General Guidelines for Writing Essays

 

  1. Choose a very specific thesis; expand, explain and analyze that thesis in great detail.  Every sentence in the essay should explain or reveal or give support to your thesis.  Make your thesis (an issue, an element of argument) the subject of every sentence.

 

  1. Do not summarize the plot or discuss the content of the writings or literature; focus instead on following your support with specific discussion, comments and analysis; do not generalize; be specific.

 

  1. If you word-process, print out and proofread the text for all typos, mechanics, style and clarity, including "to be" verbs, passive voice, and usage with the guidelines below - eliminate "to be" verbs, passive voice and inaccurate or informal phrasing.  A spellcheck feature can only accomplish some spellchecks - proofread for spelling independently.

 

Before you submit your work, please printout, proofread and revise for the following items:

 

[NCH ..] = The New Century Handbook  references by chapter(s).

 

Grammar and Mechanics

 

______  complete sentences (FRAGMENTS, and FUSED {Run-on} sentences)

                [ 29a, pp. 632-8]

 

______  punctuation: COMMA SPLICES, commas, semi-colons, periods, hyphens

                [30, pp. 639-642]

 

______  AGREEMENT

                [27, pp. 614-623] (subject-verb / pronoun-antecedent)

 

______  SPELLING

                [44, pp. 747-760]

 

Organization & Content

 

______  paragraph length (4 to 7 sentences)

                [6f, pp. 120-1]

 

______  clearly defined thesis

                [4b, pp. 351-3]

 

______  introduce appropriate examples and evidence

                [7c, pp. 134-7]

 

______  follow all examples and evidence with a well-developed discussion, analysis, point, or claim.

                [7e, pp. 138-41] (thinking critically)

 

______  combine / subordinate sentences and ideas

                [35, pp. 671-6]

 

______ Do not write plot summaries.  Keep focus on the author and/or thesis, and answer the prompt.

 

Emphasis & Syntax

 

                Revise sentences with "be" verbs: is/are, was/were, be/being

______  find and replace with the active verb

                [34, pp. 661-670]

 

______  passive voice (PV)

                [34d, pp. 663-4] (Revise for active voice)

 

Style & Usage (avoid in analytical writing)

 

                revise, eliminate, and avoid these pronouns:

______  I, me (my), you (your), we (us, our)

                keep the focus on the author and/or thesis

                [6d, 119-120, 14c-4, p.354]

 

                revise, eliminate, and avoid these nouns:

______  thing(s), the reader, the audience, today

                keep the focus on the author and/or thesis

 

______  revise and avoid these inexact and ambiguous verbs in philosophical/literary analysis:

                display, exhibit, portray, seem, show, use/utilize [5c-4, p. 89]

 

Logic & Related Style Errors

 

______  phrasing (informal, vague)

                [40c-9, pp. 712-721]

 

______  logic and reasoning

                [7a, pp. 129-131]

 

Syllabus  1301 2303