by Kathleen M. Figurative language adds a lot to your writing by making what you say more relatable, showing something about you and your creativity, and making the examples you offer more concrete. But figurative language can go astray if you use it incorrectly. How can you not overuse figurative language in your essays? 1. Be sure to choose figures of speech that make sense in the context of your essay
by Kathleen M. You are working away on your college application essays and suddenly wonder – wait should I be using the past or present tense? Can I switch back and forth? What is correct? Relax. The main goal in writing your personal essays is to communicate with your audience. You want the reader to get a sense of who you are. So the main decision when you are writing
by Drew C. As a concept, “style” can be hard to pin down. In writing, style is technically the result of diction (the words you choose) and syntax (the shape of your sentences). In essence, it’s how you express yourself on the page—how you come across. You can think of writing style in terms of fashion, since the process of choosing the right clothes to suit your personal taste is
