how to write longer essays

How to make an Essay Longer – 21 Easy Tips!

Chris Drew (PhD)

Dr. Chris Drew is the founder of the Helpful Professor. He holds a PhD in education and has published over 20 articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education. [Image Descriptor: Photo of Chris]

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Just about all the advice on the first page of google about how to make a paper longer sucks. No, really. The tricks they suggest suck so bad I can’t believe how bad it sucks.

Most advice on how to make your essay longer tells you to do gimmicky things that will lose you marks.

How do I know? Because I read it. And I (yes, I’m a professor) would instantly see through all those things.

Let me tell you: if you’re wasting time turning “15” into “fifteen” to get an extra 6 characters into your essay , increasing font size, or sticking fluffy adjectives into sentences to make your essay longer and increase word count, you’re stuffing up. You’re flushing marks down the drain.

So, here’s what you SHOULD do to make your essay longer.

How to Make an Essay Longer

1. make sure you included everything.

I can’t tell you how many of my students submit assignments and forget to include important points! Go back to your writing prompt . That’s the thing that you’re going to be graded on.

Go and check out exactly what your teacher asked you to write about. Did you write about every point they suggested?

Related Article: 17+ Great Ideas For An Essay About Yourself

2. Make Every Paragraph at least 4 Sentences

Scan over each paragraph. Do you have any paragraphs that are less than 4 sentences long? This is your low-hanging fruit for making your paper longer. You need to make these paragraphs longer and your page count will naturally increase.

The best paragraphs should be 4 – 7 sentences long .

If you’ve got a 1, 2 or 3 sentence paragraph, make sure you go back through it. What new points can you include to make your paragraph better? Maybe you can:

Add a sentence at the start of the paragraph explaining what the paragraph is about;
Add a sentence giving a real-life example of the points you’re trying to make
Add a sentence giving an explanation of your points.

Or, you can try adding points explaining:

Why the thing is true;
Where the thing happened;
How the thing happened;
When the thing happened.

3. Define your Terms

Have you written a paragraph defining your key terms? If you’re writing an essay on modernism, write a paragraph defining modernism. If your essay is about education , write a paragraph giving a brief history of education. This will make your paper better – and longer!

You should have a paragraph or two right after your introduction defining and explaining what your topic is!

Now, if you are going to provide a definition for a term in college or university level writing , you need to read this article . In it, I show you how to write a full paragraph that defines a term in the right way using a research paper, not a dictionary!.

4. Get new Ideas from your Class Handouts

Below are the class handouts that you should go back through to add new ideas. They’re your most important sources. Go through all these sources and try to take down and more key points you can add:

Handouts or worksheets in class?
Readings or articles that they asked you to read?
Lecture slides?

6. Get new Ideas from Friends

You will have many classmates working on the same essay as you. What ideas have your friends come up with? See if you can find out. You want it to seem like you’re working to help each other out. You don’t want to be a sponge, taking from them and not giving back. Help each other out so you both get better marks. I recommend being strategic about this:

Offer to look over each others’ work and give suggestions;
Trade key points in bullet point format;
Brainstorm together to create a master list of key ideas.

8. Get new Ideas from Blogs

There are websites online about just about every topic that you can possibly imagine. That includes the topic you’re writing your essay on!

Let me ask you a question: Why would you waste your time trying to add padding to old sentences to increase your word count when you can write new ones that will win more marks?

It’s really so simple – google your essay topic or question and see what comes up. What have other people said on the topic? What ideas can you grab from others and use for yourself? You can also get new ideas from Google Scholar, which can provide you with a free to access research paper that will give you ideas as well.

12. Use the Keep Writing Website

Keep Writing is a website where you can write your essay. But, it won’t let you delete anything. So you have to just keep on typing. This means you can just write ideas that roll off the top of your head. I gave this website a go to write this article you’re reading right now and it really did help me just write in a way that flowed nicely and added to my page count quickly. I must admit, after using the website, I copied the text and did some edits. But by that point I had a ton of words in there – more than enough – and I could shorten the essay by deleting the words that weren’t so good. I ended up having the opposite problem – too many words!

13. Include one new Example in Each Paragraph

Another thing you can do is go through each and every paragraph and add one more example and some supporting evidence. Even if you’ve included one example in each paragraph, that’s okay. You can still add more examples. In fact, teachers love to see examples and supporting evidence.

Good examples are what separates good and bad students.

Teachers love to see examples because you can only give examples if you understand the topic. So, when we see examples we go “Yes! You Got It! You understand it!”

16. Don’t add Pointless Words!

‘Padding’ is what we call it when you stick extra words in a sentence just to increase your word count. I’ve taken a sentence from earlier in this post and I’m going to show you the sentence as it is, then show it to you with padding.

Here’s the original:

“You’re going to need some new points to add to your essay. You should not try to make your sentences you’ve already written longer. You shouldn’t be trying to add in fluffy new words or saying things in a longer way.”

Here’s the padding:

“You’re going to need some new points to actually add to your essay , which actually is quite significant . You should not actually try to generally make your sentences you’ve already written longer , generally contrary to popular belief . You shouldn’t be trying to generally add in fluffy new words or saying things in a longer way , which is fairly significant. ”

Your teacher is going to read this and think “This student is a terrible writer.” And you’ll lose a ton of marks.

17. Don’t Change the Formatting

Increasing the line spacing, font size or character spacing will just make your paper worse. You should have ONE space between each word. Your line spacing should either be 2.0 or 1.5 spacing. That’s it. Those are your options. Stick to normal margins in Microsoft Word You should use font size 12. If you artificially change any of this, your teacher will see through it and grade you down .

Final Thoughts

Making an essay longer needs to be done in a way that will get you marks. I can’t believe that there are websites ranking high on google that recommend tricks like “make the space between lines bigger” and “increase your margins”.

If a student did that in my class, I’d fail them instantly. There are smarter and better ways to do it – whether you’re writing a grade 7 essay or dissertation chapter! Do it the right way and you’ll grow your marks and be on the way to success.

Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ 15 Green Flags in a Relationship
Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ 15 Signs you're Burnt Out, Not Lazy
Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ 15 Toxic Things Parents Say to their Children
Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ 15 Red Flags Early in a Relationship

How to Make an Essay Longer the Smart Way

Meeting an essay’s required page or word count can sometimes be a struggle, especially if you’re juggling multiple papers or exams. In a pinch, students often rely on tricks like increasing margin size or making their font slightly bigger. Though these tricks do increase page length, there are easier (and smarter) ways to write a longer, high-quality essay. Making a paper meet minimum word or page counts doesn’t have to be an agonizing process—you can add length while also adding clarity and depth.

Here are 10 tips on how you can write a longer and a smarter essay, even if the deadline is fast approaching:

Tip #1: Look Back at Your Prompt/Rubric/etc.

If you’ve been provided a comprehensive prompt or rubric for an essay, read it, and read it again. Think about the following:

Did you answer all of the questions in the prompt?
Did you provide supporting evidence to back up whatever claims you made?
Did you leave out any information that might increase the reader’s understanding of your argument?
Did you meet all requirements (besides length) for the paper?

If the answer isn’t a decisive “yes” to every question on this list, go back and revise.

Tip #2: Go Back Through Your Introduction and Conclusion

Often times, ideas evolve while writing a paper. If the first thing you wrote was the introduction, go back and reread the first paragraph. You might decide that you left out key information that aids the reader in understanding your argument. When looking back on the conclusion, make sure you’ve both summarized the main points within the essay and provided your reader with a solution to consider. If you don’t feel you’ve done this, go back through and revise the paper.

Tip #3: Have Someone Proofread Your Essay

Even if you’re short on time ask a friend, sibling, or parent to read through your paper, specifically noting any points they find confusing. Then, go back and revise the parts that were unclear, adding in more information to provide readers with further clarity. You have a more comprehensive understanding of what you’re writing about than your reader, so having someone else look over your paper can be a helpful way to ensure that you haven’t missed any important details.

Tip #4: Use Quotations

Chances are, you have already used quotes in your paper. Quotations are a great way to enhance your argument while also driving up a paper’s word count, but don’t add quotes just for the sake of doing so. If you’re short on words, read through your source materials again to see if you’ve missed any valuable quotes. You can also do a little more research to see if there are any other sources you can add to provide the reader with more evidence toward your argument. Longer quotes aren’t necessarily better, but if you’re really in a bind, you might want to lengthen some of the quotes that are already included.

Tip #5: Review Your Outline

Did you make an outline to plan the essay when you first started? Go back through that initial outline and make sure you’ve hit all of your intended points. It’s possible that you’ve left out an important piece of your argument that would both increase page count and make for a better essay.

Tip #6: Include More Transitional Phrases

Graders often look for traditional words linking sentences to each other, like “therefore,” “even though”, and “on the other hand.” Read through your essay and make sure the sentences flow smoothly into each other. If they don’t, go back and add in transitional phrases like the ones listed above. Your writing will be easier to read, and you’ll get closer to the minimum page requirement in the process.

Tip #7: Read Your Paper Out Loud

This might sound like a silly tip, but when you read your paper out loud, you become increasingly aware of any grammatical or syntactical issues. When you rephrase sentences to fix these, you might end up increasing the paper length a bit. In the process of reading out loud, you also might realize that you didn’t include sufficient details within a particular paragraph. If that’s the case, go back in and add more to increase length.

Tip #8: Take a Break From Your Essay

You’ve probably been staring at your computer screen for hours, hoping words will magically pop into your head. Take a break. Eat a snack, go for a walk, or talk to a friend on the phone. You’ll come back to the essay with a fresh perspective after some time away, and you might have new ideas after you’ve had time away from your paper.

Tip #9: Ask Your Instructor for Help

Most teachers, teaching assistants, and professors are willing to look over papers for students before the final submission date. If there is still time, ask if you can make an appointment to go over your paper or head over to office hours. Your instructor might offer tips on how to better answer the prompt, and this in turn may also increase the word count of the paper.

Tip #10: Use multiple examples to back up your argument

If you’ve only used one source or anecdote to explain a given point, find a second source to provide additional evidence for the reader. This method will help drive up a paper’s word count while also providing further support for your argument.

Although hitting a minimum page count can sometimes be challenging, you can do it the smart way by increasing the information you provide to the reader—there’s no reason to resort to tricks like increasing line spacing or font size. If you’re really in a bind at the last minute, you might want to break up some of your paragraphs. This increases length while also making text more manageable for a reader. But after going through the tips on this list, your paper should be adequate in length without you having to even consider spacing.

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Writing Tips

How to Make an Essay Longer

7-minute read

10th May 2023

So you have an essay due the next day. You’ve been holed up in your dorm all day writing it, and now you’ve finished the conclusion. You shake your fist in celebratory fashion as you punctuate the paper’s last sentence. However, your jaw drops in horror when you focus on the word count. The essay rubric states that you must write at least 1,500 words, but you’ve written only 1,000 ! How can this be? You worked so hard to do what the assignment asked you. We know the feeling, and we’re sure every college student experiences it at least once.

So with time running out, you can do the following:

● Submit the essay and hope the professor doesn’t notice

● Add some gibberish sentences to get close enough to the required word count

We don’t recommend these options. Making an essay longer seems daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. That’s why we’re providing this post on expanding your essay while keeping it relevant to the topic. We’ll share our helpful tips, and by the end of the post, you’ll know what to do next time your essay falls short of the word count.

1. Add Content to the Essay

Adding more details is a great starting point for increasing the word count. Review your essay and see whether you should have addressed additional points about the topic. Could you include a few more arguments?

You’ll likely have to review your sources to find additional claims. We understand that you might not want to do this, especially if the clock reads midnight and your class starts in nine hours. However, adding more content not only increases the word count; it also makes your essay more credible.

If you need to add content, make sure it’s relevant to the topic. Consider the following example:

Personal details about the source’s author are irrelevant. Submitting such details will only earn you the wrath of your professor’s red ink. Let’s try an alternative:

Expanding on the citation with personal insight about screen time adds punch while keeping the discussion relevant. Additional details must move your essay forward the way dialogue and narrative do for a work of fiction.

2. Add Transitional Sentences and Phrases

Your essay might be short of words because it lacks transitional phrases, so you should add some to the mix. In fact, every academic paper should include a healthy blend of transitional sentences and transitional words/phrases . Not sure what we mean by that? You know words and phrases such as however , moreover , and in addition .

As with details, transitional phrases help to move the essay forward, so make sure to use them correctly. Let’s take an example from an essay about the late Serbian president Slobodan Milosevic:

As you can see, the writer uses transitional phrases correctly, adding value and words to the essay. When you use them correctly, transitional sentences and phrases improve the flow of your writing , enhancing readability. Professors expect coherent essays that flow smoothly, so transitional sentences and phrases are mandatory, regardless of word count.

That being said, it can be easy to overuse linking words, particularly if you’re a non-native writer. Check out this interesting article from Fabio Cerpeloni, who argues that linking words can impact the readability of your text .

3. Spell Out Words and Numbers

If you have contractions in your essay, such as can’t , won’t , and couldn’t , write them out in full. You shouldn’t use contractions at all in academic writing because they’re considered informal. Although using full versions of words seems to be a miniscule measure, doing so can go a long way to increasing your word count. And as a rule, you can also spell out numbers one through eleven. Again, doing this will help expand your essay.

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To save time switching out your contractions, make sure you’re familiar with Microsoft Word’s find and replace tool .

4. Add More Examples

Using at least two examples, you should aim to support every argument you present. If you have only one example for an argument, add a couple more. Provide citations to support your claims; otherwise, your professor will question your knowledge. As with details, examples will strengthen your essay. It’s a win–win situation!

If the essay has enough citations but still needs more words, you could try paraphrasing claims from sources. Just be sure to paraphrase effectively . You wouldn’t want to fall into the trap of plagiarism!

5. Review the Introduction and Conclusion

Now that you’ve written the essay, go back to the introduction and the conclusion. You might be able to expand on them and provide extra details. Remember that the introduction serves as a lead-in to the essay. In other words, it captures your readers’ attention and makes them want to keep reading. If your introduction appears weak, add details that will engage the reader properly.

And for the conclusion, provide a takeaway for the reader and offer a call to action. For example, what are the most important things to remember about your essay? The conclusion may lack punch, so add some details to improve it.

6. Expand Your Research on the Topic

The amount of research you’ve done could affect the word count. One way to check this is by reviewing your reference list. It should have at least five sources, so if yours has fewer, you need to do more research. Again, it’s not something you’d like to do in the middle of the night; however, sacrifices must be made if your essay needs more research. We guarantee your professor will notice if you haven’t done enough research. Here’s an extra tip: adding details will be much easier if you’re fully knowledgeable about the topic. Trust us on this!

While making an essay longer may seem daunting, doing so is easier if you’ve adequately researched the topic. The essay likely needs more ideas or examples, so go ahead and add them. Additional details will lend value, improve flow, and make your essay more credible. The most important thing to remember is that any details you add must be relevant. Simply adding fluff will weaken your essay and cost you marks. So never submit an essay with a low word count; your professor will notice! And after all, expanding on an essay is part of mastering essay writing skills .

We recommend not waiting until the last minute to check that your essay meets the required word count. Adding details or doing additional research the night before will only spell trouble. We understand the difficulty of making time when multiple papers are due in the same week. However, college life will test your time management skills like nothing else! Use your time wisely!

1. Why do essays fall short of the required word count?

This is often due to a lack of details and transitional sentences. Review your essay to see whether it’s missing important examples that can strengthen your claims.

2. Can I simply add “fluff” to increase the word count?

Anything you add to the essay must be relevant and must add value. Your professor is no fool, after all!

3. I hear proofreading is essential before submitting my essay. Can anyone help me with this?

We suggest our proofreading experts at Proofed! They can check your writing for grammar and punctuation errors and ensure perfect spelling and concision. Consider submitting a 500-word document for free today!

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Essay Writing Guide

How To Make An Essay Longer

Last updated on: Jun 28, 2024

How To Make An Essay Longer - Easy Guide For Beginners

By: Nova A.

Reviewed By: Chris H.

Published on: Apr 2, 2019

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you need to meet a word count for your essay but fall short of content?

It can be frustrating and stressful to figure out how to make your essay longer without compromising its quality and coherence.

In this blog, we will provide you with practical strategies and valuable tips to effectively expand your essay while maintaining its integrity.

Say goodbye to the struggle and embrace a well-crafted, lengthier essay.

Let's dive in!

On this Page

Tips on How to Make an Essay Longer

Essay Writing can be challenging, especially when you need to meet a specific word count or want to delve deeper into your analysis.

There are strategies you can use to effectively increase the length of your essay or research paper without compromising its quality.

Let’s explore how to make your essay longer hacks and tips while maintaining its effectiveness.

Do a Comprehensive Research

Conducting in-depth research is crucial when aiming to make your essay longer and more comprehensive.

By going beyond surface-level knowledge, you gain access to a wealth of information and insights.

This additional research allows you to develop a deeper understanding of your topic, which in turn enhances the quality of your essay.

When conducting research, keep in mind to rely on credible sources. Credible sources include academic journals, reputable books, scholarly databases, and trusted websites.

Elaborate on Arguments

To expand and strengthen your essay, it is vital to provide detailed explanations and expand on your arguments. Follow these key steps:

Offer clear explanations of your main points, using descriptive language to enhance understanding.
Support your arguments with relevant evidence, such as data, statistics, or expert opinions.
Provide examples and illustrations that exemplify your points and make them more relatable.
Engage in critical analysis and interpretation to showcase a deeper understanding of the topic.
Address counterarguments by acknowledging opposing viewpoints and providing reasoned responses.
Continuously connect your elaborations back to the thesis statement for a focused and cohesive essay.

Add Examples

Start by researching your topic. Make sure you get important details, substantial arguments, and evidence to highlight your points of view better.

When you start writing, look for the claims you’ve made in your essay and analyze the supporting and opposing views.

Make sure you add relevant supporting evidence for each view that makes your essay more engaging and lengthen your paper effectively.

Usually, it’s good to use case studies and real-life scenarios or statistical information to make your arguments stronger.

Whenever you use any mathematical figures try to spell out numbers. Make sure that whatever it is, they support your arguments strongly.

Use Quotations and Citations

Using quotations from experts and credible sources serves multiple purposes in your essay.

Quotations play a significant role in enhancing the understanding and depth of your essay.

They demonstrate that your ideas are supported by established thinkers or recognized sources in the field.

Proper citation is essential when using quotations in your essay. It not only gives credit to the original author but also demonstrates your academic integrity.

Ensure that you adhere to the required citation style , whether it's APA, MLA, Chicago, or any other specified format.

Take the time to understand the rules and guidelines for citing quotations accurately.

Include Transitional Phrases and Sentences

Thinkin how to make your essay longer using words while maintaining a smooth flow and coherence?

It is essential to include transitional phrases and sentences in your essay.

Transitional sentences not only help to make your essay longer but more cohesive as well. Transition sentences are used to connect the ideas being discussed in different paragraphs of the essay. So the right choice of transitional sentences will make your essay a great piece of writing.

Here are some key considerations for using transitional phrases effectively:

Introducing Additional Points:

Furthermore,
Additionally,
In addition to,

Providing Examples or Illustrations:

For instance,
For example,
Specifically,
To illustrate this,
In particular,

Need more examples of transitional words to make an essay longer? Check out this transition words blog!

Do Not Use Short Forms

Avoid using short forms and contractions. In a formal essay, do not use ‘wouldn't’, ‘can’t’ or ‘don’ts’, use their full form. The same goes for numbers also, use spellings instead of number form.

If you are not sure about the word count then use a word counter to be sure that you have added the required number of words. Increasing the font size will also help to lengthen your essay.

Paper Due? Why Suffer? That's our Job!

Be More Descriptive

To make your essay longer while keeping the flow smooth and engaging the reader, it is essential to focus on being more descriptive in your writing.

By incorporating vivid descriptions, sensory details, and figurative language, you can expand the length of your essay while enhancing its depth and richness.

Descriptive language allows you to provide more intricate explanations, paint a more detailed picture of your subject matter, and create a more immersive reading experience.

By employing techniques such as engaging the senses, providing concrete examples, and painting a vivid picture with words, you can reach the required word count.

Add All Necessary Information

During your revision part, ensure that you’ve included all relevant information for the essay and there’s no missing concept or theory.

At times students find sections that can be improved with new arguments or there is a missing piece of evidence.

Look for such loopholes in the content and fix them.

Add details that are relevant, credible, and valuable for your audience as well. Once you’re done with the checking, re-read the essay to ensure complete conformity to quality standards and essay guidelines.

Format Your Paragraphs Well

While writing your essay make sure that paragraphs of your essay are formatted well.

Each paragraph should start with a topic sentence , following the supporting argument, and a concluding or transition sentence.

Keep revising your paragraphs and add the sentences that are missing.

Take a Fresh Look at Your Topic

This may seem a useless tactic but revisiting your prompt in the middle of your writing process will help you a lot to explore the hidden perspectives of the topic.

You may realize that you have not considered a number of dimensions of the topic nor explained them.

This allows you to gain new perspectives, refine your arguments, and ensure that your essay remains relevant and compelling.

Their explanation will not only help you elongate your essay but also make it more comprehensive.

Add Illustrations

To further add to your essay content, look for illustrative material that can be included to justify your claims better.

These are usually supporting pieces of information like images, charts, statistical reports, and graphs that largely add to the essay's appeal and length as well.

Your sources must be authentic and reliable. Do not forget to include them in your resource list to increase the size and essay length.

Add Lists and Numbers

Another good tip that adds to the page count for your paper is the addition of bullets and lists to organize your ideas properly.

Besides, they also make the paper longer and more readable, and engaging for the audience. Within sections and paragraphs, add lists to further explain a core concept or idea better.

You can also increase the line spacing between texts to make your essay look longer.

Tough Essay Due? Hire Tough Writers!

Try Reverse Outlining

After writing your paper, reading back through it and creating an outline will help you reorganize pages. It will make more sense to the readers about your work. It can also point out areas that you need to develop more.

If you see a point and think that you can clarify it more, take the opportunity and make it longer.

If you notice a paragraph that introduces more than one idea, break them into multiple paragraphs and explain them thoroughly.

Take a Break and Revisit Your Essay

To increase the length and improve the quality of your essay, it is essential to take breaks and revisit your work with a fresh perspective.

Stepping away from your writing allows you to clear your mind and return with renewed focus.

When you review your essay with fresh eyes, you can identify areas that need further development, clarification, or expansion.

Take the time to revise and edit your essay, addressing grammar, punctuation, and clarity.

Approach your Instructor and Ask for Possible Help

Many teachers and instructors are willing to give reviews about the paper before submission. It means you can always consider approaching your instructor for guidance.

Schedule a meeting and come prepared with specific questions about expanding your essay effectively.

Explain your concerns about the length and express your willingness to put in the effort to improve.

Be attentive to the advice given by your instructor and make a keen effort to implement their feedback in your revised essay.

Make Your Spacing Larger

One sneaky way to increase the length of your essay is by adjusting the spacing.

Increase the line spacing between your lines of text by using 1.5 or double spacing instead of the default 1.0 spacing.

Another option is to use a slightly larger font size, although it's important not to go overboard. For example, you are using times new roman size 12, make it to 12.5!

Incorporating subheadings within your essay can help break up sections and add length. Additionally, take the opportunity to provide more detailed explanations and elaborate on your examples.

Remember to use these formatting tips responsibly and focus on providing meaningful content to enhance the overall quality of your essay.

Get Professional Writing Help

If you find yourself still struggling to increase the length and improve the quality of your essay, seeking professional writing help can be a valuable option.

These online writing services offer assistance from experienced writers who can help you with essay-lengthening techniques. They also offer suggestions for improvement and provide editing and proofreading services.

Just like that, 5StarEssays.com is one of the best “ write my essay ” services!

Our qualified writing experts can compose an impressive essay that meets the word count without giving the impression of dragging it.

Don't miss out on the opportunity to elevate your writing skills and achieve your academic goals.

Marketing, Law

As a Digital Content Strategist, Nova Allison has eight years of experience in writing both technical and scientific content. With a focus on developing online content plans that engage audiences, Nova strives to write pieces that are not only informative but captivating as well.

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How to Make an Essay Longer Without Writing Useless Fluff

Whenever you’re writing an essay for a class, to get into your dream school, or for some other reason besides “just for the heck of it,” you usually need to write a minimum number of words or pages.

And while there are probably topics you could write about forever — an ode to your pillow or your deep, unabashed love for nineties sitcoms, for instance — there will be times when you simply run out of things to say before you reach your target word count.

So what do you do when you feel as though you’ve squeezed out every last word you can say about your topic, but your essay falls short of your goal?

This post will help you learn how to make an essay longer without resorting to useless fluff, purple prose, or 6 silly things the reader will totally notice (so don’t even bother).

How to Make an Essay Longer: Before You Write

Don’t underestimate the value of planning ahead. When you’re staring down a hefty page requirement, there are a few things you can do before you ever start writing to set yourself up for success.

Do lots of research. The more information you have about your topic from the get-go, the easier it is to write (and write, and write, and write some more).
Create a thorough outline. Planning what you will write in advance helps you organize your ideas and spot weaknesses in your arguments and ideas that you can elaborate on. Plus, it helps you write more quickly. (Need some help? Check out these posts on the expository essay outline or 5-paragraph essay outline for strategies you can use for papers of any length).
Broaden your topic (if necessary) . Sometimes, after researching or thinking about your topic and creating an outline, you realize that you still don’t know enough about your topic to draft a complete essay. This doesn’t mean that your approach is wrong ; sometimes the information simply isn’t there.

This is a good time to consider broadening the scope of your essay by…

…discussing a wider range of perspectives,

…examining a larger population,

…looking at a larger geographic area,

…considering a broader time span,

And of course all of this planning works best when you start your essay well in advance of the deadline, so don’t procrastinate .

What happens if you use these strategies and still come up short?

How to Make an Essay Longer (the Obnoxious, Lazy Way)

Let me preface this section by acknowledging that you, dear reader, are a smart cookie. So I know that you would never resort to cheap padding strategies, right?

But just in case you’re tempted to quote like crazy or tweak the formatting to make an essay look longer and need a reminder of why that’s a bad idea, remember that it will be totally obvious (and super annoying) if you…

….increase the page margins.

….increase the font size (even if it’s just the periods — don’t!).

….choose an odd-looking font because it’s larger than average.

….add extra spaces after periods.

….add extra spaces between paragraphs.

….add long but ill-placed or irrelevant quotations to your essay.

People ( ahem , your instructors) who read essays for a good chunk of the day are on to these tricks. In a stack of 20 or more essays, the one with the subtly larger font and and slightly wider margins will stick out!

Don’t believe me? Have a look at these two essays:

Adding a quarter inch to the margins and using a larger font does make the essay longer. But it creates a pretty obvious difference!

Furthermore if you turn your paper in electronically, your teacher might adjust the font/margin by default…then you’re totally busted, and your efforts were a total waste.

One more thing: don’t assume that an assignment with a required number of pages rather than words is a green light to go nuts with formatting.

This simply means that your instructor trusts that you are mature enough to hand in a paper with reasonable margins, a normal-sized font, and so forth.

Don’t abuse that trust!

Ultimately, the effort you put into adjusting the formatting or hunting for quotes could be better spent writing more content .

But as you will see in the next section, the kind of content you write matters.

How to Make an Essay Longer (and Ruin It in the Process)

Before you can make your essay longer the honest way — by adding more actual words — you need to know the difference between substance and, well, everything else.

Take fluff, for instance.

Fluff is awesome on chicks and bunnies, but it’s less awesome in writing. So what is fluff anyway?

Fluff is clutter, plain and simple. It’s writing that takes too many words to get to the point. And while it is a tempting means by which to lengthen your essay, it annoys your readers…and it’s easy to spot.

Fluff includes:

Stating the obvious
Saying rather than showing
Redundancy/repeating yourself
Using overly complex words/sentence structures
Overusing words like “very,” “really,” “rather,” etc.

“Purple prose” is another kind of fluff. This refers to flowery, over-the-top writing that is way too heavy with adverbs and adjectives.

Let’s look at a fluffy, purple example from a narrative or personal statement:

“It was in the great, shining city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that I instinctively drew my first breath.”

That’s a terribly dramatic and wordy way to say, “I was born in Philadelphia.”

Here’s another over-the-top example focused on a piece of literature. I’ll bold the fluff so you can follow along:

“ The Great Gatsby is a very interesting novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The author of the book uses many symbols that are utilized to symbolize certain things . The mysterious green light on Daisy’s dock is a symbol that the author uses to show the reader something .This rather important symbol represents Gatsby’s hopes and dreams of the future. Scholar T. Smith also states that this symbol is important in the book because it “reflects Gatsby’s future ambitions .”

Well, that says a whole lot of nothing. It’s repetitive, it’s wordy, it contains an unnecessary quotation, and reading it is not unlike wading through mud. Look how much that idea can be condensed when I take out the fluff:

“In The Great Gatsby , F. Scott Fitzgerald includes a number of symbols, including the green light on Daisy’s dock that represents Gatsby’s hopes and dreams of the future.”

Much better.

Still not sure what constitutes fluff? Check out Stephanie Orges’ 47 words and phrases that slow your reader down for some great examples of fluffy constructions to avoid.

Also read How to Avoid Sticky Sentences and Be a Better Writer .

Now that you know how not to make your essay longer, let’s look at some legit strategies for bulking up your writing so that you end up with an essay that’s all killer, no filler.

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How to Make an Essay Longer…and Better than Ever

There are plenty of ways to make an essay longer without sacrificing its readability or your reader’s sanity. Assuming that you already have your essay drafted, you can use one or more of the following strategies to generate real, substantial content.

1. Let someone else read your essay . Sure, you think that your essay is clear, persuasive, entertaining, and thorough, but sometimes we make silly leaps in logic that don’t work as well for our audience. Ask a trusted friend or a Kibin editor to look over your paper and make suggestions about where to add more details or support.

(Pro tip: For this reason, a lot of writers specifically request that I ask questions while I edit their papers. Don’t be afraid to ask!)

2. Look at your topic from a new angle. If you’re writing a persuasive or argumentative essay , consider counterarguments or alternate views. Addressing these arguments (and taking them down point by point) not only adds length to your essay, but it strengthens your own argument, too.

3. Think outside the box. The five-paragraph essay has its place when you are learning to compose an essay. Unless stated otherwise in an assignment, though, an essay can have 4 or 7 or 20 paragraphs! If you have a solid structure (a good outline helps), then don’t hem yourself in with arbitrary notions of what constitutes an essay.

4. Add more support. Depending on the type of essay you’re writing, “support” may include quotations and paraphrased information from research or anecdotes and examples from your own experience. Be sure that any support that you add actually strengthens the point you’re trying to make. Here are some of the most common types of support for different types of essays:

5. Walk away for a while. Sometimes, all you need to renew your inspiration is to step away from your writing for a bit. This is a time-tested cure for writer’s block and is an important reason to start drafting your essay early — not, say, the night before it’s due.

If you can spare the time, set your essay aside for a couple days. If you’re staring down a deadline, even an hour or two away from your writing will help you revisit it with a fresh perspective and — hopefully — some new ideas.

12 Real Ways to Make an Essay Longer

Stressed high school student writing essay

DESCRIPTION Stressed high school student writing essay
SOURCE FG Trade / E+ / Getty

If you’re struggling to meet that minimum word count, it helps to know how to make an essay longer without ruining your hard work with repetition. Teachers can spot fluff in an essay a mile away, so you don’t want to just add words or repeat yourself. Focus on real ways to make it longer (and better at the same time), and you’ll end up meeting that word count minimum and scoring a good grade, too.

1. Check the Prompt or Assignment Again

While you may think you’ve already answered the prompt or tackled the assignment, you may have missed something. Think about the essay questions and prompts from new angles. Is there another way to look at the issue? Can you be more thorough?

If you’re in doubt, ask your teacher for help. He or she may suggest some new ways you can think about the topic.

2. Make Sure You Have Included Everything

Remember that outline you made before you started writing? Check it again. Did you include everything on it? You may find you skipped a few things that didn’t seem necessary as you were writing.

If you didn’t write an outline , now is the time to do it. It’s not too late. Think about what you’ve written so far and think about what your audience needs to know that you may not have included. Then craft an outline that can help you expand.

3. Take Another Look at Your Introduction

Your introduction is one of the most important parts of your essay. It has to capture your reader’s attention and set the tone for your entire essay, all in the space of a paragraph. That doesn’t have to be a short paragraph, however.

If you glossed over your introduction, take a moment to revise it. How can you make it better by adding information or expanding on the ideas you already have? What will make it even more attention-grabbing? Can you add a story or a quote?

4. Add More Evidence and References

Your essay can always be stronger, and the way to make it awesome is to add more evidence (and the references that go with that evidence). Go back to your outline and ask yourself how you could better support each point you are making. Add those supporting details .

If this is a persuasive essay , anticipate what someone who disagrees with your thesis might say. What evidence will destroy the opposing argument? Can you add one more piece of evidence for each point or paragraph?

5. Bring in Relevant Quotations

Just as you’re using references and evidence to support your point, you can also strengthen (and lengthen) your essay by adding relevant quotations . The key word here is “relevant.” These can’t be random, and you don’t want them to be more than a sentence or two.

For example, say you are writing an essay about a book you read. You can make your essay more powerful by adding a short quote or two from the book - especially if the quote supports the points you are making.

6. Improve and Expand Your Descriptions

If you’re writing a personal essay or a descriptive essay of some kind, your descriptions will be extremely important. They may already be good, but you can make them better (and longer).

One way to do this is to bring in imagery and sensory details. Think about what someone in the situation you’re describing might see or hear. Then think even more about what they might taste, smell, or feel. Choose one or two senses and write your descriptions with that kind of imagery in mind. You’ll likely have more words, and you’ll definitely have a better description.

7. Expand Each Paragraph for Clarity

Go through your essay a paragraph at a time, looking for things that might not be clear to the reader. Clarity is an essential part of a good essay, and it usually requires a few more words to help explain things.

Imagine you don’t know anything about this topic. Do you launch into a topic without explaining the basics? Take a moment to define important terms after you use them, since jargon can be confusing for readers.

8. Enhance Your Transitions

A good essay has smooth transitions from one paragraph to another. These transitions are a sign of great writing, and they also take up extra space on the page. Including great transitions in your essay will make it longer and better at the same time.

Use transition words and phrases like “with this in mind,” “on the contrary,” and “because….” These transitions should come at the beginning of each paragraph or the end of the paragraph just before it. Connecting one paragraph to the next helps your essay flow smoothly.

9. Rethink Your Word Choices

You can improve your essay and make it longer by choosing the right words and phrases. Print out a copy of your essay and sit down with a highlighter. Highlight any word that relates to your thesis but is not an especially powerful word.

Once you have a list of weak words, use a thesaurus to find better options. It’s okay if the new words are longer or if you need to use more than one word to convey the concept; that will help your essay grow in length.

10. Get Rid of Contractions and Abbreviations

There’s nothing wrong with using contractions in your writing; however, they can add a casual touch to your essay. If you want your work to sound more serious, replace the contractions with the longer versions. You’ll find this also makes your essay a bit longer.

Similarly, abbreviations can feel casual, and in many cases, they aren’t the correct choice for an essay. Consult your style guide if you’re in doubt, but in general, don’t abbreviate.

11. Make Your Conclusion Rock Solid

Your conclusion is another opportunity to make your essay even better than it is and make it longer at the same time. Take a few minutes to read your conclusion and think about it from the perspective of a reader.

Does your conclusion sound final? Does it sum up everything you’ve talked about and give the reader a direction or main point to consider? If not, enhance it.

12. Ask a Friend What’s Missing

Once you’ve done everything you can to add to your essay, you can also ask a trusted friend for advice. Have your friend read the essay and give you feedback. Ask them to look for what might be missing or unclear about your work.

It’s not always easy to receive constructive criticism about your writing, but with the help of a trusted reader, you’ll have a better idea of what to add to your work.

Longer and Stronger

No matter how you choose to expand your essay, make sure you are making it stronger and not just longer. Avoid repeating yourself for no reason and using gimmicks like increasing font size or spacing. Focus instead on writing the best essay you can , and you’ll find you make the word count requirement with no trouble at all.

How to Make an Essay Longer Without It Feeling Forced

Ever struggled to meet the word count requirement for your essay? You're not alone. Whether it's a minimum size or a certain number of pages, it can feel like a daunting task to stretch your writing without watering it down. But fear not! This article is here to help. We'll explore some practical tips and tricks to make your essay longer without sacrificing quality. From expanding on your main points to incorporating more evidence, we've got you covered. Say goodbye to staring at a blank screen and hello to meeting your paper length with confidence!

How to Make Your Essay Longer: Practical Tips

Students may aim to make their essays longer to fulfill the word count criteria their teachers or professors set. Meeting these requirements is crucial as it can affect their grades or evaluation. Moreover, longer papers offer more room for in-depth exploration of topics, allowing students to showcase their understanding comprehensively. By expanding their papers, students can provide more evidence and examples to strengthen their arguments, making their points more persuasive. Additionally, longer papers may be seen as a sign of dedication and effort, potentially earning students favorable recognition from their instructors.

Increase Font Size and Spacing

Adjusting the font size and spacing of your text can subtly but effectively increase the overall length of your paper. By slightly enlarging the font size and expanding spacing between lines and paragraphs, you can offer extra bulk to your document without significantly altering its content. Please consult our essay outline guide for more ideas on how to expand your paper's structure.

Replace Contractions with Full Words

Contractions, such as "can't" instead of "cannot" or "it's" instead of "it is," often take up less space. By replacing these contractions with their full-word equivalents, you can make your essay longer by adding additional characters.

Add Transitional Phrases

Transitional phrases help connect different parts of your essay, guiding the reader through your arguments and making your writing flow more smoothly. Adding more of these phrases between paragraphs or sections can improve your paper's coherence, and including extra words can increase its word count.

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Use Synonyms for Shorter Words

Look for opportunities to replace shorter words with longer synonyms without changing the meaning of your sentences. For example, "big" could become "substantial," or "important" could be replaced with "significant." This simple technique can help add size to your paper without sacrificing clarity.

Include Personal Anecdotes

Incorporating personal anecdotes or experiences related to your topic can make your essay more engaging and provide additional content to expand upon. You can augment the depth of your writing by sharing relevant stories or reflections and meaningfully increasing its word count.

Reference Pop Culture or Current Events

Bringing references to popular culture or recent events can enrich your essay and demonstrate your awareness of contemporary issues. By integrating relevant examples or discussions from the media, you can expand your analysis and provide fresh insights, thus extending the volume of your paper.

Provide Detailed Explanations

Take the time to thoroughly explain your ideas and arguments, providing additional context or background information where necessary. By offering detailed explanations, you enhance the clarity of your writing and tally substance and depth, ultimately increasing the word count of your paper.

Use Footnotes or Endnotes

If there are additional points or information that you want to include but don't necessarily fit within the main body of your essay, consider using footnotes or endnotes. These can be used to provide supplementary details, citations, or explanations without disrupting the flow of your primary argument, effectively expanding the content of your paper.

Address Counterarguments

Acknowledging and addressing potential counterarguments demonstrates a thorough understanding of your topic and strengthens your own arguments. By engaging with opposing viewpoints and presenting rebuttals, you not only bolster the persuasiveness of your essay but also bring complexity and word count to your analysis.

Incorporate Quotes from Primary Sources

Introducing quotes from primary sources, such as books, articles, or interviews, can incorporate credibility and depth to your arguments. By directly citing authoritative sources, you provide additional evidence to support your claims and expand the scope of your discussion, increasing your essay's extent.

Include Visuals like Graphs or Charts

Visual aids, such as graphs, charts, or tables, can be used to illustrate data or complex information clearly and concisely. Incorporating visuals enhances the visual appeal of your essay and provides supplementary content to expand upon, contributing to its overall word count.

Still Can’t Fit Into the Word Count?

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Explore Alternative Interpretations

Consider exploring alternative interpretations or perspectives related to your topic. Presenting different viewpoints or analyzing your subject from various angles adds richness and complexity to your essay, ultimately increasing its size and depth of analysis. While trying to manipulate the word count of your paper using these techniques, keep in mind the punctuation marks .

Offer Comparisons or Contrasts

Drawing comparisons or contrasts between different ideas, theories, or examples can enrich your essay and provide additional content to discuss. By highlighting similarities and differences, you add nuance to your arguments and expand the scope of your analysis, thereby increasing the volume of your composition.

Simplify Complex Concepts

Break down complex ideas or concepts into simpler terms that are easier to understand. By providing clear explanations and examples, you not only improve the accessibility of your writing but also encompass substance and depth, ultimately increasing the word count of your document.

Define Technical Terms

If your essay includes specialized terminology or jargon, take the time to define these terms for your readers. By providing clear definitions and explanations, you ensure that your audience understands the concepts you're discussing and integrate additional content to your manuscript, thus increasing its range.

Discuss Opposing Viewpoints

Engaging with opposing viewpoints and discussing their merits can enrich your essay and demonstrate your critical thinking skills. By acknowledging alternative perspectives and presenting counterarguments, you enclose complexity and depth to your analysis, ultimately increasing the reach of your writing.

Extend Implications of Findings

Consider the broader implications of your arguments or findings and explore their significance in greater detail. By discussing the potential consequences or applications of your research, you subsume depth and complexity to your analysis, ultimately increasing the magnitude of your essay.

Expand Examples and Evidence

Provide additional examples, evidence, or case studies to support your arguments and illustrate your points. By offering more detailed and varied examples, you strengthen your claims and make your essay longer, ultimately increasing its word count and persuasiveness. If you still can’t fit into the word limit and none of these tips help, simply say, ‘ write my essay for me ,’ and our writers will produce a cogent paper of the required length.

Ways to Expand (& Improve) an Essay

Often writing assignments have a minimum length. It can be frustrating when you’re struggling to make an essay longer. This page gives you seven concrete ways to expand an essay while also making it more detailed, descriptive, and analytical.

Expand individual paragraphs

Ask how and why questions. Read through each sentence and see if there is more to say about any statements or claims you are making. A good observation or idea is rarely explained in one sentence. Asking these questions, even when you think you’ve explained yourself, will help you be detailed, descriptive, and more analytical. (TIP: Give yourself a goal of adding two or three sentences to each existing paragraph. You’ll be surprised at what you discover to say!)
Add (more) concrete examples and evidence. Making an argument is all about supporting it with evidence. A good way to do this is to show your argument in action in an example. The more complex or complicated the idea, the more examples you’ll need.
Expand the introduction and/or conclusion. Now that you have a full draft of your essay, ask yourself what are some main ideas or concrete examples you use in the body of the essay that you could put in the intro to help give the reader a full picture of the main point(s) of your essay? You may even be able to write a brand new introduction now that you have your main points of the essay.
Add a sentence or two at the end of each paragraph summarizing (and/or refuting) the arguments presented in that paragraph. The last sentence of each paragraph should relate the paragraph’s main idea back to the essay’s thesis and explain how the paragraph supports or advances the argument of the essay.

Write new paragraphs

Look for paragraphs that contain more than one idea . If you have a paragraph with three different ideas, then these ideas are usually underdeveloped. Break each idea into its own paragraph and use the tools above to expand them into fully formed paragraphs.
Write a paragraph addressing opposing views. Try to think of one or two objections that your audience might have to your essay’s argument, and then write a paragraph defending your argument from those opposing views.
Look for key terms or other information in your essay that your readers might not be familiar with. Write a paragraph that serves as an extended definition of those terms or provides background information that help your audiences better understand your subject and argument.

Works Consulted

Reid, E. Shelley. “30 Things to do with your essay in the up draft(s).” The Writing Center. The Writing Center at George Mason University, 2007. issuu.com/gmuwritingcenter/docs/30-things-to-do-with-your-essay-in-the-up-drafts. Accessed 4 April 2017.

How to Make an Essay Longer With or Without Adding Words

Your supervisor wants your essay to be at least four pages but you are even struggling to write two, isn’t it?

“According to an analytical rating of text quality study in journal Assessing Writing , showed that longer texts or essays typically contain more cohesive devices, which has a positive impact on ratings of text quality.”

No need to worry; some tactics will help you in how to make an essay longer without putting much effort.

Table of Contents

Challenges in Making an Essay Longer

Making an essay longer is a challenge for an average student. As author had also faced some bad experiences when doing this. And you know what? Making an essay longer took more time than writing an essay. What the author faced and how he overcame these challenges are going to be discussed in the table.


1	Less understanding of MS Word or Google Docx	I had zero idea about font spacing during the study. I wrote in very little font with no spacing, which makes the essay short.
2	Limited use of transition words	I didn’t use transition words like “however, furthermore, moreover” to make your essay longer. These words are most important to expand the text
3	Limited research	When I was a student, researching anything in-depth was exhaustive and tiring work for me, and this is the same for all students today. In today’s world, every topic is covered with research; students just need to do deep research.
4	English is not a native Language	Just like me, most of the students don’t have English as their native language, which makes it hard to write more and more.
5	Don’t add examples in the essay	Examples are very important for an essay, and when I was a student, I mostly skipped these things and made the same mistakes the students made in the present.

Most student’s mentality is the same. When the author has faced these challenges during his study career, then today’s students may also face the same problem about how to make an essay longer.

However, worry not, as we have gathered different techniques and strategies to make your essay longer.

Make a Longer Essay without writing more

If you want to expand your essay a little bit or have a question about how to make my paragraph longer, then you don’t need to write more; just follow these magical tips to make your essay longer.

Try to use the Arial font style because it is more visible and bigger than other types of fonts.
Use a big font size, like 12 , for the body text. The bigger your content size, the more length your essay will show.
Thirdly, use headings and subheadings to uplift your content visibility, and above that, your content will look longer with more and more headings.
Adjust the spacing between the lines. It is mostly adjusted on single or 1.15 in Google Docx; try to make it 1.5. When your lines have a spacing of 1.5 , you will be amazed to see that your content looks longer.
A final tip for how to make an essay longer is to break your big paragraphs into short passages . Also, try to add spacing before and after each section to make your essay look more lengthy.

These magical tricks work only if you want to make your essay a little bit longer, but if you want your essay to expand on more pages, then you have to follow the below-mentioned strategies for making an essay longer.

Working Strategies for Making an Essay Full Longer

These are some working strategies commonly used for how to make your essay longer. To make you understand the concept of how to make an essay longer, we have taken a real time example.

Why Do Students Get bored in the Classroom?

School boredom is a common challenge that students face during school times. Boredom makes the students lazy, slow, and unethical during class. There are a lot of reasons for this situation.

One main reason for boredom is the need for more interaction between the students. When students don’t engage in extracurricular activities and have less interaction with other students, there is a high chance of boredom.

The student who is upset due to their family issues or problems may feel bored in school. Less student activities organized by school faculty also can lead the student toward boredom.

Students with mental illness or physical weakness may also get bored during class time. Finally, a tough curriculum and extra work burden may also make the student bored in classrooms.

Several steps can be taken to overcome these issues. For parents, they must give a lot of time and attention to their children and find out if they are facing any problems. Furthermore, School administration should also have a check and balance on teachers, and if they are giving extra work to students, then stop them.

The school administration should also take steps to give students some time to play, which will ultimately relax them and make them less bored during class time.

These reasons for boredom and their solutions help students to get out of the stress and boredom and help them stay more active

The above example is a bit similar to one of our students’ work. So, we are sharing real experience-based strategies that worked well for the students and our writers. Now, in light of this detailed example, we have gathered some valid points that will help you to make an essay longer on your own.

Expand on your ideas

This is the first and most effective way to learn how to make your essay longer. Let’s say you’re writing about students’ boredom, and your point is about the reasons for students’ boredom in the classroom. You should discuss the threat to student mental health. You can also talk about how it affects their homes, health, and livelihoods.

Here’s a brief example of how this expansion might look within an essay paragraph:

“School boredom is a common challenge that students face during school times. Boredom makes the students lazy, slow, and unethical during class. There are a lot of reasons for this situation.

And above these reasons, there are multiple threats regarding student mental health, which can destroy their whole life. Furthermore, student boredom can also affect their home’s physical health and livelihoods”

Now as you see we have discovered more related ideas to classroom boredom, and you can also explain them in the essay to make it longer.

Add more evidence

Look into getting more information to back up what you’re saying. Put in quotes, numbers, or opinions from people who know what they’re talking about to make your point stronger.

This will definitely work for your how to make an essay longer query! Double-check that the sources you use are reliable and related to the subject you’re discussing. Let’s continue with the research or evidence of an essay on why students get bored in the classroom.

Here’s an example of how you can add these additional sources and evidence to your essay:

“According to a Westgate and Wilson research article in Journal of Positive School Psychology , found that two-thirds of students were bored at some time during a typical school day. This research shows that there is a big ratio of students who are facing boredom in the classroom.

Furthermore, this research tells us that something is wrong with the students, and that is why they are facing this situation.”

Doing your research and having these things in your essay will make your essay more convincing and informative. We have now added the study as a piece of evidence to make the existing essay stronger and longer than before. These studies and research are most suitable when you are looking for a way how to write a college essay for exam preparation.

Include counter arguments and refutations

Try to explain the essay with counter arguments and refutations to make a comparison and explain why your point of view is more valid than others. This not only increases the length of your argument but also shows that you have a better grip on the subject.

Considering other perspectives is important when trying to know how to make an essay longer. It helps you to show your complete understanding of the topic and allows you to reinforce your point.

Here’s an example of how you can add opposing viewpoints or counter-arguments to your essay:

“While some argue that children’s boredom doesn’t happen, it’s just a myth. According to the control-value theory of achievement emotions (Pekrun, 2006;Pekrun et al., 2010), learners succumb to boredom when they attach little value to the task and when they lack control over the learning process.

The theory clearly depicts that student boredom is not a myth, but a real issue that students face in today’s world.”

From the above example, we clearly depict an argument that people mostly make about boredom, and as a result, we come up with a counter-argument. By doing this, we make our point of view more strong and also learn about how to make an essay longer

Use transitional words to make your essay longer

Whenever you are thinking about how I can make my essay longer, use the below-mentioned connecting words and phrases to make your essay flow better and give it more length.

These transitions help link your ideas and paragraphs together. Even expert essay writing services providers use this trick. Here are some transition words to grab the concept.

Firstly	Initially	To begin with
Moreover	Furthermore	In addition to
Additionally	In the first place	However
On the other hand	In contrast	conversely
In conclusion	Overall	To summarize

Here’s an example showing the use of transitional words within a paragraph:

“The students who are upset due to their family issues or problems may feel bored in school, as there are many reasons for family issues. However, these issues can make the kid mentally sick.

Furthermore, it is recommended that parents keep their kid away from family problems so he can get less stress and focus on his work in the classroom.”

In the above example, we pick only one line from the above existing essay and use transition words to make your essay longer.

Provide Examples

On your way to learn about how to make an essay longer, try bringing in real-world examples or case studies to back up your points. It can add depth and substance to what you’re saying. Make sure the examples you pick really tie into the points you’re trying to make in your essay.

Let’s consider an example:

“A real-life case study came up about a professor of civil engineering, Dr. Wong. He has a class of more than a hundred students, but most of them didn’t stay attentive because of boredom, and some students skip the class. So, he thinks about herself: Is he a boring teacher?

He asks for a solution from a colleague. The coworker suggests that he doesn’t force students to learn everything. Also, try to make a gap during the lecture after some minutes to relax the students. Additionally, he suggested Dr Wong to create groups of students and give them interesting tasks to do and help them by going near every student.”

Now, we have provided a real-life example/Case study of a professor and his students, which helps us to understand the concept of class boredom in-depth and helps us to know how to make an essay longer. Students can use such kinds of examples for college essay writing to impress their professors.

Include More Descriptive Language

Try to make the short descriptions more lengthy. You can do this by adding vivid adjectives and adverbs to form a clear image for your reader. Additionally, instead of using very general terms, try to choose a specific and colour language. Let’s see how you can do this with a proper example.

Basic Description:

“Boredom makes the students lazy.”

Enhanced Descriptive Language:

“Boredom is a state of mind in which a student may feel laziness, with no interest in worldly activities, and close himself/herself in the prison of his thoughts. “

As you see, we can also use descriptive language to make our essays longer. The above example is proof of this. But remember, it is not important to use enhanced descriptive language in every paragraph. Try to add it where you have to make an impact on the reader or audience with emotional or vivid images.”

Explain complex terms

A golden strategy on how to make an essay longer is to discuss complex topics, and break them down further. Offer step-by-step explanations or go into more detail about the intricacies of the subject matter.

Pinpoint the specific aspects or components of the complex topic that might be difficult for your audience to understand. This could involve technical terms, abstract concepts, or intricate processes.

Here’s an example paragraph illustrating a step-by-step breakdown of a complex topic about blockchain:

“Students with mental illness may feel bored during class. But what is mental illness, and how is it connected with boredom?

Mental illness means a student may have to face any medical problem with brain functioning, or he takes medicines that indirectly affect brain functionality or any financial/family problem that makes them mentally stressed.”

These mental problems can make a student bored in the class, and he may lack concentration in the class.”

What do we do in this section? As you see, we pick only a single term about mental illness, and many people may think about how it affects boredom. We expand this term and relate it to mental illness. Hence, we get a firm grip on the essay as well as understand how to make an essay longer.

Make your essay perfect with these resources

To make your essay longer and to make sure it is balanced, you may need some online resources. Here are some resources that you can utilize.

AI Essay Writer

Want to add new data to your essay or want to make a new essay? Try our AI essay writer tool to write a perfect essay on your own. Whether a student from middle school or university, this essay writer tool is easy to use and totally free of cost.

Spell Checker

Have you written your essay but still need some spelling corrections? Never mind, utilize our free spell checker tool and make your essay error free.

Grammar Checker

Grammar mistakes are very serious when writing or making your essay longer. And you know that paid tools are costly to purchase. Worry not; we have a free grammar checker tool that will help you identify your grammar mistakes and tackle them in no time.

Plagiarism Checker

Many students, especially from middle school or high school, may find it difficult to write a complete essay by themselves. They may get help from an online resource, which in return comes out as plagiarism work. We have prepared this plagiarism checker tool for you to identify the plagiarism and remove it effectively from your essay.

Problem Solved

Well, these expert tips and tricks must have helped you learn how to make an essay longer tactfully with or without words. As per the required length, you can go about adopting one or all of these expert tricks as you need.

Still, if you have a problem extending your essay, just don’t hesitate to consult our experts, who are available 24/7 for you.

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Academic Writing

How to Make an Essay Appear Longer Than It Is

Last Updated: February 2, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Jake Adams . Jake Adams is an academic tutor and the owner of Simplifi EDU, a Santa Monica, California based online tutoring business offering learning resources and online tutors for academic subjects K-College, SAT & ACT prep, and college admissions applications. With over 14 years of professional tutoring experience, Jake is dedicated to providing his clients the very best online tutoring experience and access to a network of excellent undergraduate and graduate-level tutors from top colleges all over the nation. Jake holds a BS in International Business and Marketing from Pepperdine University. There are 7 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 1,779,403 times.

You are writing a paper and the deadline is approaching, but you are nowhere near the page limit. Many students find themselves in this position. Luckily for you, you can lengthen your paper by using a few tricks. Increasing the font size, adding a lengthy header, and manipulating the spacing between lines are just a few strategies you can use to make your essay appear longer. However, be aware that breaking your teacher’s guidelines may result in a lower grade.

Playing with the Font

Don’t pick a very large font like Arial Black or Lucida Handwriting. Your teacher will notice that you are trying to make your essay longer by choosing a larger font.

Manipulating Spacing and Margins

Step 1 Increase the spacing between lines.

If the increase is too noticeable, then try 1.15 or 1.1 instead.
Because all documents are left justified, avoid increasing the left margin. Adjusting the left margin will produce a noticeable change that your teacher will detect.

Step 3 Increase the bottom margin by a quarter.

Adjusting the Header and Footer

Expanding the Content

Additionally, if you are quoting or paraphrasing research or literature, make sure to cite it properly. Citations can add extra length to a paper as well.

Step 5 Ensure that each paragraph has a topic and a concluding sentence.

Expand your introductory paragraph with an attention-getting statement to hook the reader in.

However, try to avoid being descriptive when it is unnecessary since this may cause your paper to appear embellished or sound verbose.

Community Q&A

Copy and paste your paper into a new document. Make these changes to the new document. Then compare and contrast the document with the changes to the original document. Remove any adjustments that seem obvious. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
Use a thesaurus to find longer synonyms to use in place of shorter ones. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
Spell out abbreviations; for example, write out “United States" instead of using "US." Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

Be aware that breaking your teacher’s guidelines may be considered cheating, which may result in a lower grade or even a zero. Thanks Helpful 12 Not Helpful 1
Don't be redundant. Thanks Helpful 5 Not Helpful 1

↑ https://www.paperhelp.org/blog/how-to-make-a-paper-longer.html
↑ https://www.jakebinstein.com/blog/how-to-make-an-essay-look-longer/
↑ https://studentshare.org/study-guides/how-to-make-your-essay-look-longer
↑ http://www.seventeen.com/life/school/advice/a27491/tricks-you-try-to-make-your-school-paper-longer/
↑ https://www.thoughtco.com/how-to-make-paper-longer-793288

About This Article

To make an essay appear longer than it is, pick a font that's slightly larger than Times New Roman, like Arial, Courier New, or Cambria. If you're required to use 12-point font, try increase the font to 12.1 or 12.2 to gain some extra length without the font looking noticeably larger. Then, press on Control and the F key at the same time to activate the find and replace function, and replace all of the commas and periods with 14-point font. If the essay still isn't long enough, increase the line spacing by 0.1 or 0.2 and make the right margin 0.1-0.2 inches larger. For tips on adjusting the header and footer or adding more content to your essay, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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21 Helpful and Easy Tips to Make an Essay Longer

Bookman Old Style > Times New Roman.

When you're writing a school paper after researching and typing for what feels like ages, but you still haven't reached your teacher's required page count, it's normal to feel frustrated. Maybe you get a little creative and play Microsoft Word gymnastics with different fonts and spacing, or become super expressive with your descriptions. There's also a chance you missed something on the assignment rubric, or overlooked the opportunity to include more quotes from trusted sources. You might even be able to load up on a few more examples for your argument, easily boosting the word count with additional research. Still a couple pages behind the limit? Don't worry. Below, we have over 20 tips to help you hit that page requirement.

1. Make sure you included everything on the rubric. If you forgot a whole section focusing on the counter argument, that could be the reason why your paper is a couple pages shorter than needed.

2. Load up on transitional phrases. Your paper isn't long enough, therefore it may be necessary to add some transitional phrases because they take up space. On the other hand , this could make your paper really wordy, however , it may be necessary. See what I did there?

3. Spell out your numbers. There are four editorial styles — AP, APA, MLA, and Chicago. Each one has a different rule for spelling out numbers, which can work out in your favor. For instance, in APA, you write out all numbers under 10. So a one-character "7" becomes a five-character "seven." In MLA, you spell out all numbers at the beginning of a sentence, and all simple numbers (those that are one or two words). Make sure to check the assignment rubric to see what style your paper should be written in!

4. Ditch the contractions. Honestly, you probably should not even be using contractions in a formal essay, so if you are filling up your paper with "don't," "won't," and "can't," switch them out for "do not," "will not," and "cannot."

5. Use numerous examples. Make sure to do extensive research on your essay topic and come up with at least 2-3 examples for every argument presented. One example might seem like enough, but adding a couple more points improves your paper and boosts its word count.

6. Add quotes. Including quotes, whether they be from a book, news article, or trusted source, helps strengthen and validate the point you're making in a paper. But you can't just drop a quotation without context. Introducing, writing out, and properly unpacking a quote can add value — and length — to your essay.

7. Start getting really descriptive about everything. How illustrative can you get about the evolution of electricity, you ask? Well, the answer is: Very. The howling wind gushed passed Benjamin Franklin at 30 miles per hour on that cold, rainy night, pulling the string of his kite taught as it fought to stay in the sky and sent his grey hair flying up in the sky like silvery wisps.

8. Try to make your header longer. If possible, of course. Some teachers clearly state what information needs to be included in the header. But if there's no guideline, add what you can within reason — I'm not sure your teacher is going to appreciate your TikTok or Insta handle listed on the page.

9. Have someone proofread. Getting another pair of eyes to read your paper might reveal some areas in need of work. Maybe you need to elaborate a bit more on a certain argument, or include a quote to strengthen an example.

10. Revisit your introduction paragraph. Sometimes, an introduction is easiest to write after the paper has been written. Having already presented and thoroughly discussed the argument in the essay's body paragraphs, you have a more concrete understanding of what direction the paper takes. There might be some information or ideas you can add into the intro, to better set up the paper's points.

11. Make your spacing larger. Your teacher probably won't be able to tell the difference between double spacing and 2.5 spacing. *fingers crossed*

12 . While you're at it, expand the spacing between the characters. Yes, I'm talking between each and every letter.

13. Raise the font size from 12pt to 12.5pt. Nobody has to know!

14. Make all periods and commas 14pt. It sounds tedious, but simply command-f and search for the period, that way you can change all of them at once.

15. Put extra space around your (super long and bolded) title. It needs some space to shine and breathe, obvs.

16. Change the font. You can't get too crazy or else your teacher will call you out, so you stick with something super similar to Times New Roman, but slightly bigger, like Bookman Old Style. However some teachers specify a certain font in the paper's assignment requirements — in the case, don't try to switch things up.

17. Reverse outline. After you've finished penning your essay, read it through and write an outline on what you have written so far. This strategy can reveal some paragraphs in need of further development. If you notice one super long paragraph, try breaking the ideas down into separate paragraphs. This might bump the page count up a bit, and give you the opportunity to include a few more transition sentences.

18. Make your margins bigger. You have to be careful about the left and right margins, and the top can be tricky. But the bottom margin, you can practically make it as big as you want. And then you can...

19. Add a fancy footer with page numbers. Obviously (hopefully), your teacher will appreciate your attention to detail and presentation.

20. Add a header with the title of your paper to every single page. Just in case your teacher forgets what your paper is about. You only want to help.

21. Make a separate cover page. Technically, the rubric didn't say it couldn't count as page one.

When I'm not holed up in my room going on a completely unproductive Netflix binge or Tumblr stalking Timothée Chalomet, I'm searching for awesome celeb news stories that Seventeen readers will love!

Leah Campano is an Associate Editor at Seventeen, where she covers pop culture, entertainment news, health, and politics. On the weekends, you can probably find her watching marathons of vintage Real Housewives episodes or searching for New York City’s best almond croissants.

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15 Ways to Make Your Writing Longer (and Get Through Writer's Block)

Last Updated: August 25, 2021 References

This article was co-authored by Alicia Cook and by wikiHow staff writer, Madeleine Criglow . Alicia Cook is a Professional Writer based in Newark, New Jersey. With over 12 years of experience, Alicia specializes in poetry and uses her platform to advocate for families affected by addiction and to fight for breaking the stigma against addiction and mental illness. She holds a BA in English and Journalism from Georgian Court University and an MBA from Saint Peter’s University. Alicia is a bestselling poet with Andrews McMeel Publishing and her work has been featured in numerous media outlets including the NY Post, CNN, USA Today, the HuffPost, the LA Times, American Songwriter Magazine, and Bustle. She was named by Teen Vogue as one of the 10 social media poets to know and her poetry mixtape, “Stuff I’ve Been Feeling Lately” was a finalist in the 2016 Goodreads Choice Awards. There are 12 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 13,835 times.

Even when you've got a great idea, sometimes writing can leave you feeling stuck. Whether you're working on an essay for school or the novel you've always dreamed of writing, it can be hard to escape from writer's block once it starts. This article will show you the many tricks you can use to return to the drawing board and ultimately strengthen, lengthen, and clarify your work so that it is the best it can be.

Reread the directions on your assignment sheet.

Make sure you’ve addressed everything in the instructions.

If you notice anything missing, take note of those missing elements and add them to your work to clarify and expand your writing.

Revisit your original notes or outline.

Look for any ideas or subplots you haven’t used yet.

Reexamine your thesis or argument if you have one.

Revisit your original argument or intention.

To strengthen and clarify your argument, make sure your thesis includes both a subject and an opinion. [2] X Research source
Even if your writing does not include a thesis statement, examine your original topic or intention. What did you want the reader to feel when setting out to write your story? For example, you may have set out to write a grand adventure story, but find your first draft is more of a meandering journey. Consider making changes so that it can return to what you originally intended it to be.

Use free writing to brainstorm new ideas.

Free writing is an unstructured form of writing that can help you explore your ideas.

You may not end up using all the ideas you write about, but free writing can be a great tool to help expand your mind on the subject and encourage you to get out from any writing roadblocks you've hit.

Make an idea list to think of even more.

List out every idea you can think of about your topic.

Try pushing yourself to think of anything you can! Exploring all your options can help you widen your perspective on your topic and help you think of ideas you may never have otherwise come across.

Make a mind map to organize all of your ideas.

This is a great tool to examine ideas and how they relate to each other.

Use the mind map as a guide to your writing process going forward, as the connections and new ideas you came up with can help you expand and further develop points you’ve made.

Keep your audience in mind.

Remember that other people, not just you, will be reading your work.

For example, the logistics of the fantasy world you’ve created may seem clear to you since you’ve developed the idea. It may not be super clear to the reader if you don’t provide enough contextual clues or necessary information to get your point across.

Ask yourself if you’ve made the subject clear.

The reader needs to know what your topic is really exploring.

For example, you may be writing a work of fiction about a princess. Make it clear that the story is about the princess by establishing her as the main character early on. To do this, consider focusing on her experience as the guiding plot line, providing details about her inner-monologue, and giving the reader background information about her life.

Check that you've provided necessary background information.

Include background information to clarify your writing.

Let’s say you’re writing a paper on wind turbines. Before jumping into why we should adopt wind energy as a resource, explain how wind turbines work. This will help your reader be more invested in your argument, as they’ll understand how wind energy functions and can make an informed decision about whether they agree with your claim.
If you’re working on a fantasy novel about a fictional land, add details about how people live in that world day-to-day. These details can be anything from the system of government in the land to cultural customs to fun attributes like food the characters eat.

Make sure your reader knows why the subject is important to them.

You need some stakes to get readers invested in your writing.

An argumentative essay about toxic waste needs to include information on why toxic waste is bad, but also why that is relevant to the reader personally. Include details on the harmful effects it can have on the ecosystem, and how those toxins can affect air quality.
If your fictional character is trying to win a marathon, why should your readers be invested in that story? Maybe the marathon can function as a metaphor for a difficult hardship they would like to overcome, or as a means to improve their life after a series of mistakes.

Research your topic thoroughly.

Gather more information if you find your work is lacking.

If you're working on a fiction project and struggling with a particular point in the story, look for specific, verified sources on that topic. Let’s say there’s a battle scene in your story, but it reads as a little vague. You may need to conduct more research on specific battle tactics and types of armor.
Similarly, your essay may be in need of additional research if you find any paragraphs lacking in information. Examine your paper to see if there are any points in need of more evidence, such as additional quotes or cited sources. Use digital libraries such as jstor.com or take a trip to the library to give your paper some more weight. [12] X Research source

Add additional evidence to your writing.

Use your research notes to add evidence to your writing.

If you are unsure of how to correctly cite a source, consult websites like https://owl.purdue.edu/ , which can give you accurate information on specific citation styles. [13] X Trustworthy Source Purdue Online Writing Lab Trusted resource for writing and citation guidelines Go to source

Improve and expand your descriptions.

Descriptive language can help give your readers a fuller picture of your writing.

Take a description like “Marie walked to the park on a beautiful day.” It’s off to a good start, but it doesn’t let the reader know why exactly the day is beautiful and what the park looks like. Some sensory details can make the description much more vivid. Try something like, “The air smelled like roses as Marie walked to the park. She breathed in the warm air and watched as the sun cast shadows over the sidewalk.”

Clarify your writing.

There are a many steps you can take to make your writing clearer.

If you find many run-on sentences, break them up into shorter sentences for clarity. Next, try adding some transition words to communicate how the sentences connect with each other. Examples of transition words include also, but, however, moreover, and therefore. [15] X Trustworthy Source Purdue Online Writing Lab Trusted resource for writing and citation guidelines Go to source
A sentence written in active voice clearly states the subject performing an action, i.e. Jim mowed the lawn. In this sentence, the reader is left with no question that Jim is the subject who is mowing the lawn. Passive voice, however, does not let the reader in on that clarifying detail. Passive voice does not reveal who commits the action, i.e. the lawn was mowed. Stick to active voice to keep your writing clear and concise, and consider revising any sentences using passive voice. [16] X Trustworthy Source Purdue Online Writing Lab Trusted resource for writing and citation guidelines Go to source

Narrow down your topic.

Your subject may be too general to expand upon.

For example, if you are writing an argumentative essay on the need for renewable energy sources, consider writing your paper on the benefits of a particular source like wind or solar energy. A 5 page paper on every type of renewable source would have to be pretty general, as you wouldn’t have the space and time to go into much detail on the function and benefits of each one. A paper of that same length on one type of energy source allows you the space to really go into the specifics to properly expand your writing. [18] X Research source
Picking a specific topic can also help speed up the research process, as you may have a better time finding specific, applicable sources than if your topic was too broad.

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How To Make An Essay Longer

To make an essay longer, focus on quality: elaborate on arguments, add evidence, consider counterarguments, deepen analysis, and clarify points. Use examples, expand introductions and conclusions, and enhance transitions for better flow and comprehension. ‍

Struggling with an essay that just won't stretch to the required length? You're not alone.Studyfy is your ally in this common academic predicament.

Most students have experienced looking at their word count and thinking about how to reach the maximum limit without using filler content. This guide tackles that problem head-on with practical solutions and insights.

We’ll introduce you to plenty of useful techniques so you can increase your word count effortlessly and without compromising your essay’s quality.

How To Make Your Essay Longer With In-Depth Research

One of the first approaches you can use to make your essay longer is to research your points. Remember these pointers:

Conduct meticulous and thorough research on your essay’s topic to find new and overlooked information and insights.
Make sure you use insights that strengthen your argument further, and not just information to use as filler and is irrelevant.

Dig a little deeper, and you’ll surely find something you might have overlooked and can add to your paper.

Ways To Make Your Essay Longer With Elaboration

Another way to make your essay longer is to elaborate more. This means you should explore the points you argue in greater detail. Keep these tips in mind:

Break down your arguments : Detail each of your arguments and break them down into sub-points. For example, if you’re writing about sustainable energies, you can elaborate on the different types of sustainable energy sources that exist.
The power of descriptive language : By using descriptive language, you can lengthen your essay because you’re painting a more vivid picture of your topic. You’re adding more detail and nuance.
Use real-world examples : These can help add substance, and they will strengthen the validity of your argument.
Add background information : When adding new arguments to a topic, you can easily provide background information on whatever it is you want to add. This will help make your essay longer but can also add context, which will help the reader understand your point better.
Use anecdotes : If done right and added in the right places, sharing personal stories can make your essay better.

Using Counter Arguments In Your Essay

You can make an essay longer by using counterarguments. This strategy not only elongates your word count, it has the potential to increase your essay’s quality and persuasiveness.

Consider the following:

Find popular counter-views: Find common counterarguments against your thesis statement. If you know them, you’ll be better equipped to deconstruct and counter them to a larger paper's word count.
Show the strength of your view : Properly, you can introduce the strength of your perspective through the counterargument. For example, use strong evidence to oppose the view and then show why your stance deserves to be considered.

Using Quotations and Analysis

If you’re looking for other ways how to make a paper longer, you can use quotes. Quotations and further analysis is a great strategy to add more content to your essay. So, how exactly can you achieve this? Check these pointers out:

Choose relevant quotes : Of course, you’ll have to select quotations and transition words that are related to your topic. You want quotes that capture the core ideas of your argument. If you’re writing about the environment, you’d want to quote an expert environmentalist and so on.
Give analysis on your quotes : When you’ve presented a quotation, try providing analysis on it. Discuss its meaning and implications, and demonstrate why it backs up your claims.

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A Blueprint For A Longer Essay

Another way to tackle how to lengthen an essay's word count is to make a detailed outline before writing so you can plan the number of words you’ll be writing from the start. This will motivate and reassure you that you’re hitting the word count.

Seek Writing Help

Finding writing assistance from professionals can be an easy and effective strategy to make your essay longer. For example, you can send a “ do my essay ” request on Studyfy to get in touch with a professional writer at any time. Here are some tips to remember when seeking help.

Look for credibility : Be sure you’re getting writing help from reputable people. Take a look at their customer feedback and reputation to make sure they deliver what they promise.
Be clear with what you need : Make sure they know that you want a longer essay. Be clear with your instructions.
Guidance, not plagiarism : Use professional help for assistance, professional insights, and inspiration. You should use their work as a reference and foundation to build your writing and reach that desired word count.
Make use of expert feedback : Make sure you use the feedback that is given to you and practice it.

If you don’t have much time or energy, turning to writing professionals can be a great deal of help at desperate times of trying to fill out the minimum page count.

Using Complex Sentence Structures and Richer Vocabulary to Up Your Required Word Count

Another strategy you can use if you’re keen on knowing how to make your essays longer is enriching your essay with vocabulary and complex sentence structures. What does this mean? Check out these tips:

Employ varied language and use synonyms : You can avoid repeating your words by using synonyms to convey similar phrases and meanings. This will add length and keep your audience engaged. With that, try utilizing transition words, transitional phrases and relevant quotations to reach supporting evidence.
Use complex sentences : By using complex sentences and clauses in your writing, you can add more nuance to your writing and you can convey more insights. Vary your sentences from short to more detailed and lengthy. Balance this out with easy readability. Make sure that your essay is still easy to understand, regardless of a more nuanced writing style.

Taking Advantage of Examples and Case Studies when Essay Writing

If you want more words to make your essay longer, then using examples and case studies and integrating them into your essay is a great strategy to reach your word count goal.

These can strengthen your argument since they provide tangible evidence. They don’t solely make your essay longer. Here’s what you need to remember:

Select relevant examples and case studies : You should, of course, use examples that back up your arguments. Make sure they are recent examples as well. Imagine yourself writing on technology. If you’re using an example, you should use one from recent years.
Go into detail when demonstrating case studies : When you use a case study, you should go into detail and include the context, process, and outcomes. You will add length to your essay, but you will also simultaneously make it more nuanced and strengthen your points.

Using Visual Elements

If done effectively, you can make your writing more engaging. Still confused? Don’t forget you can pay for essay services on Studyfy right now for an extra hand. So, what can you use?

You can use graphs, charts, and even image s to strengthen your essay and make it longer. For example, when you’re finishing up a scientific essay, you can use graphs to showcase statistics and data.

Writing Detailed Intros and Conclusions

Since your introduction and conclusion are decisive elements in your essay, you can make do by increasing their length without compromising their strength and quality. Do keep these tips in mind:

For the introduction : Provide more context so that you can present your thesis in a stronger light. Write hints about what you’ll discuss in your body text.
For the conclusion : To make your conclusion longer, you can elaborate on the arguments you’ve developed over the body. You should present a “developed” and concluding version of those arguments. Reflect on what you’ve written without introducing new information. You can create a detailed and persuasive call to action to invite readers to explore the topic more.

Development

Make sure your sections are well organized, and every argument is fully developed. If they’re not, this might explain why you’re not reaching your word count limit. Need extra help? Don’t forget to take advantage of Studyfy’s custom writing service right now. Elaborate a point completely. Be meticulous and diligent with the development of your points.

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Can you teach me how to make my essay longer without sacrificing quality?

Make sure that your points strengthen your arguments. Elaborate carefully. If you need help, use our college admission essay writing service for expert writing help.

Does this guide include everything I need to know?

Yes. Use our table of contents to jump to the techniques you feel keen on using. You'll find everything you need to know on how to make paper longer. We offer key points, supporting evidence and more examples to help you achieve the desired essay length.

How do I make my essay longer and keep it coherent?

You can make an essay longer and maintain its focus by going back to your thesis statement and main arguments when adding new material. Make sure they strengthen your arguments.

What should I avoid doing?

When finding ways how to make your paper longer, avoid using filler content, and don't repeat words and sentences.

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The Classroom | Empowering Students in Their College Journey

How to Write a Long Essay

How to Write a One Page Essay

Writing an essay as part of a school assignment or a project can be a very tedious task, especially if that essay needs to be long. Even the most confident writers may have no trouble writing a few pages for an assignment but may find it challenging to extend that word count as much as possible. If you're assigned a long essay for one of your classes, there's no reason to worry. With some useful tips at your disposal, you can stretch that essay out without making it sound repetitive or boring the reader with an influx of irrelevant information.

What Is a Long Essay?

A long essay is any essay that tends to be longer than three pages or 3,000 words or more. Of course, the definition of a long essay will differ from one classroom to another, depending on the age and level of the students. And even if you're a college student, you may have some professors who consider a five-page essay to be the average, while another teacher considers five pages to be too much. Therefore, it's important to check with your teacher, though they'll usually clarify this when giving the assignment.

Sometimes, the term "long" applies to how many pages, and sometimes it applies to how many paragraphs or words need to be in the essay. Again, this all depends on your teacher, your school's requirements and the nature of the assignment. Either way, hearing your teacher say that you must write a long essay for your next assignment can certainly cause a lot of stress. The good news is that writing a long essay can be much easier than writing a short essay, especially if you're given some meaningful advice.

Why Would You Be Required to Write a Long Essay?

There are many reasons why teachers would assign a long essay to their students. First of all, writing a long essay is an opportunity for a student to really put his or her writing skills to the test. By the time students get to college, they already have an idea as to how to write a decent paper, but perhaps it's within limits. College professors need to make sure that students are able to write well, because eventually, these students may need to write a thesis or dissertation, and there really is no longer essay than that.

So even though you may think of writing a long essay as a torturous assignment, it's actually a great opportunity to practice a very specific skill that will definitely come in handy in other areas of your life. And, if you build up the right mindset for yourself, writing that long essay shouldn't be any more difficult than any other assignment you've been required to complete.

What Is the Standard Essay Format?

There's a standard essay format understood by most English students around the world. This is how essay writing can be taught in a universal way so that students are successful at writing essays no matter where they're studying. A standard essay format typically includes an introduction, three body paragraphs and a conclusion. Of course, the older a student gets and the more experience they have in school, their essays will gradually get longer and will need to require more detail and features (for instance, citing sources) in order to meet the requirements set by the teacher.

When you need to write a long essay, you can and should still base your writing off of this standard essay format. The only difference is that instead of having three body paragraphs, you're going to have a lot more in order to reach the word count or page requirement that you need to meet. This isn't as hard as it sounds. Instead of squeezing your main idea into one paragraph, try to add more examples and details to make it longer. Also, try to think of other key points that support your essay's theme that might not be so obvious at first.

Start Ahead of Time

The best way to relieve the stress that comes with having to write a long essay is to start ahead of time. Too many college students (and high school students) wait until the last possible minute to write an essay. Though some students may certainly be able to get away with this, it'll be a lot harder when it comes to writing a longer essay. Therefore, make sure you give yourself plenty of time to complete the assignment. It may work better for some people to do a little bit each day until they reach their goal. For instance, if you're required to write 3,000 words for your long essay, then you may feel better writing just 500 words a day over a couple of days instead of trying to bang it all out at once.

How to Write a 3,000 Word Essay in a Day

Some students rather get the hard work out of the way, instead of letting it drag out over a week. Writing a long essay of 3,000 words can be done in a day if you just put your mind to it. Do the following:

Don't schedule any other appointments or assignments for the day.
Put away any potential distractions, like your phone or the TV.
Stay off of social media.
Work somewhere quiet, like the library or a calm cafe.
Take breaks every few paragraphs.
Set a timer for ten minutes and try to work the entire time without stopping.

Create Your Essay Structure

Once you've decided whether or not you're going to write the essay over a couple of days or in just one day, it's time to start writing the actual essay. Like with any writing assignment, the first thing you should do is create an outline and organize your overall essay structure. If you need to write around five pages, which makes sense for a long essay, then you should make an outline that will support that. Take a look at an essay format example to get an idea of how yours should be:

Introduction (more than two paragraphs)
A starter question (something for the reader to consider)
Body "paragraph/idea" one (four paragraphs on average)
Body "paragraph/idea" two (four paragraphs on average]
Body "paragraph/idea" three (four paragraphs on average)
A conclusion

If you're wondering how on earth you're going to create a body section that's four paragraphs long, try to think of one main idea and three examples that tie together with it. For instance, if your long essay is an argumentative piece about "The Importance of Waiting Until You're Financially Stable to Have Children" you can think of at least four key reasons why:

You won't have to struggle to pay for their needs.
You can give them more opportunities.
You can travel as a family.
You can put away money for their college tuition.

For the first idea, you can talk about this point in very general terms. Then, you can write three more paragraphs underneath that, with each paragraph discussing a specific example. The second paragraph, for example, can be about paying for things like diapers, clothes, formula, etc., and how much each item costs. The second example can be about paying for things when the child gets a little older, like their food, their school supplies, etc. Lastly, the third example (and the fourth paragraph in this section) can discuss paying for things that the child will need as a teenager, such as more clothes, sports uniforms, dental work, etc.

Did You Answer All the Questions?

After you feel like you've exhausted all examples, but you're still under word count or page count, go back and make sure you've answered all the questions. These questions may have been questions in the rubric or the writing prompt that your teacher provided, or they may be questions that you've thought of on your own. In fact, when you start thinking of what to write about, you should brainstorm some questions that a reader may want to find the answer to about the topic, and you should try to answer these throughout your essay. Creating more potential questions can help you reach your word count faster.

Can You Change Words?

If you're close to reaching your word count but you're still not quite there, then go back and see if you can change any of the language in your essay to make it longer. For example, if you have a lot of contractions in your paper (can't, won't, isn't, they're) go back and make them two words instead of contractions, and do this throughout the entire essay. This is a great solution because it won't take away from the readership of your essay, and while this won't extend the word count too much, it will definitely help a bit.

Think of Additional Details You Can Add

In addition to changing contractions, you can also think of other details you can add to elongate your essay. There are always more examples you can add or more information you can research that will not only resonate with the reader but increase your overall word count or page count.

For example, if you're talking about how parents who decide to have children once they're financially stable will have the opportunity to put more money toward their child's tuition, then you can go back and add plenty of detail supporting this argument. Did you give an example of how much tuition costs? Did you add details about what parents can do with the money if their children decide not to go to college? What about the different types of college funds that exist? These are all details you can add that will increase the length of your essay, while also adding value.

However, when you do this, keep in mind that you want to be very careful not to add too much "fluff." Fluff is when you add information or details that simply aren't valuable to the writing itself. It makes the reader (who in most cases is your teacher and the one grading the assignment) want to skim over your piece, and this can lead to him or her giving you a lower grade.

Edit, Edit, Edit

Last but not least, in order to write a long essay, you must have the capacity to edit your work. Editing not only helps to ensure your paper is long enough, reads well, and is free from grammatical errors, but it will also give you an opportunity to add in more information here and there. To edit, you should always read out loud to yourself, and take a break from your work, so you can revisit it with a fresh pair of eyes. You can easily check if you've reached the length requirements by clicking on "word count" or counting the number of pages yourself, though your document will reveal this as you scroll down.

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You may want to have a friend read through your essay. He may catch mistakes that you have missed.

Hana LaRock is a freelance content writer from New York, currently living in Mexico. Before becoming a writer, Hana worked as a teacher for several years in the U.S. and around the world. She has her teaching certification in Elementary Education and Special Education, as well as a TESOL certification. Please visit her website, www.hanalarockwriting.com, to learn more.

How to write a 3,000 word essay in a day

by Laura Brown in Study Tips

Updated by Nele van Hout 5 March 2024

So you've left your 3,000 word essay until the last minute? Not ideal, but don't stress. You can make it happen by following our steps.

stressed student with laptop, hourglass and alarm clock

Credit: Prostock-studio, mialapi, Olga_Shestakova – Shutterstock

We know. You intended to finish your essay before the deadline, but sometimes life gets in the way. Luckily, with our tips, you can easily complete the essay within a day.

Get your head down and you could meet the deadline, and even produce an essay you're proud of. Best of all, you can adapt our tips for a 2,000 word essay, a 4,000 word essay, or whatever length – all in a day!

Take a deep breath. Remain calm. Here's how to write an essay fast.

How long does it take to write 3,000 words?

Writing 3,000 words can take anywhere between six and 24 hours . It all depends on the topic and how much research needs to be done for your essay.

If you've already done your preparation and have collected your sources, the writing part should take around six to 10 hours. However, this can again vary depending on the complexity of the topic.

Don't forget to account for creating a plan, taking breaks and editing. But, with our tips below, you can write your essay within a day.

How to write an essay quickly

"Fail to prepare? Prepare to fail". We've all had it said to us, whether it be from a lecturer or a well-meaning parent.

If you're reading this guide, we suspect you haven't entirely embraced that mantra. But, there are a few things you can do the morning before deadline day that will make your day of frantic essay-writing run smoothly. 3,000 word essay, here we come!

Eat a good breakfast

Fuel your body and mind with a healthy breakfast, like porridge . Its slow-release energy means you won't have a mid-morning slump over your laptop – something you can't afford right now.

Not into porridge? It's far from the only brain food that will help you write an essay. Check out our list of the best foods for brain fuel to see what else will get you off to the best start (and keep that flying start going).

Although you might be tempted to mainline coffee into your veins, try to avoid too much caffeine early on . Caffeine is basically the opposite of slow-release energy, and you'll find yourself crashing after a few hours.

Pick your workstation and equipment

Choose a quiet area where you won't be disturbed. You'll know whether you work better in the library or at home, but don't choose somewhere you've never been before. Make sure you'll be comfortable and able to focus for as long as possible.

Be organised and bring two pens, a bottle of water, your notes and some snacks to use as mini-rewards. These will keep you going without having to take your eyes off the screen (apparently dark chocolate is a great option for concentration).

Get rid of social media and other distractions

Credit: PIMPAN - Shutterstock

Procrastination is a student's worst enemy (besides a hangover ). Turn off your phone, or at least leave it on silent and out of reach, and resist the urge to check social media.

Don't trust yourself? Temporarily deactivate your accounts or get a friend to change your passwords for 24 hours.

Plan a schedule and set yourself time management goals

Time management is pretty important when you have to write an essay in a day.

Assign yourself chunks of time to reach certain milestones. This breaks down the big daunting task and provides extra motivation every time you tick off one of the relatively easy mini-tasks.

Let's say it's 9am and your essay is due first thing tomorrow morning. If you're wondering how to write essays faster, here's a feasible 14-hour timeline that you can follow (remember this is just a brief summary of each stage – we go into more detail below ):

9am – 9.30am: Choose your essay question and decide on your overall argument
9.30am – 11am: Write a plan and outline of your essay (breaking it into mini-essays)
11am – 11.45am: Flesh out your introduction
11.45am – 1pm: Research quotes and references to back up your arguments
1pm – 1.45pm: Lunch break
1.45pm – 6pm: Write the body of the essay
6pm – 6.45pm: Dinner break
6.45pm – 10.30pm: Edit, improve and meet the word count
10.30pm – 11pm: Print (if needed) and get everything ready for the morning.

Remember to schedule a few short 10-minute breaks (one every 45–60 minutes should do the trick). Giving your brain a rest is key to keeping your overall productivity levels up, and stretching or doing some brief exercises will also help.

Choosing a question and planning your essay

Choosing an essay question and how to answer it

Time: 9am – 9.30am

If you've been given a choice of essay questions, choose the one you have the most knowledge about, or have strong opinions on.

After all, this isn't the time to learn a new topic from scratch. No matter how much easier the question seems, 24 hours isn't long enough to learn anything in detail.

What's more, questions that seem easy at first glance are often the hardest of all.

The very fact that they're short and worded in a very straightforward way means you're probably expected to construct a much more original and complex essay to respond to it.

Deciding how to answer the question

Next, decide on your approach . How are you going to tackle the question? It's your essay and, as long as you keep relating your arguments to the question, you can take it in any direction you choose.

It helps to come up with a quick answer in your head. This gives you a general idea of what to write about and means you won't need to keep rereading the question.

This will help you understand the question better and prevent you from having to keep referring back to it later on (when you should be concentrating on writing the body of your essay).

If you're finding it difficult to work out your argument, write down all the ideas that come to mind. From this, you'll see a theme start to emerge.

Planning your essay

Time: 9.30am – 11am

Once you've decided on your approach to answering the question, you should be able to form a pretty solid plan for the body of the essay.

Write out three to five key points that you want to make in your overall argument. Underneath each one, use bullet points to list all the information, supporting arguments (and, better still, any rebuttals you have to popular counter-arguments) or quotes you already have for each point.

Start with the most obvious or all-encompassing argument . This will allow you to progressively go into more detail on each of the smaller arguments – one of the keys to a good essay.

Once you've done this, actually writing the essay should just be a case of bulking out each point and filling in the gaps.

This method is perfect for writing against the clock . It will keep you on track with the essay and stop you from feeling confused about what to write next.

And yes, we realise we haven't got around to finding quotes and references yet. But stick with us, there's a good reason for this.

How to write an essay introduction quickly

Time: 11am – 11.45am

Writing all 3,000 words in one go is not easy, so anything you can do to break up the workload is a positive step.

As your intro is unlikely to need many (if any) quotes, it's a good place to start. As soon as you've planned your essay, you'll be able to get a sense of achievement by writing the introduction.

This way, when you sit down after lunch to tackle the main body of the essay, you'll have already knocked a couple of hundred words off the word count.

Don't worry too much about making it sound amazing at this point. Just get stuck into introducing your argument and telling the reader how you'll support it. You can go back and improve it later on when you're at the editing stage.

Create a mini-outline in your introduction so you signpost exactly what it is you're planning to argue.

Don't use the introduction as a space to throw in random references to things that are vaguely relevant, especially if you're just doing it to hit the minimum number of references required. When in doubt, leave it out.

How to find sources for your essay

Credit: Alexxndr – Shutterstock

Time: 11.45am – 1pm

Now it's time to gather the all-important information and quotes to support your arguments.

It's important to limit the time you spend on this to avoid getting distracted by irrelevant info. However, the essay will be easier to write if you're well-informed on the topic, so don't scrimp on the research either.

Choose the keywords you're searching for wisely, and copy and paste any key ideas and quotes you find into a separate 'Research' document.

If you're using reference books rather than online resources, give yourself an extra 10 minutes to get anything that looks useful from the library. And, although it sounds obvious, remember to use the index.

Where to look for quotes online

Google Scholar is a great place to find direct quotes without spending time going through endless paragraphs.

Of course, your best bet will be any references that you've picked up in your lecture notes . Even if you haven't noted down the names, look through the lecture slides (if your lecturer is kind enough to put them online) and see if they contain any gems.

Go straight to the source and check to see whether the lecturer has published a list of advised readings on your module's online platform .

While you gather quotes, keep a note of your sources and format them for your bibliography.

This helps you avoid any risk of accidental plagiarism, but compiling your list of citations as you work saves having to do them all at the end (the last thing you want after writing 3,000 words).

Extra referencing tips

Say you're reading a text by Author A, which includes references to quotes by Authors B, C and D. Rather than referencing the text by Author A, use the quotes from Authors B, C and D and use the bibliography from Author A to find the references to use for B, C and D.

Aside from being how you're supposed to reference anyway, it has the added benefit of adding three sources to your bibliography instead of just the one.

Also, if you're using Microsoft Word (2007 or later) to write your essay, make use of the automatic referencing system .

Simply enter the details of sources as you go along, and it will automatically create a perfect bibliography or works cited page at the end. This tool is amazing and could save you a lot of extra work typing out your references and bibliography.

Writing your essay

Time: 1.45pm – 6pm

You've had your brain-fuelling lunch , and now it's time to write the 3,000 word essay. With your detailed plan, it should just be a case of expanding on the points you've already listed.

If you struggle to word your ideas eloquently, focus first on getting all of your content down.

You can refine the wording at the editing stage , and it's much easier to think about style once you've typed up everything you want to say first.

While your essay plan should see you through, there's nothing to say that more ideas won't occur to you as you go along.

Unless they absolutely have to be included, jot them down on a notepad. They could come in handy if you need to make up the word count later.

How to reach the word count

Use the research you gathered earlier to support the key ideas you set out in your outline, but don't ramble for the sake of it. Try to be concise and have faith that the strength of your arguments will take you to around 2,500(ish) words.

Imagine your essay is a bit like a kebab stick: the meat is your essential argument and you surround each chunk with vegetables (quotes and remarks) to make the full kebab... We can't wait for dinner at 6pm.

If you're struggling to reach the word limit, don't panic .

Pick out a single point in your argument that hasn't been fully built upon yet, and head back to your research. There will almost certainly be an additional quote or two that you could throw in to make your point even clearer.

Of course, if you're using a lot of quotes from other sources, make sure you paraphrase your main arguments to give the essay your own voice and make it clear which words are yours and which are someone else's. Plagiarism is serious and all your hard work could be completely discounted if you don't cite properly!

Your conclusion shouldn't take too long at all. You're basically summarising the arguments you've spent the last few hours detailing, and explaining how they all tie together to support your overall response to the essay question.

Editing your essay to perfection

Credit: Atanas Bezov - Shutterstock

Time: 6.45pm – 10.30pm

We've allowed 3 hours and 45 minutes for editing your essay, which might sound a bit excessive. For some of you, it will be.

If you're blessed with the ability to write immaculately and at speed, you may not need this long to edit your essay.

Although, as we touched on earlier, not everyone can get their ideas written down and do it eloquently all in one go. If this is you, then take the time to refine what you've produced and make sure it gets full marks for written communication .

However long you're taking, you should still check that your essay flows nicely.

Are your paragraphs linked? Does it all make sense? Do a quick spell check and make sure you have time for potential printer issues (if your uni still requires you to provide a paper copy). We've all been there.

A lot of students overlook the importance of spelling and grammar. It differs from uni to uni, subject to subject and tutor to tutor, but generally your writing style, spelling and grammar can account for up to 10% – 20% of your grade .

Finally, ensure that all the points you wanted to explore are on paper (or screen) and explained fully. Are all of your facts correct? Make things wordier (or more concise, depending on your circumstance) to hit your word limit.

Time to get started

While starting essays a day before the deadline is far from recommended and unlikely to get you the best grades , this guide should at least prevent tears in the library (been there) and the need for any extensions.

Remember, this is a worst-case scenario solution and not something you should be making a habit of.

Exams coming up? You may want to bookmark how to revise in one day too...

WRITTEN BY Laura Brown

Laura Brown, Head of Editorial at Save the Student, is an award-winning writer with expertise in student money. She project manages influential national student surveys and has presented findings to MPs in Westminster. As an expert on student issues, Laura has been quoted by the BBC, the Guardian, Metro and more. Read more

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30+ Tips and Tricks to Make Your Essays Longer

How to make an essay longer (30+ useful tips and tricks).

Writing an essay with a minimum word count can be a challenging task, particularly when you've exhausted all your ideas and arguments. However, fear not!

In this article, we will explore over 30 useful tips and tricks to help you make your essay longer while maintaining quality and coherence. So, let's dive right in:

1. Expand your Introduction

Begin by expanding upon the background information and context provided in your introduction. Elaborate on key points and include additional examples to strengthen your thesis statement.

2. Develop more Arguments

Take the opportunity to introduce new arguments, viewpoints, or counterarguments in each paragraph. This will help you support your thesis further, add depth to your analysis, and ultimately lengthen your essay.

3. Add Additional Evidence

Include extra evidence, quotes, statistics, or facts to support your claims. This will not only bolster your arguments but also help you add length to your essay.

4. Provide Detailed Explanations

Ensure that you offer thorough explanations for each point you make. Expanding on your ideas will add substance to your essay and contribute to its overall length.

5. Strengthen Transitions

Improve the flow and coherence of your essay by using appropriate transitional words and phrases. This will help link your paragraphs together and make your essay appear longer.

6. Integrate Relevant Examples

Incorporate real-life examples, anecdotes, or case studies to illustrate your arguments. This technique not only adds depth to your essay but also increases its length.

7. Use Illustrative Comparisons

Draw comparisons between various concepts, events, or literary works to enrich your essay. Such comparisons will expand upon your arguments and add more substance to your writing.

8. Explore Different Perspectives

Discuss different perspectives regarding your topic and elaborate on counterarguments. This will demonstrate your ability to consider diverse viewpoints and make your essay more comprehensive.

9. Analyze in Depth

Delve deeper into the analysis of your evidence and arguments. By providing comprehensive analysis, you not only strengthen your essay but also increase its word count.

10. Include Subheadings

If appropriate, use subheadings to organize your essay. This not only enhances readability but also adds length and structure to your work.

11. Emphasize Key Points

Highlight important points by using bold or italics. This technique draws attention to key concepts while also increasing the overall length of your essay.

12. Extend Your Conclusion

Elaborate on your main ideas in the conclusion and summarize your arguments. Additionally, consider expanding upon the implications or broader significance of your topic.

13. Describe Relevant Background Information

Provide detailed descriptions of relevant historical, social, or cultural contexts. This will add depth and substance to your essay, making it longer and more informative.

14. Integrate Quotations

Incorporate well-chosen quotations from reputable sources to support your arguments. Remember to provide proper citations and expand upon the significance of each quote.

15. Use Academic Jargon Appropriately

Employ academic jargon or specialized terminology when appropriate. However, be cautious not to overuse it, as this may make your essay verbose and difficult to comprehend.

16. Expand Your Vocabulary

Diversify your word choice by utilizing synonyms and varied sentence structures. This will not only add sophistication to your writing but also increase the length of your essay.

17. Incorporate Relevant Definitions

Explain key terms or concepts relevant to your topic in greater detail. This will not only enhance the reader's understanding but also assist you in reaching your desired word count.

18. Address Counterarguments

Devote some paragraphs to acknowledging and refuting counterarguments effectively. By doing so, you strengthen your own arguments and provide a comprehensive analysis of the topic.

19. Present Real-Life Applications

Discuss real-life applications of your topic or examples of how it impacts society. This will demonstrate a broader understanding and, consequently, augment your essay's length.

20. Adopt a Comparative Approach

Draw comparisons between different theories, studies, or authors on the same topic. This analytical approach expands upon your essay and showcases a deeper level of understanding.

21. Utilize Relevant Analogies

Incorporate analogies that help clarify complex ideas or enhance your arguments. Analogies not only add depth but also contribute to increasing the length of your essay.

22. Address Potential Exceptions

Acknowledge exceptions or limitations to your arguments, providing an opportunity for further discussion. Analyzing these exceptions helps expand your essay and indicates your objectivity.

23. Refine Your Thesis

Review your thesis statement and ensure it is precise and concise. Revise or clarify your thesis to make it more comprehensive, thus increasing the length of your essay.

24. Elaborate on Methodology

If your essay includes research or experiments, provide detailed information about the methodology employed. Expanding on this section will lengthen your essay and enhance its academic rigor.

25. Reflect on the Implications

Consider the wider implications of your arguments or findings. Reflecting on the consequences broadens your essay's scope and adds valuable content.

26. Incorporate Relevant Case Studies

If suitable, include in-depth case studies to illustrate your points. Analyzing case studies provides a nuanced perspective and increases the length of your essay.

27. Include an Appendix

If applicable, add an appendix to your essay. This section can contain additional information, charts, graphs, or data, thus increasing the overall length.

28. Request Peer Feedback

Seek constructive feedback from classmates or peers, asking them to identify areas that could be further expanded or clarified. Their feedback can help you identify opportunities to lengthen your essay.

29. Review and Revise

Carefully review your essay, ensuring it is well-structured and coherent. Revise your writing, clarifying ideas and expanding on key points to achieve the desired length.

30. Avoid Redundancy

While the goal is to lengthen your essay, avoid excessively repeating the same information or arguments. Redundancy diminishes the quality of your work, so instead focus on elaboration and depth.

31. Proofread Diligently

Finally, proofread your essay meticulously. Correct any grammatical or spelling errors, refine your sentences, and ensure that your writing is clear and concise.

By implementing these 31 tips and tricks, you can successfully make your essay longer while maintaining quality and coherence. Remember, the primary goal is not to artificially inflate word count, but to provide a comprehensive and well-supported analysis of your topic.

Happy writing!

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Need to Make Your Essay Longer? Here's How

Don't stress over it, it happens to the best of us—you've been given an essay assignment and have procrastinated, leaving you with three pages of writing that should be closer to six pages. A quick Internet search for advice produces questionable suggestions, including changing your font size to 12.5 (don't do it!), adding spaces between words and paragraphs, or increasing the margin size—all tricks that your professor has likely seen multiple times and will notice immediately.

Most professors know the tricks students use to make essays look longer, such as a larger font and wider margins.

Before you start going through and doing something so drastic as adding spaces where they shouldn't be, let's look at some more natural (and therefore, less obvious) ways of adding word count to your essay. Here are five tactics that will add word count to your essay quickly and correctly.

Include more transitional words

You should already have transitional words or phrases at the beginning of each paragraph in your essay. If you don't, add them as part of improving the overall structure and organization of your writing. But a lot of academic writers don't realize that these transitions can work within paragraphs, as well, to add more logical structure within the paragraphs (instead of simply between them). For example, consider the following paragraph, which is 83 words in length:

In order to create an essay that flows logically, you need to include transition words at the beginning of each paragraph. These transitions aren't limited to only the beginning of each new paragraph and can be used throughout the rest of the paragraph to show how each sentence is connected to the one that precedes it and follows it. Including multiple transitions helps readers maintain focus on what they're reading and helps ensure that the writer focuses on one major idea per paragraph.

Now, let's look at that same paragraph with transitional words added, both at the beginning and throughout the rest of the sentences.

To begin adding additional length and in order to create an essay that flows logically, you need to include transition words at the beginning of each paragraph. However, it's important to note that these transitions aren't limited to only the beginning of each new paragraph and can be used throughout the rest of the paragraph to show how each sentence is connected to the one that precedes it and follows it. As a matter of fact, including multiple transitions helps readers maintain focus on what they're reading and additionally, helps ensure that the writer focuses on one major idea per paragraph.

By adding transitions throughout, I have taken a paragraph from 83 words to 101 words through a relatively simple process. If you do this to each paragraph, you can add a significant number of words without doing much extra writing. Note that if you are being graded on the succinctness of your writing, your professor might argue that adding so many transitions makes your writing wordy. However, a teacher with even the most stringent grading policy must take into account that transitions at the beginning of paragraphs are necessary.

Here is a list of some commonly used transition words that can be used for this purpose:

…when in fact
Accordingly
Additionally
After (this)
All else being equal
All the same
As (was) mentioned earlier/above
As (was) stated before
As a consequence
As a final point
As a matter of fact
As a result (of this)
As for (this)
As/So long as
At any rate
Be that as it may
Because (of the fact that)
Because (of this)
By the same token
By way of contrast
Coincidentally
Concerning (this)
Consequently
Considering (this)
Despite (this)
Due to (the fact that)
Even though
First of all
First/Second/Third
For example/instance
For the purpose(s) of
For the reason that
For this reason
Furthermore
Given these points
Granted (that)
Granting (that)
In a similar way
In addition to
In any case
In any event
In conclusion
In contrast
In order that/to
In other words
In particular
In spite of (this)
In that case
In the (first/second/third) place
In the event that
In the hope that
In the same way
Inasmuch as
Incidentally
Instead (of)
Looking at (this information)
More/Most importantly
Nevertheless
Nonetheless
Not only…but also
Notwithstanding (this)
On the contrary
On the other hand
On the subject of (this)
One example (of this is)
Or at least
Owing to (the fact)
Particularly
Provided (that)
Regarding (this)
Regardless (of this)
Regardless (of)
Returning to the subject
Significantly
So much (so) that
Specifically
Subsequently
Summarizing (this)
That being the case
That is (to say)
The fact that
This means (that)
To conclude
To illustrate
To put (it) another way
To start with
Under those circumstances
What this means is
Whatever happens
With (this fact) in mind
With regards to (this)

Write a reverse outline

After the bulk of your paper has been written, going back through and creating a reverse outline can help you find gaps in your writing that could be further developed and filled by additional information or examples. It's as simple as reading back through what you've written and creating an outline of the major ideas, topics and subtopics you've included. If you've provided an example, include that on your reverse outline, as well.

Reverse outlining also helps you find paragraphs that might contain more than one major idea. When this happens, you'll need to divide the paragraph into more than one paragraph and further develop the points within them, ensuring that each paragraph has a topic sentence that matches what the rest of the paragraph is about.

Use expert quotes

One of the easiest ways to add to the word count of an essay is by including expert quotes. Not only do such quotes show that you have considered the thoughts and opinions of others who are well-read on the topic you're writing on, it also can add considerable length to a paper, especially if you include multiple quotes from several different sources.

Using expert quotes can add considerable length to a paper, especially if you include multiple quotes from several different sources.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when choosing quotes and adding them to your essay:

Be sure that the quote is applicable to the topic in general, and to the paragraph you're adding it to, in specific.
Include quotation marks and the proper citation for each quote. Not doing so is plagiarism.
If a quote is more than three lines, put it in block quote format.
Separate multiple quotes with your own writing in between, perhaps as commentary on the substance of the quote previously noted.

Use multiple examples to back up your argument

In the same sense that using expert quotes adds to your essay's word count as well as the thoroughness of your research, using examples and anecdotes to expand on your hypotheses is a great way to provide proof for your argument. However, this doesn't have to be limited to one example per point you're making. Consider this: if you are writing a sociology paper about the dangers of social media use for adolescents, you should be able to find several anecdotes of how teenagers have been put in danger in various ways through their social media use. Along with these anecdotes, you can provide expert quotes (or quotes from the teenagers, themselves) to make your argument more solid and add word count to an essay that's too short.

Read your writing aloud

Finally, and after all of the above tactics have been used, read your essay out loud. This achieves two purposes. First, it allows you to proofread and check for any obvious mistakes that might remain after the initial first draft writing phase. Second, reading it aloud helps you to check for any areas that might not flow well (this is easier to hear than see) so you can add to them to achieve a better flow and organization to your writing.

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How to Make Your Essay Longer The Right Way

All college students have been there. They’re writing a paper and the deadline is quickly approaching, but they haven’t met the required word count or page length. A paper’s length is an important part of any good college papers. Meeting the size requirements for a paper shows the professor that you are able to follow instructions. It’s easy to turn to an essay service for one time help when the deadline is nearing and you need to make your essay longer.

There are a number of tricks that every student has tried to reach that magic number. This includes everything from increasing the margin size to making the header longer or increasing font size.

While it is possible to increase the size of a paper like this, there are better ways to do it without angering your professor. It’s possible to add content in a pinch while also adding depth to your paper.

Below are some ways that you can make your essay longer if you’re struggling to reach the required word count.

Add Supporting Evidence

The first thing you should do when looking to make your essay longer is look back at any claims you made. Adding supporting evidence to any ideas that you’ve put forward in your essay is a simple way to make your essay longer.

If you’ve only used a source or two to explain a point, it might be beneficial to do some extra research on it and add examples to further your argument. Not only will this make your research paper longer, but it will also add depth to your ideas and give them some added support.

Ensure that You’ve Included Everything

Take a look back at the rubric or the prompt for the paper and decide if you’ve included everything to make your research paper complete. You may have glanced over a counter-argument or something that needed to be explained further to meet the requirements.

Ask yourself if you’ve answered all of the questions posed in the prompt or required by your research. Finding something that you’ve missed in the rubric could be the reason why your paper is shorter than the required length or word count.

Use Transitional Phrases

A natural way to increase the length of your essay is to use transitional words to jump from one idea to the next. Not only will this increase the size of your paper, but it will also allow your reader to follow easily follow your thoughts. Read through your essay and ensure that sentences and thoughts flow from one to another.

This is also something that graders look for in marking an essay. These transitional words link sentences together and make for a clear and concise narrative. It’s a win-win situation.

Use Quotations

If you have a well-researched paper, it is likely that you’ve already included quotes. However, quotations are an easy way to add something extra to your argument while also increasing the essay’s word quote. Take care to ensure that your paper isn’t only quotations from other writers, this is a good way to spice up your essay.

This not only increases the size of your essay, but it also shows that other writers agree with your ideas and solidifies your arguments. That said, make sure you’ve formatted the quotes correctly and cited any sources.

Take Another Look at Your Outline

Many people see an outline only as a guide to begin writing a research paper. However, if you’re looking for places where you can make your essay longer, it might be worth another glance at your outline.

A second look may turn up some points that you’ve overlooked or haven’t developed enough. It can also help you find any point you wanted to touch that you can clarify more. Take this opportunity to lengthen your writing and consider paying for a research paper if needed.

You may also find larger paragraphs that can be broken down to introduce new ideas. Break those paragraphs up and explain your ideas with more supporting evidence to increase the word count.

Review Your Introduction and Conclusion

Ideas evolve as you’re writing. Take a second look at your introduction. You may learn that you’ve left out key information that helps the reader in understanding your arguments. Expand on these points to help the reader understand your points and lead them into the supporting evidence that you will present.

The same can be said for the conclusion of your essay. Make sure that all of your key points have been summarized and that you’ve given the reader a solution to the arguments that you’ve made. If you haven’t, rewrite your conclusion to properly wrap up the essay.

Have Someone Read Your Essay

Having someone else take a look at your essay could highlight any points that are confusing. Go back and revise any arguments that were unclear and add more information and supporting evidence to give readers clarity.

Remember that you are writing the essay as someone who is knowledgable about the subject. You need to provide the reader with enough information to understand your paper. This is helpful in ensuring that you haven’t left out any important details and giving you an opportunity to add length to your essay.

Read Your Essay Aloud

Reading your paper out loud allows you to become aware of any grammar or syntax errors. Rephrasing sentences to fix these errors could make your essay longer. You may also learn that you haven’t sufficiently supported your arguments.

Spell Out Numbers or Contractions

One way to increase the length of your essay is to spell out numbers and contractions. Instead of writing “7,” write seven. Take out any “don’ts” and “won’ts” for do not and will not.

Keep in mind this might not be possible depending on any style requirements.

Breakup Paragraphs

In a pinch, you may want to look at breaking up longer paragraphs. If a minimum page count is your issue, this may be something that will be easy to do without making your essay unreadable.

When a deadline is approaching, reaching an essay’s minimum page or word count may seem like quite the challenge. However, it is possible without tricks like increasing line spacing or font size.

Use these tips to add length to your research paper while also making it more understandable for the reader.

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Want to write a college essay that sets you apart? Three tips to give you a head start

1. Keep it real. It’s normal to want to make a good impression on the school of your choice, but it’s also important to show who you really are. So just be yourself! Compelling stories might not be perfectly linear or have a happy ending, and that’s OK. It’s best to be authentic instead of telling schools what you think they want to hear.

2. Be reflective . Think about how you’ve changed during high school. How have you grown and improved? What makes you feel ready for college, and how do you hope to contribute to the campus community and society at large?

3. Look to the future. Consider your reasons for attending college. What do you hope to gain from your education? What about college excites you the most, and what would you like to do after you graduate? Answering these questions will not only give colleges insight into the kind of student you’ll be, but it will also give you the personal insight you’ll need to choose the school that’s right for you.

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8 Guidelines To Follow For Writing Longer Posts Faster

Do you shy away from writing longer, authoritative blog posts in fear of how long it will take?

All you need is a better approach to writing blog posts in general.

In this post, we cover a process that will help you write blog posts much faster, including longer posts.

The 8-step process for writing longer blog posts faster

Here’s each step in the process we’ll be covering below for writing posts faster:

Know the topic before you begin.
Craft a rough outline as best as you can.
Research the topic.
Craft a final outline.
Write the body section first.
Add placeholders and short descriptions for images.
Add placeholders for internal links.
Write the post’s intro and conclusion last.

1. Know the topic before you begin

If you don’t really have a process for writing new blog posts and simply write what comes to mind, you may find it difficult to stay on topic.

Even worse, you may not even realize you’re doing this.

In reality, you should have a clear idea of the topic your article is about before you start working on it.

Have these two items prepared before you begin the next step in the process:

A title for your blog post.
One to three sentences that describe the primary topic of your post.

The title you write here doesn’t need to be perfect. A working title that accurately describes what your post is about is good enough. You can even come up with a few titles if you want.

Conduct thorough keyword research for your niche if you need help coming up with concise topic ideas.

You can also research your audience by seeing what topics your competitors write about and what topics gain a lot of traction on social media and community websites, such as Reddit and niche-specific forums.

2. Make a rough outline for your article

Assuming you know a little bit about the topic you’re writing about, make a rough outline of how you think the structure should look.

Use bullet points, and structure your rough outline into H2 subheadings .

You can also jot down notes under each subheading.

Here’s what my rough outline for this article looked like:

Introduction
Research the topic thoroughly
Make a detailed outline
Focus on main section of the article first
Use placeholders for images
Final Thoughts (H2)

That’s all you need for this stage.

What this does is demonstrate that you know exactly what you’re writing about. It also gives you a baseline to work with as you begin your research during the next step of the process.

3. Research the topic thoroughly

This is the most important step in the process. The more research you do before you start writing, the easier writing will be.

Not only should you conduct research on the topic you’re writing about, you should create a separate document to collect that research in.

You can even organize your research document into subtopics.

Google should be your main source for research, especially if you only want to use one research method.

All you need to do is enter the primary keyword you plan on targeting into Google, and see how the top one to five articles on the results page covered the topic.

These are the posts that rank the highest for the keyword, so they’re your best bet when it comes to determining what content should appear in your article.

However, it’s important to understand that these articles are also your biggest competition for this keyword. That’s why doing thorough research to look for additional insights on the topic is so important.

Other sources for research can include forum posts, YouTube videos and podcast episodes.

Another possible source are SEO optimization tools like Frase .

These tools have lists of recommended keywords to include in your article. What these lists also do is give you additional ideas for topics to include in your article.

One of the most important features these tools offer are recommended blog post lengths, which are based on the average blog post lengths of the top-ranking articles for the keyword you input.

Having a specific, data-backed blog post length in mind can prevent you from spending too much time writing a post that’s longer than it needs to be.

You should only make it longer than this recommended length if you feel the additional content would benefit your audience.

4. Create a final outline for your article

Create an official outline for your blog post by doing the following:

Breaking the article up into different headings.
Filling in each section with your research.

Structuring your article into different headings

Using your research, your own knowledge of the topic and guidance from your competitors’ articles, break up your article’s primary topic into at least one primary sub topic.

Make each primary subtopic an H2 heading in your outline.

Our outline for this article had two H2 headings: one for the main “The X-Step Process for Writing Longer Blog Posts Faster” section and one for the conclusion “Final Thoughts.”

Add additional H2 headings to your outline if you feel there are more primary subtopics your article can be broken up into.

Otherwise, use H3 headings to break up your H2 sections even more.

The majority of this article is made up of H2 and H3 headings.

Break up H3 headings into H4 headings if it feels appropriate. That’s what we’re doing in this section. “Structuring Your Article into Different Headings” and “Filling in the Outline with Your Research” are H4 headings under the “Create a Final Outline for Your Article” H3 heading.

You can use H5 and H6 headings as well, but you’ll rarely come across a need for them. In reality, if you find yourself needing them, consider if you’re able to break up the post into additional H2 and H3 headings instead.

H1 headings should be reserved for the blog post title you input into your content management system, such as WordPress .

The most important purpose of this step is the way it helps you stay on topic during the writing phase of creating a blog post.

Without an outline, you simply write whatever comes to mind or whatever pops up first when you research.

Filling in the outline with your research

Now comes the hardest and second most important step: taking all of the relevant pieces of information from the research you conducted and placing it where it belongs in your outline.

Having this info readily available in your outline will make the writing phase of creating longer blog posts go much quicker.

5. Write the body section of your post first

You may be tempted to start your post at the beginning, but it’s much more constructive to write the body section first. This simply means to leave the introduction and conclusion last.

You can either write in the order you have the outline structured in or write in a way that makes sense to your brain. This means writing the easiest or most difficult sections first, depending on what you want to get out of the way first.

Refer to your outline (and your research document if you need to) often as you write. This is the key to writing faster.

6. Create placeholders for images

The writing phase goes much faster when you don’t stop to handle other tasks. This includes creating images for your post.

Unless you’re creating an instructional post in which you need to capture screenshots as you work your way through a demonstration, it’d be much more efficient to create placeholders for images in your article instead.

This way, you’ll know where you want to add images in your article and can work on them during the editing phase.

7. Create placeholders for internal link ideas

Any disruptions to the writing process can cause delays and distractions that keep you from getting the article done. This includes ideas you may have for internal links as you write.

Instead of going to your website in search of an internal link you feel you should add to your article, use your word processor’s highlight tool to highlight the bit of text you want to add an internal link to.

Then, add that internal link during the editing phase.

8. Write the introduction and conclusion last

Coming up with the perfect way to open and close an article can be difficult.

This is why it’s best to save the introduction and conclusion of your article for last. It’ll speed up the writing process overall.

Bonus tip: optimize your writing environment

Outside distractions can do a lot to hinder the writing process. Try to optimize your writing environment as much as you can to help you stay focused.

This could mean getting your own office, working in a coffee shop, trying different types of music to listen to while you type and wearing headphones to block out outside noise.

Put your phone on Do Not Disturb.

You can even install apps for your phone, computer and browser that block your access to distracting apps and websites if you need to.

Final thoughts

Once you’re done writing your article, the next step is to edit it.

This involves reading through the entire thing to make corrections and remove anything you don’t feel is necessary.

This is also where you should create and add images and internal links .

Be sure to read our mega list of blogging tips if you need more help.

Lyn Wildwood is a member of the Blogging Wizard content team and a freelance writer for hire with over a decade of experience in the marketing space. She loves sharing new tips on WordPress, blogging, and online business as a whole.

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Apple Intelligence: How to Use Writing Tools

Writing Tools in Apple Intelligence are integrated into the default keyboard of iPhone and iPad.
On Mac, you can select a text and right-click to access the tools.
You can summarize, rewrite, and concise the text using Writing Tools.

How to Enable Apple Intelligence Writing Tools on iPhone, iPad & Mac

On iPhone and iPad, select the text and then tap on ‘>’ adjacent to cut, copy, paste, and Format options. Tap on Writing Tools.

On Mac, select the text, right-click, and then click on Writing Tools.

How to Use Apple Intelligence Writing Tools

Get rid of typos with proofread.

The first tool in the suite is Proofread and it works as intended. As someone who literally makes a living out of surfacing error-free content, the Proofread tool baked right into the keyboard makes life a bit convenient for me. Apple Intelligence’s Proofread Tool in Writing Tools highlights typos, grammatical errors, and missed punctuation marks.

Proofread Writing Tools Apple Intelligence

Rewrite Text in a Friendly or Professional Tone

Rewrite Apple Intelligence Writing Tools

Concise the Text

Apple Intelligence Writing Tools Concise

There are situations when you want to concise the text to post on social media with a word limit (X, I’m looking at you). Here, Writing Tools’ Concise feature works perfectly. I tried it on a long text of 120 words and the tool shortened it to 70 words, which is great. If you are not satisfied with the result, you can try again or revert back to the original text altogether.

Summarize and Turn Long Text into Key Points

Turn Numbers into Tables Quickly

Apple Intelligence Writing Tools Don’t Work with Controversial Text

To put the tools through thorough testing, I tried using tools on controversial text containing swear words and some other unaccepted words, the tool didn’t throw up any result. Instead, it displays that Writing Tools was not designed to work with this type of content.

Anmol Sachdeva

With 6 years of experience as a writer and editor in the tech media industry, Anmol is an enigmatic savant in all kinds of tech. He loves to scour internet for new information. When not conjuring words, Anmol can be found watching Manchester United matches or glued to his MacBook watching re-runs of his favorite TV shows for upteenth time.

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Knowledge Base
How to write an essay introduction | 4 steps & examples

How to Write an Essay Introduction | 4 Steps & Examples

Published on February 4, 2019 by Shona McCombes . Revised on July 23, 2023.

A good introduction paragraph is an essential part of any academic essay . It sets up your argument and tells the reader what to expect.

The main goals of an introduction are to:

Catch your reader’s attention.
Give background on your topic.
Present your thesis statement —the central point of your essay.

This introduction example is taken from our interactive essay example on the history of Braille.

The invention of Braille was a major turning point in the history of disability. The writing system of raised dots used by visually impaired people was developed by Louis Braille in nineteenth-century France. In a society that did not value disabled people in general, blindness was particularly stigmatized, and lack of access to reading and writing was a significant barrier to social participation. The idea of tactile reading was not entirely new, but existing methods based on sighted systems were difficult to learn and use. As the first writing system designed for blind people’s needs, Braille was a groundbreaking new accessibility tool. It not only provided practical benefits, but also helped change the cultural status of blindness. This essay begins by discussing the situation of blind people in nineteenth-century Europe. It then describes the invention of Braille and the gradual process of its acceptance within blind education. Subsequently, it explores the wide-ranging effects of this invention on blind people’s social and cultural lives.

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Step 1: hook your reader, step 2: give background information, step 3: present your thesis statement, step 4: map your essay’s structure, step 5: check and revise, more examples of essay introductions, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about the essay introduction.

Your first sentence sets the tone for the whole essay, so spend some time on writing an effective hook.

Avoid long, dense sentences—start with something clear, concise and catchy that will spark your reader’s curiosity.

The hook should lead the reader into your essay, giving a sense of the topic you’re writing about and why it’s interesting. Avoid overly broad claims or plain statements of fact.

Examples: Writing a good hook

Take a look at these examples of weak hooks and learn how to improve them.

Braille was an extremely important invention.
The invention of Braille was a major turning point in the history of disability.

The first sentence is a dry fact; the second sentence is more interesting, making a bold claim about exactly why the topic is important.

The internet is defined as “a global computer network providing a variety of information and communication facilities.”
The spread of the internet has had a world-changing effect, not least on the world of education.

Avoid using a dictionary definition as your hook, especially if it’s an obvious term that everyone knows. The improved example here is still broad, but it gives us a much clearer sense of what the essay will be about.

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is a famous book from the nineteenth century.
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is often read as a crude cautionary tale about the dangers of scientific advancement.

Instead of just stating a fact that the reader already knows, the improved hook here tells us about the mainstream interpretation of the book, implying that this essay will offer a different interpretation.

Prevent plagiarism. Run a free check.

Next, give your reader the context they need to understand your topic and argument. Depending on the subject of your essay, this might include:

Historical, geographical, or social context
An outline of the debate you’re addressing
A summary of relevant theories or research about the topic
Definitions of key terms

The information here should be broad but clearly focused and relevant to your argument. Don’t give too much detail—you can mention points that you will return to later, but save your evidence and interpretation for the main body of the essay.

How much space you need for background depends on your topic and the scope of your essay. In our Braille example, we take a few sentences to introduce the topic and sketch the social context that the essay will address:

Now it’s time to narrow your focus and show exactly what you want to say about the topic. This is your thesis statement —a sentence or two that sums up your overall argument.

This is the most important part of your introduction. A good thesis isn’t just a statement of fact, but a claim that requires evidence and explanation.

The goal is to clearly convey your own position in a debate or your central point about a topic.

Particularly in longer essays, it’s helpful to end the introduction by signposting what will be covered in each part. Keep it concise and give your reader a clear sense of the direction your argument will take.

Receive feedback on language, structure, and formatting

Professional editors proofread and edit your paper by focusing on:

Academic style
Vague sentences
Style consistency

See an example

As you research and write, your argument might change focus or direction as you learn more.

For this reason, it’s often a good idea to wait until later in the writing process before you write the introduction paragraph—it can even be the very last thing you write.

When you’ve finished writing the essay body and conclusion , you should return to the introduction and check that it matches the content of the essay.

It’s especially important to make sure your thesis statement accurately represents what you do in the essay. If your argument has gone in a different direction than planned, tweak your thesis statement to match what you actually say.

To polish your writing, you can use something like a paraphrasing tool .

You can use the checklist below to make sure your introduction does everything it’s supposed to.

Checklist: Essay introduction

My first sentence is engaging and relevant.

I have introduced the topic with necessary background information.

I have defined any important terms.

My thesis statement clearly presents my main point or argument.

Everything in the introduction is relevant to the main body of the essay.

You have a strong introduction - now make sure the rest of your essay is just as good.

Argumentative
Literary analysis

This introduction to an argumentative essay sets up the debate about the internet and education, and then clearly states the position the essay will argue for.

The spread of the internet has had a world-changing effect, not least on the world of education. The use of the internet in academic contexts is on the rise, and its role in learning is hotly debated. For many teachers who did not grow up with this technology, its effects seem alarming and potentially harmful. This concern, while understandable, is misguided. The negatives of internet use are outweighed by its critical benefits for students and educators—as a uniquely comprehensive and accessible information source; a means of exposure to and engagement with different perspectives; and a highly flexible learning environment.

This introduction to a short expository essay leads into the topic (the invention of the printing press) and states the main point the essay will explain (the effect of this invention on European society).

In many ways, the invention of the printing press marked the end of the Middle Ages. The medieval period in Europe is often remembered as a time of intellectual and political stagnation. Prior to the Renaissance, the average person had very limited access to books and was unlikely to be literate. The invention of the printing press in the 15th century allowed for much less restricted circulation of information in Europe, paving the way for the Reformation.

This introduction to a literary analysis essay , about Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein , starts by describing a simplistic popular view of the story, and then states how the author will give a more complex analysis of the text’s literary devices.

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is often read as a crude cautionary tale. Arguably the first science fiction novel, its plot can be read as a warning about the dangers of scientific advancement unrestrained by ethical considerations. In this reading, and in popular culture representations of the character as a “mad scientist”, Victor Frankenstein represents the callous, arrogant ambition of modern science. However, far from providing a stable image of the character, Shelley uses shifting narrative perspectives to gradually transform our impression of Frankenstein, portraying him in an increasingly negative light as the novel goes on. While he initially appears to be a naive but sympathetic idealist, after the creature’s narrative Frankenstein begins to resemble—even in his own telling—the thoughtlessly cruel figure the creature represents him as.

If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

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Your essay introduction should include three main things, in this order:

An opening hook to catch the reader’s attention.
Relevant background information that the reader needs to know.
A thesis statement that presents your main point or argument.

The length of each part depends on the length and complexity of your essay .

The “hook” is the first sentence of your essay introduction . It should lead the reader into your essay, giving a sense of why it’s interesting.

To write a good hook, avoid overly broad statements or long, dense sentences. Try to start with something clear, concise and catchy that will spark your reader’s curiosity.

A thesis statement is a sentence that sums up the central point of your paper or essay . Everything else you write should relate to this key idea.

The thesis statement is essential in any academic essay or research paper for two main reasons:

It gives your writing direction and focus.
It gives the reader a concise summary of your main point.

Without a clear thesis statement, an essay can end up rambling and unfocused, leaving your reader unsure of exactly what you want to say.

The structure of an essay is divided into an introduction that presents your topic and thesis statement , a body containing your in-depth analysis and arguments, and a conclusion wrapping up your ideas.

The structure of the body is flexible, but you should always spend some time thinking about how you can organize your essay to best serve your ideas.

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

McCombes, S. (2023, July 23). How to Write an Essay Introduction | 4 Steps & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved August 21, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/academic-essay/introduction/

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INNOVATION FESTIVAL
Capital One

08-09-2024 HOW TO BE A SUCCESS AT EVERYTHING

How I wrote a book in 15 minutes a day

Every first novel started as an unpublished writer’s wild idea. Here’s how to make yours a reality.

[Photo: Stas Knop /Pexels]

BY Julia Dahl 4 minute read

The first time I tried to write a novel I was 23. I had all the time in the world. I was a full-time graduate student. I lived alone, I had no children, and it took me three years to finish a draft.

Five years later, I tried again. I was working full-time as a reporter and I lived with my boyfriend, but we had no kids. This time, it took me five years.

All that time, my technique, if you could call it that, was the same: set up my laptop at a coffee shop or a library or at my desk at home, and “write.” But, as New York Times best-selling author Meghan O’Rourke recently tweeted : “It’s really important to have at least three hours to write every day so you can spend the first two hours squirming and checking the internet and daydreaming before getting down to it.”

Touché. I thought I needed hours with nothing to do but write. But even with all those hours, I didn’t produce much. So I started applying for retreats and residencies , thinking maybe I needed long stretches—days, weeks—to do nothing but write.

I wrote three novels that way. Fits of progress followed by long lulls of nothing. And then I had a child.

Suddenly, there were no long stretches.

I struggled. I had to figure out a way to fold my writing back into my life, but my life had changed so dramatically I wasn’t sure how. I turned in my fourth novel two years past the deadline. I had an idea for another, but no idea how I’d actually get it gone.

And then, my friend, author Laura McHugh, told me she’d started doing “writing sprints.” I don’t have all day, she told me, but I can commit to one hour.

Frankly, an hour felt impossible, but I liked the idea of a sprint. I turned off my Wi-Fi, silenced my ringer, put on some noise-canceling headphones, and for 15 minutes, I wrote. I didn’t produce a lot, but it was more than I’d done the day before. More than I’d done in a month. I did the same thing the next day, and the next. And less than two years later, I had a solid draft.

Words add up

There is nothing magic about 15 minutes—and yet there is. We all waste 15 minutes every day scrolling on our phones. Probably more, but definitely 15. And in 15 minutes, if you can write 100 words, you can have a full-length draft of a novel in two years. (One hundred words times 365 days times two years is 73,000 words, which most editors will tell you is on the shorter end of average novel length.) You’ll also probably start enjoying those 15 minutes; what you accomplished will help carry you through the day. And sometimes those 15 minutes will turn into longer sessions.

Will what you write be ready to publish? No. First drafts never are. Part of the 15 minute technique is to give yourself permission to write badly. You’ll fix it later. But here’s the key: There is no published novel without a finished first draft. What if two years ago you’d decided to write 15 minutes a day? You’d have hundreds of pages to polish into something publishable.

Training your brain

But more than the words on the page—which add up!—the genius of the 15 daily minutes is that the real secret to writing a novel, or achieving any long-term artistic goal, is time spent thinking about the thing you’re creating. You can’t write a novel without hours and hours spent considering the world you’re building, the people you’re creating, the problems they’ll encounter, and the route it will take for them to get to the end of their journey.

To do all that, you need to spend a lot of time walking around with the novel in your brain. Spending even just 15 minutes each day “with” your novel means that it will always be present in your mind. Nurture that presence when you aren’t writing. Cut down on podcasts when you’re walking or driving. Give yourself quiet. Tell yourself: I’m going to think about the next scene I need to write while I go through this car wash, or walk to the grocery store, or wait for my son’s lacrosse practice to end.

Keep a notebook with you to jot down plot ideas and snippets of dialogue. Or, use your phone to dictate messages to yourself, though your phone can be very dangerous as a distraction, so beware.

How to find your 15 minutes

It’ll be different for everyone. You can’t get me out of bed one minute before I need to be awake, so mornings are out for me. And once I’ve put my son to bed, I’m pretty wiped. It’s certainly not my most creative time. So I do my 15 minutes in the middle of the day.

I coach novelists who do their 15 minutes after their morning workout, or after they’ve dropped their kids off from school, or right before bed. I know writers who write at work on their lunch break. All that matters is the time; the where and when can change as your life does.

Give yourself permission

Let me tell you a secret: Most writers—even those with books in your favorite bookstore, reviewed by the big papers—don’t make enough money off their writing to pay all their bills. The same is true of all other artists: musicians, painters, actors, dancers. Does that make their work less legitimate? If you write, you’re a writer. Own it.

Another thing to remember is that every novel you pick up (and every song you listen to, every performance you attend) started as somebody’s wild idea. It exists only because its creator decided to spend unpaid time working on it. Little by little, the wild idea turns into something real.

Apply to the Most Innovative Companies Awards and be recognized as an organization driving the world forward through innovation. Early-rate deadline: Friday, August 23.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Julia Dahl is the author of five novels including I Dreamed of Falling , out this September from Minotaur Books. She teaches journalism at NYU and provides private coaching and creative writing classes online . More

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Watch CBS News

Hackers may have stolen your Social Security number in a massive breach. Here's what to know.

By Aimee Picchi

Edited By Anne Marie Lee

Updated on: August 19, 2024 / 9:51 AM EDT / CBS News

A new lawsuit is claiming hackers have gained access to the personal information of "billions of individuals," including their Social Security numbers, current and past addresses and the names of siblings and parents — personal data that could allow fraudsters to infiltrate financial accounts or take out loans in their names.

The allegation arose in a lawsuit filed earlier this month by Christopher Hofmann, a California resident who claims his identity theft protection service alerted him that his personal information had been leaked to the dark web by the "nationalpublicdata.com" breach. The lawsuit was earlier reported by Bloomberg Law.

The breach allegedly occurred around April 2024, with a hacker group called USDoD exfiltrating the unencrypted personal information of billions of individuals from a company called National Public Data (NPD), a background check company, according to the lawsuit. Earlier this month, a hacker leaked a version of the stolen NPD data for free on a hacking forum, tech site Bleeping Computer reported .

That hacker claimed the stolen files include 2.7 billion records, with each listing a person's full name, address, date of birth, Social Security number and phone number, Bleeping Computer said. While it's unclear how many people that includes, it's likely "that everyone with a Social Security number was impacted," said Cliff Steinhauer, director of information security and engagement at The National Cybersecurity Alliance, a nonprofit that promotes online safety.

"It's a reminder of the importance of protecting yourself, because clearly companies and the government aren't doing it for us," Steinhauer told CBS MoneyWatch.

In a statement posted to its website, NPD said the breach involved a "third-party bad actor that was trying to hack into data in late December 2023, with potential leaks of certain data in April 2024 and summer 2024."

The company added that it is working with law enforcement and government investigators. NPD said it "will try to notify you if there are further significant developments applicable to you."

Here's what to know about the alleged hack.

What is National Public Data?

National Public Data is a data company based in Coral Springs, Florida, that provides background checks for employers, investigators and other businesses that want to check people's backgrounds. Its searches include criminal records, vital records, SSN traces and more information, its website says.

There are many similar companies that scrape public data to create files on consumers, which they then sell to other businesses, Steinhauer said.

"They are data brokers that collect and sell data about people, sometimes for background check purposes," he said. "It's because there's no national privacy law in the U.S. — there is no law against them collecting this data against our consent."

What happened with the USDoD hack?

According to the new lawsuit, USDoD on April 8 posted a database called "National Public Data" on the dark web, claiming to have records for about 2.9 billion individuals. It was asking for a purchase price of $3.5 million, the lawsuit claims.

However, Bleeping Computer reported that the file was later leaked for free on a hacker forum, as noted above.

How many people have been impacted?

The number of people impacted by the breach is unclear. Although the lawsuit claims "billions of individuals" had their data stolen, the total population of the U.S. stands at about 330 million. The lawsuit also alleges that the data includes personal information of deceased individuals.

Bleeping Computer reports that the hacked data involves 2.7 billion records, with individuals having multiple records in the database. In other words, one individual could have separate records for each address where they've lived, which means the number of impacted people may be far lower than the lawsuit claims, the site noted.

The data may reach back at least three decades, according to law firm Schubert Jonckheer & Kolbe, which said on Monday it is investigating the breach.

Did NPD alert individuals about the hack?

It's unclear, although the lawsuit claims that NPD "has still not provided any notice or warning" to Hoffman or other people affected by the breach.

"In fact, upon information and belief, the vast majority of Class Members were unaware that their sensitive [personal information] had been compromised, and that they were, and continue to be, at significant risk of identity theft and various other forms of personal, social, and financial harm," the lawsuit claims.

Information security company McAfee reported that it hasn't found any filings with state attorneys general. Some states require companies that have experienced data breaches to file reports with their AG offices.

However, NPD posted an alert about the breach on its website, stating that it believes the information breached includes names, email addresses, phone numbers, Social Security numbers and mailing addresses.

Can you find out if your data was part of the hack?

There are tools available that will monitor what information about you is available on the dark web, noted Michael Blair, managing director of cybersecurity firm NukuDo. Commonly breached data includes your personal addresses, passwords and email, he added.

One such service is how Hofmann, who filed the lawsuit, found out that his information has been leaked as part of NPD breach.

"Make sure to use reputable companies to look that up," Blair said.

What should I do to protect my information?

Security experts recommend that consumers put freezes on their credit files at the three big credit bureaus, Experian, Equifax and TransUnion. Freezing your credit is free, and will stop bad actors from taking out loans or opening credit cards in your name.

"The biggest thing is to freeze your credit report, so it can't be used to open new accounts in your name and commit other fraud in your name," Steinhauer said.

In its statement, NPD also urged people to put free fraud alerts on their accounts, which "tells creditors to contact you before they open any new accounts or change your existing accounts," it said. You'll have to contact just one of the three credit bureaus to create a fraud alert, and that agency will alert the others.

Steinhauer recommends consumers take several additional steps to protect their data and finances:

Make sure your passwords are at least 16 characters in length, and are complex.
Use a password manager to save those long, complex passwords.
Enable multifactor authentication, which Steinhauer calls "critical," because simply using a single password to access your accounts isn't enough protection against hackers.
Be on alert for phishing and other scams. One red flag is that the scammers will try to create a sense of urgency to manipulate their victims.
Keep your security software updated on your computer and other devices. For instance, make sure you download the latest security updates from Microsoft or Apple onto your apps and devices.

You can also get a tracking service that will alert you if your data appears on the dark web.

"You should assume you have been compromised and act accordingly," Steinhauer said.

Data Breach
Social Security

Aimee Picchi is the associate managing editor for CBS MoneyWatch, where she covers business and personal finance. She previously worked at Bloomberg News and has written for national news outlets including USA Today and Consumer Reports.

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IMAGES

How to Make Your Essay Longer (Without Cheating!) Infographic
How to Make Your Essay Longer: 5 Powerful Ways
10 Techniques To Write Longer Essays
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How to Make Your Essay Longer (Without Cheating!)
How to Make Your Essay Longer The Right Way

COMMENTS

How to make an Essay Longer
How to Make an Essay Longer. 1. Make sure you Included Everything. I can't tell you how many of my students submit assignments and forget to include important points! Go back to your writing prompt. That's the thing that you're going to be graded on. Go and check out exactly what your teacher asked you to write about.
How to Make an Essay Longer the Smart Way
Tip #2: Go Back Through Your Introduction and Conclusion. Often times, ideas evolve while writing a paper. If the first thing you wrote was the introduction, go back and reread the first paragraph. You might decide that you left out key information that aids the reader in understanding your argument. When looking back on the conclusion, make ...
How to Make an Essay Longer
So with time running out, you can do the following: Submit the essay and hope the professor doesn't notice. Add some gibberish sentences to get close enough to the required word count. We don't recommend these options. Making an essay longer seems daunting, but it doesn't have to be.
How To Make an Essay Longer
One sneaky way to increase the length of your essay is by adjusting the spacing. Increase the line spacing between your lines of text by using 1.5 or double spacing instead of the default 1.0 spacing. Another option is to use a slightly larger font size, although it's important not to go overboard.
How to Make an Essay Longer Without Writing Useless Fluff
Look at your topic from a new angle. If you're writing a persuasive or argumentative essay, consider counterarguments or alternate views. Addressing these arguments (and taking them down point by point) not only adds length to your essay, but it strengthens your own argument, too. 3. Think outside the box.
12 Real Ways to Make an Essay Longer
If you're struggling to meet that minimum word count, it helps to know how to make an essay longer without ruining your hard work with repetition.
How to Make an Essay Longer: 18 Tips that Actually Work
Provide Detailed Explanations. Take the time to thoroughly explain your ideas and arguments, providing additional context or background information where necessary. By offering detailed explanations, you enhance the clarity of your writing and tally substance and depth, ultimately increasing the word count of your paper.
How to Make Your Essay Longer: 5 Powerful Ways
Put the latter in the next paragraph. By using this principle in your writing, you will make your essay more digestible. It also avoids unnecessary confusion, which usually kicks in whenever you're reading lengthy pieces. By having more short paragraphs, you'll have an effective solution for making your essay longer.
Ways to Expand (& Improve) an Essay
Look for paragraphs that contain more than one idea. If you have a paragraph with three different ideas, then these ideas are usually underdeveloped. Break each idea into its own paragraph and use the tools above to expand them into fully formed paragraphs. Write a paragraph addressing opposing views. Try to think of one or two objections that ...
How to Make an Essay Longer With or Without Adding Words
Adjust the spacing between the lines. It is mostly adjusted on single or 1.15 in Google Docx; try to make it 1.5. When your lines have a spacing of 1.5, you will be amazed to see that your content looks longer. A final tip for how to make an essay longer is to break your big paragraphs into short passages.
The Beginner's Guide to Writing an Essay
The essay writing process consists of three main stages: Preparation: Decide on your topic, do your research, and create an essay outline. Writing: Set out your argument in the introduction, develop it with evidence in the main body, and wrap it up with a conclusion. Revision: Check your essay on the content, organization, grammar, spelling ...
4 Ways to Make an Essay Appear Longer Than It Is
2. Adjust the font size. Your teacher will most likely require that you use 12 pt. font. To make your essay appear longer, try increasing the font size to 12.1, 12.3, or 12.5. See which adjustment makes the biggest difference without being too noticeable. [2] 3. Increase the size of periods and commas.
21 Tricks to Make an Essay Longer
19. Add a fancy footer with page numbers. Obviously (hopefully), your teacher will appreciate your attention to detail and presentation. 20. Add a header with the title of your paper to every ...
15 Ways to Make Your Writing Longer (and Get Through Writer's
Keep writing until you have a full map of interconnected ideas. [5] Use the mind map as a guide to your writing process going forward, as the connections and new ideas you came up with can help you expand and further develop points you've made. 7.
How To Make An Essay Longer
To make an essay longer, focus on quality: elaborate on arguments, add evidence, consider counterarguments, deepen analysis, and clarify points. Use examples, expand introductions and conclusions, and enhance transitions for better flow and comprehension. ‍.
How to Write a Long Essay
Writing a long essay of 3,000 words can be done in a day if you just put your mind to it. Do the following: Don't schedule any other appointments or assignments for the day. Put away any potential distractions, like your phone or the TV. Stay off of social media. Work somewhere quiet, like the library or a calm cafe.
Example of a Great Essay
An essay is a focused piece of writing that explains, argues, describes, or narrates. In high school, you may have to write many different types of essays to develop your writing skills. Academic essays at college level are usually argumentative : you develop a clear thesis about your topic and make a case for your position using evidence ...
How to write a 3,000 word essay in a day
1.45pm - 6pm: Write the body of the essay. 6pm - 6.45pm: Dinner break. 6.45pm - 10.30pm: Edit, improve and meet the word count. 10.30pm - 11pm: Print (if needed) and get everything ready for the morning. Remember to schedule a few short 10-minute breaks (one every 45-60 minutes should do the trick).
How Long is an Essay? Guidelines for Different Types of Essay
Essay length guidelines. Type of essay. Average word count range. Essay content. High school essay. 300-1000 words. In high school you are often asked to write a 5-paragraph essay, composed of an introduction, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion. College admission essay. 200-650 words.
How to Make an Essay Longer (30+ Useful Tips and Tricks)
Writing an essay with a minimum word count can be a challenging task, particularly when you've exhausted all your ideas and arguments. However, fear not! In this article, we will explore over 30 useful tips and tricks to help you make your essay longer while maintaining quality and coherence. So, let's dive right in: 30+ Tips and Tricks to Make ...
Need to Make Your Essay Longer? Here's How
Example 2. To begin adding additional length and in order to create an essay that flows logically, you need to include transition words at the beginning of each paragraph. However, it's important to note that these transitions aren't limited to only the beginning of each new paragraph and can be used throughout the rest of the paragraph to show ...
How to Make Your Essay Longer The Right Way
Spell Out Numbers or Contractions. One way to increase the length of your essay is to spell out numbers and contractions. Instead of writing "7," write seven. Take out any "don'ts" and "won'ts" for do not and will not. Keep in mind this might not be possible depending on any style requirements.
Want to write a college essay that sets you apart? Three tips to give
Writing the personal essay for your college application can be tough, but we're here to help. Sometimes the hardest part is just getting started, but the sooner you begin, the more time and thought you can put into an essay that stands out. Check out some tips: 1. Keep it real.
8 Guidelines To Follow For Writing Longer Posts Faster
You can either write in the order you have the outline structured in or write in a way that makes sense to your brain. This means writing the easiest or most difficult sections first, depending on what you want to get out of the way first. Refer to your outline (and your research document if you need to) often as you write. This is the key to ...
Apple Intelligence: How to Use Writing Tools
All you need to start using Writing Tools is to select text by double-tapping on it and then choose Writing Tools from the popup menu that appears. On iPhone and iPad, select the text and then tap on '>' adjacent to cut, copy, paste, and Format options. Tap on Writing Tools.
How to Write an Essay Introduction
Step 1: Hook your reader. Step 2: Give background information. Step 3: Present your thesis statement. Step 4: Map your essay's structure. Step 5: Check and revise. More examples of essay introductions. Other interesting articles. Frequently asked questions about the essay introduction.
How to write a novel in 15 minutes a day
The first time I tried to write a novel I was 23. I had all the time in the world. I was a full-time graduate student. I lived alone, I had no children, and it took me three years to finish a ...
Hackers may have stolen your Social Security number in a massive breach
Use a password manager to save those long, complex passwords. Enable multifactor authentication, which Steinhauer calls "critical," because simply using a single password to access your accounts ...
Prompt Caching (beta)
Structuring your prompt. Place static content (tool definitions, system instructions, context, examples) at the beginning of your prompt. Mark the end of the reusable content for caching using the cache_control parameter.. Cache prefixes are created in the following order: tools, system, then messages. Using the cache_control parameter, you can define up to 4 cache breakpoints, allowing you to ...
Takeaways from the first night of the Democratic National Convention
Democrats opened their convention in Chicago on Monday by sending off Joe Biden — and then the president closed the night with a hand-off to Vice President Kamala Harris.

How to make an Essay Longer – 21 Easy Tips!

How to Make an Essay Longer

2. Make Every Paragraph at least 4 Sentences

3. Define your Terms

4. Get new Ideas from your Class Handouts

6. Get new Ideas from Friends

8. Get new Ideas from Blogs

12. Use the Keep Writing Website

13. Include one new Example in Each Paragraph

16. Don’t add Pointless Words!

17. Don’t Change the Formatting

Final Thoughts

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

How to Make an Essay Longer the Smart Way

Tip #1: Look Back at Your Prompt/Rubric/etc.

Tip #2: Go Back Through Your Introduction and Conclusion

Tip #3: Have Someone Proofread Your Essay

Tip #4: Use Quotations

Tip #5: Review Your Outline

Tip #6: Include More Transitional Phrases

Tip #7: Read Your Paper Out Loud

Tip #8: Take a Break From Your Essay

Tip #9: Ask Your Instructor for Help

Tip #10: Use multiple examples to back up your argument

EasyBib Writing Resources

EasyBib Plus Features

Plagiarism Checker

How to Make an Essay Longer

1. Add Content to the Essay

2. Add Transitional Sentences and Phrases

3. Spell Out Words and Numbers

Find this useful?

4. Add More Examples

5. Review the Introduction and Conclusion

6. Expand Your Research on the Topic

3. I hear proofreading is essential before submitting my essay. Can anyone help me with this?

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How To Make An Essay Longer - Easy Guide For Beginners

Tips on How to Make an Essay Longer

Do a Comprehensive Research

Elaborate on Arguments

Add Examples

Use Quotations and Citations

Include Transitional Phrases and Sentences

Do Not Use Short Forms

Be More Descriptive

Add All Necessary Information

Format Your Paragraphs Well

Take a Fresh Look at Your Topic

Add Illustrations

Add Lists and Numbers

Try Reverse Outlining

Take a Break and Revisit Your Essay

Approach your Instructor and Ask for Possible Help

Make Your Spacing Larger

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How to Make an Essay Longer Without Writing Useless Fluff

How to Make an Essay Longer: Before You Write

How to Make an Essay Longer (the Obnoxious, Lazy Way)

How to Make an Essay Longer (and Ruin It in the Process)

How to Make an Essay Longer…and Better than Ever

Further Reading

12 Real Ways to Make an Essay Longer

1. Check the Prompt or Assignment Again

2. Make Sure You Have Included Everything

3. Take Another Look at Your Introduction

4. Add More Evidence and References

5. Bring in Relevant Quotations

6. Improve and Expand Your Descriptions

7. Expand Each Paragraph for Clarity

8. Enhance Your Transitions

9. Rethink Your Word Choices