Christine Bauer-Ramazani

Correction Symbols & Revision Strategies | Words to Avoid in Academic Writing

Directions:  Use the following correction symbols and revision strategies to rewrite your first drafts.  Make corrections in CONTENT, ORGANIZATION, GRAMMAR, VOCABULARY, and MECHANICS.

CONTENT
???      =    I don’t understand this word/phrase/sentence  è Check sentence structure and meaning.  Rephrase in simple sentence structure (S + V+ C).

red.      =    redundancy  è  Eliminate repetitions.

ORGANIZATION
¶           =    incorrect paragraphing   è  Check for unity (one main idea per paragraph).   

TS       =    topic sentence needed   è Write a TS using all of the keywords (topic + controlling idea + aspect).

trans    =    transition needed, or incorrect transition  è  Add a transition to increase coherence.

GRAMMAR
_____  =    This sentence needs to be rephrased due to incorrect sentence structure and possible translation from your native language.
 OR           
~~~~                    
run-on =    run-on sentence or comma splice è Use a period to create two separate sentences, or use a conjunction to join the two clauses (and, but, or).

frag     =    sentence fragment or incomplete sentence, usually due to the use of a dependent clause without a main clause è Change the punctuation or add the missing sentence element.

Gr        =    Major grammar problems è Rephrase in simple sentence structure (S + V + C).

vf         =    incorrect verb form (verb ending) è Check for subject-verb agreement and verb tense.

Tns      =    incorrect verb tense used è Check for time expressions that indicate the appropriate tense.

pr        =    pronoun reference problem è Identify the noun that you want to refer to in the same sentence or the sentence before.  Use the pronoun that agrees with
                  the referent noun (Sg or Pl).

prep    =   incorrect preposition è Use the appropriate preposition for location, time, or instrument.  Check the dictionary for V + prep, ADJ + prep, and N + prep phrases.

wo       =    incorrect word order è Use Subject-Verb-Place-Time word order. 

ref?     =    reference problem è Check for the referent noun (Sg or Pl?).

art       =    article mistake è Check for general or specific use of the noun.

VOCABULARY
voc      =    vocabulary mistake (wrong word) è Check your bilingual dictionary for the meaning you wanted to express, then the English-English dictionary for usage.

wf        =    incorrect word form, e.g. a noun instead of an adjective è Check for the word form needed.

XXX    =    Omit this word or phrase.  It is redundant or unnecessary or does not fit into the sentence/context.

MECHANICS
Sp        =    incorrect spelling; consult your English-English dictionary

P          =    punctuation mistake

cap      =    capitalization mistake

WORDS TO AVOID IN ACADEMIC WRITING

I, me, my         Rephrase the sentence to avoid reference to personal opinions.

You, your        Rephrase the sentence to focus on the topic.  Specify the person you are referring to.

people             Specify what kinds of people you are thinking about, e.g. politicians, business people, students, etc.

they                 Use a noun to indicate who “they” are, e.g. politicians, business people, students, etc. 

good                Replace his word with an adjective that does not express a value judgment, e.g. effective, successful, positive.

bad                  Replace this word with an adjective that does not express a value judgment, e.g. ineffective, unsuccessful, negative.

do                    Replace this verb with the one that expresses the action directly.  Consult your bilingual dictionary to see if there is a more expressive verb or if the use of “do” is idiomatic.

make               Replace this verb with the one that expresses the action directly.  Consult your bilingual dictionary to see if there is a more expressive verb or if the use of “make” is idiomatic.

thing                Find the appropriate name for the item in the dictionary.

problem           Identify the problem by name, e.g. illness, unemployment, etc.

big                   Use the more formal word "large".