Essay strategies

An effective introductory paragraph both informs and motivates: it lets readers know what your essay is about and it encourages them to keep reading.

You also have an understanding of the basic types of punctuation, such as commas and intervals. If you want to make your essay effective, then use more active voice rather than passive voice. Always use simple language. It is those strategies to improve essay writing that makes the essay more readable.

The first step in writing a good summary is to mark the text. I model this for students, showing them how I recognize what a paragraph or section of the text or the text as a whole is about. I talk out loud, state what I wonder and what I notice. Then I ask students to join the conversation by doing the same.

In many cases, the teacher is looking for specific types of responses. Never assume you know what is being asked, or what is required, until you've read the entire question. Ask for clarification. Read essay questions in their entirety before preparing an answer.