re that you indicate in the first part of the paper what its purpose is. Follow the old formula:1. Tell the reader what you are going to say (statement of purpose)2. Say it (main body of the paper)3. Tell the reader what you've said (statement of summary and conclusion)B. A word about composition:1. Traditionally, any headings or sub-headings included are nouns, not verbs or phrases.2. Keep things together that belong together. Your outline will help you do this if it is well organized. Be sure you don't change the subject in the middle of a paragraph, and be sure that everything under one heading in your outline is about the same general topic.3. Avoid short, bumpy sentences and long straggling sentences with more than one maid ideas.------------------------------------------------------------------------EDITING THE PAPERYou are now ready to polish up the first draft.A. Try to read it as if it were cold and unfamiliar to you. It is a good idea to do this a day or two after having written the first draft.B. Reading the paper aloud is a good way to be sure that the language is not awkward, and that it "flows" properly.C. Check for proper spelling, phrasing and sentence construction. Be sure that pronouns clearly refer to nouns.D. Check for proper form on footnotes, quotes, and punctuation.E. Check to see that quotations serve one of the following purposes: 1.Show evidence of what an author has said. 2.Avoid misrepresentation through restatement. 3.Save unnecessary writing when ideas have been well expressed by the original author. F. Check for proper form on tables and graphs. Be certain that any table or graph is self-explanatory.Return to Study Skills Self-help Information...
