Choose a descriptive essay (i.e. on something you have done or seen) rather than a general one. Don't put in anything which is obviously untrue or an exaggeration.
If you choose a general essay (e.g. The Advantages and Disadvantages of Television), spend about 10 minutes putting down all the points you can think of. Arrange them in paragraphs. Then start the essay. This will save time in the long run and prevent the essay from being scrappy.
Make new paragraphs properly .
Don't try to write too much. A shorter, but neater and more careful essay will score more marks. Bad handwriting, untidiness and carelessness lose many marks.
You must leave time for revision. When revising, make sure that there are no mistakes with words on which you have some note (e.g. enjoy, reach, put, give up). Be specially careful about words, like there & their, then & than, its & it's, lose & loose, woman & women, etc. See to the punctuation, capitals and apostrophe's'. Don't forget the capitals in the title.
Avoid repetition, and don't use two adjectives having the same meaning (e.g. huge and enormous; tired and fatigued; imposing and impressive; splendid and magnificent; boring and monotonous).
Use a variety of ways of joining (e.g. no sooner than. _______: Scarcely (Hardly) ________ when _______: Participles: Relatives etc.).
Don't write unnecessarily long sentences. Use full stops to avoid this. You should not start writing a sentence without knowing where the end will be.
Don't use more than one and for joining in the same sentence.
Don't use too many expressions and sayings and never use one unless it really fits in naturally and unless you are sure of it. Don't keep repeating expressions like 'We were beside ourselves with joy' : 'I was at a loss to know what to do'. Use them only once in an essay.
Use decent words but don't try to show off and don't be long-winded. Don't use a difficult word unless you are sure that it is the correct one and unless you are sure of the spelling (e.g. refreshment does not mean relaxation).
When writing an essay on a subject such as 'Television', or on some particular person, don't begin the paragraph with it or He referring to the subject of the essay.
If writing about 'The School', avoid statements which the examiner cannot understand (e.g. Fury won the chigwell: I went for my appointment picture).
Don't separate a Pronoun (I, he, we etc.) from its Verb as follows: I, along with my friends, went out (Along with my friends, I went out), We, feeling tired, decided to rest, feeling tired , we decided to rest).
Don't switch about from Singular to Plural and vice-versa e.g. Bears are dangerous animals. It is found in the Himalayas.
Avoid a lot of (a large number of. a great deal of), a sort of (a kind of), big, nice, chap, fellow.
Don’t use etc. (e.g. These stalls sell sweets, toys, and so on).
Use Thus and not Therefore at the beginning of a sentence
Use so and not therefore for joining sentences.
So and But may be used at the beginning of a sentence and also for joining.
Don't get into difficulties of expression by trying to be needlessly accurate over details.
Don't end weakly (e.g. This is an account of how I spend my Sundays). If a summing up is required at all, it should always be a new paragraph, e.g. To conclude, in my opinion the advantages of being at a Boarding School far outweigh the disadvantages; and I consider myself extremely fortunate to have had the chance to be educated at one. I am sure I shall always look back on the years I have spent here as the happiest of my life .
