Academic Writing Tips: Structure, Clarity, and Style Guidelines

What should you always include in your writing structure?

A beginning, middle, and end.

What is essential for a strong thesis?

It must be clear and well-written.

Why are transitions important in writing?

They help link your paragraphs and ideas.

How can you avoid monotony in writing?

Use sentence variety and check the first four words of each sentence.

What should you avoid to enhance your writing?

Wordiness and 'being verbs'.

What must you do with your sources?

Cite them and always give credit.

What should you include even if it's paraphrased?

Textual evidence.

What types of sentences should you avoid?

Run-on sentences, comma splices, and sentence fragments.

What pronouns should you avoid in academic writing?

First person pronouns.

What tense should you use when discussing events in a literary text?

Present tense.

What should you ensure about your pronouns?

They must have an antecedent in each new paragraph.

What is the rule regarding 'which'?

'Which' refers to things, never people.

What voice should you avoid in academic writing?

Passive voice, except in scientific writing.

Where should periods and commas be placed in relation to quotation marks?

Inside the closing quotation mark.

What should you avoid using in academic writing?

Contractions and abbreviations.

What is the rule regarding ending sentences?

Do not end a sentence with a preposition.

What is the difference between ITS and IT's?

ITS shows possession; IT's is a contraction for it is.

What should you do with apostrophes for possession?

Use them to show possession; they are not optional.

How should you write numbers in MLA style?

Spell out numbers written in one or two words.

What should you do if a sentence begins with a number?

Spell it out.

When should you use numerals in writing?

For large numbers and specific measurements.

What is the correct format for dates in MLA?

Day-month-year with no punctuation or with commas.

What should you avoid saying in academic writing?

'An example is when…' or 'The reason is because…'