Toward Better Writing
(The goal is clear reasoning, expressed so another can follow it.)
For starters: Include a helpful Title, Date, Name
The Nitty Gritty: Grammar, Syntax, Clarity (Be sure to proofread your paper!)
Punctuation: “Although a subordinate clause is generally followed by a comma, two main clauses are kept separate by a semicolon; this helps avoid run-on sentences. However, there are also other ways of relating two main clauses, and conjunctions like “and,” “but,” or “yet” are especially helpful in this regard. Moreover, you can also use two separate sentences linked together by an introductory adverb or adverbial phrase. These adverbs, like “however,” “nevertheless,” “on the other hand,” “moreover,” or “furthermore” help the reader see more clearly how two sentences are related.
Subject/verb agreement; number: “You needs to get this right!”
Spelling: separate, effect v. affect, led v. lead
Concision: Don’t waste words.
Diction: Your choice of these words is critical, first to capture your exact meaning, and secondly to capture it in words and phrases that conform to the correct usage of the language.
Precise word choice: “automatically” is not the same, for example, as “immediately”
Apostrophe and its placement: it’s vs. its, the Athenians’ v. the Athenian’s, Socrates’
Paragraphing: Let each paragraph be united by a common idea.
Avoid colloquial expressions: “It’s incredible that F. Douglass was a slave, and avoid cliches like the plague.
Avoid redundancy, and don’t repeat the same thought without addition [This is redundant!].
Avoid run-on sentences: “Do not write run-on sentences, they will confuse the reader, who ought to be able to follow your prose easily, so use simple sentences.”
Avoid sentence fragments, like “Being as how technology is so powerful.”
Citing the Text: (other classes/teachers may have more stringent rules)
In most humanities/social science papers, the text is your evidence; cite it frequently.
Do not feel obliged to quote the text every time you refer to it. You might, for example, say, “In Oedipus Tyrannus sight is a common metaphor for understanding” (ll. 18, 169, 1043, 1272).
Cite the text in the simplest way that will enable your reader to find the passage to which you are referring.
The Heart of the Matter: Content, Argumentation, Rhetoric
Clear articulation of thesis or issue: What is your point?
Sound organization and line of argument: Intro, conclusion, supporting evidence
Evidence and its presentation: Clear and to the point? Persuasive? Important?
Consideration of alternative and opposed points of view (explicitly or implicitly)
[You are writing on a subject on which reasonable people disagree. You therefore will need to keep in mind the reasons others might well disagree with you, and you will often find it helpful to address explicitly the reasons someone might see things differently (and why your reasons are better).]
Suitability for intended purpose and addressee: level of formality, difficulty?
A Writer’s Checklist
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Excellent
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Fair
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Poor
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Ideas/Content
Development of a theme
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q Intro is well formulated & anticipates issues
q Paper is clear and focused.
q Reader's questions are anticipated and answered.
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q Thesis is quite general but still renders basic idea.
q The writer is beginning to define the topic, even though development is still basic or general
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q The paper has no clear sense of purpose or theme. The writer is still in search of a topic or point of view
q The idea is a simple restatement
q Text is repetitious
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Organization
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q Organization enhances the central idea.
q Introduction
q Conclusion
q Transitions are good between sentences and paragraphs
q clear title
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q Recognizable introduction and conclusion
q Transition often work well
q Sequencing shows some logic, yet structure takes attention away from content
q Title okay
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q No real introduction or overview
q Connections between ideas are confusing
q No title or misleading title
q Problems of organization distract from clear message
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Word Choice/style
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q Words are specific & accurate
q Lively words can help but only if they are apt
q precision is key!
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q Language is vague
q Limited vocab.
q Jargon, clichés
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Sentence Fluency
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q Easy flow
q Sentences convey meaning
q Appropriate connectives
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q Syntax usually constructed correctly
q Some variety in syntax
q The reader has to hunt for clues
q Part of the text is choppy
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q Syntax choppy, incomplete, rambling, awkward
q Sentences begin the same way
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Grammar etc.
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q spelling is correct
q punctuation is accurate
q grammar is correct
q good paragraphing
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q Spelling usually correct
q Punctuation usually accurate
q Paragraphing is attempted
q Problems with grammar are not serious
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q Spelling errors are frequent
q Punctuation missing or incorrect
q Errors in grammar or usage are very noticeable
q The reader must read once to decode, then to think about the idea
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Comments
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