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9 Proven Essay Hacks: Cheat Sheet and Tips to cheat on essays

In this comprehensive guide, we show you proven essay hacks to use as an essay cheat sheet and tips on how to cheat on essays. Earn the grades legally. If you effectively apply these 9 tips and tricks, you will significantly save your time in writing essays, and the efforts you put on your homework and earn high grades easily.

In many essays and assignments, students get stranded due to the lack of knowledge on how to navigate from one step to another in the writing process. Sometimes, there are easy ways to write essays, but they only work when you know the tips. Let us now discuss each in detail.

Easy navigation table

Proven Essay Hacks to legally Cheat on Essays

1. hire a professional essay writer.

This is one of the most convenient and easiest ways through which a student can cheat on essays, homework, and other assignments. The student hires a professional essay writer.

Professional essay writers can be accessed through professional writing websites. Grade Bees essay writing is one of the best ones. Several writing websites have experienced and competent writers who can handle different types of essays or any other assignment 24/7.

When you hire a professional essay writer, you can be assured that your paper will be of high quality and it will be delivered on time as your work.

However, there are some things you should consider before hiring a professional essay writer online. You should conduct a thorough research concerning the credibility of your selected writing services provider.

Make your Order

Give Instructions

Your writer completes the task

Download your File

The credibility can be gauged based on how long the website has provided witting services to students, the consistency of the website regarding the delivery of quality essays to students, and most importantly the support system within the site.

Once you are satisfied with the website offering professional writing services, you will be assigned a verified essay writer to complete your assignment.

The assigned professional write will deliver your essay, homework, or any other assignment according to the instructions you provided and the deadline you gave.

Of course, those services are not free. You will have to pay. The price may differ from one service provider to another.

2. Plagiarize wisely without getting caught

This is also an ingenious method of cheating on your essays, homework, and more.

While plagiarizing is academic dishonesty that is punishable by law, plagiarizing wisely without getting caught can help you cheat on essays if you believe it is morally right.

The first method of plagiarizing wisely is to add adverbs and adjectives into original sentences to make them sound and appear different or unique.

Also, you should note that plagiarism detecting tools look for overlapping text between your essay and other works from other writers.

If you add adverbs and adjectives, the similarity or overlapping text will disappear and you will be good.

You can also change the order of text within the original sentences. This is an easy method of plagiarizing because plagiarism detecting tools such as SafeAssign and Turnitin will be incapable of detecting any overlaps between your essay and the original work.

Changing the word order can also be achieved by Article Rewriting tools. Those tools are several on Google.

What they do is to take the original text and jumble it in such a way that it maintains meaning and coherence while becoming different from the original work.

Finally, you can utilize several quotes within your essay. However, this will depend on whether your instructor accepts them or not.

If you use quotes, be sure to quote (“…”) the original text and add an in-text citation at the end of the quote to avoid detection.

Check our our guide how to plagiarize wisely without getting caught especially when dealing with Turnitin or SafeAssign.

 3. Paraphrase your essay well

Paraphrasing is when a student takes the original text and mixes the words in such a way that they look original while retaining the same meaning with the original text.

You should note that even though you have paraphrased, you should correctly cite the source in the right format.

Below are some of the tips that can be used to help you paraphrase your work well:

• Use a Dissimilar first sentence
• Use relevant synonyms
• Change sentence structure
• Break long sentences

We can explain these points in detail below;

1. Use a Dissimilar first sentence

First, you should begin your essay, or the first sentence of your essay, at a dissimilar point from that of the original.

This means that you will not follow the structure of the source. You will have to find the structure through which you will rewrite the source’s text.

2. Use relevant synonyms

Secondly, you should use synonyms. This is a clever way of paraphrasing because you will exchange the original words with their synonyms.

This can easily fool plagiarism detecting tools. The Saurus Tool can help you if you are stuck.

3. Change sentence structure

Thirdly, you can change the sentence structure. If the original sentence has been written in the active form, you can change it into a passive form.

4. Break long sentences

Finally, you can break long sentences or information into smaller and separate sentences. This will make your essay original while maintaining the original or intended information.

Read our guide on the Dos and Don’ts of paraphrasing – and learn how to paraphrase well.

4. Submit late assignments wisely

It is a requirement that all assignments should be submitted before the deadline.

Any late submissions are not accepted by most instructors because the students have not followed the instructions and they may have used that opportunity to cheat on their essays.

Depending on the institution you are studying in, your instructors have different preferences when it comes to submitting assignments.

Most will require you to submit the assignments via plagiarism detecting tools such as Turnitin or SafeAssign while others may require you to physically hand in your work.

Either way, late submissions are unacceptable. This is because they can be used as a loophole to cheat.

Read our guide on how to submit late assignments and escape with it.

To ensure that you turn in your late assignments, be sure to upload a corrupted file before the deadline. The instructor will struggle to open the file without success.

During that time, take the opportunity to complete the assignment. You can also seek help from your smart classmates because they will assume that you have also uploaded the file and their help will not have any impact on your paper.

By the time your instructor requests you to re-upload your assignment, you will have completed your paper. Voila!

5. Work with homework help tutor

This method cannot be considered as an unethical approach to cheating on essays. This is because a homework help tutor is just like your teacher or instructor who wants to make you better understand the course and the homework.

Again, parents who think that their children are not at par with their peers at school will most likely hire extra help from such tutors. Those tutors can also help you while completing your homework.

Well, homework help tutors can be actual physical people who you interact with or someone/something that you interact within a virtual space (online).

In either case, both can provide valuable information that can help you complete your homework.

Their experience as tutors and the academic information they possess guarantees that you will complete your homework and expect the best results. 

For example, if you have been given Chemistry homework and you feel that it is difficult to complete because you do not understand the concepts, you can seek homework help tutor

Maybe the grade you will get from the assignment will impact your final grade. Though you will have cheated, seeking help will save your grade.

Look out for our homework help services and see if you can get someone to walk your academic journey with you

This is one of the most effective and successful methods of cheating on essays, homework, and more without getting caught. You have legally or morally done nothing wrong.

6. Re-use previous papers from you or others

This method of cheating on essays, homework, and more can be very risky if not done wisely. As we have noted, some tools are used by institutions to check for plagiarism.

Tools such as SafeAssign and Turnitin can detect any overlaps between your submitted papers and other papers, essays, or works that are available within their databases.

If they detect any overlaps, then your paper has a degree of plagiarism that is dictated by the similarity index.

If the previous papers from you or others to be reused have been previously submitted through either of plagiarism checking tools, then your paper will be detected and rejected because of a high similarity index.

However, it should be noted that the two plagiarism checking tools use different databases and they do not check the other’s databases.

Therefore, it may be possible to reuse a paper that has been previously submitted using Turnitin by submitting it through SafeAssign and vice versa.

Turnitin stores all the papers that have been submitted through it to its database. In the case of SafeAssign, students and instructors can choose to donate those papers as resources.

The key thing to note is that most of the tools used to check for plagiarism have a mechanism of detecting papers that have been previously submitted through them.

Read our guide how to re-use previous papers without self-plagiarism and apply this crazy hack.

However, if your paper or another person’s paper has not been submitted through such tools, you can confidently reuse them.

 7. Smartly cheat your online tests

Some smart methods can be used by students to cheat during their online tests. One of the most commonly used methods is screen mirroring or sharing.

Since online tests are given to students from remote locations, you have the freedom to use more than one monitor.

Those monitors are used to simultaneously mirror the test questions to your smart friends who can provide answers.

The second method you can use to cheat during online tests is by using devices to cheat. Some Bluetooth devices are very tiny and undetectable.

You can place them strategically into your ear and use them to receive voiced answers from your smart friends or any other person you have hired to help you during the online test.

Another device you can use to cheat during online tests is your smartphone. They can store valuable information and answers. They are connected to the internet and you can search your answers on cheating websites like Sparknotes or more.

Another method that can be used to cheat during online tests is impersonation. Here, the candidate hires or uses another person to do the test on their behalf.

You can read our full guide how to cheat online tests and get some easy hacks that may help you escape being caught.

Administering online tests remotely allows the candidates to use impersonators who are more knowledgeable and are likely to attain good grades for the candidates. However, we give a disclaimer that such cheating in school is wrong , and you should try it at your own peril.

Though this is the case, most institutions are now administering online exams though proctored programs like web browsers and tools to avoid cheating incidences. 

8. Use free model essays to write your essays

Copying or using model essays/papers to write your essays/papers is also an effective method of cheating on essays, homework, and more. Model essays have been created by individuals who are well versed in the course content and its requirements.

Most likely, those individuals create those model essays/papers to guide or provide an actual example of how students should do their papers or essays. In most cases, the model essays or papers have been written or approved by the instructor. Therefore, they can be valuable assets when writing your paper or essay.

What you should note is that not all model essays or papers will completely match the assignment requirements given by your instructor.

Read our post on how to use completely free sample essays as models for your paper.

You should carefully check the contents and the context of the model essay or papers before copying or using them to write your essays or papers.

If by chance the model paper is similar to your assignment, you can proceed to copy the points in your paper or essay. However, do not copy-paste. Read our guide on paraphrasing hack 3 above.

If you decide to completely copy the model paper or essay, be sure to check for similarity through plagiarism checking tools such as Turnitin Self-Check, Grammarly, or any other tool. This will ensure that the paper does not exist within the databases of those tools. If they do exist, you can plagiarize or paraphrase wisely to avoid getting caught. If they do not exist, then you can copy and upload the paper as your own.

9. Have someone take your class online

As aforementioned, online classes and courses are administered remotely. Therefore, students and tutors do not physically interact. This gives students a lot of freedom to cheat. One of the methods is to have someone take your online class from the start to end. Due to proctoring tools and online authentication through biometrics and student IDs that are taken

during the start of the online course, having someone take the online class from the start will ensure that they will have assumed your identity. They will also do online proctored tests and exams without any problem.

Essay Cheat Sheet and Tips to improve your writing

1. use proofreading tools to polish your work.

Proofreading tools like Grammarly and writecheck can be very helpful when completing your essays.

They are easy to use and they make your work to be significantly easier.

At the same time, they will take lesser time and save you on the deadline.

When you are done writing your essay or research paper and you need to proofread your work to correct any grammatical errors, punctuation, and so on, you can just copy-paste or upload the file directly to the tool.

Some of the proofreading tools are free while others require a subscription fee.

Read our hacks on how to use Grammarly Premium version for free and see how it works.

Once uploaded, the tool will automatically detect any errors or issues within your paper. You can correct them as required.

2. Format your paper well – cite referencing, etc.

Formatting your paper well will guarantee more points. After you are done writing your paper, it is important to format it following the academic guidelines provided by your instructor.

The format will dictate the arrangement of your paper in terms of paragraphs, the in-text citations, presence or absence of endnotes or footnotes, and the placement of the bibliography/works cited/reference page.

Read our guide how to format papers in APA or MLA and get a quick lesson or essay hack on the same.

The common and acceptable formats include APA, MLA, Chicago, and Harvard. Be sure to follow the format dictated by your instructor to be graded.

Some instructors will not grade papers that do not follow the correct format that is well done.

You can hire one of our cheap essay writers from our website to proofread your work professionally.

3. Self-check your papers for plagiarism

This is also a very important step to do before submitting your paper. As we have noted earlier, most instructors will require you to submit your papers and essays through plagiarism checking tools such as SafeAssign and Turnitin.

However, some submissions can only be done once because they are taken as final copies rather than drafts. It is therefore important to perform a self-check through tools.

Read our guide on Turnitin Self-check alternatives and learn more.

Some of the tools discussed in that article include Turnitin’s Feedback Studio, Grammarly, PlagScan, DupliChecker, and so on before submitting your drafts as final copies.

4. Keep your plagiarism score within the acceptable range

Different institutions and instructors have different standards when it comes to plagiarism scores.

Some will be strict while others will be lenient depending on the course discipline and the writing prowess of the students.

Check out our post on the acceptable plagiarism score on Turnitin and know how not to surpass that level.

As a student, you should take note of the accepted range and try as much as possible to keep your plagiarism score within the acceptable range.

You will not be penalized due to plagiarized content if you keep your score within the acceptable range.

5. Follow online guides on how to write essays and papers

If you google or search the web for topics on how to write different types of papers, you will find several results.

Read our comprehensive guides how to write an essay and how to write research papers for detailed lessons.

Some many websites and blogs provide free guides on how to write different papers. You should however check the credibility of the online sources because some of them may misguide you.

Different papers will take different forms. The most credible sites will give you guidelines in terms of structure, outline, format, tone, and how to effectively cite sources.

6. Know the allowed plagiarism – easy essay cheat sheet

Different institutions and instructors have different standards when it comes to how much plagiarism is allowed. Some institutions or instructors will not allow students’ papers with a plagiarism score of more than 5%. Watch the video below to learn how to reduce your plagiarism.

Others can allow a score of below 25% while others can allow as much as 30% depending on the course’s discipline and the writing proficiency of the students.

If your instructor or institution allows or tolerates a plagiarism score of 30%, then you can plagiarize to that extent.

However, if they do not tolerate that (5% and below), then avoid plagiarism by using the aforementioned methods.

[Free Cheat Sheets!] The Ultimate Blueprint To Getting High Grades On Your Essays, Assignments and Dissertation.

Don’t let essays daunt you. as long as you have the right working frame and mindset you can boost your writing and results. here are 8 free cheat sheets that can help you plan and progress when writing essays., 1. a rough guide to punctuation : a cheat sheet by the uni tutor, in this cheat sheet, you will learn the basic fundamentals of grammar in the english language.

We’ve carefully written this document so students can make the most out of it.

2. Essay Writing The Fundamentals : A Cheat Sheet by The Uni Tutor

In this cheat sheet, you will learn everything from starting an essay all the way to writing the conclusion and then editing., 3. annotated bibliography: a cheat sheet by the uni tutor, in this cheat sheet, you will learn how to draft bibliographies so you can get top marks for your essay, dissertation or assignment, 4. essay and assignment writing: a cheat sheet by the uni tutor, in this cheat sheet, you will learn how to plan your essay so you can get the best marks possible, 5.essay editing checklist: a cheat sheet by the uni tutor, in this cheat sheet, you’ll have a handy checklist for all your essay editing needs, 6.essay writing the fundamentals : a cheat sheet by the uni tutor, 7. reflective writing: a cheat sheet by the uni tutor, in this cheat sheet, you will learn how to write reflective pieces of work, either essays, dissertations, or thesis papers, 8. writing critical review: a cheat sheet by the uni tutor, in this cheat sheet, you will learn how to write a critical review for your next university or college course, contact us at.

• e-mail: info@theunitutor.com
• tel: +44 20 3286 9122

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Transition Hacks: A Cheat Sheet for Better Essays

November 22, 2016 By Jimmie Quick 2 Comments

Transitions in an essay help the ideas to flow smoothly, a quality called coherence . You don’t want your reader jolted from idea to idea without any type of connection. Transitions both prepare the reader for a mental shift as they ease the reader smoothly into it.

Many writers struggle with using transitions naturally. They revert to the boring set of first , second , last , and in conclusion . There’s nothing wrong with those words, of course, but variety is a great benefit to an essay.

Print the transitions cheat sheet linked below and let your child reference it during the revision stage. This printable is part of my ebook  Essay Tune Up .

First go through and highlight all the transitions already used. Can they be refined with a better word choice? Check the list for possible substitutes.  Because they are grouped by idea, your substitute transition will probably be found in the same section as your initial choice.

Are there places where transitions are absent but  needed ?  Key places to use transitions are

• at the beginning of paragraphs
• at the front of a conclusion sentence
• at the addition of a new detail within a body paragraph.

If using the term cheat sheet with your impressionable children bothers you, don’t worry. There is a second page without that potentially questionable phrase.

More You Will Like

April 24, 2012 at 2:02 pm

You have just had fabulous ideas and resources Jimmie. I am taking notes big time here!

September 27, 2018 at 8:46 am

Thank you! This is so helpful!!

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College Writing For Dummies Cheat Sheet

College writing for dummies.

Sign up for the Dummies Beta Program to try Dummies' newest way to learn.

College students have style, and it shows with their aggressiveness for good grades, attire in the classroom, and energy on campus. This Cheat Sheet offers you help with your style when writing your college essay during your first year in college.

Eliminating unnecessary and overused words in your essays

Extra words in a sentence are as useless as a fifth wheel on an ATV four-wheeler. They not only serve no purpose, but also inhibit forward progress. Unnecessary and overused words also distract your reader’s understanding of your message.

When you eliminate unnecessary words and avoid overused words, you communicate a stronger message with fewer words. You say more with less. Here’s a two-step process for eliminating unnecessary and overused words:

• Test the need for every word in a sentence and delete unnecessary words.
• Study this previous sentence. These are the unnecessary words you can cross out:
• Now look at the remaining words. Can they be reduced further? Yes:
• Avoid wordiness.
• That’s how writers build style.
• If a word or expression sounds familiar and you hear it regularly in spoken language, replace it. Here’s an example:
• Overused words: Back in the day, first-year students were not permitted to park vehicles on campus.
• Revised: In the 1990s, first-year students were not permitted to park vehicles on campus.

Steering clear of style sabotage

Building style not only includes what you add to your writing, but also what you subtract from your writing. Here’s a look at additions by subtraction. Avoid the following style imposters.

Repeating words

As a general rule avoid repeating key words in the same sentence. Steer clear of writing a sentence, such as in the following:

• Original: Children should wear bicycle helmets because helmets are inexpensive and wearing helmets protects against head injury.
• Revised: Children should wear bicycle helmets because they’re inexpensive and protect against head injury.

Self-referencing

Eliminate self-referencing yourself as the author, such as in the following:

• Original: When I was deciding on my topic for my research paper, I chose to write about wind energy.
• Revised: I chose to write about wind energy.

Other self-references include the following phrases:

Writing like you talk

Have you ever recorded yourself, listened to it, and tried to figure out what you said? People think at 800 words per minute, talk at 125 words per minute, and write at 10 words per minute. If you write like you talk, you’re going to have a bundle of overused words and no place to use them.

Write in the pattern you talk. Identify a topic and follow it with an action verb, as in the following:

• Talking pattern: The person the professor talked about who wrote the book The Great Gatsby was F. Scott Fitzgerald.
• Writing pattern: The professor said F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote The Great Gatsby.

Avoid sources of contention in college writing

Sources are high-priority to your college writing professors, who usually read the reference page before reading the content of your research paper. Here are categories of sources that your professors don’t want to see:

• Outdated sources generally older than ten years, although some topics are outdated after three years
• .com (commercial) sites where information is influenced by money
• Social media posts and personal websites representing personal opinion
• Sources that lack citations, indicating lack of validation by the academic community
• Personal websites
• Novels and similar literary fiction — unless, of course, you’re writing a literary topic

When you have questions about a source, ask your professor or a reference librarian.

About This Article

This article is from the book:.

• College Writing For Dummies ,

About the book author:

Joe Giampalmi , EdD, is a hall-of-fame educator who’s been teaching students to mind their P’s and Q’s, use active voice, include Oxford commas, and support their arguments for more than 50 years. He has taught more than 100 English composition courses.

This article can be found in the category:

• Journaling For Dummies Cheat Sheet
• Writing Sci-Fi, Fantasy, & Horror For Dummies Cheat Sheet
• College Admission Essays For Dummies Cheat Sheet
• APA Style and Citations For Dummies Cheat Sheet
• 10 Ways to Grow Your Personal Power with Writing
• View All Articles From Category

March 31, 2023

Your cheat sheet for writing great college essays.

Want to write a tight, cohesive essay that clearly and accurately communicates your thoughts to your reader? You’ve come to the right place.

Below, we share a cheat sheet for writing college and university essays like a pro.

Whether you’ve just written an essay that you’re unsure about or you’re in the planning stages of the writing process, this simple checklist can help you improve your grades and impress your instructor with the quality of your work. 

How should I use this checklist? 

It’s simple: read the items on the checklist one at a time, and check off each item that you’ve fulfilled.

If you find that there are some items that haven’t been addressed in your paper, you’ll need to go back to your essay to add them in.

Here’s the checklist:

• My essay has a clear, helpful introductory paragraph.
• My thesis statement is clearly stated at the beginning of my paper.
• My argument is clearly outlined in an explicit way.
• The body of my essay is broken down into concise, well-structured sections and paragraphs.
• Each paragraph in my essay has a clear point, theme, or conclusion that it’s arguing for.
• Each of my key claims is supported by evidence and/or external sources.
• I have taken a critical stance and considered evidence that might challenge my thesis statement, and such evidence has been explicitly addressed in my paper.
• My essay ends with a clear, concise conclusion that reiterates my thesis statement.
• My citations and references are formatted correctly, and every citation mentioned in the body of my paper is included in my reference list.
• I have read through my paper and edited it as much as possible.
• I have run a final spelling and grammar check on my document.

If you’re still uncertain about the quality of your essay after working through this checklist, ask a friend or family member to read it and provide feedback, or get outside help from a professional editor .

You can get in touch with Lumida Editing & Proofreading for a free, no-obligation quote for professional essay editing services here . 

Happy writing!

Jess Blackwell

Jess is the founder of Lumida Ltd., a passionate environmentalist living a low-waste life, and a lifelong writer. When she isn't helping our clients make their writing shine, Jess can be found working on her writing projects, experimenting in the kitchen, or taking nature walks.

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Articles & Advice > Majors and Academics > Blog

English Grammar Cheat Sheet for Students

Struggling with grammar as you write your English essays, term papers, and other school assignments? Here's a cheat sheet with everything students need to know!

by Emily Rogan CollegeXpress Student Writer

Last Updated: Mar 20, 2024

Originally Posted: Jan 17, 2017

I don’t care if you’ve been at the top of your English class since sixth grade: every student, regardless of age or discipline, knows the struggle of trying to write a paper. We’ve all been there. And a big part of that struggle is grammar, style, and usage. Especially when it comes to all-important term papers or that gen ed English class you loathe, writing papers with correct style and grammar is important. Occasionally, you’ll come along a professor who doesn’t care—or doesn’t even use correct grammar themselves—but most of the time, students need to be on top of grammar, punctuation, style, citations, and all the other little things that seem impossible to keep track of.

If you struggle with common grammar and usage, or if your papers always come back to you with lots of red marks and corrections, you should do yourself a favor and learn these rules now . And not just because it’ll help you do better on your English papers; out in the real world, these mistakes can really cost you. (Do you think your boss will be happy if you send an email to an important person with misspellings and other errors? No. No, they will not be happy.)

The most common grammar mistakes

• A lot: It’s two words. (But there are so many, countless, tons, myriad, plenty, numerous, innumerable, more descriptive words you could use instead of “a lot”!).
• Commas: In short, use them wisely. I’ve read so many papers of classmates who put, too, many, commas, in, to, their, writing. A super basic rule of thumb might be “when in doubt, leave it out.” But! There are tons of comma rules out there that are worth learning: Don’t use a comma between nouns and verbs. Do use a comma to set off long-form dates (July 4, 2017 is correct). But don’t use a comma for month and year (July 2017 is correct). And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. It’s okay if you don’t learn all the comma rules perfectly, but you should check out this easy guide to using commas whenever you’re unsure.
• Its/it’s: “Its” means possession/ownership. “It’s” is a contraction of “it is.” For example, “The campus has its own special vibe. It’s a place for doers and dreamers to come together.” (By the way, doesn’t that sound like every college brochure ever?!)
• Semicolons: I used to swear these were the greatest things ever—until I discovered the many ways you can mess up grammatically using them. Semicolons are often poetically described as the punctuation equivalent of “I could’ve stopped here, but I decided not to.” They basically work in two ways: First, they link related sentences and let you skip using conjunctions like “and” or “but.” So you could say, “We’re going to the beach; it’s the perfect day for it.” Or you could say, “We’re going to the beach, and it’s the perfect day for it.” However, if you’re unsure about how to use the semicolon, it’s often safer to just start a new sentence. Second, semicolons separate items within a series within  another series. For example, you would write, “The students’ spring break choices were Cancun, Mexico; Washington, DC; and Fort Lauderdale, Florida.” But simple sentences don’t need a semicolon; for example, “He brought the ice cream, I brought the sprinkles, and Jenny brought the chocolate sauce.”
• Subject-verb agreement: I know this one sounds very elementary school-ish, but it’s a common grammar mistake even among college students. And subject-verb agreement can get especially tricky if you have a crazy-long sentence with lots of clauses. In any case, double-check to make sure your verb truly matches whatever it’s actually talking about, not just the word it comes right after .
• There/they’re/their: “There” is a place. “They’re” is the contraction of “they are.” And “their” means possession/ownership. For example, “They’re riding their bikes over there."
• Your/you’re:  “Your” means possession/ownership; “you’re” is a contraction of “you are.” For example, “You’re going to use up all of your meal credits if you go to the dining hall five times a day.”

Related: Steering Clear of College Application Essay Mistakes

More simple style and usage tips to keep in mind for your papers

• Pay attention to what style you’re supposed to use for citations in your papers. MLA , APA , and Turabian are all common, and the style will often vary with the subject area.
• Make sure you cite enough and appropriately. This isn’t just about giving credit where it’s due; it’s about protecting yourself from getting into trouble with plagiarism . Plus, it serves as a guide for readers to find more information should they want to.
• Remember that titles of full-length books, magazines, and plays are italicized . However, titles of songs, essays, and short stories included in larger works are put in “quotation marks.”
• Proofread, proofread, proofread! Very often, we can skip over the same grammar or usage mistake several times in our own writing. I just reread something of mine this week that I wrote almost two years ago—something I’ve read through countless times since—and found a mistake that I hadn’t caught in all those times. You should also give yourself some time away from whatever you’re writing and come back to it for editing. When you’re writing an essay, try to finish a day or two before the deadline. Then leave it alone for at least an hour (ideally a whole day) and read back through it after that breather so you’ll have new eyes. Hopefully you’ll catch anything you didn’t see before.

Related: College Application Proofreading Tips from an Editor–in–Chief  

Other places and people that can help with your writing

• First things first: if you are truly struggling, please do not turn to a professional essay writing service . It won't help strengthen your writing and grammar skills at all, plus you could get in major trouble.
• The Purdue OWL Writing Lab is awesome for general writing and grammar help for students, whether you’re in college or high school (or older!).
• Take advantage of your school’s tutoring and/or writing centers . It should be free for you to go, but also remember if you’re in college, you’re essentially paying for that stuff anyway with your tuition and fees—so you might as well get your money’s worth and visit.
• Have someone else read your writing. A friend, sibling, parent, mentor—any set of fresh eyes can be helpful. Even if they’re not familiar with the subject material, they can at least look at it for grammar issues and overall tone.
• The best, quickest, and easiest way to learn how to write better? Read good writing! There’s so much amazing writing online (look for respected websites) and a bajillion books out there to read. The more you read, the better your writing will be. Also, reading is great. Fact.

If you use this grammar cheat sheet, you’ll impress everyone who reads your school essays and other writing from now on! This list is by no means comprehensive, but it’s a good place to start for the most common paper-writing and grammar errors students face. 

Does this grammar cheat sheet have what you’re looking for? What grammar, style, and usage things do you struggle with in your writing? Or if this stuff comes easy to you (lucky!), are there any tips for students we should add? Follow us on social media and  tag us @CollegeXpress!

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About Emily Rogan

Emily Rogan is a student at Morehead State University , where she's studying Communications and Theater. When she's not in school, she is an actor, musician, singer, and writer.

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The Essay Transition Cheat Sheet Every Student Needs

Essay transitions can make or break your academic papers. Don’t let a limited vocabulary get in your way. Download our free essay transition cheat sheet now!

Ever submitted what you think is a great essay only to be informed by your tutor that it lacked coherence?

Lacked what?

When your profs talk about coherence , they are basically referring to how your essay flowed from one idea to the next.

The best essays are those that present a thesis statement , and then gradually build an argument to support the main ideas.

But a great thesis statement and a well-researched argument are not enough to create a compelling essay.

You also need to take your reader on a journey as you progress through your essay in a clear and structured way.

This is where essay transitions come in.

Transitions are words or short phrases that prepare the reader for a mental shift in the argument and guide his or her thought process.

You’ll typically find transitions in the following places:

• At the start of a paragraph: “To begin with…”
• At the beginning of a concluding statement: “In light of this analysis…”
• To extend an argument: “Pursuing this further…”
• At the beginning of a sentence that introduces a new idea within a paragraph: “Another reason why…”

It sounds simple enough. So why do so many students struggle to use transitions effectively?

One of the biggest issues our essays editors regularly encounter is a lack of imagination and variety.

All too often, students revert to the same set of standard transitions: first , then , to conclude …

For a tutor who has a pile of thirty papers to grade, this isn’t going to cut the mustard.

As such, you should be trying to make your essays, dissertations, and other academic papers much more interesting by using engaging transitions.

Think this sounds difficult? It’s actually really easy.

In fact, thanks to our free essay transition cheat sheet, it couldn’t be simpler!

If you’re looking for more assistance with essay transitions, check out our comprehensive guide to how to edit an essay .

How to use the Free Essay Transitions Cheat Sheet

• Print the sheet by clicking on the image above. This sheet was first developed as part of our guide to essay formatting .
• Once you have finished writing your essay, go through and review all the transitions you have already used. If you encounter a word or phrase that sounds repetitive or boring, consult the cheat sheet, find the category in which the transition best fits, and identify a better substitute.
• Read through your essay again. Check to see if there are any places in which you should have a transition but haven’t used one. Similarly, if you have used the same transition more than once, replace it with a viable alternative. This will give your work more pizazz and seamless appeal.

Simply print out this one-page PDF and refer to it every time you’re writing an essay or want to improve the flow of an existing paper.

You’ll be surprised how simple it can be to take your writing up a notch.

Looking for more ideas? Check out our essay tips for some really great tools that will help you through the process of writing an essay.

Need a bit of extra help?

Check out our essay editing services now. Our expert editors know exactly what to do to transform your essay from good to great.

6 thoughts on “The Essay Transition Cheat Sheet Every Student Needs”

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• Pingback: 18 Amazing Essay Tips Every Student Should Know – Vappingo
• Pingback: Editing an Essay the Easy Way in 2023
• Pingback: Four Crucial Things to Consider When Revising an Essay – Vappingo

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• French Cheat Sheets

Writing essays in French Cheat Sheet by JAM

Useful expressions to help structure your A level French essay.

Introd­ucing the first argument

Adding and listing arguments

Listing arguments - start.

Listing arguments - middle

Listing arguments - end

Indicating the reason for something

Expressing contrast / concession

Introd­ucing one's own point of view.

In conclusion

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• Languages: English français (French)
• Published: 21st September, 2013
• Last Updated: 26th February, 2020
• Rated: 5 out of 5 stars based on 9 ratings

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these are very helpful thank you

Simple et utile, j'aime.

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