Fifty Rules for Writing Good

Fifty Rules for Writing Good
>
> 1. Each pronoun should agree with their antecedent.
>
> 2. Between you and I, pronoun case is important.
>
> 3. A writer must be sure to avoid using sexist
> pronouns in
> his writing.
>
> 4. Verbs has to agree with their subjects.
>
> 5. Don't be a person whom people realize confuses
> who and
> whom.
>
> 6. Never use no double negatives.
>
> 7. Never use a preposition to end a sentence with.
> That is
> something
> up with which your readers will not put.
>
> 8. When writing, participles must not be dangled.
>
> 9. Be careful to never, under any circumstances,
> split
> infinitives.
>
> 10. Hopefully, you won't float your adverbs.
>
> 11. A writer must not shift your point of view.
>
> 12. Lay down and die before using a transitive verb
> without
> an object.
>
> 13. Join clauses good, like a conjunction should.
>
> 14. The passive voice should be avoided.
>
> 15. About sentence fragments.
>
> 16. Don't verb nouns.
>
> 17. In letters themes reports and ad copy use
> commas to
> separate
> items in a series.
>
> 18. Don't use commas, that aren't necessary.
>
> 19. "Don't overuse 'quotation marks.'"
>
> 20. Parenthetical remarks (however relevant) are
> (if the
> truth be
> told) superfluous.
>
> 21. Contractions won't, don't, and can't help your
> writing
> voice.
>
> 22. Don't write run-on sentences they are hard to
> read.
>
> 23. Don't forget to use end punctuation
>
> 24. Its important to use apostrophe's in the right
> places.
>
> 25. Don't abbrev.
>
> 26. Don't overuse exclamation marks! ! !
>
> 27. Resist Unnecessary Capitalization.
>
> 28. Avoid mispellings.
>
> 29. Check to see if you any words out.
>
> 30. One-word sentences? Never.
>
> 31. Avoid annoying, affected, and awkward
> alliteration,
> always.
>
> 32. Never, ever use repetitive redundancies.
>
> 33. The bottom line is to bag trendy locutions that
> sound
> flaky.
>
> 34. By observing the distinctions between
> adjectives and
> adverbs,
> you will treat your readers real good.
>
> 35. Parallel structure will help you in writing
> more effective
> sentences and to express yourself more gracefully.
>
> 36. In my own personal opinion at this point of
> time, I think
> that
> authors, when they are writing, should not get into
> the habit of
> making use of too many unnecessary words that they
> don't really need.
>
> 37. Foreign words and phrases are the reader's bete
> noire and
> are
> not apropos.
>
> 38. Who needs rhetorical questions?
>
> 39. Always go in search for the correct idiom.
>
40. Do not cast statements in the negative form.

41. And don't start sentences with conjunctions.

42. Avoid mixed metaphors. They will kindle a flood
of confusion in your readers.

43. Eliminate quotations. As Ralph Waldo Emerson
said, "I hate quotations. Tell me what you know."

44. Analogies in writing are like feathers on a snake.

45. Go around the barn at high noon to avoid
colloquialisms.

46. Be more or less specific.

47. If I've told you once, I've told you a thousand
times, exaggeration is a billion times worse than
understatement, which is always best.

48. Never use a big word when you can utilize a
diminutive word.

49. Profanity sucks.

50. Last but not least, even if you have to bend over
backward, avoid cliches like the plague.