Your true writing skills reflect when you are able to summarize a thousand worded essays into hundreds. At the same time, it is still comprehensible to everyone. Believe it or not, filling the paper with words is not difficult. However, when you have to concise a vast topic into a few sheets of your essay, the difficulty ensues.
It is more mentally taxing since you have now read each line and decide which is worth keeping and which you can deduct. Mastering that judgment does take time. So, if you are sitting with a bunch of words you need to edit, then welcome to the ‘post first draft’ stress.
You are not the only person dealing with it. Afterall, every writer in this world deals with the writing blocks which come post the first draft. In this excerpt below, we will be discussing some of the best solutions provided by experts. These will cut your editing time to half and assist you with where to look and how to make the most of your currently written words.
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1. Remove Unnecessary Words
The unnecessary words are the catalyst for a good essay. Your professor is an inch away from having a good impression, but an overflow of “that,” “went,” “something,” “said,” and “things” are keeping them away.
These are not redundant words, as in some cases, you will need to use them. However, people call them ‘lazy words’ when found in the paragraph too many times. If you are adding them to your essay quite inadvertently, then try the ‘show, not tell’ trick.
For example, rather than using verbs like want and thought, use actions. “I went to the playground.’ or ‘I rushed to the playground upon seeing I was late.’ Now, you decide which sounds better.
Similarly, rather than saying ‘I thought,’ you can place the ‘thought’ within italics to add more character to your writing.
2. Don’t Keep Weaker Paragraphs
There are a few tricks used by writers to understand which is a weaker paragraph. Vis, a vis, deleting which paragraph would not cause much change to your essay.
- First, keep your topic in mind and find the paragraphs which are least relevant or convincing to the subject matter.
- Second, do not proceed to immediately delete it since there are readers who might like a little strayed paragraph.
- Third, rate the paragraph with a score of 1-10.
- Fourth, pick the worst-rated paragraph and delete them.
Yes, there might be some changes you will have to make before and after the deleted paragraph. However, it is way better than keeping an irrelevant paragraph where your teacher might get an opportunity to deduct marks.
3. Use Adverbs & Transitions Wisely
If you are using adverbs and transitions to make your essay more explainable, then use them wisely. To give you a distinct difference between the two:
Adverbs are basic terms that show the intensity of a verb or adjective. For example, sometimes good, often bad, occasionally decisive, harshly truthful, terrifically dull.
Transition words, on the other hand, establish a relationship with two sentences. It proposes a continuation without having to use conjunction and make the sentence unnecessarily bigger. For example, I was finding myself remaining burnt out after a long day. However, I wasn’t taking much action against it.
When you are using transition words like therefore, thus, however, moreover, although, etc., you should remember-
Using it once or twice is okay, but it shouldn’t be a recurring case in every sentence.
4. Remove Redundancy
Once you are done with your first draft, thoroughly read it and remove unnecessary information. Especially information that you are repeating after every subpart. Key points you are trying to prove more than once.
Proving one point more than once will not draw weight to your work. Rather it will make that point sound redundant and your research thin. The task is to add as much important information as you can from the very beginning rather than trying to reinstate the same.
No matter how important a certain subject is. Proving it once is enough! As said by some professionals from these top services for academic writing.
5. Merge Sentences
Too many sentences in a paragraph can decrease readability. It can also make the paragraph look longer, which can put someone off while reading it. However, be careful when you merge sentences, ensure they do not get too long.
Study the sentences carefully, and shorten the sentence to the point answers. For example, “the automobile accident is massive. Everyone at the office prayed for the injured.” Rather you could write, “we all prayed at the office for the injured at the massive automobile accident.”
6. Make Every Heading Different
Do not repeat headings since this increases the chances of repetition & redundancy. Your heading and subheading are a window to your essay; repetition can be monotonous and bore the teacher.
Every heading in your essay should tell a story and be attuned to the main subject matter of your essay.
7. Start Reinstating Facts From Research
The best way to cut down your editing time is to start strong in your research game. Take time with your research and edit the unimportant parts when formulating a skeleton of your essay. By giving more time to research, you are ensuring less time in writing & editing.
From the get-go, know what to write, and add new elements when you are editing rather than deleting chunks of your essay. This will also make your content more information-rich and comprehensible.
Make It Easier For The Teacher
Simplify your essay by using clear language and concise sentences.
- Organize ideas logically, with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion.
- Break up text with headings and bullet points for visual appeal.
- Use transition words for smooth flow.
- Avoid jargon and complex vocabulary.
- Prioritize short paragraphs and vary sentence structure.
- Trim unnecessary details and focus on key points.
- Proofread for errors.
These are some of the ways to start making your essays easier for the teacher to read. At the end of the day, it would be easier for teachers to show interest in an essay when they are not reading one sentence twice just to understand it.
With a passion for helping students navigate their educational journey, I strive to create informative and relatable blog content. Whether it’s tackling exam stress, offering career guidance, or sharing effective study techniques
