Whether you are asked to write a newspaper article, book review, or an essay, the first question that you might be wondering is if there is some form or rule to follow to make your writing shine. In general, there is no strict rule that applies to every sort of writing, however, today we will provide some useful techniques for writing a diagnostic essay.
First things first. What is a diagnostic essay? The diagnostic essay is an essay written by anyone taking a class or a course that helps professors or instructors to get a better understanding of the student’s knowledge and skills.
Very often, these types of essays are not graded, but that certainly does not mean that such a task is less important and that you should not do your best to impress the instructors! In addition, the writing process is often timed because another purpose of writing a diagnostic essay is to showcase your logical thinking, but also a professional vocabulary about the topic you are discussing.
Does it sound scary? Do not worry, we are here to help. Naturally, like in every task, there are some recommended rules to be followed and we are going to discuss them shortly. We hope they will help you prepare for the writing process and feel confident when the time comes so that your anxiety does not overshadow your knowledge. Here are a few steps:
1. Structure
The first thing to consider is that each diagnostic essay should have three segments. As you probably guess, they include the introduction, elaboration of the topic (the so-called body of the essay) and the conclusion of the essay. The writing should neither be too long nor too short.
The ideal length of your writing should be around 5 to 7 paragraphs. In some cases, instructors will determine the number of the words, as well. This does sound like another constraint; however, it is not necessary a bad one because it will make your writing more focused. As for the length of the three segments, the introduction and conclusion generally contain around 200 words, while the body of the essay can contain twice as many – around 400 words, or more.
2. Structure, in more detail
Okay, we clarified what segments your essay should contain and now we will provide a little more detail about each of the segments. The introduction normally contains generalities about the topic you are writing about, so try to avoid the key facts here. You will, of course, provide them in the body of the essay. Here you will write everything you know about the topic – the facts, stats, dates if necessary. Again, everything you know. Although your writing should grab and keep the attention of the reader, we think that the language should not be mysterious or vague in any sense. In the end, you are writing a school essay, not an article in a science fiction magazine.
In the body of the essay you can further clarify everything you mentioned in the introduction of the essay and discuss it in more detail. It is a good idea to keep your sentences clean and tidy so that the meaning does not get lost. Finally, a few words about the conclusion. This is very much self-explanatory. Here you need to wrap up your writing and make conclusions about the topic you discussed in the body of the essay. You can repeat something you already wrote above, however; it should be condensed. Asking questions or opening new discussions here would not be the best idea because it will leave your writing open and unfinished. Such an end could affect the overall impression.
3. Professional guidance
We think that getting some advice or assistance from a professional is always a good idea. You can look it up online, however, we came across the website essayrx.com and were quite impressed about their services. There you will be available to get assistance 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
There is a large number of topics and types of essays that they master, so whether you are writing about art, religion, politics, philosophy, science, or just need somebody to proofreads your dissertation, you can contact them. Although you can search for such help around the area you live in, this online service is particularly handy in the summer when most schools and universities are closed.
4. Be original
Now back to your writing. Remember that an essay is not a mere proof of your knowledge, it also displays your attitude and point of view on the topic you are elaborating. Therefore, feel free to give everything a personal stamp. Instructors rarely want to see a mere enumeration of memorized facts, instead, they would be pleased to hear the original voice of an author.
Providing your personal observations on a given topic is something we highly recommend. This will indicate that you have not only understood the topic, but also that you have developed the ability to think creatively or critically. If you still prefer to keep your writing focused and information-orientated in the body of the essay, you can introduce some of your personal thoughts in the conclusion.
5. Few more tips
Time flies! Keep an eye on your watch regularly. Some modern classrooms do not have those old-fashioned wall clocks anymore, so it is best to bring your own. If instructors allow you to keep a smartphone on the desk, you can use it to track time.
Another suggestion we have is to read the finished text a couple of times, if possible. Smaller mistakes can easily occur due to stress or time constraints so make sure to give your writing at least one or two rounds of proofreading. Also, getting quality sleep before the day of the test will help you concentrate better and gather your thoughts in a more efficient way.
Writing an essay can represent a challenge and we have all been there. Follow the steps we have discussed, and they will surely make the task much easier for you. Good luck!
Nina Smith