Mr. Gunnar English 10

OVER PLEASE

Sophisticated Academic Writing Directions: When composing academic papers, maintaining a powerful intellectual voice can lead to success. In other words, it pays to sound like you know what you are talking about.

Power Verbs for Writing Analyses

alludes analogizes argues asserts augments bolsters clarifies compares conveys connotes contrasts creates

deduces depicts describes delineates defines demonstrates depicts develops elucidates embodies emphasizes enhances

establishes explores expresses foreshadows fosters illuminates illustrates implements initiates introduces juxtaposes paints

permeates pervades portrays presents proves qualifies reveals solidifies specifies tackles transcends transforms

Avoiding Weak Words and Expressions

Note: You may not be able to eliminate them all, but if you can use more formal words and expressions in their place, your paper will sound much better. Weak Verbs: am, is, are, be, was, were, has been, had been, have been, being, has, had, gets, shows, have, makes, seems, appears, uses, and utilizes (which means the same thing as uses). Other Weak Words lots, a lot, well, fine, so, fun, great, very, said, get, got, very, nice, your, you, good, just, like; Further explanations and other examples follow: • forms of the verb, "to be" unless as helping verbs or when using passive verbs effectively • “This means...” • “feel” (as a substitute for "think" or "believe") • “kind of,” “sort of” • “makes” “This makes Gunnar mad.” • “for some reason” • “personally” In most formal academic writing situations, you avoid personalizing your paper. • “I think…” “I feel…” “I believe…” (State your opinion as fact and support it.) • “it seems to me” • “you” and second person narration • “in which” • “get” “Gunnar gets mad.”

Try to avoid these too! Very Great Nice Sweet Maybe

Seems Perhaps We Even Thing

Anything Everything Nothing Something

• Redundancies (2 or more sentences with the same ideas unless for rhetorical effect) • This is…, he/she is…, that is…, there is..., there are..., it is..., it was... Simply begin with the noun that follows or better yet, create an appositive: Gunnar, the handsome man standing over there, is my teacher. Instead of: Gunnar is my teacher. He is the handsome man standing over there. Fabulous Weird Really Extremely

This shows That shows Somewhat

Little To some extent Very Great

• a lot or allot (meaning a lot, not in the act of allotting) • “feel” used as a substitute for "think" or "believe." • “it is interesting that...” • “it is interesting to note...” • “this is profound because…” • “pretty” pretty good, pretty well: “Gunnar is pretty handsome.” • “…there for me” (usually in reference to mothers/friends) • “and then” “but then” (double-eliminate conjunction) • “just, even,” and “ever again” (“he was just sure...” “he is not even...” “no one could ever again...” • “In conclusion…” • “In Bierce’s short story…” • “being” (“being that...” “being as...” “his being a giant is...”) • “really” (as opposed to fakely?), really tough • “I got finished.” vs. “I finished.”(“•ot” is not a helping verb.) • “done” for “finished” (“I got done” is doubly awful.)