tips on academic writing
TRANSCRIPT
Gentle Writing Advice…
Academic Writing
Do’s
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Use
ACTIVE VOICE
Do:
Do: Use Active Voice
subject verb
subject verb
Active voice = the subject does the action:
The cat shredded the toilet paper.
The students planned the ceremony.
Tonya cooked dinner.
Do: Use Active Voice
Passive voice = the subject receives action:
The toilet paper was shredded by the cat.
The ceremony was planned by the students .
Dinner was cooked by Tonya.
Appeal to the
audience
Do:
Do: Appeal to the audience
Comedians make everyday topics appealing to an
audience.
Anticipate the reader’s reactions to each section of
your essay.
Proofread
your work
Do:
Do: Proofread for errors
Errors hurt communication of ideas.
Run spell-check to catch typographical errors.
Poor grammar will hurt your grade in
most classes.
Do: Proofread for errors
Do:Write
Concise Sentences
Do: Write concise sentences
Use fewer
prepositions
(to, of, in, from,
for)
to
Do: Write concise sentences
Use fewer
be-verbs
(is, are, was,
were)
Do: Write concise sentences
No The type of student in ENG 112 class isone who writes essays that are formal and academic.
Yes An ENG 112 student writes formal, academic essays.
Do:
Vary
Sentence Length
Do: Vary your sentence length
Use short sentences to emphasize important ideas.
• Long long long long long long long long long long long long long; long, long long long long. Short short short short.Long long long long long long long long long long long long.
Give your audience occasional breaks from long sentences.
Do:
Follow Assignment Guidelines
Do: Follow all assignment guidelines
Instructors expect students to follow all assignment guidelines.
I think I’ll just make up my own assignment!
Bad idea!!
Do:
Use concrete, vivid
descriptions
Do: Use concrete, vivid descriptions
The pigsty example…
Do: Use concrete, vivid descriptions
Imagine someone saying, “Wow, your place is a real pigsty!”
Do: Use concrete, vivid descriptions
Pigsty? What does that mean?
Do: Use concrete, vivid descriptions
People have different concepts of what a “pigsty” is.
Do: Use concrete, vivid descriptions
When writing, merely saying, “The room
was a pigsty” is not enough to convince your audience that you do indeed have a true pigsty on your hands.
Do: Use concrete, vivid descriptions
• Pigsty = the room had not
been vacuumed or dusted in a week.
• Pigsty = 3 rumpled outfits on the bed and a spilled make-up bag on the dresser
FACT: Not all pigsties are created equal.
Pigsty = Ten years of brittle, yellowed papers were piled on the floor.
Pizza boxes created makeshift tables for stacks of moldy fried chicken bones.
The furniture dancing with insects, and each drawer had a beard of dust.
Do: Use concrete, vivid descriptions
Academic Writing
Don’ts
Gentle Writing Advice…
Do not:
Use clichés
Do not: Use clichés
“Beating around the bush”
Do not: Use clichés
“Everything happens for a reason”
Do not: Use clichés
“Dead as a doornail”
Do not: Use clichés
•Don’t judge a book by its cover •Last but not least
•What goes around comes around•Sick as a dog
• Sweet as honey•Old as the hills
(Many clichés exist…
these are just examples)
Do not:
Make announcements
to the reader
Do not: Make announcements
Do not:
Address the reader as “YOU”
Do not: Use “you”
Q: What’s wrong with “YOU”?
A: It does not apply to everyone, and therefore writers exclude many of their readers.
Do not: Use “you”
Who, ME?
When youput on your fluffy wings, you feel at peace.
The snowflakes hittingyour body make youfeel pretty and sparkly.
Do not: Use “you”
Who, ME?
Seeing a sign like this makes you wonder why people would dislike you just because you are a shaven head child pick pocket. Perhaps you should wear a disguise so you don’t look like the picture on the sign.
Do not: Use “you”
Who, ME? When you pose for a family portrait in Winnie the Pooh costumes, you may be surprised at the reactions people have to yourphoto….
YOU
Do not: Use “you”
Do not:
Use “There are”/ “There is”
Do not: Use Weak Fillers
Weak Fillers=
There are
There were
There is
There was
This is
This was
It is
It was
Do not rely upon these weak fillers to begin your sentences.
•No There are many different classes offered at TCC.
•Yes TCC offers many different classes.
Do not: Use Weak Fillers
No It is necessary for employees to lock their desks.
Yes Employees must lock their desks.
Do not: Use Weak Fillers
It is
Do not:
Say “I think” or “I feel”or “in my opinion”
Do Not: Say “I think” or “I feel” or “in my opinion”
If your name is on the
paper, your reader knows
that any opinions expressed
in it are yours.
Do Not: Say “I think” or “I feel” or “in my opinion”
No need to say I thinkiguanas make great pets.
Just say Iguanas make great pets.
Do not:
Use 5th grade words
Do not: Use 5th
grade words
AVOID the word:
thing(s)(use a noun/say what you mean)
Thing / Things
Many things in the room look dirty.
I studied the wrong thing for the test.
We learned many things in class.
items
information for the
facts
new ideas
AVOID the words:
get /got(received, arrived, became)
Do not: Use 5th
grade words
Get / Got
John got many gifts for Christmas.
The ambulance got here quickly.
When I get back, we should talk.
Sophia got her shoes online.
received many
arrived
return,
bought
AVOID the word:
hard(difficult, frustrating, confusing…)
Do not: Use 5th
grade words
Hard
The final exam was hard.
Algebra is a hard subject for me
difficult.
challenging subject for me.
frustrating, perplexing, complicated
AVOID the words:
alot (a lot)
till (until)
Do not: Use 5th
grade words
AVOID the words:
stuff (possessions, boxes etc…)
mad (angry, upset, enraged)
Do not: Use 5th
grade words
Do not:
Use “very”
Do not: Use “very”
“Very” adds nothing to a description.
• In order to show intensity, use stronger words or figures of speech.
Very, very, very hot!
His skin was very dry.
His skin was so dry that he looked like a shedding snake.
dry skin
very
very
Do not: Use “very”
If someone is confused, he/she is confused. (Adding “very” does not change anything!)
very
Do not: Use “very”
Use a stronger word and avoid “very”
Very tired Exhausted
Do not: Use “very”
And finally, avoid the
worst opening lineever written…
(unless your goal is to present yourself as a dull, unsophisticated writer…)
This one line will destroy any hope for impressing a college professor with your essay…
It’s DOOM for any essay…
Ready…?(I had to force my fingers to type these words...cringe…)
In today’s society, …
Or worse…
“In today’s society, there are many reasons why…”
Remember to apply these Do’s & Don’ts
to your writing…
Start today!
End of presentation