A good cover letter always needs to be concise, sharp, and to the point. Many professional companies and custom essay writing services will not even consider a candidate with a poorly written cover letter.
It’s easy to make simple mistakes when writing a cover letter, and it’s also easy to lose motivation and give up before finishing it.
Take the stress of writing a cover letter with this handy template that includes everything from introductions, descriptions, conclusions, and more!
With a variety of templates to choose from, you’ll be able to create an attractive and professional-looking cover letter in less than 5 minutes.
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Table of Contents
Top 10 Common Writing Mistakes Avoid While Writing
1. The Intro is Unnecessarily Long
The intro is too long, and you should cut it down to the basics. Nobody likes to read an unnecessarily long introduction.
This can be due to several reasons:
- The writer is trying to be clever and creative, and it comes off as arrogant and self-indulgent.
- The intro does not contain enough information about the topic, so the reader has no idea what they are reading.
- The content does not flow well because there is too much information in that one place.
- It wastes time for the reader by providing irrelevant information that could have been put elsewhere in the article or blog post.
2. Descriptions are Handwavy or Lacking Backup
Descriptions are often vague, and this can be a big issue. They can lead to misleading customers, and they often fail to convince the customer to buy the product.
The description should persuade them and make them want to buy it. The explanation is not convincing enough and lacks backup like examples or research.
Customers want more details on the features of the products, how it is used, what it feels like, etc., they want assurance that this is what they need.
3. Passive Voice vs Active Voice
Over the years, passive and active voice has been the subject of debate amongst writers. The concept you want to put across will help you know if you should use passive or active voice.
In definition, an active voice emphasizes the person performing an action. On the other hand, a passive voice emphasizes the person receiving the action or, at times, the act itself.
4. Too Wordy
Avoid unnecessary words. A sentence should have no pointless words, neither should a paragraph have meaningless sentences.
It should not translate to making all your sentences short and leaving out important details. A writer should ensure that all the words are used to say something.
Your articles should be brief and convincing. To achieve this, avoid overusing adverbs and adjectives that will lessen the meaning you want to communicate.
5. The Conclusion Doesn’t Summarize or Not Included.
The Conclusion is the final section of any paper, and it should summarize the paper’s main points and provide context for what has been written.
The conclusions should summarize the paper’s main points and provide context for what has been written.
Ideally, it will be a brief restatement of the thesis that concludes with a compelling summary of the discussion.
It is beneficial to include an alternative or competing view of your topic in your Conclusion, even if you disagree, as it will strengthen your point.
6. Pay Attention to Homophones
The word ‘homophones’ refers to words that sound alike but have different meanings, such as here and here. These words are often confused by students because their spelling pattern is the same.
The problem with homophones is that they can create confusion and distract readers from your message. To avoid this, you should use the exact spellings for all your homophone pairs.
This way, readers can easily differentiate between them and understand your message more clearly.
7. Apostrophe Disasters
If you read articles online, you will discover that not many people know how to use apostrophes. Apostrophes are used to show:
- Possession: To show that a thing or an individual belongs or relates to somebody or something.
- Omission: To show there are missing letters.
Be sure to read about all the different types of apostrophes and apply them so that they do not change the sentence’s meaning.
One of the most confusing uses of the apostrophe is when using ‘it’s’ and its’. ‘Its’ is the possession, while ‘it’s’ is showing omission.
8. Comma and Semicolon Mix-up
In writing, one of the most used (and abused) punctuation marks is a comma. This is because the rules of using commas are so many (which is not easy to remember), and it is used quite frequently.
Semicolons, on the other hand, are used to link closely related notions. With the use of a semicolon, your articles will look more sophisticated.
When a semicolon is not used correctly, it can lead to run-on sentences. This means the writer has joined two vital clauses which have no punctuation.
9. Repetitive Words
You will agree that words that we use a lot are usually implanted in our subconscious. If they stay there for long, you will notice you will start writing them also.
However, if you use particular words or phrases repeatedly, they begin to lose that specific effect. Below are ways in which you can reduce repetitive words:
- Do not repeat ideas you have previously made.
- Do not use similar headings multiple times.
- Make sure that all subheadings relate to the primary purpose of the article.
- Avoid unnecessary information.
10. Misrepresented Words
When you want to put an idea across, choosing the right words in the proper structure is vital. English has a lot of words that one can pick from; however, word selection is essential if you want your message to be understood correctly.
Simple words like, for instance, not knowing when to use less or fewer. Fewer is used when whatever is being referred to can be counted. Less is used when you can’t measure.
Our Thoughts
To quote academic writing expert Lauren Bradshaw,
“If your writing skills are weak, you should never stop. It does not mean you have lost, and you can be victorious by trying various writing methods and techniques. Fortunately, we know many of them, and every student can become a great writer.”
This is where we all agree that practice makes perfect. You cannot become an expert writer overnight, but if you follow the tips given above with a lot, of course, you will undoubtedly perfect your writing skills.
