APA style and citations for dummies - Joe Giampalmi 2021

Paring: paragraphs and sentences
Covering all bases: three-level revising
Earning applause: APA writing for the academic audience

Revising paragraphs and sentences is like organizing your desktop where you’re deleting files and apps, eliminating clutter, and reorganizing folders. Paragraphs and sentences are like a good friendship: They connect tightly, flow smoothly, and fulfill a variety of needs. Paragraphs in research paper writing introduce new ideas, explanations, and evidence, and strongly connect to the argument.

The lifeblood of a paragraph is its topic sentence — its focus, its reason for existence. The body of the paragraph (short or long) develops that one focus and thrives on details, examples, evidence, and definitions.

Revise paragraphs by reflecting on answers to the following questions and applying revisions as necessary:

· Does the paragraph contain a topic sentence and a focus?

· Does the paragraph topic add to the development of the focus?

· Is the paragraph positioned appropriately in relation to other paragraphs?

· Is the paragraph length appropriate for the importance of the topic?

· Does the paragraph contain development strategies such as details, examples, evidence, and definitions?

· Does the paragraph transition from the previous paragraph and into the next paragraph?

· Can any paragraph sentences be eliminated because they are repetitious?

· Can any paragraph sentences be condensed because they contain similar ideas?

The following section offers classroom-tested strategies for revising paragraphs, sentences, and words. Embrace them with American philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson’s approach to life: “Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.”

Sentence starters

A default sentence-creation strategy includes starting sentences with patterns such as “It is,” “There are,” and “It becomes.” These patterns delay identifying the topic of the sentence, and therefore delay reader understanding. Almost any sentence can begin with a sentence starter. Revise sentence starters by identifying the sentence subject or topic, usually found within the sentence, and following the subject with an action verb.

· Sentence starter: There are dozens of college websites to support essay writing.

· Revised: Dozens of college websites support essay writing.

· Revise There are by identifying the performer of the action as the subject of the sentence: Dozens (of college websites). Follow the subject with the action verb support.

· Sentence starter: It becomes difficult for freshmen to manage time during fast-paced college semesters.

· Revised: Freshmen struggle with managing time during fast-paced college semesters.

· Revise It becomes by identifying the performer of the action as the subject of the sentence, freshmen. Follow the subject with the action verb struggle.

· Sentence starter: It was hot today.

· Revised: Today’s temperature soared to 100.

· Revise hot with specific language temperature soared to 100, which offers the reader visualization. Follow the subject with the action verb reached.

Sentence-starter patterns may also appear in the middle of a sentence:

· Sentence starter: With a 162-game season, it is difficult to maintain fan interest throughout the entire season.

· Revised: Baseball struggles to maintain fan interest throughout a 162-game season.

Avoid the confusing sentence starter “it” in “it is” and so forth with pronoun references to previous ideas. For example, Dickens’ “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,” references “it” as the 18th century, not as a sentence starter.

Apply Microsoft Word’s “Find and Replace” feature to locate sentence starters.

Spoken-language wordiness

You may have been taught to write like you talk. But because a person speaks approximately 125 words per minute, spontaneous conversation lacks writing’s precision and word economy, and includes a library of superfluous language. Compose sentences by identifying the sentence topic (the subject) within the first three to five words and following the topic with an action verb. The written language frequently includes unnecessary spoken expressions that provide the speaker with thinking time: by the way, I believe, permit me to say, if you ask me, it’s no wonder, and in my opinion.

· Wordy: If you ask me, college success requires better time management than high school.

· Revised: College success requires better time management than high school.

· Wordy: By the way, Immaculata University won three consecutive AIAW (later NCAA) Women’s National Basketball Championships in 1972, 1973, and 1974.

· Revised: Immaculata University won three consecutive AIAW (later NCAA) Women’s National Basketball Championships in 1972, 1973, and 1974.

Wordy phrases and clauses

The spoken language encourages wordiness because speaking time lacks the word limit of a printed page or computer file. Spoken-language wordiness encourages unnecessary words to filter into writing.

Apply the following strategies to revise wordy phrases and clauses:

· Revise adjectival phrases and clauses into single adjectives.

· Wordy: Turn left at the house with the red paint.

· Revised: Turn left at the red house.

· Revise house with the red paint to red house. With phrases signal revision opportunities.

· Wordy: The player who was injured left the game.

· Revised: The injured player left the game.

· Revise player who was injured to injured player. Who clauses signal revision opportunities.

· Revise and condense wordy expressions such as the following.

· Wordy: College students in this day and age are expected to contribute toward their education.

· Revised: College students today are expected to contribute toward their education.