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You will be well-served to give definitions of key terms, often the terms in the prompt or thesis statement. Also, what seem like easy synonyms in regular language often have significantly different meanings in philosophy (e.g. ethics or morality; person or human being). Consistency and accuracy are much more important than creativity or variety.

Philosophers often use the first person, especially when announcing their argument. The structure of the paper is often methodical as well, so numbering new claims and correctly using words that distinguish premises (e.g. because, for, given that, etc.) and conclusions (e.g. therefore, accordingly, it follows, etc.) is common. Beware of the use of the first person that avoids giving reasons (e.g. in my opinion).

As abstract as much philosophy is, giving clear examples and applications of an argument (or doing so to prove someone else is wrong) is worthwhile and efficient when done carefully.

The prompt should help establish how much quoting is expected and whether you can summarize the arguments and positions of others. When it is a question of interpretation, the text is the evidence and your argument is the entirety of the essay. But even when prompted to evaluate a position, first you should spend serious time explaining the position carefully, showing that you have read and comprehended complex texts. In those cases, your own evaluation regularly does not appear until the last paragraph or two. But be aware of overuse of quotations that give the impression that you have little to say or do not understand enough to paraphrase. See “Effective Quotes, Paraphrases, and Summaries.”

No philosophy paper is complete without it; although, objections can be entertained in subtle ways throughout the argument rather than saving a whole section to do so. One can defend a thesis by showing that arguments against it are unconvincing rather than, or in addition to, offering plausible reasons to support it. Don’t hesitate to be explicit here. See “They Say, I Say.”