How to Write Great Essays

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Mechanics
CHAPTER 4 
HOW TO WRITE GREAT ESSAYS
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While its use has been debated for centuries, the serial comma clarifies the meaning of
sentences. Therefore, you should use it consistently whenever writing a list.
THE COLON
Colons (
:
) appear at the end of a clause and can introduce:
■
A list when the clause before the colon can stand as a complete sentence on its
own
Incorrect:
The classes he signed up for include: geometry, physics, Amer-
ican literature, and religion.
Correct:
He signed up for four classes: geometry, physics, American liter-
ature, and religion.
■
A restatement or elaboration of the previous clause
Incorrect:
Shari is a talented hairdresser: she is also the mother of two 
children.
Correct:
Shari is a talented hairdresser: she attends a seminar each month
and has been a professional for over twenty years.
Incorrect:
My teacher wasn’t in class today: he graduated Summa Cum Laude.
Correct:
My teacher wasn’t in class today: he had to fly to Houston to pres-
ent a paper.
Colons have the effect of sounding authoritative. They present information more con-
fidently and forcefully than if the sentence were divided in two other types of punctuation
marks. Consider the following:
My teacher wasn’t in class today: he had to fly to Houston to present a paper.
My teacher wasn’t in class today. He had to fly to Houston to present a paper.
The first example, with the colon, has the tone that conveys, “I know why this happened,
and I am going to tell you.” It sounds more authoritative. This can be effective in your essay,
but because you never want to appear pompous, it should be used sparingly.