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The following checklist is targeted at undergraduate students who
find that they are able to construct in their minds strong and sophisticated
arguments that bring together compelling and original ideas, but
are unable in their writing to express these arguments and ideas
clearly, accurately and effectively. The force of their arguments
is thus severely diminished and they end up with poor grades that
do not reflect the quality of their thinking. This is not to say
that ‘writing’ itself should be thought of simply as
a neutral medium to convey already complete arguments and ideas—the
writing process fundamentally constitutes the formation of our thoughts.
For practical purposes, though, it may be wise to try to isolate
‘problem areas’ in order to deal with them more systematically.
Improvement will take time, but it can be speeded up with self-conscious
practice and experimentation. Here are some of the areas to look
out for when writing and editing typical argumentative essays:
Standard English
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- No grammatical errors (e.g. incomplete or awkwardly structured
sentences, dangling modifiers, problems with subject-verb
agreement, punctuation mistakes)
- No misused words -> Always check
the dictionary
- No jargon or slang (meaningful only to a very specialised
or local audience), unless:
- You explain what they mean
- You have good analytical or dramatic reasons for
using them
- No typographical errors, e.g.: - Cut-and-Paste’
mistakes
- Spelling mistakes -> Use the
spelling checker on your word-processor
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| Clarity |
- Effective choice of words -> Avoid
ambiguity: Be specific and exact
- Effective placement of words in sentences to eliminate
ambiguity
- Sentences are not cluttered with repetitive words, redundancies
and inflated phrases
- Avoid clumsy sentences that confuse and irritate
readers
- Systematic paragraphs convey ideas clearly, logically
and purposefully
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Consistency
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- Consistent use of verb tenses
- Consistent use of first-person, second-person and third-person
pronouns to maintain the point of view appropriate to the
contexts
- Consistent use of spelling, grammar and style conventions
(e.g. British/American/Australian English, single/double
quotations marks)
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Tone
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- Sufficiently formal as appropriate to an academic essay
- No clichés and colloquialisms, unless you have
good analytical or dramatic reasons for using them
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Personal Style/Voice
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- No mimicking of lofty and pretentious styles or use of
‘big’ and excessive words in the vain attempt
to impress readers
- A consistent style that you are comfortable with, because
it reflects your own individual voice
- A variety of sentence structures used to avoid monotony
- The writing is not dull and lifeless, but elegant, clever,
witty, energetic, etc.
- No sexist, stereotypical, or offensive language
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Sense of Audience
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- Your interest in the topic is conveyed to your readers
- You must convince readers that they should also be
interested in what you have to say
- It always helps to imagine yourself as the reader
- Actively engages the reader, e.g.:
- Well-paced writing: Short sentences to emphasise
a point, long and complex sentences to slow down readers,
etc.
- Suitably dramatic moments: Delaying information to
make conclusions more satisfying, etc.
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Formal Requirements
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- Falls within the prescribed word limit
- Complies with the prescribed format (e.g. fonts, margins,
line spacing, justification, section headings)
- Consistent adherence to the prescribed style of documentation
(e.g. APA, Harvard, MLA)
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Further Reading
Hacker, D. (1999). A Writer’s Reference (4th
ed.). Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s.
Tan, Paul A.S-S. (2003). ‘Constructing the Argumentative
Essay’. Successful Learning, Issue No. 29. Singapore:
Centre for Development of Teaching and Learning, National University
of Singapore. http://www.cdtl.nus.edu.sg/success/sl29.htm.
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