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Tag Archives: tips
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 7
This will not be a stellar explanation, but here goes… Often there is a comma missing before “with” – that is, in qualifying clauses or whatever they’re called. Example: “He went to sea with an oar as his sole companion.” … 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
Language/Writing Tip 5
I have lately had the un-pleasure of proofreading a number of academic articles. I have come to hate the phrase “to shed some light on…” A few examples: a) “This paper aims to shed some light on immigration.” b) “This … Continue reading
Language/Writing Tip 4
“Rather” is rather annoying because it looks like it should be a verb: “I would rather eat snake soup,” she said after he asked her out. “Rather” is an adverb. It is not a verbal synonym for “to prefer,” which … Continue reading