Writing requires a blend of strategy and creativity, in this blog post, we’ll explore the techniques that elevate good writing to great. Starting with getting down on how to have a strong introduction (because first impressions count) to gracefully citing sources (so prof doesn’t think we made it all up), this guide is here to help you write with confidence, or maybe just enjoy it.
Developing a Strong Introduction & Thesis Statement
- Make sure you’re answering the prompt thoroughly, knowing what these terms mean will help you develop your response.
- Take a position if it’s an argumentative essay, pick a side as to what or whom you’re supporting.
- If it’s a persuasive essay, practice ur persuasion skills. The reader should be swayed into what you’re writing about.
Down below is a link from Occidental College’s writing center explaining how to understand what you’re writing so you can formulate your introduction:
Paragraphs, Academic Essays, and Conventions for Other Writing Situations
- Paragraphs are bodies of writing that are targeted to explain/expand on a specific topic (Aaron and Angelina 1)
- Introduction paragraphs are to open up the topic, body paragraphs are for explaining the topic, and conclusions are to summarize and wrap up your essay.
- There are many ways to describe an academic essay but mainly they are used to explain and interpret a topic.
- If you want a well-written essay, then you need a structure for your writing. You have to make sure what you’re writing about is being clearly stated and let the essay flow correctly.
APA, MLA, Chicago, and Others
- Citations are important when providing evidence to support what you’re writing about. It can be deemed as plagiarism if you don’t support your response.
- There are different types of citations such as APA, MLA, AAA, ASA, Chicago, and more.
Caulfield, J. (2024, November 06). Citation Styles Guide | Examples for All Major Styles. Scribbr. Retrieved December 3, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/citing-sources/citation-styles/
This is my citation for my evidence on different styles of citations, see what I did there? Could anyone tell me what type of citation this is and why they think it’s that? 1
Headers, Titles, Section Headings, Captions etc
- Documents design helps with organization, clarity, visual appeal, accessibility, and professionalism. (Isabella and Peace)
- Titles are what set the tone, headers provide consistent information at the top of each page, section heading helps readers navigate the text, and captions detail the visual so that the reader knows why it’s being added.
The picture shows different levels, giving the titles different statuses.
Can someone tell me the different heading titles and the caption?2
Writing with AI
- People use AI for multiple reasons, for checking spelling, grammar, doing research, getting feedback on writing, or plagiarism detection. (Anza and Autumn 3)
- But AI is wrong to use when you’re writing full-on essays instead of using your own ideas or you’re asking it to answer homework questions.
Word Choice #1: Connotations & (In)Formality
- Connotations are when you use a term in a different connotation and imply something different from its literal meaning. For example, calling someone “home.”
- Formal speech is when you’re saying something serious rather than relaxed. Someone can tell this through your tone, vocabulary, grammar, and more.
- Can someone tell me if I’m talking informally or formally and why they think that?3
Blog/Online Article Writing Conventions
- A blog is an information article that is consistently updated. I’m speaking to you guys through a blog post I made on English 2150 language and writing topics.
- The conventional tone and narrative is important because of the pacing, it could be conversational or formal. (Anaiah, Emely, and Esteban 5).
- Bucket Brigades are sometimes used in blogs because they are catchy phrases that grab attention.
- Research is crucial when doing this because you want to use reliable sources. I used some sources of my own and then used you guys as some as well! Thank you!
Capitalization, Italics, and Other Font Decisions
- Capitalization is important if you’ll be consistent with what you do. Putting some words in capitalization but then later using the same word, and you don’t capitalize it, isn’t good. It makes you look disorganized.
- You emphasize some things with this like titles, names, restaurants, and more.
Style – Individual Variation and Conventions across Different Writing Situations
- These are different ways a writer expresses themselves through their use of language, including word choice, sentence structure, and tone.
- There is expository, descriptive, persuasive, narrative, creative, and argumentative styles of writing.
- You have to think about who you’re writing to and what the purpose is.
Sentence Structure: Run-on Sentences, Comma Splices, Sentence Fragments/Incomplete Sentences & Other Common Grammar Challenges
- When two or more whole sentences are merged into one, it’s known as a run-on sentence.
- Combining two independent sentences or ideas with a comma but no conjunction is known as a “comma splice.”
- Incomplete sentences might leave out crucial information, which makes it difficult for the reader to understand the argument or the meaning in its whole. Important details could be misinterpreted as a result.
Word Choice #2: Differences and Similarities between Academic and Professional Writing
- A style of communication used by researchers to establish the scope of their experience within their fields is an academic writing.
- Professional writing is a type of writing style used in business or workplace settings providing information in resume letters, meeting agendas, and/or cover letters. (Fowzia and Maya 5)
Effectively Integrating Information from Sources
- Source integration is when you combine outside information into your writing to support your arguments.
- Failing to advocate for your argument makes your writing sound weak
- Direct quotes, paraphrasing, or summarizing are the best ways to use information from other sources
Work Cited:
“Citation Styles Guide | Examples for All Major Styles.” Scribbr, 24 June 2022, www.scribbr.com/citing-sources/citation-styles. Accessed 2 Dec. 2024.
Romani, B. “APA Headings and Subheadings – B Romani – Medium.” Medium, 5 Jan. 2022, medium.com/@bizhanrom/apa-headings-and-subheadings-5cdd2b270f0f.
Howell, Andrea. “Why Do We Really Use AI? As a Writer, Here’s My Take on It.” Medium, 25 Nov. 2024, medium.com/@andrealhowell/why-do-we-really-use-ai-as-a-writer-heres-my-take-on-it-1a70e9f4c524.
“connotation.” Merriam-Webster Dictionary, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/connotation.
Formal Vs Informal Language Examples and Definition. upskillstutor.com/news/the-difference-between-informal-and-formal-speech.
- It is APA style because APA uses the author’s last name and the year of publication. Whereas if it was MLA, the writer would use the author’s last name and the page number as references. ↩︎
- Level 1 is the overall title, Level 2 and 3 are subheadings, and the Citation is under the picture I put ↩︎
- I’m talking informally because I’m speaking like how I would casually to each and every one of you. ↩︎