How to Say Nothing in Five Hundred Words Essay At first glace, it would appear that it’s just another example of a paper not to write. Though the first few paragraphs paint a picture of a timeline of a typical essay assignment (face it, we all procrastinate), it goes beyond saying that it was not completely necessary to add the details that had nothing to do with the actual paper. But other than that minor detail, most of what is written appears to be sound advice that could certainly spice up your next essay. Roberts puts in a touch of humor by purposely following whatever he said with what he instructed you not to do, not including the actual examples, of course. It was a good chance to see that those mistakes we commonly commit and how it can disinterest the reader after a while. He continually tells us to think outside the box and be as original as possible; to touch on subjects that we might not have considered before and see what comes up. Apparently changing dull words into more interesting ones and expressing a unique opinion can be the difference between getting an A or a D. Plus, it gives teachers more enjoyable reading material that will be sure to keep them happy. The portrayal of students might be slightly exaggerated, but it might just be the way to get the point across. Once it had been given a once over, I came to a realization that I do many of the things I shouldn’t do. It was certainly a wake up call. Even though this essay was published over 50 years ago, the advice still stays true. Times have changed, but what makes a good essay still stays the same.