Writing Tips

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We offered feedback on your writing assignment and dispersed it throughout your text with track changes. Highlights, bolds, and/or underlines should draw your attention to certain parts of the text. We provided feedback once or twice in the text and expect you to review the rest of the text for examples that we pointed out. We also hope you will take notes from this work and use it as you write and edit your upcoming writing.
Some general writing tips follow. We encourage you to work with the Writing Center to develop your writing in these areas as needed.
You might also find Grammar Girl (http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar) helpful as a resource.

Dangling Prepositions: Write prepositions as phrases that include an object. When you find yourself leaving a dangling preposition and feel like it does not need an object, try reworking the sentence. You can leave a preposition dangling these days, but we recommend doing so sparingly. http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/ending-a-sentence-with-a-preposition?page=1

 Economy of Words: Express your ideas in as few words as possible. I like to write using what ever words I can to get the ideas on the page. Then I go back with whittle down the words to say my ideas more concisely and directly. Also edit sentences so that you have few prepositional phrases. Such a change will make your idea easier for readers to follow.

Vague Openings to Sentences: Try to avoid or sparingly use vague words in the subject position of sentences—there is, this is, that was, these are, it is.Lists: When you write a list in a sentence, you want each form of the verb to be of the same construction throughout.

Passive Voice: When you combine a form of the verb, to be, with another verb (in any conjugated form), you create passive voice. Passive voice takes more words to express your idea, dilutes the power of your words, and makes the actor(s) invisible. Try rewriting without passive voice. http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/active-voice-versus-passive-voice

Pronoun Antecedent Agreement: Make sure that your pronoun and its antecedent(s) agree with each other; both should be either singular or plural. http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/pronouns-and-antecedents 

Over Emphasis: Words like very, really, and the like weaken the force of your words instead of boosting the power of your ideas. With a good idea expressed well, you don't need these words.

Consistency of Voice: Try writing to make the voice (first person—I or we, third person—they, second person—you) consistent throughout. OR if you change voice, make sure you do so intentionally and that the change serves an intended purpose. http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/first-second-and-third-person 

  Which, That, and Commas: A clause that begins with which should be separated in a sentence by commas. Interestingly clauses, which use the word, that, do not need commas. http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/which-versus-that