Six Tips for Improving Your Writing
Some general writing principles you might want to consider.
1. Say what you mean and mean what you say. (Read your work aloud to check this.)
2. Make every word count.
3. Use the right word, not the biggest word.
4. Short sentences are usually better than long ones. (But you must know how to combine them.)
5. Write with nouns and verbs. In other words, let them do most of the work—especially the verbs.
6. Keep your subject and verb close together. When you re-read a sentence and it sounds
awkward, check for this.
Writing Guidelines
These are more specific ideas to help you in academic writing.
1. Thesis
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Must be an opinion; in other words, it must be debatable.
Must include all the ideas you will discuss in your essay (not necessarily an item by item list)
Should be the last sentence in your introduction (almost all the time)
2. Topic Sentences
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Must relate specifically to your thesis
Must have TRANSITIONS that connect to thesis
A reader should have a clear understanding of what your essay is about by reading JUST your
thesis and topic sentences.
Should be opinions (usually)
3. Transitions
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Choose them specifically. (See list)
Very important in your topic sentences (but usually not necessary in your FIRST topic sentence)
Also use them WITHIN paragraphs.
4. Introduction
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Write it last.
Begin with a “hook,” or attention grabber, which leads your reader toward your thesis.
Examples include using a famous quote, a startling statistic, an intriguing question, or STARTING
WITH THE OPPOSITE. (This one works very well for on-demand writing.)
A Few More Thoughts
If you have too much plot summary, your thesis or topic sentences (or both) are
probably facts, when they should be opinions.
If you don’t have much to say in your conclusion, you need a better hook.
A famous writer once said in a letter he wrote to a friend, “Sorry I wrote you such a
long letter, but I didn’t have time to make it shorter.” Think about that.
If it’s something your reader knows with complete certainty, do you need to say it?
For example: Every book has a resolution. We all know this. Another example: The Old Man
and the Sea was written by Ernest Hemmingway. You might want to include this information
in your intro, but could you combine it with another sentence?
Below is a student sample for an essay about how to be a successful student. Notice the effective
use of thesis and topic sentences, transitions, and a hook. The thesis and topic sentences are
underlined, the transitions are bolded. The conclusion could be improved by returning to the idea
used in the hook—for example, the writer might answer the questions she asked, or end with
rhetorical questions that prove her point.
Have you ever found yourself feeling like no matter what you do, that you cannot find the
road to success in school? Often times, we get so caught up in the amount of work we have that
we get lost and confused, and our chances for success vanish. To be a successful student, three
characteristics are essential. You need to set goals, work hard, and maintain a positive
attitude if you want to go far on your pathway of education.
Many people do not set goals for themselves, but if you truly want to find success in
middle school, goal setting is crucial. By setting a goal, whether it be on paper or just in your
mind, you give yourself something to strive toward. Then, once you have met your goal, it will
give you an opportunity to look back and see how far you have come. For example, last year in
math class, we were asked to set a goal at the beginning of the year of what we wanted our final
grade to be. Then, towards the end of the first marking period, when I saw that I had a “B,” I
remembered back to my goal of an “A,” and it made me work harder. When I got my report card
and saw that I had met my goal, it felt very rewarding. By being a goal setter, success as a
student will come easily.
Once you set a goal, you have to make a plan on how you will achieve it. The main
ingredient in doing this is to be a hard worker. This includes paying attention in class, doing all
your homework, and studying. I consider myself a successful student, and I primarily owe it to
my hard and good work ethic. Hard work will always pay off, and it will take you far.
Even if you set goals and work hard, a negative attitude can still cast a dark shadow
over your glow of success. However, if your attitude is a positive one, it will help you to be
more successful. Also, if you keep a positive outlook on a subject that you do not enjoy, it could
help you to become more interested. For example, last year science was a subject that I did not
enjoy. I kept a positive attitude anyway, and saw that it was not that bad. No matter what,
maintaining a positive attitude can only help, not hinder you.
Becoming a successful student is not always an easy task. By setting goals, working
hard, and keeping a positive attitude through all of it, you can make life much easier on yourself.
If you try to have these characteristics, you are sure to be a success.