Kick Bad Writing Habits

1. Kick Bad Writing Habits Filler and weak words make your writing stink!

2. Filler Filler sentences add nothing to essays. Watch out for: • Sentences that begin with “many.” Ex: Many people in the world today believe . . . • Redundant information.

3. Weak Words probably mostly just about around a little sort of kind of like mostly might maybe could mainly usually almost

4. Misspelled Words • The habit of checking, and re-checking, the spelling of documents you create is vital. • No school assignment should be handed in with words misspelled. • To a large extent, the worlds of education, business, and government are closed to you if you cannot turn in text without misspellings.

5. Capitalization Errors Never begin a sentence without a capital (or fail to capitalize “I”) N

6. Not capitalizing the first word of each sentence is the quickest and easiest way to: Not get that job you want. Few employers will bother with someone who cannot or does not write standard English.

7. Not capitalizing the first word of each sentence is the quickest and easiest way to: Not be taken seriously by other people. People will assume you’re dumb if your writing is sloppy. In fact, not taking the time to fix simple problems is dumb.

8. Using text-messaging abbreviations If u wan2tlk to tptb u need 2tlk in English  Translation: If you want to talk to the powers that be, you need to speak in English. tkmwfi (take my word for it)

9. Sentence fragments A complete sentence expresses a complete thought.

10. Are these groups of words sentences? Although Rachel worked hard on her paper My student editor Derrick A freshly watered houseplant Because I couldn’t find the right program

11. They aren’t sentences because they aren’t complete thoughts. • What happened although Rachel worked hard? • What about my student editor Derrick? • What about that freshly watered house plant? • What happened because you couldn’t find the program?

12. What’s wrong with the following “sentence”? Jesse loves to write poetry he’s a talented writer.

13. The sentence is wrong because “Jesse likes to write poetry” and “He’s a talented writer” can both stand as complete sentences. Therefore, we can’t merge them into a single sentence without separating them in some way.

14. Run-on Sentences It’s a “run-on sentence.” It’s not good enough to join the two thoughts with a comma. That’s called a “comma splice”: Jesse stopped at the grocery store, he needed a lunch for the field trip tomorrow.

15. Run-on Sentences If you have two independent clauses, they need to be separated by something more powerful than a comma. A clause is a group of words that contains both a subject and a predicate.

16. Clauses Dependent clauses cannot stand alone as sentences: • Although I was on time for work • Because Alice was the first one in line • Independent clauses can stand alone as sentences: • Gary did want the sandwich • My brother, Greg, was late for the meeting

17. There are 5 ways to fix run-on sentences Make the two clauses into two sentences: Wrong: Brandon played drums in the band it was a hard rock band. Right: Brandon played drums in the band. It was a hard rock band.

18. Use a Semi-colon Wrong: Craig accepted Lisa’s gift it was nice. Right: Craig accepted Lisa’s gift; it was nice.

19. Use a comma and a coordinating conjuction (and, but, or, for, yet, nor, or so): Wrong: It was snowing we forgot to bring our coats. Right: It was snowing, but we forgot to bring our coats.

20. Use a comma and a subordinating conjunction (after, although, before, unless, as, because, even though, if, since, until, when, while, etc.) Wrong: Jessica and Waylon like pizza Allison doesn’t. Right: ThoughJessica and Waylon like pizza, Allison doesn’t.

21. Use a semi-colon and a transition (however, moreover, on the other hand, nevertheless, instead, also, consquently, otherwise, as a result, etc.) Wrong: I thought the colors would go together well I was mistaken. Right: I thought the colors would go together well; however, I was mistaken.

22. Remember: Getting these things right isn’t hard. They have more to do with careful habits than great knowledge of writing.

23. Habit, if not resisted, soon becomes necessity. St . Augustine

24. We first make our habits, and then our habits make us. John Dryden

25. Laziness grows on people; it begins in cobwebs and ends in iron chains. Thomas Buxton

26. Laziness is nothing more than the habit of resting before you get tired. Mortimer Caplan