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Writing Tips
Basic
Writing Tips.
“High
writing skills proficiency” is required for teacher certification
by the Indiana Professional Standards Board. Writing is also an important
life skill that can be improved with practice. Prospective employers will
judge you based on your ability to write clear, error free letters and
resumes. I expect your papers to be written in concise, appropriate English
with minimal spelling and grammatical errors. These simple suggestions
can help you improve the quality of your writing:
- Use
the spelling and grammar checkers in your word processing program.
- If writing
is difficult, use simple sentence structures and the active voice
(verbs without “helpers,” forms of “be,” and -ing
endings). As you master the conventions, use more complex sentence structures
and the passive voice.
- Read
your paper out loud. Listen
for words that are repeated over and over. You will catch most syntax
and redundancy errors with this simple “trick.”
- Know your
topic and the basic requirements.
Use a highlighter to identify requirements. If necessary, create
a check list and check each item as you include or complete it. (This
tip also works for answering essay test questions!) Go over the rubric
and focus on items worth the most points. Use the rubric and “grade”
your own paper.
- Have
a friend, or two, read over your paper. Have them check for
spelling (words your spell checker missed because they were properly
spelled but not the correct word) and grammar errors. Also ask them
to check for understanding. If your friend does not understand what
you have written, chances are I will not understand either.
- Take
your paper to Writing Tutorial Services, Ballantine
206, and talk to a consultant. Writing Tutorial Services is open from
10:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m., Monday through Thursday and from 10:00 a.m.
- 5:00 p.m. on Friday. You can “walk in” during evening hours
for general help or call 855-6738 for an appointment during the day.
Another Writing Tutorial Services office is located in the Undergraduate
Library. Walk-in hours there are from 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. Monday through
Thursday.
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