Cut unnecessary words. In this day and age in which we live Today In order to succeed To succeed I began to panic I panicked Sylvia started.

Cut unnecessary words.Cut unnecessary words.Cut unnecessary words.Cut unnecessary words.

In this day and age in In this day and age in which we livewhich we live TodayToday

In order to succeedIn order to succeed To succeedTo succeed

I began to panicI began to panic I panickedI panicked

Sylvia started to giggleSylvia started to giggle Sylvia giggledSylvia giggled

James proceeded to eatJames proceeded to eat James ateJames ate

Rake up needless rubbish.Rake up needless rubbish.Rake up needless rubbish.Rake up needless rubbish.

A multitude ofA multitude of manymany A plethora ofA plethora of manymany

An immense number ofAn immense number of

manymany A great deal ofA great deal of manymany

A myriad ofA myriad of manymany

Countless examples ofCountless examples of manymany

Never use more than one word

when a single

word will do!

Never use more than one word

when a single

word will do!

Rubbish wordsRubbish wordskeep you from gettingkeep you from getting

to the point.to the point.

Rubbish wordsRubbish wordskeep you from gettingkeep you from getting

to the point.to the point.

We were unable to complete your We were unable to complete your request request due to the fact that due to the fact that we are we are lazy and disorganized.lazy and disorganized.

We were unable to complete your We were unable to complete your request request because because we are we are lazy and disorganized.lazy and disorganized.

We were unable to complete your We were unable to complete your request request since since we are we are lazy and disorganized.lazy and disorganized.

Clip weak verb-adverb pairsClip weak verb-adverb pairsClip weak verb-adverb pairsClip weak verb-adverb pairs

I I walked slowlywalked slowly through the through the mall.mall. II strolled strolled through the mall.through the mall.

BrendaBrenda ate ate the slice of cakethe slice of cake quicklyquickly..

BrendaBrenda devoured devoured the slice of the slice of cake.cake.

MarkMark read read his noteshis notes carefully carefully..

MarkMark studied studied his notes.his notes.

Prune description that reads like a Prune description that reads like a driver’s license or police report.driver’s license or police report.

Prune description that reads like a Prune description that reads like a driver’s license or police report.driver’s license or police report.

The oval-shaped, brown, The oval-shaped, brown, six-legged cockroachsix-legged cockroach TheThe cockroach cockroach

My 6-foot 3-inch, 225-My 6-foot 3-inch, 225-pound older brother with pound older brother with 24-inch biceps slammed 24-inch biceps slammed down his fistdown his fist My My tall, well builttall, well built brother slammed down his brother slammed down his fist.fist.

In order to receive a good In order to receive a good grade in these modern grade in these modern educational times, I will begin educational times, I will begin to start to proceed to edit my to start to proceed to edit my essay carefully.essay carefully.

In order to receive a good In order to receive a good grade in these modern grade in these modern educational times, I will begin educational times, I will begin to start to proceed to edit my to start to proceed to edit my essay carefully.essay carefully.

To receive a good grade To receive a good grade today, I will revise my essay.today, I will revise my essay.

Dig out pretentious language.Dig out pretentious language.Dig out pretentious language.Dig out pretentious language.

We sat on the beach and We sat on the beach and enjoyed the enjoyed the pulchritude pulchritude of the sunset.of the sunset.

That has got to go!That has

got to go!We sat on the beach and We sat on the beach and enjoyed the enjoyed the beauty beauty of the sunset.of the sunset.

Use a thesaurus with care!

Use a thesaurus with care!

Eradicate the weeds of writing.Eradicate the weeds of writing.Eradicate the weeds of writing.Eradicate the weeds of writing.

CarefullyCarefully hoe hoe the rows of your paragraphs, removing the rows of your paragraphs, removing any sentenceany sentence errors errors..

TheThe best best method:method: Cover Cover your essay with a sheet of your essay with a sheet of paper, and scanpaper, and scan line line byby line line..

Read the essayRead the essay aloud aloud to catch phrasing that doesn’tto catch phrasing that doesn’t sound rightsound right..

Remove Remove unnecessary second-person pronouns:unnecessary second-person pronouns: you you,, youryour,, yours yours, etc., etc.

Visit the Writing Center for help.Visit the Writing Center for help.Visit the Writing Center for help.Visit the Writing Center for help.

Building 5, Room 155,

West Campus!

Building 5, Room 155,

West Campus!

Call 4 0 7 – 5 8 2

– 5 4 5 4 to schedule an

appointment.

Call 4 0 7 – 5 8 2

– 5 4 5 4 to schedule an

appointment.

Plant details with care.Plant details with care.Plant details with care.Plant details with care. Your job is to Your job is to transfertransfer the the

pictures in your head into the pictures in your head into the heads of your readers.heads of your readers.

Use specific names for Use specific names for people, places, things.people, places, things.• The student The student

grill cook at Burger grill cook at Burger King, where I slave at least 25 King, where I slave at least 25 hours per weekhours per week

• My job My job

• My car My car my beat-up Civic my beat-up Civic with a muffler that drags on with a muffler that drags on the groundthe ground

Fred, my lab Fred, my lab partner, who picks his nosepartner, who picks his nose

Compare these two sentences:Compare these two sentences:Compare these two sentences:Compare these two sentences:

The woman got angry with The woman got angry with the man.the man.

• Angry Alice decided to run Angry Alice decided to run over her husband George over her husband George with the Cadillac because, for with the Cadillac because, for the forty years of their the forty years of their marriage, he had refused to marriage, he had refused to put the cap back on the put the cap back on the toothpaste.toothpaste.

Avoid dry, dusty Avoid dry, dusty generalizations …generalizations …Avoid dry, dusty Avoid dry, dusty

generalizations …generalizations …

And plant vibrant details to And plant vibrant details to color your writing.color your writing.

And plant vibrant details to And plant vibrant details to color your writing.color your writing.

““Landscape” your draft.Landscape” your draft.““Landscape” your draft.Landscape” your draft.

Use a pen of a different color to mark Use a pen of a different color to mark at least at least 7 places7 places in your essay that require revision: in your essay that require revision:• CutCut 5 5 unnecessary words or phrases.unnecessary words or phrases.• PlantPlant 2 2 new sentences that will flower in your new sentences that will flower in your

reader’s mind.reader’s mind. Next, weed outNext, weed out all all sentence errors.sentence errors. Compose theCompose the final final draft of your essay, draft of your essay,

obeying allobeying all format requirements format requirements on on the syllabus.the syllabus.

Be sure to Be sure to print print a a hardcopyhardcopy and and upload upload an e-copy to an e-copy to SafeAssignSafeAssign..

The End.The End.The End.The End.