Transcript WRITING TIPS

WRITING TIPS
1. ACTIVE!
Text should be written in the active voice, not
the passive voice.
FIX
Funds were raised for the American Cancer
Society’s annual drive.
2. Participles
 Avoiding verbs+ing (participles) as much as
possible is wise.
 Acceptable: The ACS was expending effort
to raise funds for its annual drive.
 Better: The ACS expended effort to raise
funds for its annual drive.
3. Don’t Split Verbs
 Do not regularly split verbs.
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Split Verb: She had longingly waited for that
“special day.”
Better: She had waited longingly for that
“special day.”
4. Infinitives
 Do not split infinitives (to + verb) to better
explain your point.
 Split infinitive: to better understand, to
simultaneously change
 Better: to understand better, to change
simultaneously.
5. Sexism
 Guys should avoid sexist terminology.
 Only refer to gender when it is necessary,
otherwise use neutral nouns and pronouns
(individuals, one, people, etc.)
6. Contractions
 Don’t use contractions in formal writing.
 It’s more acceptable, formal and educated
sounding to avoid contractions, so you
shouldn’t use them.
7. Proofread
 Proofreed your works very carefully for both
spelling and correct grammar.
8. Tenses
 All verb tenses should agrees. Pick one (past
or present tense) and stick with it.
 John entered the library. He speaks to the
librarian. Finally, John chooses a book.
 John entered the library. He spoke to the
librarian. Finally, John chose a book.
9. ?
 One should avoid rhetorical questions, don’t
you think? They sound tiresome, don’t they?
 (2 errors)
10. Commas
 Comma splices are common mistakes made
by undergraduates, consequently, when one
has two independent clauses, the use of a
semi-colon is preferable over a comma.
11. Fragments
 That students use sentence fragments is
unacceptable.
12. You
 You should avoid the use of the second
person pronoun when writing because it
comes across as talking at you rather than
communicating with you.
13. Alliteration
 Avoid alliteration. Always. (in formal
writing-essays.)
14. Prepositions
 Prepositions are not words to end sentences
with.
 Where are you at?
15. Clichés
 Avoid clichés like the plague. They are old
hat.
 Cliché- a trite or overused expression or idea.
Face the music needle in a haystack strong
as an ox easier said than done
EXAMPLES
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Face the music
Strong as an ox
Needle in a haystack
Easier said than done
Better late than never
Ripe old age
Gentle as a lamb
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Green with envy
Hard as a rock
Shoulder the burden
Untimely death
Add insult to injury
At the drop of a hat
Like the pot calling the
kettle black
16. Language
 Employ the vernacular.
 Use plain,everyday, clear language.
17. Short-cuts
 Eschew ampersands & abbreviations, etc.
 Do not use & or abbreviations et cetera.
18. Parenthesis
 Parenthetical remarks (however relevant) are
unnecessary.
19. Foreign words
 Foreign words and phrases are not apropos.
 Fitting; at the right time
20. Generalizations
 One should never generalize.
21. Quotations
 Eliminate quotations. As Ralph Waldo
Emerson said, “I hate quotations. Tell me
what you know.”
22. Comparisons
 Comparisons are as bad as clichés.
23. Repetition
 Don’t be redundant; don’t use more words
than necessary; it’s highly superfluous.
24. Specify
 Be more or less specific.
25. Sentences
 One-word sentences? Eliminate.
26. Analogies
 Analogies in formal writing are like feathers
on a snake.
27. Colloquialisms
 Go around the barn at high noon to avoid
colloquialisms.

characteristic of or appropriate to ordinary or familiar conversation rather
than formal speech or writing; informal; involving or using conversation.
28. Metaphors
 Even if a mixed metaphor sings, it should be
derailed.
29. Exaggeration
 Exaggeration in formal writing is a billion
times worse than understatement.