Essay Writing

Avoiding clichés

A cliché is a phrase or story shape a reader has seen many times. Replace it with a detail that only you could write.

A cliché is something used so often that it stops meaning much. Clichés hurt an essay because they hide you. When you use someone else's stock phrase, the reader learns less about you. The fix is almost always to get more specific.

Common stock phrases

  • Ever since I was young
  • I have always been passionate about
  • It opened my eyes
  • I stepped out of my comfort zone
  • Hard work pays off
  • It taught me never to give up
  • I realized that it was the journey that mattered
  • This experience made me who I am today

These phrases often show up in first drafts, and that is fine. They are placeholders for a thought you have not finished. When you find one, ask what you really mean, and then say that instead.

Common story shapes

Some whole stories can feel familiar. Any of these topics can work if you bring your own angle, so you don't need to ban them. Be careful with:

  • The big game or last-second win
  • The service trip where you discover how lucky you are
  • The injury that taught you to persevere
  • The move to a new school where you found yourself
  • The essay that lists every lesson a grandparent taught you

The risk is the ending everyone expects. A familiar event can still surprise a reader if you focus on what others would miss.

Made-up example: the big game
Weaker

We were down by one with seconds left. I knew this was my moment. Hard work pays off, and when the ball went in, I realized that anything is possible if you believe in yourself.

Stronger

I remember the win less than the bus ride home, when our backup goalie, who never played, had already started planning next week's drills. I had spent the whole season keeping score of my own minutes.

The weak version follows the expected path and ends on a slogan. The strong version turns away from the win and notices something only this writer saw, which tells us about the writer.

Made-up example: the service story
Weaker

Volunteering at the food pantry opened my eyes. They had so little, and yet they were so happy. It made me grateful for everything I have.

Stronger

At the food pantry, I assumed Mr. Alvarez came for the canned soup. He came for the crossword he and the manager finished every Thursday. I started saving him a chair and stopped guessing what people needed.

The weak version treats people as a lesson for the writer. The strong version sees one person clearly and admits a wrong assumption, so the writer's change feels earned.

How to fix a cliché

  1. Highlight any line you have heard before.
  2. Ask what really happened right then. Where were you? What did you see, say or do?
  3. Replace the phrase with that detail.
  4. If nothing specific comes to mind, cut the line and see if the essay needs it.

Don't swing too far

Hunting for odd phrases or big vocabulary causes its own problems. A thesaurus can make an essay sound less like you. Plain words used in your own way work best. If you would never say a sentence to someone you trust, rewrite it.

What to do next

Run the swap test on your draft in the Essay Studio. Then read Writing a strong conclusion so your ending stays specific too.

Reviewed October 2026.

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