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Do not alter margins.
Do not change the size of periods.
Times New Roman, 12 point font, double spaced
Delete space between paragraphs.
◦ No additional enter between paragraphs.
Do not introduce new ideas in your closing.
Avoid using “one” in formal papers.

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Avoid using the synonym selection in Word.
Do not start sentences with “ And.
”
Do not use “ I ” or “ You ” in ANY formal paper EVER.
◦ Saying “I believe” or “I think” discredits you. You are reminding the reader that what you are saying is an opinion.
Avoid contractions.
Thesis
◦ Should include the three major points of your paper
◦ Example:
 The setting of the novel affects the main character because of A,
B, and C.

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If you ever wonder, “Do I need quotes?”, the answer is, and forever will be, YES!
Spell the characters' names properly as they are spelled in the text.
Using definitions to introduce your paper or a point
◦ NO.
Write as if the reader is generally familiar with the work.
◦ Macbeth is the main character in Macbeth.
 Obviously.

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Using “or not”
Font in the header should match the paper
◦ Space between last name and page number
If you are considering how a quote applies to a work (several essays you write this year do this), make sure the quote is mentioned in your opening paragraph and at least referred to in your closing paragraph.

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When writing a paper about a play
◦ When discussing the acts or scenes in the paper itself, capitalize Act and Scene, and use numerals for the numbers.
Avoid using parentheses

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Avoid ending and beginning paragraphs with quotes.
Avoid using quotes in your opening and closing.
◦ This is not the place to adequately explore quotations.
Avoid including unrelated quotations in your opening and closing.
◦ According to Winston Churchill, “ People must… ”

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When you quote directly from a text or allude to the events in a story, you should use "the literary present.”
Quoting an essay, you would write:
◦ Annie Dillard wrote Pilgrim at Tinker Creek when she lived in Virginia's mountains. In the book's chapter, "Seeing,"
Annie Dillard contends that "vision... is a deliberate gift, the revelation of a dancer who for my eyes only flings away her seven veils" (17).
Here, both "wrote" and "lived" are in the past tense since they refer to Dillard's life, not her writings. "Contends," however, appears in a statement about Dillard's writing, so it is in the present tense.
http://writing2.richmond.edu/ writing/wweb/litpres.html

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You can remember to write about literature in the present tense because you are currently reading or thinking about it. Every time you open a book it seems as though the events are currently happening; every time you read an essay it is as though you are currently speaking to the writer.
http://writing2.richmond.edu/writing/ww eb/litpres.html

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Titles of books, plays, or works published singularly (not anthologized) should be italicized.
Hamlet
Great Expectations
Titles of poems, short stories, or works published in an anthology will have quotation marks around them.
◦ "Ode to a Nightingale”
◦ "The Cask of Amontillado” http://owl.english.purdue.edu/o wl/resource/618/03/

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Could of/should of/would of
◦ NO!
 Could’ve/should’ve/would’ve
 Could have/should have/would have
Conscious/Conscience/Conscientious
Then/than
Definitely/Defiantly
Aloud/allowed
Alter/altar
Discreetly/Discretely
◦ Discreet – secretive, concealed from view
◦ Discrete – separated, distinct

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Hung/hanged
◦ A picture is hung.
◦ A person is hanged.
Prophecies/Prophesies
◦ prophecies – the plural of prophecy
◦ prophesies – a verb meaning to predict the future
 Pronounced as prof-e-sigh in the singular, prof-e-sighs in the plural
Miss is not written with a period.
◦ Miss Havisham

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Throne/thrown
Aisle/isle
Implying/inferring
◦ Hamlet implies he loves Ophelia.
◦ Ophelia infers that he loves her.
 The person hinting at something is doing the implying.
 The person who is interpreting the hint is inferring.
Contribute/attribute
◦ Lady Macbeth contributed to Macbeth’s downfall.
 NOT Lady Macbeth attributed to Macbeth’s downfall.
◦ Macbeth’s downfall can be directly attributed to
Lady Macbeth’s influence.

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Plague/plaque
This quote shows/The author means
◦ NO!
◦ This quote shows the character’s growth.
◦ The character’s growth is seen in his struggle to…
Conclusively
◦ NO! NO! NO!
◦ Used for test results, a scientific experiment, etc.
Literally

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Affect – usually a verb for the writing you will be doing in this class, but can be a noun
◦ Affect – (n) feeling, affection
◦ Affect – (v) to produce an effect upon
◦ Affective – relating to, arising from, or influencing feelings or emotions; expressing emotion
Effect – usually a noun for the writing you will be doing in this class, but can be a verb
◦ Effect – (n) something that inevitably follows a preceding cause or action
◦ Effect – (v) to cause to come into being
◦ Effective - producing a decided, decisive, or desired effect http://www.merriamwebster.com

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Which of these is correct?
a.
Him arriving late was inconvenient.
b.
He arriving late was inconvenient.
c.
His arriving late was inconvenient.
The answer is C.
“Arriving” is a gerund, or a verbal noun.
A gerund functions as a noun. It expresses action or a state of being.

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They always hated my being an Independent voter.
I always felt that my being different from my family challenged me.

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Usually, farther refers to physical distances.
◦ Farther south, in Central Otago, there are some even harsher mountains.
◦ Making people park a little farther away will actually increase their exposure to danger, he added.
◦ The scientist said the testing cells would be located farther from the school than initially proposed.
http://grammarist.com/usage
/farther-further/

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Further usually refers to figurative distances.
◦ The Dollar is extending its gains against the Euro.
EUR/USD fell further to 1.3430, hitting a fresh daily low.
◦ So the mechanism that was initially meant to be protective can become the source of further damage.
◦ Reliable measurements of the Sun’s magnetic field are only available from 1900 onwards, so researchers used computer simulations for further back in time.
http://grammarist.com/usage
/farther-further/

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The important distinction is that lay requires a direct object and lie does not. So you lie down on the sofa (no direct object), but you lay the book down on the table (the book is the direct object).
◦ You lay something down and people lie themselves down.
◦ Chickens lay, people lie.
But it gets confusing because lay is the past tense of lie.

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Here’s a chart to help you remember.
Present Tense
Lie
Lay
Past Tense
Lay
Laid
Past Participle
Lain
Laid

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The past tense of lie is lay , so
◦ Last week, Kelly lay down on the floor.
◦ The dog lay in the mud after it rained yesterday.
The past tense of lay is laid , so
◦ Last week, I laid the accounting report on your desk.
◦ Jamie forcefully laid her ring on the table.
The past participle of lie is lain , so
◦ Liz has lain on the floor for days.
◦ The cat has lain in the mud for hours.
The past participle of lay is laid , so
◦ I have laid the accounting report on your desk.
◦ Mary has forcefully laid her ring on the table.

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Papers need titles.
◦ Not just the book title or the assignment.
 Provide a brief synopsis of what your paper is about.
◦ Centered after heading
Make as descriptive as possible and include play or book title.
◦ Othello and Desdemona – NO
◦ Overcoming Obstacles for Love – NO
◦ The Lack of Love in Shakespeare ’ s Othello
◦ The Dominance of Fate as a Theme in Othello
◦ Jealousy as the Main Theme of Othello
◦ The Result of Jealousy and Insecurity in Shakespeare ’ s Othello

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If you use “ st, ” “ rd, ” or “ th, ” do not use a comma.
◦ Incorrect: September 3 rd , 2010
◦ Correct: September 3 rd 2010
◦ Correct: September 3, 2010
1880s, 1900s, 1720s
◦ No apostrophe

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Fiancé/ Fiancée
Blond/Blonde

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0-9: spell out the number (zero, one, two, three)
10 +: write the number (11, 105, 500)

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When discussing the author, you must use the author ’ s last name or both the first and last names. Using the author ’ s first name alone is incorrect.
◦ Incorrect: Daniel had many different influences when writing
Robinson Crusoe.
◦ Correct: Daniel Defoe had many different influences when writing
Robinson Crusoe.
◦ Correct: Defoe had many different influences when writing
Robinson Crusoe.
When discussing a character, you may use the first name, last name, or both.
◦ Correct: Robinson experiences many difficulties throughout the novel.
◦ Correct: Crusoe experiences many difficulties throughout the novel.
◦ Correct: Robinson Crusoe experiences many difficulties throughout the novel.

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Mr. and Mrs. Bennet
◦ The Bennets did not care for Mr. Darcy.
 Just use an s.
◦ The Bennets ’ house was in danger of being taken.
Mr. and Mrs. Jones
◦ The Joneses did not care for Mr. Darcy.
◦ The Joneses ’ house was in danger of being taken.

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The Barios bought a new house.
◦ The Barios’ house was robbed.
The Currys bought a new house.
◦ The Currys’ house was robbed.
The Alvarezes bought a new house.
◦ The Alvarezes’ house was robbed.

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Capitalizing King
◦ Jocasta is shocked that Oedipus killed King Laius.
◦ The king of Thebes is murdered, thus causing the plague.

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Singular names that end in –s: use an apostrophe and an s
◦ Chris ’ s house is blue.
◦ Suzanne Collins’s book The Hunger Games recently made into a major motion picture.
was
Other words that end in –s: use s ’
◦ The drinking glass ’ crack is noticeable.

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Many sources say using "s” on these words is more common in Britain than in the United
States.
Some say “towards” always is wrong, so you may want to stick with “toward” to be on the safe side.
The same is true when writing “in regard” – say “in regard” rather than “in regards”

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Between
◦ One-to-one relationships
 Let's keep this between you and me.
 Choose between green and blue.
◦ More than two items, groups, or people
 The differences between English, Chinese, and Arabic are significant.
Among
◦ Things that aren't distinct items or individuals
 Taylor and Morgan are among the students featured in this month ’ s magazine.
 The scandal caused a division among the fans.
◦ Indicates that someone is part of a group or left out of a group
 He was glad to find a friend among enemies.

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They have no place in formal writing and do not adequately describe what you are trying to say.
Many students try to argue that clichés make the paper more interesting, that what they ’ re saying is “ not really a cliché, ” that the phrasing makes them sound witty, smart, etc.
They should be avoided in all writing, but especially in formal papers.
◦ Starting off on the wrong foot
◦ In the long run
◦ Writing on the wall
◦ Too much of a good thing
◦ On the other hand
◦ Sweep under the rug
◦ Tip of the iceberg
◦ Downward spiral

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◦ Example:
 Working mothers nationally pay an average of $2000 a month for child care; this means that many women pay a significant amount of their weekly salaries to day care centers or babysitters.

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Colons are used after an independent clause that precedes a list.
The use of these punctuation marks often confuses students: comma, semicolon, colon, hyphen, and dash.
◦ Colons are used to separate an explanation, rule, or example from a preceding independent clause.
 After a sleepless night, the senator made her decision: she would not seek re-election.
 A way to remember which direction to move the hands of the clock when changing to or from Daylight Savings
Time: spring forward, fall back.

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If a person has a big decision to make, they have a lot to consider.
◦ NO!
 If a person has a big decision to make, he has a lot to consider.
 If a person has a big decision to make, he/she has a lot to consider.

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A comma splice is the incorrect use of a comma to connect two independent clauses. (Recall that an independent clause is a phrase that is grammatically and conceptually complete; that is, it can stand on its own as a sentence.)
◦ To correct the comma splice, you can:
 replace the comma with a period, forming two sentences
 replace the comma with a semicolon
 join the two clauses with a conjunction such as "and," "because,"
"but," etc.
Examples:
◦ I like Jamie, she is very pretty. INCORRECT
◦ I like Jamie. She is very pretty. CORRECT
◦ I like Jamie; she is very pretty. CORRECT
◦ I like Jamie, because she is very pretty. CORRECT

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A participle is a verb-form that ends in -ing.
It is called "dangling" when it doesn't agree with its subject.
◦ Incorrect example: While walking down the road, a tree caught
Kelly's attention.
 The subject of the sentence is "a tree," but it is not the tree that is doing the walking, therefore the participle "walking" is dangling.
◦ Correct examples:
 While walking down the road, Kelly noticed a tree.
◦ A tree caught Kelly's attention as she walked down the road.
Remember that not all words that end in -ing are participles (e.g. thing).

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Prepositions are little words that indicate position: with, at, by, from, etc.
◦ In general, a preposition should come before the noun it modifies.
 Hence the name “ Pre"-position
◦ Incorrect example: “ That‘s the person I must talk to.
”
◦ Correct example: “ That‘s the person to whom I must talk.
”
Winston Churchill: "This is the kind of thing up with which I will not put!"

 About
 Behind
 From
 On
 Toward
 Above
 Below
 In
 On top of
 Under
 Across
 Beneath
 In front of
 Onto
 Underneath
 After
 Beside
 Inside
 Out
 Of
 Until
 Against
 Between
 Instead of
 Outside
 Up
 Along
 By
 Into
 Over
 Upon
 Among
 Down
 Through
 Without
 Before
 For
 Off
 To
 Of
 With
 Around
 During
 Near
 Since
 Within
 At
 Except
 Like
 Past

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“Who ” and “ whoever ” are subjective pronouns; “ whom ” and “ whomever ” are in the objective case.
Examples:
◦ Who is that masked man? ( “ Who ” /subject)
◦ The men, four of whom are ill, were indicted for fraud. ( “ whom ” /object)
Rule: Substitute “ he/him ” or “ she/her ”
◦ If it's either “ he ” or “ she, ” then it's “ who; ” if it's
“ him ” or “ her, ” then it's “ whom.
”

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The governess was losing her mind.
◦ The governess ’ mental stability was questionable.
Green-eyed monster
◦ Jealousy
Twisting themselves
◦ Changing themselves
Spreads like a cancerous tumor
◦ Spreads
Bring down Othello
Take down Othello
◦ Cause serious harm to Othello
His world crashed down around him
◦ His life was seriously altered
Got into his head
Get under his skin
◦ Influence him

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Your paper should read like a textbook.
◦ Are there a lot of adjectives? Does the write use imagery? Emotion? Lots of dramatic, over the top phrasing and descriptions?
 NO.

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This is a fantastic novel that shows the racism of the 1920s.
The author does a great job of showing the character ’ s struggle.
The author amazingly displays the character ’ s traits.
We all need to take a page from Zusak’s book and become good people with a purpose like
Ed Kennedy.

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Imagine that…
◦ Not appropriate for a formal paper, academic paper.

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Random spaces.
Words/phrases that don ’ t make sense
◦ “ Oh hello Mr. Pip!
” (Dickens 230) .Wemmick is overjoyed to see Pip, showing their close relationship.
◦ “’ Is that all you ask of me Pip?
‘ Estella questioned ”
(Dickens 127).

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Do not rely on them to link your paragraphs; just using “ furthermore, ” “ additionally, ” etc. is not sufficient.
◦ They are an easy way out.
You still need to write the paper in a way that the ideas are linked between paragraphs.
Firstly, secondly, thirdly, in conclusion, all in all
Primarily, ultimately, in summation, to begin, to add

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To begin, Jane’s development is greatly affected by her childhood.
◦ To begin, Jane’s development is greatly affected by her childhood.
Secondly, Jane’s time at Thornfield makes her grow further and helps her to mature.
◦ Secondly, Jane’s time at Thornfield makes her grow further and helps her to mature.

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Avoid using them in formal papers.
◦ We are not having a conversation.
◦ I am not going to answer you.
When writing something that is purely persuasive in nature, a rhetorical question can be appropriate.
A rhetorical question can also be appropriate in creative writing or a personal narrative.
◦ For example, in your college essays that you will write next year.

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5 standard areas
◦ spelling
◦ punctuation
◦ sentence structure
◦ paragraph structure
◦ syntax errors
Transition use
Use of quotes and cites
2 successes/2 areas of improvement
Must be signed!

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 the prophecy/his prophecy - the prophecy makes more sense foretold to him/about him
Using "upon" too much
Thebes is a city, not a country.