Ratiocination Worksheet
You will need several colors of map pencils and/or highlighters.
Add a √ beside each step when you complete it.
1. Circle all “to be” verbs: is, am, are, was, were, be, being, been, become, feels, seems, and
appears. Count them and WRITE the number here: _____. Goal: (if you eliminate ¾) _____.
(Your goal for a paper of 1500 words as a higher-level student: fewer than 10 be verbs)
2. As you complete step #1, change any past tense of verbs to LPT, literary present tense. If you
question the need to use present tense in certain situations, especially historical background or situations
that took place before the plot’s beginning, ask the teacher’s advice. Note: This applies only to references
to sources. History is still written in past tense.
3. Underline each sentence in alternating, bright map pencils (red and blue, for ex.). This step
visually identifies sentences of approximately the same length. Make appropriate adjustments after
ratiocinating to gain variety in sentence length. Try varying your sentence length to accommodate your
meaning. Very short sentences can add emphasis to a point, and long ones can be more sophisticated.
This process adds voice.
4. Place a bracket around all the words at the beginning of a sentence up to the predicate, which is
the first verb in the main clause. [This step vividly] identifies similar sentence starters. [No two
sentences (in each paragraph, for sure!)] should begin the same way unless you aim for a Martin Luther
King, Jr., rhetorically inspirational or accusatory speech.
5. Write a capital X over any form of the word you. Eliminate!
6. Write a capital X over a lot, just, very, get, got, gotten, put, puts, has, have, had, quote, good, bad,
mad, angry, sad, happy, awesome, and any be or is-words you missed the first time. Most of these
words, like piles of junk, create unappealing communication. Can you eliminate any? Look carefully at
every that; are they all necessary?
7. Write a capital X over all contractions. They do not belong in a formal paper. Many contractions
use be verbs, so when changing them, eliminate any be verb at the same time. If the contraction is in a
direct quote, leave it there.
8. Change the wording of all sentences or clauses that begin with an imprecise, often incorrect, “It is” or
“There is [are]” or “This is.” Find your subject several words over; reword the sentence using active
verbs. Vary sentence beginnings.
9. Find all sentences in passive voice; change to active voice. This one step alone will eliminate many
be verbs. Use ACTIVE voice!
EX.: “Anton is so traumatized by the assault on his family, his home, and his life that he becomes an
anesthesiologist so he can, finally, be in control of others’ lives rather than the other way around.” This
sentence expresses passive voice, or passivity. Change to, “The assault on his family, his home, and his
life so traumatize Anton that he chooses a career in anesthesiology so he can, finally, control others’ lives
rather than the opposite.” By using active voice, we eliminate one is automatically. With little effort we
can also eliminate two more be verbs and a preposition at the end of a sentence!
10. Draw wavy lines ~~ under all repeated words in a sentence or paragraph; are they repeated for
special rhetorical effect? Consider also like (okay for similes), so, and well as sentence starters, and
prepositions at the end of sentences (such as to, for, about, at, in, with, of, off). Can you change any of
these words ? Do they add meaning or do nothing? Ask your teacher about so or like if necessary.
11. Draw a star by words that may slip by the spell/grammar check because you do not know to
check them OR you do not know the difference yourself, such as effect/affect, their/there (and should it
be his or her anyway?), then/than, from/form, to/too/two, which/that, it’s/its, lead/led, and
flout/flaunt. (Use effect as a noun; effective, an adjective; affect(s), a verb. Do not say someone or
something “is affected by” someone or something else; change the passive voice to active voice by
reversing the sentence: So-and-So negatively affects Someone Else when . . . .)
12. Did you enclose all quoted words and passages with a pair of quotation marks? Did you format your
parenthetical citations correctly? For example, yada yada yada “quoted words” (Brontë 64). Note the
spacing as well as the punctuation. Do not forget to use single quotes for quotes within a quote.
13. Did you remember to keep little Dot and Tommy Comma Quotation Mark inside their picket
fence? We do not want anything to run over them or kidnap them! Use MLA format.
Wrong: According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the word want, used as a noun, means “lack of”.
Right: According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the word want, used as a noun, means “lack
of.” (Keep little Dot Quotation Mark inside her picket fence to keep her safe.)
Wrong: Because Anton “drifts”, he thinks of himself as a placid boat in the sea of life.
Right: Because Anton “drifts,” he thinks of himself as a placid boat in the sea of life.
14. Mark out “I think,” “I feel,” “I believe,” “in my opinion,” and “personally” with an X.
-These phrases should not occur in formal writing. They weaken your position.
15. Draw an arrow from each predicate (verb) to its subject (noun).
-If either the subject or the predicate is missing, you have a sentence fragment. Revise.
-Make sure subjects and predicates agree in number.
-If multiple subjects and predicates are found, check for correct punctuation and run-on sentence
errors. Revise as necessary.
16. Using a different color, draw an arrow from each pronoun to its antecedent.
-Make sure all pronouns agree in number with their antecedents.
-Make sure all pronouns (especially “it,” “them,” and “they”) have specific antecedents.
If they do not, revise the sentence to remove the pronoun.
17. Draw a box around all of your parenthetical citations. Check their format and ask for help if
you’re not sure whether they’re right. Make sure there is one after each bit of quoted information, AS
WELL AS after any paraphrased or summarized facts.