Writing an essay for class? A perfect essay may seldom be attainable, but you can put in some proofing and editing work, along with the usual fix-ups from a grammar software, that will get your grade up at least a couple of notches.
Replace First Person Voice With The Third Person Form. For most academic and formal papers, a first-person point-of-view is usually not prescribed. Unless you’ve been specifically instructed to write from the first person (e.g. a personal anecdote), never turn in a paper written in that voice.
Use A Consistent Tense Throughout The Piece. Check the tense of your verbs throughout the whole text. Academic papers are usually written in the present tense and there’s good reason to stick to the same temporal relations. The only time to ever use a different tense is when the paper doesn’t make sense written in the present (e.g. when you’re writing a historical account).
Replace Contractions With The Full Words. Unless specifically instructed to use them, remove contractions and replace them with spelled-out versions (e.g. replace all instances of “isn’t” with “is not”).
Use Active Verbs. As with most other forms writing, the passive voice tends to make essays sound flat and boring. While the passive voice may sound more “formal,” it’s better to minimize them and use active verbs instead.
