There are many qualities that make a good essay: innovative ideas, coherent organization, well-rounded arguments, and more. 

However, it is frequently ignored that a well-written essay must also be engaging.  

It must ignite the reader’s interest, keep them engaged, make them eager to continue reading and gain more knowledge. An uninteresting essay may result in the reader becoming disengaged; despite the quality of your arguments.  

A lackluster writing approach or inadequate treatment of a mundane topic can detract from the essay’s strengths. Many students believe essays should be boring and formal for academic writing, not realizing teachers want them to be engaging.  

According to IvoryResearch, academic writing should not be dull and can be engaging instead. Fortunately, there are numerous strategies available to enhance the appeal of your writing, despite the limitations imposed by academic conventions. Let’s learn more about them. 

1: Don’t Write Long Sentences 

Scholars tend to compose lengthy and complex sentences. Once scientific terminology is incorporated, the journal manuscript becomes exceedingly challenging to comprehend. In order to assist readers in understanding your paper’s content, make your sentences shorter. It is not necessary to include all conditions, modifiers, and exceptions in one sentence. Here are some tips for creating succinct sentences with a greater impact. By following these suggestions, you can decrease the likelihood of alienating readers who become confused by your convoluted writing. 

Take longer sentences and separate them, especially those that exceed 20 words in length. 

Instead of solely depending on conjunctions, use logical transitional phrases to connect ideas together. Using “then,” “therefore,” “hence,” etc., in between are always great.  

Insert small clauses to break up a series of long ones. 

Keep your strongest content for brief phrases. Brief sentences are noticeable, ensuring your main message isn’t lost in lengthy prose. 

2: Include a Fascinating Detail or Two 

A dry topic can also contribute to making an essay dull.  

So, it is your responsibility to make dull subjects more engaging in your essay by incorporating interesting writing styles and finding captivating information to include, which will help readers connect with the content. One method to do this with a dull topic is to attempt to demonstrate how it is connected to the external world, as this can be more easily understood by the reader.  

When talking about a seemingly dull law, you could say something like “without this law, we wouldn’t have the freedom to do such and such today.” Another example of it could be “Law A led to Law B, which changed criminal law as we know it.”  

Sounds better, right? 

3: Active Voice is the Key 

Using the active voice instead of the passive voice, an age-old technique, will instantly enhance the appeal of your writing. This leads to writing that is more direct and energetic, creating a sense of immediacy for the reader. Regrettably, many students use the passive voice thinking it will give their writing a more academic or intellectual tone.  

However, it actually makes their writing appear dull. Keep in mind, the active voice occurs when the subject performs the action, whereas the passive voice occurs when the subject receives the action. Let me share an example to elaborate this further – 

Passive Voice: Scientists concluded that the methods used were… 

Active Voice: The scientists determined that the techniques employed were… 

Which one sounds better and easier to understand? Let me know in the comments below! 

4: Diversify Sentence Structures 

Diversifying sentence structures, much like broadening vocabulary, can effectively captivate readers. For instance, continuously using the structure “subject + verb + object” in consecutive sentences can be boring and reminiscent of writing styles found in children. Our brains will ignore the tedious text. How can you rectify this issue? Here are a few tips.  

Incorporate both compound and complex sentences while also including simple sentences to allow readers a break for their eyes. 

All of your sentences should vary in length, no matter their grammatical structure. 

5: Cut the Waffle 

Continuously talking in a disorganized way is tedious and likely to disengage your reader. You are in danger of rambling if you are not fully certain about your message, or if you have not carefully planned the organization of your argument. Properly researching and creating an essay plan before beginning can prevent this issue. 

Revision is a crucial step in the essay-writing process. Therefore, after completing an initial draft, you should always remove any unnecessary or excessive content.  

Examine your essay impartially and eliminate any parts that are unrelated to the argument or that repeat the same idea excessively.  

In addition to deleting portions of text, it is crucial to be efficient with words – using only what is necessary and avoiding awkward expressions. While revising, enhance your wording by removing excess words and rearranging any awkward sentences. 

6: Figurative Languages are Cool 

As mentioned before, it is common to go off on tangents while trying to explain complex ideas, especially if you don’t have a solid grasp on the topic. Using figurative language can help simplify and make a concept more engaging by requiring clear thinking.  

It refers to clarifying a concept by drawing a comparison with another, like an analogy. An analogy such as water leaking from a bucket could be used to illustrate the exponential decay of a radioactive substance, with the rate of decline being proportional to the amount remaining.  

This helps the reader by providing something recognizable to imagine, aiding in their comprehension of a new idea (even if the idea is not new to the teacher assigning the essay, they are looking for clear explanations and a strong understanding from the student). 

7: Proofread 

In conclusion, even if you write the most captivating essay a teacher has ever come across, any mistakes in it could diminish the impact of your effort by diverting the reader’s attention and potentially causing irritation. Before turning in your essay, carefully check for stylish grammar, immaculate punctuation, and error-free spelling. Use more than just a spelling and grammar checker, as they may not catch every mistake. 

The Bottom Line 

Enhance your writing by utilizing vibrant language, sharing personal stories, posing questions, and mixing up sentence structures. You can also do it by sharing intriguing facts, narrating a story, employing powerful verbs, creating imagery through descriptive language, and being mindful of your audience’s preferences.