Clarity in essay writing
Your essay will be one in a large stack given to a reader or readers after you submit it. In the case of college admissions, readers will have so many essays to read that they will spend only a few minutes on each. Exit and SAT essays will receive somewhat more time and attention, but it still holds that one reader will be responsible for many essays. That is why it is imperative that you not only impress your reader(s) with your unique take on a topic but also say exactly what you mean as clearly and, in many cases, as concisely as you can. Your essay goal is to convey information, including the fact that you can write well. That goal won’t be achieved if your readers don’t understand your first few sentences or paragraphs and stop reading, or if they finish reading but fail to grasp your message. Learning how to be a clear and accurate writer will help make your essay readable and will guarantee that those who read it understand exactly what you mean to say. The five guidelines in this chapter show you how to clarify your writing. Suppose you are facing some problem in…
