5 Easy Ways to Get a Better Grade on Your Essay

You're feeling okay about your essay, you think it'll probably be fine. But how do you ensure the "A"?  How do you add that little something to put you over the edge from a good paper to a great paper? 

Here are 5 easy ways to do just that.  You ready?

5.  Spell-Check

I'm serious.  First off, run your spell check for any blatantly misspelled words.  You'd be surprised how many of my former students didn't do that.  Then, read through for other spelling errors the computer might not catch:  to vs. too, their vs. they're or there, affect vs. effect, etc.  One or two careless spelling errors can put you from the A zone into the B zone.  It often makes you look dumb, and it always makes you look lazy.  I suggest reading the essay out loud--that forces you to focus on each individual word as you read through. ✅


4. Watch for Capitalization  

You heard me.  Capitalization matters.  i can't tell you how many times my students would forget to capitalize "i." i always found it obnoxious.  Ooh...that was painful. 

Also, make sure you've capitalized the first letter of the first word of each sentence, no matter how short the sentence is.  Really. 

Capitalize names and other proper nouns. 

There are a lot of weird rules when it comes to capitalization, but if you have a question, look it up.  There are all kinds of great websites that'll help you out.  Like this one:  https://www.grammarly.com/blog/capitalization-rules/

3. Format Correctly

Chances are, your teacher has a particular way that they want your essay formatted. Chances are that that format is MLA.  If that's the case, here's a quick rundown:  Times New Roman font, 12 point font, 1 inch margins, double spaced.  Here's an example of what it should look like:

For more questions or other formats, check out the Owl at Purdue website.  They have MLA, APA, and Chicago style guides for your convenience. 

2. Avoid repetition

Read through your paper and make sure you don't accidentally use the same word too many times. Because sometimes we accidentally do that, even though it was an accident.

Make sure your sentences are not all the same length.  That comes across as choppy. It comes across as sloppy. It comes across as robotic.

Also, be sure you don't say the same point over and over again.  Saying the same point over and over again isn't a good idea because when you say the same things over and over again, your audience can tell you've been saying the same thing over and over again.

Variety is the spice of life...and that goes double for essays.  Repetition can be a powerful tool when done well, but if not, it can hurt your essay.

1. Kill Dead Words

Read through your essay and look for the following words:  so, very, really, just, pretty.

You don't need those words, they weaken your voice.  If something is "pretty great" change it to "fantastic."  Someone who's "very sad" or "really sad" is "devastated."  The words "so" and "just" are hardly ever needed.  Try cutting them out with no replacement and 9 times out of 10, you'll find that your sentence is better off without them.

Also, "I" and "You" should not be used in formal papers.  If your teacher gives you instructions to the contrary, then have at it, but otherwise, cut them out.  Instead of saying "I believe that the school day should be shorter..." say "the school day should be shorter." (We know it's what you believe because you're the one writing the paper.)  I often had students write things like: "As you can see, this is a problem."  I don't necessarily see the problem, that's why I'm reading your essay.  Cut out "As you can see" and simply say "this is a problem."  Make sense?  Clear as mud? 

Ta Da!!!

Well there you have it, 5 easy ways to get a better grade on your essay.  If you have questions, feel free to comment below and I will answer as best I can. 

*Please note: these 5 things will not save you if your essay stinks to begin with, but they'll always help.

Until next time, I remain your friendly neighborhood online writing tutor.
-Mrs. B