As with most things, writing a good essay takes time and practice (and a lot of it). However, that being said there are a few steps that can help you write the level of essay you are looking for (no matter what level of English your are).

Step One
The first five minutes should be spent planning your essay. I have never seen any student get more than 3 points without having a good plan. Whilst planning remember that there is no such thing as a perfect plan. Write down as many ideas as you can and then decide which ones you can actually use; sometimes the first few ideas that come to mind are not always the the best ideas.

Step Two
You need to practice writing your essay within 20 minutes. To begin with this will be very difficult, but you really need to stay within this time limit even if you haven't completed your essay. You will find that after about 5 practice essays you will be able to write more and more.

Step Three
The last 5 minutes of your time should be spent checking for mistakes. Every mistake that you can correct the better chance you have of getting a better score. Some common errors include:
-The use of some/any/most/many
-The use of articles especially "the"
-The use of either the present perfect+past perfect (especially, when talking about simple past events)
-The use of prepositions (especially with verbs and adjectives)
-The use of plural nouns (Remember in the present simple if we are talking about a general action or event then the noun needs to be plural. I enjoy reading book books)

I hope that you find this useful; but please remember none of the advice that I am giving (and have given) has any meaning if it isn't put into practice. So for those of you who are planning on sending in essays to be marked, please read the other essays I have marked and take note of the points I have made.

Good writing:)

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