Writing Tips and Personal Pet Peeves
Try to avoid starting your papers with vague, sweeping generalizations such as
“Throughout history…” or “Since the beginning of time…” Similarly, try to avoid
starting your conclusions with “In conclusion…” Ideally, intros and conclusions should
be viewed as opportunities to be creative, establish your voice, ask/answer big questions,
and think outside the box.
Paragraphs should be no longer than one page. In other words, if a printed page of text
does not contain a single paragraph break, there’s a good chance your paragraphs are too
long and your reader will get lost.
Numbers under 100 should be spelled out (“twenty-seven,” not “27,” “twentieth century,”
not “20th century”).
Make sure you understand how to properly integrate quotes. If you do not, our library’s
shelves are full of examples for you to follow. A key component of a properly integrated
quote is an introduction. “According to historian…,” or “In JFK’s words,…,” etc. In
other words, don’t simply drop a quote into the middle of a paragraph without any
indication of its origin. Some scholars do this, but they usually aren’t good writers.
Don’t over-quote. Readers often interpret excessive quoting as an indication of the
author’s laziness. Quotes should be used sparingly, and only if they are interesting.
“Eastern critics have sounded like a mother who has worked her children ragged on a
family farm, then clutched a hankie to her bosom and sobbed how the brats have bled her
dry.” This is a sentence that is worth quoting. “During the war and ensuing years,
Californians were vaguely aware of a phenomenal increase in population.” This one isn’t
worth quoting. Put uninteresting quotes in your own words. Finally, block quotes should
be used even more sparingly, since most readers (admit it!) usually skip them.
Make sure you understand what constitutes plagiarism. Pulling a sentence from a book or
website, changing a couple of words, and passing it off as your own writing potentially
crosses that line.
Avoid using contractions like “don’t” or “isn’t.” They are too informal for a history essay
or research paper.
Avoid semicolons. They are too often improperly used. They are also (almost always)
unnecessary.
Avoid passive voice. “Mistakes were made,” “The bill was signed,” “The man was
murdered,” all of these statements avoid telling us who is to blame. Passive voice is
easily eliminated: “Our commanding officers made many mistakes,” “The governor
signed the bill,” “A gang of thugs murdered the man.”
Avoid ending sentences with a preposition (prepositions are anywhere a cat can go: with,
on, to, under, after, etc.). “Coverage you can count on” or “He’s looking for someone to
talk to” are improper constructions. Correct: “News on which you can count” or “He’s
looking for someone with whom to talk.” Sounds too formal? Good.
Even if you’re an exceptionally gifted writer, careful proofreading is an absolute must. I
read all of my work aloud before submission. If a sentence sounds odd or confusing, or
like something I would never use in a conversation with a friend, I either fix it or get rid
of it.
Avoid referring to yourself excessively. “I feel that…,” “While researching, I
discovered…,” “It is my opinion…,” etc. We all do this occasionally, but probably
shouldn’t. We need to be calling attention to our paper’s content, not ourselves. Also
avoid second person (“you,” “our”).
History essays and research papers are much more than collections of names, dates, and
facts. They must contain a coherent argument that you yourself formulate. Beyond this,
your essays and papers should be very nearly equal parts context and analysis.
History books are not “novels.” Novels are fiction, history books are nonfiction.
Your best friend when addressing a history quiz or essay prompt is the phrase “for
example.” Historians are ALWAYS looking for evidence that supports your argument
and/or generalizations. It’s not enough to simply answer the question(s) posed, in other
words. We also need details on how/why you arrived at that answer. Think of this as
being analogous to “showing your work” in math class.
The simplest way of saying something is (almost) always best. Excessively wordy and/or
lengthy sentences and unnecessarily flowery language get distracting (and even
annoying), which interferes with your ability to reach your reader. Aim instead for clarity
and concision.