1. Your main thesis is weak.  Do you have a tendency to choose a weak thesis?  If you suspect along these lines, try going for a controversial topic next time.  Choose one that “ruffles some feathers,” like they say.  Sure, it may not be the most ideal, but taking that kind of risk should help you find more compelling topics for next time.

2. Your supporting arguments are insufficient.  Do you tend to go light on evidence and reasoning that give your main thesis credence?  If you suspect as much, go the extra mile next time.  After you think your reasoning is sufficient, throw in a few more additional arguments to support your case.

3. Your essay is just too complicated.  Complicated essays usually stem from a lack of clarity in the writer’s mind.  Next time, devote time to planning and outlining your essay before starting your draft.  It can work wonders in your favor.

4. Your writing is too flowery.  Some people, when tasked to write for class, tend to go heavy on words they think will impress the reader.  A certain amount of creative writing can do a lot to prop up a piece.  Too much, however, becomes distracting.

5. Your writing is plain bad.  Maybe you just suck at expressing yourself in written form.  If you’re this way, I highly recommend two things: (1) practicing remedial writing and (2) investing in a proofreading software.  The former should help you improve even a little; the latter will help clean up any essay you turn in for class.  Both should pay off heavily in your favor.

Lengthy plot summaries and paraphrases. Summaries are great for…summaries.  When you’re writing an essay, you’re expected to argue towards your thesis – that means, an original use of various ideas.

Generic cliches. Cliches sound bad in any form – movies, novels, speeches.  Avoid them in your essays, at all costs.

Too many quotations. Quoting too much text from other sources (no matter how authoritative) means avoiding any original writing.  That’s it – bad grade for you.

Poor grammar and sentence structures. No matter how solid your ideas, no one will understand them if you write poorly.  Use a grammar checker to give your thesis a chance.

Padded writing. Longer does not necessarily mean better.  If you think you’ll get extra points for padding sentences with redundant statements, you’re kidding yourself.  Concise writing demonstrates more hard work than an unnecessarily long one.

Too much facts, not enough discussion. Facts are always necessary in good, well-written essays.  However, putting them in without due analysis makes them no better than eye candy.  Express an original opinion based on them and watch that grade improve.