Writing
Tips
Click here to download the form that I use when I'm grading papers
(includes the rules listed below).
Below is a list of some things that I have come across again and again in
grading papers. I will take points off for some of these things.
1. Plain old spelling errors and typos!
The easiest thing to avoid doing now that spell-check exists on computers!
2. Homonyms - choosing
the wrong "same word"
I often see people use "weather" when they mean "whether"
in writing. Make sure you know the difference.
3. The difference between "affect" and "effect"
affect (in most cases) = verb
effect (in most cases) = noun
4. The difference between "then" and "than"
Then - refers to the passing of time.
Example: I went to class, then I went home.
Than - a comparison word
Example: I like Mass Media class better than Chemistry class.
5. Be careful to catch any mistakes you make with "it's" and "its"
Remember:
it's = it is
its = the possessive case of a noun (e.g. The website updates its
information throughout the day)
6. There,
their and they're
Remember:
there = a place (Are you here or there?)
their = possessive (They love their dog.)
they're = they are (They're moving to Boston.)
7.
Avoid using contractions in your writing.
It sounds more professional if you write "they are" instead of "they're" -
try to avoid using contractions in favor of writing out the full words.
8. Avoid the second person voice in formal writing.
For example: Instead of saying "you can see how the newspaper and the
online version differ"...put it in the third person voice such as "one can
see how the newspaper and online version differ..." or "The reader can see
how the newspaper differ..." It is a "more professional" way to write when
you keep things objective and in a "removed" third person voice.
9. Quotes should never
stand alone as sentences - always attribute them within the
sentence to the speaker or writer. You should also include some
context of what the quote means in relation to what you are writing about.
WRONG: "Blah, blah, blah." (Smith,
2000, 2)
RIGHT: Smith said, "blah, blah,
blah" (Smith, 2000, 2).
10. Use the same verb tense throughout the paper.
Don't go switching from the present tense to the past tense and then back
again.
11. Don't use "etc." in
formal writing - always be as precise as possible in expressing your
ideas.
12. Sentences need subject/pronoun agreement.
By this I mean the following:
WRONG: A person goes to college because they want to better themselves.
RIGHT: A person goes to college because he wants to better himself.
If the subject in the sentence is singular, make sure the words that refer
to that subject are also singular. Even though it may sound awkward, the
convention in writing is to assign the word a masculine "he/him"
antecedent if the gender of the singular subject is not known.
However, you could also write something like the following to get around
this gender issue:
RIGHT: A person goes to college because he/she wants to better
him/herself. (although this is a bit awkward to read)
...or even better, make everything plural and avoid gender altogether...
RIGHT: People go to college because they want to better themselves.
13. Avoid colloquialisms,
euphemisms and slang in formal
writing.
14. Avoid rhetorical questions in formal
writing...better yet, avoid all questions in your writing.
15. Avoid inserting your opinion into formal
writing.
Again, keep it objective. You can assert your observations, but avoid
making value judgments about certain things when possible.
16. Use examples to support your main points when
relevant. Don't write something vague and then end your thought
there. You always need to support your main points in each
paragraph with evidence to support your idea. Cite quotes,
give specifics and/or describe things more in depth!
17. Punctuation goes INSIDE quote marks.
Even though it may look wrong, a period/comma/exclamation point/etc. goes
inside a quotation mark.
Example: She said, "Pay attention to grammar."
18. Put 2 spaces between
sentences.
19. Don't make
capitalization errors!
20.
Indent paragraphs.
21. Don't have sentence
fragments!
22. Avoid run-on
sentences!
22. Avoid awkward
wording. Read through your paper after you write it and see if it
makes linguistic sense!
24. Write out numbers
under 10.
25. Avoid
super-long paragraphs!
26. Vary sentence
structure!
27. You don't need
to write "Mr." and "Ms." in papers. Simply writing the person's last
name is sufficient in formal writing.
28. Avoid vague
terms whenever possible! For instance, don't
write "They want us to see women as..." Instead, say
"the filmmakers want the audience to see women as..." or use another descriptive
noun to avoid vagueness.
29. Make sure you
have smooth transitions between sentences and paragraphs. Your ideas
should flow easily from one sentence to another.
Still have questions? Find the answer online or ask me.
Some helpful writing websites:
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