Brief Grammar & Stylistic Checklist

Brief Grammar & Stylistic Checklist (Please see Rob or Pat if you have any questions about this list or about any grammar or stylistic item not on this brief list.)

1) Avoid contractions. Period. Correct: Do not ever use contractions. Incorrect: Don’t ever use contractions.

2) NEVER write “it’s” in a paper for this program—EVER. Period. Correct: Russia lost its sense of direction in 1905. Incorrect: Russia lost it’s sense of direction in 1905

3) Beware of apostrophes. Correct: They ate the Bolshevik’s food. – one Bolshevik, the food OF the Bolshevik Also Correct: They ate the Bolsheviks’ food. – many Bolsheviks, the food OF the Bolsheviks Incorrect: They ate the Bolsheviks food. – this makes no grammatical sense Correct: They ate the Bolsheviks. – this makes sense only if they are cannibals

Correct: 1960s Incorrect: 1960’s

4) Avoid the use of personal pronouns. (I think…. You can see….) Let your argument (facts) speak for itself. You and I are not the subject of the paper.

5) Use the active voice. PASSIVE ACTIVE The socialist regime was defended by Stalin. Stalin defended the socialist regime.

It was believed by Stalin and his cronies that changeStalin and his cronies believed that threatened the socialist regime. change threatened the socialist regime.

6) Avoid rhetorical questions. (Why did Lenin oppose the tsar? – Note that this simply takes up space. Provide an answer instead: Lenin opposed the tsar because….)

7) Led is the past tense of the verb “to lead.” (When did Stalin lead Russia? He led Russia during WWII even though he wrote with a lead pencil.)

8) Avoid informal chattiness. You are writing a formal and factual academic paper for potential publication, not a personal reflection for friends.

9) Use direct quotations sparingly and only when they convey something that you cannot paraphrase well. Use your own voice, paraphrase and cite your sources.

10) Always place quotation marks outside periods and commas. When you have a quote within a quote, use regular quotation marks for the larger statement and single quotation marks within that larger statement: (The reviewer of the Historical Atlas of Central Europe noted that "Magocsi has again tried to emphasize the negative aspect of the Balkan states by insisting that the 'case of Kosovo has remained problematic.''')

11) Avoid using the word “This” or “It” as the first word in a sentence. Doing so forces the reader to look back to understand what “This” or “It” refers to.

12) Do not use quotes, facts, or even concepts without at least one citation in the paragraph. This is the most important rule in research papers: when it doubt, cite your sources to make it easy for the reader to check your work and find out more information.

13) Place commas around words such as “however, though, nevertheless" when you use these in sentences. Correct: They knew, however, that Geoducks would eventually transform the world. Incorrect: They knew however, that Geoducks would eventually transform the world.

14) The pronoun should agree with the subject. If the subject is singular, the other reference should not be plural. A country is singular; its people are plural. Correct: “Germany invaded Poland because it wanted land.” Incorrect: “Germany invaded Poland because they wanted land.” Also Correct: “Germans invaded Poland because they wanted land.”

15) Use consistent tenses. If you are telling a story that is in the past, either tell it in the past (preferable) or present tense, not both. Correct: “The war started in 1939. The Germans and Soviets advanced into Poland.” Incorrect: “The war started in 1939. The Germans and Soviets advance into Poland.”

16) Omit needless words.

17) Always proofread thoroughly with human (not computer) eyes. Consider doing so by reading aloud to yourself.

18) Your research papers will include the following: a) a separate title page which will include: i. the title of your essay; ii. your name; iii. your seminar faculty member’s name; iv. the turn-in date; b) page numbers: i. you can easily create them in the header or footer; ii. you must omit them from the title page and from the first full page of your essay. Do this by: I. going to “Format”; II. then go to “Document”; III. then go to “Layout”; IV. in “Layout” select “Different First Page.”

c) For Rob’s Seminar Students Only: Staple your essay. Essays (and drafts) will not be accepted if not stapled.