Strategies for Correct Writing

Contents

Part 1: Context
Task
Cover Every Element Required by the Task

Limit the Topic
  • Blueprint for Task

Format

Use Consistent Format
  • Letter Format
    • Letter Content
    • Blueprint for Letters
  • E-Mail Format
    • Short Subject Lines
  • Job Résumé
    • Blueprint for Job Résumé
  • Report Format
    • Features
      • Cover Page
      • Abstract or Summary
        • Blueprint for Summary
      • Introduction
      • Body
      • Headings
        • Blueprint for Business-Style Reports
      • Visuals
      • Conclusion
      • Recommendations
      • Appendix
  • Essay Format
    • Literary Essays
      Blueprint for Techniques and Devices
      Blueprint for Literary Essays
    • Argumentative Essays
 
Part 2: Coherence
 
CONTENT
 
Relevance
Keep Only Ideas That Can Be Developed
Choose Ideas Related to Task, Purpose and Topic
  • Blueprint: Ideas Relevant for Task, Purpose and Topic
 

Logic

Keep Your Focus
  • Contradiction
  • Lack of New Information
  • Disconnected Comment
  • Confusion in Cause and Effect Relationships
  • Confusion between Correlation and Cause
  • Jumping to Conclusions

Accuracy
Check Accuracy
 

Effectiveness
Choose Effective Ideas
  • Source Not Credible
  • Opinion, Claim vs. Fact
  • Insufficient Data
  • Anecdote vs. Analysis
  • Collage of Quotations with No Analysis
  • Prejudice or Cliché
  • Analogy Does Not Always Work
 

STRUCTURE
Blueprint for Structure
 
Introductory Elements
Give Background Information or Context
State Task and Purpose
Give a General Idea of Text Content
  • Blueprint for Introduction
 

Thesis Statement
Work on Your Thesis Statement
  • Characteristics of a Thesis Statement
  • Developing a Thesis Statement

Paragraph
Start a New Paragraph
  • Blueprint for Starting New Paragraphs
  • Paragraph Length

Check Paragraph Unity
  • Blueprint for Paragraph Unity

Topic Sentence
Identify the Topic and the Focus (Controlling Idea)
  • Blueprint for Topic Sentence

Support
Offer Credible Support
  • Blueprint for Support in Paragraphs

Referencing
Quote Properly
  • Direct Quotation
  • Indirect Quotation
  • APA and MLA Models for Referencing
    • American Psychological Association
    • Modern Languages Association

Transitions
Use a Helpful Transition
  • Transitions Between Clauses or Sentences
  • Transitions Between Paragraphs

Conclusion
End with a Conclusion
Confirm Your Thinking
Point Out What the Reader Should Remember
Limit or Expand
  • Limitations
    • Limit
  • Questions That Remain
    • Expand
  • Blueprint for Conclusions

Organization
Check Appropriateness to Task and Purpose
  • Definitions
    • Blueprint for Definitions
  • Comparison
  • Getting Started on a Comparison
    • Blueprint for Comparison
  • Process
    • Blueprint for Explaining a Process
  • Cause and Effect
    • Blueprint for Cause and Effect
 

Part 3: Language Use and Expression
 
Clarity
Check the Meaning of Key Terms
Choose Terminology Appropriate to the Situation or Context
The Situation or Context
  • Context
  • Ambiguity
  • Collocation
    • Blueprint for Choosing Terms

Choose the Right Word
Check Unclear Grammar
  • Correct Pronoun Reference
  • Verb Tenses and Types of Information

Check Problems in Sentence Structure
  • Omissions
  • Negatives
  • Phrases and Clauses
  • Length of Sentences
    • Blueprint for Constructing a Sentence
 
Reader Friendliness
Consider the Audience
Use Appropriate Tone
  • Connotation
  • E-Mail Tone vs. Letter Tone

Be as Short as Possible (and as Long as Necessary)
Use Varied Sentence Types
 
Appendix: Models
Model Letter
Model Cover Letter
Model Résumé