FORMAL WRITING CONVENTIONS
Rules to Live by for Approach Papers
(& Other Academic Essays)
1. Take yourself out of the essay. Using the first-person (I think, I believe, I am writing this
because…) weakens your argument. Also, don’t use your own experiences as support.
NO! I think George killed Lennie because he realized that they eventually had to stop running from their problems.
YES! George killed Lennie because he realized that they eventually had to stop running from their problems.
2. Don’t talk to your audience. Avoid using the second-person (you, your yours).
NO! As you can see, Lennie’s victims got increasingly larger and more important as the story progressed.
YES! Lennie’s victims got increasingly larger and more important as the story progressed.
3. Focus on the text and not the world in general. In other words, don’t lecture the audience.
NO! No one should ever have to shoot their best friend
YES! George was in an impossible situation when he had to shoot Lennie, his best friend.
4. Use present tense when writing about events in literature, unless you are discussing a
character’s past.
NO! Candy was shocked when he discovered Curley’s dead wife in the barn.
YES! Candy is shocked when he discovers Curley’s dead wife in the barn.
5. Don’t use slang or clichés. Keep your tone formal.
NO! Lennie had a blast chilling out with his puppy in the barn.
YES! Lennie spent the majority of his time petting his puppy in the barn.
6. Avoid contractions.
NO! Unfortunately mice and a helpless puppy aren’t Lennie’s only victims.
YES! Unfortunately mice and a helpless puppy are not Lennie’s only victims.
7. Write out numbers ten or less.
NO! A total of 4 people could have been involved in the dream farm: George, Lennie, Candy, and Crooks.
YES! A total of four people could have been involved in the dream farm: George, Lennie Candy, and Crooks.
8. After first identifying the author using his/her full name, refer to him/her by last name only.
NO! John intends for readers to feel sympathy and pity for Lennie.
YES! Steinbeck intends for readers to feel sympathy and pity for Lennie.
9. Have a strong, specific thesis statement and stick to it. Also make sure that your thesis is a
statement that you can prove!
NO! George’s actions were justified because he is exhausted and responsible.
YES! George’s actions were justified because he is exhausted from running away from their repeated problems, and
he feels responsible for Lennie’s fate.
10. Make sure that everything in your essay (from the topic sentences to the quotes within your
body paragraphs) contributes to proving your thesis. If something doesn’t, delete it!
 Avoid going on tangents or simply summarizing the plot. If you think you might simply be
retelling the story, ask yourself: how does this related to my thesis? Make sure your ideas tie back to
your thesis statement. There is no need to summarize or retell a story.
 HINT: Read ONLY your thesis statement, and your topic/closing sentences of each body
paragraph. If you can’t see how the whole essay is going to revolve around and prove that
thesis, make some changes!
11. Use specific support, not general comments. Also, use well-chosen and clear quotes. You
are doing a close examination of a text, so without quotes, you cannot prove your argument.
NO! Curley has a mean personalilty.
YES! Curley has a mean personality, which is evident when he tries to intimidate and instigate the men on the
ranch. When Curley first meets Lennie, he belittles him and talks to him like a child: “Nex’ time you speak when
you’re spoken to” ( ).
12. Don’t use speculation as textual evidence. Use what actually DID happen in the text to
support your thesis, not what MIGHT HAVE happened.
NO! If George did not kill Lennie, he would have suffered for years in a horrible institution.
YES! If George did not kill Lennie, he would have suffered because Curley intended to “shoot ‘im in the guts” ().
13. Integrate your textual evidence! Remember that a paper is about YOUR ideas, and the text
is only support. A quote should never be its own sentence, and you should never begin or
end a paragraph with a quote.
ALSO: Analysis/commentary MUST accompany each piece of textual evidence.
NO!
YES!
14. Avoid vague or indefinite pronoun references (this, that, these). What is THIS or THAT?
This problem is very common when analyzing textual evidence.
NO! This shows that Lennie did not know his own strength and did not purposely kill Curley’s wife.
YES! Lennie’s reaction showed that he did not know his own strength and did not purposely kill Curley’s wife.
15. WRITING IS A PROCESS! Academic essays require thoughtful planning, drafting, and
revision. Don’t just tell yourself, “I don’t need plan or revise my writing.”
 Write your thesis statement and outline your body paragraphs BEFORE trying to write the
essay.
 Revise your first draft to improve your essay’s content and writing style. Keep in mind these
rules! Proofread, edit, and spell-check your writing for mechanical errors.
 Have someone else read your essay before submitting your final draft (teacher, parent, or
classmate). They might notice weaknesses or mistakes that you didn’t! Google Docs makes
sharing your essays very easy.