GRAMMAR, STRUCTURE, & STYLE

STRUCTURE
The Thesis Statement | The Outline | The Content

STYLE

GRAMMAR

The point of writing is to communicate something to someone else, and grammar errors interrupt the flow of ideas. The smoother your text, the better the communication. 

Spelling 

• Use spell check! 
• Also, have a friend read the paper over to check for misplaced or misused words that the spell checker cannot necessarily pick up.

Punctuation.  

• Read through your paper carefully (or have a friend or tutor in the workshop do so) and check for missing periods, extra or missing commas, apostrophes, etc. 
• If you're unsure about using semi colons or other punctuation, come by the workshop. 
• DO NOT rely on the programs that MS Word uses to check grammar; they may not always be right. 

Verb Tenses.  Be consistent in the tenses that you use.  

• Present tense is commonly used to summarize someoneís argument:
• "Homer believes that the gods . . ." 
• "Marx says that . . ."
• Present tense is also good for abstract concepts:
• The state is . . . ," "hegemony works by . . ."
• Past tense is, of course, appropriate for historical time: 
• "during the French Revolution . . ."

Active/Passive Voice.  Using active rather than passive voice gives your writing punch and immediacy.  

• "Her full red lips bit into. . ." hooks you much more than "The barracuda was bitten into...."

Subject/Verb Agreement.  Subject/verb agreement is based upon number; pronouns must be consistent with their antecedents. 

• She buys her clothes at Goodwill.
• Someone is buying his clothes at Goodwill.
• They are buying their clothes at Goodwill.
• If someone buys his or her (not "their" unless the someone is buying clothes for several other people) clothes at Goodwill, he or she is probably poor or thrifty.
• Also, keep sentences consistent throughout the paper:

• Incorrect: If one hopes to write like Hemingway, then you should write on the same model typewriter.
• Correct: If you hope to write like Hemingway, then you should write on the same model typewriter.

Run-On Sentences.  Technically, a "run-on" sentence is two complete sentences joined together. "Fragments" are sentences that lack both a subject and a verb, or are dependent clauses standing alone. 

Split Infinitives 

• Try to very rarely do it (as in this sentence!)
• Do any of the sentences end with a preposition? If you do this often, the doghouse is where you'll be at!

Contractions 

• "Is not" is crisper than "isn't."

It's vs. its.  This is the pet peeve of Wesleyan professors 

• "It's" is a contraction of "it is"

The possessive form of "it" is "its"

Fewer vs. Less 

• Use "fewer" for things that can be counted, and "less" for things that are measured. If you read over your papers carefully, you will make fewer mistakes, and can worry less.

Don't use no double negatives  

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STRUCTURE: 

You cannot go wrong with this basic paragraph structure:  

• introductory sentence; 
• several supporting or explanatory sentences; 
• finally, a sentence that summarizes the main point of the paragraph and/or works as a transition to the next paragraph. 

Don't put too much in: each paragraph should be dominated by a single idea, which relates in some fashion to the thesis of the whole essay. 

The Thesis Statement 

• Is your thesis or argument clearly stated in the first paragraph?
• Say it loud and say it proud! Don't make people hunt for the thing, say clearly right up front what you intend to argue. One sentence should contain the basic idea; the rest of your paper is where you refine and elaborate on it. 
• Generally your thesis will be an answer to the question or topic that about which your are writing.
• Does the thesis statement contain an idea that encompasses all the material in the essay?
• Check, once it is all written, if the thesis really does include everything you've mentioned. If not, either your supporting paragraphs are too broad in their subjects, or the thesis is too narrowly focused (rarely the problem!).
• Can I explain my central argument in three sentences?
• If not, the argument is probably too broad, complex or unfocused; narrow your thesis and discussion.

The Outline 
Make a simple outline of your argument by jotting in the margin of each paragraph the main point.  

• Is your argument logical and coherent?
• Do the points make a reasonable sequence? 
• Are all the pro arguments together and then all the cons?
• Can I explain what each paragraph adds to the argument?
• That is, does it relate? Is this a side issue better left out?
• Are my paragraphs "shaped" properly?
• Are my sentences too long? Or are they too short?  Generally sentences more than two or three lines long are probably going to be difficult to read and understand. Break them up into shorter ones. 

The Specific Content 

• How well did I answer the question?
• Make a list of, and think about, the key terms in question. Then ask, Have I addressed them all?
• Have I shown analysis rather than just description or narrative? (Unless appropriate, such as in a creative writing class.)
• Have I used evidence properly?
• Does it really support my argument? Are my examples clear and concrete? Be specific.
• Are my facts correct? (Don't assume that the GNP of Albania in 1956 was lower than that of the U.S.; check!)
• Define any key terms that you use.
• Professors love definitions of things like "class," "state," and other abstract terns; they demonstrate real understanding and thought.
• Is my whole paper balanced?
• Are there too many examples and not enough argument? Did I spend most of my essay on the French Revolution discussing its later effects on Napoleon, when my thesis is about the increasing radicalization of revolutionaries as they try to gain power?
• Have you documented your sources correctly?  Click here for the correct methods.
• Do the paragraphs flow together?
• Read it aloud, listening for and thinking about how abrupt the transitions are. If in doubt, have a friend read it.
• Does the conclusion not just summarize the argument, but give a broader context, suggesting the importance or usefulness of my work?

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STYLE 

Style is mostly a matter of refinement, of polishing and improving. Revision is difficult for some; try thinking of it as an iterative process, a game of "How can I say this differently and better?" Apart from bravery, the key is to try something else, anything else, and them compare the two. 

• Don't try to sound "academic."  This may be the hardest thing for you to do, but find the most efficient way to express your thoughts, not the biggest words that will fit. Good ideas, simply and clearly expressed, are much more powerful than a swamp of buzzwords, jargon, and circumlocutions. Just because your textbooks are written that way doesn't mean you have to do so. Dense, convoluted, and wordy do not equal intelligent.
• Have I used the proper tone?  Humor can be risky. Professor Hightone may enjoy your jovial approach, but he'll be grading you on your analytical skills and evidence of serious grappling with the issues. Similarly, if you don't care much about the paper, it will show. Find a way (if only by invoking a Puritan-style work ethic) to care about doing a good job, otherwise your ennui will be evident.

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