How to improve your writing when you know what to look for.

There are several things you can do to improve the writing quality of your term or research paper before you hand it in to your teacher. These have to do with the finished document rather than with the actual research and will positively bump your grade up a notch. Teachers report that there are some common error patterns that appear in all types of documents. In those patterns, most errors have to do with sentence structure, content, spelling, and organization. It only takes a few minutes for you to proofread your paper and check for any of these oversights.

If you have spent much time in research, don’t short-change yourself by turning in a sloppy assignment. The markdowns for construction are easy to fix and can make a difference between a passing grade and a failing one.

To fulfill the requirements of your class, you will be assembling elements into a persuasive structure. Your goal is to enable your teacher to understand what you, as the writer, have chosen as your topic and how you have developed to the conclusion. There are several questions you can ask yourself. Did you achieve the purpose of your writing? Is your supporting evidence sufficient to prove your theory? Did you use sources to support your outcome? Is the overall impression of your paper sufficient to cover the topic?

The overall impression relates to grammar and construction related mistakes. You may have the best thesis, research, and conclusion; but if you neglect spelling and punctuation, you will receive a lesser grade. The opinions of a proofreader should help to solidify the subject back to you. That person should be able to tell you how to improve the paper. You then consider the suggestions carefully, and analyze them to determine your strengths and weaknesses as a writer.

An important point to consider is to make certain that you have defined any terms used in the content, provided necessary background information, and considered perspectives on feelings about the topic of the document. Could your wording be taken in the wrong way and result in markdowns?

The purpose for your document varies according to the class subject. Make sure that you give careful attention to what an assignment asks you to do, noting any key terms listed that are requirements for the assignment. Then stay on the subject, and double check to make sure that you achieve your purpose. Resist the urge to ramble into various side subjects if they are not supporting your main theme. This detracts from your topic and adds no value.

Your writing should have two aims: to make a claim and then to prove that claim. Your teacher will expect the writing to make one or more points clearly. You will support those points with ample evidence, good reasoning, examples, and details. You will be making abstract concepts clear and support them with documentation.

Your supporting evidence should come from materials already published. You need to search possible sources, evaluate them, and then decide which ones to quote to support your claim. You choose when to summarize and when the paraphrase. Make sure that you include appropriate credit to the authors. Using sources correctly builds your credibility as a writer. You are demonstrating that you understand the sources fully enough to be able to create your own paper.

Within the boundaries of the topic you choose, you have much flexibility and chances for freedom of expression. Your term or research paper should explore all possibilities and come to a logical conclusion. It is not something that should be completed at the last minute. There is a certain amount of time involved in gathering information and writing the paper. If you do a little every day or every week, the task becomes manageable. Respect the fact that this is a learning exercise and has benefits for your future.

Every lesson you learn starts with the decision to try. If you don’t try, you are assured of failure. If you try and end up with a different outcome than you wanted, evaluate that outcome and see what you can learn from it. You do not have to be better than anyone else. You only have to be better than yourself.