January 26th
1. Always write in the present tense 1. Always write in the present tense. When analyzing literature, assume the story is frozen in time and you are writing in the “historical present.” 2. Only use third person pronouns. (he, she, it, they, them, one) 3. Never use “you” or “I”. 4. Do not include phrases such as the following: a. “In this paper, I will tell you about….” b. “This paper will talk about….” c. “I think…” “I believe” (you are the writer. The reader knows that these are your thoughts.) d. “Hello, my name is….” (Your name is already on the paper.) 5. No contractions…write them out! 6. Do not use a form of the verb “to be” along with another verb. For example, rather than stating “She is calling” use “She calls.” Another example would be rather than stating “They are laughing” use “They laugh.” 7. Try not to end a sentence with a preposition. (at, from, for, etc) 8. Avoid beginning sentences with “there is” and “there are” whenever possible. These words often add to wordiness and delay your subject. 9. NEVER USE words like "thing," "something," or "stuff" in your papers. They are vague and non-descriptive. Use a dictionary or a thesaurus (dictionary of synonyms) to find a precise word to use instead. 10. Quotations should NOT stand alone! They must have a lead-in and an explanation!
Integrating text into your essay!!!! Use an indirect statement with "that.“ Notice the punctuation. Margaret Mead feels that "the use of marriage contracts may reduce the divorce rate" (9). Blend your lead-in and quotation. Knight views the symbolism in Jones' play as a "creation and destruction pattern" (164). Use a complete sentence lead-in. Follow with a colon and two spaces before the quotation. Edith Hamilton describes Hera perfectly: "She was the protector of marriage, and married women were her particular care" (223). Use an introductory phrase or clause. According to Wally Lamb, “The workshop sessions have been a journey rich with laughter, tears, heart-stopping leaps of faith, and miraculous personal victories" (5).