Style Worksheet
- Assess the appearance of your page. Does it look readable?
less readable
... more readable
very short paragraphs variable length
very long paragraphs moderate length
- Select a sample paragraph, and label the content.
- In the margin, note the paragraph's function in the paper to help you check for paragraph unity and fitness for the paper's organizational scheme.
- Note the function of each sentence within the paragraph:
topic sentence focus
point/central claim may be topic sentence
support evidence, reasoning, data, etc.
discussion interpretation, original ideas, etc.
transition relating the paragraph to adjoining paragraphs
relating sentences within the paragraph
Is each sentence functional? Is each function represented?
3. Mark the prepositional phrases to clarify the core sentence.
4. Mark the subject-verb sets.
- Check for effective verbs: precise, communicative.
Revise if you find too many stand-alone forms of "to be" and vague words like "make," "do," "have," "need," etc.
Note: auxiliary verbs of being, etc. are fine.
- Check for precise subject-verb relationships.
.
Revise if you use too many expletive-weak verb sets; also watch for ambiguous use of "it" and "this" as subjects. For "this," add specificity--this what?
Revise passive voice to active voice, unless you have a reason to use the passive.
Revise for agreement in number.
- Check for relationships in subject/verbs sets between sentences in the paragraph to consider unity, coherence, and logical sequence of ideas.
5. Label the clauses: main or subordinate.
- Check for sentence completeness: fragments and run-ons.
- Check for pertinent emphasis: main ideas in main clauses.
- Check for sentence variety to increase readability; mostly complex sentences, with other forms used for variety and emphasis.
6. Revise for conciseness.
- Revise to avoid overusing prepositional phrases: work for a balance of modifiers preceding nouns, prepositional phrases, and subordinate clauses.
- Delete unnecessary material and revise wordy phrases.
7. Revise for clarity and correctness.
- Check for ambiguity, misplaced or dangling modifiers, unclear pronoun reference, vague terms, etc.