Rice COMP 360 - Ten Rules for Good Writing

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Ten Rules for Good WritingAvoid the Word it• it is vague.• Vague writing is bad writing. • Both the writer and the reader are confused by vagueness.• Usually it stands for some noun. Use the noun; avoid it.• ExamplesBad: We hold it to be self-evident...Good: We hold these truths to be self-evident...Avoid Dangling Articles• The words this and these are dangling articles. • Like the word it, dangling articles are vague. • Always include the noun that the article modifies.• ExamplesBad: That to secure these, governments are instituted among Men.Good: That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among Men.Use Strong Verbs• In English, verbs are the key words. • Use strong verbs. • Try to avoid: to be, to have, to get, to obtain.Strong Verbs Weak Verbscreate is, arebuild has, havegenerate get, obtainconstructderivedemonstrateproveUse Strong Verbs (continued)ExamplesWeak: All men are equal.Strong: All men are created equal. Weak: That they obtain from their creator...Strong: That they are endowed by their creator...Use the Verb NOT the NounIn English, many words have two forms: a verb form and a noun form. Often a noun can be generated from a verb by adding a suffix such as ion. For example:Verbs Nounscreate creationconstruct constructionderive derivationdemonstrate demonstrationsolve solutionVerbs are the strong words in English. Whenever you have a choice between a verb and a noun, use the verb not the noun.Use the Verb NOT the Noun (continued)Weak: All men are equal by creation.Strong: All men are created equal. Weak: That they have an endowment from their creator...Strong: That they are endowed by their creator...One Idea Per Sentence• Do not cram all your ideas into one sentence. • Each sentence should contain one main idea. • If you have two good ideas, use two sentences.• ExamplesBad: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, and excessive bail shall not be required nor excessive fines imposed. Good: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. Excessive bail shall not be required nor excessive fines imposed.Write in the Present TenseExamplesBad: All men were created equal.Good: All men are created equal.Quotation Marks• Never Never Never Never Never use quotation marks, unless you are quoting a person or a book. • Putting quotation marks around a word does not alter the meaning of a word.• Do not be lazy. Find an appropriate word or phrase to express your thoughts.Good Writing is Mostly Rewriting• Do not hand in your first draft.• Proofread all your work, at least twice.• Use a thesaurus. -- Repeating the same word over and over again is boring.• Use spell check.• Correct all grammatical mistakes. Bad grammar is difficult to read and understand. You appreciate reading a clearly written text; you dislike trying to understand vague, ambiguous, obscure, and incoherent writing. Do not inflict these impediments on your fellow students, teachers, or colleagues.Organize Your Thoughts• Write an outline.• A collection of good ideas connected haphazardly is difficult to understand.• Try to make your ideas flow together naturally.Avoid Proofs by Surprise• A proper proof is like a good murder mystery: you must prepare your reader with all the necessary clues. • Bringing in new suspects or fresh evidence in the final paragraph is forbidden. • Proofs with a surprise ending are impossible for readers tofollow because the readers will have no idea where they are headed. • If you need to invoke a result from somewhere else to complete the proof, mention this result before you start your


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Rice COMP 360 - Ten Rules for Good Writing

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