Holy Names College English Department Home Page

Writing is easy. Any idiot can do it.
(Ask any teacher, and they will assure you that several idiots have ;-)
And if they can do it, you can do it!

Below is a very general description of the process of writing a paper. I figure that you probably already know all this, but panic has set in now that you've sat down to write. If you don't want to review the basics, why not try writing a draft of your paper and then turn to the Writing page for advice?
If you want to jump to the specifics, click on one of these:

How to write a sentence, a paragraph, an introduction, the main body, a conclusion.
When to use a colon, comma, dash, period, quotation marks, or semicolon.

There are four basic steps to writing a paper

1. Obtain blank paper and a writing utensil


First Mistake: turning to a computer at this stage. This often leads the innocent, would-be writer into the temptations of surfing the Internet, checking email, or playing computer games. If you're just starting out, try to go the paper/pen/library route. It's less distracting. Once you're fired up and ready to write, the Internet can be a useful tool. But when you're beginning, it's very easy to be led astray.

2. Find a subject to write about

Note: if you are writing this paper for a class, the professor will generally give you some vague hint as to what he or she wants to read.
If you can find a subject that fascinates you, you will be well on the way to not only writing the paper but also to seeing an A when the paper comes back to you.
If you're stumped for a subject to write about, try the local library. The reference desk should be able to point you to some subjects.
(Okay, if it's 10:30 in the evening, the library's closed, and you have to write the paper before morning, you'll have to try the Internet. Click here for some subjects. If you've waited until the last minute to start writing, you should be fairly motivated not to wander around the Web.)

3. Find something you want to say

Now, this isn't that hard.
If you are armed with pen, paper, and subject, you can generally use the first two items to describe the last one.
Do you like this subject?
Why?
Or, if you absolutely hate it, again why?
It can be just as interesting to write down all the things you dislike about a topic as it is to write the things you like about it -- sometimes it's a lot more fun.

4. Find a thesis statement

Try to boil your feelings down into one sentence:

"I hate broccoli because __________."

Note: if you're stumped at this point, it could be because you have several different answers. Try writing them all down:

"I hate broccoli because:
a. "it makes my hair turn green."
b. "my boyfriend won't kiss me after I've eaten it."
c. "everyone knows that eating broccoli is the first step on a downward spiral that leads to drinking, depression, hard drugs, and eventually dropping out of school and supporting yourself by a career as a telemarketer."

Pick the reason that holds the most potential to write about.
The easiest topic to write is one that you are interested in.
If you find the whole subject less than thrilling, often the thesis statement to chose is the one that fits the length of the paper you want to write.
Example c would be a bad choice for a very short essay, but it would work well for a longer essay. Once you've supplied examples of people who've ruined their lives eating broccoli, your paper is mostly done.

Now that you're all geared up with paper, writing utensil, and a point to make, it's time to sit down and write! You've done the hard work. The rest is just a simple matter of writing sentences that form paragraphs that form your paper. No problem.

How to write a sentence

Yes, I know. You already know how to write a sentence.
But sometimes in the heat of inspiration, people forget how to write a clear sentence.
Remember, if the professors don't understand what you've written, they are likely to mark you down -- even if what you've written is the Most Brilliant Writing Ever Seen On The Face Of The Planet.

Two common mistakes to avoid:
1. run-on sentences
2. incomplete sentences

1. run-on sentences
The basic structure of an English sentence is Subject Verb Object, for example:
Mary hates broccoli.
People often get into trouble trying to fit two sentences in front of one period:
(BAD) Mary hates broccoli, it makes her hair turn green.
This is where you need to be careful with those pesky punctuation marks. Remember, no matter how brilliant your writing, if it isn't clear, it won't be understood.
(GOOD) Mary hates broccoli; it makes her hair turn green.
OR
(GOOD) Mary hates broccoli. It makes her hair turn green.
If this sounds confusing, review the use of the colon, comma, dash, period, quotation marks, and semicolon.
2. incomplete sentences (also known as fragment sentences)
Sometimes people write incomplete sentences.
And that's bad.
People get confused.
Attention wanders.
Brain disconnects.
Yawn. Yawn. Yawn.
Go over your paper once you've written a draft, and check to make sure each sentence has a subject, a verb, and an object in it.

Caution: even with a subject, verb, and object, you can still have an incomplete sentence if you put a conjunction in front of it.

(Complete sentence) Broccoli is bad.
(Incomplete sentence) Because broccoli is bad.
If you're not sure about conjunctions, and other grammatical issues, here are some useful grammar Web sites you can look at.
A very detailed grammar book is The Little, Brown Handbook, published by Addison, Wesley, Longman.

How to write a paragraph

Look, professors want things written as clearly as possible.
They have several more essays to read, and they've probably had a long day teaching.
Give your professor a break. Put your thoughts down as simply as possible.
1. Write the first sentence of the paragraph so that it says what the paragraph will be about.
2. Give examples to back up what you're trying to say in this paragraph.
3. Sum up what you're trying to say in this paragraph.
4. Write a sentence that links this paragraph with the next one.
With all this to get into the paragraph, you can see why some professors insist a paragraph should consist of at least three sentences.

How to write an introduction to a paper

1.Write the first sentence to catch the professor's attention.
Give the professor a reason to care about what you are saying, and you will spark the professor's interest.
An interested professor is much more likely to give you an A than a bored professor.
2. Tell what your thesis statement is.
3. Write a summary of the main points of the paper.
4. Write a transition to the first body paragraph.

How to write the main body of the paper

The main body of the paper seems intimidating at first. If you break it down into separate body paragraphs, it won't look as bad.
Generally, the minimum number of body paragraphs is three. (Unless it is a really, really short paper.)

You already know how to write a paragraph (if you skipped that section, click here).
Think of a main body paragraph as a miniature paper.
Each paragraph in the main body should have:
a) an introduction into what the paragraph will be about
b) a thesis statement of its own
c) a statement to back up this particular thesis statement (at least one example, if not more)
d) a transition to the next paragraph.

The main body paragraph is the place for citing sources to back up the points you are trying to make.
It's not a good idea to throw quotes into the introduction or conclusion of a paper. Be sure to quote and cite the sources correctly!
(For the MLA style of citing, click here.)

How to write a conclusion to a paper

This is your last opportunity to tell the professor of the main idea that you want him (or her) to take away from this paper.
Sum up the main points of your paper, and end with a final reminder of what you think about the subject.
Make the conclusion as clear as the introduction.
Remember, your professor is probably worn out from reading so many papers and has probably forgotten what your introduction was about.
If he or she has to go back to the introduction and re-read it to understand the point you're making, the professor will probably get cranky and mark you down. Make it short and sweet.

When to use a colon

A colon usually follows an independent clause. Use a colon to introduce a list or a quotation. For example:
To write a paper you need three things: a pen, a piece of paper, and an idea.
Use it if the second part of the sentence gives specific details of the first part of the sentence.
Mary loved writing about her hatred of broccoli: it exemplified her intense loathing of vegetables.

When to use a comma


Use a comma between several items in a list:

He was an old, book collector.
(Note: not using a comma here changes the meaning of the sentence. If you write "he was an old book collector," old refers to the books.)
or between a phrase headed with a conjuction and an independent clause:
Because I asked, you should clean your room.

When to use a dash

Like a colon, an em-dash can be used to set off the second half of a sentence from the first.
Mary loved writing about her affection for chocolate--it satisfied her craving without adding a single calorie.
You can also use two em-dashes instead of parentheses.
Use an em-dash -- like this example -- to set off a subordinate clause in the middle of the sentence.
The em-dash is much more informal than the colon or the parentheses. Some professors frown on the use of the em-dash in a formal paper.
Caution: Make sure you use an em-dash, not an en-dash. In other words, use "--," not "-," to indicate a dash. Otherwise it looks like you are writing a hyphen. It could change the meaning of the sentence.

When to use a period

Use a period to end a sentence. Each sentence should have a subject, a verb, and an object.


When to use quotation marks


Use quotation marks to set off the actual words said by whomever you are quoting. Check to make sure your punctuation is where it belongs!

"A comma goes inside the quotation mark," she said.
OR
"A period goes inside the quotation mark too."
A colon or a semicolon goes outside the quotation mark.

When to use a semicolon

Use a semicolon to separate two independent clauses.

To test if a clause is independent, see if it can be written as a separate sentence with a period. For example:

Mary hates broccoli; it makes her hair turn green.
These two clauses can be written as two separate sentences.
Mary hates broccoli. It makes her hair turn green.
Either form is correct. Use a semicolon when you have two separate sentences that you feel are part on one idea that you don't want to split up.

You can also use a semicolon when you have a long, complicated list of items with a lot of commas in the sentence.
However, any time you have a sentence that long, think about rewriting it. Make it shorter. It's easier to read short, simple sentences, and it's much easier to write clearly with short, simple sentences.

There's a lot more to punctuation and grammar than I've explained here.
For more examples, and much more graceful explanations, look at the classic The Elements of Style, by Strunk and White.
Better still, go out and buy a copy. Read it each night before you go to bed. This book is an elegantly,
simply, and comprehensively written explanation of How to Write Well.

Good Luck!

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The Holy Names College Writing Page