Academic Work
Common Essay / Thesis Complaints from Markers
Grammar, punctuation and syntax are misleading. Some sentences have to be read a number of times to be understood completely.
Long-winded sentences, artificially increasing word counts.
Unnecessary capitalisation of words.
Big words are used, often out of context, where a simpler word would have been more appropriate.
Conjunctive adverbs (“however”, “therefore”, “moreover”, “consequently”, etc) overused or used inappropriately/unnecessarily.
Failure to fully address the topic/question. Tailoring the answer to the student’s desires.
The argument is disjointed, just a collection of facts. The student relies too much on references/other authors.
Irrelevant or obvious material is included.
Points made are too vague or general, only scratching the surface.
Points are not supported by sufficient evidence.
Writing style is too casual.
Repetition of words and phrases, where alternatives are available, suggesting little linguistic imagination, even laziness.
Over-reliance on primary sources. Insufficient research into secondary sources.
Inconsistent presentation and spelling.
Inconsistent referencing.
My Work
I proofread and offer general comments on existing material, to improve grammar, spelling, punctuation, clarity, formatting, referencing and overall professionalism. Please note that I do not write papers for students. That is each student's responsibility.
The points below are just a small selection of general comments based on students' work:
(1) It’s best never to begin a sentence/statement with words (typically conjunctions) such as “and”, “but”, “yet”, “so”, “also”, etc. These sound too casual for an essay/thesis when placed at the beginning of a sentence/statement.
(2) In academic work, never compress words (eg. never say “it’s” or “don’t” – these should be “it is” and “do not”). Such a practice gives a casual impression, which isn’t suitable for academic work.
(3) Some of your paragraphs are quite small. While it makes sense to start a new paragraph when there is a major shift in focus, paragraphs which are only a few sentences long are typically seen in newspapers, particularly tabloid newspapers, so it would be best to avoid this association. Very short paragraphs could also make your marker feel as though you had very little to say on a particular point/matter, or that you’re just going through the motions, jotting down notes, without engaging with the topic as fully as you should. Give your reader credit, in terms of him/her being able to understand the connections between different points, and why they’re placed next to each other.
(4) It’s a good idea to have a mix of both direct quoting and paraphrasing, rather than quoting or paraphrasing every time you refer to another’s work/research. This shows that you’re being selective. The wording of a quote should be specific, with the actual words/message used by the quoted author being both relevant and significant to your topic.
(5) Apostrophes are typically used to indicate possession. (They can also be used to indicate a missing letter in a compressed word – eg. “it’s” – but compression is discouraged in academic writing, as it sounds casual.) In terms of possession, make sure to put the apostrophe after the object you’re referring to (ie. the object/person which possesses something). In other words, the thing you are referring to should be to the left of the apostrophe. Then, the apostrophe is followed by the letter s except when the object you’re referring to is a plural ending in an s (eg. “girls”). All of these are correct:
“The man’s coat” (one man)
“The men’s coats” (several men)
“Yeats’s coat” (one person, named Yeats)
“The girl’s coat” (one girl)
“The girls’ coats” (several girls)
“The children’s coats (several children)
A common mistake made with apostrophes involves using them in the case of a plural, where there is no possession (eg. if I had written “apostrophe’s” in this sentence, instead of the correct version: “apostrophes”). These kinds of mistakes can creep in when you’re concentrating on the content of your work.
© Copyright Trevor Conway 2016
(Proofreaders and editors, please note: Any unauthorised use or imitation of my promotional material will result in legal action.)
Grammar, punctuation and syntax are misleading. Some sentences have to be read a number of times to be understood completely.
Long-winded sentences, artificially increasing word counts.
Unnecessary capitalisation of words.
Big words are used, often out of context, where a simpler word would have been more appropriate.
Conjunctive adverbs (“however”, “therefore”, “moreover”, “consequently”, etc) overused or used inappropriately/unnecessarily.
Failure to fully address the topic/question. Tailoring the answer to the student’s desires.
The argument is disjointed, just a collection of facts. The student relies too much on references/other authors.
Irrelevant or obvious material is included.
Points made are too vague or general, only scratching the surface.
Points are not supported by sufficient evidence.
Writing style is too casual.
Repetition of words and phrases, where alternatives are available, suggesting little linguistic imagination, even laziness.
Over-reliance on primary sources. Insufficient research into secondary sources.
Inconsistent presentation and spelling.
Inconsistent referencing.
My Work
I proofread and offer general comments on existing material, to improve grammar, spelling, punctuation, clarity, formatting, referencing and overall professionalism. Please note that I do not write papers for students. That is each student's responsibility.
The points below are just a small selection of general comments based on students' work:
(1) It’s best never to begin a sentence/statement with words (typically conjunctions) such as “and”, “but”, “yet”, “so”, “also”, etc. These sound too casual for an essay/thesis when placed at the beginning of a sentence/statement.
(2) In academic work, never compress words (eg. never say “it’s” or “don’t” – these should be “it is” and “do not”). Such a practice gives a casual impression, which isn’t suitable for academic work.
(3) Some of your paragraphs are quite small. While it makes sense to start a new paragraph when there is a major shift in focus, paragraphs which are only a few sentences long are typically seen in newspapers, particularly tabloid newspapers, so it would be best to avoid this association. Very short paragraphs could also make your marker feel as though you had very little to say on a particular point/matter, or that you’re just going through the motions, jotting down notes, without engaging with the topic as fully as you should. Give your reader credit, in terms of him/her being able to understand the connections between different points, and why they’re placed next to each other.
(4) It’s a good idea to have a mix of both direct quoting and paraphrasing, rather than quoting or paraphrasing every time you refer to another’s work/research. This shows that you’re being selective. The wording of a quote should be specific, with the actual words/message used by the quoted author being both relevant and significant to your topic.
(5) Apostrophes are typically used to indicate possession. (They can also be used to indicate a missing letter in a compressed word – eg. “it’s” – but compression is discouraged in academic writing, as it sounds casual.) In terms of possession, make sure to put the apostrophe after the object you’re referring to (ie. the object/person which possesses something). In other words, the thing you are referring to should be to the left of the apostrophe. Then, the apostrophe is followed by the letter s except when the object you’re referring to is a plural ending in an s (eg. “girls”). All of these are correct:
“The man’s coat” (one man)
“The men’s coats” (several men)
“Yeats’s coat” (one person, named Yeats)
“The girl’s coat” (one girl)
“The girls’ coats” (several girls)
“The children’s coats (several children)
A common mistake made with apostrophes involves using them in the case of a plural, where there is no possession (eg. if I had written “apostrophe’s” in this sentence, instead of the correct version: “apostrophes”). These kinds of mistakes can creep in when you’re concentrating on the content of your work.
© Copyright Trevor Conway 2016
(Proofreaders and editors, please note: Any unauthorised use or imitation of my promotional material will result in legal action.)