Report Writing Help

Back in highschool, I compiled a list of common mistakes and things to look out for when writing an important paper such as a book report, term paper, or research paper. I included errors that my classmates and I made repeatedly, and this list assisted us in avoiding these mistakes when writing future papers.

Some of these rules take some getting used to, and they may seem tedious at first, but ultimately your paper will look more professional when you turn it in. Plus, you will notice less red and receive a higher grade when it is returned! Trust me, if you follow these rules, your teachers will be impressed with your knowledge of higher-level paper writing.

Introductory paragraph: Your first paragraph should be composed of a general comment that deals with the issue of your paper. (e.g., "Although it has been scientifically proven that we need eight servings of fruit per day, people do not eat enough of it"). This sentence should not specifically mention the plot/characters/specifics of your paper, but should be related in a general sense. Follow this introductory sentence with a sentence that directly mentions your paper's main idea. (i.e., According to current research, people of all age ranges eat less than an average of (x) servings of fruit per week"). Next, give specific examples of specific fruit intake for each age range (i.e., Children eat approximately (x) servings of fruit per day/week, teenagers eat approximately (y) servings of fruit per day/week, and adults eat approximately (z) servings of fruit per day/week"). The format basically follows a pattern of most general to most specific.

Body Paragraphs: The body of the paper should follow. Each paragraph of the body will begin with a topic sentence related to the last sentence of your introductory paragraph when you mentioned the specific topics to be covered. The first body paragraph will deal with children's' fruit serving intake, the second paragraph will start with a topic sentence about teenagers' intake, and the last one will deal with adult fruit intake. Then, you simply expand on each topic.

Here are some common mistakes to avoid when writing your paper:

Avoid "I" or "You." Do not use "I" or "you" anywhere in your paper, unless you are specifically instructed to write an opinion piece.

Avoid contractions. When writing a professional paper, write out whole words rather than contracting them. It simply looks more professional. For example, instead of "don't," say "do not."

Avoid passive sentences. Use active sentences instead, in which the subject is performing the action. An example of a passive sentence that you want to avoid is, "The cake was given to Shannon by Dave." Instead, convert it to an active sentence and write, "Dave gave Shannon the cake."

Maintain parallelism - Parallelism means word tense matches within the same sentence. For example, if I write, "She was swimming, playing basketball, and danced," this is incorrect. The past tense -ed on the end of danced does not parallel or match the tense on the other verbs in that same sentence, which are presented in the present progressive tense - ing.

Avoid wordiness. Don't overdo the sentences and be too wordy. Some can be short and some can be longer, but the important thing to remember is to get to the point. Many students think more detail and descriptions equals a better paper, but the reader ends up confused and reading in circles. Create statements that are straight to the point and easy to understand.

Avoid new information in the conclusion - Finish your paper with a conclusion that ties your general sentence from the introductory paragraph and each topic sentence together, without being too wordy. DO NOT add any new information that was not already talked about somewhere in your paper. Read over your conclusion when you are finished and if there is any new information, delete it immediately.

Check spelling and grammar. Before you hand in your paper, check over the spelling and grammar. Many computer programs do this for you, but they are not always accurate, so it is important to check everything yourself as well. Many students are careless when it comes to this aspect of paper writing, but it can make a big difference in your grade and your teacher's perspective of your level of dedication you put into your work. Even if other aspects of the paper are incorrect, proper execution of the basic technicalities of paper writing will portray that you care and check your work over.

Give credit where it belongs! Don't forget to give credit to those that provided the information you included in your paper. These include in-text citations (citing the author of the information within your paragraphs), your references pages (a separate sheet with a list of all the in-text citations you used, but this time, the detailed version with author, title, copyright date, publisher, etc. Your teacher will instruct you to use a specific writing style (i.e., MLA, APA). There are various reference guides online and in the bookstore that explain exactly how to compose proper citations according to the writing style you are using. One very common mistake amongst my classmates and I was that we often only included a separate reference page, but very limited in-text citations. This is a form of plagiarism. You must cite the author, even when you are simply paraphrasing. If it is someone else's information or ideas that are not your own original thoughts, you must give them credit.