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Kick Bad Writing HabitsFiller and weak words make your writing stink!

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.

Weak Wordsprobablymostlyjustaboutarounda littlesort ofkind oflikemostlymightmaybecouldmainlyusuallyalmost

Misspelled WordsThe 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.

Capitalization ErrorsNever begin a sentence without a capital (or fail to capitalize I)N

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.

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 youre dumb if your writing is sloppy. In fact, not taking the time to fix simple problems is dumb.Using text-messaging abbreviationsIf 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)

Sentence fragments

A complete sentence expresses a complete thought.

Are these groups of words sentences?

Although Rachel worked hard on her paper

My student editor Derrick

A freshly watered houseplant

Because I couldnt find the right program

They arent sentences because they arent 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 couldnt find the program?

Whats wrong with the following sentence?Jesse loves to write poetry hes a talented writer.

The sentence is wrong because Jesse likes to write poetry and Hes a talented writer can both stand as complete sentences. Therefore, we cant merge them into a single sentence without separating them in some way.

Run-on SentencesIts a run-on sentence. Its not good enough to join the two thoughts with a comma. Thats called a comma splice:Jesse stopped at the grocery store, he needed a lunch for the field trip tomorrow.

Run-on SentencesIf 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.

ClausesDependent clauses cannot stand alone as sentences: Although I was on time for workBecause Alice was the first one in lineIndependent clauses can stand alone as sentences:Gary did want the sandwichMy brother, Greg, was late for the meeting

There are 5 ways to fix run-on sentencesMake 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.

Use a Semi-colon

Wrong:Craig accepted Lisas gift it was nice.Right:Craig accepted Lisas gift; it was nice.

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.

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 doesnt.Right:Though Jessica and Waylon like pizza, Allison doesnt.

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.

Remember:Getting these things right isnt hard. They have more to do with careful habits than great knowledge of writing.

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

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

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

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