This is a Writing Intensive course, which means that not only should you write but also you should receive some instruction in writing. Here are the things I look for in good writing, whether a paper is 100 words or 100 pages:
1. Good Writing Should Be FOCUSED, not FUZZY;
i.e. It should have a point!
“Early” in the paper, the author should make clear to the reader exactly what the paper is about.
2. Good Writing Should Be ORGANIZED.
[ i.e. the paper should have a hierarchical structure in support of the thesis ]
By this, I mean more than just the formal structure of a paper:
i.e. Intro, Body, Conclusion
· What are the MAJOR POINTS that you want to make which lead logically to your conclusion (i.e. which prove your thesis)?
[ These are the principal pieces of evidence to support your argument ]
· What is the BEST ORDER of those points?
· Are there any WEAK or MISSING LINKS in the logic? (If so, FIX THEM!)
· Are there any SUPERFLUOUS POINTS (i.e. points which don’t lead to the conclusion?) (If so, OMIT THEM!)
Note: This organization becomes the outline for the “body” of the paper.
3. Good Writing Should Be SOLIDLY DEVELOPED
[ How? Use the same hierarchical structure at the paragraph level ]
Once the major points are determined, each of those points needs to be explained in detail, and supported by evidence!
4. Good Writing Should Be CLEAR, CONCISE, and PRECISE.
Clear writing indicates clear thinking. (Petr, 1998)
If a writer can’t say it clearly, they don’t fully understand the point.
5. Good Writing Should Be Free of GRAMMATICAL ERRORS.
IMHO, the three most egregious grammatical errors are:
(i) Subject ‑ Verb Agreement Problems
(ii) Sentence Fragments
(iii) Run‑On Sentences
What is the purpose of style and grammar (the mechanics of writing)? It’s not rules for rule’s sake, but simply to aid communication!
This is not “mere grammar”, but rhetoric and argumentation!
i.e. this is all about making your point in a convincing way.
I agree that “content” matters more than mechanics, but in practice, they are difficult to separate. Why? Because failure to write “well” inhibits communication of the content.
** The ultimate test of good writing is whether or not the reader is convinced of the thesis of the paper.
