User:Tom Morris/Good writing

What to quote
"Far from enticing the reader, the use of mere rhetoric in a philosophy paper – that is, any use of language with a purpose other than the clear, frank disclosure of the truth – will likely make your reader rightfully hostile toward your work."

Words to use
"Philosophers are simple folk, so try to use plain language. Using a thesaurus almost always results in word choice that is inaccurate, because people are typically drawn to words based on how they sound rather than what precisely they mean."


 * One of the most common mistakes taught in schools and universities is to avoid the word "I". One is taught to not refer to oneself when writing, even when it is a personal piece of writing. Obviously, Wikipedia articles are not written from a personal perspective. Unlearn this rule and you can start communicating in a clear way outside of the article namespace. Making your personal communication clearer may help make your article writing clearer.
 * Wikipedia writing is formal. Formal writing does not have to be complicated or jargon-ridden or academic. You can write about pop culture and other subjects considered trivial while keeping a formal tone. The words you choose are important here. You should avoid slang and dialect words. Police officers are just that, not "rozzers", "the old bill", "cops", "the filth" or "pigs". Formal writing doesn't have to be showy either. If writing about the Pope, "the Pope" will do, not "the Holy Father", "Christ's Vicar on Earth", "the spiritual leader of the Catholic Church" etc.
 * Remove the jargon from your writing:
 * "due to the fact that" → "because"