Rhetorical Self > TITLE

· Do Not use second person (you, your) unless instructed to do so. Limit your use of first person when you can.

· Avoid: I think, In my opinion, I believe, I feel, or anything of that nature. You will lose points and perhaps fail the assignment if you do it. Your readers know you think/feel/believe it because you wrote it—it’s understood; you don’t need to announce it.

· You must cite and document MLA style (12 point font, Times New Roman or Ariel) and DO a works cited page when required.

· Work on sentence structure and word choice. Use a thesaurus if necessary. Don’t repeat words/phrases.

· DO NOT summarize a text. Remember your audience and your purpose. If you merely summarize the text, you will fail the assignment.

· Make transitions smooth—do not jump from point to point. Use transitional words and phrases (furthermore, moreover, likewise, and so on).

· Make all paragraphs 7-10 sentences.

· You must create your own title for your essay. Your title should be original and engaging.

· Make your thesis strong and make sure it has a focus. Your thesis is the last sentence of your first paragraph for most of your essays.

· Be formal with your writing—no contractions, slang, or informal sounding language. Avoid cliché’s (the grass is greener and so on).

· Avoid phrases/words that are often overused: In today’s society and so forth.

· Don’t make hasty generalizations. Example: Everyone votes. Not everyone votes.

· Avoid too many short, simple sentences—they give your paper an informal tone.

· Avoid to be verbs when you can—is, are, was, am, and so forth.

· Avoid always, never, now, forever, and so forth.

· Whenever you use this or that, you need something after it to make it clearer. Ex: this pen, that chair, and so forth.

· Try to avoid beginning sentences with the words This or It.

· Check spelling ex. there and their, where and were, and so forth.

· Use quotation marks around titles of short stories, poems, and essays and when you directly quote something from a text or use dialogue.

· Avoid using the word “thing.” It is a weak word. Be more concrete.

· Avoid dropped quotes. Make sure your quotes flow: According to Jane Smith, “car accidents are on the rise” (302).