You won't find a comprehensive guide to mechanics, but instead you will get short but thorough lessons on the most common errors made in grammar, spelling, usage, and how to prevent and cor¬rect these errors. Every chapter is designed to relate directly to your essay, giving you the knowledge and the know-how you need to succeed. | Clarity CHAPTER 2 HOW TO WRITE GREAT ESSAYS 19 The pronoun that is too far away from its antecedent to be clear. It could refer to the paper or to the meeting. A better sentence is Bring the paper that discusses the detention policy with you to the meeting tomorrow. Example They always talk about the dangers of global warming. This common pronoun error is also known as an expletive they is useless because it appears to refer to no one. If the writer has that information he or she can revise the sentence to be more precise The newspaper frequently has articles about the dangers of global warming. If there is truly no they the sentence should be revised by eliminating it There is much talk about the dangers of global warming. MORE EXAMPLES PRONOUN USAGE Incorrect Both Fellini and Bergman edited his movie. Correct Both Fellini and Berman edited Bergman s movie. Incorrect Leave all ingredients out of the recipes that do not belong in a healthy diet. Correct Leave all ingredients that do not belong in a healthy diet out of the recipes. Incorrect They banned parking in their lot so the snowplows could do their job. Correct The owners of the parking lot banned parking in their lot so the snowplows could do their job. Incorrect The Civil War and the Spanish American War took place in the nineteenth century. It was a turning point for the country. Correct The Civil War and the Spanish American War took place in the nineteenth century. The Civil War was a turning point for the country. For Your Review Avoid ambiguous language by staying away from words and phrases that have more than one meaning and correcting word order that conveys a meaning different from the one intended. Use modifiers such as powerful and specific adjectives and adverbs to clarify your writing. Replace vague words and phrases with ones that are specific. Be concise by eliminating unnecessary words and phrases and using the active as opposed to passive voice whenever possible. 20 HOW TO WRITE GREAT .
