(I NEED MY VIDEO TO BE ATTACHED)
Honestly, as a Sophomore student in High School I still have so much improvement needed when it comes to writing essays. I’ve never had the best grammar and have always had to correct so much in my essays. As I go on in school I’m definitely learning so much more from videos, teachers, and students. So why not share what I have learned with everyone else.
As Richard Stallman once said, “Sharing Knowledge is the most fundamental act of friendship. Because it is a way you can give something without loosing something.”
I will be specifically talking about words you want to avoid in your essay and how these can be easily changed. Some may know these simple tips but this may not be the case for some.
“Writing is easy. All you have to do is cross out the wrong words.” said Mark Twain.
What Mark Twain has said is exactly the case all you need to do is cross out the words you don’t need and fix those mistakes.
Do’s and Don’ts:
When it comes to writing you want to avoid the words ‘because’, ‘and’, ‘but’, and lastly try avoiding the word ‘so’. The reason being is because using these words in your essays can weaken them but no need to worry because they all can be easily changed to better your essay.
- ‘Because’, can be changed to therefore, consequently, as a result, or thanks to this…
- ‘And’, can be replaced with furthermore, also, moreover, in addition, or you can say one reason is…
- ‘But’, can be switched to however, nevertheless, in contrast, for instance, or whereas.
- ‘So’, can be changed also to for instance, in conclusion, or to I believe that…
Now that I have discussed the words you want to avoid lets talk about how to introduce a quote. I know that some times it may be a little tricky when trying to find a way to introduce an author and quote. So I will be listing a few different ways you can. The main thing we want to avoid is saying ‘the author says…’ it’s exactly like the words we want to avoid it will weaken your essay.
The author…
- Symbolizes
An essay I completed in my English class and had to correct because I constantly used the word ‘says’ when introducing a quote. - Suggests
- Highlights
- Portrays
- Demonstrates
- Evokes
- Infers
- Emphasizes
- Illustrates
All of the words listed above can replace the word says and strengthens your essay a lot more. Be sure to avoid says and use any of the words above and remember that the word choice may depend on what you are trying to get across so be sure to be careful of that. That was all the tips I had for everyone today remember that these tips may not apply to all types of essays it may depend.
Ernest Hemingway has said that “There is no rule on how to write. Sometimes it comes easily and perfectly; sometimes it’s like drilling rock and then blasting it out with charges.”
Hopefully no one is thinking so much like Ernest and was able to get something out of this article but also remember that no one said it’s going to be easy, keep that in mind.
