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Helpful
Grammar Hints
Do
not let some very common writing pitfalls damage the quality
or the intent of your writing.
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Tense: You must choose a tense (past, present or
future) that is appropriate to your paper and then attempt
to stay within that tense and avoid jumping from one tense
to another. After you have written your first draft, go
back through your paper and check the verb tenses to make
sure you are being consistent.
-
Voice:
The active voice should be used as much as possible. Failing
to use active voice is common problem for many writers
of the English language.
-
For
example, instead of writing, “Among the many
books that were written by L’udovit Stur before
the revolutions…” you should write, “Among
the many books L’udovit Stur wrote…”
The difference may be subtle but the more active your
writing is, the more forceful your arguments will
be.
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Pronoun
Usage and Pronoun Reference: English pronouns are
not declined as they are in other languages. Consequently,
you must exercise care when using indefinite pronouns
(this, that, it) or personal (he, she, they) pronouns
in a clause or sentence. Make sure the reader knows what
each pronoun refers to.
-
For
example: “The French Revolution led to the development
of the modern national states of Europe. This was
the most important event…” The reader, unfortunately,
is left wondering if the Revolution or if the development
of the nation-state was the most important event since
the pronoun “this” COULD refer to either
one. One of the easiest ways for you to avoid this
problem is to avoid using pronouns as the subject
of a sentence as much as possible.
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