Writing essays can be a daunting task, and it's easy to make mistakes if you don't know what you're doing. To help you out, here are the most common essay writing pitfalls you should avoid. From grammar to structure and formatting, I'll cover it all so your essay is as perfect as possible!

Incorrect Use of Grammar and Spelling Errors

Besides lacking examples and explanations, essays can also have spelling errors and incorrect grammar usage. Spelling errors can affect an essay’s credibility. Readers will think less of an essay that has spelling errors. Even when you’re in a rush to finish an essay, you need to make sure you check your work for spelling errors and incorrect grammar usage. It is important to read over your essay multiple times, so that you can correct any mistakes and make sure your essay is up to the writing standards. Furthermore, it is wise to ask for help from a teacher or studybay app https://studybay.help/, so you can get feedback on your essay and probably improve it even further. All in all, proofreading and editing your essay is an important step of essay writing, and should not be taken lightly.

Poorly Constructed Arguments

Of all the essay writing pitfalls, this is by far one of the most common which results in a low grade. Unstructured arguments are difficult for the reader to follow and understand, meaning the overall message is lost. When writing an argument, you need to start by defining what your argument is. This should be clearly stated at the beginning of the essay. Then, you need to provide evidence to support your argument. The body of your essay should include examples, statistics, definitions, or explanations that relate to your argument. When it comes to how to construct an argument, the three components that make up an argument are the claim, evidence, and reasons. The claim is the statement that what you’re arguing for is true. The evidence is what supports your claim. This could be statistics, studies, examples, or evidence. The reasons are why your evidence is valid and true.

Lack of Research and Evidence

Following the first mistake let's talk about not giving yourself enough time to research and craft a well-thought-out essay. Before you start writing, do a thorough search online for information related to your topic. Bookmark any pages that have useful info or that can help you with your research. Don’t limit yourself to one site; hit multiple sites. Google is your friend! To ensure your essay is persuasive and well-supported, it is essential to include evidence that either reinforces your argument or refutes an opposing point. This evidence can come in the form of personal experiences, expert opinions, and statistics or real-world examples. Additionally, it is important to include accurate citations for any evidence you use to ensure the integrity of your essay.

Unclear or Unfocused Thesis Statements

Another common mistake is having a weak or unfocused thesis statement. A thesis statement is the single sentence that tells the reader what your essay is about. A weak thesis statement results in an essay that’s unclear and confusing. A unfocused thesis statement means you’ve written an essay without a clear purpose. The purpose of a thesis statement is to provide readers with an overview of what you’re writing about. It’s also your argument’s main point. A good thesis statement should be clear and concise. It shouldn’t include complex sentences or vocabulary that would make it difficult to read or understand. A good rule of thumb is that your thesis statement should be able to tell readers 70% of what your essay is about. That is, if your essay is 2,000 words, your thesis statement should be able to convey the main point of your essay to readers in 400 words.

Inadequate Examples and Explanations

Another common problem is including either too many or too few examples and explanations. When writing your first draft, you need to strike a balance between providing too much or too little information. Readers don’ t need an in-depth analysis of one example. However, they also don’t want you to write about a single person, place or thing without explaining who, what and where it is. For example, if you’re discussing an author, place or thing, readers need to know who, what and where you’re talking about. You should include adequate examples and explanations as you write your essay. This ensures your essay is accurate and helpful to readers who aren’t familiar with the topic you’re writing about.