IDEAS & CONTENT



IDEAS & CONTENT

1. Choose a narrow, manageable topic. ("Animals of Africa" is way too big. You could narrow it to "The Nocturnal Habits of the Three-Toed Sloth.")

2. Focus on one central theme for your paper. In a formal essay, this means you need a clear thesis statement which forcefully states the main idea of your paper.

3. Show the reader; don't tell him. Instead of telling the reader that the first day of school was hectic, describe the scene. Show the reader just how hectic and crazy things are.

4. Develop ideas within paragraphs thoroughly. Include at least three to four supporting details/examples in each body paragraph.

5. Don't repeat ideas; expand upon them. Ask yourself, "Why do I think this? How can I best explain my point? To what can I compare my point in order to help the reader understand what I'm trying to say?" Don't just reword the same sentence over and over.

6. Ask and answer questions for the reader. When you get stuck and are having problems coming up with ideas, ask yourself these seven questions: Who? What? When? Where? Why? How? What examples can I use to support my point?

7. Make connections to life. Why is this important? What life lessons can be learned?

ORGANIZATION

1. Decide upon the central idea of your paper (thesis statement).

2. Build an outline that lists supporting points and details.

3. Order details based on some method of organization.

- compare and contrast - order of importance -pro and con

- spatial order - chronological order - order of impression

4. Paragraphs should be unified, focusing on one topic only.

5. Begin papers with an attention-grabbing lead.

6. Smoothly transition from your lead to a brief introduction of your topic.

7. In formal essays, a clear thesis statement should come at the end of the opening.

8. Use transitional words or phrases between paragraphs and some sentences in order to build coherence.

9. Here are some ways to build coherence (logical, smooth connections) in your writing:

A. Pronoun references: my aunt...she the racquet....it

B. Logical organization: Sequential reactions of dad, aunt, brother, and narrator

C. Transitional words: Meanwhile, in addition, as a result, for example,

D. Synonyms: These murderers....the killers...

10. The conclusion should refer back to the opening in some way and should leave the reader with a sense of closure.

WAYS TO WRITE AN EFFECTIVE CLINCHER (end of a paper)

A. End with an anecdote (short incident that has occurred)

B. A concluding analysis

C. A strong quotation that sums up your point

D. A striking fact

E. End with a universal statement (everybody can relate to it).

F. Relate the issue(s) in your paper to the future in some way.

WORD CHOICE

1. Use specific, concrete language that makes it clear to the reader exactly what you want to say. (Instead of saying, "It was a beautiful day," say, "The intensely glowing light of the sun cut sharply through the few wispy clouds that stood alone against the soft blueness of the sky.")

2. Avoid empty modifiers such as good, bad, interesting, wonderful, great, etc.

3. Use concrete nouns instead of abstract nouns when possible. ("Sharp-edged wedges of light lay upon the window-sill and showed inside the room plates with blue rings...)

-"wedges, window-sill, plates, and rings" are all concrete nouns.

- This is far better than if the writer would have just said "the furniture."

4. Choose nouns for sound effect as well as meaning.

- "The bulge of a great bowl.." (The b and l sound help accentuate the shape and size of the object.)

5. Try to expand single nouns into noun phrases.

- Instead of just saying "corners" or "lines," say "the formidable corners and lines of cabinets and bookcases."

6. Use action verbs rather than linking verbs whenever possible.

- Instead of "the collar was uncomfortable," say "the collar pinched his throat."

7. Use precise action verbs rather than more general verbs.

- Instead of saying, "Jeff adjusted his tie," say, "Jeff fumbled with his tie."

8. Replace groups of words with a single action verb.

- Instead of saying, "The clothes provide food for the moths," say, "The clothes feed the moths.

9. Choose verbs that contribute to the mood. For example if you want to convey a mood of discomfort or awkwardness, verbs such as trembled, fumbled, and pinched.

10. Use figurative language such as similes, metaphors, hyperbole, personification, or sound devices in your writing.

- Instead of saying, "The weather was hot," you could say, "It was as hot as the center of the sun."

11. Use a thesaurus to help you find the best possible word. However, don't use a word from the thesaurus if you don't know what it means.

12. Use active voice instead of passive voice whenever possible.

- Instead of saying, "America was discovered by Christopher Columbus," say

"Christopher Columbus discovered America."

VOICE

1. Avoid using you/your in virtually any essay or paper.

2. Write with passion. Don't be afraid to say what you really think.

3. Be honest.

4. Choose an attitude (tone) that you want to express in your work. Focus on taking this tone throughout the paper.

5. Know the difference between formal and informal voice.

FORMAL: no I, me, you, your...3rd person, higher level vocabulary, no slang,

focus on logic, analyzes something using reason

INFORMAL: personal, may use I, me, my..., focus on emotions and connections,

draws on personal experience

SENTENCE FLUENCY

1. Vary the length of your sentences. (some short, some longer)

2. Occasionally use a very short sentence to stress a point, indicate a change of thought, or clinch an idea.

3. Invert the word order of a sentence sometimes.

- You could change, "A rider on a horse came galloping out of nowhere at me," to

"Galloping out of nowhere straight at me came a rider on a black horse.

4. Vary the structure of your sentences (some simple sentences, some compound sentences, some complex sentences, some compound-complex).

5. Use an interrogative sentence from time to time to heighten dramatic effect.

- An interrogative sentence is one that asks a question.

6. Quotations or dialogue should sound natural. Always lead into and blend quoted material smoothly into your paper.

7. Use creative and appropriate transitions between sentences and thoughts to show how each relates to and builds upon the one before it.

8. Think about the sound of the words and sentences as well as the meaning. The first time you read your paper aloud should be a breeze.

CONVENTIONS (some simple tips to improve your score for conventions)

1. Do not abbreviate words such as "and" with a plus sign + or an ampersand &.

( Use "Sheila and I" instead of "Sheila & I.")

2. Write out all numbers that are one or two words long. Anything longer you can use the numbers. (CORRECT: one, fifty-five, one hundred, thirteen hundred, 1,303, 125, four million).

3. Avoid slang expressions such as "guy," "dude," "gonna," etc...

4. Do not use wanna, gonna, thru, tonite, could of, would of, or 'cause.

wanna = want to gonna = going to tonite = tonight

thru = through 'cause = because

could of = could have

5. Don't confuse the following words:

accept = to receive except = other than

- EXAMPLE: I accept all of the apologies except Ralph's.

-

affect = to influence effect = a noun meaning "the result of"

- EXAMPLE: The speech affected me.

- EXAMPLE: The effect of his speech was to make me think.

who = used as a subject, describes people whom = used as an object,

- EXAMPLE: There is the girl who works in the mall.

- EXAMPLE: This is the man whom we spoke of.

there = location their = possession they're = they are

- EXAMPLE: They're parking their car over there.

5. Use apostrophes correctly. They are used to show possession, to create contractions, and to form the plurals of letters, figures, etc.

the man's coat the students' desks Ross's backpack

she's late it's time to go you're late

David and Larry's mother

6. In essays and formal writing, do not start sentences with "So," "Well," "And," "Like," or "But."

7. Make sure the subject(s) of your sentence agree with the verb(s).

A bouquet of flowers stands on the piano.

Integrity, as well as dilligence, is desirable in business.

8. Always list other persons before yourself.

- "Joe and I went out" not "Me and Joe went out."

9. Avoid double negatives.

- "I don't want none" is a double negative. Instead, say, "I don't want any."

10. Capitalize the first, last and all other important words in titles. Do not capitalize articles, prepositions, or conjunctions of less than five letters that appear in the middle of the title.

EXAMPLES:

The King and I Gone with the Wind From Here to Eternity

"The Death Penalty Works in Some States" "Through the Passage to India"

11. Don't forget to use commas to set off nonessential information.

EXAMPLES: Tea, for example, also contains caffeine.

Rita, who is very talented, won the scholarship.

The vise-grip, which is a wrenchlike tool, resembles pliers.

12. Don't forget to use commas after introductory words, phrases, or clauses.

EXAMPLES: Before we leave, let’s call Pam.

John, don't forget your money.

Without having an idea of an answer, Steve responded.

13. Use semicolons to join independent clauses (complete sentences) with or without a conjunctive adverb or transitional phrase.

EXAMPLES: - Newts are brightly colored salamanders; efts are young newts.

-California, New York, and Texas are the three most populous states; on the other hand, Wyoming, Rhode Island, and Idaho are among the least populous.

- Evan is a slow reader; however, he is an excellent student.

14. Use semicolons to avoid confusion when you have a series of items that contain commas.

EXAMPLES: - Byzantine trade included furs such as sable, mink, and fox; precious stones, gold, and ivory; and fabrics such as silk, muslin, and damask.

- I visited Detroit, Michigan; Toledo, Ohio; and Indianapolis, Indiana last summer.

15. Use colons after a complete stop to introduce a list.

EXAMPLE: - You will need the following items: work boots, warm clothing, and a backpack.

- His laundry pile could be described in two words: big and smelly.

16. Use colons after a complete stop to introduce a quotation that is not preceded by explanatory words.

EXAMPLE: - In one of his essays, Emerson talked about the nature of beauty: “Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not.”

17. Unless a flashback is included, you should sustain the same tense throughout a paper.

18. For literary analysis papers, use present tense throughout.

19. An -ing verb cannot stand alone. It must be used with a helping verb in order to act as a verb.

FRAGMENT: Waiting for my mother to approach.

20. A clause that begins with because, if, when, after, etc. cannot stand alone as a sentence.

FRAGMENT: When I have the time.

FRAGMENT: Because he arrived prior to his brother.

FRAGMENT: If I had a million dollars.

21. A run-on occurs when two or more sentences are improperly connected as one.

RUN-ON: She walked quickly to the parking lot she opened up her car door.

RUN-ON: Derrick and Jamie drove home and picked up Lucas then they went over to Skye's house.

22. A comma by itself cannot connect two sentences.

RUN-ON: I walked for miles and miles, I was absolutely exhausted.

RUN-ON: Jamie waited at the bus stop for hours, no bus ever came.

23. Avoid using you and your in papers or essays.

24. Avoid using I, me, my, or other personal expressions in formal essays.

25. Use the same pronoun throughout an example. Don't confuse the reader with inconsistent pronoun references.

INCORRECT: Pronoun references are all over the place.

In addition, the death penalty helps bring relief to victims' families. You feel much better if the killer is put to death. They will definitely pay for their crimes. Everyone knows that it is better if they are put to death so that you don't have to worry about them coming back and hurting somebody else. It is definitely a concern that you have to think about if the killer is sentenced to life without parole. What happens if they escape from prison?

CORRECT: Consistent pronoun references

In addition, the death penalty helps bring relief to victims' families. These relatives will feel much better after the killer is put to death. They know that the killer will definitely pay for his crimes. Everyone knows that it is better if the murderer is put to death so that families don't have to worry about him coming back and hurting somebody else. It is definitely a concern that families have to think about if the killer is sentenced to life without parole. What happens if the criminal escapes from prison?

26. Make sure that lists are parallel in construction.

INCORRECT: I like to skate, skiing, and to play water polo.

CORRECT: I like to skate, to ski, and to play water polo.

INCORRECT: He is trying to become a better athlete, student, and he is a hard-worker.

CORRECT: He is trying to become a better athlete, student, and worker.

INCORRECT: John likes basketball, football, and playing golf.

CORRECT: John likes basketball, football, and golf.

BLENDING QUOTATIONS

1. Always lead into quotes with your own words. After a quote, be sure to explain how the quote relates to your point.

The speaker points out the destructive nature of anger when he says, "I think I know enough of hate / To say that for destruction ice / Is also great / And would suffice" (6-10). In this case, ice is used to symbolize the cold-hearted hatred that we often display towards our fellow human beings.

2. Set the quote off with a comma if it is preceded by explanatory words (he says, she exclaims, he protests, he screams).

The speaker points out the destructive nature of anger when he says, "I think I know enough of hate / To say that for destruction ice / Is also great / And would suffice" (6-10).

3. After what would be a complete sentence, use a colon to introduce a quote that is a complete sentence.

The metaphor of ice is used to help point out the destructive nature of anger: "I think I know enough of hate / To say that for destruction ice / Is also great / And would suffice" (6-10).

4. When a quoted fragment is inserted into a sentence, the writer should blend the quote with his/her own words.

We learn that the speaker "know[s] enough of hate"(6).

5. Use an ellipsis to omit unnecessary words or to demonstrate that the quote is only part of a compound sentence.

The speaker points out the destructive nature of anger when he says, "I think I know enough of hate / To say that for destruction ice... would suffice" (6-10).

6. Use brackets when you alter part of a quote to fit smoothly into your paper.

The speaker tells the reader that he "know[s] enough of hate"(6). This leads the reader to believe that the speaker has some experience dealing with evil and hatred.

The speaker reveals that he "[spoke] with the ghosts of [the ancestors] who passed long ago"(9).

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