Tips for Writing English Comp 1 Essays

[462chevelle]

im taking English comp 1 and I absolutely suck at writing essays regarding to subjects that I don't care about. like. I had to write an essay about if I had 1 million dollars to give to someone or something other than family what would I do with it. I think my score on that test was a 56. I just don't know how to organize writing well enough to write a good essay. any good tips on doing this kind of work?? I am going to practice using outlines and write a couple essays before the semester starts but. still don't want to hurt my gpa. I started good with a 4.0 and I would like to keep it that way as long as possible.
thanks

 

[Travis_King]

This is an essential skill to learn. Practice, practice, practice. And mostly: Do the reading. Don't just read the material either, make sure you comprehend it.

 

[hsetennis]

I also used to have trouble with English classes and essays, so I understand your frustration. The first step to take (and this goes for any subject, really) is to go up to your instructor and ask them politely, "I would like to improve my English skills and perform better in the future. What steps do you recommend that I take?"
Also, you can see your peers'/sample graded essays and see what they did well and use that to improve your writing. Good writing is the result of good editing, so don't hesitate to go through multiple drafts before submitting your final essay. Many schools have some sort of "writing center" where you can get help on your writing, so use this resource if available. As always, practice makes perfect, ask your instructor for practice writing prompts to write on.

 

[Forensics]

Yea man this class will help you at nearly any professional job in the world. You should bite the bullet and study it until you enjoy it.

 

[F1MH]

I believe what I have learned throughout my English courses in the past may be of use. I agree with Travis and Forensics but the one thing that really helped me with my essays in the past is really breaking down the objective of what an essay is really trying to achieve.

Most of the instructors that teach the course really don't care what you write about(my experience) the one thing that differentiates a good writer from another is how well one is able to convey their ideas in a clear and arguable standpoint. So regardless of the subject your writing about in your essay, develop a "Thesis" or simply put; an idea or argument your trying to convey to your reader. The rest of your essay revolves around this point/idea your trying to make by bringing up strong and rational points to back up your "Thesis".

It takes practice like others have said, but don't feel discouraged. The best type of writing comes from the confidence in your ideas and the ability to convey them thoroughly/clearly.

 

[462chevelle]

this will probably help me when it comes to proof writing. I am good at math calculations but explaining the nuts and bolts of it is where I suffer.
thanks for the advice. I guess ill know in the next few months where I am at.

 

[QuantumCurt]

Get started on your papers early. The sooner you starting getting your concepts organized, the better you will do. Most schools have a writing center that will help you proof read, and make suggestions on parts of your paper that can stand for improvement. Use these places to your advantage. Writing comes pretty naturally to me, but I still use these places. They catch things that I would otherwise just graze right over, or they see a sentence slightly differently than I do. It can make a big difference.

As others have said, do the reading. A lot of people feel like the reading in an English/writing class is irrelevant, in reality it is anything but. You will find all kinds of tips and suggestions on structuring a paper. Reading about things like the different methods of outlining and organizing can be very beneficial. Reading about a professionals perspective on how to best structure an argument can make all the difference in the world. For instance, knowing where to place your strongest point in an argument can make all the difference in the overall effectiveness of the argument. A lot of the time, if you are using an argument with 3 main points, it will be best to structure your argument with the medium strength point first, then the weakest point second, then the strongest point last. In other situations, you might want to use your strongest point first, and repeat it/reflect on it throughout the paper. The reading will have a lot of information on what type of structure will work best in certain situations. Additionally, reading about the Aristotelian Triad (Pathos, Ethos, Logos) which is included in most English composition courses, will improve anyone's ability to form a strong argument.