Seven Rules of Writing
At Hamilton, we believe that communicating well is evidence of your ability to think well. We hope to attract and enroll students who, like our namesake Alexander Hamilton, share this value. Not everyone comes to us as a superb writer or orator — but every one of our graduates has learned how to express themselves clearly and effectively. We hope you’ll find these tips helpful when writing your college essays and also in your everyday life.
RULE 1: Passive Voice
In most instances, put the verb in the active voice rather than in the passive voice.
Passive voice produces a sentence in which the subject receives an action. In contrast, active voice produces a sentence in which the subject performs an action.
RULE 2: Punctuation of Two Independent Clauses
An independent clause has a subject and a verb and can stand alone as a sentence.
Writers often combine independent clauses in a single compound sentence to emphasize a close relationship between ideas. The punctuation of compound sentences varies depending upon how you connect the clauses.
RULE 3: Concise Writing
Concise writing is key to clear communication.
Wordiness obscures your ideas and frustrates your reader.
Common sources of wordiness include unnecessary phrases or clauses such as the reason why is that, in spite of the fact that, due to the fact that, in the event that, because of the fact that, and by means of.
RULE 4: Using the Apostrophe
Apostrophes may indicate possession or mark omitted letters in contractions.
Writers often misuse apostrophes when forming plurals and possessives.
The basic rule is quite simple: use the apostrophe to indicate possession, not a plural. Exceptions to the rule may seem confusing: hers has no apostrophe, and it’s is not possessive.
RULE 5: Using Modifiers
Misplaced and dangling modifiers create illogical, even comical, sentences.
We confuse our readers if we fail to connect modifiers (words that describe or limit other words) to the words they modify; be sure to place modifiers next to the words they modify.
RULE 6: Using Pronouns
Pronouns are useful as substitutes for nouns, but a poorly chosen pronoun can obscure the meaning of a sentence.
Common errors include:
- Unclear Pronoun Reference
- Vague Subject Pronoun
- Agreement Error
RULE 7: Commonly Confused Words
Here are a few common errors found in writing.
Don’t let them happen to you!
affect vs. effect
entitled vs. titled
farther vs. further
less vs. fewer
than vs. then
Find Your Voice
Developing the ability to communicate in a clear, organized, and effective way is a central goal of a liberal arts education — and a prerequisite for a successful career. That’s why we established centers for writing and speaking.
