4 Tips For Students To Write Excellent And Effective Essays

Essays are often dreaded by students, but through applying the right techniques and hard work, students can overcome them and attain an excellent score. Here are 4 tips to help students write clear and effective essays, and how they can further their skills at our English tuition centre in Singapore.

Understand what is required.

The requirements for essay writing in Singapore vary with education level. Primary school focuses on creative writing in the form of compositions that require students to narrate a story. From secondary school onwards, the focus shifts to structured essays which require students to analyse and evaluate a certain topic or issue. Students are frequently caught off guard due to the open-ended nature of both compositions and essays, and struggle to score well due to the lack of guidance and practice.

Understanding what examiners are looking out for is key to scoring well. For compositions, examiners are looking for a clear and coherent narrative of events, with elements such as introducing the setting, vividly involving the senses, building up a problem, and how characters overcome it. For structured essays, examiners are interested in seeing how students support their stance through clear arguments that support both their own and the opposing view, and how they reach a clear outcome by comparing both arguments. English tuition centres in Singapore such as Writers Studio drill these fundamentals into your child, making it second nature for them and improving their proficiency and confidence.

Take time to plan before writing.

Seeing a shortage of time to complete their essay, many students just rush headlong into it, which can lead them to write themselves into a corner due to not having planned out their arguments properly or write a compelling introduction for their composition. In worst case scenarios, this can lead students to panic and rewrite their entire essay, leading them to score poorly or even fail the paper.

Taking time to brainstorm and gather one’s thoughts is a crucial step in an effective essay. Students are encouraged to jot down creative snippets that immediately come to mind before integrating the most coherent and relevant ones in their composition, or write out key points and supporting evidence to the foundation for the arguments in their structured essays. Essay writing classes are a great way for Singaporean students to hone these skills through constant rigour and tutors’ constructive feedback.

Focus on clarity.

All too often, students try to weave in complex words in their compositions or fluff up essay introductions in an attempt to impress examiners. Ultimately, examiners want to see clarity in students’ writing, which reflects their ability to convey ideas, emotions, or stories in as effective a manner as possible. With clarity, students can cut down on their overall word count, saving time as well as creating a clear flow of narration or arguments that examiners can easily appreciate and mark well, particularly when they have to mark hundreds of students’ essays at one go.

At our English tuition centre in Singapore, we provide students with both practical writing skills and the confidence to excel in their studies. Click this link to read some of the testimonials from both parents and students who have enrolled in our various courses.

Check through your writing.

Essay writing is a tiring affair for Singaporean students, so it is all too natural for them to hurriedly submit their essays upon completion, particularly if they are rushing for time. However, forgetting to check through one’s work can lead to students missing out on grammar mistakes they made, as well as possible inconsistencies in writing such as characters’ tone and argument consistency, which can lead to a lower score. Writers Studio helps students in Singapore build up effective habits for essay writing, promoting clarity and effective communication.

Looking to improve your child’s essay writing skills? Contact our English tuition centre in Singapore today to learn more about our courses and rates.