1. Academic Writing Has Rules…

2. It’s YOUR Writing… HAVE CONFIDENCE! There is no room for any of the following: Questions – Now you are asking for the reader’s theory. This is YOUR essay.

3. It’s YOUR Essay… HAVE CONFIDENCE! There is no room for any of the following: “You” – As soon as you write this word, you are making assumptions about the reader. Let’s not be that confident.

4. It’s YOUR Essay… HAVE CONFIDENCE! There is no room for any of the following: “I” – Take yourself out of it and state your opinions as if they are facts. Confidence, remember?

5. It’s YOUR Essay… HAVE CONFIDENCE! There is no room for any of the following: “Maybe” or “Probably” – Now you no longer sound like a professional when it’s YOUR essay…

6. It’s YOUR Essay… HAVE CONFIDENCE! There is no room for any of the following: “Shirley” or “Ms. Jackson” – Now you sound like you know the author…be confident, but not like that.

7. Official NO, NO List: 1.Questions 2.“You”, “I”, “We”, “Our” 3.“maybe” or “probably”, “a lot”, “lots”, “so”, “like” 4.State intentions… 5.Start paragraphs with a quote.

8. NO, NO List: 7. Contractions (don’t) 8. Repetition or redundancy – never write the same sentence and watch your words… “He said that he was happy, but he was not.”

9. YES, YES Checklist: 1)Answer the prompt and meet standard length. 2)Always type (or use blue/black ink) and double space. 3)Use size 12 pt font, Times New Roman, and standard 1” margins, front side only. 4)Use a graphic organizer.

10. YES, YES Checklist: 5)Read your essay aloud…you can hear your own errors. 6)Have someone read your essay aloud to you…you may miss errors alone, but with others, will find them. 7)USE & include your rubric!

11. YES, YES Checklist: 8)Include transition words. 9)Spice up at least FIVE words. 10)Make it neat & turn it in on time.

12. Formal Writing Rules When writing about literature, always write in the present tense. I.e. “The Chrysalids is a book about the future” not “The Chrysalids was a book about the future”. Essays should be submitted with one staple in the top left hand corner. Do not put them in folders, etc.