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It's the thesis, stupid.

  1. Thesis is a one sentence declaration that states what your essay is about.
    1. Thesis without points: Exercise is good for you.
    2. Thesis with points: Exercise is good for you because it increases neuron growth in the brain, lowers blood pressure, and improves cardio-pulmonary efficiency.

  2. There are many words for thesis: position, argument, stand, claim, premise.
     

Write with Intention

  1. Have a plan
  2. Create an outline and a calendar
  3. No ranting, blathering, or confessing.
  4. Write something meaningful
  5. Write conscientiously

Write Using Formal Language


  1. Change informal writing to formal writing.
  2. The word but should be changed to however.
  3. The word so should be changed to therefore.
  4. The word and can often be replaced with in addition.

Be Specific

Here are some words to avoid using

  1. they when no antecedent is present
  2. society
  3. people or peoples
  4. currently
  5. these days
  6. nowadays

Be Specific--continued

Here are rhetorical devices to avoid.

  1. Assertions need to be backed up with details
  2. Our rights are being take away.
  3. What rights?
  4. The government can't do anything right.
  5. What specifically can't it do correctly?

Cite Your Sources

  1. Citing sources means that you are being accountable to your reader.
  2. No sources. No credibility.
  3. Because I said so isn't credible.
  4. MLA, APA, and Turabian are citation methods.
  5. Newspapers: According to Dr Smartperson at the University of Smartpeople...

Be Concise

  1. Avoid repetition
  2. Never use a long word where a short one will do.
  3. If it is possible to cut out a word, always cut it out
  4. Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word or a Jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.

The Power of Simple WordsBe Concise - cont.

Comparing wordy and conciseBe Concise - cont.

  1. Wordy
    1. In this essay, I am going to spend the next five pages explaining the fact that the government is constantly taking away our rights.
  2. Concise
    1. The government is undermining our Constitutional rights.

Use Third Person

  1. First person = I, me, we, us
  2. Second person = you
  3. Third person = he, she, it, they, them, and proper names or specific nouns.

Themes

Black - White - League - Sky - Beige - Simple
Serif - Night - Moon - Solarized - LE (default)