Monday, August 23, 2004

My Writing Tips for Students

1. Avoid beginning a sentence with the indefinite pronoun "it." When using "it" make sure there is a clear and direct reference to its subject.

2. Underline the titles of books, films, television show titles, magazines, and newspapers. Works that comprise a bigger work are put in quotation marks. Ex: "Voices at the Wrong Time" is a chapter in A Primate's Memoir. Ex: "Reagan Dies" is an article and headline in The Commercial Appeal.

3. Make certain that each sentence you write makes sense and can stand alone. Wrong: So do many others less significant. Right: Other less significant writers possessed art from the soul.

4. Make sure you spell names precisely. Wrong: Thomas Dish Right: Thomas Disch

5. Capitalize proper nouns: Wrong: Movies Such as Ones Like Star Wars. Right. Movies such as ones like Star Wars. Wrong: First Tennessee bank. Right: First Tennessee Bank.

6. Although this is a part of our Southern dialect, we should always be sure to add an "s" or "ed" when required. Wrong: She walk to the store yesterday. Right: She walked to the store yesterday. Wrong: The special effect in Star Wars are awesome. Right: The special effects in Star Wars are awesome.

7. People usually should be referred to as "who" and non-human and inanimate objects should be referred to as "that." Wrong: He is an old man that does not know any better. Right: He is an old man who does not know any better.

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