Writing 101
Being a writer is a serious thing. Somehow, people will rely on what your article is talking about. it becomes their reference. Being that way, you should be writing your contents with credibility and of course, originality.
Writing for Essays.ph taught me that you can't just write anything by merely copying from other sources. I actually admit that when I was still studying, I can't help but to do the "Copy-Paste" thing for my write-ups. Well, that's a big NO-NO.
When I write for EPH, and when my articles get accepted, the editors will give some comments about the mistakes they saw in the article. I want to share some of these comments.
If you will observe, most of my comments are about CS Hits, awkward sentences, and word fluff. I use these comments to improve my writing skills, and my rating, as well. I research about these common mistakes of mine and learn how to fix them so that for my next assignments, there's a possibility that I will be able to commit less mistakes.
COPYSCAPE HITS
Copyscape may not be familiar for most people but who wants their articles to be flagged out by this software.
Here are some points to ponder about copyscape:
- Copyscape flags an article when it detects a statement with six minimum matching words that are consecutively arranged.
- It's really a pain in the eye when a writer copy the exact phrase/sentences from the source. Sometimes, even the HTML tags are being copied. That is really forbidden.
- There are some copyscape hits that don't have the intention to copy the exact statements. There are writers that remember the exact phrase from a source, and unintentionally include them in their articles.
- Product reviews are most prone to CS hits.
- There are times that long-tailed keywords are accepted and not considered as copied, especially if they cannot be rephrased.
How to avoid CS hits?
- Research well.
- If you are to write a list, reshuffle them or rephrase some words. But keep in mind that when rephrasing, avoid using highfalutin words. Yes, you may escape CS hits, but you are sacrificing your article's quality.
- Write by heart. :)
AWKWARD SENTENCES
Awkward sentences are statements that are confusing to read. So, what makes a sentence awkward? Here are some of the reasons:
- The sentence is not parallel.
When a sentence is not parallel, you create its grammatical parts imbalanced. For example:
Not Parallel: His sister has not only a sharp mind but also her humor is lively.
Parallel: His sister has not only a sharp mind but also a lively humor.
2. The sentence has a mixed construction.
When a sentence has a mixed construction, the subject does no agree with the verb used, as well as the verb does not agree with the object.
Mixed: A person taking on a role of a caregiver for another, a sick elder, perhaps, is a very demanding job.
Corrected: A person taking on the role of a caregiver for another, a sick elder, perhaps, has a very demanding job.
3. The sentence has unnecessary nominalizations.
Nominalization is an act of making verbs and adjectives as nouns.
Nominalized: Attempts at explanations for increases in voter participation in this year's election were offered by several candidates.
Corrected: Several candidates attempted to explain why more voters participated in this year's election.
4. The sentence is using the passive voice unnecessarily.
Passive voice and nominalizations go together that's why the same mistakes for nominalizations are applied with unnecessary passive voice sentences.
5. The sentence is full of wordiness.
Many writers believe that using sophisticated words can improve writing, but actually it's not. It just makes your article confusing.
How to avoid awkward sentences?
- Write simply.
- Avoid using unnecessary words. Also, avoid using substitute words just to complete the word count. they will just make your articles inaccurate.
- Research well and write based on your understanding.
FLUFF
Fluff is using words or sentences that does not make sense with the core content of your article.
Why do writers fluff?
- To reach the required word count. Every article requires a specific word count. When a writer finds that the information he/she has is not enough, the tendency is to insert words and phrases that does not really needed. This is when a writer starts to fluff.
- Verbosity. This is when you start using complex words to rephrase some words that are frequently used throughout the article. This will also lead to fluff and grammar lapses.
Here is an example of a fluff:
There were many incidents in Mary's life that led to her writing this novel. Her life has only been filled with grief and sadness, which led her to the pen and paper to let her feelings out. Her novels have been receiving good reviews and have become a bestseller.
Removing the fluff, here is what it will look like:
Sad incidents in Mary's life made her pen down her feelings and write this bestselling novel.
Big difference, right?
How to avoid fluff?
- Research well. Read a lot of sources so that you won't be out of ideas.
- Be careful with your word choices. Be mindful that you should be avoiding complex words as these will only make your articles vague.
- Keep your sentences simple. This is important so that your readers will understand your article's content.
- Keep your word count realistic. Make sure to have a realistic target for your word count.
These are just some tips to make your articles more concise and accurate. I hope this helps you improve your writing, as what it did for me. :)
References:
- http://www.wordplaycontent.com/blog/content-writing-tips/how-to-avoid-fluff-and-redundancy/1230
- https://www.textbroker.com/filler-busting-fluff-and-how-avoid-it
- http://www.nipissingu.ca/departments/student-development-and-services/academic-skills/resources/Pages/awkward.aspx
- Webster's Pocket Grammar, Speech and Style Dictionary
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