Rules to Write Good(Adapted from the Advocate, February, 1980, Wayne State University, School of Law.)
- Don't use no double negatives.
- Make each pronoun agree with their antecedent.
- Verbs has to agree with their subjects.
- Don't use commas, that aren't necessary.
- Try to not ever split infinitives.
- Its important to use apostrophe's correctly.
- Don't write run-on sentences they are hard to read.
- It behooves the writer to eschew archaic expressions.
- Don't use hyperbole: not one writer in a million can use it effectively.
- Avoid clichés like the plague.
- A truly good writer is always especially careful to eliminate the all-too-frequent use of adverbs.
- Placing a comma between subject and predicate, is not correct.
- You should however enclose parenthetical words in commas.
- Correct spelling is esential.
- Always proofread your copy to see if you've any word out.
- It is felt that the passive voice should be avoided.
- Never use a long word when a diminutive one will do.
Moreover:
George Orwell: Politics and the English Language (1946)
- always give sources for assertions of fact
- always give citations for sources
- give full and proper citations (so that a skeptical reader can confirm your assertions of fact)
President-Elect Barack Obama's victory speech in Grant Park, Chicago, November 4, 2008. Other speeches by Barack Obama