, it’s a good idea to have and write out a plan for it. This is an important part of the process because it helps lay out a strong foundation to build on.

Writing out a plan for your essay can also make it easier to stay on topic and plan topics. Knowing what you intend to discuss is paramount to writing a good quality essay. Keep in mind that arguments/points are the focal point of an essay.

A plan is an opportunity for you to lay out your points and what you intend to discuss for each one. It’s also a good time to catch any possible overlay between your points to avoid repeating yourself.

2. Have an exciting idea/thesis

The main idea of the essay (the thesis) is what all of the other points of the essay stem from. Think creatively as to what you will write about.

Try to make it exciting but not too out there. Sometimes you may need to stay on a specific topic and deviating away too much might compromise the quality of the essay.

Selecting a good thesis might even make writing the essay easier because a topic that excites you is probably going to be easier than a boring one. This will ideally translate into an essay that the grader will find captivating to read.

3. Have good quality sources

If you’re writing an essay that requires external sources (i.e. it is not an essay based solely on your opinion), you need to focus on good quality sources. Yes, an essay is usually an argument of the writer’s opinion but often this opinion needs to be backed by facts.

These facts should come from credible sources. Sometimes, you may be absolutely required to use scholarly articles, for example.

Avoid using any questionable or unprofessional sources. While they may be easier to access and they could truly have accurate information, this does not mean you should cite them.

You can use them to get an idea of what to search, though. I.e. read something off any website and search for a scholarly article that confirms what you read. Then you can use the scholarly article as your source.

Scholarly articles are usually a safe bet. If you’re unclear as to what sources you should be using, consider asking a teacher/instructor/professor who requested or will grade the essay.

4. Be mindful of best practices

The formatting and writing technique in your essay can play a huge role in elevating the overall quality. Context is important here, though. Different instructors may have slightly different expectations, but generally there are some best practices that are expected in most cases.

Regardless, the structure, citation style and any styling or writing rules that may be expected of you should be followed. While there are exceptions, usually the intro and conclusion get their own paragraphs while each individual argument gets one or two paragraphs.

Look into essay structure examples and requirements online. You may also want to discuss with the instructor what they expect in terms of formatting.

Formatting requirements may also apply for the citations. Make sure you are clear what (if any) citation style is expected of you.

5. Use good quality language

Your choice of words and overall writing voice are important considerations when it comes to writing essays.

Make efforts to use formal language. You can use advanced or “big” words but do so carefully.

Avoid stuffing your essay with too many complicated words, but don’t be too casual either.

Also avoid unnecessary filler words. A common one is “very.” It’s usually not necessary but if you do use it make sure it’s a situation where it was important to emphasize. I.e. “very” should be used only when the situation really is very whatever it is.

The word very is just one example. As a good rule of thumb, if you can remove a word and get the same point across then you should probably get rid of it.

Avoid rambling whenever possible, as well.

6. Stay on topic

Keep your main arguments related to your thesis and your points for your arguments related to your main arguments. Some people have a habit of diverging from what they should be talking about. Keep everything you discuss in your essay related to the topic at hand.

7. Write when you’re ready (but don’t procrastinate too much)

Writer’s block is real. While there are many ways you can address it, one way to deal with not having the creative juices flowing is to simply wait a little until you’re ready.

Now, the key here is to not go overboard and procrastinate. Taking some waiting time is definitely something you should only be doing if you have plenty of time available.

So if you find yourself unable to write, consider taking a break. Maybe pace around the room a little or go do some light stretching. Close your eyes and gently massage your forehead. You might even want to consider working on another task for a little bit.