But all that writing stuff is
boring…
Does it really even matter?!
It’s REALLY important to use
proper mechanics to make
yourself understood!
7
Pitiful Pitfalls
of Essay
Writing
Let’s see if we can identify
the most common pitfalls
found in essays, so that we
can avoid them in our
writing.
Example #1
I am going to tell you all about the Incan
civilization. It is an amazing place, I think
you’ll see. I know you’re going to love it!...
…I hope that you enjoyed my essay and
now you know a lot about the Incan
civilization!
Tip #1
 Keep
your essay formal
and fact-based!
 Avoid “I”s and “you”s
because you are NOT
talking to anyone, you
are writing formal essay.
Example #1
I am going to tell you all about the Incan
civilization. It is an amazing place, I think
you’ll see. I know you’re going to love it!...
…I hope that you enjoyed my essay and
now you know a lot about the Incan
civilization!
Example #2
The Spanish colonized much of Middle
America. Speaking of Spanish, I decided to
take that course instead of French because
Mr. Wilson is a much better teacher.
Although Mrs. Peoples is my favorite
teacher. I had her in fifth grade. That was
the year that I was Frosty in our Christmas
play. I can’t wait for Christmas to come
because I’m asking for a puppy!
Tip #2
 One
topic per
paragraph.
 Stay focused and ontopic (Every sentence
should be aimed at
answering the question.)
Example #3
How many
people?
How many
people?
If a person fails to stop at a stop sign, they
will be ticketed.
Tip #3
 Agreement—they
vs. he/she
 Don’t use bad grammar in an attempt
to be politically correct!
Example #4
I no that I here someone over hear fighting!
Tip #4
 FIGHT
the urge to think
that spell check is the
same thing as
proofreading!
 Write your essay and
then read it slowly to
yourself, what it
actually says not what
you meant it to say.
Example #5
I hate peanut butter. It is bad. I like jelly. I
hate them together.
Tip #5
 Vary
sentence length & structure.
 Ex:
Peanut butter’s heavy consistency is
off-putting. However, jelly is light and
refreshing on the palate. Mixing a
delightful strawberry jelly with
disgusting peanut butter is a mistake.
Say no to PBJs!
Example #6
I think that the Spanish conquistadors were
unfair to the native people. I feel it was a
legalized invasion of their land. I believe
these Spanish conquerors were allowed to
tax the natives and force them to farm the
land as slaves.
Tip #6
 Avoid
I think/I feel/I believe
 These weaken your writing.
State your facts and opinions
clearly.
Example #6
Spanish conquistadors were unfair to the
native people. In fact, it was a legalized
invasion of their land. These Spanish
conquerors were allowed to tax the natives
and force them to farm the land as slaves.
Tip #7
 Write
a conclusion that summarizes the
main points of your essay.
 Don’t just stop writing.
 Don’t over reach!
Example #7
 Stopping
Short Example:
…Once the British began to lose
colonial power in Africa and Asia they were
no longer a world power.
???
 This is the last paragraph of the body of
the paper. There is not conclusion!
Example #7
 Overly
Grand Finale:
Empires are always evil! The world
would be better off without them.
 The essay was about the pattern of rising
and falling in empires. What does this
have to do with anything?
Example #7
A
Proper Conclusion:
Based upon the historical evidence,
empires are clearly always expanding,
strengthening, and enriching themselves or
they are bound to fall. This pattern is
evident in the Roman, Persian, and British
Empires.
Steps to
Effective Essay
Writing
These will make a BIG
DIFFERENCE!
Steps to Effective
Essay Writing
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Read the question.
Re-read the question!
Write a thesis (main point) of your essay.
List main supporting facts.
Order those facts.
Write your essay (Stopping to check,
“Does all of this fit my thesis?”)
Leave at least a few minutes to re-read
your writing and fix errors.