How to Make Your Essay Longer?

Publication Date: 04 Mar 2018
Author: Alice Miley

How to Lengthen an Essay?

Each of us has a favorite topic they can debate on for hours. Some of us probably won’t get exhausted talking about the beloved book character, giving an opinion on the situation in the Middle East or revealing some family issues (happens to everybody from time to time). However, when you really need to give a detailed answer or write a motivation letter meeting the length requirements, tough times are coming much more often.

Brevity is the soul of wit – not this time, my dear friend!

Here is a list of prompts and tricks to use and mistakes to avoid. Let’s find out how to make your essay longer!

Harry Houdini’s Front

Let’s start with the most obvious idea you may come up with – the formatting style. The illusion of deception: increased margins, fonts, extra spaces between words and paragraphs. Always wanted to try a trick for “Now you see me” movie? Find a better time for this. These changes to the format requirements are too obvious and can be easily spotted.

Useless collocations

Tautology, meaningless repetitions, and overloaded sentence structures will probably increase the number of words in the essay but will it make sense? Stating obvious things in each line makes your essay sound fatuously. Here’s what I mean:

“Paper Towns is a great book by John Green. The author of this book tells a story about teenager Quentin searching for his neighbor Margo. Paper towns are used to symbolize a lot of things. This rather important symbol is used many times. “

Try to throw away the words in bold in the 2 and 3 sentences. It still makes sense! These are useless words that may add to the quantity but no to the plot of your story. By the time you get to the main point, the teacher will fall halfway asleep. There’s a fine line between a long and a boring essay. The distinct feature of a good essay is to get the reader to the point without tiring.

Rather is one of these words that do not have any significance. Among the rest are really, very, just, basically.
However, if you need to write in the formal style, you are lucky to increase the word count by replacing some words with more official analogs. Don’t overuse though!

Quotes often emphasize your point in the essay. Sometimes you won’t say better then someone has already done. Though, one quote is enough. Never extend the text with the uncontrollable amount of quotations. It looks silly.

Make meaningful changes

The best way to make the essay longer is to add meaningful words. I realize that it’s easier to say so than to do. Yet, it’s absolutely possible if you take your time.

• First of all, when you get stuck at some point – reread the parts you have already on the paper. You may not notice how new ideas fill your head while reading the passage.
• Do the research again. Gather more data that you can refer to in your essay. You may not use all the information you find but it can encourage you to fresh ideas.
• Take a look from a different perspective. Turn on your creativity and come up with some hooks that can both catch the reader’s eye and add to the word count. There are various techniques, such as questioning, paraphrasing, and exclamations. You may also prove your point of view by refuting the opposite. Your creativity is not limited. Though, make sure your tricks are used to the point and not too often.
• Figures of speech. In case the style of the essay does not prohibit using epithets, adjectives, metaphors, and comparisons, the text will not only get longer but enriched in language.
• In case none of this helps – take a walk or leave the paper to be finished the next day. Refreshed mind is much more productive. For the same reason do not hesitate to ask your friend to read the paper. He or she can give a look from a different angle.