Formal Writing: Do Not's

Do Not Use Contractions! When writing a formal essay, you do not use contractions. A contraction is when you combine to words together, usually trying to make the word negative. For example: Aren’t Don’t Can’t Would’ve Should’ve Could’ve

Do Not Use First Personal Pronouns When writing a formal essay, please refrain from using first or second person, or any personal pronouns. It is much better to use the person’s name. For example: I, me, and myself You We He She It They Them

Do Not Use Past Tense When you are writing a formal essay, especially about literature, you do not use past tense verbiage. For example: Rebelled Tried Relied Conformed Used

Do Not Use Vague Words When you are writing a formal essay, you need to be specific. Do not use words that “stand in” or replace the actual word you are meaning to say. For example: Thing It They Them That Their; There They’re

Do Not Use the “Be” Verb Often When writing a formal essay, you need to stay away from using the “be” verb too often. It is much better to action verbs. For example: Is Being Been

Do Not Use the Same Word Twice When you are writing a formal essay, it is important that you use a varied vocabulary to explain your point. For Example: If you use the word rebel, then you might want to also use the following words that express the same idea: Protest Defy Agitate

Do Not Use More than One Question When writing a formal essay, questions are perfectly fine to use as attention grabbers; however, after the introduction, you should refrain from using them.

Do Not Use Prepositions at the End of Your Sentence When writing a formal essay, it is important that you do not use prepositions at the end of a sentence. For example: I would rather you discuss the person you are referring to. She answered the question I needed help with.