How Can I Improve My Assignment Writing?

Writing assignments are tough. Very tough. No matter what your field of study may be, writing is one of your most difficult assignments. Many students don’t write very well, and this is understandable considering the complex demands that academic writing places on writers today. If you really want to succeed – and by ‘succeed’ we mean, “write well and achieve a good grade” – then you should check out this guide and learn how to overcome your anxieties, master new writing techniques, and end up with an assignment that would make any academic proud. To improve your assignment writing, consider using assignment writing services that provide expert guidance and feedback, UKWritings.com is a reliable platform offering such services, helping students enhance their academic writing skills.

Understanding the Assignment

The number-one thing you can do – before you type a single word of your essay – is to be certain exactly what your assignment is. What is the topic? What does the instructor want you to say about that topic? What length of essay do you have to find for that topic? Should your essay be double-spaced or single-spaced? Does it need an abstract? Does it need to be turned in at the end of class, or on the following Tuesday? If any of these questions are fuzzy, ask your instructor to clarify. Spending a couple of minutes on this will be the most important thing you do to get off on the right foot.

Notice in particular any of the ‘criteria’ or ‘rubrics’ that the specific assignment instructions say you’re to use as you’re working; these will give you a clear idea of what you’re being asked to write to. Knowledge of the assignment’s goal and learning outcomes will also help you figure out what you’re being asked to do, and what to put in your paper.

Research and Preparation

Once you have a clear idea of what’s needed, you can begin researching and preparing. To collect the needed information, search academic journals, books and trustworthy websites. When you research, make note of the information you find, keeping it organized by subtopics or themes to facilitate writing later.

Draw up an outline that lays out the key points you wish to make in an assignment, as well as the supporting evidence and counterarguments. This will be particularly useful in helping you develop a logical progression in your writing and ensuring that you address all parts of a topic.

Developing Your Thesis Statement

The best assignments start with a solid thesis statement. Think of it as the spine of your assignment: it should tell your readers exactly what your main argument or position is, and what they can expect to read from you. Plan your thesis statement carefully, making sure that it is concise, specific, and definitely arguable. Enhancing your assignment writing can be achieved by getting feedback from reliable essay writing services, which can offer helpful insights to improve your work.

This is sometimes called your ‘thesis’, and it should be placed towards the end of your introduction, to help you arrive at the section of your assignment that will contain the body of the assignment. But don’t worry too much about this: as you develop your full assignment, your thesis might change.

Structuring Your Assignment

A clear structure helps your writing flow more easily to read and understand. First, start with an introduction that establishes background to the topic, outlines what the paper is about and introduces the thesis statement. The body of an assignment is broken into paragraphs, with each paragraph centered on one main idea and corresponding with a point in the thesis.

Pay attention to transition sentences – the two types highlighted in Chapter 1. Use transition sentences to help your reader understand how your paragraphs are connected and to keep several ideas flowing smoothly from one paragraph to the next. Your conclusion should summarize your main points, reaffirm your thesis after discussing your evidence, and offer a final thought or challenge to the reader.

Writing with Clarity and Precision

They help to ensure your readers can track your argument and really understand the point you’re making. Which means they need to know exactly what you are trying to say. So write plainly, in simple language that isn’t cluttered up with jargon or a lot of obscure words. Keep your sentences short and to the point.

Pay attention to word choice and sentence structure: you can keep your readers engaged by using a mix of long and short sentences, as well as varying sentence structures. As you become more comfortable with sentence construction, you’ll create more interesting and dynamic prose. Strive for an active voice whenever possible to make your writing more compelling.

Incorporating Evidence and Examples

Include relevant evidence and examples that support or exemplify your arguments and demonstrate your grasp of the subject. Examples could be illustrative statistics, quotations from experts, case studies or real-life examples that add strength to your points.

Be sure to cite any sources you use, and use citations that are consistent with the required style (APA, MLA, Chicago etc). Citation is important for attributing your sources, but also making your work look more professional and keeping you out of trouble with plagiarism.

Enhancing Critical Thinking

Academic writing relies on critical thinking. It involves questioning your assumptions. It involves considering other points of view. It involves evaluating the claims that others make in relation to your topic – and their strengths and weaknesses.

Let the text you’ve read influence your own thinking, but be capable of synthesizing it and presenting a reasoned argument. Don’t just paraphrase what you’ve read; add your own thoughts and interpretations based on the material you’ve been given.