How To Write An Essay: Tips and Tricks!

Ariel Bissett

18 Apr 201804:21

EducationalLearning

32 Likes 10 Comments

TLDRThis video offers essential tips for writing an academic essay, emphasizing the importance of paragraph breaks, avoiding contractions and repeated words, reading the introduction aloud, ensuring a title is included, and revising the thesis statement. It also promotes Squarespace for website construction.

Takeaways

📄 Have at least one paragraph break per page to avoid walls of text and improve readability.
🔍 Use the search function to find and replace contractions in your academic paper.
♻️ Search for and replace repeated words or phrases to avoid redundancy.
🗣️ Read your introduction out loud to ensure clarity and coherence.
📝 Always add a title to your paper and make sure it's relevant.
🎯 Ensure you have a clear, argumentative thesis statement.
🔄 Revisit and possibly revise your thesis statement after completing your paper.
💬 Reading your entire essay out loud can help catch confusing words or sentences.
✅ Check for common issues like missing titles before submitting your paper.
🔧 Use tools like Squarespace for building and managing websites, with templates for various needs.

Q & A

What is the main topic of this video series?
-The main topic of this video series is how to write an essay, focusing on tips and tricks to improve the quality of the paper.
What is the first tip given for improving an essay?
-The first tip is to have at least one paragraph break per page to avoid long, rambling paragraphs that can be difficult for the reader to follow.
Why should you avoid having a single paragraph that spans multiple pages?
-Having a single paragraph that spans multiple pages can indicate that the paragraph has not been edited enough, is too long, or has multiple ideas conflated into one, which can be confusing for the reader.
What is the second tip for improving academic writing?
-The second tip is to search for contractions in your document and replace them with their full forms, as contractions are not appropriate for academic papers.
Why is it important to search for repeated words in your essay?
-Searching for repeated words helps to avoid repetitive language, which can be noticed by the reader and detract from the overall quality of the writing.
What is the fourth tip mentioned in the video?
-The fourth tip is to read your introduction out loud to ensure that it is clear and makes sense, which can help improve the impact of your essay.
Why is it crucial to check if your essay has a title?
-Having a title is important because it provides a clear and relevant focus for the essay, and forgetting to add a title can lead to a poor first impression on the reader.
What is the final tip related to the thesis statement?
-The final tip is to ensure that you have a clear and argumentative thesis statement, and to reread it after finishing the paper to make sure it still aligns with your overall argument.
What is the role of Squarespace in this video series?
-Squarespace is the sponsor of this video series, and they provide a platform for website construction, offering a one-stop shop for building various types of websites.
How can viewers get a discount on their first purchase from Squarespace?
-Viewers can get a 10% discount on their first purchase from Squarespace by visiting squarespace.com/Arial and using the provided link.
What is the purpose of reading the entire essay out loud according to the video?
-Reading the entire essay out loud helps in identifying confusing words or sentences and ensures that the essay flows well, making it easier for the reader to understand.

Outlines

00:00

📝 Improve Your Essay with Paragraph Breaks

The speaker begins by emphasizing the importance of paragraph breaks in essays, advising at least one per page to avoid overwhelming walls of text. They argue that long paragraphs may indicate insufficient editing or an over-accumulation of points, and suggest breaking them up to enhance clarity and reader focus.

🔍 Avoid Contractions and Repeated Words

The speaker shares tips on refining academic writing by using the search function to eliminate contractions, which are not suitable for formal essays. They also recommend searching for and replacing repeated words or phrases to avoid redundancy and improve the essay's flow and readability.

📖 Reading Aloud for Clarity

The speaker suggests reading the introduction, and ideally the entire essay, out loud to ensure clarity and coherence. This practice helps in identifying confusing words or awkward sentences, thereby enhancing the essay's overall impact and effectiveness.

🏷️ Don't Forget the Title

A reminder is given about the importance of including a title in academic papers, which is often overlooked. The speaker advises checking for the presence of a title and ensuring its relevance to the content, as it sets the tone for the reader.

📌 Thesis Statement Adjustments

The speaker discusses the significance of having a clear and argumentative thesis statement. They also advise re-evaluating the thesis after completing the paper, as the argument may have evolved, and suggest updating it if necessary to reflect the paper's final stance.

🌐 Squarespace Sponsorship and Conclusion

The speaker concludes by acknowledging the sponsorship of Squarespace, a platform for website construction, and appreciates its features for creating various types of websites. They provide a special offer for a free trial and a discount on the first purchase, and invite viewers to share their own essay tips in the comments section.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Essay

An essay is a short piece of writing on a particular subject, typically presenting the author's point of view. In the video, the main theme revolves around writing an essay, with tips and tricks provided to improve the quality of the paper. The script emphasizes the importance of structure, clarity, and coherence in essay writing.

💡Paragraph Break

A paragraph break refers to the separation of text into distinct sections or paragraphs. The video advises against having a single, lengthy paragraph that spans multiple pages, suggesting that it can be confusing and hard to follow. Breaking up text into shorter paragraphs helps in maintaining focus and clarity.

💡Academic Paper

An academic paper is a scholarly work that presents research findings or an analysis of a topic. The script mentions that contractions should be avoided in academic papers, emphasizing the formal tone expected in such writing. This highlights the need for a professional and precise language in academic contexts.

💡Contradictions

Contractions are informal language shortcuts, such as 'won't' instead of 'will not'. The video script advises searching for and replacing these in an academic paper to maintain a formal and scholarly tone, which is crucial for academic credibility.

💡Repeated Words

Repeated words are phrases or words that appear too frequently in a text, which can make the writing seem redundant. The video suggests using a search function to identify and replace such words, thereby enhancing the readability and variety of language in the essay.

💡Introduction

The introduction is the opening section of an essay, setting the context and presenting the main idea. The video emphasizes the importance of reading the introduction out loud to check for clarity and coherence, which is essential for making a strong first impression on the reader.

💡Title

The title of an essay is a brief phrase that summarizes the main topic or theme. The video script warns against forgetting to add a title, as it is a critical element that provides an immediate understanding of what the essay is about and helps in organizing the content.

💡Thesis Statement

A thesis statement is a sentence that expresses the main argument or claim of an essay. The video advises ensuring that the thesis statement is present and argumentative, and also suggests rereading it after completing the essay to ensure consistency with the developed arguments.

💡Squarespace

Squarespace is mentioned as the sponsor of the video series. It is a platform for website construction, offering templates for various types of websites. The mention of Squarespace serves as a promotional element, highlighting its utility for creating professional online presences.

💡Cohesion

Cohesion in writing refers to the logical and meaningful connection between sentences and paragraphs. The video script suggests that breaking up long paragraphs can enhance cohesion, making the essay more coherent and easier for readers to follow.

💡Read Out Loud

Reading out loud is a method of proofreading that helps in detecting awkward phrasing or unclear sentences. The video recommends reading the entire essay, particularly the introduction, out loud to ensure that the writing flows smoothly and is easy to understand.

Highlights

Tip 1: Include at least one paragraph break per page to avoid a wall of text and improve readability and focus.

Tip 2: Use the search function to find and replace contractions with their formal counterparts for an academic tone.

Tip 3: Search for repeated words to avoid redundancy and enhance the flow of your essay.

Tip 4: Reading your introduction aloud can help ensure clarity and make a strong impact on the reader.

Tip 5: Always check for the inclusion of a title in your essay to avoid forgetting it and to ensure relevance.

Tip 6: Ensure the presence of an argumentative thesis statement and reevaluate it after completing the paper.

Editing Tip: Refrain from long paragraphs to avoid rambling and to present more cohesive ideas.

Academic Writing Tip: Avoid contractions in academic papers for a more formal writing style.

Writing Strategy: Use search functions to identify and replace overused words or phrases.

Revision Technique: Reading the entire essay aloud can help identify confusing words or sentences.

Essential Check: A quick check for the title's presence and relevance before submission.

Thesis Statement Importance: The thesis statement should be argumentative and revisited after writing to ensure alignment with the paper's content.

Adaptability in Writing: It's acceptable for the thesis statement to evolve as the paper is developed.

Sponsorship Acknowledgement: The series is sponsored by Squarespace, appreciated for its all-in-one website construction platform.

Squarespace Features: Offers a one-stop shop for website construction with a variety of templates for different needs.

Promotional Offer: Squarespace provides a free trial and a 10% discount on the first purchase for new users.

Engagement Invitation: Encourages viewers to share their own essay writing tips and tricks.

Transcripts

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