While writing it is a good idea to keep asking yourself: Is this information relevant?

Asking someone else to read my essay to see if they understand it is cheating.

It is important to write in the first person:

I think that...,

I will now talk about...,

I hope that...

It seems to me....

I have now come to the conclusion that....

At all stages of your writing you should consider your reader.

Your introduction can be used to get your reader(s) interested.

You must always write your introduction first and stick closely to it.

The main body of the essay should contain well-developed arguments.

The main body should rely on the reader to make connections to the topic.

The conclusion should gather together the threads in the main body to present a comprehensive picture of the issues.

The conclusion should restate the arguments and topic sentences of the main body.

Your conclusion should add something new to the argument.