Academic Writing Issues

Academic writing IS NOT the same as creative writing.

In academic writing … NOBODY CARES WHAT YOU THINK … UNLESS YOU CAN SUPPORT YOUR OPINION WITH SOURCES!

Your opinion means NOTHING … Without proper sources Incredibly Important Parenthetical Citation (Pennock, pg ?) (Book, Ch and Verse – Mt. 1:13-20) Bibliography (Works Cited)

That displays immature writing. You are JUNIORS! Write like it! Do not tell the reader what the essay is going to be about. Such as “In this essay I will be discussing what a Sacrament is.” That displays immature writing. You are JUNIORS! Write like it!

The reader should know what you are talking about because you are writing well! IF you have to tell the reader what your paper is going to be about… OR if you have to tell the reader about what they just read… THEN … your writing needs to be better organized!

Academic writing is Serious writing! Therefore, DO NOT use phrases like: “It’s cool” “Big deal”

Spelling and Capitalization Receive NOT Recieve Remember … I before E except after C The Church (Roman Catholic Church) Christ Handwriting a capital “C” needs to be obvious!

Singular and Plural Agreement The stores are going to be crazy on Black Friday. The stores is going to be crazy on Black Friday. That person is crazy. That people is crazy. Those people are crazy. Those people is crazy.

Do Not Abbreviate in Academic Writing You are NOT texting your paper to your teacher!!! DO NOT USE THESE RCC NT OT W/ B/C & @ Or any other abbreviations Do Not Abbreviate in Academic Writing

Titles This would include abbreviating the title of a book. Such As: YLIC or MJS You should spell out the entire title of a book!

Do not hyphenate words If the word you are writing does not fit all within the line then go to the next line.

Written work must be done NEATLY! Grading essays is difficult and if the handwriting is not legible your grade will be affected. DO NOT write past the margins! Indent your essay when starting a new paragraph. Write in between the two margins. If necessary you can print if your cursive writing is too difficult to read.

Verb Tense and Prepositional Phrases … Be Careful PICK A TENSE!!!!! PLEASE!!!! And stick with it!!!!! Past tense Present tense In the car NOT ON the car (unless you are literally on the car!) In the world NOT ON the world (Yes, I know you are literally “on” the planet) --- English is weird. On the phone NOT IN the phone (I know it dose not make any sense!)

Don’t use “Don’t” NO YES Don’t Won’t Shouldn’t Couldn’t Wouldn’t She’s Do not Will not Should not Could not Would not She is He is

Knowing when NOT to capitalize is just as important as knowing when to capitalize! Just because you think a word or phrase is important does not mean it should be capitalized.

DO NOT OVER CAPITALIZE! For example: On the paper assignment for the first semester … Principle of Subsidiarity should be capitalized every time you used it in that form. But, the terms you are to use throughout the paper: Common good Solidarity Human Solidarity Social Justice Charism DO NOT have to be capitalized unless at the beginning of a sentence.

Spell Check Is Your Friend… But, spell check cannot catch every error. Proof reading is incredibly important. Editing is incredibly important. Do not be afraid to change your mind and take something out of the paper. Do not be afraid to rearrange your paper. Do not be afraid to add to your paper. IF --- this is going to make it a better paper!

FINALLY Read your paper OUT LOUD to yourself To someone else LISTEN FOR MISTAKES! And, correct them!!!