I will not go down to posterity talking bad grammar.
--Benjamin Disraeli
Any work you turn in for a grade should be reasonably clean of spelling and grammatical lapses. What does this mean? In the case of my courses, it means your punctuation, grammar, and spelling should not interfere with my reading of your work. If I have to stop frequently to correct problems in these areas, your paper is not reasonably clean and your grade will suffer.
On this page I discuss what I have found to be some of the most common problems with students' writing. Please refer to WRITING ASSIGNMENTS for a discussion of how to go about preparing term papers and reports and to BOOK REVIEWS for suggestions specific to that type of assignment. At the end of this guide is a recommended style handbook, although any good college grammar will cover the same ground.
Don't Say Don't!
In formal writing, which is what you should be doing in writing term papers, book reviews,
and other assignments (unless specifically told to be colloquial or informal by the
instructor), you should avoid contractions. You say "they are" not
"they're," "will not" instead of "won't," and "I
will" rather than "I'll."
From Two To Too
Homonyms are another minefield to watch for as you write. It is easy to fall into the trap
of incorrectly using then and than, there and their, and right
and write, among many others. More subtle problems also crop up when we do not
think about the meanings of words we use in everyday speech. Take the phrase "I would
of gone, but the bus past to early." Did you spot the problems? First, it should be
"would have" not "would of," although when we say the phrase, it
sounds like "of." Second, it should be "passed too early" not
"past to early." Past means at a time gone by, while passed means
having gone by something; to expresses direction or movement, while too
means excessively in this case, as well as also, besides, and very.
Its Mine--No, It's Mine!
Believe it or not, there is a difference between its and it's. The possessive is a hard
grammatical skill to master, but keep in mind that "it's" is a contraction of
"it is" and you will stay out of trouble. Since you should not use contractions
in formal writing as, for instance, in preparing a history paper, you should never have
use in this course for it's.
The Would that Wouldn't Go Away!
An increasing number of students write papers with a curious overuse of the auxiliary would.
Most things that happen can and should be treated in a straightforward manner. Why say
"They would be married in 1942, and would have six children over the
next ten years," when the more direct "They married in 1942, and had six
children over the following ten years" is clearer. Seeing a paper full of would
this and would that is distracting and frustrating to the reader.
Take a Deep Breath.
It is very important when you write that you not carry on in such a fashion that it is
difficult for the instructor to understand whether everything you have to say is part of
the same thought or a number of thoughts that should be broken down into individual parts
that would lend more weight to what you have to say and make it easier to understand your
meaning, but it does not because you cannot find it in yourself to use a period. Confused?
Run-on sentences generally are confusing and detract from the clarity of what you have to
say.
Of Word Processors, Spelling, and Grammar.
Although there are many other common mistakes that I could point out, I do not want to
belabor the point. I do want to warn you about over-reliance on the magic of computers.
Yes, many word processing packages now come bundled with grammar checkers, dictionaries,
and thesauri. Some will now "correct" your spelling as you type! But, what if
you type hole when you meant whole? What if you leave a whole sentence out of your paper?
What if you inadvertently used a particular construction that the machine accepts as
valid, but which should not be used? There is no substitute for reading through your work
to make sure everything is as it should be.
Dictionaries and Thesauri.
There are lots of good, inexpensive dictionaries and thesauri on the market, and you
should have one of each. What came with word processor is no substitute for the real
thing. There are dedicated dictionaries and thesauri now available on CD-ROM and even
on-line (e.g. Webster's), although there is still no
substitute for ones you can thumb through. I bring this up because some students are in
the habit of not looking up obscure terms and then misinterpreting or misusing them.
Dictionary and thesaurus use is a sure sign of erudition.
A Handy-Dandy Guide
William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White, The
Elements of Style (any edition).
This is a really short book. It makes grammar about as painless as it is going to get! It
gives examples of proper and improper usage, advice on effective writing, and basic rules
of punctuation. It is cheap. It is readily available. It should already be in your
possession.
Have a question? Contact me at jd10@swt.edu
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