Notes on Writing and Style
It starts with the basics. If these are done poorly, your whole document looks bad.
1. Keep verbs consistent in TENSE (Past/Present/Future) and NUMBER (Singular/Plural).
2. Keep pronouns consistent between singular and plural, particularly with the impersonal pronoun "one" (so avoid mismatches such as "if one thinks about this, they will....").
3. Spell-check. It really only takes a minute, and can make you look so much smarter.
4. Proofread carefully, to catch errors that the spell-check does not (such as "though" instead of "through," or “mediate” in place of “meditate”).
Stylistic Strategies: All of these aim to make your writing more muscular, vivid, and compact, either by eliminating unnecessary words, or by avoiding various flaws in sentence construction.
1. Focus the sentence strongly. The subject should be the sentence’s focal point.
NO The incidence of moonlighting among teachers is high.
YES Many teachers moonlight.
2. Write active sentences--one in which the subject DOES something. This means a general preference for verbs using the active rather than the passive voice--since the active voice not only requires fewer words, but is more direct and powerful. The best use for the passive is to avoid assigning agency, as in "The car windshield was broken." (by whom??)
NO My decision was to go to the head of the department...
YES I decided to go to the head of the department.
NO It is well known that….
YES Everyone knows that
For #1 and #2, the basic pattern is "Who does what?"
3. Use verbs instead of nouns (avoid "nominalization," that is, making nouns into verbs, because this habit not only adds extra words to your text, but sucks the life and vitality out of your prose).
NO We conducted an investigation into X.
YES We investigated X.
NO The board had a thorough discussion of X
YES The board thoroughly discussed X.
4. Eliminate redundant, unnecessary words.
the question as to whether >> whether
used for fuel purposes >> used for fuel
in a hasty manner >> hastily
there is no doubt but that >> doubtless
in spite of the fact that >> though (although)
I was unaware of the fact that >> I was unaware that
5. Make Positive statements. Tell your reader what something IS, rather than is not (this usually makes writing both more direct and more powerful). (So—search and change “not”)
not honest >> dishonest, mendacious, lying
not important >> insignificant, trivial, trifling
“not good” >> bad, terrible, catastrophic
did not remember >> forgot, neglected
did not pay attention to >>ignored
did not have much confidence in >>distrusted
6. Avoid using “very” as an intensifier. Use a more intense word instead.
Very often > frequently
Very old > ancient
Very open> transparent
Very painful > excruciating, torturous
Very poor > penniless, destitute
Very tired> exhausted, spent
Very powerful> compelling, enthralling
Very pretty > beautiful, gorgeous,
Very quick> rapid, alacritous
Very quiet> hushed
Very rainy > pouring, torrential
Very interesting > fascinating
Very scared > petrified
Very scary > chilling
Very serious> grave
Very sharp > keen
Very short > brief
Very shy > timid
7. Use the possessive apostrophe to reduce words and make your writing more direct.
e.g. the book of George >> George's book or “In Ulysses, a novel by James Joyce.. >> In James Joyce's novel Ulysses (or even "In James Joyce's Ulysses").
8. Save WOULD, SHOULD, COULD, MAY, and CAN for situations involving genuine uncertainty. Otherwise this sounds irresolute.
NO If you would let us know when you will arrive, we would be happy to arrange your transportation.
YES If you let us know when you will arrive, we will be happy to arrange your transportation.
9. Minimize metadiscourse (telling me what you're about to tell me, as in "In this paper I will be..." Don't bother telling me what you are about to tell me, just tell me).
THESIS CONSTRUCTION KIT (courtesy of Sam Chell, and used here with thanks).
When trying to formulate a thesis for a paper, remember that a thesis is an interpretive, not a descriptive, statement about your topic. In order to construct this, you may wish to try the following approach:
1. State a definitive viewpoint about your topic.
2. State the opposite.
3. Combine the two, and you have a thesis.
4. Try inverting your thesis (switching the two parts). Whether you choose #3 or #4 as your thesis, note that thesis requires that you deal with the opposing viewpoint before countering it with your own argument and proofs.
Application of the above, using Jane Eyre as the source text:
1. "Rochester is a patriarchal authority figure Jane must resist to achieve an identity of her own."
2. "Rochester is the loving fatherly figure Jane needs to complete her identity."
3. "Although Jane views Rochester as a protective father and strong alter ego, he is really a tyrant who is fit for Jane only after his humiliation is complete."
4. "Although Rochester is an oppressive authority figure, Jane's fulfillment as an individual requires that she turn his power to her advantage rather than extinguish it."
Further considerations:
1. Once you have your thesis, the rest of the paper is supportive, giving evidence to support this. Ideally, your thesis comes at the end of your opening paragraph (which should also prefigure or foreshadow the contents for the rest of your paper).
2. The paragraphs after the first should all be organized around topic sentences, which are expanded in the paragraph's body.
3. Be be sure to give your reader the necessary transitions, to show the logical progression of ideas in your paper (and to give the necessary evidence to support these ideas).
4. Since quotations should support rather than to advance your thesis, be sure to provide interpretive commentary that will do this, either as a lead-in to the quote, or as separate sentences immediately after it.