- Don’t use contractions.
Contractions are those words that we learned in elementary school, combining two words with an apostrophe. We also often use them in everyday language, saying “I can’t believe you’ve done this,” or “you’ll be reduced down to a single atom once I’m done with you.” Despite the common advice to write how you speak, there are a few common grammatical rules to keep in mind, differentiating the two. One example is to avoid contractions. Instead of stating “you can’t kill me in a way that matters,” you could say “you cannot kill me in a way that matters.” This makes your paper seem more formal and professional, and often helps to increase your word count just a bit.
- You should avoid the second person. I always try to steer clear of first person, too.
The phrases “first person,” “second person,” and “third person” can be foreign to some students. Essentially, first person refers to the self. “I,” “me,” “we,” and “us” are all examples of first person. Second person refers to whomever you are speaking to, typically just “you.” Third person refers to other individuals or objects apart from the current conversation, such as “he,” “she,” “they,” or “it.” Yes, I am breaking these rules in this very article. However, this guideline tends to be a bit more subjective. It is nearly impossible to write a reflection or narrative without saying “I” or “me,” just as it would be difficult to write a directed article without saying “you.” When in doubt, it is typically safer to only use third person unless otherwise specified by the professor.
- Never use absolutes, they will always be proven
This is just one of those concepts that take some mental training. By stating something as an absolute fact, (i.e., “always,” “never,” “proven,” etc.) you are opening yourself up to easily be disproven. As Ben Franklin even stated, “nothing is certain except death and taxes” (NCC Staff, 2022, para 9 (APA intext citation example...an added bonus!)). However, even Franklin can be disproven here, as a person may evade taxes, as evident by the common crime, “tax evasion,” and with modern medicine, a person can even come back to life after their heart stops briefly. Therefore, there will almost always be a gray area, and it will strengthen your argument to display that you acknowledge this nuance.
- Proofread your paper for misteaks.
I know the inclination to finish the paper and submit it. We all love the satisfaction of exiting out of all the tabs filled with our research, or deleting all the downloaded articles once we are finally done with that stupid paper. I will advise, however, to take that extra 30ish minutes. Step away for 5-10 minutes, give your brain a break. The entire paper will seem like word vomit without the break. After you have walked around, eaten a snack, or taken the dog out, come back and reread your paper. Slowly. Really reread your own writing. Aloud. Take your time to ensure that you are saying every word.
- If you follow these tips, you will not need to use the Writing Center.
Just kidding. If every paper could be written beautifully with solely the help of the professor, or an article, the Writing Center would not exist. There are concepts too lengthy or complicated to fit into a single, or even multiple articles. Until you review your paper with a trained tutor, you may not understand the importance of explaining the methods of a study you are evaluating before going through the flaws. You may understand that you should avoid passive voice but may not know how to recognize it in your own writing. You may even be the best writer in your course but struggle to brainstorm this particular assignment.
Even us, the tutors, visit the Writing Center, because we are not perfect. Once, in a class visit, I was asked if I “believe [I] could write a perfect paper, because [I] work in the Writing Center.” I very confidently told this student, “no.” There is no such thing as a perfect paper.
