Introduction

Writing a paper can be a lot of work, especially if you’re not sure what you want to say about it. Before you start writing, make sure that your essay has a clear beginning, middle and end; this will help keep your reader engaged as well as making it easier for them to understand what they’re reading!

Make your argument clear and concise.

Your paper will be much easier to read if you don’t use too many words. Use bullet points, numbered lists, and other organizational tools to make your argument clear and concise.

You can also use references in your text as well as show them in the reference list at the end of your paper (see below). This helps both readers and editors understand what sources you used so they know how reliable those sources are.

Use the active voice.

• Use the subject of your sentence. The active voice is a great way to do this, as it makes it clear which person or thing you’re talking about.
• Use the active verb. If you want to be more specific about what kind of action is taking place in your paper, use an active verb instead of passive ones that just say “was”. For example: “The user has been emailed” vs “Was emailed”.
• Use past tense verbs when possible (or future tense). This helps readers understand that what they’re reading applies only at certain points in time—it doesn’t necessarily stay true forever!

Use bullet points.

Bullet points are a great way to make your paper more concise, and they’re also easier to read. Use them!

Bullet points are easy to understand and read, which makes them a good choice if you want your readers (or yourself) to understand what you mean in an alert way. They can help convey a lot of information quickly without being overwhelming or confusing—and they’re especially good at getting across ideas that don’t have much text space available in their own right (like titles).

They’re also good for explaining concepts like patterns or trends over large amounts of data—you might want bullet points when discussing how many times something happened during one period of time or how much money was spent on something over another period of time because writing out each individual occurrence would take up too much space.

Don’t be afraid to use abbreviations or numbers in text, but make sure you use them correctly.

Abbreviations and numbers can help you be more concise in your writing.

• Use abbreviations when they are absolutely necessary. If you don’t know what a word means, or if it’s an unfamiliar term, stick with an abbreviation. For example, “LOL” is short for “laugh out loud.” It’s not slang—it’s just how people abbreviate laughter when they’re on social media (and even then there are exceptions). So if you want to use LOL as an example but don’t want everyone else reading your paper to think that it means “lots of love,” then just avoid using any other letters at all!
• Use numbers as often as possible instead of full words like “two” or “three.” The same goes for using figures such as $2400 instead of $24 dollars and so forth; this makes things easier for readers who may not understand how much money something costs unless they’re familiar with US currency systems specifically.*

Include references in your text.

References are a way to verify the facts that you are presenting and show that you have done your research. References also help create credibility within your paper by showing that you have read the material, thought about it, and written about it in an organized manner.

To include references in your text:

• Use double parentheses around each reference title (e.g., “(1)”). This will indicate where they should appear in the body of your paper — which is often called “the bibliography” or “references section” depending on whether or not there are other types of citations included there as well (i.e., parenthetical references).

Avoid the passive voice.

Avoid the passive voice.

Passive voice is a bad habit that can be hard to break, so it’s important to learn how to recognize it and avoid using it in your writing. Passive voice is when an action or state is described by an object instead of being stated directly as ‘I did X.’ For example: “The cat was sleeping on the windowsill.” This sentence uses the word ‘cat’ twice but omits any agent—the person doing something (“I”) who could also be said to have performed some sort of action here (sleeping). By using a direct object such as “the cat,” you’re avoiding having any ambiguity about who actually did what when compared with other sentences where there’s no direct object at all like this one: “The cat went outside yesterday.”

Keep your sentences short and simple.

• Keep your sentences short and simple. Most people are able to read short sentences with ease, which makes them easier to understand. They also tend to be more memorable than long ones because the words you use in your paper are less likely to get lost in the shuffle of other information that you have on hand (e.g., information about a company’s products).
• Avoid using unnecessary modifiers like “very” or “excellent.” These are both adverbs that add nothing meaningful or interesting; instead, simply describe what is being said instead! In addition, these modifiers can make writing seem overly formal and pretentious when used in excess—which could lead someone reading your paper down a path where they might begin thinking there’s something wrong with this person’s writing style immediately upon seeing the word “very.”

Writing a paper is much easier if you have a clear idea of what you want to say about it in the first place.

Writing a paper is much easier if you have a clear idea of what you want to say about it in the first place. If you’re still trying to figure out what your thesis is, it’s best not to write. Instead, take some time to think about why this topic is important to you and how it relates to other areas of your life or interests.

Once you’ve identified those things, we recommend starting by brainstorming possible topics that fit within the scope of your research (e.g., “My favorite novel”). Then narrow down these ideas until only one remains – that should be the focus for this paper!

It’s also helpful at this stage in order make sure everything else falls into place: avoid getting distracted by side conversations; stay focused on what needs writing down first; don’t get lost in details when creating outline; etc…

Conclusion

Writing a paper is much easier if you have a clear idea of what you want to say about it in the first place. It might be hard to break through your own prejudices, but try writing down each paragraph and making sure it makes sense before moving onto the next one. Remember that good grammar is just as important for conveying meaning as clarity of thought or an interesting topic.