Struggling To Set the Tone For Your Essay? Try These Tricks

Dear Student,

Do you sometimes find yourself wondering how you can set the tone for your academic essay? If this is the case, you’re not the only one.

Struggling to set the right tone, some students end up writing in a way that’s too formal, while others tend to be too casual. Setting the right tone means striking a balance between these two extremes.

Let’s look at some of the tips you can follow to strike the right tone when writing your academic essay.

Determine the essay’s objective: It’s hard to set the tone for your paper if you’re not clear about the paper’s objective. Clearly define the objective of your paper to yourself so that you can explain it to someone else.

Write in simple language: Many students make the mistake of thinking that drama and bombastic terms and claims will impress the marker. Avoid hyperbole because it will make you sound pompous, something that will irritate the marker and other readers.

Be specific: Always be specific. Instead of saying, “Students always write essays at the last minute,” say something like, “A study involving 5,000 students at Oxford University shows that 66% of students write their essays at the last minute.”

Evidence is key: In academic writing, present your argument using evidence. A claim without evidence from credible sources or justification from scientific observation is another opinion.

Detach yourself: An academic paper attempts to be as objective as possible. This is why you should always write in the third person and avoid personal pronouns like “I, we, my”, and so on. However, some academic papers may allow personal pronouns, especially in research or placement reports.

Coming up with the correct tone can be a challenge for many students, especially second-language English speakers. At Virtual English Teacher, we will proofread, paraphrase, or edit your essay to ensure that the tone of your academic essay corresponds with your paper’s objective.

Want proof of our effectiveness and efficiency. Ask for a free, no-obligation sample of your text.
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