General editorial remarks on papers

• Use strong verbs!
• Avoid forms of the verb “to be” (is, was, are, were, seem)
• Avoid the passive voice (see Strunk for explanation)
• Use the past tense when referring to events in the past
• Use present tense when referring to a written text

• Be concise: it is better to turn in a short paper than one filled with fluff
• Strive for clarity and precision, even if it means you write simpler sentences

• Do not use “they” or “their” when you are referring to one person, place, or thing
• Do not use “it” unless you’re absolutely sure the reader knows what “it” refers to
• Do not use contractions in formal papers
• Do not use semicolons (;) unless you know exactly what they’re for
• Avoid “the fact that,” much less “due to the fact that”

• Spell out ordinal numbers (eighteenth, nineteenth, etc.), one-digit cardinal numbers (1, 2, 3, etc.), and any number at the beginning of a sentence

• Check your spelling