Style Checklist


Use the "Find and Replace" Feature to search for the following:
 # found 
Search for "and" to check for parallel structure 
  • Not Parallel: birds, horses, and fat rhinos
  • Parallel: birds, horses, and rhinos (if you want an adjective for 1, you need adjective for all)
  • Not Parallel: eaten, sleeping, and had snored
  • Parallel: eating, sleeping, snoring (keep the verbs in the same tense)
  • Not Parallel: candy, make-up, costumes, running wild on Franklin Street, toilet paper
  • Parallel: candy, make-up, costumes, and toilet paper (running. . . doesn't belong because it represents an action and not a thing)
    		•  .
    Replace "to be" verbs  [am, is, are, was, were, be, being, become, been] with interesting, action packed verbs.  .
    Reduce the # of prepositions: about, by, on, for, from, with, in, into, of, to  (remember, that if the "to" goes with the verb, you cannot eliminate it b/c it forms part of the infinitive) .
    Search for "to" (Do not split your infinities as in :"to boldly go".  "Boldly" splits the infinitive form of the verb, "to go".) .
    Eliminate expletives: it is, there are, this is. . .  at the BEGINNING of sentences. .
    Eliminate expletive constructions within a sentence (who was, that was etc.)
  • The child, who was eating a popsicle, choked on the stick when he tripped on a rock.
  • The child, eating a popsicle, choked on the stick when he tripped on a rock.
    		•  .
    Eliminate vague words (such as pronoun references [you, we, they] or other vague phrases [some people]) .
    Eliminate absolutes (all, none, every etc.)  .
    Use simple possessive rather than an "of gerund" phrase 
  • The reaction of the patient. . .  -> PATIENT'S reaction . .
    		•  .
    Eliminate buzz words (check the list in your book) .
    Search for all " (quotation marks).  Make sure  you introduce it with an attributive tag (Santa says, "What do you want for Christmas, little girl?" .
    Search for all ( to make sure you have documented correctly within the text.  Review the APA section in A& B.  Remember that you need a date and page number in most situations. .
    Common Errors (use the computer's find / replace feature to locate these):
  • Do not end a sentence with a preposition.
  • Do not begin a sentence with "and."
  • Do not put a comma before a BECAUSE clause (He is interesting because. . . NO COMMA!)
  • Distinguish between:
  • it's and its
  • then and than
  • WHO (for people: The patients WHO suffer from. . . ) but THAT for things (The invention THAT led to. . . )
    		•  .
    OTHER THINGS TO CHECK
    		 .
    Remember our discussion about how scientific writing can include interesting words? Do the same for social sciences. .
    Aim for precise & concise language.  Use 1 word instead of 2 or 2 words instead of a long phrase .
    Use the apostrophe for POSSESSIVE, NOT PLURAL
    1930's -> 1930s (plural!)    		 .
    Use a comma after an introductory phrase, clause, or word. 
  • On the other hand, SHE (the subject) loves. . . 
    • To do this, look for the subject.  If you have a string of words before it, set it off with a comma.
    		 .
    Combine sentences as one way to eliminate wordiness and redundancy. .
    Maintain a professional & objective  tone by using middle to high level diction. Avoid slang, clichés and colloquialisms. .
    Vary your transitions (see list on p. 135 in A & B.) .
    USE A COMMA before the AND if your list has 3 or more items. .