{"id":2840,"date":"2015-08-10T17:00:00","date_gmt":"2015-08-11T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/?post_type=essay-writing-blog&p=2840"},"modified":"2019-04-06T15:44:55","modified_gmt":"2019-04-06T22:44:55","slug":"how-to-make-an-essay-longer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/how-to-make-an-essay-longer\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Make an Essay Longer Without Writing Useless Fluff"},"content":{"rendered":"

Whenever you\u2019re writing an essay for a class, to get into your dream school, or for some other reason besides \u201cjust for the heck of it,\u201d  you usually need to write a minimum number of words or pages.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

So what do you do when you feel as though you\u2019ve squeezed out every last word you can say about your topic, but your essay falls short of your goal?<\/p>\n

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<\/i> notice (so don\u2019t even bother).<\/p>\n

How to Make an Essay Longer: Before You Write<\/h2>\n

Don\u2019t underestimate the value of planning ahead. When you\u2019re staring down a hefty page requirement, there are a few things you can do before you ever start writing<\/b> to set yourself up for success.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Do lots of research. <\/b>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).<\/li>\n
  2. Create a thorough outline. <\/b>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<\/a> or 5-paragraph essay outline<\/a> for strategies you can use for papers of any length).<\/li>\n
  3. Broaden your topic (if necessary)<\/b>. Sometimes, after researching or thinking about your topic and creating an outline, you realize that you still<\/i> don\u2019t know enough about your topic to draft a complete essay. This doesn’t mean that your approach is wrong<\/b>; sometimes the information simply isn’t there.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    This is a good time to consider broadening the scope of your essay by\u2026<\/p>\n

    …discussing a wider range of perspectives,<\/p>\n

    …examining a larger population,<\/p>\n

    …looking at a larger geographic area,<\/p>\n

    …considering a broader time span,<\/p>\n

    \u2026etc.<\/p>\n

    And of course all of this planning works best when you start your essay well in advance of the deadline, so don\u2019t procrastinate<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    What happens if you use these strategies and still <\/b>come up short?<\/p>\n

    How to Make an Essay Longer (the Obnoxious, Lazy Way)<\/h2>\n

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

    But just in case<\/i> you\u2019re tempted to quote like crazy or tweak the formatting to make an essay look <\/i>longer and need a reminder of why that\u2019s a bad idea, remember that it will be totally obvious (and super annoying) if you\u2026<\/p>\n

    \u2026.increase the page margins.<\/p>\n

    \u2026.increase the font size (even if it\u2019s just the periods — don\u2019t!).<\/p>\n

    \u2026.choose an odd-looking font because it\u2019s larger than average.<\/p>\n

    \u2026.add extra spaces after periods.<\/p>\n

    \u2026.add extra spaces between paragraphs.<\/p>\n

    \u2026.add long but ill-placed or irrelevant quotations to your essay.<\/p>\n

    People (ahem<\/em>, 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<\/b> stick out!<\/p>\n

    Don\u2019t believe me? Have a look at these two essays:<\/p>\n

    Adding a quarter inch to the margins and using a larger font does make the essay longer. But it creates a pretty obvious difference!<\/p>\n

    Furthermore if you turn your paper in electronically, your teacher might adjust the font\/margin by default…then you\u2019re totally busted, and your efforts were a total waste.<\/p>\n

    One more thing: don\u2019t assume that an assignment with a required number of pages<\/i> rather than words<\/i> is a green light to go nuts with formatting.<\/p>\n

    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.<\/p>\n

    Don\u2019t abuse that trust!<\/p>\n

    Ultimately, the effort you put into adjusting the formatting or hunting for quotes could be better spent writing more content<\/i>.<\/p>\n

    But as you will see in the next section, the kind of content you write matters.<\/p>\n

    How to Make an Essay Longer (and Ruin It in the Process)<\/h2>\n

    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.<\/p>\n

    Take fluff, for instance.<\/p>\n

    Fluff is awesome on chicks and bunnies, but it\u2019s less awesome in writing. So what is fluff anyway?<\/p>\n

    Fluff is clutter, plain and simple. It\u2019s 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\u2019s easy to spot.<\/p>\n

    Fluff includes:<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Stating the obvious<\/li>\n
    2. Saying rather than showing<\/li>\n
    3. Redundancy\/repeating yourself<\/li>\n
    4. Using overly complex words\/sentence structures<\/li>\n
    5. Overusing words like \u201cvery,\u201d \u201creally,\u201d \u201crather,\u201d etc.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      \u201cPurple prose\u201d is another kind of fluff. This refers to flowery, over-the-top writing that is way <\/b>too heavy with adverbs and adjectives.<\/p>\n

      Let\u2019s look at a fluffy, purple example from a narrative or personal statement:<\/p>\n

      \u201cIt was in the great, shining city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that I instinctively drew my first breath.\u201d<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

      That\u2019s a terribly dramatic and wordy way to say, \u201cI was born in Philadelphia.\u201d<\/p>\n

      Here\u2019s another over-the-top example focused on a piece of literature. I\u2019ll bold the fluff so you can follow along:<\/p>\n

      \u201cThe Great Gatsby<\/i> is a very<\/b> interesting novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The author of the book <\/b>uses many symbols that are utilized to symbolize certain things<\/b>. The mysterious green light on Daisy\u2019s dock is a symbol that the author uses to show the reader something<\/b>.This rather important <\/b>symbol represents Gatsby\u2019s hopes and dreams of the future. Scholar T. Smith also states that this symbol is important in the book because it \u201creflects Gatsby\u2019s future ambitions<\/b>.\u201d<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

      Well, that says a whole lot of nothing. It\u2019s repetitive, it\u2019s 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:<\/p>\n

      \u201cIn The Great Gatsby<\/i>, F. Scott Fitzgerald includes a number of symbols, including the green light on Daisy\u2019s dock that represents Gatsby\u2019s hopes and dreams of the future.\u201d<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

      Much better.<\/p>\n

      Still not sure what constitutes fluff? Check out Stephanie Orges\u2019 47 words and phrases that slow your reader down<\/a> for some great examples of fluffy constructions to avoid.<\/p>\n

      Also read How to Avoid Sticky Sentences and Be a Better Writer<\/a>.<\/p>\n

      Now that you know how not<\/b> to make your essay longer, let\u2019s look at some legit strategies for bulking up your writing so that you end up with an essay that\u2019s all killer, no filler.<\/p>\n

      <\/div>\n
      \n
      Write an essay that’s all killer, no filler.<\/a><\/div>\n

      Click To Tweet<\/a><\/p>\n

      <\/div>\n<\/div>\n

      How to Make an Essay Longer…and Better than Ever
      \n<\/b><\/h2>\n

      There are plenty<\/i> of ways to make an essay longer without sacrificing its readability or your reader\u2019s sanity. Assuming that you already have your essay drafted, you can use one or more of the following strategies to generate real, substantial content.<\/p>\n

      1.<\/strong> Let someone else read your essay<\/strong>. Sure, you <\/i>think that your essay is clear, persuasive, entertaining, and thorough, but sometimes we make silly leaps in logic that don\u2019t work as well for our audience. Ask a trusted friend or a Kibin editor<\/a> to look over your paper and make suggestions about where to add more details or support.<\/p>\n

      (Pro tip: For this reason, a lot of writers specifically request that I ask questions while I edit their papers. Don\u2019t be afraid to ask!)<\/p>\n

      2. Look at your topic from a new angle.<\/strong> If you\u2019re writing a persuasive or argumentative essay<\/a>, 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.<\/p>\n

      3. Think outside the box.<\/strong> 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\u2019t hem yourself in with arbitrary notions of what constitutes an essay.<\/p>\n

      4. Add more support.<\/strong> Depending on the type of essay you\u2019re writing, \u201csupport\u201d 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\u2019re trying to make. Here are some of the most common types of support for different types of essays: <\/b><\/p>\n

      5. Walk away for a while.<\/strong> 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\u2019s block and is an important reason to start drafting your essay early — not, say, the night before it\u2019s due.<\/p>\n

      If you can spare the time, set your essay aside for a couple days. If you\u2019re 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.<\/p>\n

      Further Reading<\/h2>\n

      Armed with the pre-writing and revising strategies outlined in this post, you now know how to make an essay longer and <\/b>stronger without resorting to fluff, filler, or formatting \u2018solutions\u2019 that only waste your time and frustrate your reader.<\/p>\n

      If you\u2019re new to writing essays longer than a few pages, check out Shawn Doyle\u2019s post The Five-Paragraph Fix — How to Write Longer Essays<\/a> for advice on tackling longer essays and why writing ten pages can eventually become easier than writing just 2.<\/p>\n

      Also, read these tips for writing longer papers<\/a> from Hamilton College. This resource provides some great advice for organizing, researching, drafting and revising long essays and research papers so you don\u2019t get stumped in the first place.<\/p>\n

      Happy writing!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      Whenever you\u2019re writing an essay for a class, to get into your dream school, or for some other reason besides \u201cjust for the heck of it,\u201d  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 … <\/p>\n

      Read more<\/b> “How to Make an Essay Longer Without Writing Useless Fluff”<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":8464,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[57,105,137],"yoast_head":"\nHow to Make an Essay Longer Without Writing Useless Fluff<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"This post will help you learn how to make an essay longer without resorting to useless fluff, purple prose, or silly things the reader will notice.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/how-to-make-an-essay-longer\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Make an Essay Longer Without Writing Useless Fluff\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"This post will help you learn how to make an essay longer without resorting to useless fluff, purple prose, or silly things the reader will notice.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/how-to-make-an-essay-longer\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Kibin Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2015-08-11T00:00:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2019-04-06T22:44:55+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/howtomakeanessaylonger2.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"355\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Erin H.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Erin H.\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"9 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/how-to-make-an-essay-longer\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/how-to-make-an-essay-longer\/\",\"name\":\"How to Make an Essay Longer Without Writing Useless Fluff\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2015-08-11T00:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2019-04-06T22:44:55+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/#\/schema\/person\/d13d3778b6e824400ab81844ca8915ea\"},\"description\":\"This post will help you learn how to make an essay longer without resorting to useless fluff, purple prose, or silly things the reader will notice.\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/how-to-make-an-essay-longer\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/\",\"name\":\"Kibin Blog\",\"description\":\"Creating Better Writers\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/#\/schema\/person\/d13d3778b6e824400ab81844ca8915ea\",\"name\":\"Erin H.\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/20160102_142541-e1551551857373-100x100.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/20160102_142541-e1551551857373-100x100.jpg\",\"caption\":\"Erin H.\"},\"description\":\"is a professional word nerd with a BA in English. 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