Writing Tips for Papers GRAMMAR 1. Relative pronouns: People who... Things that... Times when... Places where... 2. Different from: TCU is different from OU. (not different than) 3. They is always plural. When recruiters read my résumé, they think… (recruiters is plural) WRONG: When someone reads my résumé, they think… (someone is singular) TIP: Avoid the singular/plural problem and awkward language like his/her by using plural subjects. Instead of “A person can spend his/her life…,” write “People can spend their lives…” 4. Like should never be followed by a sentence. Instead, use as if, as though, or that. WRONG: I feel like I have failed. CORRECT: I feel that I have failed, or as if I have failed. WRONG: She acts like she hates me. CORRECT: She acts as if she hates me. 5. Also, But, And, So: Never start a sentence with these words. Just use a comma and continue the previous sentence. SPELLING 6. Every day: I do this every day. (two words) It is an everyday occurrence. (one word as an adjective describing occurrence). Same problem with apart from home and a part of the team. 7. Hyphenate most two-word adjectives. Ex: hard-working people, narrow-minded man, big-city culture NOTE: I grew up in the middle class. (two words) I came from a middle-class family. (hyphenated as a two-word adjective describing family) 8. Troublesome words: whether/weather, definitely, their/they’re/there, it’s/its; your/you’re 9. Avoid contractions in academic writing. PUNCTUATION 10. Because: No comma before because: I know it is true because I was there. However, a comma is required when you start a sentence with because: Because I was there, I know it is true. 11. Quotation marks: Do not use quotation marks unless you are directly quoting someone. When you do use them, use double quotes and place final punctuation inside: He said, “That is correct.” 12. Hyphen and Dash: A hyphen is one keystroke that joins two words. Ex. heat-seeking missile. A dash is a double hyphen (two keystrokes) that separates major parts of a sentence for emphasis. Ex. It was an amazing discovery–I had won! NOTE: There are no spaces around a dash or hyphen. 13. Commas help join two sentences. a. Compound sentence: The rule is comma and or comma but or comma so. Ex: You can send Dr. Witt an e-mail, and you can ask to get in his class. b. Comma splice: Do not join two sentences with a comma only. Always add and, but, or so. WRONG: You can send Dr. Witt an e-mail, you can ask to get in his class. c. Multiple verbs: No comma if one subject and multiple verbs. Ex: You can send Dr. Witt an e-mail and ask to get in his class. (You can send and ask.) Commas set apart portions of a sentence. d. Introductory phrases: Believe it or not, I said it. Whenever you do this, do that, too. Before I graduated from high school, I was unsure of myself. If/then sentences: If you play well, (then) you may win; however, there is no guarantee. PROOFREAD CAREFULLY .