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Tag Archives: language
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
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
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
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
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
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
Language/Writing Tip 10
When mentioning time, note the difference between “only at” and “not until”: “I can meet you only at four” does not mean “I can’t meet you until four.” If you want to emphasize tardiness, use “not until”: 1) “He only … Continue reading
Language/Writing Tip 9
A few things to avoid in academic writing: 1) Do not italicize the comma after a list of titles – that is, italicize only the novel title, not the comma that follows. This is a minor point, but it takes … Continue reading
Language/Writing Tip 8
This is less of a tip than food for thought. Read this sentence aloud (slightly changed from a real, published example): “And universities have similarly raised intellectual property concerns over ownership of the online courses their professors are now asked … Continue reading
Language/Writing Tip 6
Language/Writing Tip 6 This funny-sounding combination pops up occasionally: “As a future author, young Hemingway was an avid reader.” or “In her efforts to improve her writing, elderly Munro turned to the spellcheck.” “young Hemingway” and “elderly Munro” sound dismissive. … Continue reading