5 hints on how to write a good English essay
Finding a topic for your paper is important because it saves you a lot of time by setting you up for success right at the start of your writing process. A bad topic will set you up for frustrations and failure, so it is important to steer clear.
Here are a few things to consider when picking your topic:
- Pick something that is interesting to you. The more you are interested in the topic, the more involved you will be and the easier writing the paper will be for you. An essay takes a lot of time and effort, as well as hefty amount of research. If you pick something that you are actually interested in, you will enjoy the research and view it as a learning process.
- Pick something that you have some level of experience with. Having some experience with your topic will make it much easier for you to write about because you already have the foundation from which to build an argument. The more experience you have with your topic, the better off you will be. Bear in mind that having experience with a topic and being an expert on a topic are two different things, but having some form of experience will help you to become an expert thought the research and writing process.
- Pick something that will be interesting to your readers. If you are interesting in the topic, but your readers are not, then you may not want to write about it. Remember that a good writer takes time to consider their audience before they start writing. That might mean avoiding a topic that has already been written about time and time again, or avoiding a topic that is not current.
- Make sure your topic fits your guidelines. No matter how well written or interesting your paper is, if it does not meet the guidelines laid out by the teacher, you won’t get a good grade. If you have any doubts or confusion about your topic or assignment, ask your teacher before you start.
- Make sure the sources you use are credible and cited. You have to conduct thorough research before you start writing on the topic to make sure that there is enough published material out there on which to write. Your topic could be incredibly interesting, but without adequate published material, it won’t be something you can cover.
