Polished Prose Anchor Chart Split Page
Polished Prose
A Guide to Formal Writing Conventions
Capitalization
- Proper Nouns: Specific names of people, places, and organizations (e.g., Paris, United Nations).
- Official Titles: Only when they precede a name (e.g., President Lincoln vs. the president).
- Acronyms: All letters must be capitalized (e.g., NASA, UNESCO).
- Historical Eras: Specific periods (e.g., the Middle Ages).
Punctuation
The Semicolon (;)
Joins independent clauses.
The study is done; results were expected.
The Oxford Comma
Comma before the final 'and' in a list.
Apples, oranges, and pears.
Apostrophes
For possession, never for plurals. Avoid contractions in formal work.
Fragments
Needs: Subject + Verb + Complete Thought.
Fragment
Because the data was corrupted.
Fixed
The analysis failed because the data was corrupted.
Common culprits: starting with "Which," "Because," or "Although" without a main clause.
Formal Tone
| Avoid | Use Instead |
|---|
| Don't, Can't | Do not, Cannot |
| Guy, Stuff | Individual, Items |
| I think... | Evidence suggests... |
| Basically | Fundamentally |
Maintain objective distance. Avoid slang, idioms, and exclamation points.
The Golden Rule
Read your writing out loud. If it sounds like a conversation with a friend, it is likely too informal for academic or professional submission.
Academic Articulation
Formal Sentence Starters & Analytical Phrases
Stating an Argument
It is evident that...
The primary assertion is...
One must consider...
A compelling case for...
The text suggests...
Fundamentally, it appears...
The central premise is...
Research implies that...
Introducing Evidence
As observed in the text...
The author illustrates this...
Data indicates that...
A notable example of this...
Specifically, the text notes...
According to the source...
Evidence suggests that...
In support of this claim...
Beginning Text Analysis
This highlights the use of...
Furthermore, this emphasizes...
This implies that...
The implications suggest...
By employing this strategy...
This connection serves to...
This pattern reveals...
Ultimately, this signifies...
Analytic Precision
Avoid repetitive language. If you use "suggests" in one paragraph, try "implies" or "illustrates" in the next to keep your analysis engaging and sophisticated.