T C 357: Comedy, Ancient and Modern
Some general guidelines for writing.
I. Pay particular attention to structure.
a. Make sure that your paper has an argument that is clear and easy
to follow, an introduction, and a summarizing conclusion.
b. Also make sure that your individual arguments are thorough and
comprehensive. Avoid listing arguments without sufficient
elaboration.
c. While it is very important that you defend your arguments with
examples cited from the relevant works, do not spend too much time
merely repeating what you find in those works.
II. Here are a few things to be careful of as you think about
style.
a. Clarity is the most important thing: convoluted sentences and
paragraphs that are hard to follow will get you into trouble.
b. Nevertheless, be careful that your prose is not too boring: vary
the length and structure of your sentences.
c. Try not to repeat a word or phrase within a short space, unless
you are doing so for a specific effect.
III. Pay attention to the following grammatical rules.
a. Every sentence needs a subject and a verb.
b. Watch out for "run-on" sentences.
c. Independent clauses (i.e., those that could stand by themselves as
sentences) should be separated by a comma. Dependent clauses (i.e.,
those that could not each stand alone as a sentence) are not
separated by a comma. Examples: Plautus wrote comedy, and he knew
slaves. Plautus wrote comedy and knew slaves.
d. Make sure it is clear to whom all of your pronouns (it, this, he,
his, who, etc.) refer.
e. Titles of literary works (except short poems) should be
underlined.
f. Be careful not to leave out apostrophes, and remember that they go
after the "s" of plurals. Examples: Gilbert's techniques; authors'
techniques; Plautus' techniques or Plautus's techniques. Exception:
when the "s" is silent: Beaumarchais's techniques.
g. Try not to split infinitives. Example: "to go boldly where no one
has gone before," not (pace Captain Picard) "to boldly go where no
one has gone before."
h. Be careful not to mix numbers or tenses.
i. Watch out for so-called "dangling" participles. If you use a
participle, be sure it is clear to whom the participle refers.
j. Avoid constructions in which one noun describes another.
IV. Proofread carefully, and use your spell checker.
V. I encourage all students to consult with me regarding your writing whenever you think appropriate, and to visit the Undergraduate Writing Center (FAC 211; 471-6222).