Category Archives: Tips

Language/Writing Tip 20

A short one: Drop the “I” in “As I mentioned earlier.” Just write: “As mentioned…” (Two further notes: Do not overuse this phrase. Also, see if you can drop the “earlier” – the past tense tells us not to fast-forward.) … Continue reading

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Language/Writing Tip 19

Spot the stylistic problems in this passage: “Inspiration is something of a strength in this little text, and with that I’m thinking more or less of its rather positive qualities. The sentences are fairly short and, on the whole, clear, … Continue reading

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Language/Writing Tip 18

Words, words, words, words. 1) “borrow” A bad joke is worth a lengthy explanation:  “Can I borrow an egg?”  “Will you return it?” If returning the item is not an option, “borrow” can sound strange. (Unlike native speakers, Slovenians rarely … Continue reading

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Language/Writing Tip 17

Spot the howler in this sentence: “I have learned few things over the years,” said my dad, with a wistful and knowing look. Here, “few things” is a synonym for “I have learned virtually nothing…” Sometimes a missing article does … Continue reading

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Language/Writing Tip 16

Don’t start two sentences in a row with the same word. An example: “Yet despite his frustrations, he never established his own institution, even though his reputation would have allowed him to do so. Yet since the 1990s, American education … Continue reading

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Language/Writing Tip 15

Want to make your writing splendidly dull? No problem. Just repeat words, preferably vague ones: “The good thing about the novel is that it’s a good read.” Less obviously: “Something that we might consider is that some things are not … Continue reading

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Language/Writing Tip 14

The phrase “puts it nicely” or “shows nicely” can sound patronizing and, sometimes, downright grotesque. 1) Patronizing. “Shakespeare puts it nicely when he has Hamlet say, ‘To be or not to be…’” Well done, Bard! (The problem here seems to … Continue reading

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Language/Writing Tip 13

Here are some mistakes that make you look very bad. 1) forgetting commas around appositional phrases: WRONG: “The book, as we have seen is long.” “The last time I, dressed in green in red attended a party…” “Stanko and Janko, … Continue reading

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Language/Writing Tip 12

A rule of thumb for using the phrase “let alone”: it generally follows a negative. Three examples from a online book-search for “let alone consider” a) “NOBODY can be conscious of, let alone consider, all aspects…” b) “But it is … Continue reading

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Language/Writing Tip 11

1) Here’s a nifty construction that, for whatever reason, is underused: “She was among the first to research…” Students almost always opt for: “She was among the first WHO RESEARCHED…” 2) Watch out for this type of methodological circularity: “By … Continue reading

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