Here is a short list of some of the specific terms professors use when they find a paper deficient in a particular quality and some advice on how to achieve that quality in your writing.

1. "simplify," "too wordy," "be more concise": conciseness

Solution: Try to get your message across without excess verbiage.

Note: In striving for conciseness, you must also think about what your reader needs to know in order to understand your message. Consider carefully who will be reading your paper and what information he/she needs. In cutting out unnecessary words, be careful not to cut out necessary details.

        Omit needless words bartleby.com


2. "not clear," "lacks thesis," "sharpen discussion," "be more precise," "include counter-arguments": clarity

Solution: Figure out exactly what you want to say and what your instructor expects; try to say that as exactly as you can.

Notes: Good writers don't necessarily know exactly what they want to say when they start writing. The process of writing is often a process of exploring a subject and discovering exactly what you want to say about it. In moving from first to final draft, try to resolve your confusions and achieve clarity.

Most importantly, remember that being clear does not mean ignoring complications. Acknowledging exceptions, contrary views, alternative solutions, etc. shows that you are aware of them and thus strengthens your own credibility.

3. "lacks organization", "what's the message," "needs a topic sentence," 'needs transition," "choppy," "awkward": Focus

Solution: Follow a logical plan in moving from the beginning to the end of your paper.

Notes:The organizational plan you follow in your paper is one that should make sense to your reader. In writing the final draft of any paper, you may find it helpful to outline what you have written and ask whether this sequence will seem logical to your intended audience.

It is helpful to readers to place "signposts" marking the organization of your paper - headings, previews of what's to come, summaries of what's been done so far, transitional phrases, etc. Remember that your audience can read only your words, not you mind.

4. "fix grammar"; "insert (or delete) comma, colon, semicolon, other punctuation"; "incomplete sentence"; "run-on sentence"; "faulty parallelism": correctness

Solution: Follow the conventions of edited standard English.


Note: There are many references on English grammar, usage, and style. You should have a good handbook and bookmark the Writing Center web pages on grammar, punctuation, & style that are most useful to you.

From: Waddell, Craig. Basic Prose Style and Mechanics. Writing Center at Rensselaer. 1987.