Writing

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Week 6 Lesson: Rough Draft Continued – APA Formatting and Grammar Rules

As you move further into drafting your research paper, this week’s focus is on refining both formatting and grammar to align with APA standards. Continue working on your rough draft in preparation for the final version.

This lesson provides additional tips and reminders for strengthening your paper:

APA Formatting:
- Ensure correct use of headings and subheadings.
- Review citation and reference page rules.
- Double-check font, spacing, margins, and indentation for consistency.
Grammar & Style:
- Write in clear, concise, and formal academic language.
- Maintain objectivity by avoiding first-person pronouns and personal opinions.
- Use active voice for clarity and engagement, while minimizing passive constructions.
- Pay attention to verb tense consistency (past tense when summarizing studies, present tense when describing your paper).

Remember, a strong paper is not only grounded in quality research but also presented in a professional, polished format. Careful attention to detail in formatting, grammar, and style demonstrates academic rigor and elevates the quality of your work.

here’s a Week 6 APA & Grammar Quick Fix Guide you can include as a sidebar or handout for students. It highlights the most common mistakes and shows how to correct them:

Week 6 Quick Fix Guide: APA & Grammar

1. APA Formatting Mistakes

❌ Wrong: References not alphabetized. ✅ Fix: Alphabetize by the first author’s last name.

❌ Wrong: Titles capitalized like a headline. ✅ Fix: Only capitalize the first word of the title and subtitle, and proper nouns. Example: “The effects of stress on police officers: A case study.”

❌ Wrong: Database URL used. ✅ Fix: Use the DOI or the journal’s homepage URL.

❌ Wrong: Missing hanging indent in references. ✅ Fix: Indent all lines after the first by ½ inch.

2. In-Text Citation Errors

❌ Wrong: (Smith, J., & Jones, P., 2020). ✅ Fix: (Smith & Jones, 2020).

❌ Wrong: (Johnson et al., 2019, p. 45) when paraphrasing. ✅ Fix: (Johnson et al., 2019). Page/para numbers are only required for direct quotes.

3. Grammar & Style Issues

❌ Wrong: “I believe police training must improve.” ✅ Fix: “There is a need for improved police training.”

❌ Wrong: “You can see how this affects communities.” ✅ Fix: “This issue significantly affects communities.”

❌ Wrong: Switching tenses: “Smith (2019) concludes… The study found…” ✅ Fix: Keep consistent tense: “Smith (2019) concluded… The study found…”

❌ Wrong: Passive overuse: “It was determined that crime decreased.” ✅ Fix: Active voice: “The researchers determined that crime decreased.”

4. Proofreading Essentials

Run spell check and grammar check.
Read your paper aloud to catch awkward phrasing.
Double-check that all citations match the corresponding entries in the reference list, and vice versa.
Ensure the paper follows APA 7th edition rules for font, margins, spacing, and indentation.

✅ Tip: Print your draft or use a different font temporarily to see errors more clearly before submitting.