Finding Your Essay Voice: Tips for Non-Native English Speakers

People face many difficulties when it comes to writing essays, and sometimes, the subject we need to cover simply doesn’t suit us. Of course, this is just one plain example of what every essay writer faces, but it’s also the most common one.

That is why learning more about how to deal with such challenges is of vast help, as once we cover that, we will know precisely what mistakes to avoid and how to write an essay without any difficulties. Things get even worse for non-English writers because they are less familiar with certain phrases and writing tricks, and that is why reading this article should come in pretty handy.

Avoid using passive voice

Having an idea and knowing how to formulate that idea and express it on paper are two entirely different things, which is why sometimes people with brilliant ideas simply cannot become acknowledged writers.

The first thing to clarify here is that in order to really create unique content, regardless of the topic we are covering, we need to look at that task from the reader’s point of view.

Namely, it’s easy to understand something when you have at least basic knowledge on the subject, but since the goal is to interest as many people to read your article, then you need to follow certain rules.

All of this brings us to the use of active voice in your writings. Avoiding passive voice will make every essay more interesting, easier, and more fun to read. This is pretty easy to accomplish, as it’s all about how you will form the sentence.

The subject in every sentence has the main role, and instead of using the -ed, just make the subject in the form of the verb, and voila – you will write in an active voice. Using active voice breathes life into your writing and, more importantly, makes even the most complicated topics more readable and easier to understand.

Be original

clichés in essay

Okay, this can be a bit tricky, as there is a fine line between being original and using words and phrases that don’t fit the subject you are covering. There are two main things here, and the first is to avoid using clichés, those phrases that are overused and will just make the piece worse.

The second part is to know precisely when and how to use certain phrases. Of course, the second one comes with experience, as the more you write, the better your understanding of what’s needed and how to achieve these goals will become.

On the other hand, there are many other ways one can do so, and the best advice you will ever get is to write your personal opinion regarding the subject, as this also makes the readers more interested in what comes next.

The logic behind this is simple – the more you express personal beliefs and thoughts, the more original and unique the content will get, which instantly makes the piece better. Of course, this doesn’t mean that one should just write from their personal point of view every time they get a chance, as this also needs to be done more carefully and in places where such writing will fit the most.

Use tools and programs

using online tools

Not having an idea on how to start or getting stuck in the middle of your writing is every writer’s worst nightmare, but also something that everyone who has ever written anything has faced before.

Now, we all have different methods to overcome this issue, and some people just try to take a few moments for new thoughts to come, while others like to keep writing and then come back and edit the content. Luckily, there are other ways today that you can use to make the essay more original. Yes, we can find plenty of tools and programs online that will make every essay more to the point, concise, and precise, yet original and more interesting.

Take MyPaperWriter as an example as it’s one of the most popular writers’ “tools,” and what separates it from the rest is the fact that you can easily follow the progress of your essay, suggest what can be edited, and bring your own thoughts.

Of course, one can also choose and leave everything to experienced professionals and just get the essay, but it’s always better to participate and see how things are done in the writer’s world because this is also something you can learn from.

Pay attention to grammar and spelling

grammar and spelling

Okay, this one is basic, but we need to mention it, as it probably is one of the most important steps when writing an essay. It is crucial to spell each word properly, or sometimes misspelling can change the entire sentence, and you will miss the point because there are many words that sound similar, but they are written differently.

The same is true with grammar, as no one wants to read any piece that is written with poor grammar, so make sure to review the basics and provide the readers with a high-quality essay. Punctuation marks are also important, as it is not good to use too many of them, nor too few since the entire writing will seem unprofessional, and it will be easy to say it is not written by a native speaker.

Don’t forget to proofread

proofread

Proofreading is an important step no matter what we write, as it is the best way to see possible mistakes and fix them before sharing our writing with the audience. It is always better to start with fixing smaller mistakes and focus on the bigger ones once they are fixed, as probably the first thing you will notice are some spelling and grammar mistakes.

After that, it is good to focus on some complicated sentences and reduce the words when possible, as it will make the entire essay much clearer and easier to read. In the end, when everything is fixed, it is important to read the article out loud, check how it sounds, and change everything that sounds awkward or does not fit.