Writing An Essay

Introduction

Recently, I had a discussion with my siblings about the IELTS examination.

• I used to achieve an average of 6.5 across all four components, but I think I would have much difficulty writing the essay now.

It has been so long since I have had to write physically with minimum word count within a specific timeframe.

• Since graduating from university, most of my work has transitioned to a digital format, affording me the luxury of ample time and resources.
• Now, the act of holding a pen and writing for an extended period can be physically tiring and even painful.

Planning Out the Content

From a young age, we were taught that the fundamentals of a good essay encompass content, expression, structure and grammar.

• Vocabulary is equally important to enrich the expression.

To write any essay, you need to plan what key messages you wish to highlight.

• This may involve narrating a personal life event or offering a fresh perspective to you audience.
• For example, when you look at my left hand, you may only see the palm, but if I turn it 180 degrees, you will see the back of it. This illustrates the true purposes of an essay: to convey messages.
• Developing an impactful idea requires time for brainstorming, rather than simply rushing into writing with no clear objective.

Organizing your essay into well-structured paragraphs makes it easier for readers to follow your thought process and gives an idea of which points require further elaboration and justification.

• In a well-structured essay, each paragraph's length should be roughly comparable.
• Some ideas need to be expressed clearly to ensure readers share a common understanding of the viewpoint or perspective.

Practice Makes Perfect

Every essay begins with an idea.

• Often, we begin by mimicking how others present their thoughts and ideas.
• Only later do we develop our own unique writing style.

Also, after writing your essay, take the time to proofread and edit it.

• Look for grammar and spelling errors, as well as clarify and coherence in your writing.

The rise of AI chatbots has undoubtedly made proofreading essays for grammar and flow easier than ever before.

• They can effectively identify and correct grammatical errors and suggest improvements to sentence structure.
• Consider this process as part of indirect learning for expressing ideas effectively, rather than relying solely on the tool for future essay writing.
• However, while AI chatbots can enhance the writing process, they may not always capture the nuanced voice and tone that a writer intends to convey.

Summary

You may think that I have good writing skills because I often write blog posts.

• However, the reality is that I sometimes have writer's block when writing stories because I have been dealing so much with hard factual content.
• Writing stories requires a different set of skills, such as creativity and imagination.