Why would one need to make their essays longer? This could be because they need to meet the required minimum word count. There are several ways of making your essays longer without fluffing them and without spoiling them with repetition. These ways will not only make your essays longer but also better. You will end up meeting the required minimum word count and get a good score.
1. Check the written articles again
This is more of editing and proofreading to ensure you haven’t left out anything. Ask yourself these questions; is there any other way I can look at this issue? Can I be more thorough? Basically, when writing an essay, always look at the issue in question from new angles. This helps me get more ideas on the topic and so should you.
2. Recheck your introduction
The introductory part is what sets the tone of your paper and captures the attention of the reader. This makes it one of the most important paragraphs of your essay. Take a moment and have another look at the introductory paragraph and revise it. What will make it attention-grabbing? Can you add more ideas, quotes or stories? How can you expand on the ideas you have already mentioned?
However, the key point to note is that introductory paragraphs should be short and precise. Long paragraphs tend to be boring and may divert the attention of the reader.
3. Add significant quotations
To lengthen and strengthen your essay, add significant quotations. Mark the word ‘significant.’ Never use any random quotations.
For instance, if you are writing a story about the most interesting restaurant you visited, you can make it more powerful by adding a quote said by the owner of the restaurant. It may have been pinned on the restaurant walls or at the entrance and you spotted it.
4. Bring more evidences and references on board
Evidence and references go hand in hand. Make your paper more powerful by adding references that go with those evidences.
If the essay is the persuasive type, bear in mind what the reader who disagrees with your point(s) might say. However, have strong evidence that will destroy the opposing reader’s argument.
5. Use examples
Looking at the ideas outlined in your essay, have you backed them up with examples? Examples will always prove that your claim is accurate. For instance, if you claim that climate change is real, back it up with examples like melting of ice, global warming, wild fires etc. add as many relevant ideas you can. This will not only make your paper longer but also will tell the reader how sharp and learned you are. Your reader will always be very happy that your claims are supported.
6. Expands paragraphs for clarity
Clarity requires a few more words to explain ideas. It is a vital part of any good essay. Read through your essay, one paragraph after the other, looking out for any ambiguous words and statements that may be unclear to the reader.
7. Expand your descriptions
Descriptions are very vital especially in personal and descriptive essays. As much as the descriptions may be good, you can make them better and longer. You can do this by bringing in sensory and imagery details of the person or thing being discussed. Think about someone who is in the situation you are describing will hear, see, smell, taste, or feel. These senses should bring an image in mind. This will add you more words and you will eventually have the best descriptions.
8. Boost your transitions
To know if the paper is good enough, there should be smooth transitions from one sentence to another one paragraph to another. Adding great transitions in your essay not only makes it better but also longer. Transition words and phrases include but not limited to; in addition, to sum up, on the contrary, because etc. transitions should always be at the beginning of the paragraph or at the end.
9. Avoid abbreviations and contractions
It is never wrong to use contractions and abbreviations in your essays. However, the essay may look casual. For it to appear more serious and professional, replace the abbreviations with their full meanings. This will make the essay longer.
10. Ensure everything is included
Revisit the outline you had before writing that essay. You will realize that you might have left out some things that seemed unnecessary during your initial writing.
If you had no outline, it is now time to do it. It is never late. Think about what the reader will need to know that you might have failed to include in your essay.
11. Recheck your choice of words
Choose the right words and phrases to make your paper longer. Look out for any words that relate to the essay but are less powerful. Use thesaurus to replace the weaker words with more powerful ones. You can use more than one word to bring out the concept. This makes the essay longer.
12. Have a strong conclusion
Writing a rock solid conclusion makes your paper even better and longer. While writing your conclusion, think about it from the perspective of the reader. The conclusion should sound final, should sum up all the things talked about in the essay and should give the reader the main point to consider. If not, enhance your essay.
13. Ask somebody else to help you with what is missing
It is always good to give your paper to someone else to go through the final draft of your paper. They will hive you their advice about the essay, they will tell you what is not clear, and will help add what is missing. However much criticism the feedback may be, you will have a better idea of what to add to your essay.
Conclusion
It doesn’t matter how you choose to expand your essay. Make sure you are not only making it longer but also stronger. Avoid any repetition for no reason, focus on writing the best essay and you will achieve the required word count with little hassles.
