ABCS OF WRITING

An active sentence grabs readers

attention by showing a subject
doing something. Wilma
clobbered Fred over the head is
an active sentence. Wilma is the
subject, and shes definitely doing
something active and interesting.

More Examples
Active: George polished his
spaceship with a handkerchief.
George is the subject. The reader
sees him doing something. This
sentence paints George as someone
whos interesting, colorful, and
unique.
Passive: The spaceship was
polished by George with a
handkerchief. The spaceship is the
subject. It just sits there while

Passive words litter your prose like

garbage on a freeway. Keep your
eyes peeled for wayward
conjugations of the following
verbs: be, can, could, have, do,
is, shall, should, was, were, and
will. When these offenders slip
into your writing, eradicate them
by making your subject do
something active.

Brevity

Wordiness is the hallmark of an

amateur writer. Dont use thirty
words when you only need five.
Use brevity to stay on point, so you
dont bore or confuse your reader.

EXAMPLE:
Wordy: There were many ways Wilma
could have expressed her anger to
Fred, but for some reason she found
herself choosing the most violent one
of all.
Brief and concise: Wilma used
violence to express her anger with
Fred.

C = Comma Sense

The poor, misused comma takes a lot

of abuse via overuse. Use comma
sense to avoid these two common
mistake:
Inserting a comma where a
period belongs.
Inserting a comma where it
doesnt belong

The ABCs of Writing

A Allow plenty of time for revision.
B Be firm in your convictions! Take
a
stand, and stick to it. A thesis
statement should uncompromisingly
assert your opinion. However, make
sure you back it up with supporting
FACTS.
C Care about your topic.

The ABCs of Writing (cont.)

D Designate time for editing and
revision.
E Examine every element for
accuracy and
clarity.
F Find credible sources. Though a
site might not advertise itself as Joe Bobs
Homepage, you should be able to judge
its credibility by carefully examining the
page for editors and academic sponsors.

G Grade your paper from your

instructors perspective; consider what
things he or she would count off for.
H Have the writing assignment
nearby, and follow it
explicitly.
I Identify your thesis and topic
sentences. Arrange them in order to
make sure that your argument is
complete.
J Jiggy wid it: avoid slang expressions
like this in a formal essay.

K Keep a dictionary with you when you

write.
L Let your passions guide you when
selecting a
paper topic.
M Make a paper reading appointment.
N Never write comma splices or run-on
sentences.
O Omit the obvious.
P Punctuate correctly.
Q Quit using non-words such as alot, alright,
its,
theirs, hisseslf, hers, and irregardless

R Read your paper, but dont focus on

counting the
words.
S Seek advice if you are unsure of the
grammar, the
content, r the format of your
paper.
T Take time to read your paper before you
turn it
in.
U Underline the title of novels, books,
movies, and
newspapers. Use quotation
marks for the titles of
poems, short stories,
articles, and songs.
V Vary your sentence construction to avoid
repetition.
W When in doubt, call the Grammar Hotline.

X Xerox your paper so that you

and your instructor will have copies.
Y Yell your informed opinion
by stating it argumentatively in your
thesis.
Z Zealously brainstorm as many
ideas as you can before you begin to
write your paper.