Top Tips on How to Write for School - H
Hello beautiful people! Do you ever feel like there are unspoken rules about academic writing that no one ever told you? Well, you're in luck because today in this very blog post I am going to spill absolutely 100% of the tea on how to write for school! If you're in high school, college, or you're just looking to improve your writing, keep reading!
Top Tips on How to Write for School
Okay, so I just want to start off by saying that just because you wouldn't call yourself the best creative writer doesn't mean you can't write successfully for school. If you're putting 110% effort into it, your teachers will be able to tell. Note: every teacher and professor is different, as well as every subject; obviously, you're more likely to receive writing criticism for an English paper than a history essay, but it's been my experience that it's always wisest to put your best foot forward, no matter the subject or the instructor.
(1) Format according to a specific style
The two most common formatting styles are APA and MLA. APA is usually used when writing articles of a medical nature, and MLA typically covers every other field. If you're not already familiar with either of these styles, I'd definitely recommend checking out Purdue Owl--they have all the information you could ever want about formatting the body and sources of a paper!
Also, always make sure to check with your instructor about how they would like the paper formatted. Some may prefer one style over another, and others may have certain formatting specifications they would like to see in the paper. If your instructor claims not to have a preference which style you use, that doesn't mean you can just freehand it. Your paper will look 10x nicer if you follow a certain style, and that extra effort will really make your paper stand out.
(2) Come up with a thesis
In case you need a refresher, a thesis statement is basically the theme of your paper in one sentence. It should appear at the end of the introduction (the first paragraph) and again restated at the start of the conclusion (the last paragraph). The purpose of formatting the thesis in this way is that it acts like a sort of open and closing parentheses for your paper, to bring the idea full circle.
Generally speaking, a thesis statement should communicate three points for you to talk about in your paper. Obviously, if your paper is required to be extra short or extra long, you might have to modify the thesis, but a good rule of thumb is to hit on three points in the thesis. Here is an example of a rather blunt thesis for a paper about Elvis Presley:
"The biggest influences on Elvis Presley's life were his childhood, his music, and his career."
Did you catch the three points? Childhood, music, and career. An example of this thesis restated would be:
"Elvis Presley's childhood, music, and career were the three most influential factors of his life."
See, you can tell it's communicating the same idea, just saying it in a different way. Even if your instructor doesn't require you to have a thesis for your paper, it's still a good idea to come up with one because it helps you avoid rabbit trails, and keeps your paper on track.
(3) Make an outline
Hopefully you've already had some experience making an outline. However, have you ever written an outline for a paper if you weren't required to write one? Let me tell you, the instructor can definitely tell when you didn't write an outline. Usually when I'm writing a paper, I'll make both a topic outline and a sentence outline, though sometimes just one is enough.
I'll start by making a topic outline like this:
I. Introduction
II. First Point
A. Example 1
B. Example 2
III. Second Point
A. Example 1
B. Example 2
IV. Third Point
A. Example 1
B. Example 2
V. Conclusion
Then I'll develop the topics into sentences, throw in some citations, and remove the outline formatting, and then we're practically halfway to the paper already! Just have to fill in some fluff here and there.
(4) Cite your sources
Ever heard of Noodlebib? It's a lifesaver. You can add as much or as little information as you want, format from any number of styles, add annotation, and even export to Word. I wasn't allowed to use this in high school, but in college it's saved me so much time!
If you're not allowed to use Noodlebib, the Purdue Owl will give you all the information you need to format your sources page. It might take a little longer than Noodlebib would, but it has the same effect, and won't your paper look clean with those properly-cited sources!
Okay, so far I feel like these "tips" have been pretty obvious. But even if they're not, I've got a couple more up my sleeve that might make the difference for you between a B and an A!
(5) Don't use contractions
Did you notice that irony? *Don't* use contractions? 😂 Okay, I'll get on with the tip now. Some instructors will tell you specifically to avoid using contractions (anything with an apostrophe that combines more than one word, i.e. can't, won't, didn't). However, even if your teacher didn't specify whether or not you could use contractions, it's best to avoid them entirely if you want to sound more professional and formal. All I'm saying is, I've never gotten anything less than an A on a paper where I didn't use contractions. Coincidence? I think not! 😜
(6) Avoid first- and second-person pronouns
Again, some teachers might outright tell you not to use first- or second-person pronouns (I, me, we, you, us, etc.). But others might not specify, which is why it is so important for you to promise yourself you will never ever use first- or second-person pronouns in formal writing! Never!!
Now, I got this lecture plenty of times in high school, but something they often left out was what do I use instead of those pronouns? Luckily, Hannah is here to save the day for you folks. Are you ready for the secret?
"One."
Incorrect: "You might have never seen the difference."
Correct: "One might have never seen the difference."
Even with "one," sometimes avoiding pronouns can still be a little tricky. If that's ever the case for you, best to just avoid forming sentences that would require them altogether.
(7) Don't say "thing"
It actually wasn't until I got to college that one of my professors trained this out of me. The word "thing" is a placeholder; there is always a better word you could use, and we are not lazy writers!! By the way, "thing" includes "something," and be careful with "anything" and "everything." Even if you wrack your brains and you can't think of a more specific word you could use, I have some more formal alternatives for your convenience:
- Object
- Concept
- Idea
- Quality
- Matter
- Concern
- Occurrence
Much love and God bless,
Hannah xoxo 💘
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