- Formal Writing: These papers are, and should be considered, formal writing. When writing you should always indent paragraphs and write in paragraph format. You should not use contractions (i.e. can’t) or slang (i.e. gonna) or text language (i.e. LOL) or emoticons (i.e. = ( .)
- Writing Syntax: Be sure your writing follows all appropriate grammar rules and uses well structured phrasing throughout. Write in complete sentences using proper punctuation, capitalization, and word usage. Avoid awkward phrasing and unclear statements that hurt the flow of your writing.
- Fragmented Sentences: “A well written article with thoughts and emotions.” is not a sentence! Make sure your sentences have a subject and a verb. “Addams wrote a well written article with thoughts and emotions” is a complete sentence. Also, try not to start sentences with words like “And” or “But;” those statements probably belong in the sentence before.
- Pronoun Usage: Make sure the pronouns within a sentence agree with one another! Take the sentence: “If someone wants to be a lawyer, they should study history.” This sentence’s pronouns do not agree – “someone” is singular and “they” is plural. The sentence should read: “If someone wants to be a lawyer, he or she should study history.” Also avoid relative pronoun errors; if referring to time use “when,” if referring to a place use “where.” Do not write, “It was a time where…”
- Preposition Usage: Do not end a sentence with a preposition! (of, with, at, to, etc.)
Do not write “I’m glad I have someone like you to spend my life with.”
Instead write “I’m glad I have someone like you with whom to spend my life.”
- Homonyms: Be careful when using homonyms such as “there, their, and they’re.” Make sure you are picking the correct word for your particular usage!
- Conditional Tense vs. Active Voice: When writing do not use the conditional tense! Do not write
“…would lead to…” rather write “…led to…” Do not write “…would start…” rather write “…started…”
- Word Usage: Please make sure you know what a word means before you use it in a sentence! Do not simply go to the thesaurus and pick a word randomly and substitute it. Just because something is hidden, or lost, does not mean it has been obfuscated. Just because something is quick does not mean it is moving with alacrity.
- Repeating Words: Try to express yourself in different ways to make your writing flow for the reader. Try not to craft sentences like: “The Portuguese in Portugal speak Portuguese to their neighbors in
Portugal who also speak Portuguese because they live in Portugal where the language is Portuguese.”
- Segue: Make sure you use segues to tie your writing together! Do not put disconnected thoughts in the same paragraph unless they are tied to together within the writing. “Life for families was difficult on the western frontier. Women in the West were given the right to vote in several states.” Tell the reader how these tie together. Was it a trade-off (freedom for hardship)? Was it cause and effect (life was hard so there were fewer people and therefore women were given a voice)? Make your connections clear to the reader!
