There is a certain standard of writing that is expected at the university level. Professors expect you to have certain basic writing skills when they assign you a paper, whether it be a two page precis or a fifteen-page term paper. Students, on the other hand, often think of writing (including spelling and grammar) as something that they have already passed in high school, junior college, or in their first years of undergraduate education; therefore, they feel that they no longer have to worry about being graded on writing as long as they avoid classes in the English Department. The fact of the matter is that writing classes are required because writing is way you will show professors your mastery of the material, and it is largely what determines your grade in any course that requires a paper. If your writing is awkward, unclear or full of errors, your ideas will also appear to be unclear, awkward and full of errors. Even if you have memorized every fact in the course, if you cannot make sense of them in written form, your grades will reflect this.
This handout points to some of the most common writing errors that plague undergraduate papers. It is not a substitute for writing practice. Writing is a skill, and the only way to improve is to practice it. It is a skill that you will need for the rest of your life in order to succeed in any field. With that said, here are some common pitfalls which you should look for in your own writing:
Use Topic Sentences: A well written essay comes from good organization, and good organization is always reflected by good topic sentences. Each paragraph in your essay should be serving a purpose, or it should be eliminated all together. At the beginning of each paragraph, there should be a topic sentence indicating both what the paragraph is about and what role the paragraph is playing in your argument as a whole.
Use Good Grammar and Spelling: A command of good grammar is expected of all college students. You should be able to understand and make use of parallel sentence structure, subordinate clauses, verb-noun agreement, commas and other grammatical conventions. You should also avoid unclear or awkward sentence structure, run-on sentences, sentences that do not have a subject or object, dangling modifiers and word choice errors. If you have weaknesses in any of these areas, you should take advantage of writing courses offered here at the college.
Clarity, clairty, clarity: Always strive to be clear in the way you write. Your goal in writing a paper is to convey your ideas to the professor in a clear and concise manner. If your witing suffers from any of the above afflictions, clarity will be the first casualty in your writing, followed by your grade. A good way to check this is to have another student read your paper. If this is not possible, then try the following: after you have finished the first draft of your paper, do not look at it until the next day (or at least allow a few hours to pass until you pick it up again). You will be reading your own paper with fresh eyes, and are much more likely to catch spelling and grammar errors.
Hacker, Diane. A Writer’s Reference
Rampolla, Mary Lynn. A Pocket Guide to Writing History
Strunk, William and White, E.B. The Elements of Style
Williams, Joseph. Style, Towards Clarity and Grace