How to Make an Essay Longer
Many people, especially those who don’t have a knack for writing, experience writer’s block. The situation gets even worse if a teacher sets an unattainably high word count, say at least 1,000 words. How to manage the task if you’re drawing a blank? I’ve been there. That’s why I feel that out of solidarity I should share with the world my tips on how to make an essay longer with word count.
Before getting down straight to business, there are a few things you can do prior to writing, which will give you a head start.
Investigate your topic thoroughly. The more information you can dig up, the easier it’ll be to generate ideas and thoughts and put them on paper.
Prepare an elaborate outline. This tactic helps you think about what you’re going to say in advance and spot blunders that prevent you from moving on with your essay. Having a ready structure reduces your odds of being stuck on arguments.
Expand the subject matter of your essay. Often, after the stages of carrying out research and creating an outline, you feel that you should’ve covered more aspects of your topic, or you are still not knowledgeable enough to write your first draft. Thus, I recommend that you broaden the scope of your paper taking the following steps:
- include a wider range of positions on the topic,
- examine a larger geographic region,
- consider a higher number of people,
- take a look at a longer time span.
How to Make Your Essay Longer
Regularly check your word count as you are writing
This shouldn’t be a problem if you use a computer, which most of us do these days. I think it’s beneficial to keep track of your word count in the process. On Microsoft Word, the exact number of words is usually displayed in the bottom left corner.
Analyze your introduction after you’re done with an essay
When it comes to hefty works, the majority of readers search for an overview to get an idea of what they’re going to read. In books or scientific texts, a table of contents is responsible for that. Even if your assignment doesn’t require this element, a fine introduction is a must. You have two options here: you can either provide your readers with an overview or give them an insight into what you’re discussing in your essay summarizing the main points. A summary in this case is a brief statement of the central ideas of an argument or essay. It indicates the topic of the work and then expounds it in details. It also explains the relevancy of the points to the scope of an essay. An overview is more general as opposed to summary. Either way, you need to make it juicy by incorporating as many interesting facts as possible. By doing so, you facilitate an easier understanding; plus, your essay will be longer.
Add more examples
Whether you’re composing an essay about a literary work or an essay about melting of ice glaciers, you have to support and strengthen any claim you make with examples. Speaking of the first type of essays, you need to seek quotes from a book to exemplify your thoughts. For instance, if you state that Charlotte Brontë portrays Jane Eyre as a strongly principled young woman, you have to find evidence in the novel to back up your opinion. How to add more words to an essay if it’s already saturated with quotations?
Pad out your text. It’s not like this is the best way to mess around with the length of your essay. This is more like a last resort, but you could do it if you’re unable to produce any more ideas. Be careful, as applying this tactic throughout your essay you may seem long-winded. Instead, I recommend that you use these subtle tricks:
- Use full names rather than abbreviations. For examples, write “World Health Organization” instead of “WHO.”
- Don’t forget about modifiers. Say “A large percentage of women cook at home on a daily basis” instead of “Many women cook at home daily.” I know, it looks pathetic, but if you’re desperate for additional words, this could come in handy.
- Use longer synonyms. Thus, replace “consider” with “take into consideration.”
You can also opt for quotations from research articles or paraphrase them to reinforce your argument.
Add examples from your own experience if they fit in with the context.
How to End an Essay
How to end an essay so that it meets the word count requirement? Conclusions for essays are also instrumental in getting your point across. However, many newbies don’t have a clue about the proper ways to end an essay.
Answering the question “How to finish an essay?”, I suggest that you pick a couple of linking phrases. They will signify that you’re ending an essay and will encourage readers to be more attentive. To kick off a logical conclusion, you may utilize the following words: “Finally”, “Hence”, “Ultimately”, “Therefore”, etc.
Summarize your essay in the concluding part. Rewrite the key issues outlined in the essay to remind the readership of the underlying ideas mentioned in the body. Make sure you do it in a different style not to appear pedestrian.
Be concise and straightforward. The conclusion includes from 5 to 7 proposals. Additionally, you should refer to your thesis as it reflects the points that you’re trying to prove.
Be knowledgeable about the topic. Show your readers that you’re certain about what you’re talking about. Don’t write something like “It seems to me”, “Apparently”, “I assume that”, etc. Use affirmative language to sound more forceful.
The last sentence is your last chance to make a long-lasting impression. Mull over the following, “What do I want to say to readers?” Remember that not only the last sentence but also the rest of the essay should revolve around the answer to the question mentioned above.