Writing

Gallery view

Search

Italicize the title of a long work → e.g. novel, play, film, epic poem, anthology (collection of short stories or poems), album, painting

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

When writing by hand, underline the title.

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Use quotation marks for the title of a short work → e.g. poem, short story, article, song, episode of a TV series

“The Gift of the Magi” by O. Henry

When writing a person’s name, use his or her full name the first time you mention this person; afterwards, write his or her last name.

Vary your vocabulary:

Use a thesaurus

Use synonyms, especially for words that are too broad or too elementary

AVOID using words that are vague; always be as specific as possible

Know the correct usage of the word:

Whether a word is a noun, verb, adjective, or adverb

Make sure that you know which system of spelling you are using. You are free to use whichever system you are accustomed to, but be consistent throughout your writing.

Memorize synonyms of words that you usually prefer to use. Although there is no set vocabulary that will guarantee a higher language score, use words that contain the meaning that you intend to deliver and not be repetitive.

= sentence structure.

Vary the types of sentences you are using to control both rhythm and emphasis.

Since a simple sentence carries emphasis, write an important point as a simple sentence

If you have two relatively simple pieces of information, combine them into a compound sentence

Since the clause at the end often receives emphasis, place the most important clause at the end

Use a transition word or phrase to emphasize the relationship