Overly Complex and Long Sentences
Many students tend to write really long and sometimes, complex sentences. They seem to be unable to stop when they try to express their opinion. Too long sentences are hard to read. By the time a reader comes to an end of the sentence, he/she may forget its beginning.
This issue may get even worse when students use complex words. Many folks try to sound academically and implement specific technical terms, professional jargon, slang, acronyms, and so on. They want to attract readers’ attention but instead, they receive an opposite result.
Moreover, the structure of such essays is messy. The paragraphs are long and they try to overview all arguments at once. You should obligatorily overcome all bad writing habits to enjoy success and such texts are one of them.
Solution: Break long sentences into smaller ones. Structure your text with the help of subheadings, charts, graphics, etc. Replace unknown words with synonyms known by most people.
Overuse of Passive Constructions
Some writers and researchers seem to be unable to avoid using passive constructions. They spread them throughout the text and they take about 50% of the entire essay. Of course, the passive voice is alright and correct if you know the rules. Nevertheless, it spoils the dynamism of your essays. Your text is supposed to flow but passive sentences take more words than the active ones.
Active sentences use a subject, which acts directly on an object. While we use the passive voice, subjects and objects change their roles. Due to this peculiarity, a writer must use more words to explain the change of roles. Compare:
- Active: I made this task on time.
- Passive: The task was made by me on time.
Solution: Minimize the use of passive constructions and give preferences to the active voice.
Skipping a Revision
It’s weird enough, but many people believe that after they write the final version of their essay, they can freely submit it. In the meanwhile, they forget about a post-writing phase. It includes editing and proofreading. You’ll definitely make some mistakes. Even if they aren’t too serious, they rid you of some essential grades. The typical mistakes are related to spelling, grammar, a choice of language, punctuation, stylistic, and so on.
Solution: Revise your essays with special grammar and stylistic checking tools. These may be Grammarly, Ginger, Hemingway Editor, etc.
Delaying Until the Last Minute
We can bet that every student postponed writing his/her assignment until the last night. The reasons may be various but the consequences are commonly disappointing. It’s hard to manage some tasks in a few hours. Notwithstanding, many youngsters believe that they’ll manage everything on time. You should escape this habit because it may become a chronic syndrome and you’ll be late all the time.
Solution: Make a reasonable schedule and complete all tasks on time.
Plagiarism
The uniqueness of essays is one of the compulsory requirements. Students have no right to plagiarize their texts stealing the concepts of other authors. One should define the assigned writing format, learn its rules and strictly follow them.
Unfortunately, many students don’t read those rules or forget about some. Thus, most of them forget to put quotation marks before and after the citation. Some people are simply inattentive and thus, plagiarism becomes a serious issue.
Solution: Use a few dependable content checkers and learn demands for writing formats to avoid plagiarism.
A Few More Points
We want to add some more information to chew on. These are some short, but effective recommendations. Learning them, you will also be able to avoid some bad habits.
Make allowances for the following essentials:
- Avoid filler words;
- Don’t write weak words;
- Don’t use clichés and stereotypes;
- Know who your readers are;
- Check your grammar, punctuation, and spelling;
- Be objective;
- Always check the informative sources you intend to use;
Of course, you may have some other sort of problems. Make a list of your weak sides and find relevant data on how to deal with them effectively. Don’t forget to use the smart applications to check grammar, spelling, style, plagiarism and other issues. Consider the possibility to use an online academic writing service to manage the most difficult tasks. Thus, you’ll be armed with knowledge and support to overcome bad habits and craft real masterpieces.
