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You’ve finished your first draft; you’ve conveyed everything you had to say. But you’re still half a page short of the minimum length requirement.
Sounds familiar? Well, since you’re reading this, you must be dealing with a situation like this right now. And chances are, the deadline is right around the corner – so you need to find a solution fast.
Fret not! There are multiple ways you can make your essay longer, and most of them are fairly quick to use in practice. You’ll find the 18 most effective tactics for hitting that minimum length requirement below, as picked out by our experts.
Spoiler alert: we don’t advise you to stuff your text with filler phrases or sentences!
How to Make Your Essay Longer: 18 Tried-and-True Tactics
There are two main ways you can make your essay longer: expand it by writing additional content or use formatting to make it seem lengthier. Usually, the first option is the safer one; some instructors may not like it if you cut corners with formatting tricks.
That said, writing extra content does take more time. So, if you’re several lines short of hitting the minimum length requirement, choosing a different font is the kind of last-minute solution you may need.
Revisit Your Outline and Notes
Have you included everything from your original outline and notes? Chances are, some of those ideas and sources didn’t make the cut. But that’s why you should never delete your original outline – it can help you expand your draft later on!
Depending on what your initial outline contained, you may be able to:
- Add another paragraph to break down an additional argument you omitted in your first draft
- Describe a new source or two to support one of your arguments
- Provide more background information on the key terms or concepts
Cite More Sources or Add New Examples
If you’ve exhausted your outline and research notes, you can look up another source or example to make your essay longer. Yes, it’ll take a bit of time, but adding one more source to every paragraph (along with your analysis of it) can easily expand your essay by a third.
But what if you already have lots of sources and examples? In this case, you can make your citation or example more detailed, increasing the word count as a result.
Make Transitions Smoother
Transitions are easy to overdo. But if your essay has few or none of them, that also undermines the reading experience – and represents an opportunity to expand the text.
So, embrace transitional words and phrases, from “as a result” to “for this purpose” and “in summary.” Re-read your draft and add them wherever appropriate.
On top of that, review your main body paragraphs and make sure each of them ends with a transitional sentence, too. That will help you both hit the essay length requirement and improve the text’s readability.
Split a Paragraph into Two
Chances are, one of your paragraphs touches on multiple ideas or points. Read your draft and identify which paragraphs fit this bill. Then, break them down into two (or even more) paragraphs, each following the standard structure (topic sentence + evidence + your analysis).
That said, be careful not to repeat yourself when you expand your essay this way. If you can’t avoid it, though, it means you have to write a new paragraph from scratch.
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Expand Your Introduction or Conclusion
Does your introduction consist of the following three main elements? Chances are, you can add them to your introduction – or make them more detailed:
- Background: The context for the discussion, e.g., existing research
- Purpose: Your thesis statement, i.e., the position the essay will defend
- Outline: The main ideas discussed in the essay, i.e., a condensed overview of the main body paragraphs
As for the conclusion, it can’t introduce new information – but you can provide a more detailed summary of your arguments in support of your thesis statement. You can also expand it by:
- Linking your conclusion to the topic’s broader context
- Suggesting new research on the subject matter
Provide Definitions for Key Terms
You probably had to read up on the key terms and concepts anyway. So, why not add that extra information at the beginning? You get to kill two birds with one stone: increase the word count and show you’ve done your research.
Expand Main Body Paragraphs
Review your main body paragraphs; read them out loud if needed. Do they end with a clear summary of the arguments to support your topic sentence? Do they link the paragraph’s central idea to the essay’s thesis? Do they contain concrete examples?
Most likely, you can make every paragraph longer with a closing statement. It should reiterate why your argument stands – and how it advances your thesis statement from the introduction.
Refute Counterarguments (If You Haven’t Yet)
Not all assignments require you to work with counterevidence, but no essay can be made worse by addressing the opposing points of view. So, if you haven’t cited counterarguments yet, you can:
- Add a paragraph before the conclusion describing all main standpoints different from yours
- Or expand every main body paragraph by addressing counterarguments for each topic sentence
Double-Check Paragraph Structure
Does every paragraph contain the topic sentence, supporting evidence with citations, your analysis of it, and a transition to the next paragraph? If not, this is your chance to make your essay longer and better.
Add Direct Quotes from Your Sources
Usually, instructors advise students to paraphrase sources instead of quoting them directly. But sometimes, needs must. If your essay contains no direct quotes whatsoever, adding one or two of them is relatively safe.
That said, make sure to add your analysis of the quote; don’t just paste it without commentary. The quote also has to be pertinent to the essay.
Increase Line Spacing
Now, we enter a somewhat morally gray territory: formatting tricks. Using 2.25 spacing instead of double is one of them!
Choose a Larger Font Size
If you have some leeway with the font size, go as high as you can. You can exceed it by 0.5-1pt if you hand in a printed essay.
Bump Up Punctuation Mark Size
Set all the periods and commas to 14pt font size – no one will be able to tell. Pro tip: use the Find and Replace tool!
Use a Different Font
Without diving into the nitty-gritty of typography, some fonts are simply bigger than others at the same pt value. To make your essay longer, go with the likes of Bookman Old Style or Verdana. But only do it if your instructor hasn’t put a specific font in the requirements!
Increase the Margins
While your citation style guide specifies the margins, the bottom margin can be easily increased without anyone noticing. It’s better not to touch the rest of the margins, though.
Add a Footer with a Page Number
It won’t increase the word count – but it may bring you over the minimum page requirement.
Include a Header
In addition to the footer, you can also add a header with the essay title and/or your last name to every page.
Add a Title Page
Even if it’s optional, a title page can count toward the overall length – unless the grading rubric states otherwise, of course.
Sources
Ways to Expand (& Improve) an Essay. (n.d.). Reynolds Community College. Retrieved January 8, 2025, from https://www.reynolds.edu/writing-studio/writing-resources/ways-to-expand-an-essay.html
Reid, E. Shelley. “30 Things to do with your essay in the up draft(s).” The Writing Center. The Writing Center at George Mason University, 2007. Retrieved January 8, 2025, from https://issuu.com/gmuwritingcenter/docs/30-things-to-do-with-your-essay-in-the-up-drafts
